YES! This is Antinous! February 16, 1878, is the birthday of Pamela Colman Smith, who is a canonized Saint of Antinous. Happy Birthday to Pixie (as her friends called her).
When she was working on the Waite Tarot Cards in 1909, the British Museum had a special exhibition featuring the Sola Busca Tarot Cards ... the only Tarot Cards in which all 78 cards were illustrated.
Traditionally, only the Trump Cards were illustrated, and the other 56 Lesser Trumps had numbers and suit emblems but were otherwise not illustrated. Pamela was so impressed by the Sola Busca Cards that she dragged Waite to the British Museum and insisted that ALL 78 cards must be illustrated and that she would create the art for each and every card.
She forced Waite to agree, despite his reservations that it was unorthodox to illustrate ALL of the cards.
Her version of the Three of Swords is inspired by the Sola Busca deck as you see above right.
Pamela put her heart and soul into each and every card, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources. The "Seven of Cups" shows the seeker of the Higher Trump Seven (The Chariot) choosing which goal to pursue.
He has "Seven Visions":
On the lower plane are earthly stability (the castle), earthly riches (jewels), earthly fame (a laurel wreath in a death's head chalice representing fleeting fame) and earthly power (dragon).
On the higher plane he can decide between divine perfection of magic (the serpent from the Magician's belt), divine perfection of illumination (the glowing figure), and divine perfection of spiritual beauty ... symbolized by the face of Antinous!
Pamela Colman Smith clearly took her inspiration from the Townley bust of Antinous in the British Museum.
Be sure to read our FULL TRIBUTE to Pamela Colman Smith, the visionary artist who was forgotten in her own lifetime and who died penniless ... but who is immortalized in her Tarot art, which continued to inspire seekers of spiritual illumination ... as exemplified by the seeker in the Seven of Cups.
Sunday, February 16, 2025
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAMELA COLMAN SMITH
WHOSE TAROT CARDS FEATURE ANTINOUS
WHOSE TAROT CARDS FEATURE ANTINOUS
Saturday, February 15, 2025
ANTINOUS RUNS IN THE LUPERCALIA
IN MARTIN CAMPBELL'S BRILLIANT NOVEL
IN MARTIN CAMPBELL'S BRILLIANT NOVEL
THE brilliant novel about the life of Antinous "The Love God" by Martin Campbell describes how Antinous joined Roman Patrician youths in running the Lupercalia on 15 February 127 AD as "luperci" runners.
"Women in particular seemed to be calling out to him with some desperation as if calling out to a God...."
Martin Campbell's book "The Love God" is available in paperback or Kindle: CLICK HERE.
ANTINOUS AND THE LUPERCALIA
EVEN Hadrian and Antinous would not have known the precise origins of the Lupercalia ... the ancient rite of spring when young nobles stripped off naked except for fur pelts and ran around the Palatine Hill flinging rawhide strips at females.
But Antinous might well have visited the cave-like grotto ... the Lupercale ... at the foot of the Palatine Hill.
The cave-like structure was found a few years ago and experts are carrying out an extensive archaeological dig at a site which they believe is the ceremonial site of the Lupercale grotto where the caesars honored Romulus and Remus.
It is intriguing to think that Hadrian and Antinous took part in the rites in this subterranean chamber.
For centuries, the cave-like grotto was revered as the sacred site where the "She-Wolf" suckled the orphans Romulus and Remus. Young nobles called Luperci, taking their name from the place of the wolf (lupa), ran naked from the Lupercale grotto around the bounds of the Palatine, and used strips of hide to slap the hands or buttocks of girls and women lining the route ... reenacting a prank attributed to Romulus and Remus as randy teenagers.
Here is how Flamen Antonius Subia explains its significance for the Religion of Antinous:
"The Lupercalia is the festival of the wolf mother of Rome, and sacred festival of Antinous Master of Hounds.
"The Lupercalia remembers the she-wolf who raised Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Venus and Mars, who later founded the city of Rome.
"The wolf-like nature of the twins and of the Roman character was imparted through the milk of the wolf-mother.
"The spirit transferred through the loving milk of the ferocious mother is celebrated on this day, and is integral to the concept of Antinous the Hunter.
"Antinous took his place at Hadrian's feet, and accompanied him bravely and loyally through the forests and lived by the Emperor's side for seven years, which is equivalent to the life of a strong hunting dog.
