THE CAPRICORN FIRST QUARTER MOON THE MERCHANT MOON OF ANTINOUS

TONIGHT is the night of the Capricorn First Quarter Moon which, in Antinous Moon Magic, is called the MERCHANT MOON.

In Antinous Moon Magic, each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Merchant Moon is Work. This Spirit enjoys taking up a task and doing it well and thoroughly. This Spirit likes to roll up its sleeves and get to work to see that a job gets done.

It is the proverbial Workaholic who lives only to work. It is the eager beaver, the busy bee, the workhorse who hates idleness and thrives on a job well done.

The Capricorn First Quarter Moon is an industrious, no-nonsense, let's-go-to-work sort of moon. It is symbolized by the Ancient Roman Merchant Ship which, alongside the trireme war ship, was the vessel which ensured prosperity, power and political unity for the vast Roman Empire.

Tonight is the best night of the year for working magical spells involving your life's Work. On the material plane, this can involve meditation, oracles and spells about your career, job, your employer or coworkers.

On a higher level, this lunar phase helps you to look into the broader implications of your life's calling. Do you live to work, or do you work to live? Are you able to juggle career and home life? Are you stuck in a rut?

This lunar phase brings out your spiritual ability to function in the world of work in general. On the earthly plane, it reflects your job/employer, your "day job" as opposed to spiritual or artistic endeavors.

For most people, and in most oracular readings, this lunar phase helps to sort out issues involving how you earn your living, and issues involving co-workers and job environment.

In a broader sense, the Merchant Moon helps you focus on your ability to keep your feet firmly planted on the material world while reaching for the stars.

APPATITE FOR THE MERCHANT MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR heavenly astrology expert Hernestus has advised me that this moon phase is the Capricorn First Quarter Moon which is the "Merchant Moon" in the Antinous faith. He advises that this moon is all about your career, job, employer or coworkers or the broader implications of your life's calling.

Due to very poor health in recent years, I was forced to retire early at the age of 49. It was a shock of course, and meant a major re-organisation of mine and my partner's life. 

It has been a surprisingly positive change in many, many ways. However, we are both having to consider 'what next'. 

My partner had to give up his career to care for me and I now have to consider whether I am now fit to work. We are looking at therapeutic and artistic work which are unlikely to pay highly but will be much more spiritual and satisfying.

Your career doesn't have to rule your life and sudden change within it may not be the disaster it at first seems!  

For this moon I would recommend that you meditate holding or being with an image of the following crystals:

Golden Appatite - They help enhance your will to succeed. They will give you the courage to take risks and 'go for it'.

Cerussite - these slightly dull looking crystals (above) can assist you in change.

In Light and Life,

MARTIN

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

EL SANTO NIÑO FIDENCIO

ON October 18th  we honor a gay man who is adored as a saint by millions of people in Mexico.

El Niño Fidencio, Saint of Antinous, was a Mexican "curandero" (male witch healer or shaman) in the 1920s and '30s who is regarded as a saint by his modern-day followers (although he is not recognized by the Catholic Church) and who depicted himself in drag as the Virgin Mary.

His millions of believers point to the fact that he has been credited with innumerable healings and other miracles. He is credited with saving countless lives and with curing incrable ailments.

His millions of believers also point to the numerological phenomenon that he was born on October 18, 1898, and he died on October 19, 1938.

The story of El Niño Fidencio also has many parallels to the story of the Magnificent Religion of Antinous.

Like ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD after deification on the banks of the Nile, El Niño Fidencio was a winsome young man beloved by all who worked miracles along the banks of a great river (Rio Grande) flowing through the barren wasteland of a desert between two lands, the US and Mexico.

The Nile divided the Land of the Living from the Land of the Dead,  the Rio Grande divides (or joins) two culturally merging societies.

The Ancients believed Antinous worked miracles in the lives of his faithful followers. Antinous healed the sick, he granted people love and prosperity, he shielded them from peril.

Historian Royston Lambert's book Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous devotes a full chapter to the Religion of Antinous and mentions the miracles he was able to bring forth.

The oracle priests of Antinous could intercede with the God, or followers could appeal directly to Antinous:

"There is evidence of oracles at Tarsos and perhaps at Rome itself," Lambert writes. "No doubt it was through these pronouncements and visitations that he wrought miracles and healing for which he evidently became famous in the east."

In many areas, people named their children Antinous in the fervent belief that he would watch over and protect their offspring all their lives.

There is the well-documented case of a man named Serapamon who lived in Antinoopolis in the 3rd Century and who called on the priests of Antinous for a love spell to attract a certain woman named Ptolemais. Clearly, his followers truly believed he could work miracles for those who believed in him.

Lambert points out: "The frequent use of his medals as talismans or amulets demonstrates demonstrates a widespread faith in his powers in Greece, Asia Minor and Egypt."

Lambert makes it clear that, for early followers of Antinous, there was no doubt in their hearts or minds that he could work miracles — and did so on an everyday basis.

"Indeed," Lambert goes on to state, "the popular vigour and genuine conviction of the 'belief' in Antinous were widespread and persistent enough to provoke the scorn of some sophisticated pagans and the anxious and unremitting indignation of most Christian apologists for two and a half centuries to come."

We should remember the heart-felt faith of the early followers of Antinous, who knew Him to be their salvation. We should remember their undying faith when we honor El Niño Fidencio in the face of the "anxious and unremitting indignation" of Catholic clerics to this day.

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.