WE are proud to consecrate French archaeologist Albert Gayet as a Messenger Saint of Antinous for his pioneering efforts to reclaim the city of Antinoopolis from the sands of oblivion.
The city that Hadrian built and dedicated to his lover Antinous flourished for hundreds of years before being looted and plundered and lost to the desert sands of Egypt.
Napoleon's French team of proto-archaeologists mapped and catalogued the remains at the turn of the 19th Century.
But it was this rather curious and eccentric French bachelor who would make the lost city ... Antinoopolis ... famous again.
Antinoopolis became renowned around the world in 1895 when Gayet began exploring the vast necropolis burial grounds south of Antinoopolis.
An estimated 40,000 mummies were buried in the Antinoé necropolis.
Between 1895 and 1911, Gayet worked tirelessly at Antinoé, the French name for the city which became synonymous with his own name.
He stood out against the squalor of the wretched modern village and the moonscape of ancient ruins ... dressed impeccably in a three-piece black linen suit and tie, with a boater hat, a cane and white gloves ... more befitting a stroll on the Champs Élysée in Paris than overseeing Egyptian workers toiling in the blistering Egyptian sun as they unearthed mummies from the sands.
Gayet's crews worked day and night unearthing hundreds of mummies representing all social classes and historical epochs.
To his utter astonishment, many of the mummies were gilded, many were swathed in priceless woolen wraps and others wore Byzantine jewellery and headdresses.
He returned to Paris, where the most exquisite mummies were put on display at the Louvre, attracting throngs of visitors and spawning a "Coptic Craze" throughout Europe and America.
Antinoopolis embroidery and linens inspired Matisse, Renoir and the leading Paris fashion designers, who incorporated the rich colors and designs into their work.
But the craze soon waned. The mummies were packed away in storage, most of them to disintegrate or become lost.
Gayet died in Paris at age 60, impoverished and embittered after having spent 20 years of his life trying to raise funds for further exploration of Antinoopolis.
Unmarried, he bequeathed a number of Antinoopolis artefacts which he had kept for himself to his sister in Dijon, where the artefacts are in the local museum and a street is named after him.
Gayet's dream of a "Musee d'Antinoé" in Paris died with him.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
FRENCH EGYPTOLOGIST ALBERT GAYET
IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS
IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS
Monday, September 16, 2024
ACACIA TREE
BY STEPHANOS KILGORE
SACRED KNIGHT OF ANTINOUS
Sunday, September 15, 2024
ANTINOUS MAY HAVE STOOD OVER THIS TOMB
4,000 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS IN EGYPT
4,000 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS IN EGYPT
It is intriguing to think that Antinous perhaps stood over this tomb as he looked out from the Saqqara cliffs across the teeming city of Memphis.
The 6th Dynasty tomb of Mehu was 4,000 years old when Antinous was in Egypt. Mehu was an advisor close to the king.
It was discovered for the first time approximately 80 years ago in 1940 by Egyptologist Zaki Saad.
The public were able to visit it for the first time in history this weekend.
Images on social media showed visitors queueing to enter and taking photographs of the interior.
The colours inside are different to many other tombs in the necropolis as the brightness of them is somewhat unusual.
Many of the paintings inside are unique to the time period, with images of a crocodile marrying a turtle and celebration dances depicted on the walls.
The tomb does not just contain Mehu, but his son Meren Ra and his grandson Heteb Kha.
Mehu held 48 titles during the reign of King Pepi, which were found on the walls of the tomb.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said in a statement: "The tomb is one of the most beautiful in Saqqara Necropolis because it still keeps its vivid colours and distinguished scenes.
"The tomb does not belong to Mehu himself, but for members of his family as well."
Saturday, September 14, 2024
ROMAN SKELETONS BURIED HOLDING HANDS
NOW HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TWO MALES
NOW HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS TWO MALES
TWO ancient Roman skeletons, who mysteriously were buried holding hands, now have been identified as two males, researchers have revealed.
In 2009, archaeologists discovered the remains in the Italian city of Modena. The pair were dubbed the "Lovers of Modena" by the media, the assumption being that they were a heterosexual couple.
