ICELAND’S ASTROLOGY
There’s not much doubt Iceland is in some trouble and has the capacity to be a source of trouble for the world. The heavens are speaking rather clearly on this one. I didn’t know Iceland’s horoscope and a pity not more of us did, as it might have given us some clues and warnings.
Modern Iceland, I gather, was sworn into being on 17th June 1944 at its capital. It’s a Gemini sun country (divided like the twins between fire and ice?) and of stunning mythical beauty too so that suitably enough dreamy, mythical, arty Neptune at 1 Libra conjuncts its ascendant (rising angle) at 2 of Libra, the beauty sign. Although the first house of a national chart has most to say about how the people regard themselves, this Neptune at 1 Libra also reflects the nation is in the middle of the seas like few places ever are and you travel far to reach it or to get away from it, a reason too, especially in a land so strongly secularist, that Iceland’s 9th house of religion, but also distance travel, is so strongly tenanted. You make virtual “pilgrimage” to Iceland which is what the early Irish monks did.
THE SOCIETY AND THE TERRAIN OF ICELAND EXPLODES
Iceland’s is a tough, harsh land to manage, so tough that Capricorn, "ruled" by harsh and demanding Saturn, is on the fourth sector of the native terrain. Uranus of the shocks and surprises is presently making affliction square to Iceland’s natal Saturn at 29 of Gemini and that is one of the immediate triggers, or just reflections, of what’s going on, along with transiting Saturn’s conjunction with the natal ascendant and Neptune (the people are affected, Neptunian floods are in evidence, huge ice blocks the size of houses are falling down the mountain), but it’s not all.
Transformative, volcanic Pluto has been crossing the base (IC) of the chart during the last year or so, opposing the native Midheaven (the destiny, the reputation, the government). That has had something to indicate as regards the debt, governmental problems and power struggles that have plagued the country in recent times.
But now Pluto’s movements are quite simply shaking and rocking the land itself. Pluto is presently at 5 Capricorn near the IC/Midheaven which is at 3 degrees. And perhaps that’s not good news since the question arises, will it do much or little and more or less on a social or physical plane when it actually hits that point again due to retrograde motion?
ASTEROIDS VULCANO, EUROPA AND LUCIFER
I’ve never used, tested or read about asteroid, Vulcano, but it looks to be part of the picture. Transiting Jupiter was conjuncting this asteroid (at nearly 19 Pisces in the natal 6th house) in the days leading up to and beginning the burst which really came out with the new moon last Wednnesday. Symbolically Jupiter is as hot as Saturn is cold, so this is like the warming up of the Volcano while it’s well known that at another octave Jupiter is anything to do with distance travel. Today (17th April) far travelling Jupiter is nearer to exactly afflicting the asteroid Europa at 21 Gemini (an air sign) reflecting the problems that specifically European airways are having through what has taken place and the disruptions to travel generally.
That despite its remoteness and small population Iceland has always had and might yet have, the capacity to impact the world in some way as it is now doing is conveyed by the fact that its Mars is on 15 Leo, a world point, and deemed the least fortunate of these six points amid its rather spectacular and dramatic (and fiery!) potential via Leo.
FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR ICELAND
I am not a forecaster of mundane (political/national astrology) so can’t and won’t be dogmatic but I have already indicated I am not too happy about what might happen when Pluto get to the 3 degree base of Iceland’s chart.
True, no one should put too much stress on a single aspect or transit even when it has the kind of strong potential that Plutonic transits regularly demonstrate. What is concerning is that in July/August when Pluto is hovering around that danger point there will be more of the same as regards the positions of Saturn (first squaring the 29 degree Gemini almost 0 Cancer Saturn -. another world point degree) and then square the natal Neptune.
And this will be happening at the same time as accident prone, shocking Uranus gets onto 0 Aries, another of the world points to oppose the natal Neptune and square the natal Saturn). Will Iceland and the world undergo more and in terms of volcanic eruptions rather than just economic and political issues? It’s certainly possible. And let me not be superstitious, but we are talking about a country which though irreligious is known for widespread belief in local devils....I know that asteroid, Lucifer, is an important asteroid - it certainly has its role in the chart of Christ I always claim to possess (see last December’s article) – and the fact is that Iceland shows Lucifer on the 0 Aries, world point. Could it be that with Uranus on his point this year proverbially “all hell will break loose” where the landscape of Iceland is concerned?
