ANTINOUS IN APAMEA

IN November we commemorate the arrival in the year 129 AD of Antinous with the entourage of Emperor Hadrian in Apamea.

One of the four great cities of Syria, Apamea was founded by Alexander the Great as a military encampment to guard his rear as he advanced into Persia and was fortified later to become one of the richest and most important trading cities in Syria, originally called Pella.

It was renamed Apamea by Seleucus I Nicator after his Bactrian wife and became one of the most beautiful Hellenistic cities which a great colonnaded avenue, temples, theater and baths.

The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 115 shortly after Hadrian became Emperor. He ordered the city rebuilt on a grander scale than before, and returned with Antinous and the Imperial entourage in the late autumn of 129 to inspect the restored city.

Apamea again came to prominence when it sided with the young Emperor Elegabalus against his enemies and was instrumental in his victory.  The city was ravaged by continual war in the Bizantine era and during the Crusades, and it was destroyed again by an earthquake in 1152 never to be rebuilt.

The titular deity of Apamea was the goddess Tyche also known as Fortuna to the Romans. 

She was portrayed wearing a turreted fortress crown, holding a cornucopia and standing on a wheel of fortune.

Fortuna was revered by the Apameans because they understood the cyclical vicissitudes of fate as their city was alternately blessed by tremendous wealth and prosperity only to succumb to total destruction repeatedly.

They revered their Goddess for the blessings she bestowed upon them which they learned to appreciate, and for the strength and fortitude they learned to endure during times of misfortune.  It was only when the Cult of Fortuna was no longer honored that the Amapeans were unable find the will to continue.

We seek to become Lovers of Fate, like the Apameans, to patiently endure hardship within the fortress of our hearts and be joyous and thankful for the blessings we receive.

THE GEMINI FULL MOON THE CATAMITUS MOON OF ANTINOUS

TONIGHT's Gemini Full Moon is the CATAMITUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic, the moon signaling where change will occur in your life during the coming year.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Catamitus Moon is the Winds of Change.

This is the Spirit who is carried away by the Divine, just as Ganymede (Catamitus to the Romans) was carried away by Zeus/Jupiter. This Spirit is plucked and uprooted and is carried off to other realms.

The ancients often compared the relationship of Hadrian and Antinous to that of Jupiter and Catamitus/Ganymede, the beautiful youth who so enraptured Jupiter that the king of the Gods swooped down from Olympus in the form of an eagle and carried Ganymede off to be at his side forever, serving as his cup bearer.

The Constellation of Antinous replaced that of Ganymede upon the divinization of Antinous. At this time of year the Sun is moving inexorably towards this constellation.

This lunar cycle represents is the Spirit which seeks out new horizons simply for sake of change. 

This Spirit revels in change for change's sake.

This Spirit knows that existence without change is stagnation and death.

Life is an ever-evolving cycle of waxing and waning, winning and losing, breathing in and breathing out, ceaseless change.

This is a powerfully magical moon for working gay magical spells in the Gemini areas of friendships, finances and getting in contact with prospective lovers.

CATAMITUS MOON CRYSTALS FOR CHANGE By Our Crystal Meditation Adviser Martin Campbell

THE Catamitus Moon (Gemini Full Moon) signals where change will be occurring … or needs to occur … in your life during the coming year.

If you feel stuck in a rut, crystal meditations during this lunar phase  help you to focus on bringing about change … in your living situation … your job and finances … and in your friendships.

I recommend these using these crystals: 

Chrysocolla: This beautiful green, blue and turquoise stone helps you to accept change with calmness. It also has an astonishing array of other physical and mental health improving qualities. It is one of my favourites and I have one permanently under my bed pillow!

Lapis Lazuli: These fabulous deep blue stones, flecked with gold, were highly prized by ancient European and middle eastern cultures but especially the Egyptians who incorporated them into stunning items such as Tutankhamun's death mask. They help to bond relationships - especially friendships - by helping you to express emotions. 

Citrine: These  yellow/gold crystals form in clusters, in caves, but are usually separated into single arrowhead-like 'points' to sell them. They are wonderful crystals for attracting wealth.  

Chinese Feng Shui practitioners suggest placing a Citrine in the 'wealth corner' of your home (the furthest back left point of your home) to bring wealth into your life. 

Meditation experts would suggest that you create a 'grid' of Citrines around you as you meditate. A grid is a set of crystals arranged in a regular pattern around you (circle, square, octagon etc.). 

Where the crystals have 'points' the points should be arranged so that they align with another point thus creating a matrix or grid pattern. Energy flows best along lines which is why this technique can be so powerful.

Emerald: Highly faceted emeralds can be expensive but 'rough' natural emeralds are much cheaper and more powerful. These beautiful green crystals are known as the crystal of 'successful love'.  

It also helps a group of people reach mutual understanding and cooperation so is also useful for the friendships element above. 

Love and Light twinkling from facets,

MARTIN

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

YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU THANKS TO THIS WINGED SNAKE GOD

WE all know that the Ancient Egyptians believed you can take it with you ... that death does not mean you have to part with everything that was important to you in life ... but few people today understand that there was a far more sophisticated spiritual interpretation.

Yes, of course, the simple folk believed that you literally took things with you to the afterlife ... mummified body, ushabti figures, food, clothing. There was a huge industry specializing in tomb furnishings,  mummification and supplying the dead with sustenance.