The researchers at that time could not determine the gender of the skeletons when they were found in Italy in 2009 because they were badly preserved.
But a new technique, using the protein on tooth enamel, revealed their sex.
The actual relationship between the skeletons from the 4-6th Century AD remains a mystery.
The researchers say the two adult males were intentionally buried hand-in-hand.
Some of the suggestions for the link between the two skeletons are that they are siblings, cousins or soldiers who died together in battle, study author Federico Lugli told Italy's Rai news site (in Italian).
Researchers suggest that their burial site could have been a war cemetery.
The researchers from Italy's University of Bologna said in Scientific Reports that the findings had profound implications for understanding funeral practices at that time in Italy.
Friday, September 13, 2024
ROME'S GREAT TEMPLE OF JUPITER
DEDICATED ON THIS DAY IN 509 BC
DEDICATED ON THIS DAY IN 509 BC
ON the 13th of September the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus atop the Capitoline Hill was dedicated in 509 BC. The ascent of Rome began!
In the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month of the year in counting March as the first. Among the festivals observed in September were several honoring Jupiter.
He was hailed as the chief of the gods and had many epithets as a result.
Thursday, September 12, 2024
ASTRO FORECAST: SEPTEMBER 12th—22nd, 2024
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.
SEPTEMBER 12 to 22, 2024
THURS-FRIDAY, September 12th-13th, 2024
This week, the Sun is in a 90-degree right angle to Jupiter. This configuration provides great opportunities for success but also some tests of character. You can be very fortunate but also have to make your own luck. Lucky breaks and popularity can lead to an inflated ego and other excesses in life. For example, you may have a tendency to over-estimate your own abilities or resources. This could lead to a scattering of energy or wasting money on unnecessary luxuries. There may also be a tendency to accumulate possessions such as collections of a special thing, coins, figurines etc. It may be that your beliefs and morals become over the top and cause difficulties with others. Excessive behaviors are most problematic because these are more likely to affect your close relationships. Overconfidence can get in the way of making lasting friendships. The key to dealing with the excessive nature of Jupiter is moderation. You can still maintain a healthy ego but you won’t want to let excess and pride damage your standing in the world. Jupiter is testing your ego. Any arrogance or boastfulness may actually be covering for a wounded ego, or a lack of self-confidence. Yes, you do wish to be of importance, to be famous or wealthy and to receive the praise and ovation you deserve. They key to dealing with this aspect, apart from moderation, is to not get ahead of yourself. Focus your energy on doing the groundwork, the daily grind needed to perfect your special gifts.
SAT-SUNDAY, September 14th-15th, 2024
This weekend, Venus trine Jupiter offers a ray of hope. On the positive side: you can trust your intuition to buy a lottery ticket. But on the less positive side, you don't know when to stop and squander your hard-earned money on a big risk.
MONDAY, September 16th, 2024
This week, Mercury-opposition-Saturn brings serious thinking and conversation, but also negativity and sadness. Poor self-esteem can lead to communication difficulties and isolation. There is the possibility of some bad news or very challenging situations arising, especially if you have been neglectful in some way earlier. However, it is likely that you will be seeing the worst in every situation. This is not a day for making important decisions, especially about relationships. Also avoid signing contracts or making big investments. You may have a critical eye can are liable to make mistakes.
TUES-WEDNESDAY, September 17th-18th, 2024
Overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, we come to the Pisces Full Moon ... In heterosexual astrology, the Pisces Full Moon is just a moon of sensual spiritual energy. But in Antinous Gay Moon Magic, this is the HOMOTHEOSIS MOON ... the archetype of gay sexuality ... when your sexual dreams can come true ... This hot Full Moon tells you it may be time to take your relationship to a whole new level ... This lunar phase helps you to deepen your love relationships in meaningful ways, making constructive compromises which allow each partner freedom while strengthening the bonds which unite you both.
THURSDAY, September 19th, 2024
This week, the Sun forms a positive trine aspect with Uranus which blows in a breath of fresh air which rejuvenates and invigorates you and encourages you to act first and ask questions later.
