Tuesday, March 31, 2020

ANTINOUS UPSTAGES EVERYONE
IN THESE PRODUCTIONS



MARCH is Women's History Month and Antinous graces two TV and film productions of famous women.

A bust of Antinous appears in the British made-for-TV series VICTORIA (photo above).

And be sure to watch the brilliant film "Agora" by openly gay Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia. Antonius Subia points out that Antinous makes an appearance in two scenes:



"Antinous definitely does make two brief cameos.

The clearest is a large bust, I think it is the Écouen Bust, which appears in a scene closer towards the end:

In Hypatia's "little Library of Alexandria" when the Bishop of Cyrene, her former student comes to the city
And the (also very hot) Prefect meets them there.


Just as the prefect enters the room,
You see Antinous behind him!
The same Antinous makes a second appearance, more brief and cut off at the neck,

In a later night scene, when Hypatia and her older slave are trying to figure things out.

Any time Antinous makes an appearance... the movie is blessed!"

Watch the trailer: 



WE JOYOUSLY CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY



MARCH 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility ... the time for education, empowerment, and action! Join the celebration! Start a protest! Host a movie night! Organize a rally! Make the world a better place for transgender people.

Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is a day to show your support for the trans community!

Every March 31st, it aims to bring attention to the accomplishments of trans people everywhere while fighting cissexism and transphobia by spreading understanding of trans people. 

Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, this is not a day for mourning: this is a day to be empowered and give the recognition trans people deserve

Visibility is not about being seen as an individual: it’s working together to transform society. Learn more about TDOV here.

HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA
SAINT OF ANTINOUS



ON March 31st the Religion of Antinous solemnly commemorates the glorious life and cruel death of Saint Hypatia of Alexandria.

Hypatia is one of the most important female philosophers who ever lived, and her tragic murder at the hands of fanatical Christians on the steps of the Great Library of Alexandria is symbolic of the barbaric forces which brought down the worship of Antinous and other Classical deities.

The brutal stoning-flaying-immolation death of Hypatia in about the year 400 AD is regarded by many historians as the beginning of the Dark Ages.

St. Hypatia was a philosopher and mathematician who lived in Alexandria during a time of turmoil and conflict between Christians and the last pagan philosophers of the Great Library.

Her father was the Philosopher Theon, and Hypatia studied among the Neoplatonists. She was the author of several highly reputed works and commentaries, none of which has survived. She held a reputation of excellence that exceeded her contemporaries.



Hypatia taught among the male philosophers and attracted a large following even among Christians. Her beauty was highly desired by numerous men, but she remained chaste (or at least unmarried) all her life, which leads some to suspect lesbianism.

The proud life of Hypatia came to an end at the end of March during the season of Lent when she was attacked by a Christian mob, led by a fanatic Deacon named Peter, who dragged her through the streets to a church called Caesareum. 


There she was stripped naked and killed by the mob with their bare hands. It was said that they stoned her with ceramic roof tiles, then flayed her flesh with razor-sharp shards of oyster shells, tore her limb from limb and burned her.

"Saint" Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, who encouraged her assasination, was then praised for eradicating the city of "idolatry and witchchraft". 


The Martyrdom of St. Hypatia of Alexandria is one of the most profound examples of Christian violence against paganism, women, and philosophy. And she is noted as one of the last reasoning pagans murdered by the irrational religion which has dominated Western Civilization ever since.

Her death is among the heinous crimes of the Christian Church, whose attrocities continue to this day. The image at right, by Charles William Mitchell, portrays Hypatia just before her death, naked at the altar, imploring her attackers to take heed of their own faith?which they continue to ignore.


For these reasons and in memory of the unnamed Ancient Priests of Antinous who suffered similar fates, the Religion of Antinous has proclaimed Hypatia of Alexandria a Saint and Venerable Exemplar and honors her with a Feast Day on March 31. As Sacred Synchronicity would have it, her Antinoian Feast Day in 2009 coincided with the release of major motion picture based on her life.

Openly gay Chilean-Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar's $75-million production AGORA stars Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz and was the biggest box-office hit in Spain for the year 2009.

In the film set in Roman Egypt in the final days of the 4th Century A.D., Weisz plays the astrologer-philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria, who fights to save the collected wisdom of the ancient world. Her slave Davus (Max Minghella) is torn between his love for his mistress and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity.



Monday, March 30, 2020

ANTINOUS KNEW THE GHOST DOGS
OF THE BATTLEFIELDS OF ASIA MINOR


MARCH 30th is sacred to the Goddess Bau or Baba (Akadian) known in Babylonia as Nintinuggu, "The Lady who Restores to Life", goddess of healing. 

