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What about Mary, Jesus’ Mother?

Anthony Harris begins to explain Mary’s heritage, and then things began to become clearer. In Jesus’ genealogy, as written down by Matthew in the first chapter of his Gospel, four women were listed.

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife (Matthew 1:3a, 5a, 5b, 6b)

Luke does not get around to Mary’s genealogy until chapter three, but he does persevere to the fount, by tracing the line through the patriarchs back to Adam… This genealogy does, however, contain the important emphasis that Mary’s distant ancestress was Eve. Why should Luke labour that, since all men and women were thought to be descended from Adam and Eve? Can we discern misogynism here, by bringing up the woman who tempted Adam with the apple? Perhaps, and this suspicion is reinforced by the fact that Mark, upon which much of Matthew may be drawn, barely mentions Mary; he draws attention to an apparent tiff between Jesus and Mary (Mark 3:31), and makes a cold statement of fact that she is Jesus’ mother (Mark 6:3). In John, Mary appears twice, at the wedding feast and at the foot of the cross.

This extraordinary bleak treatment is a problem which has hitherto been unexplained, but the answer may lie partially in the information given by Matthew, for his genealogy of Jesus from Mary contain the names of four women, and is in any case different from Luke’s. Mark and John, the first and last Gospels historically, both dispense with genealogies (or were they dispensed with for them?). Taken together these facts are suspicious. Were three of the four Gospel writers ashamed of Mary, Mother of God? Who was there in her lineage who might cause embarrassment? A clue is given by Matthew’s mention of four women as Mary’s ancestresses, four in forty-two begettings. Perhaps Matthew is trying to tell us something the other three authors do not care to, or did not know. If Mary herself is the source of this information, it goes a long way in explaining why she felt herself so special in the religious sense. Her four ancestresses are Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba and Rahab.

Mary as the Chosen Vessel

These ancestresses were, in some way or other, connected to events, rituals or circumstances which are indicative of the presence of the Great Goddess. According to Edgar Cayce’s Story of Jesus, Mary was herself a ‘handmaiden of the Lord’, in the Essene temple at Carmel, until puberty:

Much might be given as to how or why and when there were the purposes that brought about the materialization of Jesus in the flesh.

In giving then the history: There were those in the Faith of the Fathers to whom the promises were given that there would be fulfilled as from the beginning of man’s record.

Hence there was the continued preparation and dedication of those who might be channels through which this chosen vessel might enter — through choice — into materiality.

Thus in Carmel — where there were the priests of this faith — there were the maidens chosen that were dedicated to this purpose, this office, this service.

Among them was Mary, the beloved, the chosen one; and she, as had been foretold, was chosen as the channel. Thus she was separated and kept in the closer associations with and in the care or charge of this office…

Q. How were the maidens selected and by whom?
A. By all of those who chose to give those that were perfect in body and in mind for service…each as a representative of the twelve in the various phases that had been, or that had made up, Israel — or man.

Q. Please describe the training and preparation of the group of maidens.
A. Trained as to physical exercise, first; trained as to mental exercises as related to chastity, purity, love, patience, endurance. All of these by what would be termed by many in the present as persecutions, but as tests for physical and mental strength; and this under the supervision of those that cared for the nourishments by the protection in the food values. These were the manners and the way they were trained, directed, protected.

Q. Were they put on a special diet?
A. No wine, no fermented drink ever given. Special foods, yes. These were kept balanced according to that which had been first set by Aran and Ra Ta…

Q. Was Mary immaculately conceived?
A. Mary was immaculately conceived.

Q. How long was the preparation in progress before Mary was chosen?
A. Three years.

Q. In what manner was she chosen?
A. As they walked up the steps!

Q. How old was Mary at the time she was chosen?
A. Four, and as ye would call, between twelve and thirteen when designated as the one chosen by the angel on the stair. (5749-7)

Q. Give a detailed description for literary purposes, of the choosing of Mary on the temple steps.
A. The temple steps — or those that led to the altar, were called the temple steps. These were those upon which the sun shone as it arose of a morning when there were the first periods of the chosen maidens going to the altar for prayer, as well as for the burning of incense.

On this day, as they mounted the steps all were bathed in the morning sun; which not only made a beautiful picture but clothed all as in purple and gold.

As Mary reached the top step, then there was thunder and lightning, and the angel led the way, taking the child by the hand before the altar. This was the manner of choice, this was the showing of the way; for she led the others on this particular day. (5749-8)

Mary’s Pedigree

Back to The Sacred Virgin and the Holy Whore: In telling us that these four women were Mary’s ancestresses, what has Matthew in fact revealed to us? First, we see that Mary can count herself as descended from a priestess (Rahab), an acolyte of Isis (Tamat), a woman of harvests (Ruth), and a queen who was also mother of a king, Bathsheba. Given Mary’s pedigree, the silence about her in the Gospels is tantamount to a snubbing. Is this the result of censorship by the Church? Have these Gospels been tampered with, with only Matthew surviving more intact because it proved impossible to discount its existence? Other books were successfully made into unbooks, like the Book of James. This gospel was condemned by a decree of Pope Gelasius (492-6) when Popes had secular power, but an earlier Christian, Clement of Alexandria (died AD 215) used the text to support the Virgin Birth. Here we find that Mary is the daughter of a rich and pious man, Joachim, known by the Temple High Priest Zacharias: we also find that she is dedicated to the Temple and actually danced there. But Zacharias warns that she has to leave before puberty, that is, before she has her first menses. Otherwise she may pollute the temple — again that fear of blood and sexuality in women. Joseph then appears to act as a guardian of the consecrated virgin, but is dumbfounded when she is pregnant for he fears he has not fulfilled his duty in protecting her. However, the supernatural cause of her pregnancy is impressed on him, though Mary is in no doubt of it. This story is accepted by many Christians in Asia Minor.