FRIDAY, September 20th, 2024
This week, meditation and astral travel are enhanced by the Virgo Sun and Pisces Neptune. Sun opposition Neptune 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. Because Neptune is retrograde (going "backwards" as seen from Earth) you can delve into past-life incarnations.Meanwhile, 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.
SATURDAY, September 21st, 2024
This weekend, the Sun 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 day 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, September 22nd, 2024
The Equinox is here! Some people call it the time of balance, but we call it the eye of the storm ... the moment of peace and calm before winds blow from the opposite direction ... The days are becoming longer and spring is on the way ... for friends of Antinous the Gay God in the Southern Hemisphere. Yet the days are becoming shorter for Antinous friends in the Northern Hemisphere ... The Equinox occurs when the Sun enters Libra on September 22nd or 23rd, depending on where you live on this planet of ours. That is the odd thing about the Equinox ... It is the same moment ... But the clock on the wall shows 23 different hours, depending on where we live on this Blue Marble of ours ... For Antinous, of course, all moments in time are NOW and all positions in space are HERE ... in your gay spiritual heart in the eye of the storm.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between September 23rd and 29th, 2024, when ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is at right angles to the Sun. This is the Cancer Third Quarter Moon, which is the DISCORDIA MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... The goddess Discordia can be a powerful friend ... or deadly foe. Many gay men have assertiveness problems. On a gay spiritual level, the Discordia Moon shines its light on problem areas where you need to stand up and assert yourself. Anger is one of the most cathartic emotions, and it can also be a very effective cleanser of the emotional system. However, when it becomes a habit, it actually loses its power to transform and becomes an obstacle to growth. Meditations and rituals during the Discordia Moon can help you in identifying the role anger plays in your life and restoring it to its proper function so that it can bring new energy and expansiveness to your emotional life ... More details next time ....
RUN LIKE PHEIDIPPIDES
JUST DON'T DIE LIKE PHEIDIPPIDES
JUST DON'T DIE LIKE PHEIDIPPIDES
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
GAY MARTYRS OF TERRORISM
ON September 11th we remember those gay and lesbian men and women who have died in terrorist attacks.
The magnificent Religion of Antinous is not just about beauty and male-on-male sex and it's not just one continuous gay cocktail party. Alas!
The word "alas," by the way is a Latin corruption of the Greek name "Hylas" ... the beloved young companion of Herakles/Hercules. In Mysia, handsome young Hylas was abducted by water nymphs and vanished below the waters of a stream.
Heartbroken Herakles went mad with grief, bellowing "Hylas! Hylas!" and ripping out trees as he frantically searched for his beloved. He never abandoned his search, and his cries of "Hylas! Hylas!" continue to echo through the ages every time we say the word "alas!"
Hadrian and his beloved drowned Antinous have always been associated with Herakles and his beloved drowned Hylas. And so ... alas! ... the Religion of Antinous is profoundly and irrevocably associated with tragedy and with grief. That is the reason why the sculptures of the Beauteous Boy never show him smiling and boyish. He always gazes off to one side, his head tilted slightly downward, with a wistful and slightly melancholy expression on his face.
It's as if he is always whispering, "Alas!"
And so it is fitting that the Ecclesia Antinoi Annals of Saints and Martyrs and Exemplars includes the names of many, many people who have died under tragic circumstances.
Some died of overdoses or suicide. Others, such as the gay college student Matthew Shepard who was bludgeoned to death in Wyoming, were murdered simply because they were gay.
In Iran, coming out is tantamount to a death sentence.
Many, many others have been taken by the scourge of AIDS.
And still others on our list, Aula Sancti Ecclesiae Antinoi, have suffered and died because they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
On September 11th we remember those gay and lesbian men and women who have died in terrorist attacks.
They include the gay waiters and pastry chefs in the Windows on the World restaurant on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center, and also the gay and lesbian office workers in the Twin Towers, and the gay passengers and crew aboard the hijacked planes.
They also include the gay victims of the subsequent bombings and atrocities in London, Madrid, Orlando and many other cities.
We don't know the names of most of those people. But one name stands out: Mark "Bear Trap" Bingham.
Mark, 31, was a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and was flying home to see his mother.