.....You can always pray not! But it looks like it might be wise to take a few precautions inside Iceland and to be prepared for some dust and ashes and perhaps travel delays outside it.(I would particularly distrust the period around the full moon of August 10th which is exact square the natal moon). Whether more radically what is happening and may yet occur will finish by altering whole weather patterns as intense volcanic activity has the capacity to do, I wouldn’t choose to speculate.
(A periodic apparent retrograde of Mercury starting Sunday 18th, a period which regularly corresponds to problems with communications, general transport and schedules seems consistent with emerging reports that the volcano is not immediately abating and hence plane schedules could be disrupted for some days. They probably by now would be even if the volcano completely subsided very shortly).
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
OBAMA AND JERUSALEM ON HIS MIND
OBAMA: FROM SPIRITUALITY TO POLITICAL POLICY.
Whether or not Obama will be falling backwards like the Eli of my last article, I am now going to make some biblical points about Barack Obama, his ideas and policies. I am however less sure about comparisons with specific biblical persons such as I made with regard to the Pope and Eli. Nor am I quite so sure as some people that Obama is in some kind of immediate danger.
According to a Malaysian correspondent of mine last year and now according to the often correct Richard Nolle in America and apparently too certain Hindu astrologers, somebody else who might be falling backwards or just falling in some way is Barack Obama. He is supposed to need extra security later this month and in May.
I don’t know how these people can be so confident of a correct chart in terms of time and place to begin offering these forecasts, but from just the pattern of the birth's date I could never be too confident of Obama the man, starting with the afflicted, deception prone Sun/Neptune aspect. Ideally no strong, really trustworthy world leader should have it, nor, among other things, such as the dangerous Lie asteroid conjunct his sun. This even lends some weight to those negative psychological assessments which speak of narcissistic problems (and, yes, Narcissus does conjunct Obama’s Saturn, the problems planet, as though to register a problem along these lines – and if President Sarkosy of France now thinks Obama is a bit “aliene”, a bit mad, then he may actually be so!).
But I am not about to join silly choruses that make out President Obama to be the Antichrist or claim that everything he does is wrong. Doubtless he’s sometimes right. But although if I were an American I would reckon to vote Democrat and also support moves towards the universal health care I consider any country should have, I could never have brought myself to vote for Obama. I don’t believe he is who he appears to be; a master showman, I think he’s inexperienced, shady and even dangerous for international politics, not least Israel which plainly he doesn’t like.
No matter what he says in order to keep some sections of the public happy, there’s no way it is possible Obama could begin to like Israel and it's beginning seriously to show through. Even if he believes he has reasons to disapprove Israel on some points at this time, something is wrong when the same man unwilling to bow at Buckingham Palace but prepared to bow to the King of Saudi Arabia (usually symbolically taken as having implications for submission to Islam )is prepared via a nobody to admit Israel’s President through a side door of the White House only, to a waiting room rather than the Oval office, and all without the ceremony normally accorded even to minor nations, and then leave his guest sitting in limbo while he arrives very late at his convenience. This kind of theatrical arrogance towards specifically and uniquely Israel belongs somewhere with the world view of Rev Jeremiah Wright whose church Obama attended for years. There Judaism could be dismissed as “gutter religion” or words to that effect – the precise beliefs and words are disputed, but not the basic anti-Semitism. I am not about to make Obama out to be the Bible’s Haman (an early type of the anti-Semite from the story of Esther) but spiritually and otherwise I believe he’s still bad news for Israel, religion and the world beyond it.
OBAMA AND THE CALL OF THE MUEZZIN
This last Easter Obama’s Easter address took a decidedly multi-faith line - or some might say un-faith line since he wanted it to embrace people of no faith too. And doubtless one part of him does like to be and seem infinitely open and accepting just as his always peculiar sense of what’s honest has caused him to affirm to the world, what isn’t strictly the case, that America “isn’t a Christian nation”. True it may not be a “good” Christian nation and obviously many minorities aren’t Christian, but the fact is that the nation is predominantly Christian and it’s to manufacture truth to propose otherwise. What personal or political motive would Obama have to maintain otherwise? Perhaps plenty.
While it’s doubtful that as critics and enemies have maintained, Obama is outright a Muslim, (even if in his Barry Soetero childhood in Indonesia he was registered as such) there’s little doubt that despite the occasional (politically required?) church attendance his affinities, sympathies, and also hopes for political appeasement lie principally with Islam and its nations. In real terms, Obama may be more like a universalist Sufi, Theosophist or Unitarian (he has anyway said all faiths lead to the same place) but his real and deepest feeling is for the path of Islam whose exclusivism he chooses to ignore.