Enter Joseph

What is this story telling us? It is not the same as the Church’s interpretation, for it is impossible to consecrate a virgin to the Jewish temple, impossible that she could have been allowed near the altar there, impossible that she danced in the temple: women were not even allowed in the Inner Court, and as for gentiles, they would be killed for entering. We can only conclude that in Mary’s past there is some affiliation with another temple, a temple where women could approach the altar and whose pregnancy would not be a cause of reproach but of joy. A detail may give a clue to this temple, for Joseph is said to have been singled out as guardian of Mary by a dove perching on his head. This echoes of the dove at the baptism by John of Jesus, and though the dove also symbolizes the story of Noah and the ark, that is to say, peace between man and God, the dove is also sacred to Astarte, one of the names of the Mother Goddess. Clearly, the book is embarrassing to Rome because in it Mary is so like her ancestresses, for in a very deep sense they were all devotees of the Great Goddess. She is married to an old man as was Ruth, is associated with a Great Goddess temple as were Tamar and Rahab, and has aspersions made about her ritual purity just as Bathsheba did.

The Book of James casts light on the character of Joseph, as well as Mary, for they are both, since they are unwed, forced to undergo the test of bitter waters. This ceremony is described in frightening detail and is called a trial of jealousy. Basically, a woman who is suspected to have committed adultery is taken before the priest and given some noxious drink which, if she is guilty will ‘cause thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot’. It will be observed that the water torture of witches used by the Inquisition is similar, though they forced water into women with a funnel, causing the belly to swell. What the bitter waters ‘that causeth the curse’ were, is debatable, but judging from the physiological effects, the swelling of the belly and the thigh rotting (the thigh here is a reference to the genitals), it is noxious enough to inflame the intestinal tract and cause severe ulceration of the vulva on passing urine. It may be observed that most healthy women, and men for that matter, being subject to this test will fail. However, Mary and Joseph survive the test, which seems to suggest that Mary knew some pharmacology, a knowledge of herbs and natural antidotes (which would have had her burned in the fourteenth century). Joseph probably knew useful facts too, for doves do not sit on {just} anyone’s head.

The Trial of Jealousy

Are we getting an accurate echo here? The ‘trial of jealousy’ (as noted above) and the ‘persecutions, but as tests for physical and mental strength’ (of Edgar Cayce’s reading) seem to be similar in effect: tests of chastity, purity, love, patience, endurance — the five esoteric and spiritual (pyramidal) Initiations of a baptism and an anointing and a eucharist and a redeeming and a bride-chamber. What appears to be happening here is the preparation, which Edgar Cayce’s Story of Jesus termed eugenics, for the entrance of souls that make the earth better in material and spiritual ways. For God is not mocked; and whatever ye sow that must ye also reap. (1479-1)

And these were students of what you would call astrology, numerology, phrenology, and those phases of the study of the return of individuals, or reincarnation.

These were reasons why these proclaimed that certain periods formed a cycle — reasons which grew out of the study of Aristotle, Enos, Mathias, Judy, and others who supervised the school, as ye would term it in the present.

These individuals had been persecuted by leaders of the people, and this caused the saying of which ye have an interpretation, as given by the Sadducees, “There is no resurrection” or “There is no reincarnation” — which is what the word meant in those days. (5749-8)

Now, doesn’t that clear up a lot of confusion? No?

Picture Credits

To be continued.

Linked Pages: Star: 14 – Some Conclusions
The Star of Bethlehem: Chapter 1 – Prologue
The Star of Bethlehem: Chapter 2 – Mercury: The Winged Star (part 1)
The Star of Bethlehem: Chapter 2 – Mercury: The Winged Star (part 2)
The Star of Bethlehem: Chapter 2 – Mercury: The Winged Star (part 3)

Picture credits:
Virgin Mary courtesy of maryloudriedger2.wordpress.com;
Our Lady courtesy of http://www.pinterest.com;
Wedding of Mary and Jospeh courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org;
The Trial of Jealousy courtesy of http://www.gettyimages.com.

Song of the Pearl

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death {deep gloom}, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

To demonstrate this ‘vale of tears’ more dramatically for us, the author of Jung and the Lost Gospels recounts The Myth of “Song of the Pearl” which can be found in the Acts of Thomas:

When I was but a little child and lived in the kingdom of my parents and enjoyed the wealth and splendor of those who raised me, my parents decided to send me on a journey away from our homeland in the East. They did not, however, send me forth without provisions, for from the abundance of our treasury, they gathered a bundle for me: it contained gold, silver, chalcedony, and opal. In addition, they girded me with adamant, a metal so strong that it crushes iron. Great was the burden of these provisions, yet light they were also, so that I could bear them alone.

My splendid robe of glory, which in their love they made for me, they now removed from my shoulders, and also the purple mantle that was made to fit me perfectly. And they made an agreement with me, which they wrote on my heart, so that I might never forget it. It read as follows: “If thou shouldst go down into Egypt, and bring the One Pearl to us, which reposes in the middle of the sea, guarded by a roaring serpent, then, upon thy return thou shalt resume thy robe of glory and thy royal mantle, and together with thy brother, our viceroy, thou shalt be the heir of our kingdom.”

I left the East and accompanied by two royal envoys, who were ordered to assist me since I was young and needed help on such a dangerous journey, I passed over several lands that lay between the East and the land of Egypt. As I arrived at the border of Egypt, my guardians took their leave of me.

Having arrived in Egypt, I traveled to a place that was near to the sea where I knew that the serpent lived. I established myself in an inn, there to await the time when the serpent should sleep, so that I might take the pearl from him. I was a stranger to the others who dwelt in the inn. Still, I met a person there who was of my own kind, fair and familiar and a descendant of royalty. I received a warning from him to guard myself against the Egyptians, for they were unclean. I thus disguised myself, wearing the garb of the Egyptians, so that they might not discover that I was an outsider intent upon taking the pearl, and that they might not arouse the serpent against me. Nevertheless, they soon recognized that I was not their compatriot. They feigned friendship for me and persuaded me to drink of the drink they mixed for me and eat of the food they prepared for me.

