On This Date: September 14, 326 AD

I have a very skeptical nature when it comes to religious relics. Most of the time, people in positions of authority like to possess such things in order to strengthen their control over their subjects, especially if it’s a religious icon. The one True Cross has a fantastical element to it, which is why Constantine’s mother, Helena, became a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the end of the 4th century, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. The legend is recounted in Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius (died 395) and at length in Rufinus’ chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History, the main body of which does not mention the event. Then, Rufinus relates, the empress refused to be swayed by anything short of solid proof and performed a test. Possibly through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem, she had a woman who was near death brought from the city. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross.

Wikipedia: Helena, mother of Constantine I

So, just for fun, I am going to look at a chart for the recovery of the cross.

This timing is randomized, which means that aspects to the Ascendant, Midheaven and even the Moon are suspect. However, the slower outer planets would be very stable, and therefore more reliable.

Notice the Grand Trine linking Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. That brings to mind the Star of Bethlehem but with the element of mythmaking attached. A Yod (Finger of God) is pointing at Uranus and formed by inconjuncts to the Sun and Saturn. (The Pluto/Midheaven inconjunct is just the luck of the draw, nothing more.)

In my humble opinion, ‘something’ occurred. What it is isn’t exactly clear. Spiritual work is nebulous at best, at worst it’s downright deceptive. Perhaps the world needed a little more faith in the reality of Jesus’ existence. Perhaps the One True Cross provided the ‘proof’ they needed. I don’t know for sure.

What do you think?