ASTRO FORECAST: AUGUST 13th—23rd, 2026

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

---

AUGUST 13th to 23rd, 2026

---

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2026

This week, Mercury is in opposition to both Pluto and the Star of Antinous (See: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS). Mercury in opposition to Retrograde Pluto ... even as Pluto is aligned with the star of Antinous ... sends transformative energies that can radically alter gay spirituality for centuries to come. This is an opportunity for LGBTQIA advancement that will not come again in our lifetimes.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14th, 2026

This week, the Earth may shake for you when Venus moves into powerful configurations with Uranus, Neptune and Mercury. Venus is in opposition to dreamy Neptune while also forming a tricky trine aspect with quirky Uranus and an even trickier sextile aspect with trickster Mercury, while Mercury sextile Uranus is especially tricky. Venus in powerful aspects to these major planets can also literally cause the Earth to shake ... in the form of earthquakes.

SAT-SUNDAY, AUGUST 15th-16th, 2026

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 17th, 2026

This week, we come to one of the most anxiously tense times of the year and the hazard lights start flashing when emotionally charged Cancer Mars squares off against anxious Aries Neptune. Imagine yourself barreling down a freeway at high speed ... and suddenly being enveloped in a fog bank which cuts visibility to zero. If you don't reduce speed immediately, you are bound for disaster. Mars is the fast sports car thundering down the highway ... and Neptune is the fog bank ... and you are in the driver's seat. This astrological configuration spells trouble for people who proceed full speed through life without any regard to their surroundings. They will come a cropper this week. However, this Mars-Neptune Square configuration is excellent for people who have latent intuitive, artistic or spiritual talents ... like Antinous-Dionysus. Mars invigorates and enlivens these talents. So the answer is: Proceed with caution, but keep your eyes open for brilliant new opportunities and insights which otherwise would have flashed past you unseen at high speed.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th, 2026

This week, Mercury forms a brilliant and glowing trine aspect with Saturn which empowers you with perseverance (Saturn) and clear forms of expression (Mercury) to make some serious long-term plans for the future.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th, 2026

This week, you will want to watch out for excesses in eating, drinking, spending money and falling in love when indulgent Venus forms an expansive sextile aspect with exaggeration-prone Jupiter. If you are a latent shopoholic, this is the one week of the year where you will max out on your addiction ... while maxing out on your credit card. This is a good day for smooth-talking gigolos who pay fanciful compliments to you ... and you find yourself actually believing them ... And why not? Is that such a bad thing? Why not enjoy the fantasy as long as it lasts ... and as long as you know it's a fantasy?

THURS-FRIDAY, AUGUST 20th-21st, 2026

This week, we come to the Scorpio First Quarter Moon, which is the lunar phase we call the THIEF MOON in honor of Prometheus ... the first thief ... and it was thanks to his larcenous thievery that humans are not living in burrows and dens like animals ... Rituals and meditations tonight can focus on your "inner thief" — the things you rob yourself of — self-esteem, self-love, self-confidence, for example. By robbing yourself of these qualities, you are vulnerable to real-life thieves ... Tonight's lunar phase is also reminding us about the ability to take what we need without asking in advance. It is about getting back what is rightfully ours.

SAT-SUNDAY, AUGUST 22nd-23rd, 2026

This weekend, look for guidance from an older person in financial and relationship issues ... or offer guidance to a younger person ... when Venus is in opposition to Saturn. This is a time when maturity triumphs over youthful zeal. Sit back and heed the guidance of an old soul ... who can also be a spirit guide. And if you see a younger person blundering into a trap, this is the day to intercede and offer a wise word of advice based on personal experience.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between August 24th and 30th, 2026, 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 ....

THE BIRTH OF DIANA

DIANA the Divine Huntress was born August 13, according to the Lanuvium inscription which is consecrated to Antinous and Diana. 

She is said to be the twin sister of Apollo, but our belief is that the virgin huntress is the female Antinous, his twin sister, goddess of lesbian beauty just as Antinous is the god of gay beauty. 

Diana and Antinous are deities of the Moon. 

As Antinous is often assimilated to Apollo, he therefore substitutes as the twin of Diana, though he can often be viewed as her male double, so that Antinous is Diana. 

She is Helen of Troy to the Castor and Pollux of Antinous-Apollo, they share not only the attribute of hunters, and of the moon, but also as gods of magic and darkness. 

Diana is often compared to Heckate, the supreme goddess of Theurgian magicians, who rose to prominence during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Antinous therefore is the male equivalent of Heckate. 

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.

On this night we venerate the Virgin, she who guides new life into the world, goddess of beasts, the mistress of the hounds, the archeress, the young Great Mother of Ephesus.

THE LEO NEW MOON HELPS YOU BECOME WHO YOU WERE BORN TO BE

TONIGHT's Leo New Moon is your opportunity to let your inner Sun shine forth so that you become the being you were born to be.

In the Religion of Antinous we call this the SACERDOTE MOON because it represents the priestly spiritual development of Antinous from boyhood to mystery initiation and finally to godhood.

Each lunar phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Sacerdote is Spirituality itself. It is holiness and sacredness personified.