To have thus yielded to the blandishments of the Egyptians became a calamity for me. I fell into a swoon of forgetfulness, and I no longer knew that I was the child of a king and I served their king instead. I forgot all about the pearl for which my parents had sent me.

The Rescue

My parents in their kingdom were aware of what had befallen me and they grieved for me. They issued a proclamation and summoned all the great ones of their kingdom for a meeting, at which a plan was devised not to allow me to languish in Egypt. They wrote a letter to me, and each of the great ones signed it:

‘From thy father the King of Kings, and from thy mother, the ruler of the East, and from thy brother, our viceroy, to thee, our child in Egypt, greetings. Awake and arise out of thy deep sleep, and be alert to the message of our letter. Remember who you art: The offspring of a king. And see whom thou hast served in dark bondage. Remember also the pearl, for whose sake thou hast journeyed into Egypt. Remember thy robe of glory and thy splendid mantle, so that the time may come when they may rest again upon thy shoulders, and, arrayed in them, thy name may be read in the book of the heroes, and thou shalt become, with thy brother, our viceroy, heir in our realm.’

This letter was a magic messenger unto me. My father had so sealed it that it would be protected against the dreadful denizens of the regions that it would have to traverse before arriving at my habitation. The letter rose up in the shape of an eagle, the king of all birds, and it flew until it arrived beside me, where I heard its speech. Upon hearing the message I awoke from my sleep and arose, took the letter, kissed it, broke its seal, and read its contents. The letter read like the words inscribed once upon my heart. I remembered everything: I knew that I was the offspring of kings and that my soul, born to freedom, was desirous of being with its own kind.

I also remembered the pearl, which I had come to Egypt to fetch. Thus I proceeded to enchant the roaring serpent by singing over it the name of my father, my brothers, and my mother, the ruler of the East. I then seized the pearl and turned about to go to my parents. I cast off the impure garment of the dwellers in this land, and I directed my way so as to go toward the light of our homeland, the East.

As I proceeded on my way, I was guided by the letter that had awakened me, and as it once aroused me with its voice, so it now guided me with its light, which shone before me. Its voice encouraged me against my fear, while its love drew me on. So I went forth and passed through the regions and the cities that lie between the land of Egypt and my homeland, the kingdom of the East.

The Homecoming

Then the treasurers sent by my parents, who for their faithfulness were entrusted with it, brought to me my splendid robe that I had taken off and also my royal mantle. Indeed, I no longer remembered its magnificence, for it was long ago that I had relinquished it in my father’s house. But all of a sudden, when I saw it over against me, the splendid robe of glory looked more and more like my own reflection; I saw it as if it were my own self, and the distinction between it and myself melted away, so that we were two in differentiation but one in single union. Even the two treasurers who brought my robe to me appeared as a single person, impressed with the one seal of my father’s majesty.

I thus came to observe further the robe in its splendor. It was adorned in glorious colors; upon it were gold and many diverse jewels, and its seams were fastened with adamant. The image of the King of Kings was depicted all over the robe, and I saw move over it the rippling movements of the holy Gnosis. I also perceived that the robe was about to speak to me, and the sound of great hymns resounded in my ears as it fell down on me: “I am the one that acted in the actions of the one for whom I was brought up in my Father’s house, and I perceived in myself how my stature grew in accordance with his works.” And the robe poured itself entirely down upon me with regal movements, and it leaped out of the hands of those who held it, so that it might come to rest upon me. And I loved it so greatly that I ran towards it to receive it. I reached up towards it and enveloped myself in its glorious colors, having clad myself entirely in this royal robe of glory.

Clothed in my robe, I now ascended to the gate of salutation and adoration. I bowed my head and adored the splendor of my father who had sent the robe to me, whose commands I had fulfilled, and who had done with me as he promised. And at the gates of his nobles I met the great ones of the kingdom. And my parents were jubilant as they received me, for now at last I was with them in their kingdom. And with a mighty voice of music did all their servants praise them, and they exclaimed that they had promised that I should journey to the court of the King of Kings so that, having brought the pearl, I might appear together with him.

We never do get to discover what the Pearl is symbolic of in the story, but two hints seem to be contained in Jesus’ sayings: “Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you.” (Matthew 7:6) and “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

The Prodigal Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied,‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“’My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:11-32)

Conclusion

There seems to be two different versions of the same story here, but I think what is of value is that we are being told in no uncertain terms that we have a spiritual heritage, and that we will receive it again — despite our “sins” — when we “come to” our senses. It is my opinion that Jesus considered himself to be the Prodigal Son. His whole purpose in this incarnation was to return to his Father. But, who is the other brother?

Q: When did Jesus become aware that he would be the Savior of the world?
A: When he fell in Eden. (2067-7)

Picture Credis

To be continued.

Linked Pages: Star: 13 – Midheaven: The Star of Heaven
The Refiner’s Fire
Lessons for This Day (and Age)

Picture credits:
The Fool courtesy of http://www.playbuzz.com;
The Pearl of Great Price courtesy of http://www.youtube.com;
The Prodigal Son courtesy of http://www.sharefaith.com;
The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.

An Inspiration to Others

In Jesus’ birth chart, Venus is in Scorpio, which inspired the authors of Spiritual Astrology to write: You have the aptitude and awareness to perceive and encourage the undiscovered abilities of others. You can inspire them to use their assets and potentials. When you bring out other people’s talents in such a way that you both benefit, you can experience a transformation of your values and material opportunities. You experience a continual dynamic transformation of your feelings of self-worth when you take the initiative to draw others into awakening their latent talents, thus showing them their hidden worth. The more you arouse and enhance the power of others in social situations, the more valuable you become to them and the more worthwhile you feel about yourself.

Woman with the Alabaster Jar

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she bought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two men owed money to a certain money-lender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume, Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he loves little who has been forgiven little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to this woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)

Venus in Scorpio

The Encyclopedia of Astrology defines the psychology of Venus as: Physical faculties: friendship, romantic amativeness; the affections, particularly love and the emotions derived therefrom; aesthetic sense, but not analytical; responsive to beauty whether of person, adornment, art or environment; enjoys elegance, comfort and pleasure; good taste; sex sensitivity, but discriminating.

