Friday, April 30, 2021

YOU'VE HEARD OF BELTANE AND MAY EVE
BUT WALPURGIS IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR



YOU all know about Beltane and May Eve, but few people today still remember Walpurgis Night ... which is still celebrated on a mountain top in central Germany. 

Up to 150,000 witches, pagans and the simply curious are converging for May Eve revelries on the summit of the highest peak in the Harz Mountains in central Germany Thursday night for the four-day May Day holiday weekend.

Children in spooky costumes will participate in parades and street fairs in villages on the slopes of the Brocken, the mountain immortalised in Alexander Borodin's "Night on Bald Mountain" orchestral suite.

Bonfires will light the nighttime skies on mountain tops in the Harz region as local communities held their own May Day Eve festivals marking the end of winter and the coming of summer.

In the town of Schierke, a four-hour Walpurgis Night open-air play is being held, tracing the history of the persecution of witches, with players performing writhing modern dances to Medieval music.


The day of the Saint Walburga is celebrated on May 1. 

But the night before, April 30 or May Day Eve (Beltane Eve), is called Walpurgis Night, formerly the date of the pagan festival marking the end of winter. 

Of course, its autumnal counterpart, six months later on October 31, is Halloween, Samhain.

Walpurgis Night is celebrated from the Mediterranean up to Scandinavia, but no where as much as in the forested mountains of central Germany where so many Brothers Grimm fairy tales are set.

According to Germanic legend, this festival has been associated with a witches' carnival, and on this night it was believed that witches met with the devil for one final night of revelry before being consigned to the underworld until they emerge again exactly six months later on October 31 ... Halloween.

The Harz Mountains region is the location of many German fairy tales featuring witches and goblins and the Brocken is the highest Harz peak at 1,142 metres.

For 40 years, the region was split down the middle by the fortified border between East and West Germany.

But in the years since unification in 1990, the region has regained its title as one of the most romantic fairy-tale areas ... and spookiest.


The mountain also features in the drama "Faust" about an alchemist nobleman who sells his soul to the devil … on Walpurgis Night.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

ASTRO FORECAST: APRIL 29th—MAY 9th, 2021

Antinous is a Moon God. He is, of course, many other things and he wears many hats. But one of the ways he was worshiped in Antiquity was as ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD.

His worshipers looked skyward and saw His beautiful face perpetually turned towards the Earth. The Man in the Moon was actually the Blessed Boy in the Moon for the ancient priests and worshipers of Antinous. Swiftest and most youthful of all the Zodiacal deities, Antinous speeds through an entire year's worth of Astrological signs in just 28 days.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious gay selves. Where Hadrian the Sun acts, Antinous the Moon REACTS. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD for answers.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is both our inner boy child and our inner lover. His ever changing phases, as he sweeps past all the other Planets in all the Signs, make us at turns responsive, receptive, and reflective. Eternally youthful, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our childlike spontaneous and instinctual reactions.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD beams down on us to make us imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. On the negative side, and depending on where he is in the Zodiac, he can make us moody, restless, and irrational.

Antinous Astrology Forecast


APRIL 29th-MAY 9th, 2021


THURS-FRIDAY, APRIL 29th-30th, 2021

This week, get ready for a big surprise! Once a year the Sun aligns with impetuous Uranus ... and that configuration dominates the coming week. This year the Sun aligns in conjunction with Uranus in stubborn Taurus. Taurus is an Earth Sign, which means we can expect explosively dramatic events involving climate, geology or global political and economic infrastructure. This Sun-conjunction-Uranus configuration means you can expect long-simmering crises on the home front or in global affairs to erupt with appalling ferocity. On the positive side, stubborn problems can blow apart and be resolved almost instantly. On the negative side, however, you can expect dangerous political explosions ... perhaps even literal bombs and explosions.

SATURDAY, MAY 1st, 2021

This weekend Mercury is in a positively profound trine with Pluto and the Star of Antinous that enables you to get down and dirty and show what is really inside of you ... deep ... down ... inside. This is a good time to grow beyond yourself ... shed your old shy image the way a snake sheds its skin ... and present your shining inner self to the world.

SUNDAY, MAY 2nd, 2021

This weekend is a great time to take in an art exhibit ... or create art yourself ... Taurus Venus is in a creative sextile with Pisces Neptune. Trust your intuition on all matters of money and love. And when you go out this week, you can expect romance because Pisces Neptune loves romance.

MON-WEDNESDAY, MAY 3rd-5th, 2021

This week, batten down the hatches because storms and earthquakes (literal and political) are in store when the Sun forms a 90-degree right angle with Saturn — a configuration which happens twice a year and which invariably spawns strife, conflict, warfare and even bad weather. The good news is that this configuration lasts only about 48 hours. Saturn is the cosmic teacher, focusing the rays of the intuitive Libra Sun on problems in your life which need to be corrected ... and giving you insights to solutions to those problems.

Also, Mercury is in a tight, 90-degree square angle to Jupiter. Beware of online websites that promote gross exaggerations or promises that sound too good to be true — because most likely they aren't true. Or on a whim, you might take on a large assignment on the mistaken belief that you can easily manage it, when in fact it overwhelms you. Moderation and caution are the keywords for Mercury square Jupiter. On the other hand: don't be so cautious that you fail to buy a lottery ticket — because Mercury square Jupiter can sometimes favor the underdog with unexpected good fortune.

Later on Monday, mental clarity shines bright and clear once again when Mercury leaves plodding Taurus and sweeps into Gemini — Mercury's astrological home sign. This shift dramatically improves communications for the next three weeks. And since Mercury also watches over commerce, the coming weeks will also be an ideal time for financial and career decisions.