The Leo New Moon is the fierce moon of kindling the flame of courageous new faith.

This is the night to kick-start your self-esteem, to jump-start the dead battery that is your career or your love life or your artistic ambitions.

We all know the feeling -- chronic low self-esteem, chronic insecurity, a habitual feeling of powerlessness, of being at the mercy of others.

Take heart!

We are approaching one of the most sacred periods in our Liturgical Calendar. ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD is saddling up and preparing to engage in the SACRED LION HUNT.

The LEO NEW MOON which ushers in the season of the SACRED LION HUNT. Antinous fights the lion and grapples with the lion -- he and the lion become ONE and the SAME -- they join forces to create divinity -- HOMOTHEOSIS.

The awe-inspiring "Strength" card (shown here) beautifully symbolizes what we are talking about.

During the LEO NEW MOON, we have the opportunity to shine. There's an ebullient child-like energy that draws forth the playful and creative self that resides within. Yet, when doing so care is usually taken since Leo wants to be nothing if not dignified.

The Sun God sign Leo aligns us with a feeling of wanting to be recognized and embraced for the special being we are. If other people's interactions with and attitudes towards us do not meet with these expectations, our pride is hurt and we roar with indignant rage.

Which is not a bad thing. Most gay men have problems expressing anger. We have been taught to be "nice" boys. We have been brainwashed to believe that "nice" means never daring to speak up for ourselves, never taking care of "Number 1". The result is that our pent-up rage sometimes makes us turn into a wild and raging beast -- the lion!

ANTINOUS THE GAY GOD has mastered the art of grappling with those leonine energies. He shows us that it is possible to become one with our "inner lion" -- without being devoured by it.

He shows us how to harness the enormously powerful Leonine energies inside us in order to boost our self-esteem, to end our powerlessness, and to energize us into standing up for ourselves with dignity and pride.

Antinous allows us to see how important it is to be generous in spirit and to radiate our inner light to those around us. He shows us how if we do not let our vital energy flow,  we may experience stress, tension and RAGE in our hearts, bodies, and mind. The Leo New Moon reminds us that we should proudly express our essential  self -- a being that has great gifts to offer those with whom it orbits.

The SACRED LION HUNT demonstrated to Hadrian and the world -- and most importantly to Antinous himself -- that Antinous was no longer a common-born kid from the provinces. It showed that He was on the road towards Divinity.

The New Moon in Leo is also special to the Religion of Antinous because the Leo New Moon is creative and playful. The Leo New Moon is a bit of a show-off and likes to be in the spotlight, with all heads turned his way -- as with the Beauteous Boy himself.

The Leo New Moon is also eager to throw out old and ineffective habitual ways of thinking -- "I'm old, fat and stupid" "I'm unworthy" -- and eager to go for new solutions which will help us to get out of the rut which has become our everyday lives.

Many of you are familiar with the experience of waking up to the fact that your life is no longer working the way you have set it up. Sometimes this is due to a shift occurring inside yourself over time, and sometimes it is part of the larger shift that is currently affecting all humanity.

Change is happening at such an increased rate that it is difficult to predict what the future holds. As a result, many of the old ways of planning out a life are no longer applicable, and if you cling to them you feel strangely out of tune with reality. If you are in tune with the LEO NEW MOON energies around you, you will begin to question ideas that just a few years ago seemed sensible.

In the simplest terms, the shift you are undergoing right now has to do with recognizing yourself as being more than human -- the process we call HOMOTHEOSIS -- remembering that your earthly aspects are a very small part of who you are.

In truth, you are a multidimensional being. Gay-Man-Godliness-Becoming-the-Same.

When you begin to realize this, the life you planned for a limited conception of yourself no longer fits. You must meet the needs and qualifications not only of your body (the "monkey" as Flamen Antonyus calls it) but also of your Spiritual Heart. 

This realization dawns slowly for some and with the suddenness of a bolt of lightning for others, and each of you must find the way that works for you to integrate this new and larger sense of self into your life plan.

Tonight during this Leo New Moon, take time to reflect on becoming who you were born to be. Rather than focusing on a specific task, go to the center of your heart and meditate on the core strength of your soul. 

Perhaps you are here to bring beauty, whether through art, justice, or fashion. Perhaps you are here to help heal the  offering of the world, whether through your writing, activism, or as a physician. 

Or maybe you are here to bring insight and truth where there is confusion and ignorance....

By the way, Leo rules the heart, spine, and hair. Pay extra attention to these parts of your body around the time of this Leo New Moon.

LAPIS LAZULI FOR THE SACERDOTE MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR fabulous astrology expert Hernestus has informed me that today is the The Leo New Moon or "Sacerdote Moon" of Antinous". Hernestus suggests that this moon will encourage us to focus on spiritual insight and invigorating your connection with your spirit guide.

Spirit guides come in many forms and watch over every aspect and object in our lives. We are used to the concept of (typically!) a native American standing at our shoulder and gently guiding us down the right path. 

Or maybe a specific angel who you identify with and gives you particular aspects of their soul to guide you. 

