The picture of a snake eating its own tail, represents an ancient symbol of continuity of Life. This picture also explains, in symbolic way, what actions can sustain Life or end it.
By eating the tail, the snake provides the body with food to built and sustain its own life. This action symbolically represents creation of life for the body, therefore it can be called ‘birth’.
On the other hand, by eating its own tail, the snake kills it. This action symbolically represents destruction of body life, therefore it can be called ‘death’.
Imagine that the snake eats the tail very, very slow – what would be the result? Simple, not enough food will make the snake body starve to death. Now, imagine the opposite situation, that the snake eats the tail too quick – what would happen? I guess that you answered correctly; the tail will not have enough time to grow, therefore the snake would eat itself to death.
These two answers allow you to draw a conclusion, that life of the body can be sustained only when the both factors, death and birth, are in balance. When one of these two is in excess, life of the body will end.
This is one of principles for creating and sustaining Life. Both, together birth and death create Life. When birth and detach are in balance, they sustain life of a being . Too much birth or too much death will end life of the being. The symbol of a snake eating its own tail represents the principle of creating life of a being by both birth and death. Birth begins a new life of a being, whereas death supports birth of a being. The life period of a being exists between its birth and death.