A YouTube feature devoted to proving Obama Muslim shows him making the slip, “my Muslim, I mean Christian faith” and declaring the prettiest sound in the world to be the muezzin call to prayer, and that the Koran, which he always carefully refers to as “the Holy Koran”, is a repository of wisdom, a book “revealed” etc. It’s a reverence for the scripture which looks to be signaled by the perfect easy trine in his birth chart from religion sign, Sagittarius, to Obama’s independent Uranus of the asteroid, Koranna (It’s an asteroid I’m still trying to decide about – originally asteroids got registered in feminine form). As in Obama’s Egyptian speech in praise of all things Islamic last year, you can’t help feeling it is less conviction than hurt pride and outraged narcissism in relation to his heritage that is fuelling his assertions. Like people who want to believe themselves aristocrats, really, Obama couldn’t have less than the best when it comes to religion and culture to back him.
OBAMA’S PRIDE OF WHICH PATRIA
Obama’s Kenyan relatives are all Muslims and at his birth Kenya conjuncts Patria (homeland), a strong hint that even if Obama was not born in Kenya (as he denies but some maintain - the Kenyan Press once supposedly referred to “our Kenyan born Obama”) certainly his truest affinities all lie there and that includes with the Islam of which he imbibed plenty while at school in Indonesia where he even won a prize for Islamic knowledge.
In parenthesis on this issue of origins, one gathers a case regarding his eligibility for presidency is posted for June 3rd - though one can imagine it won’t happen – as there’s the additional problem one can’t be born of dual nationality and run America and it appears Obama’s father was registered as a British citizen. I note that astrology’s Father asteroid (Abbe) in Obama’s natus directly opposes his Jupiter (register of truth and also anything foreign) a hint that again something is “wrong” or unclear around his origins. It’s not fashionable or just not reassuring to allow that Obama’s background might be the subject of lies and any major deception – Democrats who wanted him in obviously won’t hear of it and most of all the rest don’t want to realize they could have been gypped in a truly unprecedented way by an actor who likes to play big parts on an international stage - and yes, this theatrical Leo has Actor trine his Mercury. Watch his words, watch his mouth!
So…the birther case is liable to be dismissed as right wing rumour mill and resentment. Which it doubtless sometimes is, but one would still prefer to see cooler attitudes and more stringent policies prevail towards this whole subject. Whatever Obama’s true origins, I see no reason why he should ever have refused (and been allowed to refuse) to produce his original birth certificate – a record of live birth is not the same thing and it could be fiddled. If it would keep a restless section of the public quiet, why not produce it rather than pour money into legal fees putting stops to inquiries and cases around this vexed issue of a candidate’s background? Is transparency too much to ask?
……No matter the truth about Obama’s biography, I feel the case for his ongoing Muslim affinities is now sufficiently made and is rather bolstered by the way in which as soon as Obama has been finally released to international affairs from health care battles, first in line of fire has been Israel whose position on Jerusalem is getting challenged. And it’s being so basically in harmony with (mostly late developed) Muslim notions about possession of that city. Whether you agree with that particular claim or not, the fact is that now Palestinians, encouraged by Obama’s position, have been making stronger demands than previously about terms for peace talks and have been difficult this last Passover about the Temple area. Israel’s Netanyahu insists that Jerusalem is “not a settlement” and that is true enough because even if you don’t accept what looks like Israel’s rather obvious historic claim to the city, it’s quite normal for territory won in war, especially war in self-defence, to be retained.
If the nations of the world won’t and can’t accept that in Israel’s case, then they are making an idealistic exception they don’t reckon to apply elsewhere and the Palestinians, even if one concedes something to their complaints, are not by any standards good losers in the war game. If they are not, that’s at least partly involved with the fact that engages the religious issue the liberal west doesn’t care to admit or believe, namely that there is an assumption that wherever Muslims have once held land they should retain that land. It’s a claim or assumption that goes rather beyond the somewhat similar but obviously more long standing Jewish claim to Jerusalem. (If you don’t believe any real religious conflict is involved, and it’s nothing but a human rights thing, then perhaps you had better read the understandably recently best selling Son of Hamas).
In connection to these claims and by way of introduction to the next observations, let’s note this most peculiar and striking of points. In the foundation chart of modern Israel, the asteroid, Jerusalem (at 3 of fixed Taurus, the eternity sign, is contested by being in the 7th house of open enemies, but is conjunct of all things, The Part of Bequest. Bequest is how it and for that matter Israel more generally is biblically regarded, as a place and land to which the Children of Israel are more the guardians under God than the owners in the usual sense.