She was originally a goddess of dogs and depicted with a dog's head. Possibly because dogs were believed to be able to cure sores and wounds if they licked them, she became the goddess of healing.

Antinous probably loved dogs. 

The only portrait which shows Antinous alongside an animal is by the artist Antonianus of Aphrodisias found at Lanuvium showing Antinous harvesting grapes ... with a small dog looking up at him adoringingly.

Antinous no doubt was familiar with the Haralez, the beneficent canine spirits of the remote mountains of his native Bithynia and Armenia. 

While the mountain mythology of that region possesses many heroes, monsters and spirits, the Haralez have always been the most beloved. 

The Haralez assume canine form and guide and protect humans in peril. 

Few people in modern-day Turkey know of the Harelez, and indeed, these Celtic myths were fading by the time Antinous was born in the 2nd Century AD. 

But he might have heard old-timers speak of how, when a valiant man falls in battle, the Haralez comes to his rescue and, by licking his wounds, restores him to life. 

The popularity of the Haralez never died out completely. Even today, Armenian folk tales mention the "perpetual lickers" who restore life to the dead.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

TRACE THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANTINOUS
WITH THIS STREET MAP OF ROME



WE envision Antinous strolling down these streets in Rome's infamous Subura red-light district with other young friends from the "paedagogium" academy.

The wide street that traverses this fragment of a map of the city of Rome from right to left (west to east) has been identified as the Clivus Suburanus, a major street that ran from the Forum and the Argiletum through the Subura neighborhood, past the front of the Porticus Liviae, to the Esquiline Gate.


The fragment at right is from the  Forma Urbis Romae, or Severan Marble Plan of Rome. 

This enormous map, measuring ca. 18.10 x 13 meters (ca. 60 x 43 feet), was carved between 203-211 AD and covered an entire wall inside the Templum Pacis in Rome.

Recently, a "new" piece was found which completes the "Circus Flaminius" section of the FORMA URBIS ROMAE or SEVERAN MAP.

This enormous map depicted the ground plan of every architectural feature in the ancient city, from large public monuments to small shops, rooms, and even staircases.

This fragment represents a large section on the Oppian Hill of the residential and commercial district called the Subura. 

Roman poets like Martial and Juvenal described the Subura as a sordid commercial area, riddled with violence, brothels, and collapsing buildings. 

In reality, it was probably not different from any other neighborhood in Rome … or many modern European cities, for that matter … where commercial activity intermingled with the religious and political life in the great public monuments and smaller local shrines and meeting halls of the local "collegia" and where the large "comus" homes of the rich stood next to the decrepit apartment buildings that housed the poor. 

An abundance of evidence demonstrates that even in imperial times the Subura housed senators (probably on the upper slopes) as well as sandal makers, blacksmiths, and cloth sellers. Commercial activity was probably concentrated all along the clivus Suburanus.


The Severan Marble Plan is a key resource for the study of ancient Rome, but only 10-15% of the map survives, broken into 1,186 pieces.

For centuries, scholars have tried to match the fragments and reconstruct this great puzzle, but progress is slow … the marble pieces are heavy, unwieldy, and not easily accessible. 

Now, computer scientists and archaeologists at Stanford are employing digital technologies to try to reconstruct the map.

In collaboration with the Sovraintendenza of the Comune di Roma, a team from Stanford's Computer Graphics laboratory has been creating digital photographs and 3D models of all 1,186 fragments.

The next step is to develop 3D matching algorithms to "solve the map," and to build a fully searchable database of the fragments … a much-needed tool for archaeological research.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

A SPECIAL PRAYER TO ANTINOUS
IN THIS SPECIAL TIME OF CRISIS



THIS is prayer you can use in a personal ceremony in reference to the current situation we are all going through. It is hoped that this can bring some peace and comfort. 

What you will need:
White Candle
Water
Libation bowl

Light the candle and say:

Antinous Mithras God of Light be our guide.
Light our way through these troubled times.
Grant us freedom from fear just as you grant freedom
From the confines of this world.
As the obelisk declares that you hear the prayers of Gods and Men.
As you heard the pleas of Hadrian, we ask that you hear ours as well.
Great God Antinous who is our strength and guiding light
We humbly come before you.
We seek your healing, protection and wisdom
During this present time of sickness that has affected the whole world
(here you can include specific locations ie: New York City)
We ask that those afflicted by this virus that you grant them healing.
Just as you Antinous, you who gave your life to save Hadrian,
So, to now we ask that you save us from this virus.
Strengthen the bodies of those who are fighting this infection and heal them.
Give comfort to those suffering from symptoms of this virus.
We ask that you provide medical care for those in need.
For those working in the medical profession
We ask that you give them strength and protect them from this virus
Provide the equipment necessary to keep them safe
We ask for wisdom for those working on a cure
Grant to them what they need in order to end this modern plaque.
We ask the Divine Hadrian to bestow his wisdom to those in charge
Whether they are in government or in a position of authority.
In order to lessen the burden this virus has caused.