According to Babs Kirby and Janey Stubbs in Love & Sexuality: An Exploration of Venus & Mars: The Venus in Scorpio person’s desire nature is strong, and there is a need to express love and affection through sexual intimacy and to merge at a profound level with a partner. There is an intense desire for soul contact, for orgiastic merging. Love is always sexual for them and they can take their partner to some deep and dark places in their search for the depth of union they crave.

Someone with Venus in Scorpio will be very familiar with their own complex emotional states and will be very accepting of yours. This is someone who knows only too well the vagaries of human nature. Very little will shock them and this very acceptance on their part will allow you to share the darker recesses of your soul.

The Woman Taken in Adultery

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple court, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis of accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him begin stoning her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:1-11)

The Ophites

From Genisis: Some suggest that the sin of Eve was of a sexual nature, but we could hardly blame her if it were. She was given the organ to unite with man and thereby achieve creation. Other doctrines suggest an extraordinary union which Eve had prior to the one with Adam, and if Cain was the result of that first union, the division between Cain and Abel is quite understandable.

The identity of Eve and her previous consort, together with and the far-reaching consequences of it, I will come to later.

We could not leave this subject without mentioning the Ophites, in whose doctrine the serpent played a vital role.

The primary belief of any of the Ophite sects was a triad consisting of a union of intellect (primal man) with the spirit, which is the generative principle and the result of that union which is second Man.

From the female principle, the Christ or third man is generated and in his ascent, a ray of light fell upon the waters. The light was Sophia, the wisdom — and this union of light and water gave birth to the ‘demiurge’ (Ialdaboath), who in turn produced the six powers and from matter he created the serpent.

Mary Magdalene a High Priestess?

Later David Wood explains why Mary Magdalene was considered a woman ‘taken in adultery’ by the authorities, when, in fact, she was a high priestess:

ISIS = MAGDALENE = NOTRE DAME DES CROSS

This certainly confirms the opinion of the eminent authority Friedrich Nork who stated that the temple of Nôtre Dame in Paris was formerly a temple of the goddess Isis. To include Magdalene in the equation could cause some offense, but only if we accept the opinion of the church authorities that this lady was a prostitute. In fact there is no biblical reference to that effect, but history has marked her a ‘fallen woman’ on whom Jesus took particular pity, whereafter she was redeemed. In fact this popular image, like so many other stories inspired by a censorious Church, is a nonsense.

No less an authority than William Caxton, in his famous fifteenth-century translation of the influential Genoese work Legenda Aura (Golden Legend) published in 1275, provides clear evidence that Mary Magdalene, far from being a woman of the gutter, was in actual fact a woman of the noblest birth. To quote: Mary Magdalene had her surname of Magdalo, a castle, and was born of right noble lineage and parents, which were descended of the lineage of kings. And her father was named Cyrus, and her mother Eucharis. She with her brother Lazarus, and her sister Martha, possessed the castle of Magdalo, which is two miles from Nazareth and Bethany, the castle which is nigh to Jerusalem, and also a great part of Jerusalem, which, all these things they departed among them. In such wise that Mary had the castle Magdalo whereof she had her name Magdalene.

Then when Magdalene abounded in riches, and because delight is fellow to riches and abundance of things; and for so much as she shone in beauty greatly, and in riches, so much the more she submitted her body to delight, and therefore she lost her right name, and was called customably a sinner.

In fact, she was also high priestess of the Temple of Ishtar at Magdala, and as such she would have been the keeper of the doves. Furthermore, she was a Benjamite, the tribe which was ostracized because they were of the line of Cain. So too was Hiram Abiff, architect of the Temple of Solomon.

Henry Lincoln reminds us that the Benjamite tribe were exiled and eventually settled in Arcadia, a strong link with the “Et in Arcadia Ego” theme of Les Bergers d’Arcadie by Poussin. They were the ancestors of the Merovingians — a race of kings supposedly descended from the mystical Quinotaur, a sea creature who raped the mother of Merovee. The name suggests the sea, as does Mary or Marie. We should remember that the symbol of Jesus when he was living was a fish, and that the eventual cross was not of his choosing.

Note that the Quinotaur shown above looks not unlike Capricorn. Just saying…

Portrait of Mary Magdalene

Further research has revealed to me that there are a lot of fakes and forgeries about the lives of those connected with Jesus, including Mary Magdalene. May I suggest, for anyone who is interested in what life may have been for Mary Magdalene and her family, reading Jess Stern’s book, The Search for a Soul: Taylor Caldwell’s Psychic Lives? Contained within that book are contradictions to the Golden Legend quoted above. But one fact does stand out: both Mary and Jesus had golden red hair, which symbolizes a connection with Osiris, as has been noted elsewhere in this book. Furthermore, Miriam of Magdala may have had ‘a cast in her eye’.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take out the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

Interestingly, Mary Magdalene reincarnated in the early part of the 20th century, and for a time was one of the workers for Edgar Cayce’s group at Virginia Beach. To preserve her anonymity, her name was not mentioned in any of the books which relate to that time period, (however, in 2000, her name was revealed by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick in his book Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet as Mildred Davis) but a lot of things were said to her, in this lifetime, including the warning to “judge not lest ye be judged.” This phrase precedes the New Testament passage just quoted. But her description was clearly defined, according to Edgar Cayce’s Story of Jesus: Mary Magdalene lived during the period when the Master walked among man. And it was to her that the Master said, “She hath chosen the better part”. She ministered to Him through that experience, and was loved by Him; and as the sister of Martha and Lazarus, she gained in soul development. And it is little wonder that the desire of her soul is to help others… As was said by Him, “Wherever my gospel is preached, her works will be spoken of”. {Matthew 26:13} What a heritage… (295)

Q. Please give a detailed account of the conversion of Mary Magdalene.

A. In giving a detailed account of the experience of Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, indeed much might be given respecting the activities of the entity in that experience. For, as given in the Gospel account, this entity was then the Mary of Magdalene; or the courtesan who was active in the experience of both of those who in the capacity of the Roman officers, Roman peoples, and those who were of her native land and country.