He made a phone call to his mother. He was so distracted by the chaos on board the plane that he identified himself by his full name, saying, "Hi, Mom, this is Mark Bingham."
He just had time to tell her he loved her and that his plane was being hijacked before the phone call abruptly ended.
Mark was a big man at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 225 pounds (102 kg) and was a rugged rugby athlete. He is believed to have been among the passengers who attempted to storm the cockpit to try to prevent the hijackers from using the plane to kill hundreds or thousands of additional victims.
That assumption is based on the fact that his lover of six years said he had repeatedly fought back against muggers and gay bashers and that Mark definitely would not have surrendered to his fate without first putting up a fight. "Mark was a fighter. He hated to lose ... at anything!"
Mark Bingham may never have even heard of Antinous, and the Ecclesia Antinoi had not been founded yet before he died. He most definitely never expected to be remembered as a gay martyr. And he scarcely could have imagined being memorialized in movies and on websites and in books and TV docu-dramas.
He surely never expected to become a symbol and an icon. But that is what he has become.
And so, on September 11th, we remember Mark "Bear Trap" Bingham as a symbol for all those gay people who happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when terrorists strike — as can happen to any of us.
Like Mark (and like Herakles, for that matter), we fight and struggle to do the best we can in our day-to-day lives, but sometimes things just turn out far differently from anything we could ever imagine. Sometimes tragically so ... Alas!
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
THE EQUESTRIAN MOON OF ANTINOUS
THE SAGITTARIUS FIRST QUARTER MOON
THE SAGITTARIUS FIRST QUARTER MOON
In Antinous Moon Magic, each lunar phase represents a spiritual archetype. We call this First Quarter Sagittarius Moon the EQUESTRIAN MOON.
The Equestrian Moon is the best night of the year for blessings involving travel.
Bless your faithful car, bike, boat ... or your beloved horse!
This is the day to meditate or do a ritual involving a house move, change of jobs or relocation.
On a deeper level, this lunar phase speaks of your spiritual movement, astral travel and astral projection ... this Moon says: "Try it, you can do it!"
Here's a lovely depiction of the Equestrian Moon symbolism from Italian artist Giorgio Tavaglione's L'ORACOLO DELLA SIBILLA oracle cards.
IT'S YELLOW JASPER & AMETHYST
FOR THE EQUESTRIAN MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
FOR THE EQUESTRIAN MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
OUR well traveled astrological expert Hernestus has prompted me that the coming moon phase is theEquestrian Moon (Sagittarius First Quarter Moon). It will bring thoughts of travel - both physical and spiritual journeys.
GAY TEEN MARTYR JOÃO ANTÔNIO DONATI
FIRST BRAZILIAN SAINT OF ANTINOUS
FIRST BRAZILIAN SAINT OF ANTINOUS
ON September 10th we remember the brutal mutilation murder of a gay teenager on this date in 2014 in Brazil ... the first official saint of Antinous in Brazil.
The death of 18-year-old JOÃO ANTÔNIO DONATI galvanized worshipers of Antinous into proclaiming him the first martyr saint of Antinous in Brazil.
His severely beaten body was found in the city of Inhumas in the state of Goiás with his neck fractured and both legs broken and with his mouth and trachea stuffed with a plastic bag and a paper note, on which had been scrawled an anti-gay hate message saying that this is what should happen to all queers.
His horrific bruises, lacerations and contusions showed that he had put up a desperate struggle against his attackers.
On the same day that João was killed, two other gays were beaten and a transvestite was murdered in the same state. But the images of João's smiling Facebook selfies instantly touched the hearts of millions.
Outrage swept the nation, with protest marches and vigils held in numerous cities.
Brazil has the largest Antinous faith community in the non-English speaking world, and adherents of Antinous have taken the unprecedented move of proclaiming João the first Saint of Antinous in Brazil.
Brazilian Novitiate Priest DECO RIBEIRO says more than 300 LGBTIU victims of homophobic murders were reported in Brazil in 2015 alone, though the true figure is unknown.
