Wednesday, April 1, 2026
ON THE VENERALIA
By Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia
By Flamen Antinoalis Antonius Subia
THE LIBRA FULL MOON
THE ANTINOUS ORATOR MOON
THE ANTINOUS ORATOR MOON
TONIGHT's Libra Full Moon is the Orator Moon of diplomacy and balanced thinking in Antinous Moon Magic.
This is the perfect time for fulfilling dreams of finding just the right partner, the person who balances out your needs and desires perfectly.
But remember that diplomacy is the key.
Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype.
The Spirit of the Orator Moon is the embodiment of articulate expression in all forms and in all media, whether spoken, written or visual.
We borrow the image of the Roman orator ... a person skilled in the fine art (for it is an art) of using gesture, vocal inflection, intonation, precise enunciation, skillful selection of terms and every other skill at their disposal to convey thought in a persuasive manner.
When you are at a loss for words, the Orator Spirit enters your mind and gives you the words you need.
This is the Spirit of persuasion and conviction. It is the Spirit of teaching and elucidating, of getting an important point across to others.
The Libra Full Moon is the moon of balancing out extremes, diplomacy, fairness, justice.
Meditations and rituals carried out tonight are best suited for finding areas in your life which are out of balance. Perhaps you have allowed yourself to become a "doormat" for others, or you relinquish authority over yourself to others needlessly.
Or perhaps you are domineering and insensitive to the needs of others.
Because Libra involves interpersonal relationships, you may find that it is time to end a relationship which has outlived its purpose and which you have become stuck in solely out of a misplaced sense of loyalty or politeness ... or simply out of habit.
The Orator Moon offers you a way to negotiate an end to the relationship ... politely yet definitively ... for the benefit of both sides.
AMETHYST FOR THE ORATOR MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
Snow Quartz - These lovely, milky stones help to enhance tact and diplomacy - to think before you speak.
Love and Light
THE VENERALIA
WHEN VENUS BLESSES HOMOSEXUAL LOVE
WHEN VENUS BLESSES HOMOSEXUAL LOVE
ON April 1st we honor Venus Urania, who blesses homosexual love.
When Saturn castrated his father Uranus, and separated the sky from the earth, by cutting away the testicles of heaven, Venus, the Great Goddess of Love was born, where the foam of the testicles washed ashore on the island of Cyprus.
She was attended by the Erotes, the spirits of desire, as seen in this image: "D'après Botticelli" 1984, acrylic on canvas, by the noted Italian artist, Marco Silombria. Soon afterwards she created the three Graces.
She was brought into Olympus by marrying Vulcan, the smith god, but Venus is an older, and more powerful than the Olympians, except for Zeus, because she is directly descended from Uranus, the heavens.
Venus shared her love with almost all the gods, to the humiliation of Vulcan, Juno's son, but her most ardent desire was for the war god Mars, whose virile masculinity is in direct contrast to her voluptuous feminine grace.
Together Mars and Venus fought for the Trojans against the other jealous goddesses, and though Zeus gave victory to the Greeks, he promised Venus that her chosen people would have their revenge.
Flamen Antonius Subia says:
So it was that Venus guided her son Aeneus and his followers out of the burning city and across the world to the place where Rome would one day stand. The descendants of the Trojan refugees and of Mars were Romulus and Remus who founded Rome, whose sons, through War and Love would conquer the world.
Julius Caesar claimed to be descended from Venus through Aeneus, and so she became the guardian spirit of the Emperors.
In the year 135 Hadrian dedicated the Temple of Venus and Roma. Hadrian built one of the largest Temples in Rome for the Great Goddess of Love and for the Spirit of the Deified City.
Hadrian intended with this Temple to proclaim to the Romans that the Empire was the child of Love and War, but that Love, through the Goddess Venus, was to be the foremost power. We dedicate this day to Venus Urania, who blesses homosexual love.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
WE JOYOUSLY CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY
MARCH 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility ... the time for education, empowerment, and action! Join the celebration! Start a protest! Host a movie night! Organize a rally! Make the world a better place for transgender people.
Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is a day to show your support for the trans community!
Every March 31st, it aims to bring attention to the accomplishments of trans people everywhere while fighting cissexism and transphobia by spreading understanding of trans people.
Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, this is not a day for mourning: this is a day to be empowered and give the recognition trans people deserve
Visibility is not about being seen as an individual: it’s working together to transform society. Learn more about TDOV here.
Monday, March 30, 2026
ANTINOUS KNEW THE GHOST DOGS
OF THE BATTLEFIELDS OF ASIA MINOR
OF THE BATTLEFIELDS OF ASIA MINOR
MARCH 30th is sacred to the Goddess Bau or Baba (Akadian) known in Babylonia as Nintinuggu, "The Lady who Restores to Life", goddess of healing. She was originally a goddess of dogs and depicted with a dog's head. Possibly because dogs were believed to be able to cure sores and wounds if they licked them, she became the goddess of healing.
