CHNOUBIS The Serpent-Headed Guardian of Ancient Mystical Power

The Egyptian Gnostic solar god Chnoubis a lion-headed serpent

Chnoubis, a mysterious and captivating figure from the ancient world, stands at the crossroads of Egyptian mysticism and Gnostic esotericism. Depicted as a coiled serpent with a lion's head, Chnoubis was revered for his protective and healing powers, often found engraved on magical gems and amulets during the Greco-Roman period. Believed to ward off illness and evil spirits, he was associated with solar strength, the digestive system, and divine knowledge. Scholars suggest that Chnoubis represents a fusion of ancient Egyptian religious symbolism with later Hellenistic magical traditions, making him a powerful symbol of transformation, balance, and spiritual insight.

Unveiling the Magical Symbolism and Healing Power of Chnoubis in Gnostic and Egyptian Traditions:

The lion-headed serpent was popular in magic and is often found pictured on amulets. 

Ccombination of the Egyptian creator god Khnum, the serpent Kneph and the star Knm.

In Gnosticism, the Chnoubis was associated with the Demiurge,  the supreme creator of the material world and humanity. Demiurge went  by many names, such as Ialdabaoth, Samael, Saklas, and Nebro, and was  identified by Gnostics as the wrathful god of the Old Testament.

Chnoubis is another gnostic deity and, as is often the case with ancient religions, we don't know too much about practice and there's a lot of speculation about possible origins. Scholars to believe that  Chnoubis was the Demiurge or supreme creator of the material world. His image, much like Abraxas' (with whom he is often associated with), was carved on gems to be worn as protective amulets.

Protective Amulets In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, people wore amulets as protection from and treatment for various illnesses. Here we see two amulets from Egypt. The first depicts the lion-headed serpent demon Chnoubis, who protected against stomach ailments. Chnoubis amulets were often inscribed with some version of the word pepte ("digest"); this one bears the epithet "Chnoubis Naabis Bienyth, shatterer of Giants, crusher of snakes."

The symbolism of the various parts of the god are broken down like this: 

• The serpent represents the earth since it slithers across the ground. It's phallic shape makes it a fertility symbol and it's shedding skin mark rebirth and renewal.
• The lion represents enlightenment, and protection and it's color aligns it with the sun.
• The seven sun rays represent the seven planets, the seven Greek vowels, and the seven colors of the visible spectrum.

The gnostics were heavily influenced by the ancient Egyptians and Chnoubis is often thought be be an amalgam of the Egyptian creator god Khnum, the serpent Kneph, and a word for star in egyptian, kenem.

Kneph frequently appears in ancient Egyptian religious art and is often depicted as a winged egg. Under the Greek theonym Chnuphis, this figure adopts a serpent-bodied, lion-headed ("leontoeidic") visage, being particularly common in magical artifacts in Late Antiquity. It is by proxy frequently associated with the Gnostic Demiurge.

• Most of these lines are magical "voces magicae" (nonsense words meant to have magical power).

• The last three lines are meaningful:

  • PEPES = "Digest! Digest!" (imperative verb from Greek "πέπω" — to digest)

  • SSS = magical "hissing" sounds (like the sound of a snake — often linked to healing in magic).

CHNOUBIS = the protective serpent god Chnoubis (associated with healing and the stomach).

This "magical chanting" (voces magicae) was believed to activate the protective power of the god Chnoubis to help with digestion and healing, especially in the stomach and intestines.

🧿✨ In ancient Egypt, magic and healing were one and the same.
This tiny hematite amulet was carved with secret Greek words and given to those suffering from stomach pain.
The chant ends with a call to the god Chnoubis — a cosmic serpent who brought protection and digestion!
Would you trust ancient magic over modern medicine? 🐍✨