THE ARIES NEW MOON THE FASCES MOON OF ANTINOUS

TONIGHT Antinous the Moon God aligns with his heavenly father Ra-Herakhte for the Aries New Moon which we call the FASCES MOON.

The Aries New Moon is the moon of abrupt beginnings which may not be followed through, and of things said which are later regretted, of capricious actions ... shoot first, ask questions later. If you have been stalling on starting something new ... now is the time to go for it. Others will warn you that you should exercise caution ... but the Fasces Moon says "no pain, no gain" and urges you to press forward.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Fasces Moon is the embodiment of blunt forcefulness. This spirit is plain-spoken, candid, spares no feelings and is not afraid to humiliate or offend. It is sharp-tongued and aggressive. It carries a weapon and is not afraid to use it.

It metes out punishment and retribution willingly and without hesitation. It enjoys inflicting pain. It uses pain as its keenest and sharpest weapon, because pain elicits a reflexive response where lesser warnings may go unheeded.

This Spirit holds a knife to your throat and says: No pain, no gain! It wields a sword and shouts: Might makes right! It skillfully uses a  scalpel to cut out a cancerous growth, saying: This will hurt terribly, but it will save your life!

The ancient Roman fasces was a bundle of wooden sticks with an ax blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes the force of Roman law and might.

They were carried by the lictors who accompanied the magistrates. The ax represents the force of punishment and the power over life or death.

During times of emergencies when the Roman Republic declared a dictatorship (dictatura), lictors attending to the dictator kept the ax-blades even inside the Pomerium ... a sign that the dictator wielded ultimate force of law and could mete out punishment as he saw fit.

Meditations and rituals tonight should focus on new projects or new beginnings. Perhaps you want to break a habit or undertake a bold new enterprise. Tonight's Fasces Moon gives you the kick-start you need to go ahead.

This is also a good night to focus on areas in your life where assertiveness is out of balance ... perhaps you are being overly assertive. But more likely, you are deficient in self-assertiveness.

Many gay men have a hard time asserting themselves. We equate assertiveness with "aggression" and "being a bully." And so, many of us gay men go through our lives trying to stifle and suppress any sort of assertiveness. We try to be good little boys ... all of our lives.

And yet ... each of us is born with Fasces Moon  energy in abundance. It always finds a way to get out and exert itself. If we spend our lives suppressing this energy, then it seeps out in destructive ways. We have problems with pent-up rage. We have problems with self-destructive habits. We build an impenetrable shield of fear and disdain around ourselves.

We are afraid of being hurt. And we are afraid of hurting others. So we hurt ourselves instead. Our lives turn into chaos.

The Fasces Moon is about standing up for yourself and confronting your fears ... above all, your fear of baring your true self to others. It is about turning your weaknesses into your strengths. It is about transforming destructive energies into constructive ones. It is about finding ... and fulfilling ... your destiny ....

RED CHALCEDONY FOR THE FASCES MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR astrological expert Hernestus describes tonight's Aries New Moon phase period as the "FASCES MOON" a time to stand up for  yourself and confront your fears head on and go for it. The danger being, of course, that you may regret not being cautious. 

Priest Hernestus reminds us that the ancient Roman 'fasces' were a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the centre, they symbolized the power of Rome. In 1930s Italy the far right-wing dictator Mussolini modeled himself on the worst of the ancient Roman emperors. 

So he adopted the symbol for his political symbol - hence the term 'Fascism'. 

Mussolini, of course, allied his country with the German Nazis and ended up leading his nation into war, leaving it impoverished and in ruins. He himself ended up killed, hung upside down, with his mistress beside him. 

A cautionary tale far all considering charging ahead with hot-headed ideas!

My crystal suggestions for meditations during this moon phase are: 

Moss Agate - These are beautiful stones which can promote self-expression, relieve fear and strengthen your more positive personality traits. 

Red Chalcedony - These can help you to to be persistent and confident while acknowledging when to give in gracefully (Mussolini definitely needed one!).

Chrysocolla - These lovely stones (top of entry) can bring confidence and enhanced personal power while maintaining a cool head.

Life and Light,

MARTIN

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

SAINT SOR JUANA INÉS DE LA CRUZ

ON April 17th the Religion of Antinous honors Saint Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, 17th Century Mexican nun, scholar, poet, scientist, playwright, musician and lesbian.