Antinous probably loved dogs.
The only portrait which shows Antinous alongside an animal is by the artist Antonianus of Aphrodisias found at Lanuvium showing Antinous harvesting grapes ... with a small dog looking up at him adoringingly.
Antinous no doubt was familiar with the Haralez, the beneficent canine spirits of the remote mountains of his native Bithynia and Armenia.
While the mountain mythology of that region possesses many heroes, monsters and spirits, the Haralez have always been the most beloved.
Few people in modern-day Turkey know of the Harelez, and indeed, these Celtic myths were fading by the time Antinous was born in the 2nd Century AD.
But he might have heard old-timers speak of how, when a valiant man falls in battle, the Haralez comes to his rescue and, by licking his wounds, restores him to life.
The popularity of the Haralez never died out completely. Even today, Armenian folk tales mention the "perpetual lickers" who restore life to the dead.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
ANCIENT CROCODILE SKELETON FOUND
UNDER A TEMPLE AT ANTINOOPOLIS
UNDER A TEMPLE AT ANTINOOPOLIS
With the discovery of the first body in 2017, archaeologists reluctantly speculated about "human sacrifice" ... but now they believe humans were buried separately but along with sacrificial animals.
The team of archaeologists working at ANTINOOPOLIS in Egypt say the subterranean "stone structure," which they believe may be an underground mortuary temple, is covered by two meters of soil strewn with sacrificial pottery sherds, bones of livestock and a crocodile ... and the skeleton of at least three human beings.
None of the animals was mummified ... nor were the humans,
says James B. Heidel, president of the Antinoupolis Foundation.
Some of the animals ... livestock ... were ritually butchered as normal for a Roman-era sacrifice. But a crocodile was buried intact, without being mummified.
But the human bodies were interred intact, also without being mummified. One of the bodies was accompanied by pottery vessels and ushabti figurines ... small clay dolls representing spirits who tend the deceased in the afterlife.
The experts are certain that the pottery vessels and the bodies date to the earliest days of the city which Hadrian founded at the site where Antinous died in the Nile.
None of the pottery is later than the 2nd or 3rd Century AD, the experts said ... meaning the sacrificial offerings were made at the time when the city was founded and under construction.
The archaeologists are also certain that the site is intact and has not been disturbed by looters over succeeding centuries.
They found bones of large livestock, which appear to have been butchered prior to burial. An intact crocodile skeleton is seen as proof that the site was used as a religious sacrificial offering venue ... since crocodiles were sacred to Ancient Egyptians and not a source of food.
But the human skeleton is a total mystery. In Roman times, human sacrifice was taboo, but the archaeologists say the human bones mixed in amongst the bones of sacrificial animals and pottery suggest a gruesome possibility.
"The human burial is sealed in the same clean sand layer as all the other offerings, and the not unreasonable, but somewhat uncomfortable, hypothesis must now be that at least one human was sacrificed and offered with the animals," says James B. Heidel, president of the Antinoupolis Foundation.
Using ground-penetrating radar, the experts discovered the rectangular stone structure ... 12 by 22 meters in size ... which consists of three successive chambers.
The archaeologists suggest it could be an OSIREION ... symbolic Tomb of Osiris ... raising hopes that this could be the Lost Tomb of Antinous.
The structure was detected with ground-penetrating radar.
It is located near the waterfront peristyle discovered last season.
It is within what possibly was the Great Temple of Antinous and is a rectangular chamber which is subdivided into three sub-chambers ... apparently an antechamber, a middle chamber and an inner sanctum.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA
SAINT OF ANTINOUS
SAINT OF ANTINOUS
ON March 31st the Religion of Antinous solemnly commemorates the glorious life and cruel death of Saint Hypatia of Alexandria.
Hypatia is one of the most important female philosophers who ever lived, and her tragic murder at the hands of fanatical Christians on the steps of the Great Library of Alexandria is symbolic of the barbaric forces which brought down the worship of Antinous and other Classical deities.
The brutal stoning-flaying-immolation death of Hypatia in about the year 400 AD is regarded by many historians as the beginning of the Dark Ages.
St. Hypatia was a philosopher and mathematician who lived in Alexandria during a time of turmoil and conflict between Christians and the last pagan philosophers of the Great Library.
Her father was the Philosopher Theon, and Hypatia studied among the Neoplatonists. She was the author of several highly reputed works and commentaries, none of which has survived. She held a reputation of excellence that exceeded her contemporaries.
Hypatia taught among the male philosophers and attracted a large following even among Christians. Her beauty was highly desired by numerous men, but she remained chaste (or at least unmarried) all her life, which leads some to suspect lesbianism.