"The Canine nature of Antinous is celebrated on this day and is seen as an allegory for the Priesthood of the Religion of Antinous."
Antonius goes on to explain that the Lupercalia festival is a purification rite, cleansing the way for Spring, nourishing the winter spirit of the dormant wolves within so as to fuel the ruthless courage of Roman warriors. A Dog and a Goat were sacrificed, and the young noble youths raced around the city naked except for goat, or wolf skins, whipping any girls or women who they encountered.
Antonius explains, "The Festival is also sacred to Faunus, the Roman Pan...the one who 'drives away the wolf from the flock.'...we usually think of Pan as Goat-horned and cloven hooved, but 'the one who drives away the wolf'...could quite possibly be a sacred Dog. Lupercalia is therefore quite possibly a dog festival...and it is interesting to note that it falls almost exactly opposite the calendar from the rise of the Dog Star."
Antonius elaborates by adding, "For me, Lupercalia is a time of cleansing and light...the lighted lamp that precedes the coming dawn of Spring...a preparation for the Flowering....
"So a celebration or ritual to observe the Lupercalia should focus on purification. ..self-purification primarily, but also the purification of the home, and surroundings. A cleansing of negative, stagnant, dusty, mildewy, settled, sedimentary influences that we are ready to clear away...from within and without."
He also outlines rituals for purification and cleansing which members of the worldwide Religion of Antinous will be performing this weekend.
Antonius says the Lupercalia harkens to the most ancient of rites of Spring, and he says the cleansing must come from within.
"And then look into your soul, observe your interactions...make changes for the better...be kinder, more polite, or just simply be friendlier to people...and do something strictly for your own pleasure," he says in his Lupercalia Epistle.
He stresses, "It is really a matter of deep and meaningful concentration on cleansing your mind and heart of negative internal influences...so as to strengthen your fortifications against external negative influences."
Friday, February 14, 2025
DID ANTINOUS MEET ST. VALENTINE?
BOTH IN ALEXANDRIA AT THE SAME TIME
BOTH IN ALEXANDRIA AT THE SAME TIME
IT is a little known fact that there is a connection between Antinous and the original St. Valentine ... Valentinus of Alexandria. Hadrian and Antinous visited Alexandria in the year 130 AD ... and could possibly have crossed paths with the man who would one day become one of Christianity's most misunderstood saints.
Here is how our own Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia explains our own special view of Valentine's Day ... the Day of Love:
"Valentinus was the Gnostic Father who was a bishop of the Catholic Church. He tried to change orthodoxy by introducing the Gnostic speculation.
"Valentinus was from Alexandria and was there, studying with his teacher Basilides, when the court of Hadrian and Antinous arrived.
"He believed that Love was the creator of the universe, and the cause for the fall of Sophia (wisdom) ...
"He believed that Jesus came to reverse the fall of Sophia, that Jesus was the consort of Sophia, the Aeon called Christos.
"The love between them was the reason that Jesus descended to save the world. Valentinus began his teaching in Rome, and gained so much support that he was even nominated for the Papacy but lost by a narrow margin.
"Eventually exiled for heresy, the Gnostic Father formed his own rival church that became an influential and widespread Gnostic sect, influencing Gnostic thought down to our own time.
"Because Valentinus was a witness of the Passion of Antinous, and because he attempted to change the Catholic Church, we sanctify his name and venerate him on this sacred day of Eros, the Day of Love."
Thursday, February 13, 2025
ASTRO FORECAST: FEBRUARY 13th—23rd, 2025
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.
FEBRUARY 13-23, 2025
THURSDAY, February 13th, 2025
This week, we come to the lunar phase we call the LION HUNT MOON, the LEO FULL MOON. It is a reminder that Antinous slew a man-eating lion in Egypt. Antinous peered out into the barren wilderness with all its deep and hidden dangers. He charged forth, his bridle-reins in one hand and an adamantine-tipped spear in the other, and he faced the beast unafraid. For Antinous knew he would triumph over death. The Spirit of the Lion Hunt is the bravery of Antinous the Lion Slayer.
FRI-SUNDAY, February 14th-16th, 2025
This Valentine's Day weekend, Mercury leaves emotionally dry, rational Aquarius and dives into the deeply emotional waters of Pisces. Your EQ Emotional Quotient takes precedence over your IQ Intelligence Quotient.
