WE RAISE A TOAST TO ANTINOUS AT THE AURA PLACIDUS WINE FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 5th is Aura Placidus, the autumnal feast of Dionysus, deity of liberation and ecstatic transcendence over death as symbolized by divine intoxication. 

Aura Placidus means "gentle breeze" and today is a day to simply enjoy a day of rest. 

For Dionysus, it was a day of rest after the gathering of the grapes and preparing them for fermentation ... and maybe having a taste or two, just to see how it was getting on.

The Aura Placidus was celebrated with singing, dancing and games ... and with much feasting and drinking.

Antinous traditionally has been identified with Dionysus "Twice Born" of mortal woman and divine radiance. 

Antinous/Dionysus reminds you that you are HOMOTHEOSIS ... Gay Man Godliness Becoming the Same in Divine Radiance.

Today we take a break, sit back, and toast Antinous/Dionysus the divine liberator!

ANTINOUS LOVED ANIMALS

OCTOBER 4th is World Animal Day #WorldAnimalDay.

Here, we see how Antinous harvests grapes as a dog looks up at him adoringly, and who can blame it? 

This is the Lanuvium bas-relief. Its inscription describes a group loosely translated as the Companions of Antinous.

The inscription says Antinous was born on November 27th. That is how we know his birthday. 

Join Antinous in loving all creatures!

O Dia Mundial dos Animais: Antinous e cão no basuário Lanuvium. Junte-se a Antinous em amar todas as criaturas! ... El Día del Animal o Día Mundial de los Animales: Antinous y perro en el basrelief de Lanuvium. ¡Únete a Antinoos para amar a todas las criaturas! #worldanimalday  🐶🦊🦁🐵🐔🐥🐼🐷🐨🐸🐝🐞🐍🐌🦋🐙🐠🐁🐢🐯🦇🐫🐳🌍❤️

THE FESTIVAL OF THE TOMB OF OSIRIS

THE 3rd of October is the feast of the Netjer Arriving at Abydos (site of the Tomb of Osiris) in Egypt which we commemorate because Antinous has always been equated with Osiris as deity of transcendence over death.

This Egyptian festival is part of the re-enactment of the legend of Isis and Osiris.

Today the body of Osiris would be brought by boat up the Nile accompanied by Isis, Nephthys and other mourners, priests and priestesses to the ancient burial site of Abydos. It was here that the Mystery of the death of the god, and his burial, took place.

This represented the triumph of Osiris over death. An effigy of Osiris was removed from his temple and processed along the Nile to the jubilation of crowds lining the river banks.

Not many people realized that there is a symbolic Tomb of Osiris which was a pilgrimage site for millions of Egyptians over the centuries.

Many Egyptians even designed their own tombs to be a REPLICA TOMB OF OSIRIS.

Just as people make pilgrimages to the Ganges, Mecca, Lourdes and other sites today, the Ancient Egyptians made pilgrimages to Abydos to make offerings.

Many pharaohs also built symbolic tombs at Abydos in addition to their actual tombs in Thebes, Memphis and elsewhere.

Antinous died before reaching Abydos. Did Hadrian weep at the mysterious Osireion Tomb Of Osiris behind this temple? Did he bury Antinous in this most holy of Egyptian cities? Is the Lost Tomb of Antinous hidden in the "wadi" (arroyo) on the edge of the western desert where so many Egyptians buried their loved ones to be close to Osiris? 

The Tomb of Osiris is a subterranean chamber fed by an underground channel from the nearby Nile, which created a moat inside the chamber. The chamber was accessed by priests via a long, dark passageway.

A mound of earth covered the tomb, symbolizing the original mound which rises out of the cosmic depths in the Egyptian creation myths. 

The mound, which is a feature of illustrations in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, is thought to be the inspiration for the first pyramids.

But that raises the controversial issue of the true age of the Tomb of Osiris, an issue hotly disputed by experts.

At nearby Antinoopolis, archaeologists have detected a "deliberately buried" structure with ground-penetrating radar in February and suggested it could be an OSIREION ... symbolic Tomb of Osiris ... raising hopes that this could be the Lost Tomb of Antinous.

ASTRO FORECAST: OCTOBER 3rd—13th, 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.

Antinous Astrology Forecast

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OCTOBER 3rd to 13th, 2024

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THURS-FRIDAY, October 3rd-4th, 2024

This week, suspicious Scorpio Venus forms a productive trine aspect with Pisces Saturn. Venus trine Saturn helps you perceive whom you can trust for the long run and it helps you remember that business can be a pleasure.

SAT-SUNDAY, October 5th-6th, 2024

This weekend, Mercury is at right angles to Mars. 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.

