Abraxas
Intention: Reflect on unity that contains real contradiction
Offerings & Symbols
- A carved gemstone image (Abraxas stones were historically worn as amulets)
- A snake and rooster image together (his traditional composite form)
- Something that holds two contradictions at once
Culture: Gnostic and later Western esoteric tradition Domain: Unity containing paradox and contradiction
Abraxas is a complex figure from Gnostic tradition, sometimes depicted as a composite being with a rooster's head and serpent legs, whose name was inscribed on protective amulets in late antiquity; later esoteric writers, notably Carl Jung, took up Abraxas as a symbol of a god beyond simple good and evil, containing genuine contradiction within a single unity.
Associations
Unity beyond simple duality, contained paradox, protective amulet symbolism.
Ways people honor him (modern)
- Read Carl Jung's Seven Sermons to the Dead for his influential modern treatment of the figure
- Reflect on holding two truly contradictory truths within yourself at once
- Research surviving ancient Abraxas amulet stones and their protective use
- Approach the figure's Gnostic origins and Jungian reinterpretation as two distinct historical layers
Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.