The proud life of Hypatia came to an end at the end of March during the season of Lent when she was attacked by a Christian mob, led by a fanatic Deacon named Peter, who dragged her through the streets to a church called Caesareum.
There she was stripped naked and killed by the mob with their bare hands. It was said that they stoned her with ceramic roof tiles, then flayed her flesh with razor-sharp shards of oyster shells, tore her limb from limb and burned her.
"Saint" Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, who encouraged her assassination, was then praised for eradicating the city of "idolatry and witchcraft".
The Martyrdom of St. Hypatia of Alexandria is one of the most profound examples of Christian violence against paganism, women, and philosophy. And she is noted as one of the last reasoning pagans murdered by the irrational religion which has dominated Western Civilization ever since.
Her death is among the heinous crimes of the Christian Church, whose atrocities continue to this day. The image at right, by Charles William Mitchell, portrays Hypatia just before her death, naked at the altar, imploring her attackers to take heed of their own faith, which they continue to ignore.
Her death is among the heinous crimes of the Christian Church, whose atrocities continue to this day. The image at right, by Charles William Mitchell, portrays Hypatia just before her death, naked at the altar, imploring her attackers to take heed of their own faith, which they continue to ignore.
For these reasons and in memory of the unnamed Ancient Priests of Antinous who suffered similar fates, the Religion of Antinous has proclaimed Hypatia of Alexandria a Saint and Venerable Exemplar and honors her with a Feast Day on March 31.
Friday, March 27, 2026
GATEWAY TO HADES FOUND IN TURKEY
A RIVAL TO GATEWAY TO HADES IN GREECE
A RIVAL TO GATEWAY TO HADES IN GREECE
AS Hadrian and Antinous traveled across Asia Minor in 129 AD it is possible they saw the legendary Gate to the Underworld.
Italian archaeologists say they have found the historical Gate to the Underworld of the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis in modern-day Turkey ... birth land of Antinous.
But as always with these things, the Greeks also claim they have found evidence for the existence of a GATEWAY TO HADES IN GREECE.
In ancient times there were several Gateways to Hades ... in Asia Minor ... in Greece ... and in Rome ... but the one at Hierapolis was perhaps most famous of all.
The Turkish discovery was made by a mission headed by Francesco D'Andria from the University of Salento which is in charge of the excavations in the Greco-Roman city. The ruins of the city are near the modern-day Pamukkale in Turkey.
According to Greco-Roman mythology and tradition, the Gate to the Underworld, also known as Pluto's Gate ... Ploutonion in Greek, Plutonium in Latin ... was the entrance point to hell.
Both Cicero and Greek geographer Strabus referred to the Hierapolis Plutonium in their writings, and both had visited it. It was a well-known place of pilgrimage in Antiquity.
Since the excavations commenced in Hierapolis in 1957 ... by an Italian mission under Paolo Verzone from the Turin Polytechnic ... finding the exact location of Plutonium had been the focus of the archaeological digs.
D'Andria told ANSAmed news agency that he had found it by studying the vast literature from the period and reconstructing the route of a thermal spring to a cave, ascertaining that in that area bird corpses were collected.
According to the tales of the travelers in those times, bulls were sacrificed to Pluto before pilgrimages into the Plutonium. The animals were led by priests to the entrance to a cave from which fetid fumes arose, suffocating them to death.
The announcement of the discovery came only weeks after archaeo-spelunkers announced that a rival Gateway to Hades in southern Greece apparently was a cave dwelling which once housed an entire underground city.
Ironically, the giant cave could have resembled something vaguely similar to the scene depicted by Jan the Elder Bruegel of Aeneas and the Sybil entering Hades (above).
The complex settlement seen in this cave suggests, along with other sites from about the same time, that early prehistoric Europe may have been more complex than previously thought.
The cave, located in southern Greece and discovered in 1958, is called Alepotrypa, which means "foxhole."
The cave in Greece apparently went through a series of occupations and abandonments before it finally collapsed.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
ASTRO FORECAST: MARCH 26th—APRIL 5th, 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.
MARCH 26th
to APRIL 5th, 2026
THURS-FRIDAY, MARCH 26th-27th, 2026
This week, healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when Venus aligns in conjunction 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, MARCH 28th-29th, 2026
This weekend, your self-confidence gets a boost when the Sun and Saturn both form an ego-boosting sextile aspect with Pluto. You feel empowered to demand a pay increase or anything else you feel you deserve. You also feel energized to take ambitious projects.
MON-TUESDAY, MARCH 30th-31st, 2026
This week, Venus enters the earthy and sensual realm of Taurus, where the Love Goddess will remain until 23rd April 2026. The flirting of the past few weeks Venus spent in Aries is now over. Taurus Venus loves romantic cuddling with good food, good wine, flowers, candles and soft music. Venus in Taurus brings the need for reliability, steadfastness and loyalty. Having a partner whom you can lean on and rely on when the going gets tough is high on the priority list.