Overnight Monday-Tuesday, the Moon squares off against the Sun for the Aquarius Third Quarter Moon which in Antinous Moon Magic we call the FORUM MOON. This is the best Lunar Phase of the year for oracles or spell work involving interaction with groups or a public setting. Gathering place. Club. Work place. Any place where numerous people gather. It is also the best moon for rituals focusing on parks, gardens and the outdoors in general, such as working rituals for protecting a back garden or outdoor venue.

THURS-FRIDAY, MAY 6th-7th, 2021

This week, 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.

SATURDAY, MAY 8th, 2021

On Saturday, indulgent Venus squares off against excessive Jupiter. If you are planning to go to an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast ... then you will pig out because it's easy to fall victim to temptation during this configuration. We need to be wary of overdoing it with rich food, intoxicating drinks and other "vices." It will be difficult switching gears and getting back to work. There's even a possibility we'll forget responsibilities altogether. This isn't a good time to make luxury purchases. A sports car could require costly repair, a gourmet meal may be less than satisfying or an expensive outfit may be made with inferior materials. Wait another day to splurge. Getting good value for money will be very difficult under this configuration.

SUNDAY, MAY 9th, 2021

On Sunday, 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.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between MAY 10th and May 16th when we come to the Taurus New Moon, which we call the MARCUS AURELIUS MOON highlighting Taurean qualities (determined, practical, devoted, grounded, dependable) and 2nd House themes (material security, values, self-worth). On a spiritual/higher plane, the New Moon in Taurus seeks inner peace through stability and contentment ... More details next time ....


ANTINOUS MAY HAVE SEEN THIS MOSAIC
OF A DRUNK SKELETON IN ANTIOCH



A 2,400-year-old mosaic in Antioch shows a drunken skeleton admonishing the living to eat, drink and be merry … for one day they shall join him in death.

It is possible that Antinous and Hadrian saw the remarkably intact mosaic, because it was found in the ruins of the dining room of a wealthy person's home in Antioch ... and they spent several months in that city on their tour of the Eastern Provinces in 129-130 AD.

It was found by accident during excavation construction work for a cable-car route in the modern city of Antakya … built partly over the suburbs of ancient Antioch in what is now Turkey's Hatay Province.

Excavations were then launched to search the area for more remains.

The mosaic shows a skeleton reclining on a cushion with a kylix drinking bowl in his left hand and its right arm thrown drunkenly over his head, with legs crossed.

Next to the skeleton, two loaves of bread are strewn on the floor and a large amphora of wine waits to refill his drinking bowl.

A Greek inscription says: "Be merry ... enjoy being alive," according to archeologist Demet Kara at Hatay Archeology Museum.

Kara further noted that professors have referred to the mosaic as the 'skeleton mosaic' and have concluded that the mosaic belonged to the dining room of a house belonging to the upper class back then.

She noted that there is a similar mosaic in Italy, but this one is more comprehensive, making it a unique piece.

The ancient city of Antioch was established by Seleucus I Nicator … who is one of Alexander the Great's generals ... in the 4th Century BC.

Hadrian and Antinous visited Antioch, so it is possible that they saw this mosaic at some point in their extended stay over a period of several months.

Hatay is known for its Roman-era mosaics dating back to the 2nd and 3rd Centuries BC.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

EMPEROR HADRIAN'S ATHENAEUM
WAS WHERE ANTINOUS WENT TO SCHOOL



THIS is probably where Antinous went to school after Emperor Hadrian brought him to Rome … the first university west of Athens ... Hadrian's Athenaeum, modeled on the original school in Athens.

The ruins were unearthed in 2009 by archaeologists excavating at the Piazza Venezia, just across the street from the colossal Victor Emmanuel Monument. Experts spent the next three years working the site.


During that time they discovered that it was far more than just a school.

It was a veritable CULTURAL CENTRE for the performing arts which included a 900-seat auditorium suitable for poetry readings, recitals and other artistic entertainment that reflected Hadrian's refined tastes.

The location came as something of a surprise since Hadrian's Athenaeum traditionally was believed to have been located on the Capitoline Hill. 

The ruins are located below the hill on the fringes of the Forum.

The experts say they are convinced this must be the site of the Athenaeum because the ruins appear to be those of a large auditorium-style lecture hall which could have accommodated hundreds of students.

They uncovered twin monumental staircases of six steps each which were buried under debris that was the result of the collapse of upper floors of the building, probably during an earthquake in the Middle Ages.

Each of the staircases ... with wide, shallow, deep steps ... are on opposite ends of a rectangular room with granite and yellow marble paving. Experts believe the "stairs" were actually lecture hall seating.

Little is known of the details of study at the Athenaeum, but some literary sources suggest that young men from all parts of the Roman Empire, after finishing their usual school and college studies in their own town or province, came to Rome for higher education.

In keeping with his dream of creating an empire based on Hellenistic principles of beauty, tolerance and learning, Hadrian established the Athenaeum in 123 AD for the promotion of Classical Liberal Arts studies.

It set the standards for subsequent schools of higher learning in Western Europe. Royston Lambert, in his biography of Antinous BELOVED AND GOD, calls the Athenaeum "the first university in the West."

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

WE JOYOUSLY CELEBRATE THE FLORALIA



ANTINOUS assuredly took part in the Floralia, a multi-day Roman feast which started on April 27th in the Republic era, but which began on April 28th in the Imperial era when the Beauteous Boy lived during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.

