All during the writing of The Star of Bethlehem manuscript in 1996, I knew I was getting somewhere, but couldn’t quite grasp where that somewhere was. Now, 24 years later, I’m returning to one of the pivotal entries which spurred my thinking down some very specific Gnostic lanes.
Here’s Elaine Pagels’ translation of Logion 50 from the Gospel of Thomas:
Jesus said, “If they say to you, ‘Where have you come from?’ say to them, ‘We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.’ If they say to you, ‘Who are you?’ say, ‘We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.’ If they ask you, ‘What is the sign of your Father in you?’ say to them, ‘It is movement and rest.’“
Over the years, I’ve pondered the last part, but I haven’t disregarded the importance of the first two parts, either. According to some scholars, these are the questions that the guardians (Angels) of the inner realms (Heaven) will ask when one is trying to go there. It would seem that Jesus is giving his disciples the ‘passwords’ ahead of time.
But is that logical? Why would he allow them to cheat?
Instead, I think it is a question and answer sequence for Initiation into the Mystery Schools. Then, the initiate would have had to learn his lines well, and totally believe what he was saying, or the whole opportunity would collapse and potentially kill him.
So often, lately, I’ve been looking at spiritual truths as interpreted with modern understanding: binary code. The number 10 in binary code is equal to our number 2.
Are you getting the picture?
The terms Movement (1) and Rest (0) give us a 10 (as in, “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48, part of the Sermon on the Mount). But it also implies that we have to make the two into one.
Logion 22
Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to the disciples, “These nursing babies are like those who enter the Kingdom.”
They said to him, “Then shall we enter the Kingdom as babies?”
Jesus said to them, “When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of any eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the Kingdom].”
Why I should think this is a good event to chart in astrology may be dependent on what that chart shows. It was a council convened by Constantine to get the bickering bishops of his newly recognized state religion to agree on first principles. His influence was tantamount to taking over control, but he managed to get the majority of them to come to a consensus of sorts in the months that followed.
The first thing that stands out is the Grand Cross forming out of the Leo Ascendant (Constantine). The Bishops are represented by the conjunction (stellium) of Moon/Jupiter/Uranus in Aquarius, with Pluto joining in at the end. The Moon represents the Gnostics; Jupiter, the Orthodox; and Uranus, the ‘modern’ Western Church. The other arm of the cross is an opposition between Mercury (logic) and Neptune (intuition).
The extended Jupiter/Uranus/Pluto conjunction is supported by Saturn (the State). And Mercury is supported by Mars (the Roman Military might). The Sun is square to Pluto (and just for fun, I’d like to suggest that this is a conflict between Jesus and Satan.)
Only Venus (love) is unaspected.
There is only one inconjunct:
Moon Inconjunct Mars
Until you learn to handle your feelings, you are likely to get very angry easily, have temper tantrums and be touchy about what is yours and what is not. You may feel you have to defend yourself against imagined threats. The problem here is that you are likely to become too emotionally involved with ideas, opinions or even objects without knowing it until someone threatens them. Then you react as if you were being personally threatened or attacked. You have to realize that it is possible to change your opinions and attitudes without damaging your worth as a person.
The truth is this is the time when the Christian Church split into three: Western Church; Eastern Orthodox; and the Gnostics. Over time, only two of these schisms remained. The third way was completely wiped out by Holy Crusades in the 13th century.
Why I should be presented with an all-nighter about the Seder, I have no idea. It might have something to do with the idea that Jesus led the disciples in a dance after their meal that fateful night. Elaine Pagels discusses this in her book Beyond Belief.
“Whoever wrote the Round Dance of the Cross boldly revised John’s account of that night by adding a different episode — apparently meant to be kept secret. In the Round Dance, which is found in the Acts of John, a second-century collection of stories and traditions inspired by John’s gospel, John begins the story of Jesus’ final night where the gospel account leaves off, and says that Jesus invited his disciples to dance and sing with him:
Before he was arrested . . . he assembled us all, and said, “Before I am delivered to them, let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so go to meet what lies before us.” So he told us to form a circle, holding one another’s hands, and he himself stood in the middle and said, “Answer Amen to me.”