WED-THURSDAY, APRIL 1st-2nd, 2026
Overnight Wednesday-Thursday, we come to the Libra Full Moon ... the lunar cycle we call the ORATOR MOON of diplomacy and balanced thinking. This is the perfect time for fulfilling dreams of finding just the right partner, the person who balances out your needs and desires perfectly. But remember that diplomacy is the key. Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Orator Moon is the embodiment of articulate expression in all forms and in all media, whether spoken, written or visual.
FRIDAY, APRIL 3rd, 2026
This week, Mercury forms a fortuitous trine aspect with lucky Jupiter. Even if you usually never play the lottery, you might want to consider buying a lotto ticket for this week.
SAT-SUNDAY, APRIL 4th-5th, 2026
This weekend, Venus square Pluto creates an explosive situation for interpersonal relationships. It begins at the breakfast table over corn flakes when you say you want to go shopping and your alpha-male boyfriend starts in saying that it's typical of you to go off and spend money and waste time while he has to clean the house. Next thing you know, the two of you have been screaming at each other for hours. Remember that astrology is a tool to master such situations. Venus-square-Pluto is a golden opportunity to rediscover the things you love about your lover. Okay, so he's a bitch-on-wheels. So what? He's your bitch-on-wheels and the two of you love each other. Make a stab at helping him clean the house — and sneak online and buy needless stuff on eBay when he's not looking.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between April 6th and 12th, 2026, when we come to the Capricorn Third Quarter Moon which, in Antinous Moon Magic, we call the HADRIAN'S WALL MOON of stubborn intransigence and immovable barriers. Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Hadrian's Wall Lunar Phase is the embodiment of hindrances and blockages. It represents the barriers that stand in your way. It is all barriers and obstacles to progress. Meditations and rituals conducted on this night are best suited for focusing on blockages in your life, situations and issues which prevent you from moving forward. These can be manifested by persons or situations around you. But most often, we find during meditations on this night that we have erected prison walls around ourselves, we are blocking ourselves from the freedom we so earnestly desire. This Lunar Phase is saying it is time to break out! ... More details next time ....
WALT WHITMAN
SAINT OF ANTINOUS
SAINT OF ANTINOUS
ON March 26th the Religion of Antinous takes a moment to celebrate the life of one of our most popular Antinoian prophets ... Saint Walt Whitman.
Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, on the West Hills of Long Island, New York. He was lavished with love by his mother, but treated with stern discipline by his carpenter father.
After only a few years of school, Whitman was pulled out to help with the family earnings. He educated himself, reading all that he could, worked in a printing house, and eventually became a schoolteacher who taught with refreshing openness and excitement, allowing his students to call him by his first name. After years of teaching, he went into journalism, and in time was the editor of several publications.
However, Walt Whitman is said to have experienced a life-transforming epiphany. He left New York, and returned to live for a period with his family, then returned from isolation with Leaves of Grass, one of the most powerful collections of poems in American literature and the first to allude heavily to homosexual love.
It is often said that, during his time in isolation, a religious sense of purpose entered his heart, which he revealed in the Calamus poems.
The aromatic, psychotropic calamus plant with its phallic spadix flower pods was his symbol for homosexuality. The calamus has special meaning for us because Kalamos of Greek myth fell in love with the beautiful youth Karpos.
Like Antinous, Karpos died by drowning. Grief-stricken Kalamos wept among the reeds at the waterside until he was himself transformed into a reed, whose rustling in the wind is his sigh of woe.
When the American civil war broke out, Walt Whitman was 42 years old and served as a hospital nurse, falling in love with all the soldiers, especially those who died in his arms.
Open expressions of love between men were accepted without issue during the war, and it was when the visionary enlightenment of Walt Whitman became clear to him. He saw that the origin of this love, brotherly, or friendly perhaps, if not more, was the salvation of the human race, and certainly able to heal the divide between North and South.
His final years were spent communicating his message to the new torchbearers, such as John Addington Symonds and Edward Carpenter. After his death, and as Gay Liberation took strength, he was called a Prophet, particularly by the George Cecil Ives and the Order of Chaeronea.
We, adherents of the ancient/modern Religion of Antinous, proclaim him to be St. Walt Whitman the Prophet of Homoeros, and we elevate him to his own stratosphere in our devotion.