OBAMA AND JERUSALEM THE BURDENSOME STONE
With so much complexity of opinion and human inflexibility involved, this is perhaps why, and prophetically too, the Bible’s book of Zechariah looks towards a time when specifically Jerusalem will become a “burdensome stone” for all the nations of the world which will eventually come against it. Israel’s battle for Jerusalem is perceived as ultimately a spiritual one because God’s “Name” (the Temple was originally called the Temple of the Name, Ha-Shem) dwells in Jerusalem forever making it the most sacred place on earth. The Satan is seen as challenging this and in Zechariah’s vision, the Lord says “The Lord rebuke you O Satan, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem” (Zech 3:2).
Oddly, unfortunately, or however one sees it, it tends to be mostly rather noisy and sometimes merely fanatical evangelical Christians who know or emphasize this theme since Catholics read the Bible but little while even modern Judaism has become Torah orientated at the expense of even the prophets. This notwithstanding, the Jerusalem tradition is biblically so strong it would probably be more protested by Jews and Christians if it were more known and accepted. In fact, and rather incongruously, even Jerusalem’s Temple Mount area is currently under Muslim supervision to which it was accorded by the (secular) Israeli government almost as soon as Jerusalem was re-taken after millennia in 1967.
I am always claiming that with overwhelming proofs (see last December’s article on Broadcasting and Censoring the Bethlehem Star)I possess the true data for Christ’s birth, and certainly this same data dramatically reflects the just mentioned Jerusalem issue. On the chart’s world point (15 of royal Leo) there is Shaim (variant of Shem, the Name of God). Beside it at 16 degrees is Jerusalem, and beside Jerusalem at 17 degrees (conjunctions are very pro or con something) is Lucifer, placed there rather as in Zechariah’s vision challenging "the Name" and the Jerusalem where the Name stands for all peoples of the world (Shaim on the world point). Then in exact affliction aspect to Jerusalem is the asteroid, Stone, reflective of the prophecy of Jerusalem becoming “the burdensome stone” that Jerusalem will become to the nations of the world.
Jerusalem’s 16 degrees of Leo is plainly what astrologers call a sensitive degree of the kind that carries across centuries. 16 Leo is the position of Saturn, traditional symbol of restrictions and of any weight and whatever falls, in the birth chart of modern Israel. This Saturn is a linked, alternative way of symbolizing the ongoing Jerusalem problem which is all of a dramatic, mega-sized Leo one. And into this great potential for material and spiritual problems comes the fantasist Leo leader, Barack Obama, formerly Barry Soetero, that star performer ready to take on any part or sign to any name (as said, Actor trines his writing and speaking Mercury exactly!).
SHADES OF LUCIFERIAN POLICY?
Barack Hussein Obama’s Leo sun is at 13 Leo and conjuncting it on that degree is asteroid Lucifer while at nearly the 15 degree world point he has the dangerous asteroid, Lie. Well, we do all have to have Lucifer and Lie somewhere in our natus and let’s not speculate on how much Obama may have been pulling the wool over the eyes of Americans on some things! But even being as generous as possible, we can’t quite ignore Obama’s Lie is close to the sensitive Shaim/Shem of Christ’s data. Even this we might ignore if the dangerous potential were not backed up by the distinctly noticeable close opposition of Obama’s natal Jerusalem to his Pluto. And I don’t think there’s the slightest doubt that in Christ’s chart, in modern Israel’s chart, and even anyone’s chart, the highest octave meaning of Pluto is quite simply as symbol of God. So Jerusalem is especially where Obama faces divine issues.
From the biblical/prophetic standpoint, to tamper with Jerusalem can finish by doing Luciferian work which, with Lucifer conjunct his sun, Obama is perhaps more liable than some to do – though of course we all have Lucifer somewhere in our charts! – and which needless to say puts one in bad relation with the divine generally. Once again there’s a hint of just such a potential in Obama’s pattern through supplemenatiojn of the core message through the affliction square of his rebellious Uranus to Bhagwat (Hindu name of the personal side of ultimate deity little stressed in Hinduism) and the affliction square of his Theotes (Godhead) to his natal Venus.
Even if you dismiss all of this, what can’t be dismissed is that currently the Obama policy, is very largely an appeasement, almost a flattery of some Muslim nations (who don’t favour him due to his continuation of the Iraq and Afghanistan offensives), while it takes a firm line with Israel which he hopes makes up for what doesn’t please people elsewhere. This will do nothing and nobody any good and thinking Christians, who should perhaps never have voted for Obama in the first case (or in the case of Hillary Clinton consented to work for him as she is too compromised by it), ought to recognize that they are supporting a rather vainglorious individual who, if one could see behind the veil, can only help precipitate problems in the Middle East, encourage any “burdensome stone” scenarios and, however indirectly, take on God.