“Then, as the disciples circled him, dancing, Jesus began to chant a hymn in words that echo the Gospel of John:
“Glory to you, Father.” And we, circling around him, answered him, “Amen.”
“Glory to you, Logos; glory to you, Grace.” “Amen.”
“Glory to you, Spirit; glory to you, Holy One. . . .” “Amen.”
“We praise you, Father; we thank you, Light, in whom dwells no darkness.” “Amen.”
“I am a light to you who see me.” “Amen.”
“I am a mirror to you who know me.” “Amen.”
“I am a door to you who knock upon me.” “Amen.”
“I am a way to you, the traveler.” “Amen.”
“Although the phrase about the mirror could have come straight from the Gospel of Thomas, the primary source for the last two, as well as many of the others, is the Gospel of John.
“Whoever composed this hymn, then, clearly found in John’s gospel inspiration for the kind of teaching we more often associate with Thomas; for here Jesus invites his disciples to see themselves in him:
“[W]hich I am about to suffer is your own. For you could by no means have understood what you suffer, unless I had been sent to you a word [logos] by the Father . . . if you knew how to suffer, you would be able not to suffer.”
“Thus, in the Round Dance of the Cross, Jesus says that he suffers in order to reveal the nature of human suffering, and to teach the paradox that the Buddha also taught: that those who becomes aware of suffering simultaneously find release from it. Yet he also tells them to join in the cosmic dance: ‘Whoever dances belongs to the whole.’ ‘Amen.’ ‘Whoever does not dance does not know what happens.’ ‘Amen.’ ” (Pages 123-5)
(Coincidentally, my daughter, Amy, posted a video on Instagram yesterday, suggesting that we need to dance on our mother, Earth, to be one with her.)
At the end of the Passover meal, Psalms are recited, ending with Psalm 136:
Psalm 136
King James Version
136 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
The call and answer effect of the recitation may have been the effect that the writer of the Acts of John was going for. That gave the Last Supper a passing semblance of a Passover meal. But as I have noted elsewhere, John’s gospel narrative (especially of the last days of Jesus before the crucifixion) was intended as a series of liturgical services for Jewish believers, so the obvious conclusion is that the gospels were trying to tie in the Passover Lamb imagery to Jesus’ final instructions. (And there are plenty of points tying the two together, including the ‘breaking of bread and drinking of wine.’)
It reminds me of the early Church Fathers tying Jesus’ birth to the winter solstice. Rather than destroying the old myths and religious rites, the Roman Catholic Church absorbed them into their ‘new’ Christian religion.
I’d love to say that their Passover Week meal was, in fact, the Seder, but there is enough ‘proof‘ to disprove that theory. But I wouldn’t have gone looking for the truth if I hadn’t had that dream last night.
So, I have to say, in the end, that the Last Supper was just that, a last supper.
I don’t like this man. There may be a lot of good reasons for that harsh statement, most of which were discussed (disgust) in this documentary, but it comes down to the fact that he thought he could get away with anything. (Nobody does…)
His birth details are not known, and yet my Kepler 7.0 program had it set for 3:15 am. As this was the moment when the Sun entered Aquarius that year, I suspect the compiler wanted to make sure Epstein was ‘officially’ an Aquarian. Strange reasoning.
When researching the birth time this morning, one result showed a detail about 8:51 am being accurate. OK. That’s a hint from the Cosmos. (The article/post/blog for which that time was mentioned has NO discussion about it being Epstein’s time of birth.)
The proof is in the pudding, though: the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in his 8th House relates to the time of his death at age 66. When you see his ‘death’ chart, you’ll see why this is important.