He died March 26th, 1892 of tuberculosis compounded by pneumonia. Over 1,000 mourners paid their respects. St. Walt told us how he wanted us to remember him, not as a great poet, but as "the tenderest lover":
You bards of ages hence! when you refer to me, mind not so much my poems,
Nor speak of me that I prophesied of The States, and led them the way of their Glories;
But come, I will take you down underneath this impassive exterior ... I will tell you what to say of me:
Publish my name and hang up my picture as that of the tenderest lover,
The friend, the lover's portrait, of whom his friend, his lover, was fondest,
Who was not proud of his songs, but of measureless ocean of love within him ... and freely poured it forth,
Who often walked lonesome walks, thinking of his dear friends, his lovers,
Who pensive, away from one he loved, often lay sleepless and dissatisfied at night,
Who knew too well the sick, sick dread lest the one he loved might secretly be indifferent to him,
Whose happiest days were far away, through fields, in woods, on hills, he and another, wandering hand in hand, they twain, apart from other men,
Who oft as he sauntered the streets, curved with his arm the shoulder of his friend while the arm of his friend rested upon him also.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
THE NARCISSUS MOON OF ANTINOUS
THE CANCER FIRST QUARTER MOON
THE CANCER FIRST QUARTER MOON
TONIGHT's Cancer First Quarter Moon is the Lunar Phase of reflection and insight which we call the NARCISSUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic.
Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Narcissus Moon is the Lover of the Self. It is the Spirit which tunes out all distractions and all other people in order to focus on the Divinity within. It is the Spirit of Self-Love and Same-Sex Love.
It is forever gazing into its own reflection and whispering to itself: You are Divine! The reflection and the viewer are one and the same. The Spirit of Narcissus is the Divinity which holds a mirror up to ourselves.
It invites you to look into the depths of yourself — find your Spiritual Twin. You may call this twin your "Soul," "Higher Self," "KA," "Spirit Guide" or "Guardian Angel." The terminology is unimportant. What is important is that you become aware of your Second Self.
In the Religion of Antinous, we call this the NARCISSUS PRINCIPLE, which is one of the founding principles of our religion. It is at the basis of the Spirit of Homosexuality -- Love of the Divine Self.
Most of us go through life unaware of this Other Self. We do what is expected of us. We do what we feel others want us to do. We put the perceived wants and needs of others ahead of our own. We think that it's "selfish" to put our own interests first.
But the Narcissus Moon reminds us that there is another Self ... a Spiritual Self ... without which we are not spiritually whole. For it is only by "looking out for Number 1" that we are physically, mentally and spiritually able to love ourselves. And only then can we truly love others.
The Narcissus Moon invites you to take a deep and profound look at yourself, with all your strengths and all your weaknesses, all your virtues and all your faults, all your courageous achievements and all your failures. Become aware of your Spiritual Twin, so that together, as one spiritual entity, you can fulfill your destiny.
Meditations and rituals on this night are well suited for delving into your inner self, for exploring the spiritual being which dwells within. This is also a good time for determining whether you are perhaps too self-centered and introspective and whether you focus on yourself to the exclusion of others.
LABRADORITE FOR THE NARCISSUS MOON
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell
AT tonight's Narcissus Moon we should remember that vanity and loving oneself are very different things...
Whilst I would, obviously, recommend that you hold these crystals during meditation during this moon phase I would also recommend doing the 'mirror work' Louise Hay recommends. I would add that doing the 'mirror work' while holding one (or all three) of the crystals above would make it even more effective.
Love and Light,
ANTINOUS IN PESSINUS
HOME OF GENDER-FLUID PRIESTS OF PHRYGIA
HOME OF GENDER-FLUID PRIESTS OF PHRYGIA
IN March of 129 AD Antinous and Hadrian arrived in the ancient city of Pessinus in Phrygia which was the cult center of the Great Mother of the Gods, Cybele.
It was from here that the Cult of Magna Mater, the Great Mother of the Gods, spread out into the world even unto Rome.
Pessinus was ruled by the transgender high priestess known as the Archigallus who together with her transgender galloi priestesses worshipped a black stone that had fallen from the sky and was the embodiment of the Great Mother herself.
During the War with Hannibal, the Senate consulted the Sibilline Book and received an oracle instructing them to bring the Great Mother of Phrygia to Rome.
They sent an emissary to the city of Pessinus and, amazingly, the Phrygian priests freely handed over the black heavenly Stone that was the most sacred emblem of their goddess.
The Black Stone was brought to Rome, and met at the port of Ostia by a large congregation of the matrons of the city. They carried her in their arms, from one lady to another, into the city.
Along with the stone came the transgender priestesses who castrated themselves as an offering to the goddess and served her for the rest of their lives dressed as women, in keeping with the beautiful boy Attis, who sacrificed his manhood to the goddess. They danced wild ecstatic dances to the beat of drums and cymbals drawing their blood as an offering.
The religion of Magna Mater is one of the oldest faiths of mankind, extending far back into prehistory. Evidence has been found of her veneration in one of the oldest human settlements known as Catal Huyuk in modern Turkey.
The image here shows a mother figure on a chariot drawn by two lions, an image always central to the Great Mother.