MON-WEDNESDAY, February 17th-19th, 2025
This week, 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.
THURS-FRIDAY, February 20th-21st, 2025
This week, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is at right angles to the Sun. This is the SAGITTARIUS THIRD QUARTER MOON, which we call the SACRED STAR phase in Antinous Moon Magic. In the midst of confusion and chaos, the Spirit of the Star touches the top of your head and conveys sudden and total clarity. This Spirit is never deceived by appearances. Meditations and rituals conducted during this lunar phase are ideal for discerning clarity in opaque situations, for clearing the mind of nebulous distractions and for seeing clearly into other worlds ... the perfect night for clairvoyance.
SATURDAY, February 22nd, 2025
This weekend, Mercury is in a good trine aspect to Mars to help you get your point across articulately and strongly to others.
SUNDAY, February 23rd, 2025
Today could be a lucky day for 2025 when Mars ends two months of retrograde (backwards) motion which began December 6th, 2024, and now starts going Direct (or forward as seen from Earth) again through the sign of Gemini. Stubborn business, political, sexual and other frustrations of recent months disappear when Mars marches forward again to face new challenges for the new year. When a planet is retrograde, it appears to be moving backward in the sky from the perspective of the Earth. Of course, the planet is actually continuing in its usual orbit, and the retrograde effect is a kind of optical illusion. Since perspective is so important in astrology, however, retrograde planets do correspond to recognizable meanings. Mars is the planet associated with the Warrior archetype. It is therefore the planet we look to when we want to know about assertiveness, aggression, determination, and action. Mars is also closely associated with sexuality — not the love and romance aspect of sex, but the more instinctual, desire-driven side of it. Retrograde Mars is usually is considered to be a poor time to begin a new sexual relationship, but there is no reason to abstain altogether for ten weeks. The underlying meaning of Mars retrograde is that energy is lacking — and that's why new sexual relationships are seen as being doubtful: the desire may not last. Now ... finally ... you can move forward and begin new relationships.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between February 24th and 30th, 2025, when we come to the PISCES NEW MOON. In Antinous Moon Magic this is the lunar phase we call the DOG MOON of fidelity, friendship and faithfulness. The Spirit of the Dog Moon is loving and supportive friendship. This Spirit is loving and faithful, comforting you with familiarity when you see yourself reflected in this Spirit. It is the perfect combination of comfort and stimulus to grow and provides a wonderful companion that walks with you through life, helping you define and refine who you are and who you choose to be every day ... More details next time ....
THE FEBRUARY FAUNALIA IS PERFECT
FOR VALENTINE'S EVE LOVE MAGIC
FOR VALENTINE'S EVE LOVE MAGIC
FEBRUARY 13th is the Eve of St Valentine and, of course, a day for all sorts of love magic. (Image above entitled "Cupid's Kiss" is by Felix d'Eon.)
In Ancient Rome, February 13th was the start of one of the two feasts of Pan called the FAUNALIA (the other starting on December 5th) ... and it was originally the start of the Ancient Roman festival of LUPERCALIA, which was concerned with fertility, lust and passion ... semi-nude boys chasing virgins around the walls of Rome, whipping their bottoms with thongs dripping with white goat's milk.
It is possible that Hadrian and Antinous encountered Valentinus during their stay in Alexandria in 130 AD, or at least heard of this controversial figure.
Valentinus was a Gnostic firebrand who believed that Love was the creator of the universe, and the cause for the fall of Sophia (Wisdom). He believed that Jesus came to reverse the fall of Sophia, that Jesus was the consort of Sophia, the Aeon called Christos.
The love between them was the reason that Jesus descended to save the world, according to Valentinus, who defied the Christian sect of radicals who created the simplistic concept of hell and damnation for those who did not accept their beliefs.
He said there is no hell ... aside from the hell we create for ourselves on this earthly plane ... and that Love is the key to heaven ... not fear of eternal hellfire and brimstone.