She was exceptional not only for her intelligence and beauty, but also because she wrote literature centered on intellectual and sexual freedom.

In the poem "Redondillas" she defends a woman's right to be respected as a human being. "Hombres necios" (Stubborn men) criticizes the sexism of the society of her time, and pokes fun at men who publicly condemn prostitutes, among other things, but privately hire them.

She also has a philosophical approach to the relative immorality of prostitution. This was exemplified when she posed the question, "Who sins more, she who sins for pay or he who pays for sin?"

In the romantic comedy entitled "Los empeños de una casa" about a brother and a sister entangled in a web of love, she writes using two of her most prominent themes, love and jealousy.

She did not moralize, but rather, in the spirit of her lifetime interests, inquired of how these deeply emotional matters shaped and carved a woman's pursuit of liberty, knowledge, education and freedom to live her life in self-sovereignty.

Her revolutionary writings brought down upon her the ire of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of the 17th Century. She was ordered to tone down the sexuality of her writings. She did not.

However, powerful representatives from the Spanish court were her mentors and she was widely read in Spain, being called "The Tenth Muse". She was lauded as the most prominent poet of the post-conquest American Continent. Her work was printed by the first printing press of the American Continent in Mexico City.

She is believed to have penned 4,000 works, but only a few have survived. They were rescued by the Spanish Viceroy's wife, who was rumoured to be her female lover. In April 1695, after ministering to the other sisters struck down by a rampant plague, she is said to have died at four in the morning on April 17th.

For her love of learning and her devotion to the beauty of sexuality and for her courage to write about controversial things in the face of the Spanish Inquisition, we honor Saint Sor Juana as a Prophet of Homoeros.

CHIRON COMES TO THE RESCUE

THE Sun aligns with the asteroid or minor planet CHIRON IN ARIES this week to empower you to access your inner healer. (Art by Miranda Baggins entitled: "Antinous as the Horseman of Conquest!"

It is nice to remember who Chiron is ... the wisest and noblest of all the Centaurs in Classical Mythology. While all the other centaurs galloped off to riotous ruin and drunken oblivion, Chiron alone shared the knowledge he had inherited from the Titans ... tutoring a series of sensitive youths ... Achilles, Jason, Perseus, Theseus, Ajax, Dionysus, Hercules ... an endless list of heroes and demigods. He schooled them in the arts and sciences ... teaching them to be musicians and physicians.

This week healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when the Sun aligns with Chiron in Aries. This is a good time for health checkups and medical treatment ... also, you can expect a positive and expansive outlook, which can benefit your well-being at this time. 

You may be more open-minded with regard to experiencing new things, which will allow healing of your mind, body, and spirit. 

For instance, you could seek higher understanding and meaning in your life through a guide, mentor, or spiritual person or increase your inner knowledge by means of educational processes, religion, or meditative practices during this period. 

An urge to travel to far-away places (real or imaginary) may also be experienced. You may discover new perspectives on your beliefs, faith, and sense of hope. 

Restoring peace and harmony in your personal life and relationships is possible now through your interest in healing your own wounds, as well as extending compassion and generosity to others.

ASTRO FORECAST: APRIL 16th—APRIL 26th, 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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APRIL 16th
to APRIL 26th, 2026

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16th, 2026

This week, healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when the Sun aligns in perfect conjunction with CHIRON IN ARIES. This is a good time for health checkups and medical treatment ... also, you can expect a positive and expansive outlook, which can benefit your well-being at this time. You may be more open-minded with regard to experiencing new things, which will allow healing of your mind, body, and spirit. For instance, you could seek higher understanding and meaning in your life through a guide, mentor, or spiritual person or increase your inner knowledge by means of educational processes, religion, or meditative practices during this period. An urge to travel to far-away places (real or imaginary) may also be experienced. You may discover new perspectives on your beliefs, faith, and sense of hope. Restoring peace and harmony in your personal life and relationships is possible now through your interest in healing your own wounds, as well as extending compassion and generosity to others.

FRI-SUNDAY, APRIL 17th-19th, 2026

This weekend, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD aligns with his heavenly father Ra-Herakhte for the Aries New Moon which we call the FASCES MOON. The Aries New Moon is the moon of abrupt beginnings which may not be followed through, and of things said which are later regretted, of capricious actions — shoot first, ask questions later. If you have been stalling on starting something new ... now is the time to go for it. Others will warn you that you should exercise caution ... but the Fasces Moon says "no pain, no gain" and urges you to press forward.