But the material goods in tombs were only symbolic of a far richer, and spiritually deeper understanding of "taking it with you" after death.

The curious-looking winged snake on the papyrus of the 19th Dynasty scribe Amenemwija in Berlin's Egyptian Museum hints at that far deeper spiritual meaning.

The deity is called "Nehebkau" (Harnesses KAs) ... and he is poised in front of the deceased ... taking in the every spiritual essence (KA) that the deceased wants to take with him in the afterlife.

November 29th was one of this deity's feast days.

The Egyptians believed you give up only those things you don't want to take with you ... you take anything and everything else which you deem worth saving for eternity.

Nehebkau represents an advanced spiritual element. In computer parlance, he "downloads" the spiritual essence or "KA" of everything you want to have with you ... and Nehebkau defrags and condenses everything for instant retrieval.

The "KA" is the spiritual essence of everything. Each human has a main KA plus many subsidiary ones. Everything has at least one KA ... every blade of grass, every object, every animal ... everything.

Nehebkau literally takes all the KAs of the person and all the KAs that the person wants to have with him/herself in the afterlife ... all friends, memories, pets, pleasant experiences, houses, furnishings ... the spiritual essence of EVERYTHING ... and then he "downloads" them by swallowing them into his slender serpentine body ... and condenses them like zip files and defrags them and compacts and configures them all into an infinitely small corner of his infinitely vast mind ....

It is important to point out that this does not mean that the dead person drains the life force from all friends and family and leaves them empty. It does not mean they all have to die to accompany the deceased.

Instead, it is exactly like "downloading" the essence of the persons or objects. The persons and objects themselves remain intact ... their spiritual essence is unaffected ... but Nehebkau has downloaded the spiritual essence to accompany the deceased.

Nothing is diminished. Nothing is lost. The KA is copied and saved and filed away.

And in the afterlife, the deceased retrieves any and all docs, jpegs, YouTube URLS and files ... eternally fresh and alive ... for all eternity.

We tend to buy the Judaeo-Christian idea of ashes-to-ashes, dust-to-dust which means that we must "let go" while our loved ones, memories and treasures all crumble away and end up on the conveyor belt of the garbage incinerator ... like the final scene from a "Toy Story" movie.

Or we opt for the Eastern idea that you become one with the universe and everything dissolves away into one-ness ... no self, no ego, no death, no suffering, no end to suffering, no end to death ... etc. ... like the final scene of a movie about Tibetan monks and a little boy from Seattle.

These scenarios would have been appalling to the Egyptians. You take whatever and whomever you want along with you into the afterlife ... no carry-on bags necessary ... everything is neatly defragged and compressed and configurated and stored away in the infinitely vast mind of Nehebkau.

Yes, all of your earthly friends, pets and possessions will crumble away ... but their spiritual essence has been downloaded as a back up for you to keep with you ... for all eternity ... thanks to Nehebkau.

ASTROLOGER PREDICTED OF ANTINOUS: "HE WILL BECOME THE FRIEND OF A KING"

AN astrologer casting the natal horoscope for newborn Antinous, on 27 November 111 AD, would have told his proud parents the following:

"He will be handsome, attractive and have an uncommonly well proportioned body and amiable disposition."

As the baby's mother smiled and nodded (image here by Priest Uendi), the astrologer would be encouraged to go on: 

"And because Jupiter was well aspected to Venus as his mother gave birth to him, little Antinous will one day become the friend of a king ... favored for his great beauty ... and in general will be favored with fortune over all his peers."

All of those things are listed in the standard textbook used by astrologers in the 2nd Century AD ... the "Mathesis" by Julius Firmicus Maternus.

The astrologer would be reading word-for-word from the textbook for a child born whose Rising Sign was 19 degrees Aquarius.

But the textbook has more to say ... and the astrologer might have been forgiven for conveniently "forgetting" to mention the next sentence couple of sentences:

"He will be one of the exoleti (sexual inverts), a sodomite who engages in irrumation," the textbook says. "And though generally fortunate, he will die in the first blush of young manhood."

Modern-day astrologers no longer use the Ancient Roman "Mathesis" textbook ... not as a rule ... although it is right on the mark in this case. 

But just like the ancient soothsayer, a modern a modern astrologer sees a bright and vivacious young man who stands out from all the others when he walks into a room. 

His sunny disposition is enhanced by the fact that the sun was high overhead in optimistic Sagittarius ... in conjunction with his Mid-Heaven.

His Aquarius Ascendant gives him a slight aloofness and appearance of being above it all. Yet Aquarius Rising also enables him to charm large crowds and impress others with his interest in a broad array of subjects. He can talk about almost anything with a degree of authority and interest.

Jupiter is at right angles to Venus, creating an exuberant personality ... a person who love to party ... loves excess ... someone who is generous to a fault, handing out money and favors as if there is no tomorrow.

Venus is in the House of Death, suggesting a willingness to die for love ... though, again, this is not something an astrologer would necessarily tell parents of a newborn.

Saturn is stranded in the First House, which speaks of a dour longterm future. But it is well aspected to Mercury, which is in Scorpio in the Ninth House, the House of Religion.