Valentinus began his teaching in Rome, and gained so much support that he was even nominated for the Papacy ... but lost by a narrow margin. Had he become pope, Christianity would be very different today ... and so would Islam.But the hellfire-and-brimstone brigade triumphed and ... as they would do so often in centuries to come ... they branded Valentinus a heretic ... condemning him to suffer the torments of hell for all eternity. (Image at left: Dancing Fauns by Carlos Barahona Possollo)
One story says that when St Valentine was waiting in prison for execution he cured his jailor's daughter of blindness and they fell in love ... a metaphor for Sophia (Wisdom) and Amor (Christos) uniting in Gnostic mysticism.
After he had been executed it was found he had left a message for the girl, scratched into the wall of his cell: "Always your Valentine."
He was dead and gone, burning in (non-existent) hell. But he was too influential and too popular to be disregarded entirely ... so he was canonized ... perhaps the only Catholic heretic to become a Catholic saint.
His detractors cloud the issue by saying he was never properly canonized and is only a "folk saint" like St. Nicholas.
Others insist there were many man named Valentinus so the heretic and saint could be different people ... but the Gnostic teachings of them all are heretical.
So one of the most popular saints is a heretic ... condemned to eternal hellfire and damnation ... because he insisted that Love, and not Fear, is the key to eternal life.
If you are a Protestant, of course, you don't believe in saints. You risk hellfire and damnation if you buy a Valentine's Day box of chocolates or allow your children to share Valentine's cards at school with their classmates.
If your Protestant Sunday School class even mentions Valentine's Day, Martin Luther will spin in his grave.
If your Roman Catholic Sunday School honors St. Valentine ... you are honoring a heretic ... worse, a Gnostic mystic.
If you are a pagan, perhaps you celebrate the Faunalia and the Lupercalia.
Regardless what you do ... you're going to Hades as far as many fundamentalist evangelical Christians are concerned.
So if you're going there anyway, you may as well try a little Valentine's Day Eve love magic. Here's what you do:
To dream of your lover, fasten a bay leaf to each corner of your pillow and one in the centre. Then when you lie in bed with your head on the pillow say seven times:
"Sweet angels in my dreams tonight
"My true love's face, reveal the sight
"Send me a Valentine imbued with love
"Both true and constant may he prove."
Count up to seven between each repetition of the spell ... and your dreams will be "ominous," as the Pagans and the Gnostics would say.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
THE LEO FULL MOON
THE LION HUNT MOON OF ANTINOUS
THE LION HUNT MOON OF ANTINOUS
TONIGHT you get an ego-boost and are ready for your chance to go for the gold ... when we come to the lunar phase we call the LION HUNT MOON, the LEO FULL MOON.
It is a reminder that Antinous slew a man-eating lion in Egypt. Antinous peered out into the barren wilderness with all its deep and hidden dangers. He charged forth, his bridle-reins in one hand and an adamantine-tipped lance in the other, and he faced the beast unafraid. For Antinous knew he would triumph over death. The Spirit of the Lion Hunt is the bravery of Antinous the Lion Slayer.
Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Lion Hunt Moon is courage and bravery. It is exemplified by selfless devotion and dogged perseverance.
The image above shows Antinous and his steed attacking the man-eating Marousian lion in the Egyptian desert in the year 130 AD. The Sacred Lion Hunt was immortalized in poetry and in stone, showing Antinous brashly attacking the lion with his adamantine-tipped speer and wounding it ... so that Hadrian had to gallop to his rescue and dispatch the beast.
Hadrian added medallions to the Arch of Constantine showing him and Antinous with feet on the lion's neck and also making sacrifice to the great lion-killer Hercules.
Soon legend would have it that scarlet-red lotus blossoms had sprung forth from the pool of the lion's blood -- which we honor as THE SACRED LOTUS MOON, the Pisces Third Quarter Moon in June.
Within a few short weeks after the Sacred Lion Hunt, Antinous himself would be dead. The Sacred Lion Hunt is the last recorded event in His short life.
The Leo Full Moon in the bold and fiery sign of the Lion is a time to take center stage, stand in the spotlight and play the starring role in the divine drama. Leo is the sign of creative extroversion and action.
Meditations and rituals conducted tonight are best suited for finding courage and determination in daunting situations. Remember always that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. Tonight's rituals and meditations should enable you to traverse the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to set forth on the journey ... with adamantine-tipped spear in hand ... galloping forward.
LABRADORITE FOR THE LION HUNT MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
IF you are going to meditate using crystals at this Leo Full Moon, moon phase you can be assured that this practice has existed for thousands of years and is still influencing key spiritual teachers around the world now.