MON-WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20th-22nd, 2026

This week, things get intense when Mercury aligns with Mars and both are in perfect conjunction with Saturn in fiery Aries for the first time in a generation. It is like driving down a highway with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator because Mars wants to press the pedal to the metal, while Saturn wants a cautious, go-slow approach. The result is pent-up frustration which boils over into rage. Open warfare breaks out not only in crisis regions of the world, but also in street traffic, in your work place and in your domestic relationship. Cold-blooded, vengeful wrath strangles out compassionate sympathy.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23rd, 2026

Overnight Thursday-Friday, we come to the Leo First Quarter Moon. It is the Lunar Phase in Antinous Moon Magic which we call the SCARAB MOON of miracles and wish-fulfillment. Meditations and rituals carried out tonight can result in an unexpected breakthrough. Eureka! Unanticipated solution. Fortuitous surprise. Sudden change for the better. Plucking victory from the jaws of defeat. An oracle reading or meditative trance can produce a sudden answer for transformation of a bad situation into something profitable,.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24th, 2026

This week, Venus leaves dependable Taurus and enters flirty Gemini. If you have been thinking about spreading your wings and diversifying your love life, the coming weeks is the time to do it. Gemini Venus is also a good time to diversify money matters. Love and money will be "up in the air" for the next month, so be flexible and in order to take advantage of the airy opportunities.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25th, 2026

This weekend, a major cosmic event occurs when Uranus, planet of revolutionary change, leaves plodding Taurus and soars into flighty Gemini. URANUS IN GEMINI often coincides with armed conflict. In Antinous Moon Magic, we know that war is not inevitable with Uranus in Gemini, and of course not every war happens during this configuration. But we can use our voice during Uranus in Gemini to improve matters. Never be afraid to raise your voice. The worst thing to do is to sit in silence. Never cruel nor cowardly! Never give up! Never give in! We have the power ... the stars confirm it.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26th, 2026

This weekend, the LGBT spiritual revolution gets a massive boost when the Sun is in a 90-degree right angle to Pluto, which is aligned in near conjunction with the star of Antinous on the cusp between Capricorn and Aquarius ... sending transformative energies that can radically alter gay spirituality for centuries to come. Pluto takes more than 250 years to orbit the Sun. This time around, Pluto is once again revolutionizing global political and economic structures along with communications systems. This is an opportunity for LGBT advancement that will not come again in our lifetimes. More on how Pluto and the Star of Antinous can change your life: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS..

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between April 27th and March 3rd, 2026, when we come to the Scorpio Full Moon ... a moon for penetrating the veil of lies and illusion and seeing clearly who are your friends (and who are not) and also seeing yourself for what you are. For that reason, we call it the ENEMY MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... More details next time ....

PAGAN JOURNALIST MARGOT ADLER IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS

WE honor Margot Adler as a Saint of Antinous the Gay God.

She was a pioneering modern pagan and well-respected all-round journalist who enabled millions of listeners on NPR radio in North America to get a balanced and informed view of paganism. 

She reported on news and current affairs from New York City ... most notably the 9/11 tragedy ... and her listeners respected her religious beliefs were did not make her "weird" or "demonic."

Margot Adler authored DRAWING DOWN THE MOON, a 1979 book about Neopaganism which was revised in 2006 to include our own modern Religion of Antinous.

The book is considered a watershed in American Neopagan circles, as it provided the first comprehensive look at modern nature-based religions in the US.

For many years it was the only introductory work about the American Neopagan communities. And it mentions Antinous ... and our new religion!

JEAN GENET ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A SAINT HE IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON April 15th the Religion of Antinous remembers Jean Genet as a Saint of Antinous.

Saint Jean Genet was one of the first and most modern gay poets, whose elegance and sordid love for the street life was unprecedented, and has never been matched.

Among his most fervent desires, expressed from the very beginning was that he should one day be elevated to Sainthood.

We of the Religion of Antinous, fully and faithfully, take faith in the spirit of Saint Jean Genet, through whom the eternal voice of Antinous spoke with the most voluptuousness and vain-glory.

Saint Jean Genet died on this day in Paris in1986.