People with Scorpio Mercury do not hesitate to tell the unvarnished truth. They ferret out secrets and love to cast light on hidden truth. 

Hadrian must have loved Antinous in large part because Antinous invariably told him the truth, unlike all the other sycophantic and toadying courtiers.

The Moon was aligned with Mars in Aries the day Antinous was born. It must have been a stunning sight to go outside that evening and see the waxing First Quarter Aries Moon with a bright red star next to it ... Mars in conjunction.

People with Moon/Mars conjunction in Aries are such hot and fiery personalities that they can literally feel warm. They sleep without covers in the coldest weather. 

They throw of unnecessary clothing. They are hot and passionate. They are quick to blow off steam, but also quick to forgive and forget.

People with Moon/Mars aligned in Aries are also liable to take unnecessary risks. They live fast ... they burn the candle at both ends ... they do not fear death.

Those are the major aspects that an ancient astrologer would have seen in this natal chart.

But there would be aspects of this natal chart which would have been "invisible" to a 2nd Century astrologer ... but which leap out from the computer screen at a 21st Century astrologer. Look at the chart on this page and you notice multiple triangles overlaid on top of each other.

A total of Seven Grand Trines form the backbone of this extraordinary birth chart ... but they involve the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto ... which were not discovered until the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

These slow-moving outer planets rarely form aspects with one another ... centuries pass before they form aspects. 

Uranus and Neptune were in alignment when Antinous was born ... Uranus and Neptune were in alignment in the 1820s when the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone helped to spawn "Antinomania" and revive interest in Antinous.

And Uranus and Neptune were aligned again in the late 1980s and '90s ... when the Modern Religion of Antinous was awakened.

A modern astrologer looks at those Seven Grand Trines ... involving Moon/Mars, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune ... and instantly sees that this person was born at an extraordinary moment in time ... when the planets were signaling a dramatic and sudden turning point.

This baby boy would become the last Classical deity. It is in his birth chart.

One final note: Hadrian was obsessed with horoscopes and would have studied the birth chart of Antinous in detail. After Antinous died, Hadrian discovered a star in the Constellation of Ganymede equivalent to the last decade of Capricorn.

Hadrian called it the Star of Antinous and he renamed the star group the Constellation of Antinous. The new star was located where Jupiter had been on the day when Antinous was born. The Star was forever linked with his natal Jupiter.

In FIXED STAR ASTROLOGY the natal conjunction of Jupiter and the Star of Antinous represents: "Great good fortune in wealth, fame, success ... but with constant threat of loss. Spiritual and religious authority and influence."

In Ancient Rome, Jupiter symbolized the Emperor ... so that Antinous was forever linked with Hadrian ... shining together ... for all eternity.

GLOBAL ANTINOUS BIRTHDAY CEREMONIES

 

"THE most salient feature about Antinous, and the thing that makes our religion different from others, is that Antinous was a mortal human being who actually lived," said Antonius Subia in a global Zoom link-up this weekend celebrating the birthday of Antinous.

Speaking from the Hollywood Temple of Antinous to celebrants taking part from across the United States, Europe and as far away as New Zealand, he noted that we know his birth date ... 27 November ... and we know what he looked like from countless statues.

"He was a human being just like you or me," Flamen Antonius said. "He was not some ray of light of divine perfection. He was a person with faults and failings just like any of us. And yet he became the last deity of the Classical era ... we know he lived ... and we know he became a god."

JEAN-BAPTISTE de LULLY SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON November 28th the Religion of Antinous honors Saint Jean-Baptiste de Lully, who was born on this day in 1632 in Florence, Italy. 

Parlaying his looks, his dancing and his musical genius into an erotic/artistic career, he rose from being a scullery knave to becoming director of music in the Court of French King Louis XIV. 

By the time he died on March 22, 1687, he had created a new art form and had changed the course of the performing arts forever.

Lully's story has some parallels to the story of Hadrian and Antinous. The parallels are not exact. It is more as though Lully and Louis XIV were a "parallel universe" story of Antinous and Hadrian with bizarre twists thrown in to the plot of the story.

Lully was totally dependent upon the Sun King and was totally devoted to him. When the king expressed a whim to learn to dance, Lully became his dance instructor, creating a whole new art form involving dance and song.

Quite aside from his infamous carousing with boys, Lully was desperately in love with Louis XIV. It was an impossible love, of course. It could never be consummated.

The king viewed Lully as his artistic mentor, but nothing more. Lully viewed the king as the love of his life, and his art was merely an expression of that love.

Unwittingly, Lully planted the seeds for his own doom. Others took his idea and developed it further: And Opera was born.

The king became infatuated with Opera and totally lost interest in Lully's Baroque stage productions. He forgot all about Lully.

For Lully, that was tantamount to death, and he soon died as the result of a tragic "accident" -- he plunged a sharp baton-sceptre through his foot in a rage of despair after the king failed to appear at the debut of his latest masterpiece.

The wound became gangrenous, but when physicians advised that the foot must be amputated, St. Jean-Baptiste refused, saying that if he could never dance again, then he would prefer to be dead.

Yes, his life was like some nightmare, parallel-universe version of the Hadrian and Antinous story, set against the backdrop of men in silk brocade costumes and in four-inch heels and wearing ornate wigs. It is a story of a man's unconditional love and self-sacrifice for his Sun King.