She was known under several names, Idea, Dydima, Sipyla, Agdistis, Rhea, Kubaba, Khaba, Khabala, and Cebele, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, wife of Saturn, mother of all the gods.
It is believed that her religion was spread throughout the Middle East during the conquests of the Hittite Empire, led by eunuch priests headed by the Archigallus, who was the earthly representative of the divine consort Attis.
The sacred shrines of the goddess were established where a black stone had fallen from heaven, and there a prophetess, known as a Sybil took up residence, speaking oracles from Apollo. The religions of Dionysus, Apollo, Diana and Persephone are deeply and intimately related, through their connection to Magna Mater.
They are the vestiges of a faith and culture that long preceded Greece, yet whose traces remain even now, in the concept of Holy Mother Church, in the black stone embedded in the Khaba at Mecca, and as the spirit of the Holy Tree known as the Kabalah in Jewish mysticism.
Antinous was very probably brought up as a devotee of her religion, since Bithynion had a mountaintop shrine to Attis, and was very near to the center of her worship at Pessinus.
The proximity of Bithynium-Claudiopolis to Pessinus makes it likely that Antinous was familiar with and participated in the Cult of Magna Mater.
And the discovery of an image of Antinous in the sanctuary of Magna Mater in the port city of Ostia outside of Rome suggests that the cult of Antinous was connected to the transgender cult of the Mother Goddess.
The festival of the death and rebirth of Attis, who was transformed into a Pine tree, was celebrated at the March Equinox in Rome and in Pessinus and it was at this time that Hadrian and Antinous attended the festival in its ancient sacred city. We pray for the blessing of Magna Mater and the reborn transgender goddess Attis.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
WE HONOR THE EMPRESS SABINA
THE Empress Sabina Augusta ... Vibia Sabina ... Hadrian's Wife ... died sometime in the year 136, and was deified in the year 138.
The date of her elevation to godliness is not known, but because she was so often compared to the Mother Goddess Ceres-Demeter, we declare her Apotheosis to coincide with the return of spring in Rome, and dedicate our celebration of the Equinox to our mother and Empress, Nova Dea Ceres, Sabina Augusta.
This relief sculpture of her deification, in which she is shown rising up from the cremation flames on the wings of a female Aeon, shows Hadrian enthroned, behind him is a figure that resembles Antoninus Pius.
And reclining on the floor is one who could possibly be Antinous, the resemblance to the youth on the Apotheosis of Antoninus is remarkable.
ANTINOUS WORSHIPERS IN GLOBAL RITES
TO CELEBRATE THE SACRED BOAR HUNT
TO CELEBRATE THE SACRED BOAR HUNT
TONIGHT, in observance of the Ancient Roman Vernal Equinox, modern-day priests of Antinous around the world conferred via Zoom to carry out rituals commemorating the Sacred Boar Hunt.
The priests from both sides of the Atlantic joyously celebrated the Sacred Boar Hunt of Antinous which was one of the few recorded events in the actual life of Antinous.
This wonderful, mysterious hunt represents the pinnacle of his life ... Antinous at the highest point of his brief mortal existence, full of youth, beauty and vitality ... mounted on horseback in the forest with his lover Hadrian, hunting a boar.
This is what our festival means ... to enjoy life ... to take it all in right now and be glad that we are alive and well.
I ask Antinous to bless us as we begin the transition into this new phase of development. May the Temple of Antinous gather together in great numbers from all over the globe!
Monday, March 23, 2026
ANTINOUS SAINTS BLESS THE MARRIAGE
OF BRAZIL'S FIRST PRIEST OF ANTINOUS
OF BRAZIL'S FIRST PRIEST OF ANTINOUS
Sunday, March 22, 2026
ANTINOUS-ATTIS DIES AND IS REBORN
DURING THE CYCLE OF THE EQUINOX
DURING THE CYCLE OF THE EQUINOX
THE cycle of the March Equinox is Sacred to the Great Mother of the Gods, and to her divine lover-son Attis, who dies and is reborn at this time of year.
Persephone returns from the underworld, and the verdure returns to the face of the Earth.
The death of Attis is symbolic of the fruit flowers that appear at this season and then fall away, making room for the ripening fruit.
It was celebrated in Rome with the introduction of a great pine tree that was carried into the Temple of Magna Mater.
An image of the dead Attis was carried on a bier and hung from the tree which was decorated with purple ribbons and violet flowers.
On the Day of Blood, the priests performed austerities including the self-castration of new priests, and the bloodletting of the old priests to the accompaniment of drum and cymbal music.
After the Day of Blood, when Attis was said to have risen again, the festival turned to joy and elation and was known as the Hilaria.
The final part of the sacred days was the day of cleansing, when the image of the Great Mother, a black stone encased in silver, was taken to the river Arno and washed by the priests.
