THE FESTIVAL OF CERNUNNOS

THE 18th of October is the Festival of The Horned God, known to us as Herne or Cernunnos. 

He is the protector of wild places and the spirits and creatures that inhabit them. He is the Lord of the Hunt, the mightiest of hunters and yet also he personifies the power of the stag, the subject of the hunt. 

He leads himself and us on a merry dance over hills and through the woods.

In his oldest guises he is Pan, and the dancing shaman wearing the skin and antlers of the stag. We honor Antinous-Cernunnos as a form of Pan.

OSCAR WILDE SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON October 16th, the Religion of Antinous honors SAINT OSCAR WILDE who was born on this day in 1854. He died in ignominy and poverty on November 30th, 1900.

Ostensibly, Saint Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright, poet and author of numerous short stories and one novel.

Known for his biting wit, he became the most successful playwright of the late Victorian era in London, and the greatest "celebrity" of his day.

His plays are still widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.

As the result of a widely covered series of trials, Wilde experienced  a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years' hard labour after being convicted of homosexual relationships, described as "gross indecency" with other men.

After Wilde was released from prison he set sail for Dieppe by the night ferry and he never returned to Ireland or Britain.

That is the truth, pure and simple, of his life. But as Saint Oscar himself once famously said: "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."

For that reason (and for many others) we remember him not only because he was notorious (something for which he might claim to be quite proud) but because he remembered Antinous.

He kept the name of Antinous alive through his poetry: 

"—A moment more, the trees had stooped to kiss
Pale Daphne just awakening from the swoon
Of tremulous laurels, lonely Salmacis
Had bared his barren beauty to the moon,
And through the vale with sad voluptuous smileANTINOUS had wandered, the red lotus of the Nile.
"Down leaning from his black and clustering hair
To shade those slumberous eyelids — caverned bliss,
Or else on yonder grassy slope with bare
High-tuniced limbs unravished Artemis
Had bade her hounds give tongue, and roused the deer
From his green ambuscade with shrill hallo and pricking spear.FROM "THE BURDEN OF ITYS" BY OSCAR WILDE.


"—Lift up your large black satin eyes which are like cushions where one sinks!
Fawn at my feet fantastic Sphinx! and sing me all your memories!
Sing to me of that odorous green eve when couching by the marge
You heard from Adrian's gilded barge the laughter of ANTINOUS
And lapped the stream and fed your drouth and watched with hot and hungry stare
The ivory body of that rare young slave with his pomegranate mouth!

FROM "THE SPHINX" BY OSCAR WILDE.

Here are some quotations from Oscar Wilde:

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.
In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.

Man can believe the impossible, but can never believe the improbable

The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.

Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.

Always forgive your enemies — nothing annoys them so much.

A true friend stabs you in the front.

I don't want to earn my living — I want to live.

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

The only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about.

A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally.

What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

ASTRO FORECAST: OCTOBER 15th—25th, 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

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OCTOBER 15th
to 25th, 2026

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15th, 2026

This week, the LGBTQIA spiritual revolution gets a big boost when Pluto turns direct after having been Retrograde (going "backwards" as seen from Earth) since 7th May 2026. Moving "forward" again helps to heal past transgressions and bring closure. Pluto is in innovative Aquarius for the first time since the French and American revolutions and remains in revolution-minded Aquarius for the next 20 years. Full details here about PLUTO IN AQUARIUS.

FRI-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16th-17th, 2026

This weekend, ambitious Mars forms a positive trine aspect with industrious Saturn to give you the drive you need to push forward projects which have been stalled in recent weeks. It's now or never. Trust Mars to give you the determination. Trust Saturn to give you the cautious determination.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 2026

This weekend, we come to the CAPRICORN FIRST QUARTER MOON. In Antinous Moon Magic, we call this the MERCHANT MOON which offers you an opportunity to reap the benefits of your hard work — and find new opportunities for material advancement.

