WORSHIPERS WORLDWIDE VIA ZOOM CELEBRATE THE SACRED BULL HUNT

WORSHIPERS worldwide tonight celebrate The Sacred Bull Hunt of Antinous in ceremonies originating from the Hollywood Temple of Antinous and uplinked globally via Zoom.

The commemoration marks the end of Taurus, the death of the Bull of Heaven ... and the coming of Gemini, the Divine Twins ... or shall we say The Lovers ... Hadrian and Antinous.

The Cycle of the Sacred Hunts are of course a recognition that Antinous was a God of the Hunt, that in his life-time, he is recorded in verse to have participated in a Lion Hunt, and in stone relief, his image has been identified as one of the participants, along with Hadrian in the hunt of the Bear and the Boar, and also the Lion on the tondos of the Arch of Constantine.

We might call this cycle "Hunt Spirituality," an awareness of the active element of Antinous.  

From his images we are given to understand him as a melancholy, day-dreaming, slightly self-involved, yet gentle and radiantly peaceful boy...but this is only part of the beautiful story.

Another part, which is in the ancient record and therefore can be regarded as biographical, is that he was a hunter...on horseback...and perhaps on foot...able to chase down wild animals, and kill them with a spear.

The Sacred Hunts commemorate the nature of the animals which then become part of who Antinous is, and by extension, who we may become, or find ourselves to be.

Whether we see ourselves as the Hunter Antinous, or the Hunted Animal...or a mingling of the two...the significance is always through our own personal essence...animalistic...the Sacred Hunts, therefore are one of the significant forms that Animalism has taken up in the New Religion of Antinous.

Antinous was never historically said to have hunted a Bull...so for historical accuracy, this is not a Sacred Hunt with historical precedence...this would be my own invention....but I will try to explain the essence of what I feel it means, and perhaps will you understand and even add your own meaning..or detract from it, or have no opinion at all.

But as I feel now...the Bull Hunt is probably one of the more meaningful and powerful understandings of Antinous that I have discovered.

There is an ancient connection between Antinous and the Bull that has remained unexplained, or unobserved because the meaning is unclear.

If there is no historical precedent to prove that Antinous participated in the bullfights, there is evidence to show that the bull was sacred to Antinous.

There are a number of coins from Asia Minor, that portray Antinous standing by the side of a bull, or have a Bull on the reverse. A coin from Antinous's home town Bithynium-Claudiopolis is among this type.

The majority are of the type that read "Fatherland of Antinous the God"...they were minted in cities where the Religion of Antinous was strongest and most heart-felt, where he was openly proclaimed to be a God of the Country...and so from the coins, we can know that the bull, among other animals, was considered to be a sacred symbol of Antinous.

The Bull, therefore, is an ancient, stone-age and early Bronze age symbol for a King, and it is from this connection that the notion of the Bull of Heaven is derived.

The Egyptians believed that the Ka of Osiris would take the form of a perfect young Bullock...when one of these perfect bulls was discovered, it was treated with deep reverance, and allowed to live in splendor like a living god...because it was a living god...it was Osiris.

When the bull reached the age of 28, the age when Osiris was murdered, the bull was sacrificed.

Certain parts were eaten by the Pharaoh, while the body of the bull was mummified and given a tomb at Saqqara.

Plutarch said "The Apis should ever to be regarded by us, as a fair and beautiful image of the soul of Osiris."

The Apis Bull was the Spirit of Osiris in living form...eternal and ever-present. Antinous was of course first compared to Osiris because he drowned in the Nile.  In ancient antiquity when a King died, his Ka and his Ba...soul and spirit, were said to join and take form as Osiris in the underworld, so as to circle the cosmos in the Boat of Millions of Years.

In later history, any person who could afford to have the elaborate ceremonies associated with mummification and the recitation of the Book of the Dead could also join Osiris.

It would seem to be highly probable to suppose that Antinous may have undergone the most elaborate Egyptian burial that Hadrian could arrange....that Antinous was very likely mummified and entombed in or near his temple in Antinoopolis...if he was not bought home and entombed at Hadrian's Villa.

