Sign of Barbēlō: The Eternity Nexus
This is a sigil for the purpose of convoking and conducting the influence of the Divine Androgynous Principle, variously called by the names of Phanes, Abrasax, Mwari, Erikepaios, Mawu-Lisa, and Meirothea—among others.
For this particular sigil, I worked with the ancient Gnostic deity, Barbēlō, as a conduit of that energy. Barbēlō refers to the first emanation of God in various forms of Gnostic cosmogony. Barbēlō is often depicted as a supreme androgynous principle—the single passive antecedent of creation in its manifoldness. This figure is also variously referred to as 'Mother-Father' (hinting at her apparent androgyny), 'First Human Being', 'The Triple Androgynous Name', or 'The Eternal Aeon'. So prominent was her place amongst the Gnostics that some schools were designated as Barbeliotae, Barbēlō worshippers, or Barbēlōgnostics. According to their view, Barbēlō lives "above in the eighth heaven"; she had been “put forth” by the Pleroma (Godhead) as the hand of action amongst the Aeons (Asherah & Yahweh.) As such, it was she that spawned the Hebdomad, the first seven of the Archons who were tasked with the roles of collective Demiurge. The first of her children, Yaldabaoth, who was meant to serve as the Basileis (ruler) of the Hebdomad, insolently took possession of the seventh heaven, and proclaimed himself to be the one true God. When she heard his words and observed his mistreatment of the the first humans, ʼAdam (Adam) and Ḥawwāh (Eve,) she lamented and attempted to right his wrongs. She was always appearing to the Archons in beautiful form, that by appealing to them she might properly direct her own scattered power.
She is noticed in several passages of Epiphanius of Salamis, who in part must have followed the Compendium of Hippolytus, and described her as "[She] who is called Barbēlō", the self-gendered Father and Lord of all things, and the virgin-born Christ” (evidently her son and/or incarnation, for according to Irenaeus her first progeny, "the Light", was called Christ.) As such, the emanation of Barbēlō may be said to function as an intermediary generative aspect of the Divine, or as an abstraction of the generative aspect of the Divine through its Fullness.
The Eternity Nexus, Sign of Barbēlō, channels the primordial power of generation. It is best used when a practitioner aims to harness their innate generative energy (which resides within us all) for the sake of invoking the primordial forces of nature. Utilize this sigil for weather magic, fertility spellcraft, or for the purpose of self-enchantment (be it a glamour, an entreaty for the Sight, or any other piece of magic that relies on the creative powers.)