These are correct for many people - but not all. You see these guides, angels, saints, gods - whatever you want to call them - are divine aspects of you. You simply call in divinity to support and guide you in any way you need. So you can have a guide to help you with writing, numbers, emotion, mending a broken computer or choosing the right shirt for that important date.

Soman and I regularly call for such divine help. If we have lost something or need help with something we ask the angel of that 'thing' to help us. 

For example, we were putting up some new light fittings. We are no electricians so some things baffled us. We consciously called on the angels of light fittings to help us. 

Within minutes we had figured it out and the lights were up and working!

So what crystals would make this connection to such guides more fluid and significant? I would suggest the following:

Kyanite - these crystals are typically banded layers of crystal - often in roughly rectangular chunks. There are various colours. It can be used to  make a clear connection to the divine spirit you need at any given time. 

Lapis Lazuli - these are fabulous, deep blue, stones flecked with gold. They have many dramatic aspects to them which made them much sought after by ancient priests, Kings, Queens and Emperors.

The Pharoahs of ancient Egypt often incorporated them into their jewels (top photo). Part of the attraction was that Lapis assists the holder/wearer to quickly connect with a spirit guide.

In Light and Life,

MARTIN

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

HERCULES INVICTUS

ON AUGUST 12th, we honor Hercules Invictus, the champion of homosexuality.

The Great God Hercules, defender of mankind against chaos, the son of Zeus, the strongest and mightiest man that has ever lived, was one of the first of the Greek gods to be worshipped by the Romans.

The Greeks of southern Italy introduced the Cult of Hercules at such an early date that the Romans were convinced that Hercules was indigenous. Indeed, he was admitted by Romulus into the sacred Pomeria, the spiritual protective wall of the city of Rome.

The cult of Hercules was centered at Tibur, where Hadrian built his magnificent Villa, and Hadrian is often compared to Hercules for his travels, his physical strength, courage, and his sexual prowess.

Hercules was driven mad by Hera and forced to murder his wife and children. In order to atone for his sin, he visited the oracle of Delphi and was instructed to submit to twelve labors.

Hercules accomplished them all, and many others including the release of Prometheus from bondage. 

He was also a sexual champion and the number of his lovers is very long, and they include boys such as Abderus, Chonus, Haemon, Hylas, Iokastus, Iolaus, Nestor, Philoctetes, Polyphemus, Telamon, Abderus, Admetus, and Dryops.

Without question, Hercules was a champion of homosexuality, and a defender of mankind against the forces of evil. 

For his benefit to mankind, he is venerated as a God and Protector of the Religion of Antinous.

(Illustration above of Hercules battling the Hydra by gay old-school beefcake artist George Quaintance.)

LEGIONS PROCLAIM HADRIAN EMPEROR A TURNING POINT IN LGBT HISTORY

ON August 11th 117 AD, the Legions proclaimed Hadrian as successor to Trajan to become Emperor of Rome ... a major turning poing in LGBT history. 

While on campaign in Nikomedia, capital of Bithynia, Hadrian receives word that Trajan unexpectedly died on August 8th.

He learns that Trajan's "deathbed will" named him as the emperor's adopted son and successor. It is the de facto accession of Hadrian as emperor of Rome.

It is believed that Trajan's wife, the Empress Plotina (who adored Hadrian), forged the will of her husband, naming Hadrian as successor. 

Whatever happened, the Legions proclaimed Hadrian emperor on August 11th.

The support of the army insured the validity of our Emperor's claim, ushering in the Sacred and Golden Age of the Antonines, the dynasty of peaceful and wise emperors which would end with Marcus Aurelius. 

Our own FLAMEN ANTINOALIS ANTONIUS SUBIA explains what this means to gay men everywhere:

"Hadrian became Emperor over Rome at the pinnacle of her glory. Her boundaries stretched farther than ever before; farther than they ever would again. Millions of people were subject to his authority. As Emperor, Hadrian first made peace with the Parthians, surrendering some of the land that Trajan had occupied, and then began the work of consolidating the Empire from the inside. We celebrate the Accession of Hadrian as the miracle that might never have been, without which Antinous would never have been known, and our religion would never have been born. Hadrian is Our Father, Our Emperor and Our Capitoline God, we recognize on this day that the beginning of his age is the beginning of our own."

On August 11th, please take a moment to remember the day on which Hadrian's long and heartfelt dreams and ambitions became reality and the path was paved for him to begin work on creating a civilization based on Hellenistic tolerance — and above-all his dream of founding the perfect religion based on love and beauty.

May the Divine Hadrian help us all achieve our heartfelt dreams and ambitions in this regard.

MONTAGUE SUMMERS SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON AUGUST 10th, the Religion of Antinous honors the Reverend Montague Summers, saint of Antinous, who was a very upfront and openly gay member of the  Sacred Band of Lover/Warriors at the turn of the last century and who published a book of Uranian poetry entitled Antinous.

Born April 10, 1880, the Rev. Montague Summers died at the age of 68 on this day in 1948. 