Libation:
Pour water into the libation bowl and say:

Antinous your first miracle was the inundation of the Nile
By this you saved an entire empire.
We ask that this water that represents that miracle
Cleanse the world from this virus that threatens us all.
(You may drink this water afterwards or pour on plants)
Our hearts can rest assured because the sacred obelisk says:
“He hears the prayers of all those who call out to Him,
And He cures the afflictions of those in need”

Ave Antinous
Michaelus Priest of Antinous

Friday, March 27, 2020

CENTAUR MOSAIC AT HADRIAN's VILLA
OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO EMPEROR's MIND



THE FAMOUS Centaur Mosaic from the grand dining pavilion of Hadrian's Villa at Tibur has intrigued art historians for decades. The mosaic is on view at the Altes Museum in Berlin, along with stunning sculptures of Hadrian and Antinous. But few people have had the opportunity to view it up close with commentary by eminent art historians — until now!

This new video (below), with a running narration by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, provides brilliant insights not only into the Roman interpretation of Greek art, but also into the subtle differences in the way that the Romans and the Greeks perceived their place in the cosmos.

One important point which Drs. Zucker and Harris do not make, however, is that Hadrian was called "The Lion Slayer" because the Emperor and Antinous killed a man-eating lion in Egypt in the summer of the year 130 AD — only weeks before the tragic death of Antinous. 

Another detail is that the centaur downed by the tiger is a female, presumably the mate of the centaur holding the boulder. It is unclear whether the downed mate is dead or only stunned and is about to be rescued — just as Hadrian rescued Antinous from the Egyptian lion in real life.

So Hadrian's dinner guests could look at the mosaic and interpret the bearded centaur as being a mythic aspect of the emperor himself — protecting the Empire from the beastly forces of chaos. Hadrian could also be equated with Chiron, with Antinous perhaps his tutor.

In Greek mythology, Chiron was one of the Titans, the greatest of the Centaurs. Chiron was the tutor to a great many gods and demigods, including Prometheus, Theseus, Achilles and Hercules, to name but a few.

Astrologically, Chiron represents a person's healing energies and, indeed, the word for "surgery" in many European languages (chirurgie in French and German, cirugya in Spanish, chirugia in Italian and Portuguese) comes directly from the Ancient Greek words for "Chiron Hands" ... a healer with the skilled hands of the Titan Chiron.

Astrologically, the minor planet (or asteroid) CHIRON IS IN ARIES ... which boosts cosmic healing. Hadrian, who was obsessed with astrology himself, could hardly have looked at this mosaic without pondering cosmic implications.

Zucker and Harris, founders of Smarthistory, aptly point out that this mosaic ... only a tiny fraction of the dining pavilion's mosaic ... must have been a profound source of dinner conversation.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

ASTRO FORECAST: MARCH 26th—APRIL 5th, 2020

Antinous Astrology Forecast

MARCH 2-APRIL 5, 2020


THURS-FRIDAY, MARCH 26th-27th, 2020

This week Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto are highlighted in near conjunction in Capricorn against the background of the THE STAR OF ANTINOUS in Capricorn. This planetary configuration has not occurred for many centuries and certainly will not occur again during our lifetimes. And against this cosmic backdrop Lady Luck smiles on you when the Sun forms a sextile with lucky Jupiter as well as with Pluto and the Star of Antinous.

SAT-SUNDAY, MARCH 28th-29th, 2020

This weekend, love planet Venus is in a powerful trine aspect with Pluto. Taurus Venus is looking for someone to share a comfortable life with, while Capricorn Pluto is looking for a profound relationship which endures for all eternity. So this Venus trine Pluto configuration can help you find your soul mate. Venus trine Pluto is also very good for financial and business transactions which will provide long-term yields.

Also this weekend, Venus trine Jupiter offers a ray of hope. On the positive side: you can trust your intuition to buy a lottery ticket. But on the less positive side, you don't know when to stop and squander your hard-earned money on a big risk.

MON-TUESDAY, MARCH 30th-31st, 2020

Overnight Monday-Tuesday, we come to the Cancer First Quarter Moon. It is the Lunar Phase of reflection and insight which we call the NARCISSUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... Narcissus is the Spirit which tunes out all distractions and all other people in order to focus on the Divinity within. This Lunar Phase is the Spirit of Self-Love and Same-Sex Love. It is forever gazing into its own reflection and whispering to itself: You are Divine! The reflection and the viewer are one and the same. The Spirit of Narcissus is the Divinity which holds a mirror up to ourselves.