St. Jean-Baptiste de Lully had a deep fondness for the Roman Gods, and he portrayed them with the gay flourish of the the court of the Sun King. It remains a style all its own, completely out of fashion...even among classical music weirdos.

We adore St. Lully's music...we adore the grace and profound emotions that pour from his chords. We love the beauty of his style of dance.

No doubt when Monsieur St. de Lully arrived at the Divine court of Hadrian the God, he immediately set about rearranging the Imperial Orchestra, replacing the Ney Flutes with Bassoons and Oboes, dismissing the Cythara in favor of Violas de Gamba.

Perhaps the old Greek musicians might have taken insult at being swept aside, but with a wave of his hand...Antinous calmed them.

So it was that the celestial Imperial Orchestra performed the new opera Of Saint Jean-Baptiste de Lully. The Imperial Court was astonished to hear the new sound. Even the Greeks were amazed (and the Greeks had heard everything). And With a wreathed nod of his illuminated head, Hadrian enthroned commanded his beloved Antinous to dance.

ANTINOUS WAS BORN ON THIS DAY 1,909 YEARS AGO

ANTINOUS was born on this day, November 27th in the year 111 AD — 1,909 years ago!

Festive celebrations are being held by worshipers all over the world, with special rites being conducted at the HOLLYWOOD TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS.

Antinous was born in the Bithynian city of Claudiopolis, modern-day Bolu in Turkey.

It was a major city in those days with a Hellenistic/Roman heritage dating back centuries. It was nestled among snow-capped peaks and woodlands full of wild beasts and full of mythical magic.

The portrait of the newborn baby Antinous and his mother against the backdrop of a Bithynian conifer forest is by PRIEST JULIEN, a New York artist who now lives in Hollywood.

Modern Claudiopolis/Bolu is a sleepy health resort. Not too many foreign tourists go there, but the area is a popular with Turkish vacationers because of its pine-covered mountains and its sparkling lakes and spa waters.

The altitude makes it refreshingly cooler than lower-lying regions, so Turks go there to get away from the heat and noise of places like Istanbul and Ankara.

Wikipedia says: "Local specialities include a sweet made of hazelnuts (which grow in abundance here) and an eau-de-cologne with the scent of grass. One feature of Bolu dear to the local people is the soft spring water obtained from fountains in the town."
 
Hazelnut candy? Grass-scented cologne? Amazingly soft spring water? Somehow that one little paragraph makes it sound like a place where Antinous would have to have been born.

The area where Antinous was born is a beautiful place, nestled high in piney forests and yet only a short distance from the sparkling Black Sea coast about halfway between Istanbul and Ankara.

The region is teeming with bountiful wildlife and so Hadrian and Antinous went on hunting forays while in Bithynium. As a boy, Antinous must have played in these forests and bathed in these sparkling lakes.

He would have remembered these boyhood days during his travels with Hadrian to the far corners of the Empire. We often forget that Antinous had a family who must have loved him and missed him. They were no doubt proud of him, but they missed him.

And he missed them as he also missed his lovely Bithynia with its mountains and lakes and deep forests which, in winter, are covered in deep snow.

The first snows may have already fallen "back home" at the end of October in 130 AD when Antinous stood on the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt. Perhaps he had received a letter from home with the latest family gossip and news of the first snowfall. He would have remembered the scent of pine forests and fresh-fallen snow.

As he looked into the green waters of the Nile in far-away Egypt at the end of his brief life, perhaps he thought of "home" and lakes and dark forests and pine cones and the scent of hazelnuts being roasted and mixed with rose water and honey to make candy.

November 27th is an introspective moment ... an evaluation of things past ... and things to come. And above all, it is birthday party time. Let the Festive Season Begin with an Antinous Birthday Party!

ASTRO FORECAST: NOVEMBER 26th—DECEMBER 6th, 2020

Antinous Astrology Forecast

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NOV. 26th to DEC. 6th, 2020

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26th, 2020

This Thanksgiving holiday, your intuition is on high alert and serendipity smiles on you when Mercury engages in positive configurations with Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. A Mercury trine Neptune aspect enhances your ability to lift the veil between the worlds and to perceive spirits in other realms. You can also receive messages from the beyond and communicate more effectively with your higher self and with spirit guides during this profoundly spiritual configurations. Meanwhile, Mercury sextile Pluto (which is aligned in conjunction with the Star of Antinous) facilitates negotiations with authority figures. At last, you can expect answers to some questions which have been plaguing you for the longest time. It may take a little digging, but Mercury sextile Pluto means that the answer will be found. And finally, don't believe much of anything you hear when Mercury forms a chatty sextile aspect with Jupiter. Mercury loves to tell tales and Jupiter loves to exaggerate.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27th, 2020

This weekend, Venus opposition Uranus encourages you to go out and party. You may turn down the wrong street and enter the wrong door of the wrong club ... but then you find Mr. Right waiting for you. That is because the most unusual twists of luck can occur when Venus is in opposition to surprised-filled Uranus. And don't be afraid to buy a lottery ticket.

SAT-SUNDAY, NOV. 28th-29th, 2020

This weekend, Neptune turns direct. The planet Neptune, long considered the planet of make believe, rules our dreams, fantasies and illusions. Retrograde since June 22nd, Neptune finally turns direct on November 28th. When Neptune turns retrograde, logic falls to the wayside in favor of esoteric interests and intuition. People begin to pay more attention to their dreams and explore more creative outlets.