JASPER - There are many different colours of Jasper all of which have differing strengths. Overall though the family of Jasper stones aid self realisation and imparts the determination to do anything you desire. It helps to calm your nerves. Jasper also brings you the courage to deal with problems assertively.
Light and Life,
RAISE A GLASS TO THE DEAD
DURING THE ANTINOUS FEAST OF CUPS
DURING THE ANTINOUS FEAST OF CUPS
ANTINOUS traditionally is identified with Dionysus, god of ecstatic transcendence over death ... and 12th February is Choes Day or the Day of Cups, a feast dedicated to Dionysus. In ancient Greece the purpose of this festival was to become as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. Also, the spirits of the dead were said to be allowed out of Hades to visit those of their loved ones who were receptive to their spirits. So today is a good day to try spirit communication, or at least to light a candle and remember loved ones who have died ... or to raise a glass and simply enter an altered state.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
NOW YOU CAN SEE THE TOMB OF OSIRIS
JUST AS ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PILGRIMS DID
JUST AS ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PILGRIMS DID
THE 11th of February is the Feast of Wasir (Osiris) in Egypt, which we commemorate because Antinous has always been equated with Osiris as deity of transcendence over death.
During this festival the Statue of Osiris was transported down the Nile to visit his tomb in Abydos and then returned in triumph to the temple.
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.
Now you can visit the most sacred ... and most mysterious ... temple in Egypt at night and even explore the fabled Tomb of Osiris.
Desperate to boost tourism, Egyptian authorities have improved the long-neglected Temple of Seti at Abydos ... where for thousands of years, Egyptians made pilgrimages to pay their respects to Osiris.
The Temple of Seti is now outfitted with lighting to enable visitors to see it in all its glory at night, Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim said in a surprise announcement.
In addition, the subterranean Tomb of Osiris ... called the Osireion ... has been drained of water and cleared of reeds and waterlilies and is included in tours of Abydos, he said.
Most tourists bypass Abydos, which would be unfathomable to the Ancient Egyptians, who considered it the most Sacred City.
In a way, Abydos was the Ancient Egyptian Mecca or Lourdes ... a place where pilgrims converged for prayers and meditation and to attend the annual Passion Plays which explained the cruel death and mutilation of Osiris and the grief of Isis and the miraculous resurrection of Osiris as Egyptian god of Victory over Death and King of Eternity.
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.
The Temple of Abydos was begun by Pharaoh Seti, but completed by his son Rameses the Great after his father died befored it was finished. It features exquisite reliefs in amazingly bright colors.
Most importantly, from the viewpoint of Egyptologists, one entire wall along a long passage provides a list of all Egyptian pharaohs from the beginning of their history in chronological order.The temple was largely neglected until the 1950s when a self-taught English Egyptologist named DOROTHY EADY helped with restoration efforts.
Using insights she claimed to have gleaned from a past life incarnation as a priestess at Abydos, she led archaeologists with uncanny accuracy to the location of such things as the temple library.
She became official Keeper of Abydos and was instrumental in piecing together fragments of bas relief stones ... so that Abydos is now one of the most completely restored Egyptian temples.
Many books and films have been made about her. Witty and full of life, she loved to regale visitors with tales of her past life.
She brazenly observed ancient rituals at the temple to the astonishment of her Islamic neighbors ... she lived at Abydos year-round for decades.
With her winning smile and encyclopedic knowledge, she won the respect of scholars.
Dorothy Eady, affectionately called Omm Sety by her friends and neighbors, never returned to England, dying in old age at her beloved Abydos.
The Osireion (also spelled Osirion or Osireon) is outside of the temple, behind it. It was discovered by Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray by chance in 1902. For more than a century, experts have argued over the age of the Osireion.
Some experts insist it was built in the 19th Dynasty by Seti or Rameses, making it 3,300 years old.
But others point out that the stone work is similar to the Sphinx Temple at Giza ... which would make it at least 4,500 years old.
The Osireion draws New Age pilgrims who flock to the site in the footsteps of the Egyptians of ages past.
But the derelict state of the Osireion meant that visitors had to stumble across rocks and sand dunes and then climb down a steep ramp to a veritable swamp overgrown with bullrushes and waterlilies.