Here is a splendid contemporary description of him:

"During the year 1927, the striking and somber figure of the Reverend Montague Summers in black soutane and cloak, with buckled shoes — à la Louis Quatorze — and shovel hat could often have been seen entering or leaving  the reading room of the British Museum, carrying a large black portfolio bearing on its side a white label, showing in blood-red capitals, the legend 'VAMPIRES'."

While everyone else in Late Victorian and Edwardian England was constrained by strictures of class and morals, Montague Summers thumbed his nose at all restrictions of any kind. Having studied theology to become an Anglican clergyman, he suddenly claimed he had received a visionary call to become a Roman Catholic priest. He donned self-styled priestly robes and called himself "Reverend Alphonsus Joseph-Mary Augustus Montague Summers" — when in fact he had not been ordained officially by anybody.

It was shocking enough in England to convert to Catholicism and become a priest. But to become a fake priest was even more scandalous. But there was more ....


All the while he was also seriously studying the Occult and became friends with the crowd of Occultists who hung out at Watkins Books just off Leicester Square in London's theatre district — still even today one of the "craftiest" places to see and be seen.

In the late 19th Century, Watkins was the only book shop in England (or perhaps in the world) which specialized in esoteric books and witchy things. It was frequented by Madame Blavatsky and Bram Stoker and Arthur E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith and — of course — Aleister Crowley. Summers became friends with Crowley and they enjoyed playing off each other, claiming they were opposite "polarities" of magical craft.

When Crowley announced he was a modern-day wizard, Summers responded by announcing he was a modern-day Catholic witch hunter. He wrote his own Malleus Maleficarum which claimed to be an accurate account of witchcraft and of the methods necessary to combat it.

He also wrote a book on The History of Witchcraft and Demonology, saying:

"In the following pages I have endeavored to show the witch as she really was — an evil liver: a social pest and parasite: the devotee of a loathly and obscene creed: an adept at poisoning, blackmail, and other creeping crimes: a member of a powerful secret organization inimical to Church and State: a blasphemer in word and deed, swaying the villagers by terror and superstition: a charlatan and a quack sometimes: a bawd: an abortionist: the dark counselor of lewd court ladies and adulterous gallants: a minister to vice and inconceivable corruption, battening upon the filth and foulest passions of the age".

As with everything that Rev. Summers wrote, it is difficult to determine whether his intention was to condemn or to praise. He was so clearly fascinated by the Occult that one never knew quite whether he was "for it" or "against it."


There was no doubt, however, about his love of handsome youths. It was said that he had never been ordained because of rumours of improprieties with boys as a school teacher, teaching upper class English schoolboys the finer points of Latin.

Indeed, Summers was for a while part of the circle of the Uranian poets, who celebrated ancient Greco-Roman erastos/eromenos man-boy love. His first book, Antinous and Other Poems appeared in 1907 and was dedicated to male-male love.

He was fascinated by Classical male-male love, and by the lives of  the Catholic saints, especially Saint Catherine who was drawn and quartered and who lives on as the English teatime "Hot Cross Bun"  symbolizing the way Catherine was torn limb-from-limb into four gore-spewing pieces rather than give up her faith. Very tasty with tea and clotted cream.

Rev. Summers revelled in telling young boys that their favorite snack symbolized the brutal dismemberment of a lady of faith. All of it told alongside Latin grammar lessons and tales of vampires and werewolves.

After his books on witchcraft, he wrote authoritative books on vampires, including The Vampire: His Kith and Kin (1928) and The Vampire in Europe (1929), and later a definitive book on werewolves, The Werewolf (1933). The werewolf book influence a whole generation of movie-makers, especially the German writer Curt Siodmak who wrote the screenplay for the 1941 horror classic The Wolf Man starring Claude Rains and Lon Chaney Jr.

Nearly everything that you have seen in Hollywood werewolf movies (wolf bane, silver bullets, etc.) comes straight from Curt Siodmak's reading of Rev. Summers book back in the 1930s.

The main difference between Rev. Summer's books on vampires and werewolves and books by other experts was that the other experts referred to these beings as "folklore superstitions" or as "pathological psychoses" in deranged minds. But when you read Rev. Summers' books, you know that he believed in the real actual true-life existence of vampires and werewolves.


In the old Hollywood werewolf movies, when a character went to the bookshelf and pulled down a book on werewolves and turned to a page with a woodcut illustration of a man-wolf — that was a cinematic reference to the 1933 book by Rev. Summers which was in fact on the shelves of well-stocked scholarly libraries around the world.

Summers's work on the occult is notorious for his unusual and old-fashioned writing style, his display of erudition, and especially his undoubted belief in the reality of the subjects he treats.

He was also fascinated by 19th Century Gothic literature. The genre was best exemplified by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein early in the century and the genre came to a thrilling close at the end of the 19th Century with Bram Stoker's Dracula.


Uptight Victorian readers had read Gothic horror novels with a mixture of shock and delight and Summers recognized the art form of the Gothic novel as a symbol of a romantic backlash against urbanization and industrialization.

He knew that "horror" was here to stay as a part of popular culture — as indeed it is. Every book shop, every video/DVD store has a big "Horror" section.

