Abraxas is a mystical word composed of Greek letters. It is known as Abrasax in some sources, which may have been the earlier spelling. The word was believed to have magical properties and was inscribed on ancient amulets and talismans. In the 2nd century AD, the early Gnostics personified the word as their Supreme Deity.
Abraxas is symbolized in ancient talismans as the head of a rooster on the body of a man with a whip in one hand and a shield in the other. The symbol is also engraved on precious stones called Abrasax stones.
The word abracadabra is commonly used in magic shows, often just before a rabbit is pulled out of a hat. The root of the word, however, may have come from the name of a Gnostic god, Abraxas, the Supreme Being. According to the Gnostics, the term is magical and represents power and infinite possibilities. Concepts that are part of world mythology, such as karma, for example.
Origin
Abraxas may have no root in known speech, according to an etymologist in 1891, but it was more likely to have been used in a mystical or divine sense. It is postulated that the term may be a combination of abrak and saxo, two Egyptian words meaning “honored” or “sanctified,” which appear in ancient texts including the Sacred Book of the Great Invisible Spirit and the Greek Magic Papyrus.
Basilides, an early Gnostic teacher in Alexandria, Egypt, gave the name Abraxas to God, or the Great Archon, the god of the 365 spheres or heavens—one for each day of the year. Sources cite the seven letters representing the seven classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). The original letters of the word in Greek add up to the number 365.
In Catholicism
The writings of the Catholic bishop Irenaeus became central to Christian theology in the second century. He believed that 365 heavens were created, and that the angels of the last heaven created our world. In his work, he states that the ruler of the 365 heavens is Abraxas. In the fourth century, one of his followers, Epiphanius, claimed that Abraxas was the being above all things.
Furthermore, he claims that Abraxas sent Christ to Earth, not the Creator of the World. The Catholic Church later maintained that Abraxas was a pagan god and labeled him a demon, according to J. Collin de Plancy’s Infernal Dictionary. He goes on to describe the Basilidians as heretics.
In mythology and psychology
In the early 19th century, mythographer Sir Godfrey Higgins claimed that the name could have ancient Druid origins. He also stated that Abrasax may be the root of the word abracadabra. The word Abrasax, in his opinion, was a corruption of an ancient word from Egyptian mythology, a magic spell that did no harm.
The hieroglyph representing the concept was usually inscribed on an amulet or talisman. He also related that a name so sacredly guarded, so powerful in its influence, must be preserved by mystical societies through the many ages… is significant.
In his book, Celtic Druids, Higgins draws attention to the reverence accorded to the word, which means the adorable and blessed name, the unspeakable word.
Carl Jung was a Gnostic and modern psychologist. He claimed that Abraxas was a god superior to the Christian god and that he was actually a combination of god and the devil in his book The Seven Sermons of the Dead, published in 1916. Jung was known for his explorations of the soul or psyche and regularly entered visionary states to acquire the mystical knowledge he sought.
Abrasax Stones
Abrasax stones are ancient gemstones engraved with the word Abrasax, or images of the god, or both the image and inscriptions. The stones also depict Abrasax with other Gnostic powers, the god with Jewish symbols, and with Persian, Egyptian, or Greek deities.
The word Ablanathanalba is a magic word that appears on Abrasax stones and magical papyri. Ablanathanalba means “You are our father.” The Greek Magical Papyri date from the second century and contain spells, rituals, and magic formulas. One of the papyri was titled Monad and contains an invocation to Abrasax.
Abraxas the Immortal Horse
Abraxas is also said to be an alternative name for one of the four immortal horses of Helios, and according to certain sources, he draws Aurora, the goddess of dawn, across the sky.
Abracadabra magic formula
Abracadabra was a term or formula used in folk magic, an incantation against inflammation and fever. The etymology of the word is found in Aramaic and is first documented in the writings of the second-century Gnostic physician Severus Sammonicus.
The word is inscribed on a triangular amulet, which is worn around the neck for nine days and thrown into a river on the tenth day, after which the wearer should be healed. The magic formula, according to Sammonicus, had the ability to gather the support of benevolent spirits and thus aid the healing process.
Gnosticism is a religious teaching based on gnosis, which means secret knowledge used to achieve salvation and return to our true spiritual origins, far from the physical universe and its evil. As we continue to be tossed through the cycles of rebirth here on Earth, perhaps the magic, mysticism, or religion of the old or the new can guide us back to our true origins and pure form, back to Abraxas.
