Abraxas Friday, January 27, 2006

So apparently I took too long getting myself together after we left our 3:00 meeting and got back to the hotel, so I figured I'd take some time to myself, and share a little bit of my trip while in the proper "Amsterdam mindset". I had Abraxas on the brain, anyway.

Abraxas is the name of a coffee shop here in Amsterdam that serves some really special hot chocolate. I knew that I knew the name from somewhere, and so the next chance I had, I Googled it. Apparently, he's connected to the Basilideans, a Gnostic sect from the early second century. The Basilideans revered Abraxas as the Supreme Being, and said that Jesus Christ emanated from him (source). Basildeans came out of the Trismegistic tadition, following Simon Magus. Like other heretical and pagan ideas from this era, Abraxas became demonized in later Christianity, and abracadabra is said to derive from his name.

Amsterdam is really beautiful. Our hotel overlooks Dam Square (another image, all images courtesy Google image search), right across the way from Madame Toussaud's. The party officially begins at 5:00 tonight with dinner. We're going to an Argentinian steak house and from there, I'm sure there will be ample festivites.

I'm on my way to clean up and get changed. Peace out.