This day was the start of the Floralia, the Roman festival of Flora, goddess of flowers, actors, sex workers, comedies, comic theatre. 


The festival had a licentious, pleasure-seeking atmosphere. In contrast to many festivals which had a patrician character, the Games of Flora were plebeian in nature.

New comedy plays premiered in the theatres. There may have been nocturnal observances, since sources mention measures taken to light the way after the theatrical performances.

In contrast to the Cerealia, when white garments were worn, bright and colorful clothing was customary during the Floralia.

There was dancing and revelry of every sort. Ovid says that hares and goats ... animals considered fertile and salacious ... were ceremonially released as part of the festivities. 

Persius says that the crowd was pelted with peas, beans, and lupins ... all of them also symbols of fertility.

Professional sex workers participated in the Floralia as well as the wine Vinalia festival which commenced on April 23. 

According to the satirist Juvenal, prostitutes danced naked and fought in mock gladiator combat.

Adorn yourself and your home. Make libations of milk and honey to Flora and to Antinous.

Monday, April 26, 2021

LIFT THE CURSE THAT BINDS YOU
WITH THIS 'ENEMY MOON' RITUAL



NO matter what you do, you just can't get ahead. You have nothing but bad luck in money, in relationships and in general.

Rationally, you assume it's all your own fault. Are you may belong to a faith system which suggests it's all "bad karma" or else the "wages of sin" from a wrathful deity.

Then a dark corner of your mind wonders: "Maybe somebody or something put a curse on me?"

The Scorpio Full Moon ... often called the "Witches' Moon" or the "Beltane Moon" ... is a perfect time for lifting the veil on this shadowy and sinister question. 

In Antinous Moon Magic we call this lunar phase the enemy moon because it shines a harsh light to illuminate those elements which work against you.

Are you under a curse? Take this quick quiz and find out:

1. Are you having a run of bad luck? Regardless what you do or how hard you try, nothing but bad luck happens to you?

2. Have lightbulbs started burning out frequently ... even though you are certain the bulbs are fresh?

3. Have you had chronic computer glitches recently? Not just once or twice, but repeatedly, for no good reason?

4. Have you lost your joy for life? You used to be optimistic, but lately you feel pessimistic and forlorn?

5. Do things just seem to go wrong all the time? Home appliances have started breaking down? Your good and reliable car seems to need repairs inexplicably all of a sudden?

6. Have you suddenly incurred financial setbacks? Bills and debts have appeared out of no where? Urgent expenditures have stressed your credit card to the max?

7. You suddenly have problems with government agencies? Traffic cops seem to be picking on you personally? You get a parking fine for being less than a minute over the time? You are hassled with bureaucratic paperwork and delays for routine applications?

8. Things seem to break a lot around your household lately? You drop cups when doing the dishes? Things fall off of shelves for no apparent reason?

9. Has your health taken a sudden turn for the worse? You have a bad cold which just does not seem to want to go away?

10. Do you seem to attract people who are annoying and who intentionally pick fights with you? No matter how polite you are, other people take everything as an insult and argue with you?

ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC RITUAL


The Scorpio Full Moon ... which we call the Enemy Moon ... focuses its light on those elements around you (or within yourself) which are working against you. These may be human beings, but very often they are aspects of yourself which work against you. And even if they are human beings, they may not be consciously aware that they are sending evil tidings your way.

Tonight is the best night of the year for confronting these "enemies" in whatever form they take.

Find a quiet place to meditate undisturbed. Our crystals meditation advisor MARTIN CAMPBELL recommends Picture Jasper (also called Brown Jasper or Picasso Jasper) because he says: "It brings to the surface feelings of guilt, hatred but also love that were hidden deep within you. These can be from current or past lives."

Inhale deeply and hold your breath for a moment. And as you slowly exhale, visualize the "enemy elements" leaving your body.

Visualize the "enemy" standing before you, regardless whether you know this person or even if it is an aspect of yourself.

Do not be angry or afraid. Instead, open your arms and invite this "enemy" to come towards you and be embraced by you.

Now allow your love flowing into this person who has, until this moment, been your enemy. Forgive your enemy and shower your enemy with boundless love and light from your heart.

Visualize all negative energies being transformed into love and light. You are one with this person who used to be your enemy. These negative forces have been transformed into positive forces working constructively for you.

The curse has been lifted! You are free!

THE SCORPIO FULL MOON
THE ANTINOUS "ENEMY MOON"



TONIGHT's Scorpio Full Moon is a moon for penetrating the veil of lies and illusion and seeing clearly who are your friends (and who are not) and also seeing yourself for what you are.

For that reason, we call it the ENEMY MOON in Antinous Moon Magic. (Image above courtesy Carlos Barahona Possollo).

This is the spookiest Full Moon of the year. Beltane, Walpurgis Night and May Day are all based on the solar calendar and are celebrated on May Eve.

But the older, lunar calendar celebrates those Rites of Spring during the SCORPIO FULL MOON. 


If you are a bit clairvoyant, or if you have a gift for healing, your powers will be enhanced tremendously during the SCORPIO FULL MOON. 

Just be careful — everyone else's unconscious powers will also be enhanced, so there will be lots of mind-games going on tonight.

For gay men, especially, the Scorpio Full Moon is a time of hotly erotic spiritual discovery. As any gay wizard knows, it is the best night of the year for Sacred Sex.

This is the truth-or-dare Full Moon; a time to honor the transformative power of truth-telling and a very intense Full Moon to put into action (through ritual release) the goals you set at the New Moon in Taurus.