He helped to make horror a serious study of academic research by writing The Gothic Quest: a History of the Gothic Novel (1938), A Gothic Bibliography (1940) and he published a collection of Gothic horror stories in The Supernatural Omnibus (1931) and Victorian Ghost Stories (1936).

Above all, Rev. Summers was very strange and eccentric. The Times of London called him "in every way a 'character' and in some sort a throwback to the Middle Ages". He was also unabashedly and openly homosexual in an age when others (such as St. Oscar Wilde) faced jail and ruination for being gay.

Summers was a member of the Order of Chaeronea, a secret society for gay men founded in 1897 by George Ives, which was named after the location of the battle where the Sacred Band of Thebes was finally annihilated in 338 BC. The Sacred Band consisted of 150 homosexual couples and the reason was that lovers would fight more fiercely and more cohesively at each other's sides than would heterosexual men who were "just buddies."

Rev. Summers is a Blessed Prophet of Homoeros and a Dedicant and Messenger of Antinous among the Aula Sancti Ecclesiae Antinoi (our list of saints).

FAMOUS AS HE WAS INFAMOUS SIMEON SOLOMON IS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON August 14th we honour Simeon Solomon, who died on this date in 1905, and who was one of the most famous and infamous pre-Raphaelite painters of the 19th Century.

He was an outcast in two regards: he was Jewish and he was homosexual.

The pre-Raphaelites rejected the industrial machine age in the mid-19th Century and sought to return the the artistic genius of the late Medieval and early Renaissance "before Raphael."

Solomon was acclaimed for his glowing depictions of Jewish life just as he was derided for his depictions of same-sex love.

At the height of his fame, he was arrested in 1873 at a public lavatory on Oxford Street in the heart of London and thrown in jail. He was in and out of prison the rest of his life on similar public "indecency" convictions.

After his prosecutions he no longer exhibited, but achieved a degree of celebrity amongst those who shared his sensibilities, including Oscar Wilde, John Addington Symonds,Count Eric Stenbock, and Walter Pater, who all collected his works.

He continued to paint in prison. Born 9 October 1840, he died in ignominy 14 August 1905. He is a saint of Antinous!

THE ACCESSION OF HADRIAN AS EMPEROR OF ROME

ON August 8th 117 AD, Trajan died amidst doubts as to who would be his successor ... paving the way for Hadrian to succeed him as emperor. 

It would not be until August 11th that the situation would become clear and the Legions would proclaim Hadrian emperor.

Hadrian had been on tenterhooks for years wondering whether Trajan would formally adopt him as his heir. 

If Trajan died without the issue of succession being settled, it could result in civil war — or at least in the assassination of Hadrian by some other ambitious man.

Then finally, while on campaign in Nikomedia, capital of Bithynia, Hadrian receives word that Trajan unexpectedly died on August 8th. 

He learns that Trajan's "deathbed will" named him as the emperor's adopted son and successor. 

It is believed that Trajan's wife, the Empress Plotina (who adored Hadrian), forged the will of her husband, naming Hadrian as successor.

Whatever happened, the Legions proclaimed Hadrian emperor on August 11th. 

The support of the army insured the validity of our Emperor's claim, ushering in the Sacred and Golden Age of the Antonines, the dynasty of peaceful and wise emperors which would end with Marcus Aurelius.

Our own FLAMEN ANTINOALIS ANTONIUS SUBIA explains what this means to gay men everywhere:

"Hadrian became Emperor over Rome at the pinnacle of her glory. Her boundaries stretched farther than ever before; farther than they ever would again. Millions of people were subject to his authority. As Emperor, Hadrian first made peace with the Parthians, surrendering some of the land that Trajan had occupied, and then began the work of consolidating the Empire from the inside. We celebrate the Accession of Hadrian as the miracle that might never have been, without which Antinous would never have been known, and our religion would never have been born. Hadrian is Our Father, Our Emperor and Our Capitoline God, we recognize on this day that the beginning of his age is the beginning of our own."

On August 11th, please take a moment to remember the day on which Hadrian's long and heartfelt dreams and ambitions became reality and the path was paved for him to begin work on creating a civilization based on Hellenistic tolerance — and above-all his dream of founding the perfect religion based on love and beauty.

May the Divine Hadrian help us all achieve our heartfelt dreams and ambitions in this regard.

HAPPY WORLD CAT DAY IS YOUR HOME A CAT TEMPLE TOO?

AUGUST 8th is World Cat Day ... so it's the purrr-fect day to look over the shoulders of archaeologists who have unearthed what appears to have been a major temple to the cat goddess Bastet in the royal quarter of ancient Alexandria.

The discovery represents the first trace of the true location of Alexandria's royal quarter, where the Ptolemies resided and which served as the home base for Roman visitors, such as Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, and later Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous in 130 AD.

The temple was in use for centuries. Presumably it was still in use when Hadrian and Antinous arrived in Alexandria. In later centuries Christians and Moslems used it as a "quarry" for stone to build new structures.

Its ruins remained buried until an archaeological team, doing routine excavations near the Roman theatre in Alexandria, stumbled onto the temple foundations and a cache of 600 Ptolemaic statues, primarily of cats and the goddess Bastet.