Now that Neptune turns direct, dreams that have been bubbling below the surface may begin to rise to consciousness. You may also feel an increase of compassion, rebirth of idealism and an increased spiritual awareness. Make a plan to re-connect with your goals and ideals, and cultivating a big-picture approach!

Did you know that it takes 165 years for Neptune to circle the Sun one time, long enough for this planet to spend 14 years in each sign of the zodiac? Stationary for two weeks or so at a time, Neptune goes into retrograde five months out of every year.

If Neptune is retrograde in your chart, you may be deeply involved in escapism, or living in a dream world. No one really knows what goes on behind your eyes and, though you may be sitting at a desk in an office, you're probably dancing ballet or hunting wolverines in your mind. The position of this planet can make some people more inhibited and unable to realize their dreams. Alternatively, some can be plunged into a dream world from which they can't resurface. This could even include drug or alcohol abuse, constant escapism, running away or absolutely shutting out reality.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30th, 2020

On Monday, we come to the Gemini Full Moon, which is the CATAMITUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic, the moon signaling where change will occur in your life during the coming year. This is a powerfully magical moon for working gay magical spells in the Gemini areas of friendships, finances and getting in contact with prospective lovers.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1st, 2020

On Tuesday, Mercury leaves dour Scorpio and wings its way into high-spirited Sagittarius, where it will stay until 21st December 2020. No matter what your Sun sign is, this abrupt change will lighten your spirits. It is like tossing and turning all night and then seeing the pink glow of dawn on the eastern horizon. Everything will be better. Now, this does not mean that Scorpio Mercury is bad. On the contrary, Scorpio Mercury urges you to probe into deep thoughts and dig out the truth, even if it is unpleasant. That is very important. But Sagittarius Mercury urges you to look on the bright side, to find joy in your life and pursue the light at the end of the tunnel. The only disadvantage to Sadge Mercury is a certain tendency to be so busy talking about the light at the end of the tunnel that you miss the freeway exit to the tunnel — but Sagittarius Mercury is always optimistic and will find an innovative way to reach the destination.

WEDS-FRIDAY, DEC. 2nd-4th, 2020

This week, Saturn and Jupiter align in near 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-Saturn-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.

SAT-SUNDAY, DEC. 5th-6th, 2020

This weekend, Venus trine Neptune means you see the world through rose-colored glasses. This is a good day for smooth-talking gigolos who pay fanciful compliments to you — and you find yourself actually believing them ... And why not? Is that such a bad thing? Why not enjoy the fantasy as long as it lasts ... and as long as you know it's a fantasy?

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between December 7th and 13th when we come to the Virgo Third Quarter Moon, which brings down powerful healing energies. In Antinous Moon Magic we call this the AESCULAPIUS MOON in honor of the Classical god of the physician's art. Meditation and rituals carried out tonight are ideal for bringing down healing energies for yourself and those you love during the coming year ... More details next time ....

WE ARE STRONG TOGETHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF ANTINOUS By Our Flamen Antonius Subia

TO To the People of Antinous,

My fellow Antinoans, I know that many of you are feeling isolated and afraid, and many are suffering and out of work with little assurance that life will ever return to normal.

Many of you have friends and family members who have fallen sick and perhaps have died, and my heart goes out to you in love and sympathy. 

Many of our Antinous people are considered to be vulnerable and the potential danger is very real and present at every moment for them. 

We have not yet made it through to the end and yet so many people around us are easing off and going about life as if everything is returning to normal, I ask you in the name of Antinous to hold on as best you can for as long as you can and resist the urge to consider that the virus has passed us over and that we are now safe.

Antinous is a god of healing and an image of health and immortality ... but he is also a god of wisdom, prudence and truth.

For your own sake and for the sake of those around you, as a responsible member of human civilization, I ask that you continue in quarantine and practice strict social distancing for as long as we must until we are told that it is safe to come outside.

This is a time for introspection and realignment, to examine our lives so far and address the changes that we have for so long wanted to manifest in who we are and how we want to live the rest of our lives, and also what we want the world to be like when at last we are able to return to the sun.

We can do this together, we must stay strong together as a brother and sisterhood of Antinous believers and create a new world for ourselves in the image that we want it to be, and not let others create the world image for us.

We can do this if we stay together and trust in Antinous and the Clockwork of the Cosmos.

For myself having only just returned from Egypt and witnessing the sunrise event at Abu Simbel, and so many sunrises and their corresponding sunsets and seeing the Clockwork of the Cosmos right before my eyes and touching the sacred sand of Antinoopolis and bringing back relics of our fallen city and Nile water and so many sacred things and then suddenly being confined to solitude as the world around us fell apart and so many people died, who did not have to die ... it has made the event even that much more significant and glaringly clear that the Clockwork of the Cosmos mystery is all too true.

But above it all is the ever-present hope of the Star of Antinous, that all this pain and suffering and misery has been for a purpose that we will understand in due time.

We must hold on to one another, reach out to one another and be there for our brothers and sisters in their time of need. 

This is what the Religion of Antinous has come back from obscurity for, to bring us all together, and this is the time in which we can and must bring his cause into reality.