"Hundreds more have died since then," says Deco. "Each and every one of these is a martyr who is symbolized by João Antônio Donati. He was a vibrant young man filled with all the hopes and dreams of so many his age, and who became yet another victim of homophobia in Brazil, and who so deeply touched us that we have been moved to initiate something in our country that has long been in the offing: the Declaration of Apotheosis and canonization of the martyrs of homophobia in Brazil."
Noting that anti-gay hate crimes and murders are frequent in Brazil, Deco says: "This is the first statement and official nomination amid many others that will follow continuously over time honoring the names of many victims who have died in the past and who inevitably will be murdered in the future."
Though Brazil passed same-sex marriage into law in May 2014, homophobic attacks and transphobic attacks are still common.
Monday, September 9, 2024
'QUINTILIE VARE, LEGIONES REDDE!'
COINS CONFIRM SITE OF TEUTOBURG BATTLE
COINS CONFIRM SITE OF TEUTOBURG BATTLE
The defeat of the crack troops, who were led to their deaths by ex-Consul Publius Quinctilius Varus, effectively changed the course of Western Civilization.
Prior to 9 AD, Emperor Augustus Caesar pursued a course of military expansion across the Rhine and into central and northern Europe. After 9 AD, the Rhine became the frontier between the "civilized" Roman world and the "barbaric" lands to the east and north.
Prior to becoming emperor, Hadrian himself had served a stint of duty along the Rhine. As emperor, he consolidated the borders of the empire and his forces never ventured across the Rhine into across-the-Rhine Germania.
Historians have always referred to the Battle of Teutoburg Forest as a defining moment which affected the course of history.
It has even been cited as a factor in both world wars, especially by the French and British, who considered themselves to have a Roman heritage, as opposed to the Germans, whom war propagandists condemned as the descendants of barbarians.
As a result, Germany was never incorporated into the Roman Empire, leaving that region a breeding ground for barbarian incursions which eventually would bring down the empire and eventually (according to Allied war-time propaganda) result in two world wars.
Arminius, known as Herrmann to the Germans, has indeed come down through German history as a heroic symbol of liberty and German national strength. Herrmann turned back the Roman occupation forces forever, according to the popular interpretation by German nationalists.
In the late 19th and early 20th Century, unscrupulous German leaders used Hermann as a rallying figure in wars of aggression.
A monument near the site of the Teutoburg Forest battlefield celebrates Herrmann as a national hero. Thousands of German tourists visit the site annually. And the regional soccer team (in Bielefeld) is called Bielefeld Arminia. "Armin" is a popular name for German boys to this day.
Archaeologists in recent years have determined the exact location of the battle near the modern village of Engter north of the city of Osnabrueck. Bones, weapons and armour from the fleeing soldiers of the XVII, XVIII and XIX Legions are strewn along a narrow 17-km-long stretch of marshy woodlands bounded by confining hills to the north and south.
Now the coins definitely confirm that location.
Arminius had been educated in Rome and had become a trusted friend of Varus. The idea was that raising future chieftains in Rome would bond them to Rome when they returned to their families on the frontier.
Arminius was an example of how that policy could backfire and result in knowledge of Roman ways being used against the Romans. Arminius ingratiated himself with Varus, who was one of the most influential men in Rome, a friend of Augustus Caesar himself.
It was that trust in Arminius which resulted in Varus leading a punitive expedition into an indefensible, boggy forest without sentries or reinforcements ... on advice of his trusted friend Arminius.
In the resulting massacre, Roman soldiers fled for their lives. Most were cut down in the mud. Blue markings in the graphic show where Roman bodies and armament have been found.
Those who survived were sold into slavery or else were placed in wicker cages and burned alive as sacrifices to the Germanic deities.
Reports of the battle are sketchy for the simple reason that almost no one survived to report what had happened.
Never before had three entire legions been wiped out in a single battle. The defeat was so devastating that the numbers of the Legions XVII, XVIII and XIX were retired forever, never again to appear in the Roman Army's order of battle.
Augustus was so traumatized by the loss of three elite legions that he went into a prolonged state of mourning as though for a beloved son ... he tore his clothes, refused to cut his hair for months and, for years afterwards, was heard to moan from time to time, "Quintilie Vare, legiones redde!" ("Quinctilius Varus, give me back my Legions!").