WED-THURSDAY, APRIL 1st-2nd, 2020

Mars dominates this week. First of all, Mars leaves stodgy Capricorn and enters rational, logical Aquarius — the Warrior Planet Mars becomes First Officer Spock! Aquarius Mars carries out his "battles" on a highly cerebral level. This is the nerd gamer who loves 3-D chess and role-playing games. Mars in Aquarius signals a time when emotions are sublimated as people engage in mind games. That is not a bad thing — as long as people don't get so caught up in the chatter of their brains that they forget to listen to their hearts.

Also this week, things get intense when Mars aligns in perfect conjunction with Saturn in intensely rational Aquarius. 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 rational thought.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3rd, 2020

On Friday, 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. In addition, social-minded Gemini Venus forms a productive trine aspect with Aquarius Saturn. Venus trine Saturn helps you perceive whom you can trust for the long run and it helps you remember that business can be a pleasure.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4th, 2020

On Saturday, your mind shifts into visionary mode when Mercury aligns with Neptune in dreamy Pisces. Pay special attention to your dreams ... and that includes day dreams.

SUNDAY, APRIL 5th, 2020

We can be certain that April 2020 will go down in astrological history as a turning point in LGBT history ... when Jupiter aligns in conjunction with Pluto and with the THE STAR OF ANTINOUS in Capricorn. This planetary configuration has not occurred for many centuries and certainly will not occur again during our lifetimes. The giant and the dwarf planets may seem quite different from each other, but both of them represent an aspiration for growth and prosperity. Jupiter-Pluto cycles work on both the material level, where they increase ambition for greater abundance and development, and the spiritual level, where they reflect a deep yearning for Truth. And the Star of Antinous underscores their importance to LGBT people. In short, we can be certain that 2020 will go down in history as a turning point for LGBT spirituality and legal rights. In a positive way, these configurations reflect a remarkable ability to transform difficulty into opportunity, both individually and collectively.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between April 6th and 12th when we come to the Libra Full Moon ... the lunar cycle we call the ORATOR MOON of diplomacy and balanced thinking. This is the perfect time for fulfilling dreams of finding just the right partner, the person who balances out your needs and desires perfectly. But remember that diplomacy is the key. Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Orator Moon is the embodiment of articulate expression in all forms and in all media, whether spoken, written or visual ... More details next time ....


WALT WHITMAN
SAINT OF ANTINOUS


ON March 26th the Religion of Antinous takes a moment to celebrate the life of one of our most popular Antinoian prophets ... Saint Walt Whitman.

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, on the West Hills of Long Island, New York. He was lavished with love by his mother, but treated with stern discipline by his carpenter father.

After only a few years of school, Whitman was pulled out to help with the family earnings. He educated himself, reading all that he could, worked in a printing house, and eventually became a schoolteacher who taught with refreshing openness and excitement, allowing his students to call him by his first name. After years of teaching, he went into journalism, and in time was the editor of several publications.

However, Walt Whitman is said to have experienced a life-transforming epiphany. He left New York, and returned to live for a period with his family, then returned from isolation with Leaves of Grass, one of the most powerful collections of poems in American literature and the first to allude heavily to homosexual love.

It is often said that, during his time in isolation, a religious sense of purpose entered his heart, which he revealed in the Calamus poems.

The aromatic, psychotropic calamus plant with its phallic spadix flower pods was his symbol for homosexuality. The calamus has special meaning for us because Kalamos of Greek myth fell in love with the beautiful youth Karpos. 

Like Antinous, Karpos died by drowning. Grief-stricken Kalamos wept among the reeds at the waterside until he was himself transformed into a reed, whose rustling in the wind is his sigh of woe.

When the American civil war broke out, Walt Whitman was 42 years old and served as a hospital nurse, falling in love with all the soldiers, especially those who died in his arms.

Open expressions of love between men were accepted without issue during the war, and it was when the visionary enlightenment of Walt Whitman became clear to him. He saw that the origin of this love, brotherly, or friendly perhaps, if not more, was the salvation of the human race, and certainly able to heal the divide between North and South.

His final years were spent communicating his message to the new torchbearers, such as John Addington Symonds and Edward Carpenter. After his death, and as Gay Liberation took strength, he was called a Prophet, particularly by the George Cecil Ives and the Order of Chaeronea.

We, adherents of the ancient/modern Religion of Antinous, proclaim him to be St. Walt Whitman the Prophet of Homoeros, and we elevate him to his own stratosphere in our devotion.