In this photo, the reeds have been cleared, but often it is totally overgrown.
Priest Hernestus has vivid memories of leaving his tour group and heading off alone ... finally finding the Osireion ... descending the rickety and slippery ramp ... and being confronted by a toothless Egyptian man who popped out of the reeds, brackish water up to his hips, brandishing a machete.
Hernestus thought, "Well, what better place to die than the Tomb of Osiris?" But it turned out the man was trying to clear some of the undergrowth and only wanted baksheesh (pocket money) to help feed his family.
Nonetheless, the Osireion is one of the eeriest and most mysterious places on Earth ... and you will now be able to pay a proper pilgrimage to it ... as the Ancient Egyptians did.
Monday, February 10, 2025
CELEBRATING AN ANTINOUS FACEBOOK PAGE
FOR ANTINOMANIACS LIVING IN BRITAIN
FOR ANTINOMANIACS LIVING IN BRITAIN
WE are proud to celebrate the third anniversary of British Antinous Priest Martinus Campbell's Facebook page devoted to Antinous.
Below is one of his exclusive, first-person posts, and his followers are continually impressed with the scope of Martinus's knowledge and the depth of his devotion to Antinous. CLICK HERE to follow all of his posts!
Martinus writes:
Today I am showing you a UK based bust of Antinous about which I know some history. You can find it at the magnificent Hampton Court Palace, just West of London - the favoured home of King Henry the VIII and his 7 unfortunate wives.
It is Roman and created in the first century AD. Made of marble it stands 100 cm (3.28 feet) tall. It was acquired by King Charles I, of Great Britain during his ill-fated reign (1600-49).
Antinous is depicted wearing an ‘Attic’ helmet (meaning inspired by ancient Greek designs). Experts classify the attic, in this case, by the diadem-shaped band and the short neck guard. It is surmounted by a very worn sphinx resting on a wedge-shaped base.
The sphynx’s tail divides in two at the back and forms two scrolls on the sides of the helmet.
It is a style that Hadrian may have designed himself.
During his reign, Charles I put together an important collection of Roman antiquities.
It is believed that this portrait bust of Antinous was acquired by Charles I around 1625 and that it was one of the marble portraits from the Gonzaga collection in Mantua, Italy, that were sold to Charles I by Duke Vincenzo II.
It is remarkable that it has survived in the Royal collection. The English Civil War (1642–1651) resulted in King Charles being beheaded and the aristocracy being replaced by the new 'Commonwealth' republic, ruled by Oliver Cromwell.
This lasted for 5 years until Cromwell died and young King Charles II was given the throne. Like most revolutions the great houses of the exiled or executed elite were raided and looted.
Somehow this Antinous survived. Hadrian protected it. In reality it was probably too heavy to carry!
Sunday, February 9, 2025
DID YOU KNOW THAT PIZZA
WAS INVENTED BY AENEAS?
WAS INVENTED BY AENEAS?
FEBRUARY 9th is Pizza Day ... Did you know that pizza was invented by Aeneas? The origin of pizza is in Virgil's Aeneid! The hero Aeneas sails the seas with other fugitives from Troy. They seek a new home. They are starving when they land on the shores of Italy. They only have some stale round loaves of bread to eat. They collect some "fruits of the field" (cheese? herbs? garlic?) and put these on top of the thin base. “Hey! We’re even eating our tables!” says Ascanius, the son of Aeneas. (Heus! Etiam mensas consumimus inquit Iulus!) Immediately, Aeneas remembers a prophecy: When you arrive at a place so tired and hungry that you eat your tables, you will know you have reached your promised land. Antinous remembers this story when he and Hadrian order pizza ... delivered by their lararium winged genius! So when you eat pizza, remember to quote the words of the son of Aeneas: Heus! Etiam mensas consumimus!
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Friday, February 7, 2025
WE PRAY TO ANTINOUS/DIANA
TO GUIDE US IN OUR HUNT BY MOONBEAMS
TO GUIDE US IN OUR HUNT BY MOONBEAMS
ANTONIUS SUBIA says: "We pray to Diana to guide us in our hunt and to illuminate our nights with the silver light of her sublime power. We recognize that the Moon of Diana is the Moon of Antinous."
Thursday, February 6, 2025
ASTRO FORECAST: FEBRUARY 6th—16th, 2025
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.
