Alchemy & philosophy · The Language of Alchemy, part 6 of 8 · 2 October 2026 · Charlotte Himsworth
The Ouroboros and the Philosopher’s Stone
The serpent that swallows its tail, and the stone that turns lead to gold.
Two of alchemy’s most famous images belong together: the ouroboros, a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, and the philosopher’s stone, the perfected substance said to transform base metals into gold.
The ouroboros
The serpent swallowing its tail appears in ancient Egyptian art and later in Greek alchemical manuscripts, including the Chrysopoeia attributed to Cleopatra the Alchemist, where it encircles the words “one is the all”. It speaks of eternity, renewal and the endless cycle of ending and beginning.
The philosopher’s stone
The stone was the goal of the Great Work: a substance of perfect balance that could perfect whatever it touched. Alchemists also called it the elixir, and some imagined it bringing long life. Many writers read it inwardly, as a soul made whole.
The squared circle
One emblem of the stone combines a circle, a square and a triangle, joining spirit, matter and the bridge between them.
A practice
The ouroboros reminds us that endings feed beginnings. Ask: “What ending in my life might be quietly nourishing something new?”