These pins were created from a tracing by Charles W. King in 1887 of an antique Abraxas stone, which is a Gnostic gem once used as a magical talisman or amulet.
The letters around the edge of the design are Greek translating to “Eternal Sun”, and the magical formula “ΙΑΩ”.
There is a composite figure of a deity with the head of a rooster, the armoured body of a man, with legs of serpents, and wielding a shield (wisdom) and a scourge (power). This figure is the personification of the word Abraxas which enumerates from Greek to 365—the number of days in a solar year. The seven letters of Abraxas also represent the seven classical planets of our solar system. Hence, Abraxas is thought of as the ruler of the heavens, and a solar deity whose influence is throughout the whole year, cyclically, and eternally.
Abraxas is considered to be the first principle, the bestower of self-illumination, the god above all other gods, the one and the many, the light and the shadow, life and death, the beginning and the end. Abraxas contains all polarities, and so Abraxas is an image of transcendence, and is beyond our dualistic concepts of “good” and “evil”.
These are antique silver coloured die struck metal pin badges with black rubber clutch backings. Approximate diameter is 22mm. Limited to 99 pieces.
£7.00
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