He died March 26th, 1892 of tuberculosis compounded by pneumonia. Over 1,000 mourners paid their respects. St. Walt told us how he wanted us to remember him, not as a great poet, but as "the tenderest lover":

You bards of ages hence! when you refer to me, mind not so much my poems,
Nor speak of me that I prophesied of The States, and led them the way of their Glories;
But come, I will take you down underneath this impassive exterior ... I will tell you what to say of me:
Publish my name and hang up my picture as that of the tenderest lover,
The friend, the lover's portrait, of whom his friend, his lover, was fondest,
Who was not proud of his songs, but of measureless ocean of love within him ... and freely poured it forth,
Who often walked lonesome walks, thinking of his dear friends, his lovers,
Who pensive, away from one he loved, often lay sleepless and dissatisfied at night,
Who knew too well the sick, sick dread lest the one he loved might secretly be indifferent to him,
Whose happiest days were far away, through fields, in woods, on hills, he and another, wandering hand in hand, they twain, apart from other men,
Who oft as he sauntered the streets, curved with his arm the shoulder of his friend  while the arm of his friend rested upon him also.


Wednesday, March 25, 2020

ANTINOUS HELPS YOU COMBAT FEAR
DURING THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC



AS worshipers of Antinous, how do we Navigate the Corona Virus Pandemic right now, for as we face this pandemic there is a collective consciousness and culture of fear all over the world? 

As worshipers of Antinous we don’t have to contribute to it, nor do we have to be oppressed by it. (Healing Antinous Art above by Miranda Baggins.)

1. First make a list: What all do you have to do? Look at it again – what do you have to do, and what can wait till later? What’s easy and can be cleared out of the way with little effort? What’s most important and deserves the bulk of your time? Start working the list and checking things off. Making a list doesn’t sound very spiritual to you? Haven’t you heard of the 42 Negative Confessions? The 12 Labors of Hercules? The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism? Making lists is a near-universal religious practice – put it to use in your life.

2. You feel in Despair:  Things are bad, and you can’t see how they’re ever going to get better. Intellectually, you know you’ll manage one way or another, but right now you can’t see that far ahead and you’re not in the mood to listen to anyone’s cold hard logic.
Pray and make offerings. You can’t control how you feel, but you can control what you do – and it is always good to worship the Gods. Giving to Them reminds us that there’s something bigger than ourselves. And giving promotes reciprocity: we give to Them and trust that They will give to us.

ANTINOUS PRAYER BEADS

THERE are Catholic rosary beads, Eastern Orthodox beads, Swedish Lutheran Frälserkransen beads, Islamic prayer beads, Buddhist meditation beads, Hindu japa mala beads and even Wiccan prayer beads ... now several adherents of Antinous are designing.

Look to Your Ancestors

Many of our ancestors have faced situations like this before, but with different diseases. Though it is new to most of us, it is not new to the world. We can draw strength and hope from the wisdom of our ancestors, as well as their compassion and resilience. They adapted, and we are also now adapting. 

Whatever comes, whatever we face, they stand behind us and beside us as our protectors and as our guides, and we ourselves are evidence that life goes on. We can take hope from that.
Give thanks for what you have, even if you don’t feel very thankful right now. Speak the yearnings of your heart, even if they’re clouded with pain. Don’t know what to say? Find an ancient prayer (The Hymns of Orpheus)  to recite, or perhaps a modern one.

Pour libations and make food offerings. Worshippers  of Antinous in ancient times would have given votive offerings to him at his altars; there is evidence that he was given gifts of food and drink in Egypt, with libations and sacrifices probably being common in Greece. Making offerings in a fire is a powerful act at any time. If it’s part of your tradition and appropriate for the deities you’re approaching, make your offerings to Antinous and any other gods you worship, and then after a suitable period of time, revert the offerings and consume the now-sanctified food and drink. As you eat and drink, you ingest the blessings of the Gods.

Cultivate Life & Create

It’s incredibly important to focus on life-giving and life-affirming experiences at times like this. Plant flowers start seeds. Learn the wisdom of the plants. Nurture your connection to the earth.
Make something with your hands. It doesn’t matter what it is but give yourself to the experience without attachment to the result. You’re utilizing your sacral energy when you do so, which is where the joy of living springs from. It’s incredibly important to remember the joy of living at a time like this.

Making list and prayer and offerings and even long walks outside are very helpful but one spiritual practice that is especially suited for difficult situations is:

3. Divination: Whether you use Tarot, Runes, or Scrying. Pick your favorite. Divination can’t make your decisions for you, but it can show you where a particular path will take you and what things will be like when you get there.  If a path displayed is not what you wanted maybe you need to make some changes before it gets too late.

