April 3, 2015

Abraxas

gnosticwarrior.com/abraxas.html

The God Abraxas (Abrasax, Abraxis and Latin-Afipacrdl) comes to us from ancient Egypt and Greece.
He is associated with the early beginnings of Gnosticism which would later influence many of the first
Gnostics who had gone on to form the various Abrahamic religions such as Judaism and Christianity.

The famous Abraxas Talisman or Gem normally shows a man’s body with the head of a cock, one arm
with a shield, and the other with a whip. It was engraved on many antique gemstones, called on that
account, Abraxas stones which were used as amulets or charms during the second and third
centuries.

The word Abraxas is found in Gnostic texts such as the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and
also appears in the Greek Magical Papyri. The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit refer to Abraxas
as an Aeon dwelling with Sophia (wisdom) and other Neons of the Pleroma in the light of the
illuminary Elleleth.

The meaning of Abraxas in the languages of Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Old Irish/Celtic can be found in
the secrets of occult numerology. The first form of the word comes to us from the second century
with the words Abrac, or Abracar; a name which Basilides, an early Gnostic religious teacher in
Alexandria, Egypt had given to God, who he said was the author of three hundred and sixty-five. In
the system of Basilides, being there applied to the “Great Archon” who rules the 365 spheres; the 7
letters spelling Abraxas, and 7 stars often found on Gnostic gems represent each of the 7 classic
planets—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Sir Godfrey Higgins, in his book the Celtic Druids, had said that the word may have come from the
Druids, and he had also shown that the numerical equivalent of the spelling of the name Abraxas has
seven letters that equal to three hundred and sixty-five in both the Greek and Hebrew (Phoenician)
language. Higgins had said the word ” Abracadabra” is a later corruption of the sacred Gnostic term ”
Abrasax “, the latter itself being a still earlier corruption of a sacred and ancient Coptic or Egyptian
word: a magic formula which meant in its symbolism “Hurt me not “, and addressed the deity in its
hieroglyphics as ” Father.” It was generally attached to an amulet or charm and worn as a Tat (q.v.),
on the breast under the garments.

The original letters of Abraxas are a Greek name, spelled ABΣPΞ that add up to 365:

A = 1, B = 2, Σ = 200, P = 100, Ξ = 60 = 365

The early Fathers of the Catholic Church such as Irenaeus and Epiphanius had said that the world, as
well as the 365 heavens, was created in honour of ‘Abraxas;’ and that Christ was sent not by the
Maker of the world but by ‘Abraxas,’ and according to Jerome (c.347– September 30, 420) who is
best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, ‘Abraxas’ meant for
Basilides “the greatest God” (De vir. ill. 21), “the highest God” (Dial. adv. Lucif. 23), “the Almighty
God” (Comm. in Amos iii. 9), and “the Lord the Creator” (Comm. in Nah. i. 11).

C. W. King, in his Gnostics and Their Remains, says the word Abraxas is similar to the Hebrew
Shemhamphorasch, a holy word, the extended name of God. In describing Abraxas, King had written:
“Bellermann considers the composite image, inscribed with the actual name Abraxas, to be a Gnostic
Pantheos, representing the Supreme Being, with the Five Emanations marked out by appropriate
symbols. From the human body, the usual form assigned to the Deity, spring the two supporters,
Nous and Logos, expressed in the serpents, symbols of the inner senses, and the quickening
understanding; on which account the Greeks had made the serpent the attribute of Pallas. His head–
that of a cock–represents Phronesis, that bird being the emblem of foresight and of vigilance. His two
arms hold the symbols of Sophia and Dynamis: the shield of Wisdom and the whip of Power.”

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist and Modern Gnostic had written extensively on Abraxas. In his 1916
book called The Seven Sermons to the Dead, Jung called Abraxas a God higher than the Christian God
and Devil that combines all opposites into one Being. He said that Abraxas was a polymorphous
world spirit which permeates — or even encompass — the very fabric of existence: “[Abraxas] is… a
thousand-armed ployp, coiled knot of winged serpents… the hermaphrodite of the earliest
beginning… the lord of toads and frogs, which live in the water… abundance that seeketh union with
emptiness.” (Carl Jung, quoted in The Gnostic Jung, Ed. Robert Segal, pp. 187-88, pub. 1992)

In studying the etymology of the word Ab-Rax-As, I have found that it means;

* Ab – is derived from the Aramic and Latin abba meaning – Father

* Rax or Rex- Latin for King or a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

* As – Used to refer to the function or character that someone or something has:

“Jupiter rules as father of the heavens.”

The images that are often depicted along with Abraxas come to us in the form of ancient Talismans
usually symbolized as a creature like man with the body of a human being, the head of a rooster, and
with each of his legs ending in a serpent that are curved upwards.

THE SCIENCE OF ABRAXAS

Abraxas (Abrasax, Abraxis and Latin-Afipacrdl) is an ancient term associated with Gnosticism that had
influenced much of what we know of today as the pagan movement and even various religions such
as Judaism and Christianity. According to Gnostic principles, the number 365 and the seven letters of
the name Abraxas correspond to the seven rays of the planetary spheres in which he is king of the
heavens and earth.

