Monday, November 27, 2023

ASTROLOGER PREDICTED OF ANTINOUS:
"HE WILL BECOME THE FRIEND OF A KING"


AN astrologer casting the natal horoscope for newborn Antinous, on 27 November 111 AD, would have told his proud parents the following:

"He will be handsome, attractive and have an uncommonly well proportioned body and amiable disposition."

As the baby's mother smiled and nodded (image here by Priest Julien), the astrologer would be encouraged to go on: 

"And because Jupiter was well aspected to Venus as his mother gave birth to him, little Antinous will one day become the friend of a king ... favored for his great beauty ... and in general will be favored with fortune over all his peers."

All of those things are listed in the standard textbook used by astrologers in the 2nd Century AD ... the "Mathesis" by Julius Firmicus Maternus.

The astrologer would be reading word-for-word from the textbook for a child born whose Rising Sign was 19 degrees Aquarius.

But the textbook has more to say ... and the astrologer might have been forgiven for conveniently "forgetting" to mention the next sentence couple of sentences:

"He will be one of the exoleti (sexual inverts), a sodomite who engages in irrumation," the textbook says. "And though generally fortunate, he will die in the first blush of young manhood."

Modern-day astrologers no longer use the Ancient Roman "Mathesis" textbook ... not as a rule ... although it is right on the mark in this case. 

But just like the ancient soothsayer, a modern a modern astrologer sees a bright and vivacious young man who stands out from all the others when he walks into a room. 

His sunny disposition is enhanced by the fact that the sun was high overhead in optimistic Sagittarius ... in conjunction with his Mid-Heaven.

His Aquarius Ascendant gives him a slight aloofness and appearance of being above it all. Yet Aquarius Rising also enables him to charm large crowds and impress others with his interest in a broad array of subjects. He can talk about almost anything with a degree of authority and interest.

Jupiter is at right angles to Venus, creating an exuberant personality ... a person who love to party ... loves excess ... someone who is generous to a fault, handing out money and favors as if there is no tomorrow.

Venus is in the House of Death, suggesting a willingness to die for love ... though, again, this is not something an astrologer would necessarily tell parents of a newborn.

Saturn is stranded in the First House, which speaks of a dour longterm future. But it is well aspected to Mercury, which is in Scorpio in the Ninth House, the House of Religion.

People with Scorpio Mercury do not hesitate to tell the unvarnished truth. They ferret out secrets and love to cast light on hidden truth. 

Hadrian must have loved Antinous in large part because Antinous invariably told him the truth, unlike all the other sycophantic and toadying courtiers.

The Moon was aligned with Mars in Aries the day Antinous was born. It must have been a stunning sight to go outside that evening and see the waxing First Quarter Aries Moon with a bright red star next to it ... Mars in conjunction.

People with Moon/Mars conjunction in Aries are such hot and fiery personalities that they can literally feel warm. They sleep without covers in the coldest weather. 

They throw of unnecessary clothing. They are hot and passionate. They are quick to blow off steam, but also quick to forgive and forget.

People with Moon/Mars aligned in Aries are also liable to take unnecessary risks. They live fast ... they burn the candle at both ends ... they do not fear death.

Those are the major aspects that an ancient astrologer would have seen in this natal chart.

But there would be aspects of this natal chart which would have been "invisible" to a 2nd Century astrologer ... but which leap out from the computer screen at a 21st Century astrologer. Look at the chart on this page and you notice multiple triangles overlaid on top of each other.

A total of Seven Grand Trines form the backbone of this extraordinary birth chart ... but they involve the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto ... which were not discovered until the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

These slow-moving outer planets rarely form aspects with one another ... centuries pass before they form aspects. 

Uranus and Neptune were in alignment when Antinous was born ... Uranus and Neptune were in alignment in the 1820s when the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone helped to spawn "Antinomania" and revive interest in Antinous.

And Uranus and Neptune were aligned again in the late 1980s and '90s ... when the Modern Religion of Antinous was awakened.