MONDAY, October 7th, 2024

This week, Venus trine Mars creates a magical moment. It is possible now to take a balanced approach to conflict, problems and projects that require effort. This can combine both a gentle touch and firm action, sensitivity and forcefulness. Negotiation and interaction with others could be aggressive and determined now, but also balanced with sensitivity and style. Any expressions of anger, frustration or discontent are more likely to be tempered with fairness, moderation and composure.

TUESDAY, October 8th, 2024

This week, Mercury forms a fortuitous trine aspect with lucky Jupiter. Even if you usually never play the lottery, you might want to consider buying a lotto ticket for this week. And because Jupiter turns retrograde this week, you may find an old lottery ticket between the cushions of your sofa that turns out to be a jackpot winner.

WEDNESDAY, October 9th, 2024

This week, Jupiter turns around in space and goes "backwards" (as seen from Earth) from now until 4th February 2025. Retrograde Jupiter occurs once every 13 months and last about four months. Retrograde Jupiter shines a spotlight on areas of the world ... and on people ... who have become consumed with greed, gluttony, megalomania and addiction. Everyone becomes aware of these vices and now there is an opportunity to remedy them Overall, Jupiter retrograde is very promising for achieving growth and happiness in a particular area of life that is important to you now. Unexpected good fortune is at hand with work, travel, education or a new relationship. Whatever your hopes for the future may be, this year's Jupiter Retrograde is an opportunity to make great leaps towards living out your dreams. If your goals are unrealistic, deceitful or greedy, then the Jupiter direct phase may result in disappointment and loss. Even if you are travelling on the right path at this stage, you will be reminded how important it is to be happy and content with what you have. Jupiter retrograde requires introspection and an awareness that inner, spiritual growth is necessary for your hopes and dreams to materialize.

THURSDAY, October 10th, 2024

This week, we come to the CAPRICORN FIRST QUARTER MOON. In Antinous Moon Magic, we call this the MERCHANT MOON which offers you an opportunity to reap the benefits of your hard work — and find new opportunities for material advancement.

FRIDAY, October 11th, 2024

This week, the LGBTQIA spiritual revolution gets a big boost when Pluto turns direct after having been Retrograde (going "backwards" as seen from Earth) since 2nd May 2024. Moving "forward" again helps to heal past transgressions and bring closure. The special meaning for LGBTQIA people comes from the fact that Pluto has been aligned with the star of Antinous in the sign of Capricorn for much of 2024 ... sending transformative healing energies that can radically alter gay spirituality for centuries to come. Pluto takes more than 250 years to orbit the Sun. To give you some perspective, the last time Pluto was in Capricorn was in the late 18th Century ... the dawning of the Age of Reason and the revolutions in France and America. This time around, Capricorn Pluto is once again revolutionizing global political and economic structures along with belief systems. This is an opportunity for LGBT advancement that will not come again in our lifetimes. Seize the opportunity for transformational healing to prepare you for the world that will exist when Pluto leaves Capricorn and re-enters Aquarius on 19th November 2024. More on how Capricorn Pluto and the Star of Antinous can change your life: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS.

SATURDAY, October 12th, 2024

This weekend, Mercury is in a 90-degree square aspect to Capricorn Pluto which benefits negotiations of all kinds. However, con men to try to pull a fast one on gullible souls. If you are gullible, then watch out. If you are a con man, then this is your day to shine. Pluto has been aligned with the star of Antinous in the sign of Capricorn for much of 2024 ... sending transformative healing energies that can radically alter gay spirituality for centuries to come. Pluto takes more than 250 years to orbit the Sun. To give you some perspective, the last time Pluto was in Capricorn was in the late 18th Century ... the dawning of the Age of Reason and the revolutions in France and America. This time around, Capricorn Pluto is once again revolutionizing global political and economic structures along with belief systems. This is an opportunity for LGBT advancement that will not come again in our lifetimes. Seize the opportunity for transformational healing to prepare you for the world that will exist when Pluto leaves Capricorn and re-enters Aquarius ... on 19 November 2024. More on how Capricorn Pluto and the Star of Antinous can change your life: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS.

SUNDAY, October 13th, 2024

This weekend Mercury wings his way out of airy Libra and plunges into the murky depths of Scorpio where he transforms into canine-headed Hermanubis to sniff out dark mysteries with his keen nose and hear whispered secrets with his powerful ears. On the global level, you can expect public revelations of dark secrets during the coming weeks. And on the personal level, you can expect to see which of your friends are faithful and will stick by you when the chips are down ... and which ones will back off and just leave you standing there alone. Now is the time to talk about all of those shadows and skeletons hiding in the closet. They will be crawling out and rearing their head regardless, so why not work with them so they don’t work against you?

