THE ANTINOUS AMOR MOON THE TAURUS FIRST QUARTER MOON

TONIGHT's Taurus First Quarter Moon is the lunar phase of young love which, in Antinous Moon Magic, we call the AMOR MOON.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Amor Moon is the Great God of Love. Also known as Eros-Cupid, he is foremost of the Gods of the Religion of Antinous.

He is the first impulse upon which the world was created, and he is the beauty and perfection of all creation. He is called Phanes, the radiant being of beauty who emerged from the egg of night.

Others say that he is the son of Uranus and Gaia, or that he was born when Venus was born, and that he is the leader of a whole army of Erotes who attended Venus as she rose from the sea.

But Amor/Eros is also said to be the son of Venus, the Mother of Love, and his father is often said to be Mars, which is why Amor so often uses violence to obtain love.

Amor makes the world burn with the desire for beauty, he conquers all and is the drive that sustains life, Love is Life.

He inspires us through desire, to fight for our gratification, which is  why the stag grows horns, to do battle in the time of rut.

Often he is portrayed as a youth with wings because he is flighty and has no reason or control over his desires. Eros is madly in love with the soul, with Psyche, who dwells within all of us, he cannot resist the beauty that is in our hearts and so therefore, he never disdains us.

One of his twins is Anteros ... "Love Returned to the Lover" ... and Anteros can devolve into Zelus ... fear, envy, jealousy.

The First Quarter Taurus Moon is the moon of comfort and luxury and lovableness. It is the fresh bloom of love.

Meditations and rituals carried out tonight are best suited for delving into matters of love and romance.

DIAMONDS SHINE FOR THE AMOR MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

LOVE is what the universe is all about. Love is the most important vibration that emitted from the divine source at the beginning of the Universe.

Whatever God, Gods, Spirits, Angels, Saints, Martyrs etc that you worship, they channel love through you and you channel it back through them to the divine source.

They are all conduits for this exchange of love.

For us, of course, Antinous is that main conduit. For him the greatest symbol of Love, given physically to him by Hadrian, was an 'Adamantine' (diamond) spear head. 

It was that symbol of Love that Antinous used to display his most courageous act of Love in return. His Adamantine tipped spear killed the lion jumping to kill Hadrian.

Above is a photo of a piece of jewellery that I commissioned to contain a beautiful crystal glass intaglio of Antinous I bought. 

It features the unfortunate lion and a spear. 

One end of the spear has a heart, the other end has a tiny diamond set into the point (not visible in the photo).

We all hope to shoot our own metaphorical arrows/spears of desire into  those things or people we love. Our loving thoughts reach out from us and connect whether we realise it or not. 

We are sometimes astonished when our objects of desire, friends, family members and even animals make it obvious to us that they know, and knew all along, that we love them. 

Don't be surprised. Love is an energy just as are hate, jealousy, indifference and murderous intent. 

Love however is the strongest of all emotions/energies. It overrides all others and ALWAYS defeats negativity or evil. 

It is immensely powerful and positive and emits strong signals that we all pick up on whether we are aware of it or not.

At this time of year, therefore, and during tonight's AMOR MOON, it is so important to meditate on whom or what you love. 

Crystals have strong energies too and can boost your love arrows as they emanate from your core. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly there are more crystals that can assist you with Love than any other energy/vibration/intention/thought process you may have. 

For this moon phase the obvious crystal is the strongest of them all and that which best reflects the light of Love brought to us from and to the Source - diamonds of course!

Diamonds - Are bringers of the purest Light and help us to focus on and receive Love in the form of relationships, commitment and fidelity. Meditations using diamonds are likely to be intense, revelatory and full of imagery.

They are, though, very expensive and I try to recommend crystals that are easily affordable from crystal shops or websites. 

So, there are other more accessible stones/crystals with Love as a key aspect of their characteristics. I list just a few...

Garnets - These inspire Love and devotion and can boost your sexual energies (which may or may not be useful in this moon phase?!!).

Rose Quartz - Perhaps those crystal most readily associated with Love. They are the crystal of true and unconditional Love and can help you to attract it. 

Topaz - These wondrous gemstones (shown at left) help you to emanate Love. They bring you good health and good fortune which, obviously, makes it easier for you to be loving.

I hope you have a Love filled moon phase!

In Light and Life,

MARTIN

To get more advice from Martin Campbell and to find out how to contact him CLICK HERE.

THE BIRTH OF HADRIAN

ON January 24th the Religion of Antinous celebrates the Birth of the Divine Hadrian.