The Venus/Mars conjunction in his natal 1st House gives us a clue as to what his pedophile motivations might be: we’re back into the “I hate and I love” territory of Emily Bronte‘s “Wuthering Heights”. And because it’s in his House of personal expression, he has a built-in distrust of women, which is why he could only ‘function’ with innocent girls. (And I’m not making excuses for him, just demonstrating where these ‘perversions’ come from.)
And, for those with sharp eyes: do you see the image of a pyramid revealed by the aspects in his birth chart? That’s another Cosmic hint.
There are two inconjuncts, but only one that isn’t dependent on an accurate birth time:
Mercury Inconjunct Pluto
You have a rather complicated tricky mind. You usually prefer to do things in roundabout and involved ways instead of being simple and direct.
On the positive side, this means that you enjoy solving puzzles, tracking down mysteries and finding out about hidden matters. At school you might do research in science. You have a natural ability to understand how people’s minds work, what makes them act as they do, and what they are thinking, which is quite amazing for someone of your age.
On the negative side, however, you might misuse this ability by trying to control people’s thoughts and words. Also you may love mysteries so much that you get involved in complicated plots and arrangements with your friends. You may enjoy working in secret and creating an air of mystery about yourself, but this could backfire and make others misunderstand you or even fear what you are doing. It is important to show people that you are honest and that you are not hiding anything. Otherwise they will probably suspect you, even if you are totally innocent. And if you aren’t, they will know it for certain.
On another level, this aspect can mean that at certain times in your life you will go through tremendous psychological changes. All your thoughts and opinions will change completely. These stages may seem difficult, but you will be much better off if you let go of the past and welcome the new ideas.
(And just so we’re on the same page, I have this specific aspect, too.)
Again, the time of his actual death is not known for certain. He was found unconscious at 6:30 am. They tried to resuscitate him in his cell, then moved him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:39 am. (Pretty quick work, if you ask me.)
It was suggested that he had been dead for a couple of hours. But his autopsy showed that he had been strangled, rather than hung, so it will be impossible to know what really happened because the guards were asleep, the camera ‘malfunctioned’ and the body hadn’t even been photographed where it was found. (And people wonder why Conspiracy Theories abound.)
Remember the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in his birth chart? Well, here they represent the inconjunction arms that make up the Yod (Finger of God) pointing at the Sun/Venus/Ascendant conjunction in Leo. His past caught up with him, in a big way. In other words, the control with secrets energy that he had been exercising over others came back to bite him in the end.
The proof of MURDER shows up in a very not so subtle way. Mars in the ‘event’ chart is transiting his natal Pluto. If you play with the big boys, you will get burned, every time.
In response to a prompt from Beyond Belief I went looking for an image to represent what happens when people work in groups, especially in spiritual ones. This is what I found. It looks like the crop circle I saw at Barbury in 1989.
It’s the three concentric circles that makes this informative. The outside circle represents people who attend meetings, out of curiosity and/or casual interest. The next circle represents those who find meaning and reassurance in the belief systems. The inner circle represents those who find hidden depth and understanding in the process.
It was like that with local Fountain Groups in the UK in the late 1980’s.
Why This Causes Problems…
The local Fountain Group in Torquay used to meet monthly at the Friends Meeting House. Then some wanted to meet more frequently, so an Inner Circle for weekly meditations was set up in our home. The obvious problem was the lack of physical space. So, casual attendees were dissuaded from attending.
That brought criticism of elitism. From the inside this looked like sour grapes; from the outside we looked like we were better than the rest. In the end, after a year of weekly meetings, we finally withdrew from the group.
The lesson, as I noticed later, was this is how very progressive and effective groups are minimized by ‘the other side’.
This is not a recent picture, so don’t take it literally. But during the last part of my dreams this morning, I got a similar image.
On Friday morning @ 12.01 am, most of Ontario will go into Phase III of the plan to come out of the pandemic shutdown. Is this a warning that the province’s action may have unexpected consequences?
I’m just putting it out there, before it happens: no one will pay any attention to the warning, but me. Forewarned is forearmed.