4. Sigil Magic: There may be hard situations you are going through, financial, job, better place to live, etc.  Any magical system can help. The term sigil derives from the Latin sigillum, meaning "seal" Though Sigil Magic is thought to have started in the Medieval period there is no reason you can’t use it in your worship of Antinous.  This link is an easy step by step method that I have used. http://sigildaily.com/activating-rituals/

5. Meditation:  There are several ways to mediate You can use mediation focused on Antinous or other gods and spirits or ideas. There is the Buddhist-style “empty your mind”.  Focus on your breathing or on a candle flame. If thought pop into your head, acknowledge them, let them go, and return to your breathing. Just sit. The physical and psychological benefits of meditation are clear – the spiritual benefits can be every bit as dramatic.

Build a foundation of regular devotion. Do the necessary prep work. Do your rituals in wild places and in dark places.  Be patient but be persistent. Be open to the workings of Antinous and be receptive to his call.

These are the spiritual practices that work for all of us in difficult times. They won’t prevent bad things from happening – nothing will do that. They don’t keep us from getting upset or stressed or stuck. But they help us regain our center faster and they help us respond to difficult times in the ways we want to respond.

And lastly: Saturn is entering the sign of Aquarius

Saturn is entering the sign of Aquarius for the first time on March 22nd. While it will leap back in Capricorn temporarily on July 1st, it will re-enter Aquarius on December 17th and will remain in the sign for the next three years.

Saturn entering the sign of Aquarius is going to put a significant focus on the questions of innovations, technology, and collective progress. The energy is going to be focused on anything new, anything modern, and anything progressive. Saturn is returning to the position it was in between 1991 and 1994, effectively giving people born at that time their “Saturn return.” As much as it can be a difficult time for people to go through their Saturn returns, it’s also a time where people are given a significant chance to grow and take responsibilities.

AVE ANTINOUS
Michaelus, Priest of Antinous.

Sources: Patheos website “7 Spiritual Practices for Difficult Times” and “How to Navigate the Pandemic Pandemonium”. Also, Antinous The Gay God blog.

Monday, March 23, 2020

COURAGE IN DIFFICULT TIMES
By Our Priest Michaelus Isom



EVERY generation or group of people undergo times of the unknown. Many around the world suffer because of war, famine. For us now and this generation it is our time. Yes, Covid19 is deadly there is no denying that and we must take all precautions to protect not only ourselves but think of others. This is a time to have courage. An example we can look to is our God Antinous.

First let’s look at the word courage.  Someone with courage is bold and brave, unafraid to face tough challenges. ... Having courage means acting when others are afraid of the danger, or simply acting without fear of failure. For today it is for us to unafraid to face tough challenges.

Antinous showed these many times, in his life. Think of a young boy being taken from his home to the very heart of the empire, Rome. He left everything he knew, everything that was comfort for him. He learned to adapt, he learned to change and because he did, he became the most beloved of the Emperor of Rome. Courage is adapting to circumstances. Yes, it is inconvenient but being able to adapt makes us stronger.  Other times Antinous showed courage in adversity. During both the boar and lion hunts. 

Royston Lambert in Beloved and God writes “On the Arch of Constantine we recognize him again in close pursuit of the wild boar which, according to Xenophon, was the most dangerous of beasts with its red hot tusks, exacting 'high courage' from those who dared to confront it.” And with the lion he writes, “Antinous' vigour and courage cannot be doubted.”

I think we need to have both courage and strength. Courage is the quality of a confident character not to be afraid or intimidated easily but without being incautious or inconsiderate while strength is the quality or degree of being strong.

Both play a critical part in how we deal with events we are going through now.

You who believe in Antinous. That love Antinous and if Antinous is your God. Look to him. He is where you can find courage not to be afraid and help us be strong in these trying times.

MICHAELUS
Priest of Antinous

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.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

ASTRO FORECAST: MARCH 19th—29th, 2020

Antinous Astrology Forecast

MARCH 19th to 29th, 2020


THURS-FRIDAY, MARCH 19th-20th, 2020

This week is dominated by the March Equinox and ambitiously aggressive Mars moving into conjunction with Jupiter, Pluto and the Star of Antinous in Capricorn. On March 20th the Sun enters the sign of Aries for the Equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere springtime is on the way, but in the Southern Hemisphere autumn is coming. The March Equinox is the official zodiacal start of the astrological year and 2020 IS THE YEAR OF THE MOON, according to an ancient astro-alchemical calendar. Jupiter ruled 2015. Mars ruled 2016. The Sun ruled 2017. And 2018 was "The Year of Venus." Then 2019 was the "Year of Mercury" and now 2020 is ruled by the Moon.

But more importantly this week, the war god Mars aligns with Jupiter in perfect alignment in Capricorn with marching orders to make over the world. With Mars conjunction Jupiter, you have an abundance of energy and enthusiasm to take on tasks that would frighten all but the most courageous. In order to get what you want, you are energized to assert yourself fearlessly, even in the face of danger. You may sense even a rather reckless faith in your ability to tempt fate and take chances, never doubting that you will succeed. Be careful that what you lack in finesse you make up for in arrogance. On the global level, overweening tyrants use this energy to make over the world according to their own idea of what perfection should be.