MON-TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19th-20th, 2026

This week, Venus square Pluto creates an explosive situation for interpersonal relationships. It begins at the breakfast table over corn flakes when you say you want to go shopping and your alpha-male boyfriend starts in saying that it's typical of you to go off and spend money and waste time while he has to clean the house. Next thing you know, the two of you have been screaming at each other for hours. Remember that astrology is a tool to master such situations. Venus-square-Pluto is a golden opportunity to rediscover the things you love about your lover. Okay, so he's a bitch-on-wheels. So what? He's your bitch-on-wheels and the two of you love each other. Make a stab at helping him clean the house — and sneak online and buy needless stuff on eBay when he's not looking.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 2026

This week last meteors that Antinous saw before he died in October of 130 AD! Go outside tonight and look up and see one of the great wonders of the October heavens ... when the ORIONIDS meteor showers reach their peak this week! Every year in late October, our planet passes through debris left behind by Halley's Comet, and some of that debris turns into meteors. You see up to 20 meteors an hour in the Northern Hemisphere, or up to 40 an hour in the Southern Hemisphere. Orion shoots his love arrows into your heart!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, 2026

This week, Sun opposition Chiron means your self-confidence and patience may be a bit strained right now, stretched by the urge to break free of chronic constraints. Motivation and self-esteem may seem to sag and suffer from old problems that you thought were resolved. This is probably because you are seeing "the flaws in the system" that are preventing you from getting the results you want. It will help to take a fresh approach to your situation. You may need to let go of what you think the results "should be" or how they should come to you. Be open to getting what you want in a different form than you were expecting. You may have to work extra hard for results now, especially if it means having to find a different route to success. If it seems like a door of opportunity has closed, look for an unexpected advantage or hidden alternative. This could allow you to tap into other opportunities that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 2026

This weekend you discover the warrior goddess within your heart ... when the Sun aligns in conjunction with Venus ... both in equality-seeking Libra. You fight for your beliefs ... no one can defeat you.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th, 2026

This weekend Mercury does an about-face and goes "backwards" as seen from Earth until November 13th. This RETROGRADE MERCURY phase is a time of confusion in communications and commerce. About three times each year, Mercury the communications wizard turns into Mercury the fast-talking con man. This is the RETROGRADE MERCURY phase, and it lasts about three weeks. RETROGRADE MERCURY will be serving up glitches and snafus in communications, computers, transport, travel and social media. If you are buying a new mobile phone, be sure to read the fine print about hidden costs. Planning to move into a new apartment? Check the kitchen and bathroom for tell-tale signs of mold before signing the lease. Remember over the next three weeks that MERCURY wants you to play his sly game to win — not to be a whining victim. Make him proud of the way you play his game!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th, 2026

This weekend retrograde Venus slips "backwards" out of suspicious Scorpio and re-enters lovely laid-back Libra to stay until December 4th, 2026. As this new cycle takes hold in your life, romance and social interaction take on a greater importance for you. Harmonious ties to others are what you yearn for; refinement and elegance are what you seek. The ideal partnership, the perfect balance, the highest standards of truth and beauty — these are some of the things that quicken your pulse now.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between October 26th and November 1st, 2026, when we come to the TAURUS FULL MOON. That is the lunar phase which, in Antinous Moon Magic, is called the HADRIAN's VILLA MOON. This is a way for Antinous the Gay God to help you find your spiritual home, the celestial palace you have made for yourself. This Moon is aimed at helping you focus and center your spiritual heart ... More details next time ....

THE LAST METEORS ANTINOUS SAW: THE ORIONIDS REACH THEIR PEAK TONIGHT

THE last meteors that Antinous saw before he died in October of 130 AD! Go outside tonight and look up and see one of the great wonders of the October heavens ... when the Orionids meteor shower reach their peak tonight! Every year in late October, our planet passes through debris left behind by Halley's Comet, and some of that debris turns into meteors. You see up to 20 meteors an hour in the Northern Hemisphere, or up to 40 an hour in the Southern Hemisphere.

GERMAN SCIENTISTS ARE AFRAID TO DECANT THIS BOTTLE OF ANCIENT ROMAN RED WINE

SCIENTISTS in Germany would love to decant a bottle of Ancient Roman red wine which has been aging for more than 1,600 years ... but they are afraid to open the bottle.

The sealed glass bottle was found in a Roman tomb in 1867 and put on display at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate in the western German city of Speyer.

Museum directors fear that a moment's carelessness could shatter the bottle, destroying its priceless content. Though scientists would like to test it to figure out exactly how old the wine is and where it comes from, as well as perhaps seeing how it tastes – cracking it open is out of the question. 