A modern astrologer looks at those Seven Grand Trines ... involving Moon/Mars, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune ... and instantly sees that this person was born at an extraordinary moment in time ... when the planets were signaling a dramatic and sudden turning point.

This baby boy would become the last Classical deity. It is in his birth chart.

One final note: Hadrian was obsessed with horoscopes and would have studied the birth chart of Antinous in detail. After Antinous died, Hadrian discovered a star in the Constellation of Ganymede equivalent to the last decade of Capricorn.

Hadrian called it the Star of Antinous and he renamed the star group the Constellation of Antinous. The new star was located where Jupiter had been on the day when Antinous was born. The Star was forever linked with his natal Jupiter.

In FIXED STAR ASTROLOGY the natal conjunction of Jupiter and the Star of Antinous represents: "Great good fortune in wealth, fame, success ... but with constant threat of loss. Spiritual and religious authority and influence."

In Ancient Rome, Jupiter symbolized the Emperor ... so that Antinous was forever linked with Hadrian ... shining together ... for all eternity.

THE GEMINI FULL MOON
THE CATAMITUS MOON OF ANTINOUS



TONIGHT's Gemini Full Moon is the CATAMITUS MOON in Antinous Moon Magic, the moon signaling where change will occur in your life during the coming year.

Each Lunar Phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Catamitus Moon is the Winds of Change.

This is the Spirit who is carried away by the Divine, just as Ganymede (Catamitus to the Romans) was carried away by Zeus/Jupiter. This Spirit is plucked and uprooted and is carried off to other realms.

The ancients often compared the relationship of Hadrian and Antinous to that of Jupiter and Catamitus/Ganymede, the beautiful youth who so enraptured Jupiter that the king of the Gods swooped down from Olympus in the form of an eagle and carried Ganymede off to be at his side forever, serving as his cup bearer.


The Constellation of Antinous replaced that of Ganymede upon the divinization of Antinous. At this time of year the Sun is moving inexorably towards this constellation.

This lunar cycle represents is the Spirit which seeks out new horizons simply for sake of change. 


This Spirit revels in change for change's sake.

This Spirit knows that existence without change is stagnation and death.

Life is an ever-evolving cycle of waxing and waning, winning and losing, breathing in and breathing out, ceaseless change.


This is a powerfully magical moon for working gay magical spells in the Gemini areas of friendships, finances and getting in contact with prospective lovers.

CATAMITUS MOON CRYSTALS FOR CHANGE
By Our Crystal Meditation Adviser Martin Campbell



THE Catamitus Moon (Gemini Full Moon) signals where change will be occurring … or needs to occur … in your life during the coming year.

If you feel stuck in a rut, crystal meditations during this lunar phase  help you to focus on bringing about change … in your living situation … your job and finances … and in your friendships.

I recommend these using these crystals: 

Chrysocolla: This beautiful green, blue and turquoise stone helps you to accept change with calmness. It also has an astonishing array of other physical and mental health improving qualities. It is one of my favourites and I have one permanently under my bed pillow!

Lapis Lazuli: These fabulous deep blue stones, flecked with gold, were highly prized by ancient European and middle eastern cultures but especially the Egyptians who incorporated them into stunning items such as Tutankhamun's death mask. They help to bond relationships - especially friendships - by helping you to express emotions. 

Citrine: These  yellow/gold crystals form in clusters, in caves, but are usually separated into single arrowhead-like 'points' to sell them. They are wonderful crystals for attracting wealth.  

Chinese Feng Shui practitioners suggest placing a Citrine in the 'wealth corner' of your home (the furthest back left point of your home) to bring wealth into your life. 

Meditation experts would suggest that you create a 'grid' of Citrines around you as you meditate. A grid is a set of crystals arranged in a regular pattern around you (circle, square, octagon etc.). 

Where the crystals have 'points' the points should be arranged so that they align with another point thus creating a matrix or grid pattern. Energy flows best along lines which is why this technique can be so powerful.

Emerald: Highly faceted emeralds can be expensive but 'rough' natural emeralds are much cheaper and more powerful. These beautiful green crystals are known as the crystal of 'successful love'.  