Publius Aelius Hadrianus was born on this day either in Italica, Spain, or else in Rome, in the year 76.

His father was Publius Aelius Afer, his mother was Domitia Paulina. His uncle was the Emperor Trajan who had been adopted by Nerva.

Trajan employed Hadrian as a general in his conquests across the Danube, where Hadrian proved his military prowess, and gained the love and devotion of the Legions.

It is said that the relationship between Hadrian and his uncle was strained, and they are even known to have quarreled over beautiful boys. But Hadrian was very close to the Emperess Plotina, whose intellectual depth he preferred to the military harshness of Trajan.

During the unsuccessful campaign against the Parthians, in modern day Iraq, Trajan suddenly fell ill and died. Plotina is said to have insured that Hadrian be his successor, allegedly even forging the documents of adoption.

The New Emperor Hadrian inherited the largest Empire that the world had ever known, the borders of Rome had reached their greatest extent.

Hadrian is the Father of the Antonines, the bringer of the Golden age of Rome. He put an end military expansion of the Empire and turned instead to improving the interior.

He is the prime deity of the imperial cult as recognized by the Religion of Antinous. He is the representative of Zeus on Earth, emblem of the ruler of the cosmos, the great eagle. Hadrian is the leader of the Archons, the bringer of order out of chaos, founder of our religion.

He is the divine lover of Antinous, our model and God.

THE MARTYRS OF ANTINOOPOLIS

ON January 23rd the Religion of Antinous honors the first of the many Christian Martyrs of Antinoe, also known as Antinoopolis. The first of the Egyptian martyrs with whose name and acts we are acquainted was Asclas of Antinoopolis.

This part of Egypt, near the nome sacred to Anubis, has always been a hotbed of religious fervor ever since the days when the "heretic pharaoh" Akhenaten built his capital city here, a scant 20 kms from our Sacred City of Antinoopolis. Christians and Jews constituted a major portion of the population of Antinopoolis. 

After all, the city was the flower of Greek civilization deep in the desert of the Thebaid, and it was a haven for dispossessed and exiled thinkers and theological revolutionaries.

There was a period of time in which Antinoopolis fell under the sway of the fear and violence that had swept across the world. The Christian faith was suffering one of the bloodiest persecutions in its history. Diocletian had sought to curb the rising tide of Christianity with brutal violence. He issued decrees that all citizens should be compelled to demonstrate their piety to the Roman Gods by offering sacrifice. It was a direct challenge. Any person who refused was not only insulting the Gods of Rome, but showing disloyalty to the Emperor and to Rome herself.

Such treason was punishable by death. This was a legal way to persecute Christianity, it was not an attack on the Christian doctrine, or its practices, but was an unavoidable line that no Christian would cross.

It is interesting to note that though many of the Christians were executed by beheading or by being shot through with arrows, some were executed by being drowned in the Nile. This similarity between their death and the death of Antinous must have been very moving to the Ancient Priests of Antinous. And it is also interesting that the authorities were not sensitive to the nature of this form of execution in the Sacred City of a boy who had become a god simply by drowning in the Nile.
The first was Asclas, who was arrested and tortured for his faith by order of Arrian, the governor of Antinoopolis who himself would later convert to Christianity. While Asclas was being tortured in prison by hot irons which left his flesh hanging down in strips, Arrian had reason to cross the River Nile to go to Hermopolis on government business.

Antinoopolis lies on the east bank of the Nile (depicted at left in its heyday), and Hermopolis (Sacred City of Hermes) is located diagonally across from Antinoopolis on the west bank of the Nile. But inexplicably, Arrian found he was absolutely unable to leave the water's edge.

Asclas sent word that the governor would never be able to cross the river until he acknowledged Christ in writing. Arrian wrote out the statement, and was promptly able to leave the river bank. He crossed the Nile, and the moment he was on the other side, he ordered that Asclas be thrown into the Nile with a stone tied around his neck, whereupon he drowned. 
This story, while odd-sounding to us today, was very clear to Egyptians. Hermopolis is the Sacred City of Hermes/Anubis, or Hermanubis.

This remarkable deity, who lives on in Christianity as St. Christopher, is responsible for conveying souls across the Celestial Nile after death. People in Antinoopolis worshipped both Antinous and Hermanubis.

The miracle of St. Asclan is meant to show that the Christian god is the equal of Hermanubis. Within a few generations, Hermanubis "morphed" into Christopher who, in this early Coptic mural at right, still has canine features. Next time you see a plastic St. Christopher statuette on a taxi dashboard, remember that it is actually Anubis without his doggy ears. He's not carrying the baby Jesus on his shoulders. He's carrying the Boy God Antinous over the celestial Nile to eternal divinity.

