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

ASTRO FORECAST: AUGUST 4th—14th, 2022

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 4th to 14th, 2022

---

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4th, 2022

On Thursday, Mercury leaves selfish Leo and enters compassionate Virgo. It has been said that Virgo Mercury is like having a cyber-servant or surrogate replicant who anticipates all your inter-personal communications needs and rushes to your beck and call. Mercury will be in Virgo until August 26th, which means you can expect advice and supportive suggestions for "upgrading" your cognitive and communications skills for the next three weeks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th, 2022

On Friday, 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 6th-7th, 2022

This weekend's celestial configurations are tainted by a dire Mars square Saturn aspect ... a configuration which is relatively rare ... and it is a configuration which always spells trouble. This 90-degree square aspect does not bode well for the world's trouble spots. Mars-square-Saturn is like driving down a highway with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator because Mars wants to press the pedal to the metal, while Saturn wants a cautious, go-slow approach. The result is pent-up frustration which boils over into rage. Open warfare breaks out not only in crisis regions of the world, but also in street traffic, in your work place and in your domestic relationship. Cold-blooded, vengeful wrath strangles out rational thought.

MONDAY, AUGUST 8th, 2022

This week the Earth may shake for you when Venus moves into opposition with Pluto and the Star of Antinous (See: PLUTO ALIGNS WITH THE STAR OF ANTINOUS). Venus opposition Pluto is something that happens only once a year. There is equally the possibility of making a profound commitment at this time, particularly in a sexual relationship. Power struggles are also possible in this phase. Venus opposition to Pluto can also literally cause the Earth to shake ... in the form of earthquakes. There is equally the possibility of making a profound commitment at this time, particularly in a sexual relationship. Power struggles are also possible in this phase. Venus opposition to Pluto can also literally cause the Earth to shake ... in the form of earthquakes.

TUES-WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9th-10th, 2022

This week the Sun and Uranus are in a 90-degree square aspect to each other. This aspect creates unreliability and betrayal amongst friends, allies and coworkers. Stress and rancour and lots of rage and unrest are the result.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11th, 2022

On Thursday Venus, the planet of love, leaves down-home Cancer and struts into show-off Leo, where she remains for a month. This is a chance to put on high heels and strut your stuff and make yourself attractive to others so your popularity soars. When you look good, you feel good so treat yourself to a new outfit or a facial or a haircut or any other pampering session that boosts your self esteem. Old-school astrology texts like to call Leo a Drama Queen. They like to paint planets in the sign of Leo as people with superiority complexes. This happens occasionally, but mostly it doesn't. Leo is the sign of Royalty, and royalty, the kind that stays in power, doesn't lord over others. True royalty is generous, humane and often quietly dignified. Venus in Leo gives you the expressive dignity of a Queen or King, you have creative dominion over an artistic field… and the hearts of others.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12th, 2022

Overnight Thursday-Friday, we come to the AQUARIUS FULL MOON. This is the summertime moon of generous gifts which we associate with Antinous/Vertumnus, the shape-shifting God of summertime bounty and generous gifts. We call this the DONUM MOON when magical rituals are performed for fortuitous gifts.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13th, 2022

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 14th, 2022

This weekend we come to our annual reality check when the Sun is in 180-degree opposition to Saturn. The result is that Saturn floods you with doubts and caution while the Sun showers you with over-confidence and over-optimism. You find yourself wanting desperately to achieve long-stalled goals ... but you are plagued by doubts and insecurities. You crave recognition, but you find it difficult to cope with praise. And because Saturn is retrograde, problems from the past come back to haunt you.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between August 15th and 21st, 2022, when 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. This night is when we celebrate our gay brothers ... More details next time ....

IS THIS THE VIP DEPARTURES LOUNGE WHERE ANTINOUS WAITED TO BOARD SHIPS?

COULD this be the "VIP departures lounge" where Emperor Hadrian and his coterie ... including Antinous ... prepared for boarding vessels for overseas journeys ... or recuperated on arrival from sea voyages?