And most importantly this week, Mars aligns in conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn against the background of the THE STAR OF ANTINOUS in Capricorn. This planetary configuration has not occurred for many centuries and certainly will not occur again during our lifetimes. 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.

SAT-SUNDAY, MARCH 21st-22nd, 2020

This weekend, SATURN ENTERS AQUARIUS, occupying its airy home for the first time since 1994. This is especially important for Millennials born between 1990 and 1994 who will be experiencing their first Saturn Return. With a windy gale at its back, Saturn in Aquarius will turn its scythe toward unknown terrain in order to gather and harvest wisdom off the mainstream path and beyond the norm. Saturn feels secure, strong, and comfortably at home in Aquarius, but discovers a different kind of expression than when residing in its other home of Capricorn where it is surrounded by dense stone and earthly matters. In the airy climate of Aquarius, Saturn turns its slow and steady gaze outward, reordering structures and boundaries in order to make connections, distribute information, and develop innovations.

Change will be in the air as Saturn enters Aquarius, for it will immediately begin forming a catalytic square aspect with impetuous Uranus in Taurus. Saturn will not complete its square aspect with Uranus during 2020 however, as it will go retrograde on May 10 at two degrees of Aquarius to return to Capricorn from July 2020 until December 2020, when it will re-enter Aquarius to remain there until 2023. We will feel the volatile effect of Uranus through questioning the boundaries we erect in our life and beginning a process of restructuring them. Rather than holding on to old conceptions we have been attached to, we will become more interested in experimenting and beginning to break free from whatever the status quo has been for us.

MON-TUESDAY, MARCH 23rd-24th, 2020

Overnight Monday-Tuesday, 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.

WED-FRIDAY, MARCH 25th-27th, 2020

This week Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto are highlighted in near conjunction in Capricorn against the background of the THE STAR OF ANTINOUS in Capricorn. This planetary configuration has not occurred for many centuries and certainly will not occur again during our lifetimes. And against this cosmic backdrop Lady Luck smiles on you when the Sun forms a sextile with lucky Jupiter as well as with Pluto and the Star of Antinous.

SAT-SUNDAY, MARCH 28th-29th, 2020

This weekend,This weekend, love planet Venus is in a powerful trine aspect with Pluto. Taurus Venus is looking for someone to share a comfortable life with, while Capricorn Pluto is looking for a profound relationship which endures for all eternity. So this Venus trine Pluto configuration can help you find your soul mate. Venus trine Pluto is also very good for financial and business transactions which will provide long-term yields.

Also this weekend, Venus trine Jupiter offers a ray of hope. On the positive side: you can trust your intuition to buy a lottery ticket. But on the less positive side, you don't know when to stop and squander your hard-earned money on a big risk.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between March 30th and April 5th when we come to the Cancer First Quarter Moon. It is the Lunar Phase of reflection and insight which we call the NARCISSUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... Narcissus is the Spirit which tunes out all distractions and all other people in order to focus on the Divinity within. This Lunar Phase is the Spirit of Self-Love and Same-Sex Love. It is forever gazing into its own reflection and whispering to itself: You are Divine! The reflection and the viewer are one and the same. The Spirit of Narcissus is the Divinity which holds a mirror up to ourselves ... More details next time ....


SATURN IN AQUARIUS 2020-2023



SATURN now is in Aquarius, occupying its airy home for the first time since 1994.

Thus, Saturn leaves its stable home sign of Capricorn and enters airy Aquarius, ushering in a new era of social-media connectivity based on lock-down security measures to prevent cyber-theft and fake-news abuses. 

As physical interaction becomes riskier, online interaction will become firmly entrenched in our lives until 2023 when Pluto also enters Aquarius ... to reorder and reorganize human interpersonal interaction for the next 250 years.

Saturn entering Aquarius is especially important for Millennials born between 1990 and 1994 who will be experiencing their first Saturn Return.

With a windy gale at its back, Saturn in Aquarius will turn its scythe toward unknown terrain in order to gather and harvest wisdom off the mainstream path and beyond the norm. 

Saturn feels secure, strong, and comfortably at home in Aquarius, but discovers a different kind of expression than when residing in its other home of Capricorn where it is surrounded by dense stone and earthly matters. 

In the airy climate of Aquarius, Saturn turns its slow and steady gaze outward, reordering structures and boundaries in order to make connections, distribute information, and develop innovations.

