We're often asked about the inspiration behind the custom snake design sewed and hand-stamped on many of our designs, that reads within it HERE FOR NOW.
The Ouroboros, an image of a snake depicted devouring its own tail, is one of the most ancient symbols of alchemy dating as far back as 1600 BC in ancient Egypt. The Ouroboros represents the perpetual cyclic renewal of life, of beginning and end, of the concept of the eternal return -- life, death and rebirth. We embrace this as a symbol of change. Just as a snake sheds its own skin, so too do we discard our old selves and become renewed through growth. It’s a powerful metaphor for the importance of accepting change, that most constant presence in our lives.
Despite originating in Egypt, the Ouroboros has gone on to influence various cultures and belief systems, including Greek, Gnostic, Hermetic, Christian and Alchemists. It's symbolism is universal, making it relatable regardless of religious beliefs.
When drawing the Ouroboros for Sound As Ever, we added an extra loop at the base of the tail in a figure eight laid on its side. The "8" is a nod to Room #8 at the Joshua Tree Inn, where Gram Parsons took his last breath before moving into the next phase of his spiritual cycle. When laid horizontally the "8" becomes the symbol of infinity, which reflects the nature yet again of this ancient design.
The phrase “Here For Now” is something we are remembering on a daily basis. Live your best life right now. It seems so obvious, but this is a reminder and one of our core values here at Sound As Ever.
Wear or carry these products on a hike, at a show, your kid’s baseball game, to running errands - wherever you find yourself at the moment. And be in the moment because we are here - for now.
“The building of the true and beautiful means the destruction of the good enough. Rebirth means death. Once a truer, more beautiful version is born inside us, life is in the direction of that vision. We are only alive only to the degree to which we are willing to be annihilated. Our next life will always cost us this one. If we are truly alive, we are constantly losing who we just were, what we just built, what we just believed, what we just knew to be true.“
-- Glennon Doyle/Untamed