I was inspired to write these words by listening to an old song by Patrick Wolf (video below), who always seem to have the power to speak to my heart in time of need.

May Antinous bless us and guide us to his light.

~Antonius N. Subia
Flamen Antinoalis

THIS IS THE DAY THE ORION NEBULA WAS DISCOVERED AND NAMED

ON 25 November 1610 French astronomer Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (Peiresc) discovered the Orion Nebula and coined the term "nebula". 

The Ancient Egyptians equated Orion with Osiris ... the rise of the Orion Constellation and dog star Sirius coincided with the Nile Inundation ... symbolized by Osiris rising from the dead.

Like Osiris, Antinous died in the Nile and rose to divinity. The first miracle of Antinous was the bountiful Nile Inundation in 131 AD which ended a long drought ... bringing life from death.

FREDDIE MERCURY SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON November 24th the Religion of Antinous celebrates the outrageous life of St. Freddie Mercury.

St. Freddie Mercury whose death from AIDS on this date in 1991 shocked the world, was a courageous performer whose gayness, while not always stated, was a visible part of his persona. He served as an inspiration for millions of gay men, particularly those who, like him, fight ethnic prejudice every day of their lives.

St. Freddie, who was of Indian Parsi descent, and who was born on the island of Zanzibar and grew up in India, has been referred to as "Britain's first Asian rock star."

Like all great showbiz artists, St. Freddie was acutely aware of his public image and went to great lengths to cultivate the persona of Freddie Mercury -- and to hide any trace of the little Parsi boy named Farrokh Bulsara. Freddie Mercury -- or rather the showbiz image called Freddie Mercury -- was beyond all definitions of ethnic origin, or sexual orientation or political affiliation. Not surprisingly, many people were confused and sometimes irritated by the image.

People criticized him for "hiding" his ethnic background. But as a friend told an interviewer after Freddie's death, "[Farrokh] Bulsara was a name he had buried. 

He never wanted to talk about any period in his life before he became Freddie Mercury, and everything about Freddie Mercury was a self-constructed thing."

People also criticized him for not "coming out" publicly. But again, Freddie Mercury (the showbiz image) was beyond gender limitations. 

In fact, Mercury referred to himself as "gay" in a 1974 interview with NME magazine. He was frequently spotted at the cruisiest gay bars across Europe, the UK and America. On the other hand, he would often distance himself from partner Jim Hutton during public events in the 1980s.

Freddie Mercury (the rock icon) was too big to be contained in one gender mold.

He was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. Everyone knew he was sick and everyone surmised the reason. But Freddie Mercury (the image) could never die.

And so it was, that Freddie Mercury never acknowledged his illness until November 23, 1991, when a tersely worded statement was issued announcing that he had AIDS.

A few hours later, he was dead. At the age of 45.

Although he cultivated a very flamboyant stage personality, several sources (including people of my own acquaintance who knew him "intimately") refer to Mercury as having been very shy in person. He also granted very few interviews. Mercury once said of himself: "When I'm performing I'm an extrovert, yet inside I'm a completely different man."

One man was an Indian Parsi kid called Farrokh Bulsara who had been born in Zanzibar.

The other man was FREDDIE MERCURY:

Farrokh Bulsara died on November 24, 1991.

Freddie Mercury will live forever.

The Religion of Antinous honors Freddie Mercury as a Saint of Antinous because he embodies the artistic genius and the flamboyant courage that inspires each of us to strive to be a "star". St. Freddie Mercury admonishes us to strip off the guise of conventionality and the put on our "star" outfits and to take the stage of life. He teaches us to live each day as if it is forever.

YOU DON'T NEED A TEMPLE OF STONE TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF ANTINOUS

THE birthday of Antinous is November 27 and worshipers all over the world are planning celebrations.

But some people are unable to celebrate as expansively and as joyously as they would like. 

We received the following succinct smart phone message yesterday from a very dear adherent of Antinous in the American Bible Belt who said:

"I am a bit envious that you get to celebrate his birthday openly. I've got two straight housemates. Oh well ... maybe some day ...."

And like many people, he also has to work on that day ... and others have to work perhaps at two jobs to make ends meet. And then there are the people who just don't have the money or the facilities for a formal celebration.

There is a common misconception that you need to have a large and elaborate ALTAR OR SHRINE in your home. But the truest shrine is in your heart. You can download a photo of Antinous and put it in your wallet ... and it truly becomes Antinous the Gay God if you see HIM in it.

A shrine or sacred image of Antinous can be very SMALL AND MODEST.

The Ancient Priests of Antinous were experts in such things ... though 1,800 years of Christianity has resulted in that knowledge having become lost for the vast majority of people in Western civilization.

For the Ancient Priests of Antinous, what existed on the physical level drew to itself the specific spiritual energies of which the physical form was a type.

For the Magical Consciousness, every ritual action done on the physical level, every form created, every word spoken or written, acted as the magnet to which its spiritual counterpart irresistably was pulled.

Thus, a consecrated image of Antinous is not an "idol" and his worshippers are not "idolators."

Why not?

Because an idol is a physical object and nothing more than a physical object. The statues of Antinous were not "idols" because the Ancient Priests of Antinous could  never have conceived of such a notion. It is important that we remember that the Ancient Priests of Antinous conceived of a world which was ... unlike our own ... an ANIMATED world from the beginning. Everything in their physical world was alive with spiritual dimensions.