This scene from the epic BBC/PBS mini-series I, Claudius dramatically recreates how Augustus received the news:
Sunday, September 8, 2024
THE SEMEN OF THE FIRST GOD
TRULY IS IN HIS BODY
TRULY IS IN HIS BODY
ANTINOUS must have heard the many wondrous creation stories which the Egyptians told him during that fateful journey up the Nile.
The Egyptians had many creation stories, ranging from dry land appearing in the midst of the primeval ocean to the "Great Cackler" laying an enormous egg.
Our own favorite (and the one with the closest bearing on Antinous) is probably the least-well known of all of them, involving as it does an act of masturbation.
If you've never heard about it, it's because Victorian and Edwardian Egyptologists were so shocked by it that they referred to it only in Greek or Latin footnotes — if at all.
For a hoot, read Wallis Budge's embarrassed attempts to tell the story in English using words no stronger than "onanism" and "seed".
Hernestus once knew a Harvard teaching assistant who taught Beginner's Hieroglyphs at the Cambridge Adult Education School and who delighted in titillating his students (mostly lonely-hearts straight women and a couple of gay men) by demonstrating reflexive verbs in Middle Egyptian with the sentence: "The God Loved Himself With His Hand" and assigning homework that involved copying out the text with particular attention to the glyph showing testicles attached to an erect penis with a fountain of semen gushing forth from its end.
Here's the gist of the story:
The Great Creator sits alone, having not yet created anything, when the creative urge comes upon him and his penis throbs into a massive erection, which he strokes to ecstatic climax, sending his silvery semen flying into his mouth, whereupon he speaks the magical words that create the first "neteru" (gods) and all the universe.
"In the Beginning was the Word" is the way the New Testament puts it in a somewhat more family-friendly version of the same story.
It is this "essence of magical creation," which the Egyptians call "heka," which invigorates everything we do. It is liquid heka which flows through the desert in the form of the annual inundation of the Nile, creating life from barrenness.
Budge and the others translated "heka" as "magic," which is misleading and simplistic. But then they also translated "neteru" as "gods," which is also misleading since English is such a young language (scarcely 1,600 years old) that its linguistic concept of "god" necessarily reflects Christian attitudes.
An Egyptian or a Greek or Roman of Antinous's day might have been more comfortable with Medieval infatuation with Spheres of Angels and Archangels or with the Catholic panoply of Saints. The Egyptians might have thought that more like the divine agents they called "neteru."
The "neter" associated with the annual inundation of the Nile is the transgender deity Hapi. To our mind, and we believe to the minds of the Ancient Egyptians, Hapi is one of the most wonderful and beautiful of the "neteru."
Hapi's most distinctive attribute is bluish-green skin and a towering headdress consisting of papyrus and lotus plants which seem to shoot out of the crown of Hapi's head the way those plants do from the waters of the Nile.
As a transgender deity, Hapi has a robust male physique with athletic legs, narrow waist, broad shoulders and sinewy arms.
But Hapi also has the pendulous breasts of a nursing mother and the round belly of an expectant one. Sometimes Hapi has the short-cropped hair of a man, but more often Hapy is depicted with long hair cascading over both shoulders almost to the waist.
Very strikingly, Hapi effortlessly holds before him/herself a platter heaped high with incredible amounts of crops, beverages, groceries and produce, often including casks of wine, sheaves of wheat and even entire sides of beef.
Just as the Egyptians had no problems thinking that the universe and the neteru (and ultimately they themselves) were all products of primordial masturbation, they also had no problems thinking that their lives depended on a transgender deity who was, in essence, their mother/father and provider of everything they put in their mouths and clothed their bodies with.
It is a popular misconception to try to fit Isis and Osiris into the roles of Mother Earth goddess and Great Father god who bring forth riches from a bountiful Earth. That is an alien concept to the Egyptians, for whom the Earth was a desert. Our own English word "desert" comes directly from the Ancient Egyptian "desheret" — meaning the "Red Land" of sunrise and sunset.