This sprawling complex, called the "Imperial Palace" is located near the docks of the ancient Roman port of Portus (Ostia Antica) ... the city of Rome's seaport to the world.

These spectacular 3-D images were tweeted around the world this week on Twitter.

They are yet another indication that Portus ... source of the English word "port" ... is a major archaeological site, even larger than Pompeii, according to British archaeologists who unearthed it.

In recent years, 3-D imagery and ground-penetrating radar scans have revealed streets and neighborhoods which Antinous and Hadrian no doubt saw when leaving or arriving Rome's biggest port city on their voyages to far-flung Roman provinces.

The new discoveries mean the fanciful modern illustration (at right) in the style of Roman frescoes will have to be modified to cover a much larger area.

The team of British archaeologists has discovered a building twice the size of a football field, a boundary wall and large defensive towers under fields near Rome airport ... making the area 35 per cent larger than previously thought.

Often overlooked by visitors heading for Pompeii, Ostia is the second best-preserved ancient Roman town, with streets, houses and an amphitheatre on the banks of the Tiber River.

The discoveries have been made on the other side of the Tiber, proving the river did not border the town, but ran through it, splitting Ostia Antica in two.

The discoveries have been made by experts from the universities of Southampton and Cambridge, teamed with the British School at Rome and Italian archaeologists.

"The work shows that Ostia Antica was 35 percent larger than we believed, including buildings from the second and 3rd Century AD which were built as a consequence of the enlargement of Portus by the emperor Trajan, which meant more ships were arriving," says Simon Keay, from the University of Southampton. 

"It shows Rome was importing significantly more food through the port than we thought," he adds.

It also sheds light on how important Ostia was to trade in the first 200 years of the millennium, said Mariarosaria Barbera, superintendent of Rome’s archaeological heritage.

ANTINOUS IN OSTIA TO SET SAIL ON A VOYAGE TO DIVINE DESTINY

IMAGINE the sights and smells of the Roman port of Ostia on this sweltering day in August 128 AD when Emperor Hadrian and Antinous and their enormous Imperial entourage boarded a veritable fleet of vessels on the first leg of their three-year tour of the Eastern Empire.

The Imperial Navy had gathered at the port of Ostia to escort Hadrian and the court across the sea to Greece. 

Ostia was the port city through which all trade bound for Rome passed. Sea going vessels were unloaded and their cargo was transferred to the riverboats that fed the ravenous gluttony of Rome.

The patron god of Ostia was Vulcan, the smith god, seconded by Mercury who watched over the trade business. Vulcan was the son of Zeus and Hera, and he characterizes the molten earth fire of volcanoes. 

The tremendous power of Vulcan made him a suitable husband for Venus. But their love, though constructive and passionate, was volatile and unpleasant. 

Venus was constantly betraying the adoration and fidelity of her husband with countless lovers, especially with Mars. 

But the love of Vulcan for his beautiful wife was greater than jealousy and he forgave her countless indiscretions. 

It is into Vulcan's hands, as intercessor and placator of Venus, that the hopes of the Imperial Navy rest as they depart from Italy. 

We pray to Vulcan, Mercury, Neptune and to Venus, Our Lady of the Sea, as Antinous journeys forth across the sea.

ANTINOUS IN ROME FOR THE LAST TIME

IMAGINE the spectacular send-off that Antinous and Hadrian received on that day in early August, 128 AD, when they left Rome on their three-year tour of the Eastern Empire.

It would be a fateful journey from which Antinous would never return. This was the last time he would ever see Rome in all its splendor.

Before leaving Rome, the Senate, Pontiffs, Flamenes, and all priesthoods, were summoned by Hadrian to the Pantheon, and there they conducted a solemn ceremony of benediction and safekeeping, for the benefit of the Emperor, for the City and for the World. 

With Antinous at his side, Hadrian announced his purpose for leaving Rome and journeying to the provinces. 

He enumerated his plan to improve the cities of the east, detailing his building projects, and the social, political reforms that would be enacted. 