They didn't PROJECT a spiritual entity into a hunk of carved marble. Instead, they APPREHENDED the spiritual entity that was already inside the stone.

Anybody who has been around our own FLAMEN ANTONIUS SUBIA has seem him use his Inner Eye to do the same thing. He will look at a statue of a "Greek Ephebe" and will look inward for a moment and then will say, "It's Antinous!"

Some have criticized him for doing this, saying he can't possibly know the provenance of the statue and whether it was perhaps actually supposed to be Hermes or someone else. Antonyus uses his Inner Eye and "sees" the spiritual Blessed Boy in the stone ... or says it is not Antinous, as the case may be.

The Ancient Priests of Antinous did the same thing in carrying out religio-magical services for the faithful. Not only could a physical image (whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional) provide a "body" for an already existent spiritual entity, but images could also become the spiritual base for "thought forms" that were called into existence through their being represented in miniature on the physical plane.

The Ancient Priests of Antinous were deeply aware of the interdependence between the Divine World and the Human World. In the times in which they lived, these two spheres were not experienced as separate from each other in the way that they have come to be experienced today.

"As Above, So Below" was not just a catch-phrase for them, but instead it was a way of life.

It is our goal in this distant, soulless, post-modern age, to rediscover this ability to live in relationship to, and act as a conduit for, Antinous the Gay God.

We cannot recreate the ancient religion of Antinous. It is dead and we human beings have developed in other directions. We are not attempting to "reconstruct" the Religion of Antinous. Our goal is to fashion a Religion of Antinous which meets the spiritual needs of post-modern, post-Christian and post-pagan gay men.

But we can learn from the Ancient Priests of Antinous. The cosmos of which they were aware was primarily spiritual and only secondarily material. In their physical world, everything was spiritually alive ... even soft-toys, coins and bronze (or maybe brass) statuettes bought on eBay ... even a downloaded photo in a hip wallet.

The main task of the Ancient Priests of Antinous was to build a magical bridge between physical and spiritual reality, momentarily bringing them into conjunction.

So the answer to the question "Is that image really Antinous?" would be answered this way by an Ancient Priest of Antinous: "It is so if you MAKE it so. Open your eyes to the 'Antinous Within'. Apprehend HIS presence which is already inside the earthly reproduction. Through you, then, it IS Antinous!"

HOMOTHEOSIS ... Gay-Man-Godliness-Becoming-the-Same.

You don't need to build a temple of steel, stone and glass. You ARE the temple.

WE PRAY TO ANTINOUS/DIANA TO GUIDE US IN OUR HUNT BY MOONBEAMS

TONIGHT, November 22,  is one of the festivals of Diana goddess of the Moon and hunting. 

She is goddess of wild places and wild animals and the protector of young women, pregnant women and those giving birth. 

Diana is the twin sister of Apollo. 

As Antinous is often assimilated to Apollo, he therefore substitutes as the twin of Diana, though he can often be viewed as her male double, so that Antinous is Diana. 

Antinous and Diana are both hunters, and moon deities, and they are also gods of magic and darkness. 

Diana is often compared to Hecate, the supreme goddess of Theurgian magicians, who rose to prominence during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. 

Antinous therefore is the male equivalent of Hecate.

ANTONIUS SUBIA says: "We pray to Diana to guide us in our hunt and to illuminate our nights with the silver light of her sublime power. We recognize that the Moon of Diana is the Moon of Antinous."

DIAMONDS FOR THE CONSORTIUM MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Adviser Martin Campbell

FOR tonight's Pisces First Quarter CONSORTIUM MOON, which shines its moonbeams on interpersonal relationships, I would suggest:

1. Diamonds - obviously I hear you cry! "Diamonds Are Forever" as Shirley Bassey sings (above).

But actually they create fearlessness, fortitude and the insight to see where problems lie so you can fix them - perfect for a lasting relationship with someone!

They are the perfect cleansers of your aura. Your aura is that energy which emanates from yourself, reflecting your current condition/mood. Some people can sense them - some can see them in waves of colour around you (I can do this if I really concentrate and blur my vision). If you are feeling negative, angry or stressed your aura will show or feel this. Diamonds can help you clear this. Again, perfect for a lasting relationship!

They are huge suppliers of energy (which one may need on a marriage night!). They also increase your metabolic rate and counteract poisons (which may be needed if your husband finds out you've been unfaithful!).

2. Sardonyx - These beautiful stones were much loved by the Romans for carving stunning cameos and other jewels - particularly those representing relationships.

The Roman sardonyx cameo (known as the Grand Camée de France) is a perfect example.

Sardonyx stones are perfect for this moon phase because they bring lasting happiness and stability to relationships.

They resensitize the sensory organs - which could also come in handy for the adventurous on that honeymoon!!!

They regulate fluids in the body and aid cell reproduction in blood.

Light and sparkling crystals,

MARTIN

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

THE ANTINOUS CONSORTIUM MOON THE PISCES FIRST QUARTER MOON

TONIGHT's Pisces First Quarter Moon in Antinous Moon Magic is the CONSORTIUM MOON of social interaction, reconciliation and marital union.

