Abraxas Panthea
A magical and sacred formula, Abraxas is, in Greek Gnosis, the name of the god of the year. Its origin comes from the first seven letters of the name of God in Hebrew and refers to the seven planets, the seven archangels, the seven sins, the seven days, and so on. Broken down according to the Greek numbering system and then summed, the seven letters of the term reflect the number of the annual cycle, namely 365. Therefore, it is the symbol of the totality of creation, the cosmos, and knowledge (gnosis). According to Saint Jerome, Abraxas corresponds to the mystical and hidden number of Mithras, whose sum of letters in Greek (MEIOPAE) also results in 365. The Abraxas appear in the form of intaglios (fine stones engraved in recesses) or gemstones, often mounted as rings worn by Gnostic Christians and later by the Masters of the Temple, who often used them as counterseals or seals. These gemstones date back to the 2nd century AD, during the time of the famous Gnostic philosopher Basilides of Alexandria, whose doctrine sought to synthesise Christian, Egyptian, Mithraic, Greek, and Celtic currents; some elements of this teaching can be found in those of the Temple. The latter used the Abraxas during the period of Hugues de Payns, who inherited them from the family of the Counts of Champagne, who revived their use. The use of the Abraxas was by no means the exclusive privilege of the Templars. Its usage was constant throughout the Middle Ages and widespread among guilds, particularly those of master masons and stonecutters, the bourgeoisie, and the nobility. Abraxas Pantheus
The central figure is a composite being combining the torso and upper limbs of a man, the torso clad in an ancient breastplate with bare arms. The head is that of a rooster, with the beak either straight or pointed skywards, turned to the right or left. The lower limbs consist of two serpents curved upwards. The creature holds two objects: a roundel in the right hand and a whip or flagellum in the left hand, sometimes replaced by a staff. This peculiar figure combines various symbols of a ‘mythico-divine’ nature, whose initiatory value could not have escaped the Templars. Firstly, the two complementary symbols: the rooster—which in this case replaces the eagle—and the serpent. As a symbol of wisdom and vigilance, the rooster’s crowing banishes darkness and brings forth the sun. It embodies the initiate who is reborn after the initiation death of the night into the light of a new life, purified of all defilement. The serpent, an embodiment of telluric and chthonic forces, symbolises here the terrestrial energy necessary for the process of rebirth, of new life sublimated by the Knowledge imparted by the Good, with the heads of the serpents gazing towards the heavens, the universe of the Perfect Spirit. Through its periodic shedding, the serpent represents the sign of continuous original movement and the eternal succession of cycles. The ancient breastplate signifies the necessity to fight to acquire knowledge and wisdom, which are never given but always conquered. The roundel, often inscribed with the Greek letters IAW, iota, alpha, omega, serves as a symbol of protection for the initiate in their quest for knowledge and wisdom, and the whip or staff represents power. The Abraxas Panthea used by the Temple, typically reserved almost exclusively for the Master and high dignitaries, is often accompanied by three Greek letters, placed not on the shield but in the field of the seal, along with seven stars representing the seven letters of the term Abraxas. The inscription is always the same: +: SECRETVM: TEMPLI:—an inscription that requires no commentary.