In 1994, the song Circle of Life was made popular through Disney's animated film The Lion King. Written by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice, it speaks of the “circle of life” that moves us all through despair, hope, faith and love, until we find our place on the unwinding path in the circle of life. While the circle of life is an important idea highlighted through the title, an even more fundamental concept is buried within the lyrics of the song through the subtle mention of the unwinding path.

Metaphor for the great journey we call life, the unwinding path is a spiral. The spiral has been used by humankind as a metaphor for centuries.