When the body first met the Master it was the woman brought before the council, who was taken in adultery; and the one whom the whole council or court at the time asked that, according to the law, the woman be stoned.

With the cleansing of the mind-body, through this experience, the entity then rejoined, in Bethany, those of the family from whom she had been separated, became again a member of the household of those who dwelt there. Hence the showing in the Gospel of the difference in attitude, in the manner of approach, with the various visits of the Master through the period.

As to the experiences before the meeting with the Master, there were of a worldly nature, wherein there was the giving of self in body in the indulgences of the period, such that there was brought for the body, and those associated with same, activities that brought condemnation, as well as the pomp, the power, the splendor — when considered from that angle. In activities, then, the activity after the cleansing in the temple should be — as we find — more dwelt upon.

Q. Please describe the personal appearance of the body of Mary Magdalene.

A. This is well drawn by daVinci, “The Magdalene”. A body five feet four inches in height; weight, a hundred and twenty-one pounds — in the general. Hair almost red. The eyes are blue. The features were those impelled both from the Grecian and Jewish ancestry. (295-8)

His Resurrection complete, his life re-born, Jesus then needed to return to his Father in Heaven, as symbolized in his birth chart as the Midheaven, the subject of our next chapter.

Picture Credits

Linked Pages: Star: 12- Venus: The Morning Star
Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 1)
Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 2)

Picture credits:
The Sinful Woman courtesy of wjttb-womenofthebible.weebly.com;
Venus in Scorpio courtesy of http://www.sunsigns.org;
Woman Taken in Adultery courtesy of http://www.exploringsainthood.org;
The Brazen Serpent courtesy of en.wikipedia.org;
Quinotaur courtesy of en.wikipedia.org;
The Magdalene courtesy of http://www.mythsofmarymagdalene.com.

The Resurrection

Venus represents the fifth Initiation, Resurrection, the modern name being Reincarnation.

Early in the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter, and he reached the tomb first. He bent down and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdala went to the disciples with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this. (John 20:1-18)

The Morning Star

According to the Dictionary of Astrology, Venus is the Morning Star:

In esoteric lore, one of the names given to the Pentagram, and in exoteric lore to Venus, which draws a pentagram in the skies in her conjunctions with the Sun. This form is exoterically linked with Venus, and esoterically with what historians call the ‘orans’ gesture, which is itself an imitation of the five points of the pentagram (echoing the two feet, the two out-stretched arms, and the head). Strictly speaking, it is not an ‘orans’ (praying) gesture so much as an image of the departed soul, symbolized in the “astral” plane, at the beginning (in the ‘morning’) of the soul’s post-mortem existence — hence the link with the ‘morning star’ Venus.

From The Star of Bethlehem Mystery: Since there were no clocks, Venus the morning star, the herald of the dawn, was readily recognized as a time keeper. Furthermore, Palestine and Babylon were at a latitude of about 30 to 35 degrees north, so that the celestial paths of the rising Sun and planets were more steeply inclined to the eastern horizon than they were in the more northern latitudes, where London and New York lie. Consequently the Sun appeared to rise much more suddenly and the dawn twilight was a much shorter phenomenon. Twilight therefore gave very little warning of the dawn. In many countries the rising of the ‘Morning Star’ was taken as the herald of the day.

Thoth

The author of Many Happy Returns quoted a particularly moving excerpt from the Edgar Cayce readings, which I found symbolic of this soul energy in the “astral” plane:

We find {Edgar Cayce} in the beginning, when the first of the elements were given, and the forces set in motion that brought about the sphere as we find called earth-plane, and when the morning stars sang together, and the whispering winds brought the news of the coming of man’s indwelling, of the spirit of the Creator, and he, man, became the living soul. (294-8)

From Genisis: Of all the symbols contained in early science the one most reviled by the Christian Church is the pentagram. This five-pointed star is held to represent all that is evil, particularly in its inverted form… The French occultists Eliphas Lévi, in his Transcendental Magic, stated that the pentagram signifies the dominance of the mind over the elements and that the demons of the earth, the air and water are enchained by it. Elsewhere he claims that the pentagram is dangerous in the hands of the uninitiated…

‘The Pentagram,’ continues Lévi, ‘profaned by men, burns ever unclouded in the right hand of the Word of Truth and those who set at naught the Sign of the Cross, tremble before the Star of the Microcosm.’ The pentagram was, in fact, the secret sign of the initiated Pythagorean — initiated, that is, into the hermetic secrets of Trimegistus or Thoth, the Egyptian god of magic. To reveal its meaning to the uninitiated was punishable by death.

Some pertinent questions

The whole approach by David Wood, in his book Genisis, was to uncover a figure on the landscape around Rennes-le-Château in the Cathar territory of the South of France. He succeeded, and demonstrated in many diagrams that the “secret” of Rennes-le-Château was the symbol of the regeneration of human life after death: this symbol was a pentagram, encircled by the ‘Ark Crescent of Nut’ and the ‘Boat Crescent of Isis’, being penetrated by a hexagram (Star of David/Seal of Solomon) in what he termed the ‘Temple of the Stars’. This amounts to a physical representation of the ancient ‘Ark of the Covenant’. As this is a particularly sexual image, the Roman Catholic Church may have tried to suppress its publication.

In his book’s introduction, David Wood asks: Was there something which could survive this passage of time and was still there, waiting to be found?

For centuries Rome considered the pursuit of scientific knowledge to be evil, and I wondered if the valley held something of this nature. Alternatively, could it be historical or religious knowledge potentially damaging to the infrastructure of the Roman Catholic Church?

In 1828 the Abbé Gregoire stated, and others have agreed with him, that Christ delivered to St. John the Evangelist a secret doctrine which was in time in the keeping of the Cathars and the Templars. Could this be why these two organizations were persecuted and why so much attention was given to the Languedoc?

Could there be great secrets from the past, which Rome had decided would be better kept from general knowledge?