It also helps a group of people reach mutual understanding and cooperation so is also useful for the friendships element above. 

Love and Light twinkling from facets,
MARTIN

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

ANTINOUS WAS BORN ON THIS DAY
1,912 YEARS AGO


ANTINOUS was born on this day, November 27th in the year 111 AD — 1,912 years ago!

Festive celebrations are being held by worshipers all over the world, with special rites being conducted at the HOLLYWOOD TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS.

Antinous was born in the Bithynian city of Claudiopolis, modern-day Bolu in Turkey.

It was a major city in those days with a Hellenistic/Roman heritage dating back centuries. It was nestled among snow-capped peaks and woodlands full of wild beasts and full of mythical magic.

The portrait of the newborn baby Antinous and his mother against the backdrop of a Bithynian conifer forest is by PRIEST JULIEN, a New York artist who now lives in Hollywood.

Modern Claudiopolis/Bolu is a sleepy health resort. Not too many foreign tourists go there, but the area is a popular with Turkish vacationers because of its pine-covered mountains and its sparkling lakes and spa waters.


The altitude makes it refreshingly cooler than lower-lying regions, so Turks go there to get away from the heat and noise of places like Istanbul and Ankara.

Wikipedia says: "Local specialities include a sweet made of hazelnuts (which grow in abundance here) and an eau-de-cologne with the scent of grass. One feature of Bolu dear to the local people is the soft spring water obtained from fountains in the town."
 

Hazelnut candy? Grass-scented cologne? Amazingly soft spring water? Somehow that one little paragraph makes it sound like a place where Antinous would have to have been born.

The area where Antinous was born is a beautiful place, nestled high in piney forests and yet only a short distance from the sparkling Black Sea coast about halfway between Istanbul and Ankara.

The region is teeming with bountiful wildlife and so Hadrian and Antinous went on hunting forays while in Bithynium. As a boy, Antinous must have played in these forests and bathed in these sparkling lakes.

He would have remembered these boyhood days during his travels with Hadrian to the far corners of the Empire. We often forget that Antinous had a family who must have loved him and missed him. They were no doubt proud of him, but they missed him.

And he missed them as he also missed his lovely Bithynia with its mountains and lakes and deep forests which, in winter, are covered in deep snow.

The first snows may have already fallen "back home" at the end of October in 130 AD when Antinous stood on the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt. Perhaps he had received a letter from home with the latest family gossip and news of the first snowfall. He would have remembered the scent of pine forests and fresh-fallen snow.

As he looked into the green waters of the Nile in far-away Egypt at the end of his brief life, perhaps he thought of "home" and lakes and dark forests and pine cones and the scent of hazelnuts being roasted and mixed with rose water and honey to make candy.


November 27th is an introspective moment ... an evaluation of things past ... and things to come. And above all, it is birthday party time. Let the Festive Season Begin with an Antinous Birthday Party!

Sunday, November 26, 2023

ANTINOUS IN APAMEA




IN November we commemorate the arrival in the year 129 AD of Antinous with the entourage of Emperor Hadrian in Apamea.


One of the four great cities of Syria, Apamea was founded by Alexander the Great as a military encampment to guard his rear as he advanced into Persia and was fortified later to become one of the richest and most important trading cities in Syria, originally called Pella.


It was renamed Apamea by Seleucus I Nicator after his Bactrian wife and became one of the most beautiful Hellenistic cities which a great colonnaded avenue, temples, theater and baths.


The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 115 shortly after Hadrian became Emperor. He ordered the city rebuilt on a grander scale than before, and returned with Antinous and the Imperial entourage in the late autumn of 129 to inspect the restored city.


Apamea again came to prominence when it sided with the young Emperor Elegabalus against his enemies and was instrumental in his victory.  The city was ravaged by continual war in the Bizantine era and during the Crusades, and it was destroyed again by an earthquake in 1152 never to be rebuilt.


The titular deity of Apamea was the goddess Tyche also known as Fortuna to the Romans. 


She was portrayed wearing a turreted fortress crown, holding a cornucopia and standing on a wheel of fortune.