If I were a betting man, I would say that this translation by Jessie Lemont of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Pieta” was inspired by The Da Vinci Codeby Dan Brown.
Normally, all references to Michelangelo’s statue would be that the Virgin Mary was holding her son, after his crucifixion.
But, the idea that it could be Mary Magdelene, instead, holding her platonic lover’s body, seems to be hinted at by how young she appears.
Was Michelangelo trying to tell us something, too?
It’s been awhile since I read this book, published in 2003. Elaine Pagels is a biblical scholar who focuses on the New Testament Greek writings. Her interest has always been on the Gnostic Gospels, of which she wrote in the late 1970’s. Her specialty is the Gospel of Thomas.
I am slightly conflicted here, because I like the poetry of John’s Gospel, but the ‘strict’ adherence to John’s vision makes it hard to swallow his message whole.
Thomas’ gospel is more cryptic, which then lends itself to working out what it means to the individual. In other words, not everyone is going to understand everything, and that’s as it should be. After all, we are different aspects of the same truth.
This passage, from page 57 of Pagels’ book, says it all:
Finally, Jesus reveals to Thomas that “whoever drinks from my mouth will become as I am, and I myself will become that person, and the mysteries shall be revealed to him.” This, I believe, is the symbolic meaning of attributing this gospel to Thomas, whose name means “twin.” By encountering the “living Jesus,” as Thomas suggests, one may come to recognize oneself and Jesus as, so to speak, identical twins. In the Book of Thomas the Contender, another ancient book belonging to Syrian Thomas tradition discovered at Nag Hammadi, “the living Jesus” addresses Thomas (and, by implication, the reader) as follows:
Since you are my twin and my true companion, examine yourself, and learn who you are. . . . Since you will be called my [twin], . . . although you do not understand it yet . . . you will be called “the one who knows himself.” For whoever has not known himself knows nothing, but whoever has known himself has simultaneously come to know the depth of all things.
Is that clear?
(from the Gospel of Thomas Collection)
As a Gnostic Christian, I know that these things are true, but it doesn’t make it any easier to explain them to others. You need to do your own research.
Matthew 6:33 King James Version (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
BeBe came face-to-face with an intruder in our garden at 11:30 last night. I don’t think she’d ever seen a skunk before in her twelve years of urban life.
She barked at the little guy, and fortunately when she lunged at him, he was facing in her direction. I spoke (no, I yelled) firmly for her to get away from him, and she must have sensed some danger by the tone of my voice: she came away immediately.
When I was 8 years old, I had my first and only encounter with a baby skunk. Being born and raised in the city, I thought it was a kitten. Until it sprayed me…
This series has been running for quite a while now. We’re coming to it late, but by binge-watching over the past week, we are almost through the first season.
Really, could there be a stranger mix of housemates? Grace is a retired cosmetics queen, and Frankie is an old hippie. Their extended family dynamics are ‘interesting’, too. Their husbands left them to move in together. 70 years of age is a bit late in life to make those kinds of change.
Each family has two children: Grace, two girls; Frankie, two (adopted) boys. They are all ‘grown-up’ (in a manner of speaking), but their life situations are “complicated”.
Where Have We Seen This Situation Before?
In 1968, two men moved into together when one of them was thrown out of his martial home. Neil Simon saw the humour in having one of them be a slob, while the other was a neat freak. The viewing public agreed, and two years later a television version of The Odd Couple took to the airways for six seasons.
At the moment, Grace and Frankie has been on for six seasons, too.
Senior Award-Winning Actresses
Lily Tomlin has been making us laugh since the late 60’s on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. This project, together with Jane Fonda, is a way for them to keep working into their 80’s. And they both look good for their age. (Make-up notwithstanding.)
But is this show just for seniors? Not really, because most everyone can recognize themselves in the family situations. In fact, Susan’s daughter suggested that we watch it.
So, if you haven’t seen this show, and would like a laugh or two, go to Netflix and sign on. You won’t regret it.