Did something exist there which could expose this organization as being far less than it claimed to be? I considered all these questions, and I concluded that if anything had to be hidden, it would need to be done using a formula which was unlikely to be known by the Vatican.

One of the symbols most detested by the church is the pentagram, which it considers to be the sign of the devil. This, coupled with Henry Lincoln’s references to it, made me decide to examine the possibility of pentagonal geometry at Rennes-le-Château. Equally important were the references to the Ark of the Covenant and, by association, this directed me to the ground plan of the Temple of Solomon.

Ark of the Covenant

In his calculations, David Wood returned time and time again to the sum total of 1080, the total perimeter of the Ark of the Covenant, its mercy-seat and the shew-bread table. And in his visual reconstruction of the Ark of the Covenant, he showed it to be a symbol of the generative organs of the female:

The cherubim on the Seat of Mercy are Metatron and Sandalphon. The wings of these cherubim are stretched forth on high, indicating, I would submit that they pass over or encompass the head of the seated person. The wings represent the labia or ‘lips’ of the vagina and the seated person would therefore be simulating a child in the process of being born…

In Indian temples, where the sexual imagery is displayed more obviously, the Yoni is the female organ and the Linga is the male. The word Yoni is also understood to be the same as Iune and the Iune of the Israelites was the ‘dove’. Both of these words can be equated with the Syrian word Io (Isis). The connection between Isis and Magdalene is there again for, as the priestess of Ishtar (Isis), Magdalene was keeper of the doves at Magdala (Place of the Doves) in Galilee.

The Yoni is depicted as a crescent-shaped boat, with ot without the mast in position, which is the Linga or phallus. The crescent-shaped boat was also used in religious ceremonies in Delphi, where it was called the Argo — hence the Greek Argonauts. Delphi was in Arcadia and so was Argia — meaning the place of the Argo. Arcadia means Arca or Argha and Dia the sacred Argha. Furthermore, Arca actually means box. The word argha defies simple analysis. That it means female generative power is certain, but it implies much more. It encompasses serpent, boat, cycle, the number 600 and above all the place of the seed or the origin — the womb.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes {serpents} and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

The Bride-Chamber

The esoteric initiation is the Bride-Chamber is also represented by Venus, as a symbol of Isis. This is discussed as part of the Gnostic traditions by the author of Jung and the Lost Gospels:

Everyone who becomes an offspring of the bride-chamber will receive the light… If anyone does not partake of it while he is in the world, he will not partake of it in the other place. One who has partaken of that light will not be seen, nor can such a one be detained; and none shall be able to afflict such a one even if he should abide in the world. And again when he departs from the world he has already received the truth in the aspect of the images. The world has become the aeon already. For the aeon is for such a one a Pleroma, and it is in this manner: it is disclosed to such a one alone, not hidden in the darkness and the night, but hidden in a perfected day and a sacred light. (127)

But the bride-chamber is concealed. It is the holy of holies… There is a glory that is superior to glory, there is a power which is above power. Thus the perfect things are revealed to us, and so are the hidden things of the truth; and the holy things are disclosed, the bride-chamber calls us to enter. (125)

The supreme mystery of the bride chamber (sometimes called the spiritual marriage or the mystery of the syzygies) is the decisive event in the reunion of the divisions of the human being… Iranaeus, interpreting the teachings of the followers of Valentinus, describes this mystery as the marriage of the human spirit to an angel of the Redeemer who resides in the heaven world above this earth. In modern terms one might define this mystery as a sacred rite of individuation wherein the person becomes a true individuum, or indivisible unity.

The true peacemaker according to {the Gospel of} Thomas, is the one who has made peace within himself. A cognate theme is expressed in the following saying: Blessed are you who have become unified and have become the elect, for you shall find the kingdom; because you come from it, and you shall return to it again. (49)

The Parable of the Foolish and Wise Virgins

I think we now have the link we need: if you imagine the pentagram as pointing to five visible (outer) initiations and five invisible (inner) initiations, at the same time, the completion of the Initiate’s life will encompass ten initiations in total. That is why the number 10 has cropped up so many times with its counterpart the five-pointed star, the pentagram.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“’No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both of us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said, ‘Open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13)

Picture Credits

To be continued.

Linked Pages: Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 1);
Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 2)

Picture credits:
The Bright Morning Star courtesy of http://www.bibleapocalypse.com;
Thoth courtesy of http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk;
Ark of the Covenant courtesy of http://www.crystalinks.com;
Metatron courtesy of http://www.abovetopsecret.com;
Syzygy courtesy of multisenserealism.com;
Blake – Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

We are now down to the point of Jesus’ life: Pilate sentencing him to death.

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” {Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the feast.}

With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” {Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.}

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

For the third time, he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him punished and then release him.”

But with loud cries they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:13-25)

Ecce Homo

The fact that Pontius Pilate found no fault in Jesus echoes the “spotless” sacrificial lamb that is killed annually for the saving of all the people of Israel on the Day of Atonement. Mars is the ruler of Aries, the sacrificial RAM, the sign in which the North Node is situated in Jesus’ birth chart, and several elements of its rulership show up as descriptions of Mars in deVore’s Encyclopedia of Astrology:

Significators – Mars: Steel, cutlery, weapons of war, sharp tools, and those who use them, fires, slaughter houses, mortuaries.

In Horary Astrology – Mars: If favorably aspected, a strong and aggressive friend; if unfavourably aspected, a revengeful enemy; surgeons, chemists, soldiers, munitions manufacturers; all who use sharp instruments; rough and uncultured persons; thieves, and such as live by violence.

In Mundane Astrology – Mars: Military leaders; surgeons; persons liable to die; engineers; agitators, incendiaries, criminals and crime of violence; wars.

Vegetation and Herbs – Mars: …also trees with thorns.