It was only divine "heka" flowing through this barrenness that permitted life to thrive in a verdant valley called the "Black Land" or "Kemet," from which the Arabs derived "al-Chem" and our words "alchemy" and "chemistry" come.
As Herodotus said: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile," by which he meant: "Egypt is the gift of Hapi."
So when Antinous plunges into the Nile on that fateful October day, he becomes becomes one with Hapi. Antinous and the transgender source of all life merge and flow into each other.
Antinous opens his mouth and his nostrils and allows himself to be filled with heka which, after all, is the semen of the Great Creator himself.
The hieroglyphs on the OBELISK OF ANTINOUS proclaim that Antinous can assume any form his heart desires "for the Semen of the First God Truly is in His body!"
It's the ultimate seminal experience.
And it is Antinous's unique gift to us as gay men. He asks us to take the plunge with him and to explore what words like "god" and "magic" really mean.
Saturday, September 7, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JERMAINE STEWART
WHO TAUGHT US 'THE WORD IS OUT'
WHO TAUGHT US 'THE WORD IS OUT'
We honor Jermaine Stewart for his courage and for his talent and for his audacity at being an in-your-face '80s gay style icon. Besides, not even Diana Ross had this many costume changes in a four-minute music video:
Friday, September 6, 2024
EGYPTIANS REALLY DID WEAR WAX CONES
ON THEIR HEADS, NEW FIND CONFIRMS
ON THEIR HEADS, NEW FIND CONFIRMS
ANCIENT Egyptians really did wear wax cones on their heads, according to archaeologists who have found two bodies at Amarna ... a mere 20 kilometers from Antinoopolis ... which have beeswax cones on their heads.
The exact purpose of these cones is unknown, although it has been assumed they were soaked with perfume which slowly released its scent as the cones melted on the wearers' heads.
But many experts have believed the cones never truly existed ... but were only iconographic symbols on the wall murals of Egyptian tombs.
But the discovery proves the wax cones were real.
The team of archaeologists, in collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities, analysed these head cones, which were discovered in Akhetaten (now known as El-Amarna). The cones, made of beeswax, were found in a non-royal grave.
According to team leader Anna Stevens of Monash University in Melbourne, "By melting and cleansing the hair, the cones might have ritually purified the individual, placing them in an appropriate state to participate in rituals."
While the discovery of these cones shed new light on the headwear of people in Ancient Egypt, their exact purpose is still unconfirmed, raising more questions than they answer.
Amarna was built by the pharaoh Akhenaten and occupied for only 15 years, (1347-1332 BC).
But despite this brief existence, the city contains thousands of graves, including those of many non-elites.
Archaeologists from the Amarna Project have been working with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to investigate them, shedding light on the ordinary people of ancient Egypt.
Thursday, September 5, 2024
ASTRO FORECAST: SEPTEMBER 5th—15th, 2024
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.
SEPT. 5th to 15th, 2024
THURSDAY, September 5th, 2024
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 4th November 2024, when it will enter lively Leo.
FRIDAY, September 6th, 2024
This weekend, vengeance and enmity ignite when Mercury and Uranus are in a 90-degree right angle to each other. People act impulsively without thinking of the consequences ... consequences they will surely regret.
SAT-SUNDAY, September 7th-8th, 2024
This weekend we come to our annual reality check when the Sun is in 180-degree opposition to Saturn. The result is that Saturn floods you with doubts and caution while the Sun showers you with over-confidence and over-optimism. You find yourself wanting desperately to achieve long-stalled goals ... but you are plagued by doubts and insecurities. You crave recognition, but you find it difficult to cope with praise. And because Saturn is retrograde, problems from the past come back to haunt you.
MONDAY, September 9th, 2024
This week, Mercury leaves selfish Leo and enters compassionate Virgo. It has been said that Virgo Mercury is like having a cyber-servant or surrogate replicant who anticipates all your inter-personal communications needs and rushes to your beck and call. Mercury will be in Virgo until September 26th, which means you can expect advice and supportive suggestions for "upgrading" your cognitive and communications skills for the coming weeks.As soon as it enters Virgo, Mercury is in a sextile aspect to Mars to help you get your point across articulately and strongly to others. And because Mercury is Retrograde, you can rehash, rewrite or revise proposals and re-present them to your best advantage
TUES-WEDNESDAY, September 10th-11th, 2024
Overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, we come to the Sagittarius First Quarter Moon, which we call the EQUESTRIAN MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... the Lunar Phase we associate with spiritual movement and progress, astral travel and astral projection ... On the material level, this Lunar Phase is excellent for making travel plans and for carrying out rituals for a safe journey with bountiful spiritual rewards ... or at least for washing that vehicle of yours.