Since this Full Moon falls in a water sign, releasing your intentions near a stream, river, lake, or ocean is particularly powerful.

But before you let go, have one last look at your goals. Whom do they truly serve? What will they bring to the world? 


Since Scorpio demands depth and fearlessness, this last look will have to be brutally honest. If your goals require a change of mind, of heart, and/or of action, this is the night to successfully tackle fears that could impede the ability to fully embrace change. 

Scorpio seeks deep truth by peeling back layers of lies and half-truths—inside us and outside of us.

This is a Full Moon to see things as they truly are, not as you wish them to be.

This is the meaning behind the imagery of Giorgio Tavaglioni's "Nemico" (Enemy) card in the L'Oracolo della Sibilla fortune-telling cards pictured left.
 

Meditations and rituals during the Scorpio Full Moon are best suited for helping you identify who and what your "enemies" are.

This could indeed be a person who is your enemy, someone who is working against you, trying to impede your progress.

But more often it represents the "inner enemy" ... your own worst enemy sometimes being yourself.

It represents habitual thought patterns, low self-esteem, irrational fears and other "enemies" which work against you.

You must face and confront your enemy ... especially if that means confronting your true self.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCUS AURELIUS


ON April 26th the Religion of Antinous joyously celebrates the birth of one of the wisest rulers in history, a man hand-picked by the Divine Hadrian personally to become Emperor of Rome.

Marcus Annius Verus was born on this day in the year 121 to a Spanish Roman family, related to Hadrian. From the very start, the young Marcus showed a deep interest in learning and particularly in philosophy.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus had the most profound influence over him, and his truthful and pious nature gained Hadrian's attention and Hadrian is said to have called him "Verissimus", or most truthful, and to have taken an interest in the future of the young philosopher.

Marcus would have been 9 years old when Antinous died, and he is not believed to have been with the court in Egypt.

When Aelius Ceasar died shortly after being chosen Emperor in 138, it is believed that Marcus was Hadrian's next choice. However, the ailing and grieving emperor felt that the 17-year-old Marcus was too young.

So Hadrian decided to elect Antoninus Pius instead, requiring Antoninus to choose Marcus and the son of Lucius, called Lucius Verus, to be Antoninus's successors in turn.

This became known as the Dynasty of the Antonines, the last flowering of the glory that was Imperial Rome.

Hadrian believed that the old Antoninus would only rule for the few years needed to allow Marcus to mature. But instead, Antoninus remained in power far longer than Hadrian, and Marcus was 40 years old when he at last took power.

But the Empire that he inherited was succumbing to more and more trouble along its borders, as the Germanic hordes began their slow migration across the borders. The Philosopher-King Marcus was doomed to spend the majority of his reign leading the armies along the cold northern border.

He was successful in keeping the barbarians outside the Empire, and in maintaining the peace and prosperity in the heart of Rome that had been left to him by Hadrian and Antoninus.


We celebrate the birthday of Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.

Sunday, April 25, 2021

WE CELEBRATE THE SACRED BEAR HUNT
AND THE BIRTHDAY OF ROME




WORSHIPERS on four continents convened in an international Zoom conference tonight to celebrate the ancient festival of THE EROTICON, the Sacred Bear Hunt of Hadrian and Antinous, and the birthday of Rome.

April 21 marks the anniversary of the founding of the city of Rome in 743 BC by Romulus and Remus.

Adherents from North and South America, Africa and Europe were on hand via Zoom as Flamen Antonius Subia celebrated the rites at the Hollywood Temple of Antinous.

On this day we honor the great God of Love, Eros-Cupid, in his guise as Antinous-Phanes, the "radiant being of light who emerges from the egg of night". We also honor the Great God Priapus the divine phallus, the column of male virility, the bestower of the fertility of fields, vineyards, orchards and gardens. Priapus is the axis of the cosmos.

On this date we also commemorate the founding of the city of Rome, Natalis Urbis, personified by the Romans as Our Lady Roma. We celebrate the consecration of her sacred border, and of her birth, and eternal life, and remember that we are her children.

And also on this date we remember the Sacred Bear Hunt. While in Mysia in Asia Minor, in the year 129, the court engaged in a Bear Hunt near the city which Hadrian had founded (on an earlier trip) called Hadrianotherae, "Hadrian's hunting ground". It is the modern-day city of Balikesir in a lovely area of wooded forests and lakes in northwestern Turkey.

Hadrian loved animals and is known to have built tombs for his dogs and horses (according to Royston Lambert) and he loved to hunt. The Bear is the sacred animal of Diana-Artemis, and symbolizes the solitary, forest-roaming character of the Virgin Huntress. In the ferocity of the bear lies the secret of Diana's power, against which Hadrian and Antinous pitted themselves, as shown on the tondo from the Arch of Constantine. 

The grand themes of the Eroticon are Love and Sex and Ferocious Anger. The Beast is always lurking inside of us. The mystery teaching surrounding the Bear Hunt involves getting to know your animal instincts -- sex and lust and rage -- and to become one with them and to turn them into powerful allies for your spiritual development.

Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia has expressed this mystical mystery meaning as follows:

"Antinous, under Hadrian's guidance, was an accomplished hunter, indeed it is perhaps his natural skill and bravery in the chase that elevated him to the absolute love and adoration of Hadrian. The Emperor was madly in love with hunters, and Antinous was one of the best. Antinous had perhaps been silently stalking and hunting the Emperor's favor for quite some time, and now, in Asia, in the sacred Hunting Grounds of Hadrian, Antinous closed in on the heart of his prey and captured the Emperor completely. In our commemoration of the Sacred Bear Hunt we recognize that Artemis and Antinous are twin deities, and we seek the Dianic-Artemis-Bear within ourselves."