Flamen Antonius Subia says:
"The five-day cycle of the Equinox ... the Mithraic Mysteries and all the other remembrances ... are all contained in the Death and Resurrection of Attis, the beautiful boy, who severed his own testicles and died giving his blood to the bosom of the earth ... but did not die."
Saturday, March 21, 2026
WE MOURN THE DEATH
OF ANTINOUS-ADONIS
OF ANTINOUS-ADONIS
ADONIS was the most beautiful boy that ever lived, so beautiful that Venus fell totally in love with him and forsook all her love-joys in order to follow him on his hunt through the forests of Mt. Lebanon.But Adonis was unmoved and completely rejected her advances. She became infatuated and abandoned herself to the boy who only cared to hunt.
Mars was jealous of his rival, and outraged to see Venus subjected to desperation and lust, so he contrived to lure Venus away by having Mercury recall her to her neglected duties, because without her influence to temper the raging schemes of her Erotic son, there was no love in the world.
While she was away, Mars transformed himself into a wild boar and let Adonis pursue him through the woods.
The God of War suddenly charged the young God of Beauty and disarmed him, and with a deadly kiss, gored Adonis in the groin sinking his razor tusk between his perfect white legs.
When she returned, Venus found her beloved boy dead and cut her hair in mourning, she immortalized his soul as a flower, and made the river that bears his name flow red.
The love between Venus and Adonis was unfulfilled, her adoration for him was unreturned because Adonis had no care for women, and he preferred his hunting dogs to her gentle caresses.
Only the War God Mars had his way with Adonis, though motivated by jealousy and rage, it was a violent sexual attack, for which all the world must mourn, because in the savagery of the Lust of Mars, the world was forever robbed of the beauty of Adonis.
Flamen Antonius Subia says:
"We venerate Adonis and seek his shadow in the gardens of human beauty. Antinous is the 'Adonis of the Underworld' ... our perfect desire who flees from our embrace ... but we, like Venus, never abandon him to his endless hunt, and caress his cheek even though our hands can never touch him."
Friday, March 20, 2026
THE SACRED BOAR HUNT
AT the March Equinox the Religion of Antinous commemorates the Sacred Boar Hunt.
In our Liturgical Calendar, it is the day when Hadrian and Antinous arrive at the sacred city of Bithynium/Claudiopolis, the home of Antinous, in the spring of the year 129 AD.
Imagine the jubilant welcome they must have received as the city's populace turned out en masse (including all of the extended family and acquaintances of Antinous) to see the imperial entourage with Hadrian and Antinous at the forefront.
The region is teeming with bountiful wildlife and so Hadrian and Antinous went on hunting forays while in Bithynium.
The Boar Hunt had deeply mystical symbolic meaning for Hadrian, as exemplified that it was elevated to mythic proportions for use in public monuments.
The image above shows Hadrian and Antinous (looking backwards) during the Sacred Boar Hunt, immortalized on the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
Flamen Antonius Subia explains the mythic symbolism this way:
In ancient times, boys would enter the forest armed only With a spear to test their courage as young men
So it was that Antinous went with Hadrian
To hunt the wild boar of Phrygia, to test his manhood
The boar symbolizes strength, courage, honor, & truth
And was an emblem of warriors and of fearlessness
The Boar is sacred to the beautiful hunter god Adonis
Whom Venus so loved that she chased after him through Briars and thorns, and when he was killed by the Boar, Which was her jealous lover Mars in disguise
She compelled the world to mourn his death
Her love for Adonis was so strong that she brought him
Back from the underworld again for half the year.
The Boar is the emblem of the fertility god Freyr
Whose mighty phallus purifies and protects the fields
The Boar is sacred to the sun god Belenus
Of the Cisalpine Gauls, of whom there is an inscription From Hadrian’s Villa that reads:
“Antinous and Belenus are equal in age and beauty
For this reason Antinous is also be worshipped like Belenus appropriately, by Quintus the Sicilian”
We praise the god Belenus, whose bonfires protect us
From the malevolent spirits of darkness and chaos
The beautiful Sun God Belenus is Antinous of the North
We praise Antinous as Mercurius, the son of Maia
Maia is the Bona Dea, leader of the Pleaides
She is the bringer of goodness and plenty of summer
We praise Diana the Huntress and ask her blessing
On this night of the Sacred Boar Hunt
May the Strength of the Boar be with us
May the Power of the Boar be with us
May the Courage of the Boar be with us
In celebration of Antinous the Hunter
We now consume the meat of the Sacred Boar
So we may be blessed
Ave Antinous – Adonis
Ave Antinous – Freyr
Ave Antinous – Belenus
Ave Antinous – Mercurius
May flesh of the Sacred Boar give us his blessing
Ave Antinous Venator!