"It's not clear what would happen if air gets into the wine," said Ludger Tekampe, who heads the department responsible for storing it. 

There's also the danger that, after all this time, it could have become poisonous, although scientists suspect the alcohol would not be dangerous, but just taste disgusting.

In any event, the ultra-old wine has survived a lot, including ancient drinkers, handling on its way to the museum, and two world wars, with nary a problem. 

Tekampe said he hasn't observed any changes in the wine or its container in his 25 years at the museum, the bottle appears to have been carefully constructed by the Romans to prevent the wine from decomposing.

"The content is remarkably stable," Tekampe said. 

Still he's the only one who handles the bottle. Everyone else is just too afraid.

"I held the bottle in my hand twice during renovations. It was a strange feeling," Tekampe said.

A TRANSLATION OF THE HIEROGLYPHS ON THE OBELISK OF ANTINOUS

IN ancient times, Antinous was known as a miracle worker. His worshipers prayed to him for miracles, oracles, visions and answers to problems in their daily lives.

The Egyptian hieroglyphs on the OBELISK OF ANTINOUS state clearly that Antinous answers the prayers of all who call upon him through dreams and visions, for example.

This document, written in crumbling hieroglyphs on an obelisk of red granite, is the only authentic fragment which remains from the Ancient Religion of Antinous. It is believed to have been authored by Hadrian, or a high priest, proclaiming the Egyptian basis of the Ancient Religion of Antinous.

It vividly proclaims the Religion of Antinous, and it is the only document through which the voice of Antinous speaks directly. If it was written by Hadrian, then it is what the founder of the Religion of Antinous wished to convey to us.

The translation below is based on extensive work using the only scholarly book in existence which provides a full transliteration of the hieroglyphic inscription. This book was published in Germany in 1994 by German scholars and so their translation is of course in German — not English. An authoritative English translation has never existed — until now.

The inscription liberally employs deliciously "Egyptiany" puns and euphemisms which are very difficult to translate. For example, Antinous is described as having "festively decorated eyes" and those words have been used in all previous English translations, based on the German. But other scholars cited in the book's appendices point out that "festively decorated eyes" is an idiomatic expression not to be taken literally. In fact, they argue, it means it is not necessarily HIS eyes which are decorated, but rather it is OUR eyes which are adorned by the vision of his loveliness. Through His eyes He dazzles us. So it really means "He is dazzling in beauty of the eyes" — which is what we have decided to use.

The inscription also shows how difficult it was for the Egyptians to translate Greek and Roman concepts into hieroglyphs. For example, the Egyptians had no word for "hippodrome" since a stadium for chariot-racing was an alien concept to the Egyptians. So the inscription calls it "a horse-whipping place" which, while being colorful, is perhaps a bit misleading. So, after careful consideration, we have decided to use the word "arena" in that passage.

One insight which comes from reading the glyphs (which are incised right-to-left) is the realization that the text begins on the East Face (the Rising Sun) and proceeds clockwise right-to-left around the obelisk. Hitherto, the order of the faces was assumed to be East-West-North-South. But we are convinced the Egyptians meant the text to be read East-South-West-North, in one continuing narrative. Thus, the faces follow like pages in a book. For the first time in 1,800 years, the new translation below makes the narrative sense clear.

Starting with the East Face, we see references to Ra-Herakhte, the Rising Sun.

Next comes the South Face, which is the direction of the Source of the Nile, the source of all life, and the inscription discusses the tomb and the establishment on this Earth of the Sacred City of Antinoopolis.

Then comes the West Face, which is the direction of the setting sun and the Underworld. The inscription speaks of the deeper Mystery Teachings of the religion and how the guardians of the Gates of the Underworld permit Antinous to pass through unheeded.

Finally, we come to the North Face, which is directed to the Circumpolar Stars which the Egyptians called "The Imperishables". These stars and constellations around the Pole Star Polaris never set below the horizon — they never die. The Egyptians believed those "Imperishables" were in fact the gods and pharaohs. Accordingly, the inscription speaks of the miracles which Antinous performs by virtue of the fact that he is indeed one of these "Shining Ones" and by virtue of the fact that the magical force of creation ("the semen of the First God") truly is in his body.