Friday, April 23, 2021

'THE LOVE GOD' BY MARTIN CAMPBELL
IS A BRILLIANT NOVEL ABOUT ANTINOUS


FOR World Book Day, April 23rd: The most brilliant novel about Antinous to appear in over half a century ... THE LOVE GOD ... is authored by our own MARTINUS CAMPBELL, priest of Antinous.

While that sounds like biased praise, we Antinomaniacs are hard to please and would not hesitate to pick apart a poorly researched book or one that denigrated Antinous, even if it were written by one of our best friends ... perhaps especially if it were. 

At the same time, a sycophantic book that presented Antinous as being cloyingly sweet and angelic would be unbearable and not believable.

So we are gratified (and greatly relieved) to report that this book truly is a remarkable work of historical fiction right up there with Marguerite Yourcenar's landmark MEMOIRS OF HADRIAN 60 years ago.

Martin traces the life of Antinous from the moment his tousle-haired head emerges from his mother's womb under auspicious stars in Asia Minor to the moment his head sinks beneath the swirling waters of the Nile on a starry evening in Egypt.

Antinous comes to life as a young man of breath-taking beauty who is filled with conflicting passions and loyalties. He is a young man who at times is naive, yet at other times worldly wise with an ability to see the world as it is ... and to describe it with at times brutal honesty to the most powerful man in the world.

Above all, this is a gentle love story between Antinous and Emperor Hadrian, himself a man of contradictory passions and priorities.

Martin himself is a man shares these passions. He has rebounded from a series of debilitating strokes to resume a daunting array of political activism for LGBTIU health and rights issues ... while working on this novel.

Based in a hilltop home overlooking the sea in Brighton England, he spent the best part of a decade researching this novel, retracing the footsteps of Antinous across Greece and Italy, as far north as Hadrian's Wall and as far south as the Nile in Upper Egypt.

Historical facts are excruciatingly accurate ... even the positions of the stars and planets at the moment of the birth of Antinous have been calculated to precision.

An academic scholar can read this book with satisfaction, noting obscure and arcane references which only the experts in the field of Antinology fully appreciate.

At the same time, however, this is a fun book to read even for those who have never heard of Antinous in their lives and who have no firm grasp of Roman civilization in the 2nd Century AD.

There is intrigue, skulduggery, near-death by lightning, getting lost in a subterranean labyrinth, a storm at sea, earthquakes ... and some fairly hot man sex as well, albeit tastefully brought to the page.

The narrator is the Classical Love God himself: Eros. He shoots his amorous arrows and ensures that Antinous and Hadrian fulfill the destiny which the Fates have in store for them ... despite efforts by certain people in the Imperial Court to thwart the Fates.

But the genius of this book is that there are no black-and-white villains or heroes. Antinous is a young man with all the problems and drives of late adolescence. Hadrian is a man with a mid-life crisis of doubt and regret.

Others such as Empress Sabina and her constant companion Julia Balbilla and their coterie of fawning courtiers and freedmen are not really hateful towards Antinous so much as they are simply perplexed by him. 

They view him the way some members of the Royal Household might look at the favorite Corgi of the Queen, unable to comprehend her affection for it, her grief when it dies.

They whisper amongst themselves: What hold does Antinous have over Hadrian? 

Just who does he think he is? And is he a threat to them? 

What is so different about Antinous that Hadrian doesn't grow weary of him ... as he always has with previous toy boys? 

Because they cannot understand how he fits in the scheme of Imperial court life, some really rather wish he would just disappear ... voluntarily or otherwise. 

And through it all is the boyhood friend of Antinous who has accompanied him on this long journey with mixed feelings and with growing envy and jealousy. 

The boiling emotions all stem from Eros, who winks knowingly at the reader as he shoots one arrow after another with unerring accuracy to ensure that Antinous fulfills his destiny ... to take his place alongside Eros as a God of Love.

The result is a richly entertaining and beautifully written novel which appeals to those seeking authoritative scholarly accuracy as well as readers who just want a riveting and memorable adventure yarn.

The Love God is available as Kindle and as a paperback ... CLICK HERE to order.

ANTINOUS IN TYRE/SIDON


IN spring of the year 130 AD, the Imperial entourage wound its way through the mountains of Asia Minor (modern-day Anatolia) and visited such cities as Ephesus and Tarsus before arriving in Antioch.

Antioch was their base of operations for the rest of that autumn and winter. From Antioch, they made excursions to other cities.

One jaunt in late summer was to the the ancient Phoenician twin cities of Tyre and Sidon on the Mediterranean coast.

Tyre and Sidon were famous for the production of the dye called Tyrian Purple which was used to color the robes of Emperors and Kings.

The dye was derived from "milking" thousands of sea snails known as porphyra in Greek and purpura in Latin ... from which we get the word purple.


The snails secrete a silvery semen-like mucous which is dripped on hand spun cotton thread. The color makes several color shifts and eventually colors the thread a beautiful violet color.

Arriving here in the Spring of 130 AD, Antinous and Hadrian were draped in purple as they entered city gates and ascended to the temple of the great god Melqart also known as Baal Sur.  The Greeks called the city Tyros.


Melqart was the sky god, god of war and the bestower of fertility, son of El who placed Baal on the throne of the world, from which Baal fought against evil and brought life-giving rain. 


Tyre was the home of Europa, who Zeus seduced in the form of a white bull and carried off to Greece, her brothers would go on to found some of the most ancient Greek cities such as Minos in Crete, and Cadmus who founded Thebes.