Fortuna was revered by the Apameans because they understood the cyclical vicissitudes of fate as their city was alternately blessed by tremendous wealth and prosperity only to succumb to total destruction repeatedly.


They revered their Goddess for the blessings she bestowed upon them which they learned to appreciate, and for the strength and fortitude they learned to endure during times of misfortune.  It was only when the Cult of Fortuna was no longer honored that the Amapeans were unable find the will to continue.


We seek to become Lovers of Fate, like the Apameans, to patiently endure hardship within the fortress of our hearts and be joyous and thankful for the blessings we receive.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

THIS IS THE DAY THE ORION NEBULA
WAS DISCOVERED AND NAMED



ON 25 November 1610 French astronomer Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (Peiresc) discovered the Orion Nebula and coined the term "nebula". 

The Ancient Egyptians equated Orion with Osiris ... the rise of the Orion Constellation and dog star Sirius coincided with the Nile Inundation ... symbolized by Osiris rising from the dead.

Like Osiris, Antinous died in the Nile and rose to divinity. The first miracle of Antinous was the bountiful Nile Inundation in 131 AD which ended a long drought ... bringing life from death.

Friday, November 24, 2023

FREDDIE MERCURY
SAINT OF ANTINOUS



ON November 24th the Religion of Antinous celebrates the outrageous life of St. Freddie Mercury.

St. Freddie Mercury whose death from AIDS on this date in 1991 shocked the world, was a courageous performer whose gayness, while not always stated, was a visible part of his persona. He served as an inspiration for millions of gay men, particularly those who, like him, fight ethnic prejudice every day of their lives.

St. Freddie, who was of Indian Parsi descent, and who was born on the island of Zanzibar and grew up in India, has been referred to as "Britain's first Asian rock star."

Like all great showbiz artists, St. Freddie was acutely aware of his public image and went to great lengths to cultivate the persona of Freddie Mercury -- and to hide any trace of the little Parsi boy named Farrokh Bulsara. Freddie Mercury -- or rather the showbiz image called Freddie Mercury -- was beyond all definitions of ethnic origin, or sexual orientation or political affiliation. Not surprisingly, many people were confused and sometimes irritated by the image.

People criticized him for "hiding" his ethnic background. But as a friend told an interviewer after Freddie's death, "[Farrokh] Bulsara was a name he had buried. 

He never wanted to talk about any period in his life before he became Freddie Mercury, and everything about Freddie Mercury was a self-constructed thing."

People also criticized him for not "coming out" publicly. But again, Freddie Mercury (the showbiz image) was beyond gender limitations. 

In fact, Mercury referred to himself as "gay" in a 1974 interview with NME magazine. He was frequently spotted at the cruisiest gay bars across Europe, the UK and America. On the other hand, he would often distance himself from partner Jim Hutton during public events in the 1980s.

Freddie Mercury (the rock icon) was too big to be contained in one gender mold.

He was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. Everyone knew he was sick and everyone surmised the reason. But Freddie Mercury (the image) could never die.

And so it was, that Freddie Mercury never acknowledged his illness until November 23, 1991, when a tersely worded statement was issued announcing that he had AIDS.

A few hours later, he was dead. At the age of 45.

Although he cultivated a very flamboyant stage personality, several sources (including people of my own acquaintance who knew him "intimately") refer to Mercury as having been very shy in person. He also granted very few interviews. Mercury once said of himself: "When I'm performing I'm an extrovert, yet inside I'm a completely different man."

One man was an Indian Parsi kid called Farrokh Bulsara who had been born in Zanzibar.

The other man was FREDDIE MERCURY:

Farrokh Bulsara died on November 24, 1991.

Freddie Mercury will live forever.

The Religion of Antinous honors Freddie Mercury as a Saint of Antinous because he embodies the artistic genius and the flamboyant courage that inspires each of us to strive to be a "star". St. Freddie Mercury admonishes us to strip off the guise of conventionality and the put on our "star" outfits and to take the stage of life. He teaches us to live each day as if it is forever.