The Obelisk of Antinous is the most important document of the new Religion of Antinous, it is the only vestige of the original religion, a sacred inscription without parallel, but its origin and purpose remain completely veiled in mystery, as is everything that remains of Antinous.

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THE OBELISK OF ANTINOUS

EAST FACE
(Towards the Newborn Sun)

Antinous the God, His heart in rapture
At Having come to know His True Form
And at Having seen His father Ra-Harakhte,
It is Antinous who brings forth this prayer.

Thus His Heart Proclaims:
Ra-Harakhte, supreme among the gods,
He who hears the prayers of the Gods and Men,
Of the Transfigured and the Dead,
Hear also the plea of Hadrian,
Who stands before you!

As recompense for all he has done
For me, Antinous, your beloved son,
Generously reward Hadrian,
Lord of Both Upper and Lower Egypt,
Who founded a magnificent new religion
In the temple shrines for all people,
Which has pleased the Gods!

And he is called "Beloved of Hapy and All the Gods,"
The Lord of Crowns, Hadrianus Caesar

May he have Eternal Life, Prosperity and Sanctity
Throughout all time like Ra,
Blossoming and rising anew
Throughout the ages!

He is Our Lord,
The ruler of all lands,
The Noble Augustus!

The Lords of Egypt bow to him,
And the Barbarians are vanquished
Beneath his feet,
As it has always been
Under the rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt.

They come into being by the utterance of his word,
His might extends to the far reaches of the realm
And the four corners of the Earth!

Bulls mate in rapture with cows
And bring forth their young for Hadrian,
To please his heart and that of his great and beloved Queen,
The Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt and all its cities,
Sabina Sebaste Augusta!
May she have Eternal Life, Prosperity and Sanctity forever!

Hapy, progenitor of the gods,
On behalf of Hadrian and Sabina,
Arrange the inundation in fortuitous time
To make fertile and bountiful the fields
Of Both Upper and Lower Egypt!

SOUTH FACE

(Towards the Source of the Nile)

Antinous the God is here!
He rests in this place
Which is in the Border Fields of Our Lady Rome.

In all Sacred Places of Egypt
He is recognized as Divine.

Temple shrines are raised to Him,
And He is revered as a God
By the oracles and priests
Of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Indeed by all the people of Egypt!

The City of Antinoopolis was named in His honour,
Populated by the Greeks of Egypt
As well as priests from the temples of Egypt,
And those who have come to this place
With the promise of splendours beyond all measure.

A Temple to Antinous the God,
Who is among the Shining Ones of Heaven,
Is located in this city
Built of good white stone,
Surrounded by sphinxes and statues
And innumerable columns
Like those Temples erected
By Our Ancient Ancestors
And also like those of the Greeks.

All Gods and Goddesses
Give Him the Breath of Eternal Life
That He might breathe
As One Who Is Eternally Young!

WEST FACE
(Towards the Underworld)

Antinous the God,
Who is among the Shining Ones of Heaven,
Has been transfigured into a God of Eternal Youth,
Perfect of countenance,
Who is dazzling in beauty of the eyes,
Whose heart is full of heroic joy
Since He received the order of the Gods
At the hour of his death.

Every ritual of the Book of the Hours
Shall be repeated for him
Along with each of His Mysteries.

His Word shall be spread to the whole world.
His teaching shall be a never-ending river
Of admonition, inspiration and mystery.

Nothing comparable has been conferred
On any mortal man before now,
Just as with His altars, His temples
And His sacred images.

All by virtue of the Truth
That He breathes the Breath of Eternal Life.
And His magnitude comes into being
In the hearts of all men.

Lord of Hermopolis,
Lord of the Sacred Words, Thoth!
Take the Soul of Antinous
And make it Eternally Young
At every moment of every night,
And every day, for all Eternity!

Love for Him fills the hearts of His followers
And the Awe of HIM is with all.
His believers raise their voices in praise
When they worship Him.

He takes His seat in the Hall of the Justified,
The Illuminated and the Exalted,
Who are in the entourage of Osiris
In the Kingdom of the Underworld,
For the Lord of Eternity finds Justice in Him!