The Phoenicians of Tyre were the greatest seamen of their age and the first explorers setting up colonies all over the Mediterranean, even entering the Atlantic to trade with Britannia and Germania.


One Carthaginian even attempted to circumnavigate Africa reaching as far as the Congo River.  When the Phoenicians colonized the Mediterranean, they brought the religion of Baal to their far-flung colonies.


The city of Tyre created the colony of Carthage in North Africa which over time developed into a major power that rivaled Rome.  The religion of Tyre spread to Carthage and then to Spain where the Carthaginians set up colonies and later conquered, which led to conflict with Rome.


The war with Hannibal and the Carthaginians was the turning point of Roman history, and it was essentially a conflict between the Roman way of life and the Phoenician way as exemplified by Tyre.


The Greeks assimilated Baal Melqart with Hercules viewing him as a cross between Jupiter and his heroic all-powerful son Hercules. Baal was worshiped in Spain when Hadrian was born and so the visit to the ancient Temple of Baal in the city of Tyre was touched with the reminiscence of home.


Tyre was the foremost city of Phoenicia, and though fiercely independent, the Tyrians assisted the Persians in their attempt to conquer Greece, but their navy was defeated by the Athenians.


When Alexander arrived, the Tyrians refused to surrender, and the city had to be taken by siege.  During the Roman age, Tyre flourished as a center of trade with a monopoly on the secret production of their purple dye which was more valuable than gold and therefore became a symbol of kings and emperors.


Hadrian was very pleased by the reception he received by the Tyrians and how they had embraced his policies, he therefore raised the status of the city to a Metropolis.


Antinous came in contact with the ancient Phoenician religion at Tyre with its dark blood-rites and the prominence of the bull cult, but it was the connection he made with the sacred purple dye, which would soon become his emblem and sacred color.


In time the color would also be associated with the early Gay Rights movement as it was the first color chosen for the gay flag, predating the rainbow flag.


The purple stripe at the bottom of the rainbow flag is said to symbolize spirit and therefore is the stripe that represents Antinous and Gay spirituality.  The influence of  Antinous's visit to Tyre is still with us.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

ASTRO FORECAST: APRIL 22nd—MAY 2nd, 2021

Antinous is a Moon God. He is, of course, many other things and he wears many hats. But one of the ways he was worshiped in Antiquity was as ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD.

His worshipers looked skyward and saw His beautiful face perpetually turned towards the Earth. The Man in the Moon was actually the Blessed Boy in the Moon for the ancient priests and worshipers of Antinous. Swiftest and most youthful of all the Zodiacal deities, Antinous speeds through an entire year's worth of Astrological signs in just 28 days.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious gay selves. Where Hadrian the Sun acts, Antinous the Moon REACTS. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD for answers.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is both our inner boy child and our inner lover. His ever changing phases, as he sweeps past all the other Planets in all the Signs, make us at turns responsive, receptive, and reflective. Eternally youthful, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our childlike spontaneous and instinctual reactions.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD beams down on us to make us imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. On the negative side, and depending on where he is in the Zodiac, he can make us moody, restless, and irrational.

Antinous Astrology Forecast


APRIL 22 to MAY 2, 2021


THURSDAY, APRIL 22nd, 2021

This week, Venus aligns with Uranus in Taurus, which means this may be your lucky day when Mr. Right steps into your life. Anything is possible in love and money today: a hot new love affair, a lucrative business deal or a sudden financial gain.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23rd, 2021

This week, Mars enters Cancer, where the war god feels slightly uncomfortable and tends to pout. Whereas Gemini Mars was all about asserting yourself through action, Cancer Mars is all about asserting your emotions. Instead of engaging in intellectual exchange of opinions, we find ourselves taking remarks the wrong way and snapping at others like the Cancer crab. Mars remains in Cancer until 11th June 2021, when it will enter lively Leo.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24th, 2021

This weekend impossible miracles are possible when Mercury aligns with Uranus ... the most outrageous statements turn out to be absolutely true when Mercury aligns in conjunction with impetuous Uranus in Taurus. A politician will say something which sounds far too unbelievable to be true. Believe it! This is the time when serendipitous miracles occur. A miracle is something that seems impossible but happens anyway.

SUNDAY, APRIL 25th, 2021

This weekend Mercury, Venus and Saturn spawn relationship challenges. First, Venus is in a 90-degree right-angle square to stubborn Saturn. Venus-square-Saturn means that relationship discussions are fraught with stumbling blocks. And because Venus and Saturn also have a role to play in money and business, you can expect problems in that area as well. Mercury boosts tensions by squaring off against Saturn. But that's not all! Mercury square Saturn means some stubborn issues offer you the challenge of facing them without procrastinating. On the positive side, though, you find you have the tenacity and determination to face them. Mercury square Saturn is a textbook case for trouble in communications. Some astrologers say this is when people sharpen their swords, but we prefer to say it is when people sharpen their tongues to use as weapons! Remember that lovely line from "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (who is a Saint of Antinous, by the way): "On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure." This is an aspect which encourages people to say vicious and intentionally hurtful things. People are overly persnickety and bitchy and downright mean. You'll be amazed how true this is.