Because it always occurs in December or January, the Consortium Moon represents the cyclical nature of the year, the ending of one year and the beginning of a new year. 

The end of one cycle automatically marks the beginning of a new cycle.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Consortium Moon is the Spirit of Togetherness.

This Spirit revels in closed circles, rings and ties that bind. It is the Spirit of every collaboration, group, association, alliance, team, fellowship, marriage, club or confederation.

It is the tangible feeling of togetherness and belonging people share when working towards a common goal.

Tonight is a beneficent night for meditation or rituals concerning relationships and all things that are bound by a circle. In health matters, it refers to blood and the circulatory system. This is the Lunar phase of the Circle of Life, the inter-connectedness of all things.

The key words are: Partnership. Alliance. Union. Marriage. Commitment. Circle. Ring. Group. Binding Agreement. Obligation to Others. It represents every sort of societal bond or binding alliance as symbolized by a wedding ring or the iron ring of Roman  citizenship. 

YOUR ONLINE ANTINOUS SHOP

LOOKING for that perfect holiday season gift? One-stop shopping is just one click away at the online TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS SHOP

This shop features official Antinous articles selected and designed by FLAMEN ANTONIUS SUBIA personally.

If you admire the artwork of Antonyus, then order your own posters of his hand-picked favorite paintings and photographs.

A wide range of T-shirts is available, including classic "T", fitted "T", ringer "T", sleeveless, long-sleeve and baseball jersey — in up to nine colors, depending on the style and design you prefer.

The handy Antinous Tote Bag is a must-have as is a wide array of Antinous lapel buttons and refrigerator magnets in various sizes and designs.

Naturally, there are coffee mugs — and even an official Antinous beer stein appropriately adorned with the well-known Subian portrait of Antinous/Dionysus.

One of our favorites is the Antinous Keepsake Box, available in red-mahogany or black, with a tile cover portrait of the Louvre's breath-taking Ecouen Antinous. This roomy box is perfect for any home shrine or altar and is the perfect jewelry box.

And of course the ever-popular Antinous bumper sticker (at the top of this entry) provides the Beauteous Boy's blessings on any vehicle.

All items are ordered with safety and guaranteed efficiency through cafepress, which has a sound reputation for speedy delivery around the world, with secure payment in all major currencies.

ICONIC GAY PORN STAR JOEY STEFANO IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS

WE honour iconic gay porn actor Joey Stefano as a saint of Antinous. 

Nicholas Anthony Iacona Junior was born January 1, 1968, in suburban Philadelphia USA and died November 21, 1994, of a drug overdose. 

Over the course of his five-year career, Stefano appeared in 58 gay adult films, and two music videos with Madonna. 

Despite his success, Stefano did not save his earnings and relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse. 

In 1990, he was diagnosed HIV positive. 

On November 21, 1994, Stefano's body was found in a motel room in Hollywood. He was 26 years old.

He symbolizes gay men who skyrocket to celebrity but who fall into disillusionment and ruin just as quickly.

QUENTIN CRISP SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON November 21st the Religion of Antinous honors Saint Quentin Crisp, who died on this day in 1999. He was born on Christmas Day in 1908. 

He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, his true-life account of his defiant exhibitionism and longstanding refusal to conceal his homosexuality.

John Hurt helped to make Quentin Crisp a media star in the movie adaptation of The Naked Civil Servant in the 1970s. In a sequel 30 years later Hurt made him a screen legend, very much in keeping with the lifelong ambition of Quentin Crisp.

In the second film, An Englishman In New York, Hurt portrayed the elderly Quentin Crisp as the New York gay icon based in Manhattan's funky-gritty Lower East Side in the 1980s and '90s.

At an age when most people would retire to a nursing home, Quentin Crisp left his native England and moved to New York City, where he pursued a career as a bon vivant and raconteur.

Asked by a BBC interview if he intended to die in New York, Saint Quentin emphatically said: "Oh no, I didn't come to New York to die. I came to New York to LIVE."

Arriving in New York in his 70s, he lived in his accustomed artistic squalor in a Lower East Side walk-up with a view through a grimy window pane of the next door neighbor's grimy bedroom window.

Every bit the considerate Englishman, he turned off his bare-bulb light at 11 p.m. and sat in the dark, lest the neighbor complain the glare from the 60-watt bulb (through two filthy window panes) kept him awake.

Saint Quentin experienced a meteoric rise after his cunning agent launched him into a career as a raconteur in an off-Broadway one-man show and he became a movie reviewer for a Christopher Street magazine.

But he experienced a meteoric fall from grace when, during one of his frequent TV talk-show appearances, he flippantly remarked that AIDS was "just a fad" which would soon be out of fashion, and the gay community viciously turned on him. Quentin, who had never apologized for anything in his life (and was not about to start apologizing), was perplexed when he was dropped by his agent and editor until his eyes were opened when he got to know young artist Patrick Angus, who later died of AIDS.

But in a Hollywood happy ending, Quentin was rescued by performance artist Penny Arcade, who put him back on stage, and Christopher Street re-hired him, paving the way for a glorious comeback and reconciliation with the gay community when he was in his 90s.

It is fitting that most people know Saint Quentin only through these two films. As might be expected, the best recommendation for the films comes from Quentin Crisp himself, who once famously said: "Any film, even the worst, is better than real life."