Through the Gods
His Word endures upon the Earth,
Because He fills their hearts with joy!

He is able to enter any place he wishes.
The guardians of the gates
Of the Kingdom of the Underworld
Say "Praise to You" to Him...
They loosen their bolts
And throw open their gates before him...
Millions of years long...daily...
As his duration of life is as the sun,
Never in eternity elapsing!

NORTH FACE

(Towards the Circumpolar Imperishables)

Behold, Antinous the God is Here,
Who is among the Shining Ones!

An arena was erected in His sacred city in Egypt
Antinoopolis, which was named for Him,
Being for the champions from all lands of the Earth,
For the rowing teams and the runners
And for the masters of the arts
Of the Lord of Sacred Words, Thoth.
And they are awarded glorious prizes
And wreaths and rewards of plentiful riches.

Offerings are brought daily upon His altars.

He is honored in praise by the artists of Thoth
In accordance with His glory.

He strides forth from his resting place
To His innumerable temples
All across the earthly realm.

He hears the prayers of all those who call out to Him,
And He cures the afflictions of those in need
By sending healing visions while they dream.

Once He has accomplished His work among the living,
He takes every shape that His heart desires,
For the semen of the First God
Truly is in His body!

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR MARTYR SAINTS OF MALE-MALE LOVE

ON this day, the origin of the folk belief that "Friday the 13th" is an unlucky day, the Religion of Antinous remembers the Knights Templar.

The proud and courageous brotherhood known as the Order of Knights Templar, who were sworn to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, were accused of Heresy, Idolatry and Sodomy, and were arrested on Friday the 13th of October in the year 1310 in France.

Although they had fought valiantly during the Crusades, and even stayed behind, sacrificing themselves to guard the retreat of Christian refugees during the fall of Acre in 1291, the order was condemned by the Pope and handed over to the envious King Philip the "Fair" of France, who coveted their land and immense wealth.

The Knights had adopted the heresy of Catharism which was basically a form of Gnosticism with Manichean influence, that had perhaps been introduced to them in the Holy Land where it flourished under the Moslems.

The Cathars believed that Jesus had descended to the material plane to undo the rule of the God of Israel, and that he had liberated mankind from the law of Moses and the natural order, through salvation in his name.

The Cathars believed that the body, and life itself, was the creation of the Evil One, who claimed to be the "Creator of the Universe."

They did not recognize the authority of the Church and believed that homosexuality was sacred because it was a form of love which did not result in procreation (locking humans in a cycle of earthly incarnations).

Following the Platonic ideal of Venus Urania, the Cathars believed that Brotherly Love was more in keeping Christ's teaching than the love between husband and wife.

The Knights Templar, whose seal depicted two knights riding on one horse, quite openly advocated this philosophy. But the Papal accusation claimed that they took this to the extreme of sodomy, requiring new initiates to perform the Kiss of Shame, by which they kissed the buttocks and phallus of the Grand Master of the Order.

They were also accused of abandoning Christianity and worshipping a demon called Baphomet, a hermaphroditic, goat-headed idol whose name implied secret knowledge.  

Other accusations were leveled against the Knights. But Heresy, Satanism, and Sodomy were the crimes which essentially led to their downfall. 

Of course most of this information was obtained through torture. But one can only wonder at the consistency that characterizes their confessions. 

On this night, the Grand Master Jacques de Molay and thousands of  Templars were arrested, tortured, condemned and subsequently Burned at the Stake. From then on, Heresy, Devil worship, and Homosexuality were indistinguishable in the eyes of the Inquisition, perhaps because they were indeed interconnected. 

Homosexuality, however, had not been a significant threat to Christendom until it was connected with a diabolical plot to overthrow the order of society and of the Church. This was the beginning of Our Burning Times, and over the course of the next 400 years, thousands of homosexuals were officially and publicly condemned and burned or otherwise executed as an act of faith that, through our extermination, the Church was protecting the world from the Forces of Evil which we embodied.

For their courage and sacrifice, we praise the Order of the Knights Templar as Heroic Martyr Saints of the Religion of Antinous, as the Sacred Band of the Middle Ages, and we recognize their secret god Baphomet as an incarnation of our beloved Dionysus, a manifestation of Homo Deus, and of Our Beautiful God Antinous.