MON-TUESDAY, APRIL 26th-27th, 2021

Overnight Monday-Tuesday, we come to the Scorpio Full Moon ... a moon for penetrating the veil of lies and illusion and seeing clearly who are your friends (and who are not) and also seeing yourself for what you are. For that reason, we call it the ENEMY MOON in Antinous Moon Magic. This full moon moon sets the tone for the entire week, especially since it is in a "T-square" aspect with Uranus, Mercury and Venus which reinforces stubbornness and recalcitrance. This is not the best week for negotiations towards compromise.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28th, 2021

This week, global political and economic turmoil redoubles when strong-willed Capricorn Pluto turns retrograde — going backwards as seen from the Earth until October 6, 2021. Some financial and political crises we thought had cooled off will begin boiling again. With Pluto in Capricorn, the focus is on who is in control. Major power struggles run rampant. Little countries threaten to upset the global financial system — an adolescent dictator tries to push superpowers around. This happens on the personal level too, of course, and everyone seems to be taunting and bullying you. Retrograde Pluto is a time to cut the anchor chain, drop ballast and set off on a course of your own. And if you can't do that, then just remember that bending your knee before tyrants doesn't mean bending your will to them. Pluto thinks in the long-term. The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was in the late 18th Century — the age of the US and French Revolutions. This time around, Capricorn Pluto is once again revolutionizing global political and economic structures. You can use the next five months to work on furthering your plans for where you want to end up in the new world order that will exist when Pluto leaves Capricorn — in 2023.

THURS-FRIDAY, APRIL 29th-30th, 2021

This week, get ready for a big surprise! Once a year the Sun aligns with impetuous Uranus ... and that configuration dominates the coming week. This year the Sun aligns in conjunction with Uranus in stubborn Taurus. Taurus is an Earth Sign, which means we can expect explosively dramatic events involving climate, geology or global political and economic infrastructure. This Sun-conjunction-Uranus configuration means you can expect long-simmering crises on the home front or in global affairs to erupt with appalling ferocity. On the positive side, stubborn problems can blow apart and be resolved almost instantly. On the negative side, however, you can expect dangerous political explosions ... perhaps even literal bombs and explosions.

SATURDAY, MAY 1st, 2021

This weekend Mercury is in a positively profound trine with Pluto and the Star of Antinous that enables you to get down and dirty and show what is really inside of you ... deep ... down ... inside. This is a good time to grow beyond yourself ... shed your old shy image the way a snake sheds its skin ... and present your shining inner self to the world.

SUNDAY, MAY 2nd, 2021

This weekend is a great time to take in an art exhibit ... or create art yourself ... Taurus Venus is in a creative sextile with Pisces Neptune. Trust your intuition on all matters of money and love. And when you go out this week, you can expect romance because Pisces Neptune loves romance.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between MAY 3rd and May 9th when the Moon squares off against the Sun for the Aquarius Third Quarter Moon which in Antinous Moon Magic we call the FORUM MOON. This is the best Lunar Phase of the year for oracles or spell work involving interaction with groups or a public setting. Gathering place. Club. Work place. Any place where numerous people gather. It is also the best moon for rituals focusing on parks, gardens and the outdoors in general, such as working rituals for protecting a back garden or outdoor venue ... More details next time ....


ON EARTH DAY
ANTINOUS IS IN YOU HERE AND NOW



FOR us in the Northern Hemisphere it is Spring. For us in the Southern Hemisphere it is Autumn. For Antinous, all moments in time are NOW, all locations in space are HERE ... in your spiritual heart ... HOMOTHEOSIS ... Gay-Man-Godliness-Becoming-the-Same.

Dia da Terra. Para nĂ³s no hemisfĂ©rio norte Ă© Primavera. Para nĂ³s no  HemisfĂ©rio Sul Ă© de Outono. Para Antinous, todos os momentos no tempo Ă© agora, todos os locais no espaço sĂ£o AQUI ... em seu coraĂ§Ă£o espiritual ... HOMOTHEOSIS ... Homem-Deus-Gay-tornou-se o mesmo que-Homem-Deus-Gay.

DĂ­a de la Tierra para nosotros en el hemisferio norte es la primavera . Para nosotros en el hemisferio sur es otoño . Para Antinoo , todos los momentos del tiempo estĂ¡n ahora , todos los lugares en el espacio estĂ¡ aquĂ­ ... en su corazĂ³n espiritual ... HOMOTHEOSIS ... Gay-Hombre-Dios-Ser-el-mismo-como-Gay-Hombre-Dios .

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROMA!
By Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia





MATER ROMA,

Thank you for saving me from perdition,
Thank you for giving my life meaning and purpose again
Today you have given me so much joy and mystery
I don't even know what to say sometimes
About the way you work your magic over my life
But I feel your power all around me.
You are with me where ever I go,
Where ever I am...You Are There.
Wolf Mother! 
My Latin forefathers flow through my blood
My allegiance to you will never die
I give my life, my strength, my courage to defend you
...and to restore your glory.
Happy Birthday Roma!

~ANTONIUS SUBIA

THE EROTICON
WHEN ANTINOUS HUNTS A BEAR


ON April 21, as the Sun moves into the Sign of Taurus the Bull, we celebrate the ancient festival of THE EROTICON.

On this day we honor the great God of Love, Eros-Cupid, in his guise as Antinous-Phanes, the "radiant being of light who emerges from the egg of night". 


We also honor the Great God Priapus the divine phallus, the column of male virility, the bestower of the fertility of fields, vineyards, orchards and gardens. Priapus is the axis of the cosmos.

On this date we also commemorate the founding of the city of Rome, Natalis Urbis, personified by the Romans as Our Lady Roma. We celebrate the consecration of her sacred border, and of her birth, and eternal life, and remember that we are her children.