So, here we have a whole boatload of information with just one significant “death point” planet: a man thought to be an agitator by the military leaders, made to wear a mock crown of thorns, was hung on a tree made into a cross, between two thieves (one of whom was sarcastic, the other sympathetic), offered some chemical substance to deaden his pain, and was finally killed by a soldier who thrust a spear into his side…

The Crucifixion Chart

Jesus’ Crucifixion chart

Sun – 14 Aries 02′
Moon – 8 Libra 02′
North Node – 2 Gemini 34′
Mercury – 2 Taurus 19′
Venus – 28 Aquarius 41′
Mars – 4 Capricorn 27′
Jupiter – 23 Pisces 13′
Saturn – 6 Gemini 53′
Uranus – 3 Leo 07′
Neptune 23 Capricorn 54′
Pluto – 8 Sagittarius 24′

Ascendant – 24 Cancer 38′
Midheaven – 13 Aries 39′
2nd House cusp – 16 Leo 50′
3rd House cusp – 12 Virgo 35′
5th House cusp – 18 Scorpio 50′
6th House cusp – 23 Sagittarius 34′

One strong Yod (Finger of God) is Saturn and Uranus pointing at (surprise, surprise) Mars.

The most potent indicator in the number of degress of the Sun (in Aries, note) of what was, that 14 is the number of Osiris, symbolic of the number of pieces that Isis found after he was killed and dismembered by Set. The missing part is the phallus, which brings me again to the planet which rules Aries. The image of Mars in its glyph is a circle with an erect phallus. Therefore, symbolically, this crucifixion was one of dismemberment, sacrificially, as if the RAM were being de-horned, and making him impotent. The “crown of thorns” could be a euphemism for such an event, considering that Jesus was re-enacting Osiris’ sacrifice for the good of his people. There are many things hidden here.

But most importantly, Jesus’ natal Mars is at the exact “death point” of 17° Aquarius, which is the Eighth House cusp of his ‘fatal’ chart. Also, in my original chart drawn up from hand-calculated there is an echo of the five-pointed star in this chart, which shows that it is the culmination…

Comparison of both charts

Jesus’ original crucifixion chart

As we compare the planetary positions in the Birth and Crucifixion charts, their aspects demonstrate the energies which, as the ‘fatal’ planets transit the natal positions, could “trigger” the event.

Fatal Sun: square natal Sun.
Fatal Moon: conjunct natal Ascendant.
Fatal Mercury: sextile natal Uranus.
Fatal Venus: square natal Venus.
Fatal Mars: sextile natal Uranus.
Fatal Jupiter: conjunct natal Jupiter.
Fatal Saturn: square natal Uranus.
Fatal Uranus: inconjunct natal Uranus.
Fatal Neptune: square natal North Node.
Fatal Pluto: square natal Pluto.

And the fact that the ‘point of death’ is 17° Aquarius means that Jesus (as the ascended Christ) will return in the middle of the Age of Aquarius, a time which is just beginning: Its symbol represents a stream of water, symbolizing the servant of humanity who pours out the water of knowledge to quench the thirst of the world.

…To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. (Revelation 21:6b)

The Crucifixion

According to the Encyclopedia of Astrology, Aries is: The Ram. Its symbol represents the head and horns of the ram. It is a symbol of offensive power — a weapon of the gods, hence an implement of the will. Ruler: Mars. Symbolic interpretation: Sprouting seeds; fire in eruption; a fountain of water; a ram’s horns.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was a son of God!” (Matthew 27:32-54)

There are many indicators in the above passage that the placement of the North Node in Aries is correct as a symbol of the fourth initiation, Crucifixion. Jesus was crucified on The Place of the Skull (the head); he was reminded that he predicted that he would destroy the temple; his death was accompanied by an earthquake.

Picture Credits

To be continued.

Linked Pages: Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 1)
Star: 7 – Mars: The Warrior Star (part 2)
The Star of Bethlehem: Chapter 1 – Prologue

Picture credits:
Ecce Homo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org;
Dali’s Crucifixion courtesy of thevoiceofone.org.

End of the Age of Pisces

As a way of demonstrating when he would be returning, Jesus told his disciples about the end of their present age, the Age of Pisces, and the signs they should be watching for. (This implies that the disciples would reincarnate in 2,000 years…)

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant woman and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginnings of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms, ’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

“Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, for one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation {race} will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in a field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left…” (Matthew 24:1-41)

UFOs?

Well, we haven’t yet seen the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with his angels in the traditional sense. But since 1946, after the first atomic blasts of World War II, we have seen a lot of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO’s) — are these the “clouds” of his power and great glory? In his book Alien Liaison: The Ultimate Secret, Timothy Good has tried to get the US government to admit that they are tacitly, at least, co-operating with extraterrestrials. Here he quotes from a discussion between a scientist and his friend about a document that the scientist had seen which explained what was actually going on:

There were references in the reports to ‘the Kids’ — presumably the little fellows who had manned at least one of the craft at S-4 — whose origin was said to be Reticulum 4, the fourth planet from Zeta Reticulum 2… The two stars that comprise the Zeta Reticulum system are similar to our Sun (G2 type) and are approximately thirty-seven light years from our solar system, separated from each other by a distance of about 350 billion miles, and requiring over 100,000 years to orbit their common center of gravity. Both Zeta 1 and Zeta 2 are prime candidates for the search for life beyond earth, and both could well have a system of planets similar to our own.

It stated in the briefing papers that humankind is the product of periodic genetic ‘corrections’ by the aliens. Bob has difficulty with this statement, as he emphasized in his private interview with George Knapp.

“It’s easier to swallow things you can put your hands on and touch and then work with,” he said. “There’s no problem. But when you get a load of spiritual stuff and religion — you know, that we were made by progressive corrections in evolution and that sort of thing…it’s a tough thing to accept without hard-core proof. The only hard-core thing is that there is an extremely classified document dealing with religion, and it’s extremely thick. But why should there be any classified documents dealing with religion?”

Knapp pressed Lazar for further information.

“Oh, come on, that’s so weird…”

“I’m not asking you to say what you believe to be a fact; I’m asking you to say what you read in a report that is distributed at what may be the most top secret facility in the world.”

“It’s just so far out…”

“All right. Your objection has been noted. What does it say?”