The original Gnostic religion of Abraxas has its roots in the ancient Egyptian New Kingdon located at
Thebes. It was here where they had proclaimed Jupiter to be the supreme ruler of both the AS
ABOVE and SO BELOW, in which they had subscribed to him seven subordinate angels (planets). The
meaning of Thebes is from the word Theba that signifies ‘Ark.’ The capital of the religion of the City
of Light or what we know of as Luxor, where they had worshipped god Amon-Ra (Jupiter-Amon). 4/6

The seven letters of the name Abraxas reference to 365 is the number of days which the planet
Jupiter rules the heavens as the Father and King of planets, and the seven letters correspond to the
seven rays of the planetary spheres in which the name Jupiter also has seven letters. Since the most
ancient times, the planet Jupiter has been worshipped as a god. In fact, there is not one planet or
star on earth that has garnished as much adoration and worship as this one planet. Not Saturn, not
Venus and not even the sun. The word Abraxas is just another code name like Amon-Ra (Jupiter-
Amon) for this king of the planets that has a thousands names and symbols. Names that all represent
the planet Jupiter.

In the sixth creation we learn from the Targura of Palestine that Adam, as the Adamic man, was
created in the image of the Lord, his maker, with 365 nerves. According to the Talmud, the human
body is composed of 248 organs and 365 sinews(a total of 613 parts). In Hebrew, this translates to
the 248 spiritual organs and 365 spiritual sinews (under which vague term are included, as stated
above, arteries, nerves, etc.), corresponding to the 365 negative laws, and representing the 365 days
of the year.

These are governed by 365 angels, one of whom is Samael himself, who represents the ninth day of
the month of Ab [the fast commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans]. The reason
why the sinew of the thigh nerve was forbidden was because it represents Samael [Satan], who is
one of the 365 angels, whose day is the Ninth of Ab” and(also, Sammael or Samil) is an important
archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is accuser (devil), seducer and destroyer,
and has been regarded as both good and evil. Rabbinical writings describe Samael as the guardian
angel of Esau and a patron of Edom (or, the Roman empire).

The serpent symbology found on the talisman and gemstones of Abraxas actually represent the
worm. In the Apocryphon of John, found in the Nag Hammadi library, the Gnostic Abraxas becomes
Samael who is the third name of the demiurge, and whose other names are Yaldabaoth and Saklas.
Hebrew names that mean “the blind god.” The theme of blindness running throughout gnostic
works, and now appears in a new image of a lion-faced serpent. In On the Origin of the World in the
Nag Hammadi library texts, Samael who we know also as Abraxas is referred to as Ariael, the
Archangel of Principalities.

In the ancient Jewish Gnostic Mysteries, the serpent (worm) was a symbol of Samael, the archangel
of Mars and the master of the astral light. One of Samael’s greatest roles in Jewish lore is that of the
main archangel of death. He remains one of YHWH’s servants even though he wants men to do evil.
As an angel, Samael resides in the seventh heaven, although he is declared to be the chief angel of
the fifth heaven, the reason for this being the presence of the throne of glory in the fifth heaven.

Manly P. Hall had written in ‘How to Understand Your Bible’, “In the 3rd chapter of Genesis the
adversary is Samael, the Serpent, and like Mephistopholes it is “a spirit of negation; part of the
power that still works for good while ever scheming ill. The old Jewish Mysteries declare the serpent
to be a symbol of Samael, the archangel of Mars and the master of the astral light. In scriptural
writings serpents are frequently used to represent currents or waves of force moving in space.

The Midgard Snake of the Nordic Eddas, and the Orphic serpent twined about the Egg of the Year,
are both symbols of the zodiac and the serpentine course of the sun. The erect serpent of Egypt, and
the hooded Naga of India and Cambodia, signify the spinal fire in man. The winged serpents of Gobi,
and the Taoist dragons of China, represent both the psychic forces of the soul and the initiates, or
sky-men. The Indians of the Southwest of America have serpent symbols of similar significance; and
the Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Snake of Central America, is a symbol of the initiate or high priest. The
Druid priests of Britain and Gaul called themselves serpents; and these too are the snakes that St.
Patrick is said to have driven from Ireland.

This is the modern Gnostic theology and science of Abraxas.

Abraxas who is the heavenly worm of Jupiter sent from the divine universe to give to mankind the
psychic forces to the light of the soul through 365 spiritual sinews (under which vague term are
included, as stated above, arteries, nerves, etc.), corresponding to the 365 negative laws, and
representing the 365 days of the year. He is the master of all initiates, or sky-men.

Abraxas is the astral serpent on the tree who hands the illumination of both good and evil to Adam
and Eve whose eyes are then opened. The very king worm who rules this world, that is both our
creator and destroyer. The maker of good and evil rolled into one persona, that being the human
population in which Abraxas rules over the world like the great Gnostic Basilides described; “the
greatest God” (De vir. ill. 21), “the highest God” (Dial. adv. Lucif. 23), “the Almighty God” (Comm. in
Amos iii. 9), and “the Lord the Creator” (Comm. in Nah. i. 11).

Abraxas is the Demiurge and Archon Magnus.