And also on this date we remember the Sacred Bear Hunt. While in Mysia in Asia Minor, in the year 129, the court engaged in a Bear Hunt near the city which Hadrian had founded (on an earlier trip) called Hadrianotherae, "Hadrian's hunting ground". It is the modern-day city of Balikesir in a lovely area of wooded forests and lakes in northwestern Turkey.

Hadrian loved animals and is known to have built tombs for his dogs and horses (according to Royston Lambert) and he loved to hunt. The Bear is the sacred animal of Diana-Artemis, and symbolizes the solitary, forest-roaming character of the Virgin Huntress. In the ferocity of the bear lies the secret of Diana's power, against which Hadrian and Antinous pitted themselves, as shown on the tondo from the Arch of Constantine.

The grand themes of the Eroticon are Love and Sex and Ferocious Anger. The Beast is always lurking inside of us. The mystery teaching surrounding the Bear Hunt involves getting to know your animal instincts -- sex and lust and rage -- and to become one with them and to turn them into powerful allies for your spiritual development.

Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia has expressed this mystical mystery meaning as follows:


"Antinous, under Hadrian's guidance, was an accomplished hunter, indeed it is perhaps his natural skill and bravery in the chase that elevated him to the absolute love and adoration of Hadrian. The Emperor was madly in love with hunters, and Antinous was one of the best. Antinous had perhaps been silently stalking and hunting the Emperor's favor for quite some time, and now, in Asia, in the sacred Hunting Grounds of Hadrian, Antinous closed in on the heart of his prey and captured the Emperor completely. In our commemoration of the Sacred Bear Hunt we recognize that Artemis and Antinous are twin deities, and we seek the Dianic-Artemis-Bear within ourselves."

HADRIAN'S PANTHEON BECOMES A SUNDIAL
FOR THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF ROME



THE crowds of tourists at Hadrian's Pantheon witness a spectacular light show on April 21, the anniversary of the founding of Rome, when a ray of sunlight illuminate the temple portals.

The phenomenon, similar to one on the March Equinox, is one of the mysteries that have always surrounded what lies behind the unusual design of the Pantheon, the giant temple in the heart of Rome that was built by the Emperor Hadrian.

Now experts have come up with an intriguing theory – that the temple acted as a colossal sun dial, with a beam of light illuminating its enormous entrance at the precise moment that the emperor entered the building on the anniversary of the founding of the city of Rome each April 21.

Constructed on Hadrian's orders and completed in 128 AD, the Pantheon's hemispherical dome is punctured by a 30 foot-wide circular hole known as the 'oculus'.

It provides the interior of the building with its only source of natural light and allows in rain and – on rare occasions – snow.

Giulio Magli, a historian of ancient architecture from Milan Polytechnic, Italy, and Robert Hannah, a classics scholar from the University of Otago in New Zealand, have discovered that at precisely midday during the March equinox, a circular shaft of light shines through the oculus and illuminates the Pantheon's imposing entrance.

A similar effect is seen on April 21, which the Romans celebrated as the founding date of their city, when at midday the sun beam strikes a metal grille above the doorway, flooding the colonnaded courtyard outside with light.

The dramatic displays would have been seen by the Romans as elevating an emperor into the realm of the gods – a cosmological affirmation of his divine power as he entered the building, which was used as an audience hall as well as a place of worship.

He was in effect being "invited" by the sun to enter the Pantheon, which as its name suggests was dedicated to the most important deities of the Roman world.

"The emperor would have been illuminated as if by film studio lights," said Professor Magli.

"The Romans believed the relationship between the emperor and the heavens was at its closest during the equinoxes. It would have been a glorification of the power of the emperor, and of Rome itself."

The sun had a special significance for the Romans, as it did for the ancient Egyptians.

The god Apollo was associated with the sun, and the emperor Nero was depicted as the Greek sun god Helios in a giant statue called the Colossus, which gave its name to the Colosseum.

One of antiquity's most remarkable examples of engineering, the Pantheon's fine state of preservation is thanks to the fact that it was converted into a church in the seventh century, when it was presented to the Pope by the Byzantine Emperor Phocas.

It retains its original bronze doors and marble columns, some of which were quarried in the Egyptian desert and transported by the ship down the Nile and across the Mediterranean to Rome at huge expense.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

SLAIN GAY PARISIAN POLICEMAN
IS A BLESSED SAINT OF ANTINOUS



ON April 20th we honor gay French police officer Xavier JugelĂ© who laid down his life when an Islamic extremist opened fire on Paris' Champs Elysees on 20 April 2017.

He is a saint of Antinous. 

At a memorial ceremony, Jugele’s husband, Etienne Cardiles, paid loving tribute to his late partner.

"This pain makes me feel closer to your comrades who suffer in silence like you and me," Cardiles said, holding back tears. He described Jugele as a man who lived "a life of joy and huge smiles."

"I have no hatred, Xavier, because it is not like you and does not fit with what made your heart beat," he added. "Nor what made you a guardian of the peace."

A spokesperson for the French association of LGBT police officers described Jugelé as "a simple man who loved his job, and he was really committed to the LGBT cause."

"He was aware of the risks of the job and the terrorist threat," said Mickaël Bucheron, "although we did not speak a lot about it."

Jugelé, 37, grew up in Romorantin-Lanthenay in central France and was in a civil union with Cardiles.

He had been among the first responders when DAESH Islamic State terrorists attacked Paris' Bataclan theater in 2015, and was actually preparing to leave the Paris gendarmes to join the Judicial Police, which pursues suspects and serves search warrants, among other duties.

After his death, flags at police stations across France flew at half-mast, and President Francois Hollande made him a posthumous knight of the Legion d’Honneur.