FEBRUARY 6th-16th, 2025
THURSDAY, February 6th, 2025
In ancient times Antinous was famous for love spells and you can see for yourself this week when love goddess Venus forms a sexy sextile aspect with darkly magical Pluto. Venus sextile Pluto gives you the ability to cast a really powerful kind of love spell on others. We all know that love spells can go any which way. They can bind two people’s affections together in ways that are movingly romantic and passionate or dangerously unbalanced and obsessive. Pluto tends to manifest in extremes, so with this planet in aspect to Venus, your planet of romance, love affairs tend to swing from one end of the emotional spectrum to the next. You'll often find yourself on the receiving end of some obsessively intense attractions but you’re certainly prone to experiencing all-consuming feelings of attraction toward the object of your desire. Go ahead, give it love a chance.
FRIDAY, February 7th, 2025
This week healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when Mercury aligns in conjunction with the Sun and both form a powerful sextile aspect with CHIRON IN ARIES. This is a good time for health checkups and medical treatment ... also, you can expect a positive and expansive outlook, which can benefit your well-being at this time. You may be more open-minded with regard to experiencing new things, which will allow healing of your mind, body, and spirit. For instance, you could seek higher understanding and meaning in your life through a guide, mentor, or spiritual person or increase your inner knowledge by means of educational processes, religion, or meditative practices during this period. An urge to travel to far-away places (real or imaginary) may also be experienced. You may discover new perspectives on your beliefs, faith, and sense of hope. Restoring peace and harmony in your personal life and relationships is possible now through your interest in healing your own wounds, as well as extending compassion and generosity to others.
SAT-SUNDAY, February 8th-9th, 2025
This weekend, ambitious Mars forms a positive trine aspect with industrious Saturn to give you the drive you need to push forward projects which have been stalled in recent weeks. It's now or never. Trust Mars to give you the determination. Trust Saturn to give you the cautious determination.
MON-TUESDAY, February 10th-11th, 2025
This week, the Sun and Mercury align in conjunction and both are in a 90-degree square aspect to Uranus. This aspect creates unreliability and betrayal amongst friends, allies and coworkers. Stress and rancor and lots of rage and unrest are the result.
WED-THURSDAY, February 12th-13th, 2025
This week, we come to the lunar phase we call the LION HUNT MOON, the LEO FULL MOON. It is a reminder that Antinous slew a man-eating lion in Egypt. Antinous peered out into the barren wilderness with all its deep and hidden dangers. He charged forth, his bridle-reins in one hand and an adamantine-tipped spear in the other, and he faced the beast unafraid. For Antinous knew he would triumph over death. The Spirit of the Lion Hunt is the bravery of Antinous the Lion Slayer.
FRI-SUNDAY, February 14th-16th, 2025
This Valentine's Day weekend, Mercury leaves emotionally dry, rational Aquarius and dives into the deeply emotional waters of Pisces. Your EQ Emotional Quotient takes precedence over your IQ Intelligence Quotient.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between February 17th and 23rd, 2025, when ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is at right angles to the Sun. This is the SAGITTARIUS THIRD QUARTER MOON, which we call the SACRED STAR phase in Antinous Moon Magic. In the midst of confusion and chaos, the Spirit of the Star touches the top of your head and conveys sudden and total clarity. This Spirit is never deceived by appearances. Meditations and rituals conducted during this lunar phase are ideal for discerning clarity in opaque situations, for clearing the mind of nebulous distractions and for seeing clearly into other worlds ... the perfect night for clairvoyance ... More details next time ....
ANTINOUS HOLDS YOU IN HIS HEART
AND SENDS YOU LOVING SUPPORT
AND SENDS YOU LOVING SUPPORT
MILLIONS of LGBTIQ people are feeling angry, depressed, isolated, frightened and abandoned in these troubled days.
Remember always that #Antinous holds you in his heart ... Antinous sends gratitude and love to you for all you do and for being you.
Here are a few survival tips:
- If you are feeling depressed, isolated, scared, remember that you aren't alone. Reach out for support. If you don't know who can support you, send priests of Antinous a message. We are here and can also refer you to other places.
- Avoid burnout while resisting. Find a sustainable way to resist. Sign a petition, write a letter, go to a demonstration, donate money if you can, reach out and talk to people. Do what you can and remember that this will be a long struggle. Keep yourself strong.