THURS-FRIDAY, September 12th-13th, 2024
This week, the Sun is in a 90-degree right angle to Jupiter. This configuration provides great opportunities for success but also some tests of character. You can be very fortunate but also have to make your own luck. Lucky breaks and popularity can lead to an inflated ego and other excesses in life. For example, you may have a tendency to over-estimate your own abilities or resources. This could lead to a scattering of energy or wasting money on unnecessary luxuries. There may also be a tendency to accumulate possessions such as collections of a special thing, coins, figurines etc. It may be that your beliefs and morals become over the top and cause difficulties with others. Excessive behaviors are most problematic because these are more likely to affect your close relationships. Overconfidence can get in the way of making lasting friendships. The key to dealing with the excessive nature of Jupiter is moderation. You can still maintain a healthy ego but you won’t want to let excess and pride damage your standing in the world. Jupiter is testing your ego. Any arrogance or boastfulness may actually be covering for a wounded ego, or a lack of self-confidence. Yes, you do wish to be of importance, to be famous or wealthy and to receive the praise and ovation you deserve. They key to dealing with this aspect, apart from moderation, is to not get ahead of yourself. Focus your energy on doing the groundwork, the daily grind needed to perfect your special gifts.
SAT-SUNDAY, September 14th-15th, 2024
This weekend, Venus trine Jupiter offers a ray of hope. On the positive side: you can trust your intuition to buy a lottery ticket. But on the less positive side, you don't know when to stop and squander your hard-earned money on a big risk.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between September 16th and 22nd, 2024, when we come to the Pisces Full Moon ... In heterosexual astrology, the Pisces Full Moon is just a moon of sensual spiritual energy. But in Antinous Gay Moon Magic, this is the HOMOTHEOSIS MOON ... the archetype of gay sexuality ... when your sexual dreams can come true ... This hot Full Moon tells you it may be time to take your relationship to a whole new level ... This lunar phase helps you to deepen your love relationships in meaningful ways, making constructive compromises which allow each partner freedom while strengthening the bonds which unite you both ... More details next time ....
ROMULUS SHRINE TO JUPITER LOCATED
AT BASE OF PALATINE IN ROME
AT BASE OF PALATINE IN ROME
IN the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month of the year in counting March as the first. Among the festivals observed in September were several honoring Jupiter.
He was hailed as the chief of the gods and had many epithets as a result.
The ruins of the shrine to Jupiter Stator (Jupiter the Stayer), believed to date to 750 BC, were found by a Rome University team led by Andrea Carandini.
"We believe this is the temple that legend says Romulus erected to the king of the gods after the Romans held their ground against the furious Sabines fighting to get their women back after the famous Rape (abduction)," Carandini said in the Archeologia Viva (Living Archaeology) journal.
Historians have always been intrigued by ancient references to the temple, but never knew precisely where it was located or what it looked like. The lithograph above is a fanciful 19th Century idea of its possible appearance.
According to myth, Romulus founded Rome in 753 BC and the wifeless first generation of Roman men raided nearby Sabine tribes for their womenfolk, an event that has been illustrated in art down the centuries.
Carandini added: "It is also noteworthy that the temple appears to be shoring up the Palatine, as if in defence".
Rome's great and good including imperial families lived on the Palatine, overlooking the Forum.
Long after its legendary institution by Romulus, the cult of Jupiter the Stayer fueled Roman troops in battle, forging the irresistible military might that conquered most of the ancient known world.
In the article in Archeologia Viva, Carandini's team said they might also have discovered the ruins of the last Palatine house Julius Caesar lived in - the one he left on the Ides of March, 44BC, on his way to death in the Senate.