Against that background of intermingling spiritual beliefs, the Religion of Antinous acknowledges the suffering of St. Asclas and of all the Christian Martyrs of Antinoopolis out of our Love for Antinous in whose Sacred City they died. Though their faith was in Christ and not in Antinous, we nevertheless honor them and glorify them because they were Antinoopolitans, people of Antinous.

We ask their forgiveness for the murder and persecution of the Christian Martyrs and in their memory ask that we may be free from intolerance and never again partake in the crime of the ancient citizens of Antinoopolis.

The image above left is not Asclas, but is a burial painting of a person whose mummy was buried in the desert of the Fayoum in Egypt, which is the region of Antinoopolis. It is presented here as a contemporary image of what St. Asclas may have looked like. 

ASTRO FORECAST: JAN. 22nd—FEB. 1st, 2026

Antinous is a Moon God. He is, of course, many other things and he wears many hats. But one of the ways he was worshiped in Antiquity was as ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD.

His worshipers looked skyward and saw His beautiful face perpetually turned towards the Earth. The Man in the Moon was actually the Blessed Boy in the Moon for the ancient priests and worshipers of Antinous. Swiftest and most youthful of all the Zodiacal deities, Antinous speeds through an entire year's worth of Astrological signs in just 28 days.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious gay selves. Where Hadrian the Sun acts, Antinous the Moon REACTS. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD for answers.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is both our inner boy child and our inner lover. His ever changing phases, as he sweeps past all the other Planets in all the Signs, make us at turns responsive, receptive, and reflective. Eternally youthful, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our childlike spontaneous and instinctual reactions.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD beams down on us to make us imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. On the negative side, and depending on where he is in the Zodiac, he can make us moody, restless, and irrational.

Antinous Astrology Forecast

---

JANUARY 22nd
to FEBRUARY 1st, 2026

---

THURS-FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd-23rd, 2026

This week, an extraordinary cosmic configuration occurs when the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all join hands and leave stodgy Capricorn and stride arm-in-arm into inquisitive Aquarius, where they immediately align in conjunction with Pluto in near conjunction with the Star of Antinous. With the recent entry of Pluto into Aquarius, where it will remain for the next two decades, whenever a planet enters the realm of Aquarius it simultaneously meets/conjuncts Pluto. And while Aquarius opens our minds to higher consciousness and new frequencies, Pluto brings us down into our own underworld, swimming in depth, emotion, and sacred transformation. On the practical side, it's time to take advantage of those January Clearance Sales and buy a new phone, tablet or other communications device when Mercury enters the tech-friendly and communications-conscious sign of Aquarius. This is the best time of year for communications technology upgrades.

SAT-SUNDAY, JANUARY 24th-25th, 2026

This weekend, we come to the Taurus First Quarter Moon, the lunar phase of young love which, in Antinous Moon Magic, we call the ANTINOUS AMOR MOON ... this moon is perfect to get you in the mood for Valentine's Day!

MONDAY, JANUARY 26th, 2026

Now a sea change occurs when Neptune, the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, and creativity, leaves dreamy Pisces and enters aggressive Aries, where Neptune will remain in Aries until 2039, creating a more confrontational emotional environment for us all. Neptune's move creates ripples in the collective consciousness and sets up a new generational cycle to work with. Full details on NEPTUNE IN ARIES.

TUES-WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27th-28th, 2026

Things get intense when Mars aligns in perfect conjunction with Pluto in intensely rational Aquarius. This is only the second time this planetary configuration has occurred in many centuries. This is the most explosive week of the year. There might literally be explosions or at least volcanic eruptions when the warrior god teams up with the lord of the underworld. Pent-up anger bursts out into all-out armed conflict. This is a classic textbook recipe for terrorist attacks. It definitely spells trouble for the world's hot spots and for reckless tyrants. The threat of assassination looms large, as does the danger of terrorism. You need to be on guard for outbursts of rage. The important thing is to be aware where your rage is coming from. Don't vent your rage on innocent victims. Instead, be consciously aware of the source of your anger so that you can harness the powerful energies of Mars/Pluto to carry out constructive projects you have been stalling on for way too long.