Change will be in the air immediately, for Saturn will immediately begin forming a catalytic square aspect with impetuous Uranus in Taurus. Saturn will not complete its square aspect with Uranus during 2020 however, as it will go retrograde on May 10 at two degrees of Aquarius to return to Capricorn from July 2020 until December 2020, when it will re-enter Aquarius to remain there until 2023. 

We will feel the volatile effect of Uranus through questioning the boundaries we erect in our life and beginning a process of restructuring them. 

Rather than holding on to old conceptions we have been attached to, we will become more interested in experimenting and beginning to break free from whatever the status quo has been for us.

The entry of Saturn into Aquarius will be especially notable for those born with Saturn in Aquarius and Leo, as it marks the beginning of their Saturn return and opposition respectively.

Everyone who has Saturn in Aquarius and Leo will receive their first impression of the themes involving responsibility, maturity, discipline, and endurance that will become intensified as Saturn steadily moves closer to the degree of their natal Saturn.

Similarly, those who have Saturn in Taurus and Scorpio will also experience the initial jolt of Saturn forming a square to their natal Saturn, demanding accountability with regards to whatever issues arise.

Once Saturn returns to Capricorn at the beginning of July there will be an opportunity to reflect upon the initial experience of Saturn in Aquarius before it returns to Aquarius at the end of the year.

Saturn will return to Aquarius on December 17 with Jupiter close behind, leading to a conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in the first degree of Aquarius on December 21. 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

ANTINOUS STANDS WITH US
DURING THE CORONA VIRUS CRISIS

By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell



OBVIOUSLY we are in the midst of an extraordinary health crisis right now. People are looking for medical and alternative 'cures'. Crystals have been used for thousands of years as for grounding, connecting to natural energies, for protector and as a complement to conventional medicine. 

I would never recommend them as healing stones. They can be therapeutic, calming, help meditative focus and assist with healing but they are NOT medicine.

I regularly recommend crystals for meditations on key moon phases in the Antinoan calendar. This will continue - I hope you find them helpful. 

In addition, I thought it may help us all to find time to sit calmly with crystals and use them to help us give our attention to where we most need therapeutic assistance right now. I suggest the following:

1. For meditating on healing for all mankind (knowing that Antinous stands beside you) I would suggest my favourite crystal - Carnelian (above). Among its many properties it boosts vitality, grounds you, gives clear focus in the current reality, links us the cycles of life and brings courage. I would recommend having a piece of Carnelian always close to you. I go no-where without one in my pocket.

2. For meditating on the throat - which is where, we are told, that the Coronavirus first forms - I recommend blue crystals. I tend to use Blue Lace Agate or Lapis Lazuli. 

Labradorite (left) is also recommended as a protector for the throat. I am currently wearing a Labradorite pendant which I have 'programmed' to help protect my throat area. Basically, you hold the crystal, focus on your energy and try to direct it through the crystal to boost its life force. In return, ask if it will work with you to provide protection.

3. For meditating on the lungs - which is where the virus has its terrible impact - I would recommend focusing your meditative energy through the volcanic attributes of Peridot. Amethyst is also recommended.

Personally, the most impact I ever had, as a crystal therapist, was using  a simple clear quartz point to help draw out a heavy chest cold from a client. So I obviously recommend that too.

4. For meditating on anxiety (for we are all feeling some of that right now, I suspect!), I would suggest using Amber. It is not strictly a crystal but rather fossilised tree sap from ancient trees. It is thus rooted in nature and helps you to focus on calming forest glades or the life-force that the trees draw up through themselves from Gaia 'Mother Earth'. It is uplifting, calming, light and joyful.

Many aspects of our daily lives and, I fear, some people will be lost to us over the next few months. All the signs seem to be that this is inevitable. Grief at so many aspects of loss is likely for many of us. Don't fear grief, embrace it as the natural process for your body and mind to heal your sadness. It is rarely easy. 

To help you, I strongly recommend Fire Opal (above right). It has really helped me to handle the loss of loved ones and my physical and mental health after I nearly died from a brain haemorrhage. It is one of those crystals where I felt the effect instantly.

Antinous is standing with us and sending soothing thoughts. No doubt Hadrian is doing all he can to fight for us. With them at my back I feel invincible. As you hold your crystals (or just as you are) take a deep breath, centre yourself inwards and imagine our God and his King riding behind you in love and support.

You are never alone in the love of Antinous.

Love and Light

MARTIN

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

Sunday, March 15, 2020

TRY GREEN JADE FOR CLARITY TONIGHT
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell



TO create/gain absolute clarity about the situation you are in, or striving for, use Jade (especially Green Jade) in meditations during tonight's Sagittarius Third Quarter Moon.

Jade helps you to channel passion into constructive approaches to situations with the people around you whether family, friends, colleagues or enemies.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Chinese people have held Green Jade as sacred for over a millennium.

Love and Light

MARTIN

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