Mummification seems very likely, though there is no proof or evidence that it occurred...but that he was first and very closely identified with Osiris seems to hint that perhaps his association with Osiris would have been elaborated, and not merely allegorical.

Antinous and Osiris were united in one being...known as Osarantinous.

Our sacred Obelisk Text repeatedly mentions him as "The God, Osiris-Antinous the Justified"...because among several other gods, one of the most important elements of the divinity of Antinous was his connection to Osiris.

The living symbol of Osiris was the Apis Bull...therefore, as the Coins of Bithynia seem to suggest...the Bull was likewise, the living symbol of Antinous...the Ka of Antinous...the Spirit of Antinous in living form.

The Bull can therefore be viewed as a symbol of our spiritual connection to Antinous...the living spirit of Antinous, the consumption of which, like the flesh of the sacred Apis Bull is in essence the consumption of the Spirit of Antinous.

There is a strong likelihood that Antinous and Hadrian may have hunted Bulls.

We must therefore wonder what the Bull Hunt means to us, in what of so many contexts we may choose to view the brutal combat between a man and a bull...which is in a sense, a parable of man against nature...against the world (earthquakes for example)...the ferocious forces that are greater and able to destroy us, over which we can only triumph with excessive courage, at the risk of our very existence.

The Bull Hunt, therefore, is a sacred observance of how with intensities of inner strength, we can overcome all those forces that would destroy us.

And so it is, in the Name of Antinous, that I offer you the Sacred Bull Hunt, in observance of which I recommend that you take a moment to think upon the obstacles of your life, those which seem overwhelming, or on the verge of destroying you, or breaking you down, those from which you seek to flee...that you may find the courage to face them, even at the cost of everything that you count as dear and of value.

It is these wild forces that we must face, if we are ever to regard ourselves as Men.

In Commemoration of the End of Taurus,

May Antinous, the Spirit of Osiris give you strength.

~ANTONIUS SUBIA

ROSE PETALS CASCADE THROUGH OCULUS OF HADRIAN'S PANTHEON IN ROME

AT noon this Sunday, red rose petals cascade through the oculus of Hadrian's Pantheon in Rome.

The event commemorates the ancient Roman spring festival as well as Christian Pentecost.

Rome firefighters scaled the 43-meter-high dome to pour the rose petals through the 9-meter-wide oculus "eye opening" at the top of the historic building.

The ceremony, suspended for many years, was revived in 1995. It dates back to the earliest days of Christianity when the falling rose petals symbolized flames of Pentecostal enlightenment showering down on the faithful.

WHY ANTINOUS LOOKS SO SAD ON SUCH A 'LUCKY' DAY

TONIGHT's Virgo First Quarter Moon is the Lunar Phase we call the MOON OF MELANCHOLY ... but don't worry ... it can be your "lucky" moon.

Each phase of the Moon represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype in ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC. The Spirit of the Moon of Melancholy is the Spirit of Despondency and Despair. It is the worrier, the pouter, the Spirit which feels guilty and inadequate.

It is the negative side of Virgo, not the caring and dutiful side, but rather the side which frets and mopes and feels inadequate for the task at hand. It is sadness for the sake of sadness, without cause. It is the Spirit of Chronic Depression.

In English-speaking countries, "Melancholy" is almost a dirty word.  Puritan upbringing has conditioned us to grin and bear it, to adopt a stiff upper lip attitude. But suppressing this feeling is as bad as wallowing in it. 

Other cultures are not so uptight about acknowledging this feeling of sadness. They realize it is a necessary part of life. It is what the French call "larmoyant" — a lovely word which rolls off your tongue so languidly. It describes a lack of joy, a vague feeling that life is not what it should be. It is Peggy Lee singing that minor-key ballad "Is That All There Is?" 

This moon signals those areas of your life where things are not going well and you have a right to sing the blues. But it also signals those moments when we wallow in self-sorrow and almost enjoy brow-beating ourselves — for no good reason.  