THURS-SATURDAY, JANUARY 29th-31st, 2026

This weekend is perfect for a long-distance cyber romance when Mercury aligns in conjunction with Venus in vivaciously tech-friendly Aquarius.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 2026

On Sunday, we come to the lunar phase we call the LION HUNT MOON, the LEO FULL MOON. It is a reminder that Antinous slew a man-eating lion in Egypt. Antinous peered out into the barren wilderness with all its deep and hidden dangers. He charged forth, his bridle-reins in one hand and an adamantine-tipped spear in the other, and he faced the beast unafraid. For Antinous knew he would triumph over death. The Spirit of the Lion Hunt is the bravery of Antinous the Lion Slayer.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between February 2nd and 8th, 2026, when we come to the Scorpio Third Quarter Moon. This is the Lunar Phase in Antinous Moon Magic which we call the PERDITION MOON of coming to terms with loss and diminishment. Meditations and rituals carried out during this Lunar Phase are best suited for seeking to come to terms with loss and finding areas in your life where you may unconsciously be causing yourself loss or sadness. This Lunar Phase is NOT about giving in to loss and grief, but rather it is about moving through them to find new ways towards growth and fulfillment ... More details next time ....

HEATH LEDGER SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON January 22nd the religion of Antinous commemorates the brief, shining life of Saint Heath Ledger, the gifted actor whose on-screen portrayals inspired millions of gay people and whose off-screen life paralleled so many more. Not gay himself, Saint Heath nonetheless is a gay icon, like Saint Judy Garland and others.

Saint Heath died on this day in 2008 under mysterious circumstances after taking anti-depressants and sleeping pills at the age of 28.

His body was found lying across the bed of his Manhattan apartment. The manner of his death bore eery parallels to the death of English  singer/songwriter Nick Drake, who is also a Saint of Antinous.

Best known for his Oscar-nominated role as a gay cowpoke in "Brokeback Mountain", the acclaimed Australian-born actor also played The Joker in the blockbuster "The Dark Knight", for which role he posthumously was awarded a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor. On the first anniversary of his death, he posthumously won an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his role as the psychopathic criminal mastermind The Joker.

No one will ever know why Saint Heath overdosed on anti-depressants, as had his idol Nick Drake. No one will ever know why Saint River Phoenix took a fatal cocktail of booze and alcohol, just as no one will ever know why Saint Richey Edwardsjumped off a bridge to his death (if he did), and no one will know why so many talented and overly sensitive young men meet death so tragically and so young.

Just as no one knows for sure what happened to Antinous. Thus they are all Saints of Antinous.

Shortly before his death, Heath Ledger made a video tribute to Nick Drake (photo right), the ambisexual English singer/songwriter who died in 1974 under almost identical circumstances to Saint Heath.

Saying he planned to make a movie about Saint Nick, Heath appeared in a self-made video (about drowning) to the tune of Nick Drake's song Black-Eyed Dog. It was the last song that Nick is believed to have recorded before he died under mysterious circumstances after taking anti-depressants and sleeping pills at the age of 26. His body was found lying across his bed.

The black-eyed dog is thought to be a reference to Winston Churchill's famous "little black dog." Throughout his life Churchill was shadowed by violent mood swings, fits of depression and periods of emotional doubt. He felt that he was followed by this unpredictable darkness and uncertainty. He called it his "little black dog."

Heath seems to have been very well acquainted with the "little black dog" of depression, the black demon which nips at the heels of so many sensitive young souls who cannot find their way in this harsh world.

And thus Antinous is the God of Lost Boys. He knows their suffering. He knows how it is to stand on the shore at the twilight of the world, with one foot on dry land and the other foot in the murky depths of oblivion — and he understands how a beautiful soul can slip off into that oblivion.

Antinous is the God of these very sweet, shy, sensitive and talented artists, young men who agonize over their shortcomings and who can only cope with the harsh realities of showbiz by taking tablets with unpronounceable names in private.

THE ASSUMPTION OF GANYMEDE

OUR Father Jupiter descended upon the slopes of Mt. Ida in the form of an eagle and carried away Ganymede, the beautiful young prince of Troy, ravaging him, and elevating him to live among the immortals.

At the table of the Olympian gods, Jupiter installed his Ganymede as the divine cup-bearer who pours out nectar-wine from the cup of eternal life.

This love affair between the Phrygian prince and the Father of the Gods is a divine parallel of the love between Antinous and Hadrian.

Ganymede is the emblem of the coming Age of Aquarius, when peace and love will rule the hearts of all men.

On this day, the beginning of the sign of Aquarius, we observe the deification of Antinous as having made union with the Thunderbird-Phoenix-Eagle, and having been elevated to reign among the immortals in the manner of Ganymede. And we pray for the hastening of the coming age.