The temple was built by Queen Berenike, wife of Ptolemy III (246-222 BC). The temple compound is believed to measure 60 metres by 15 metres and extends underneath the present Ismail Fahmi Street in the heart of Alexandria.

The team, which comprises 18 skilled excavators and restorers, unearthed a large collection of statues depicting the cat goddess Bastet, the goddess of protection and motherhood, which confirms that the temple was dedicated to this popular Delta goddess.

The Bastet statues were unearthed in three different areas of the site  together with other limestone statues of unidentified women and children, according to Al Ahram newspaper. Clay pots as well as bronze and faience statues of various ancient Egyptian deities have also been uncovered, along with terracotta statues of the gods Harpocrates and Ptah.

The temple foundations definitely can be dated to the reign of Queen Berenike, making this the first Ptolemaic temple discovered in Alexandria to be dedicated to the goddess Bastet. It also indicates that the worship of the goddess Bastet continued in Egypt after the decline of the ancient Egyptian dynasties.

An inscribed base of a granite statue from the reign of Ptolemy IV was also unearthed. It bears an Ancient Greek inscription written in nine lines stating that the statue was commissioned by an official of high standing at the Ptolemaic court. Abdel-Maqsoud believes the inscription celebrates Egypt's victory over the Greeks during the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC.

Archaeologists also found a cluster of other ancient structures, including a Roman water cistern, a group of 14-metre-deep water wells, stone water channels, and the remains of a bath area, as well as a large number of clay pots and shards that can be dated as far back as the founding days of Alexandria in the 4th Century BC.

"This find is the first trace of the real location of Alexandria's royal quarter," the newspaper reported.

ASTRO FORECAST: AUGUST 6th—16th, 2026

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

---

AUGUST 6th to 16th, 2026

---

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6th, 2026

This week, we come to the Taurus Third Quarter Moon — the LUCIUS MOON OF BROTHERS — when we honor Lucius Aelius, who was like a brother to Antinous in the imperial court of Hadrian.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7th, 2026

This week, Venus leaves guilt-tripping Virgo and enters lovely laid-back Libra for a month. As this new cycle takes hold in your life, romance and social interaction take on a greater importance for you. Harmonious ties to others are what you yearn for; refinement and elegance are what you seek. The ideal partnership, the perfect balance, the highest standards of truth and beauty — these are some of the things that quicken your pulse now.

SAT-SUNDAY, AUGUST 8th-9th, 2026

This weekend, Mercury leaves sulky Cancer and struts into lively Leo so that communications become bold, fiery and focused more on drama than on picky details.

MONDAY, AUGUST 10th, 2026

This week spiritual healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when Mercury forms a square aspect with CHIRON IN TAURUS. 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.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11th, 2026

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 28th September 2026, when it will enter lively Leo.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12th, 2026

This week, we come to the Leo New Moon. That is the lunar phase we call the SACERDOTE MOON which spiritually kick-starts your life ... Take time to reflect on becoming who you were born to be ... Rather than focusing on a specific task, go to the center of your heart and meditate on the core strength of your soul ... Perhaps you are here to bring beauty, whether through art, justice, or fashion ... Perhaps you are here to help heal the offering of the world, whether through your writing, activism, or as a physician ... Or maybe you are here to bring insight and truth where there is confusion and ignorance.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2026

This week, Mercury is in opposition to both Pluto and the Star of Antinous (See: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS). Mercury in opposition to Retrograde Pluto ... even as Pluto is aligned with the star of Antinous ... sends transformative energies that can radically alter gay spirituality for centuries to come. This is an opportunity for LGBTQIA advancement that will not come again in our lifetimes.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14th, 2026

This week, the Earth may shake for you when Venus moves into powerful configurations with Uranus, Neptune and Mercury. Venus is in opposition to dreamy Neptune while also forming a tricky trine aspect with quirky Uranus and an even trickier sextile aspect with trickster Mercury, while Mercury sextile Uranus is especially tricky. Venus in powerful aspects to these major planets can also literally cause the Earth to shake ... in the form of earthquakes.

SAT-SUNDAY, AUGUST 15th-16th, 2026

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

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between August 17th and 23rd, 2026, when we come to the Scorpio First Quarter Moon, which is the lunar phase we call the THIEF MOON in honor of Prometheus ... the first thief ... and it was thanks to his larcenous thievery that humans are not living in burrows and dens like animals ... Rituals and meditations tonight can focus on your "inner thief" — the things you rob yourself of — self-esteem, self-love, self-confidence, for example. By robbing yourself of these qualities, you are vulnerable to real-life thieves ... Tonight's lunar phase is also reminding us about the ability to take what we need without asking in advance. It is about getting back what is rightfully ours ... More details next time ....

WE HONOR KLAUS NOMI AS A SAINT OF ANTINOUS

SAINT of Antinous Klaus Nomi was a German-trained Baroque opera countertenor who transformed New Wave, Synth Pop and Disco and who inspired David Bowie, Lady Gaga and other artists.

Born 24 Jan 1944 in Bavaria, he died 6 August 1983 in a New York hospital room, shunned and alone because he had AIDS. 

