ANTINOUS ON MOUNT IDA WHENCE GANYMEDE WAS SWEPT ALOFT

ON February 1st the Religion of Antinous commemorates the ascension of Antinous to the summit of Mount Ida.

Landing in Asia Minor in early 129 AD from Eleusis, Hadrian and Antinous stopped at Troy, visiting the grave of Achilles, and then scaled sacred Mount Ida, home of the Great Mother of the Gods, and spot where Phrygian Prince Ganymede was taken up by Zeus to be his immortal lover.

Mount Ida is the most sacred of three mountains in Phrygia including Didymus, and Agdistis, named for Zeus's hermaphroditic offspring Agdistis whose powers so frightened the gods that they chopped off her male genitals.

The mountain was famous for its sibylline prophecies, and its mysterious springs and waterfalls are still a place of mystery.

From the summit of Mount Ida, called Kaz Daglari today, Antinous looked down over the plain of Illium, and across the land of his Phrygian ancestors.

Flamen ANTONIUS SUBIA has pointed out that Mount Ida is sacred to an aspect of the Great Mother of the Gods known as Agdistis, who was served by drag queen priests.

Antonius has equated her also with the Mexican-American folk saint La Santisima Muerte … "Most Holy Death"

Antonius has said: "La Santisima Muerte is the Dark Lady...Proserpina and Magna Mater all at once...she is all regarded as the darkside f the Virgin Mary.  Her cult is spreading all over the US right now ... wherever there are Mexicans ... in little shrines are cropping up with this skull faced lady. Her religion and the Religion of Antinous are two new (ancient) faiths that are resurfacing. .. the connection to Magna Mater and Antnous makes me feel that Our Lady Death and Our Lord Antinous are part of a similar resurgence."

Santa Muerte is increasingly popular amongst LGBTI people, including worshipers at the TEMPLO DE ANTINOO MÉXICO who created this exquisite papier-maché figure of her. 

She is garbed in a gay wedding dress on her Holy Night October 31st. She is often offered cigar smoke rather than incense...she is also fond of Tequila and Roses.

The ascent up Mount Ida must have been spooky and awe-inspiring, with transgender priests accompanying them amongst clouds of incense and much wailing and chanting.

May Our Lady Most Holy Death watch over you!