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between October 14th and 20th, 2024, when we come to the ARIES FULL MOON which amps up the tension levels 100 percent! Be careful: In Antinous Moon Magic we call this the LIGHTNING MOON for the bolt of lightning which nearly killed Hadrian and Antinous atop Mount Cassius at the autumnal Solstice of the year 129 AD. The LIGHTNING MOON is the most impetuous and accident-prone moon of the year. On a brighter note, however, be sure to buy a lottery ticket when the Sun forms a sextile aspect with lucky Jupiter. Keep your eyes open for opportunities for good fortune ... More details next time ....

LOOK INTO THE EYES OF A GAY PERSON AND YOU SEE ANTINOUS LOOKING BACK

OUR Flamen Antonius Subia likes to say that when you look into the eyes of a gay person, you see Antinous looking back at you. (Portrait entitled "Restored Antinoos" above by Damylion.)

And that means Antinous is the one who looks out of my eyes and out of your eyes and out of everyone's eyes ... that Antinous is the beholder and the beheld ... Antinous is the same center.

You know that when you look at another human being, and you look straight into their eyes, it feels uncomfortable. There's something embarrassing about looking into someone's eyes too closely.

It's as though you might find out who that person really is. And what do you suppose that would be?

Do you suppose that another person who looks deeply into your eyes will read all the things you're ashamed of, all your faults, all the things you are guilty of? Or is there some deeper secret than that?

The eyes are our most sensitive organ, and when you look and look into another gay person's eyes you are looking at the most beautiful jewels in the universe.

And if you look down beyond that surface beauty, it's the most beautiful jewel in the universe for the simple reason that it is Antinous the Gay God looking at you.

We are the eyes of Antinous. So in a way, when you look deeply into somebody's eyes, you're looking deep into yourself, and the other person is looking deeply into the same self ... Antinous the Gay God.

THE TRIPOD MOON OF ANTINOUS THE LIBRA NEW MOON OF INDECISION

TONIGHT's Libra New Moon is the Lunar Phase we call the TRIPOD MOON in Antinous Moon Magic in honor of the clouds of incense with which three-footed incense braziers filled the Ancient Temples of Antinous.

The clouds of incense created a sacred other-worldly atmosphere of intoxication and purification.

By its burning, incense symbolized the zeal of the followers of Antinous, its sweet fragrance echoed the "scent of sanctity" believed to be exuded by the Most Great and Good God.

Its rising smoke symbolized the ascent of prayers to Antinous. 

Also, incense creates a cloud, which is another symbol for the altered state of the Divine. Incense blocks out everyday concerns of the rational mind and opens the heart to the Divine. Your soul is flooded by so many impressions that rational thought becomes clouded.

The Libra New Moon symbolizes those situations in which you find it hard to make decisions, you cannot pick an item from a menu because "it all looks so good" so you let others decide for you. This Lunar Phase is important in showing you how to "clear away the clouds" so that clear decision-making is possible.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Tripod Moon is the Spirit of Vapors and Clouds. This Spirit is intangible, hard to grasp, impossible to pin down. It is a Will-O'-the-Wisp. This Spirit is amorphous and formless, only vaguely discernible like the ectoplasm of a ghost.

It does not have its head in the clouds, but rather it is the clouds themselves. This Spirit has trouble making decisions, not because it  cannot see any options, but rather because it can see every option and the ramifications of every decision. This Spirit has problems seeing clearly precisely because it see too much.

The keywords during this Lunar Phase are: Clouded thinking. Confusion. Distraction. Indecision. Doubts. Angst. Worries. Altered Consciousness. Smoke Screen. Haziness. Fog.

Meditation, rituals, smudge ceremonies and especially aromatherapy carried out during this Lunar Phase help to "clear the fog" about making important decisions as well as cleansing and purifying yourself and your sacred environment.

TRY THIS NEW MOON WISH RITUAL By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

TONIGHT is the Libra New Moon ... the Tripod Moon of magic and mystery when dreams and visions rise like vapors from an incense burner ... which is why we call it the Tripod Moon ... for the three-legged incense burners in ancient temples.

Every New Moon my love Soman and I write down our intentions and aspirations for the coming moon phase. 

We stand under the moon and read an incantation over them asking for the blessing of the goddess.

We then place them under the pillows we sleep on until the next Full Moon ... in two weeks' time.

Then we read an incantation of thanks and offering while burning the intentions in a cauldron. I then soak the ashes in water and sprinkle them around the base of our roses. 

Our intentions almost always come true and our roses are magnificent. One year, one orange rose was still flowering in mid November!

So tonight might be a very good night to start such a cycle for yourselves folks!

Love and Moon Light

MARTIN

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

BLESSED ORPHEUS THE GOD

 

"Three times the sun had ended the year, in watery Pisces, and Orpheus had abstained from the love of women, either because things ended badly for him, or because he had sworn to do so. 

"Yet, many felt a desire to be joined with the poet, and many grieved at rejection. 