Hadrian then made sacrifice to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, the ruler of Rome, while the Senate, in the name of Jupiter, blessed Hadrian and Antinous and the members of the court. 

Afterward, the streets of the city were lined with people bidding farewell to their Emperor, who proceeded in a slow and grand procession. 

Antinous would have been prominently located near Hadrian as the procession left the sacred gates of the City. Antinous would never return. And Hadrian, grief-stricken, would return a broken and embittered man. But on that hot and sunny August day, the hopes of the world went with Hadrian and Antinous as they passed through the portals of the Eternal City ....

Flamen Antonius Subia:

We pray to Our Lady Rome, mother of the world, to watch over us, and over civilization, her child, in time of danger, that the age of peace will come again.

THE ANTINOUS COLORING BOOK (YES, THERE REALLY IS SUCH A THING)

WE have seen every sort of Antinous collectible ... jewelry, coffee mugs, T-shirts, amulets, posters ... but even the most avid collectors were surprised (and envious) to learn of the existence of an Antinous coloring book.

Thirty years ago there was a spate of paper-doll cutout books and coloring books for adults. Paper dolls of Joan Crawford and Mae West, for example.

These "children's" books were targeted at adult specialty genre collectors. 

Some were published as refrigerator magnets ... the most famous being Michelangelo's "David" with a wardrobe of magnetic fashion accessories.

By and large, these books were gimmicky and often campy. But some took on serious highlights from art history ... offering coloring books which gave collectors a tongue-in-cheek gallery of famous works of art. There were coloring books of all sorts of things, including ancient civilizations. 

But we had never heard of a coloring book featuring Antinous ... until now ....

One of our far-flung correspondents literally stumbled upon it ... here is what he says:

"I am always on the look out for Antinous finds. You know that feeling when you come face to face with our Beloved. You blink once, twice. Is that him? Then in your heart you know. 

"Sharing my first find is a coloring book titled: 'Liber Romanus Pingendus A Coloring Book of Rome'. I found this in a used book store. You know the kind. The books are stacked floor to ceiling. They all have dust and that smell of old. I know it's weird but, I like that smell, the smell of history. Here are some pages that I know you will like."

Yes indeed ... we certainly like them. And we know you will too. The coloring book includes detailed plates showing Emperor Hadrian, his hand-picked heir Lucius Verus (hand-picked by Hadrian to be co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius), as well as a depiction of the Assumption of Antoninus Pius (Hadrian's immediate successor) ... and two pages devoted to Antinous himself.

Above is Antinous as Phanes encircled by astrological signs and enwrapped by a serpent. 

At right is a line drawing of the famous Lanuvium bas-relief showing Antinous as the rustic deity Sylvanus/Aristaeus harvesting grapes with a dog looking up at him adoringly.

Get out your crayons!

THE DEPARTURE FROM TIBUR FOR THE VERY LAST TIME FOR ANTINOUS

ON August 1st the three-year Sacred Calendar of the Temple of Antinous begins, known as the Peregrinatio ad Orientem, which follows the progress of Hadrian and Antinous on their fateful three-year Tour of the Eastern Provinces. 

The inner circle of Hadrian departs from the Villa at Tibur with solemnity and with prayers to Mercury the god of travelers. (Painting above is "Departure From The Villa At Tivoli" by Eduardo Forti.)

The Villa at Tibur is regarded as the second most sacred city after Antinoopolis because it was here that Hadrian and Antinous lived together for most of their relationship, it was from here that Hadrian would later disseminate the religion of Antinous, and it is believed that the tomb of Antinous may be located in an unexcavated corner of the vast ruins. 

As they depart, Antinous is the acknowledged favorite of Hadrian. 

This is the last moment that Antinous spent in the West, and is observed in solemnity as the departure of Antinous from the repression of Rome to the loving embrace of Greece. 

The fall of the ancient religion and the destruction of the Holy City of Antinoopolis are mourned, as the meaning of the departure is also the occasion where we remember the fall of his glorious religion, and the centuries of silence which have preceded our revival.