Don't suppress this sadness, but don't wallow in it. Instead, savor it for a moment and discern what your gay spiritual heart is trying to tell you. 

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD uses this lunar phase to invite you to reflect on those parts of your life or your living and job environment which may be making you sad. 

You may come to the realization that the sadness you are feeling is not coming from within yourself, but rather that it is originating elsewhere ... coming from someone else or from some other situation.

As you know, many gay people are highly sensitive to the emotions of others, and to the "vibes" of a location or situation. You know how you can enter a space, such as a room or a house, and you immediately sense whether it is a cheerful or a sad place. You know how the sadness of others can affect you — even at great distances.

You may be feeling sadness and then the phone rings and it is a special person who needs consolation, and you realize that the melancholy you were feeling had its origins with that person, not with yourself.

Most people ignore such "coincidences." But this sensitivity is an integral part of ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC. That is why the "Moon of Melancholy" is important. It is the best time of the year for meditation and rituals concerning sadness ... in yourself and in others.

Examine your own life and see if where the source of your sadness lies.

If you find the source of sadness in your life, then this Lunar Phase provides you with the energy to effect changes which will move you out of melancholy into the next lunar phase.

RED RUBIES FOR THE MELANCHOLY MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

PUT on your ruby slippers because our astrological expert Hernestus tells me that this moon phase is the Moon of Melancholy. Don't despair though, sadness can be lessened in many ways ... and red rubies help. 

This Moon will help you to identify your sadness and find solutions to it. Crystal mediation will definitely help you to achieve this.

We all experience sadness even if it is over something trivial. Don't be afraid to embrace the emotion. Each emotion is the gate to a different emotion. 

If you constantly block out your sadness how can you ever expect to open the door to happiness? Observe your sadness and understand it. 

I suggest using any of the following crystals to assist and guide you as you meditate on your sadness:

Red Jasper - these stones will help you see problems before they affect you too directly. They also help you to be insightful about your current situation/s.

Sodalite - these dark blue stones are sometimes flecked with white and have a strong intensity. They will help release you from the emotional conditioning that you have imposed upon yourself (I am too fat, too skinny, too old, too ugly etc. etc.). They will help to bring you to the objective truth about yourself and will help you to communicate that truth to yourself and others.

Ruby - these much prized crystals (top photo) can help you to reach a positive and creative state of mind. It will protect you during times of conflict or dispute.

Love and Light

MARTIN

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

WE JOYOUSLY CELEBRATE PANSEXUAL VISIBILITY DAY

MAY 24th is Pansexual Visibility Day. Much like Bi Visibility Day, when bisexual people remove their invisibility cloaks and instead don their beautiful bi vis jackets, Pan Visibility Day is a day to celebrate and recognise those who identify as pansexual. 

To help you do that, here are five things you should know.

1. The word pansexuality originally comes from Greek ... just like the Greek god Pan in the poster here. 

Pan means ‘all’, and is related to words like panorama. Pansexual people aren’t attracted to all other people, but they are attracted to people of all genders. This is different from being attracted to everyone; in the same way that a heterosexual woman will not be attracted to all men and a lesbian woman will not be attracted to all women, pansexual people will experience attraction to specific people and not others.

2. It’s nothing to do with saucepans or frying pans. Pansexual people have nothing against old jokes but the one about being sexually attracted to pans isn’t just old, it’s also just not funny.

3. Pansexuality is different from bisexuality but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Being bisexual means being attracted to more than one gender, while being pansexual means being attracted to people regardless of gender. Pansexuality and bisexuality are not in conflict. In fact, some bisexual people also identify as pansexual, and vice versa. Pansexuality is included under the bisexual umbrella, which covers anyone who experiences sexual or romantic attraction to more than one gender.

4. There are lots of famous pansexual people! Recently, the fabulous Janelle Monáe came out as pansexual, saying ‘I’m open to learning more about who I am’. Other notable pansexual people include Miley Cyrus, Angel Haze, Laci Green and of course the not-quite-superhero Deadpool.