- Act locally ... do something concrete to help people who are struggling right now. Stay connected to community.
- Practice self care. Do things that keep you grounded, strong, and healthy.
- Limit consumption of depressing news and posts. Stay informed, but don't overdo it.
- Remember the beautiful things in life. Don't ignore what is hard. Just remind yourself that there is much beauty and much love in the world.
Wherever you are, whatever woes beset you, take heart because #Antinous promises that #LoveWins! #LoveAlwaysWins.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
ANTINOOPOLIS RISES FROM THE RUINS
By Adriaan van den Berg
By Adriaan van den Berg
THE immense release that follows the drowning of Antinous in the Nile, when the grief and sense of tragedy dissipates upon Antinous deification and emergence as a god to be replaced by a sense of wonder and jubilation, is in turn followed by a sense of gratitude and celebration as the founding of our Antinoan faith arrives and is commemorated.
The Founding of the faith entailed the establishing of the holy city of Antinopolis near the place where Antinous drowned in the Nile by Hadrian, destined to be a centre of Antinous worship which Hadrian initiated by also creating a Priesthood for the religion and cultus of Antinous.
Antinopolis today lies in ruins, the Ancient Priests are no more and after 400 years of worship, the Christian Theodosius attempted to snuff out the religion of Antinous.
We accept that all of this was fated to be and we lament not this incredible "passing" since memory and traces of him could never have been completely obliterated and Antinous endured and emerged into modernity, first anounced by the reappearance and rediscovery of and mania for his statues amongst the leaders of the Christians themselves, then through literature and art, beginning with Johann Joachim Winckelmann's study of Antinous, until the explosion of modern Antinous art and related literature that occured since and culminating in publication of Royston Lamberts' "Beloved And God" and Antinous emergence in the "ether" and his presence online and his successful introduction into cyberspace, the advent of official and open and public modern worship of Antinous.
These are a complexity of triumphant manifestations that asks and requires of us that we look at the ruin of our city, at passing of the ancient priests and worship as an important process that was meant to be and needed - since today Antinopolis is an abstracted ideal, a place beyond the reach of the intolerant.
There are modern Priests of Antinous who continue the work of the ancient, modern worshippers who adore Antinous the God and the faith of Antinous is practiced on six continents, in numerous countries. What Hadrian "founded" has never died or been eclipsed in 1,900 years since!
And Antinous is immortal, Antinous lives!
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
THE ANTINOUS AMOR MOON
THE TAURUS FIRST QUARTER MOON
THE TAURUS FIRST QUARTER MOON
TONIGHT's Taurus First Quarter Moon is the lunar phase of young love which, in Antinous Moon Magic, we call the AMOR MOON.
Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Amor Moon is the Great God of Love. Also known as Eros-Cupid, he is foremost of the Gods of the Religion of Antinous.
He is the first impulse upon which the world was created, and he is the beauty and perfection of all creation. He is called Phanes, the radiant being of beauty who emerged from the egg of night.
Others say that he is the son of Uranus and Gaia, or that he was born when Venus was born, and that he is the leader of a whole army of Erotes who attended Venus as she rose from the sea.
But Amor/Eros is also said to be the son of Venus, the Mother of Love, and his father is often said to be Mars, which is why Amor so often uses violence to obtain love.
Amor makes the world burn with the desire for beauty, he conquers all and is the drive that sustains life, Love is Life.
He inspires us through desire, to fight for our gratification, which is why the stag grows horns, to do battle in the time of rut.
Often he is portrayed as a youth with wings because he is flighty and has no reason or control over his desires. Eros is madly in love with the soul, with Psyche, who dwells within all of us, he cannot resist the beauty that is in our hearts and so therefore, he never disdains us.
One of his twins is Anteros ... "Love Returned to the Lover" ... and Anteros can devolve into Zelus ... fear, envy, jealousy.
The First Quarter Taurus Moon is the moon of comfort and luxury and lovableness. It is the fresh bloom of love.
Meditations and rituals carried out tonight are best suited for delving into matters of love and romance.
DIAMONDS SHINE FOR THE AMOR MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
LOVE is what the universe is all about. Love is the most important vibration that emitted from the divine source at the beginning of the Universe.
I hope you have a Love filled moon phase!
In Light and Life,