He performed to the end, despite the fact that his body was ravaged by lesions. Watch his last performance: 

THE MOON OF LUCIUS AELIUS CAESAR THE TAURUS THIRD QUARTER MOON

TONIGHT  is the night of the Taurus Third Quarter Moon which we call the "Moon of Brothers" in honor of Lucius Aelius Caesar who was a veritable brother to Antinous at the imperial court of Emperor Hadrian.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the "Lucius Moon" is the Spirit of Brotherhood. This is the Kindred Spirit who accompanies you all your life and who is there for you through thick and thin. 

Even when all others abandon you, your brother stands by you. But he is no pushover. 

He admonishes you to do better, to straighten up and fly right, even though he himself is no paragon of virtue. 

This Spirit knows you a bit too well, perhaps. He is cocky and has a tendency to swagger and boast. He can be a free spirit who is a high-stepper, a bit of a dandy, a man with a chip on his shoulder, a brother who exudes "attitude".

On this night we remember Lucius Aelius Caesar (January 13, 101 - January 1, 138), who became the adopted son and intended successor of Hadrian, but who never attained the throne, dying of illness before Hadrian after a brief life of licentious love of luxury. 

Aelius Caesar is a major character in Marguerite Yourcenar's epic historical novel MÉMOIRES D'HADRIEN (MEMOIRS OF HADRIAN). Lucius, as we affectionately call him, is the recipient of much bittersweet love and adoration from followers of the Religion of Antinous. 

For us he represents so many pretty young men whose bright futures are thwarted by tragic illness. 

Aelius Caesar is often called the Western Favorite, because of the possibility that he rivaled Antinous for Hadrian's love. We venerate Aelius Caesar as the fallen Prince of Flowers, the spiritual twin brother of Antinous.

The Taurus Third Quarter Moon is about comfort and luxury along with practicality.

This is the night for ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC rituals on behalf of your "brothers", whether biological, social or spiritual brothers, and regardless of gender. 

This is the night you celebrate a brotherly good friend (generally male) who definitely is on your side.

Your brother shares your dreams. This brother may have a bit of "attitude". He loves comfort and style and can be a bit superficial at times. But he stands beside you to help you fulfill your dreams.

This can be a biological brother, but more likely a brother in spirit. He may tease you and be your rival but, when the chips are down, he will stand up for you and fight valiantly for you. Honor him, he is your brother!

CHALCEDONY AT THE LUCIUS MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR venerable astrology expert Hernestus has informed me that today is the Taurus Third Quarter Moon or "Lucius Moon of Antinous". Hernestus suggests that this moon will encourage us to focus on brothers and brotherhood.

I had an interesting insight into this once. Living in the Pagan heartland of England - Glastonbury - we see regular spiritual events to mark the Pagan calendar, solstices etc. Many of these involve a procession through the streets of the town. 

Glastonbury has the only temple to the Goddess (representing all of the divine feminine aspects of any faith) in the UK (and maybe Europe).

Consequently this little town (10,000 inhabitants) has the only national Goddess Conference attracting priestesses, speakers and delegates from all over the world. To end the conference there is a parade through the streets.

Soman and I had never seen this so we wandered down (2 minutes from our house) to where the parades start. We fully expected to see lots of 'buxom', middle aged women in flowing, tie-dye dresses, long hair and festooned with crystal jewelry. 

There were hundreds of them! They sang songs about their goddesses, played drums and chanted that they 'walked with the goddess' as the procession moved through the streets.

Then, suddenly, there was a surprise. There was a man on the parade! A gay man, carrying a rainbow flag and proudly chanting along with the women about his devotion to a goddess! I nearly cried with joy! 

You see we all have moments where our expectations and stereotypes get challenged. These wonderful women were devoted spiritual beings. Of course they would embrace a brother into their faith - especially a gay one! 

I too have female deities I hold in my worship. It could have been me walking, singing and laughing under that banner. 

These colourful women were my sisters and that  joyous gay guy in the parade was my spiritual brother. You reading this are my brotherly companions in adoration of Antinous. 

If you want to meditate on your brother, brothers, spiritual brothers or brotherhood in general I would suggest the following crystals to hold and focus your energies through while meditating during this moon:

Chalcedony - This beautiful crystal comes in many forms (stones, crystals, geodes etc.). Generally they are pale white, pink or blue. 

In ancient times (probably known to Hadrian who was paranoid about such things) Chalcedony was sometimes formed into chalices for leaders to drink from as it was said to dispel poisons. 

It certainly dissipates negative energy. Perhaps its key attribute, though, is to help us focus on brotherhood and goodwill to all men. 

Rhodonite - This red or pink stone was used in ancient times as an emotional ' First Aid' kit. It was believed to heal torment, shock and pain arising from deeply emotional situations. As a result, this crystal encourages you to focus on brotherhood and humanity."

Love and Light,

MARTIN

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

CHAVELA VARGAS SAINT OF ANTINOUS

CHAVELA VARGAS, 17 April 1919 - 5 August 2012, the forceful lesbian songstress who was born in Costa Rica and rose to fame in Mexico, and influenced generations on both sides of the Atlantic, is a Saint of Antinous.