Containers?

“That we’re ‘containers’. That’s supposedly how aliens look at us; that we are nothing but containers.”

“Containers of what?”

“Containers. Maybe containers of souls. You can come up with whatever theory you want. But we’re containers, and that’s how we’re mentioned in the documents; that religion was specifically created so we have some rules and regulations for the sole purpose of not damaging the containers.”

Supposedly, Jesus and two other spiritual leaders were genetically engineered, in the sense that “they were implanted in people on earth and their births were closely monitored”. Again, a similar claim was made (specifically about Jesus) by Richard Doty, in conversation with Linda Howe in 1983.

The idea is hardly new, and has been put forward by a number of writers. For some reason, it outrages many devout Christians. Perhaps they should take note of the many passages in the Bible which, although open to alternative interpretations, nevertheless suggest the possibility of an out-of-this-world origin for Jesus, for example: the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, informing her of an unusual conception; the star of Bethlehem which guided the Wise Men to the place of birth; the physical Ascension into “heaven”, with the two men standing by in “white apparel”; and Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, when Jesus apparently spoke to him from a “great light” in the sky.

In addition, one could adduce the extraordinary abilities attributed to Jesus, and the occasional cryptic statements in reference to his origin, such as the following, recorded in John’s Gospel: “You belong to this world here below, but I come from above. You are from this world, but I am not from this world.”

Is the idea really so far-fetched? Not according to Dr Barry Downing, for example, a theologian with a degree in physics, whose book, The Bible and Flying Saucers, traces the evidence for extraterrestrial liaison with mankind throughout biblical history…

“Well, I am telling the truth — I’ve tried to prove that,” Bob Lazar insists. “What’s going on up there could be the most important event in history. You’re talking about physical contact and proof from another system — another planet, another intelligence. That’s got to be the biggest event in history — period. And it’s real, and it’s there!”

The Shadow Side of Christianity

This sense of discovery/re-discovery which is symbolized by the belief in life on other planets, and the salvation of the inhabitants of earth by beings “from the sky”, has its counterpart in scientific discoveries of hidden scripture, what we have termed the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jung and the Lost Gospels discusses this very fact:

The depth-psychologically oriented observer of these events might perceive mythic patterns woven into the story and fate of the two discoveries that may shed additional light on their meaning. In a particularly dark period of the history of the Western psyche two significant discoveries were made {at Nag Hammadi and Qumran}. Both were the result of chance {?} rather than a deliberate, purposeful intent. The agonizing psychic need of the culture was thus met by a synchronistic response from the innermost center of reality. The hopelessness and spiritual bankruptcy of the West in the wake of the Second World War and at the outset of the atomic age brought forth two remarkable sources of a vital but hitherto missing ingredient of its collective soul. Long ago the guardians of Western spirituality unwisely banished an important expression of their tradition from the daylight of religious life. The Essene and Gnostic alternative tradition became the equivalent of the psychological shadow to the Judeo-Christian mainstream religiosity. Yet, the human psyche cannot forgo the effective presence of its shadow for too long. The time always comes when the hitherto rejected and consequently missing portion of our selfhood mightily calls attention to itself. The stone that the builders rejected surfaces once more in order to be incorporated into the structure, indeed, more often to become the cornerstone of the same.

According to Jungian and related depth-psychological thought, spiritual and religious concerns are ultimately founded upon a universal human drive toward wholeness. The disparate components of our nature eventually undergo a process of progressive unification (called by Jung “individuation”), which has wholeness as its objective. It would appear that with the coming of the post-World War II era the time for a certain advanced phase of the individuation of Western culture had come. Faced with the appalling evidence of human evil manifest in the war and in totalitarian tyrannies and shocked by the prospect of global death and destruction resulting from nuclear warfare, Western culture reached a psychological impasse wherein its repressed shadow could play a healing and redeeming role. The time was finally ripe for the admission of the rejected spirituality of the Gnostics and the Essenes.

The arising of such an opportunity for the healing of western spirituality (and with it of Western culture) should not be taken to mean that difficulties and resistances to such a process of healing would not be encountered. All persons familiar with the practice of depth psychology know that the content of the psyche will yield its true meaning only after prolonged exposure to the light of consciousness, coupled with an informed effort to illuminate this content with the amplifying light of appropriate symbols.

Back to the Beginning

Well, the concept of the womb (“container” of the “seed”) and the word “wholeness” are both symbolized by the number 0, which brings us back to the beginning of this whole issue of reincarnation/resurrection. Without the light of this knowledge, we cannot see the truth, because we cannot know the end until we remember the beginning. This is the essence of Neptune in Scorpio, as discussed by the authors of Spiritual Astrology: Those born to the generation of Neptune in Scorpio have the potential for realizing the higher levels of shared material ownership on a planetary level. They are infused with the vision of the spiritual responsibility for the Earth’s resources as a whole. They are aware of the current human material values and the potential for transformation of those values that will lead humanity to a higher level of relating to the physical world. On a personal level it indicates the dilemma of dealing with establishing one’s value with other people. It is the choice between idealistically expecting the automatic support of other people’s resources or responsibly defining material values with them. It also deals with the choice between expecting automatic emotional fulfillment through sex or committing oneself in the self-purification that will actually bring about the realization of those ideals.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5)

We have reached the beginning, the fountainhead, and we are now ready to approach the end, the subject of our next chapter on the North Node and Jesus’ Crucifixion.

Picture Credits

Linked Pages: Star: 10 – Neptune: The Mystic Star (part 1)
Star: 10 – Neptune: The Mystic Star (part 2)
Yo! Brother…
Montsegur: the Cathars last stand?
Star: 5 – Uranus: The Enigmatic Star (part 1)

Picture credits:
Fig Tree courtesy of http://www.fcjsisters.org;
UFOs courtesy of http://www.telegraph.co.uk;
We Are Spiritual Beings courtesy of 5thworld.com;
Gnosticism courtesy of liferemixed.org;
Neptune in Scorpio courtesy of http://www.sunsigns.org