"Indeed, he was the first of the Thracian people to transfer his love to young boys, and enjoy their brief springtime, and early flowering, this side of manhood." 

- Ovid: the Metamorphoses 

~SVBIA

ANTINOUS AND THE ORPHIC MYSTERIES

ON THIS DAY, October 1st, the beginning of the holy month of the Sacred Nights of Antinous, we venerate Orpheus. 

Antinous our God was initiated into the cult of Orpheus so that his teachings became part of the Religion of Antinous, and therefore we receive the salvation that Orpheus accomplished through our god Antinous, the New Dionysus.

It is on this date that the Religion of Antinous remembers the blessed heritage of The Orphic Mysteries, into which Hadrian and Antinous were both initiated.  

The Orphic Mysteries teach that human souls are divine and immortal but doomed to live (for a period) in a "grievous circle" of successive bodily existences through reincarnation. 

This belief that each of us is divine and immortal — Man-Godliness-Becoming-One — is the mystery which Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia calls HOMOTHEOSIS. 

By welcoming this divine force instead of rejecting it, we take the first step away from our instinctive animalistic fearful self on the long road to becoming a Shining One of Heaven.

Hadrian and Antinous must have known by heart the story of Orpheus in the Underworld: Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope, and from his father he received the Lyre and the gift of music. 

So powerful was the music of Orpheus that he could tame the hearts of beasts and birds and his song enchanted even the trees and stones.

He was one of the Argonauts who, together with Jason, retrieved the Golden Fleece. Returning from the journey, he married Euridice, but the marriage was short-lived because while fleeing the Shepherd God Aristaios (ironically also often depicted as a form of Antinous in ancient times), who was attempting to rape her, she was bitten by a snake hidden in the grass and died. 

Orpheus was so overwhelmed with grief that he used his powers of enchantment to travel to the underworld to bring back his wife.

His music soothed the three-headed dog, and gained his entry into the dark hall of Hades and Persephone. There he sang to the rulers of the underworld, and his song touched the cold heart of the Lady of Death. Persephone decreed that he could lead his wife out of hell provided that he did not turn to see her following.

Orpheus, singing as he went, very nearly succeeded, but at the last moment, at the very gate of darkness, he turned and saw his wife vanish back into oblivion.

Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia tells the rest of the story, and why it is important to us:

From that moment Orpheus was a changed man, he became a priest of Dionysus, and gave himself over to intoxication, completely shunning the company of women, and separating himself from the customs of the world. Orpheus is said to have been the first to sanctify homosexuality as an indulgence that frees the soul from  continued reincarnation through the procreation of the flesh. His journey through the underworld gave him a deep detestation of death that he developed into a new philosophy. Orpheus taught that we were all children of the fallen star Dionysus-Zagreus, who had been torn to pieces by the Titans and consumed by them so that his light was mingled throughout their flesh. Zeus struck the Titans down with his lightning and from their ashes arose mankind, fashioned by Prometheus.
So that we will never suffer the fate of passing into the realm of Hades, Orpheus taught that we must restrain our titanic nature and restore the purity of our godliness, we must become Bachkoi, which is that we must become Dionysus again. A pure life, free from murder, including blood sacrifice and the eating of meat is required, and we must undergo initiation into the blessed rites which he inaugurated.
Although part of the religion of Dionysus, the Orphic cult was limited to men. Orpheus wrote volumes of sacred poems that comprised the heart of his new religion. The Orphic cult was a combination of the freedom and indulgence of Dionysus, tempered with the high-minded nobility of Apollo.The Orphics denied the world and set their minds on the inner light of Dionysus so as to liberate the soul from imprisonment within the flesh.

You can see the parallels between the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and the true-life story of Hadrian and Antinous. The emperor mourned and wept and sought to bring his Beloved Boy back to the world of the living. 

Hadrian's route through the Underworld was of a purely spiritual nature. He recognized that Antinous had always been Divine — a fact which is a tenet of The Orphic Mysteries. He decided to establish a religion which would enable the followers of Antinous to become aware of their own Divine Nature and to become one with ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD.

It is indeed ironic that this beautiful religion was born out of Hadrian's inconsolable grief. But the divine regenerative sacred force of this phenomenon is the secret behind the Tarot Trump called Death.

Death occurs in so many forms. We experience Death in some form every day of our lives. Loss of job. Loss of a lover. Loss of a friendship. Loss of money or status. Loss of confidence in ourselves ....

Your grief can be the powerful Gnosis which makes you remember that you are the musician. You are the dancer. You are that which has died and entered the Underworld. You are also that which rises re-born bright and shining like the dawn sunrise.

It is the process (because it is a process and not a method) which Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia calls HOMOTHEOSIS ... "Gay-Man-God-Becoming-the-Same-As-Gay-Man-God."