~ ANTONIUS SUBIA
Thursday, March 19, 2026
ASTRO FORECAST: MARCH 19th—29th, 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.
MARCH 19th to 29th, 2026
THURSDAY, MARCH 19th, 2026
This week, 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.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20th, 2026
This week, the Sun enters the sign of Aries for the Equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere springtime is on the way, but in the Southern Hemisphere autumn is coming. The March Equinox is the official zodiacal start of the astrological year and 2026 IS THE YEAR OF MERCURY, according to an ancient astro-alchemical calendar. The previous 12 months were ruled by the Venus. It is time to emerge from the soft light of 2025 ... it is time to open our eyes to the bright light of new possibilities. Thus 2026 is the Year of Mercury.Meanwhile, aren't you tired of all the computer glitches, "lost" files, travel delays and snafus of recent weeks? Take heart! Now Mercury does an about-face and starts going forward again as seen from Earth, ending three weeks of Retrograde "backwards" travel. So you can safely message friends and co-workers a prediction that certain "lost" computer files or parcels will show up by the time they go to work tomorrow morning. Mercury going backwards creates this sort of impish mayhem with matters concerning communications, documents and money. Misplaced tickets, keys, "lost" computer files, letters and packages which vanish into postal limbo ... all are typical of Retrograde Mercury. The "lost" things turn up again as if by magic when Mercury goes Direct again. A skilled astrologer, Hadrian no doubt amazed his courtiers by accurately predicting when some "lost" document or wayward courier message would finally re-appear out of no where.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21st, 2026
This weekend, you may feel like a "noble knight" when Mars forms a trine aspect with the Jupiter. Unfortunately, Mars trine Jupiter means many people may become deluded that they are superheroes, using others as kindling to start fires — not always literally, often metaphorically. Either way, it is just so they can be seen to be the hero and put it out and destroy the lives of others in the process. Beware of crusaders who urge you to take part in some sacred battle. And beware of demagogues who insist they are fighting a holy war, sacrificing the lives of many innocent men, women and children in the name of war or competition for basic/personal needs, just so they look like the hero.
SUNDAY, MARCH 22nd, 2026
This weekend, the Sun has its annual conjunction with Neptune ... a very special conjunction because Neptune is now in fiery Aries, where it will remain until 2039. Sun conjunction Neptune in Aries merges the assertive, pioneering energy of Aries with Neptune's dreamy, spiritual, and sometimes illusory nature, initiating a 14-year cycle (starting 2026) focused on "spiritual warrior" energy. This cosmic configurati inspires creative risk, heightened intuition, and a drive to redefine personal identity, though it may trigger impulsivity, confusion, or deception.
MON-TUESDAY, MARCH 23rd-24th, 2026
This week, we come to our annual reality check when the Sun aligns with Saturn. This year, this powerful Sun conjunction Saturn alignment occurs in Aries. Saturn left placid Pisces in February 2026 and will remain in aggressive Aries until April 2028. Aries is known for its bold spirit of leadership, courage, and independence and can lean towards impulsiveness. Saturn, on the other hand, is the task master of the zodiac. He demands steady, sustained effort and hard work. The result is you feel you have one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. Ideally, you will be able to take bold initiative in your life while ensuring your choices are sustainable and well thought out. Courage does not mean acting recklessly ... it means stepping forward with conviction while respecting what it takes to create and sustain growth. Full details here about SATURN IN ARIES.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th, 2026
This week, we come to the Cancer First Quarter Moon. It is the Lunar Phase of reflection and insight which we call the NARCISSUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... Narcissus is the Spirit which tunes out all distractions and all other people in order to focus on the Divinity within. This Lunar Phase is the Spirit of Self-Love and Same-Sex Love. It is forever gazing into its own reflection and whispering to itself: You are Divine! The reflection and the viewer are one and the same. The Spirit of Narcissus is the Divinity which holds a mirror up to ourselves.
THURS-FRIDAY, MARCH 26th-27th, 2026
This week, healing energies get a sudden and dramatic boost when Venus aligns in conjunction 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, MARCH 28th-29th, 2026
This weekend, your self-confidence gets a boost when the Sun and Saturn both form an ego-boosting sextile aspect with Pluto. You feel empowered to demand a pay increase or anything else you feel you deserve. You also feel energized to take ambitious projects.
SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:
Another exciting week lies ahead between March 30th and April 5th, 2026, when we come to the Libra Full Moon ... the lunar cycle we call the ORATOR MOON of diplomacy and balanced thinking. This is the perfect time for fulfilling dreams of finding just the right partner, the person who balances out your needs and desires perfectly. But remember that diplomacy is the key. Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Orator Moon is the embodiment of articulate expression in all forms and in all media, whether spoken, written or visual ... More details next time ....


























