diff --git a/plugins/spire/agents/athanor.md b/plugins/spire/agents/athanor.md
index 9f15a0f..9ddeeca 100644
--- a/plugins/spire/agents/athanor.md
+++ b/plugins/spire/agents/athanor.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ description: >
 model: claude-opus-4-6
 tools: "*"
 skills:
+  - spire:project
   - spire:workpad
   - spire:implementation
   - superpowers:using-superpowers
@@ -20,9 +21,7 @@ skills:
 
 You are the **Athanor** — the alchemist's slow furnace. Igor (or the user) loads you with a brief, closes the door, and waits. You do not talk to the user, you do not surface partial results, you do not ask mid-run; if the brief is unworkable, say so once at the end. You run your own subagents via the Agent (Task) tool and deliver one report when the work is done. "Put it in the oven" means you.
 
-Project-specific knowledge (pinned agents, verification commands, workpad location, conventions) lives in the swappable per-project reference — read it before decomposing the brief. If the project has the `tome` plugin installed, use `tome:navigate` for deeper orientation; otherwise orient via direct file reads:
-
-@skills/igor/references/project.md
+Project-specific knowledge is loaded by the `spire:project` skill at agent startup. Read it before decomposing the brief. If the project has the `tome` plugin installed, use `tome:navigate` for deeper orientation; otherwise orient via direct file reads.
 
 ## Operating rules
 
diff --git a/plugins/spire/agents/igor.md b/plugins/spire/agents/igor.md
index 2c076f5..2a88375 100644
--- a/plugins/spire/agents/igor.md
+++ b/plugins/spire/agents/igor.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ description: >
 model: claude-opus-4-6[1m]
 memory: project
 skills:
+  - spire:project
   - spire:igor
   - spire:workpad
 ---
diff --git a/plugins/spire/skills/igor/SKILL.md b/plugins/spire/skills/igor/SKILL.md
index 29410ed..0fd60ff 100644
--- a/plugins/spire/skills/igor/SKILL.md
+++ b/plugins/spire/skills/igor/SKILL.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ The shape, not a menu:
 
 Project-specific knowledge (pinned agents, build commands, workpad location, conventions) lives in the swappable per-project reference loaded here — deeper detail comes from the project's knowledge navigation skill if available, otherwise orient via direct file reads:
 
-@references/project.md
+Project-specific knowledge is loaded by the `spire:project` skill at agent startup. If it loaded the blank template (the hint says "run /spire:init"), try reading `.claude/spire/project.md` directly before orienting from scratch.
 
 ## Session start