5. Being pansexual is just one part of who someone is. A pansexual person may also be trans, or disabled, or a person of colour, or all three. Pansexual people come in all ages and sizes and enjoy a range of activities and hobbies. On pansexual visibility day it’s important to remember that we’re celebrating pansexual people from all backgrounds and all walks of life.

Happy Pansexual Visibility Day! 

HARVEY MILK, SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON May 22nd the world honors Harvey Milk ... his birthday (22 May 1930) is commemorated as Harvey Milk Day around the world. 

Champion of the early gay rights movement, in 1977 Harvey Milk became the first openly Gay person to be elected to the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco.

He advocated the liberation of homosexuality for the benefit of society in general, and jokingly claimed to be a gay recruiter. He was instrumental in passing the Gay Civil Rights Bill in San Francisco, which was to be his undoing.

On November 27, of 1978, Milk was murdered City Hall along with Mayor George Moscone by former City Supervisor Danny White who had resigned his office after the enactment of the bill. Dan White was acquitted of murder but sentenced to only seven years on manslaughter charges.

Following his acquittal on May 21st, 1979, riots broke during a demonstration in front of City Hall, and later, 100,000 people marched on Washington in support of Gay Rights chanting "Harvey Milk Lives!" He became the first gay saint and martyr following the movement that began at the Stonewall.

In a tape recording made one year before his assassination, as if in prophecy, Harvey Milk said, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."

For his actions, for his life, for the changes that he effected, and for the love that continues to burn for him in the memory of his gay, lesbian and transgender children, we priests of Antinous recognize and sanctify Harvey Milk as a Heroic Saint and Martyr.

CASTOR AND POLLUX TWIN GODS OF HOMOSEXUALITY

TODAY the Sun enters the Sign of Gemini — the sign of the Twins Castor and Pollux, Gods of Homosexuality.  This is the zodiac sign which ushers in a special sacred time in the Religion of Antinous, for this is the time of year when the STAR OF ANTINOUS rises, after having been hidden below the horizon since the Death of Antinous at the end of October.

We honor the Dioscuri who were born as triplets with the beautiful Helen as their sister. The mother of the three was Leda who was seduced by Zeus who came to her in the form of a swan. Leda gave birth to an egg from which emerged Castor, Pollux and Helen.

The photo above shows the Prado's Ildefonso Group, twin statue of Castor and Pollux, with a marble head of Antinous "restored" to the left figure.

The identical brothers were inseparable, and had a deep affection for one another, for which reason they were often worshipped as gods of homosexuality. Helen was constantly being abducted and in  need of rescue, which the brothers were usually successful in accomplishing, however, her beauty was eventually to lead to the Trojan War.

Castor was a skilled horseman, and Pollux was an unconquerable boxer. They took part in the voyage of the Argonauts, and with Orpheus they calmed a storm, for which reason they were worshipped as the protectors of sailors.

Later in the voyage, Castor was killed. Pollux was so overwhelmed that he begged Zeus to accept his life in exchange for his brother's. 

Out of compassion, Zeus immortalized Castor and proclaimed that Pollux would spend half the year in the underworld and half the year in heaven with his brother. 

Together they were placed in the sky as the sign of Gemini.

The Divine Twins miraculously appeared in Rome to announce the victory of the Republic over the allies of the last king by watering their horses in the Fountain of Juturna in the Forum.

Flamen Antonius has this further insight into Castor and Pollux:
"The sacredness of the Twin Gods, with their third twin sister Helen is found in Norse Mythology as the Alcis and as the twins Frey and Skirnir with their third twin sister Freya.

"The symbolism of brotherly love, and of sacrificing one's life for the immortality of a brother is at the heart of the Religion of Antinous, and is an example of the sacrifice that Antinous is said to have committed for the prolongation of the life of Hadrian. The Dioscuri are Antinous and his "rival" Aelius Caesar, and they are also seen in the two brothers of Hadrian's court, Macedo and Statianus Caesernius, who were servants, protectors, confidants, lovers, friends, witnesses and first priests of Antinous.

"The Sacred Star of Antinous rises during the sign of the brothers Castor and Pollux."