86 MAGIC WORDS Facts: The word selah appears on Kabalistic talismans as part of a special prayer "similar in nature but not identical to types of invocations." 0 Serpens Aut Draco Qui Caudam Devoravit Meanings: • Ouroboros of wisdom that protects and encircles everything Origins: Serpens aut draco qui caudam devoravit is a Latin phrase meaning "snakes or dragons who swallow their tails." In Literature: •"Serpens aut draco qui caudam devoravit. They guard the treasures: the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the apples of the Hesperides, the golden fleece . . . They're the serpents or dragons that the ancient Egyptians painted in a circle, with their tail in their mouth to indicate that they came from a single thing and were self-sufficient. Sleepless guardians, proud and wise. Hermetic dragons that kill the unworthy and allow themselves to be Figure 37. Ouroboros is an ancient Gnostic symbol. 20 Donald Michael Kraig, Modern Magick (1997)