When she died in 2012 at age 93, she was especially known for her rendition of Mexican rancheras, but she is also recognized for her contribution to other genres of popular Latin American music.

Never one to hide her lesbianism, she has been an influential interpreter in America and Europe, muse to figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, hailed for her haunting performances, and called "la voz áspera de la ternura," the rough voice of tenderness.

FLAMEN ANTONIUS SUBIA speaks for millions of gays in the Spanish-speaking world when he says her passing is a saddening loss. He grew up with her music.

ANTONIUS RECALLS:

My parents had always played her music it...among many other singers...she was the only one who made an impact on me.  She was the only one who stood out...mostly because I could tell that she was crazy...she wasn't trying to sound pretty or traditional...but more like someone having an attack of too much feelings.

It wasn't until I was in my late teens that a friend pointed out that all her love songs are sung about women, I hadn't even noticed, I had just taken them at face value, you broke my heart songs, without really thinking about the context...that was when I really started to like Chavela Vargas...when it suddenly dawned on me that this dramatic, bellowing woman, who was such a favorite of my parents, was A LESBIAN!!!

As it turns out she was a hard-core lesbian, though never public about her sexuality, she never actually hid it...it was pretty much right there for everyone to see.  She drank heavily, carried a gun and wore a big red poncho...how can you not love a lesbian such as that?!  Eventually the drinking became too much and she dropped out of making music for a long, long time...only to return about 10 years ago, at 83 years of age with a new album...and it was during her return that I finally learned that, yes indeed, just as I suspected, she was in fact a Lesbian.  My favorite quote is when she said: 

"I've never even been to bed with a man. Never. That's how pure I am; I have nothing to be ashamed of. My gods made me the way I am." - Chavela Vargas

Chavela Vargas is a blessed Saint of Antinous.

ANTONIUS SUBIA

A BROKEN ANTINOUS CALLS TO US FROM A SHATTERED MIDDLE EAST By Flamen Antonius Subia

AUGUST marks the beginning of the second year of the sacred peregrination cycle, which is a recurring 3-year cycle commemorating the journey of Antinous and Hadrian through the Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire. 

It is at this time that we believe the Imperial Entourage arrived at the ancient city of Antioch, founded by Seleuces I Nicanor, one of Alexander's generals and the founder of the Hellenistic kingdom of Seleucia. 

Antioch was the greatest city in the province of Syria during the Roman age, and was the command center from which Trajan conducted his war against the Parthians. It is very likely that Hadrian would have based his court at Antioch during his visit to Syria making excursions throughout the province. 

Antioch is known as the cradle of Christianity, because it was where the majority of Hellenized Jews lived at the time, those who had embraced the Hellenic culture of the previous Seleucid empire, and then of the Romans, and had essentially created a culture with both Greek and Jewish influence, these were of course the first to embrace Christianity. 

This had taken place only over the course of 100 years before, so Antioch was a city full of mixed cultures and cults and beliefs, but it was in Antioch that Hadrian and Antinous may have first encountered significant opposition and ridicule to their relationship from the Christian factions. 

After traversing the deeply Hellenic provinces of Asia Minor, who loved and adored Hadrian, even proclaiming him to be the living Zeus, and lavishing adoration upon his beautiful young Ganymede, it must have come as a shock to be reviled and openly insulted by the Hellenized Jews and early Christians of Antioch. 

For us, Antioch represents the first serious encounter with Homophobia that they have even experienced. There was of course, so much more to come as they progressed deeper towards Jerusalem.

It is significant that now, the Middle East is in a state of total chaos and war, based on the very same ideological beliefs that were growing in Antioch at that time. The war has the potential to bring the entire world into global disaster, as if Trajan's conflict has never ended.

The irony is that it all began when Antinous set foot in Syria.

Recently there was an auction of an Antinous bust that sold for $28 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for an ancient bust...but of course it was for Antinous. And it was not just any Antinous, but the only image of Antinous with his name engraved upon it. 

The engraving says:

ANTINOO HEROON
M. LUCIUS FLACCUS

Or: Dedicated to Antinous the Hero by Marcus Lucius Flaccus

It was found in the now disputed Golan Heights region of Syria and has been owned by privately since the British occupation.

It made celebrity news for an antiquities sale, because of course it is Antinous.

Taken from the same land where so many gay people are being tortured and executed...with no realistic end in sight, the bust has vanished again into private hands...but it is one of the few Antinous images from the tumultuous middle-east, and even broken it is one of the most precious and significant, the one and only Antinous image with his name carved onto it and the name of the believer, our brother from ancient times who had it made!

This is what the beginning of the Second year of the Peregrination cycle means to us now:

It means entry into the darkness and suffering that we must not turn away from, but with the sign that Antinous was there, and that his believers were among the same people and that there is hope, there is even word of an LGBTQIA group of soldiers who have banded together under the rainbow flag (photo above left).

May Antinous of Antioch be with them and with all of us in our struggle.

~ANTONIUS SUBIA
Flamen Antinoalis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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