Whether or not Obama will be falling backwards like the Eli of my last article, I am now going to make some biblical points about Barack Obama, his ideas and policies. I am however less sure about comparisons with specific biblical persons such as I made with regard to the Pope and Eli. Nor am I quite so sure as some people that Obama is in some kind of immediate danger.
According to a Malaysian correspondent of mine last year and now according to the often correct Richard Nolle in America and apparently too certain Hindu astrologers, somebody else who might be falling backwards or just falling in some way is Barack Obama. He is supposed to need extra security later this month and in May.
I don’t know how these people can be so confident of a correct chart in terms of time and place to begin offering these forecasts, but from just the pattern of the birth's date I could never be too confident of Obama the man, starting with the afflicted, deception prone Sun/Neptune aspect. Ideally no strong, really trustworthy world leader should have it, nor, among other things, such as the dangerous Lie asteroid conjunct his sun. This even lends some weight to those negative psychological assessments which speak of narcissistic problems (and, yes, Narcissus does conjunct Obama’s Saturn, the problems planet, as though to register a problem along these lines – and if President Sarkosy of France now thinks Obama is a bit “aliene”, a bit mad, then he may actually be so!).
But I am not about to join silly choruses that make out President Obama to be the Antichrist or claim that everything he does is wrong. Doubtless he’s sometimes right. But although if I were an American I would reckon to vote Democrat and also support moves towards the universal health care I consider any country should have, I could never have brought myself to vote for Obama. I don’t believe he is who he appears to be; a master showman, I think he’s inexperienced, shady and even dangerous for international politics, not least Israel which plainly he doesn’t like.
No matter what he says in order to keep some sections of the public happy, there’s no way it is possible Obama could begin to like Israel and it's beginning seriously to show through. Even if he believes he has reasons to disapprove Israel on some points at this time, something is wrong when the same man unwilling to bow at Buckingham Palace but prepared to bow to the King of Saudi Arabia (usually symbolically taken as having implications for submission to Islam )is prepared via a nobody to admit Israel’s President through a side door of the White House only, to a waiting room rather than the Oval office, and all without the ceremony normally accorded even to minor nations, and then leave his guest sitting in limbo while he arrives very late at his convenience. This kind of theatrical arrogance towards specifically and uniquely Israel belongs somewhere with the world view of Rev Jeremiah Wright whose church Obama attended for years. There Judaism could be dismissed as “gutter religion” or words to that effect – the precise beliefs and words are disputed, but not the basic anti-Semitism. I am not about to make Obama out to be the Bible’s Haman (an early type of the anti-Semite from the story of Esther) but spiritually and otherwise I believe he’s still bad news for Israel, religion and the world beyond it.
OBAMA AND THE CALL OF THE MUEZZIN
This last Easter Obama’s Easter address took a decidedly multi-faith line - or some might say un-faith line since he wanted it to embrace people of no faith too. And doubtless one part of him does like to be and seem infinitely open and accepting just as his always peculiar sense of what’s honest has caused him to affirm to the world, what isn’t strictly the case, that America “isn’t a Christian nation”. True it may not be a “good” Christian nation and obviously many minorities aren’t Christian, but the fact is that the nation is predominantly Christian and it’s to manufacture truth to propose otherwise. What personal or political motive would Obama have to maintain otherwise? Perhaps plenty.
While it’s doubtful that as critics and enemies have maintained, Obama is outright a Muslim, (even if in his Barry Soetero childhood in Indonesia he was registered as such) there’s little doubt that despite the occasional (politically required?) church attendance his affinities, sympathies, and also hopes for political appeasement lie principally with Islam and its nations. In real terms, Obama may be more like a universalist Sufi, Theosophist or Unitarian (he has anyway said all faiths lead to the same place) but his real and deepest feeling is for the path of Islam whose exclusivism he chooses to ignore.
A YouTube feature devoted to proving Obama Muslim shows him making the slip, “my Muslim, I mean Christian faith” and declaring the prettiest sound in the world to be the muezzin call to prayer, and that the Koran, which he always carefully refers to as “the Holy Koran”, is a repository of wisdom, a book “revealed” etc. It’s a reverence for the scripture which looks to be signaled by the perfect easy trine in his birth chart from religion sign, Sagittarius, to Obama’s independent Uranus of the asteroid, Koranna (It’s an asteroid I’m still trying to decide about – originally asteroids got registered in feminine form). As in Obama’s Egyptian speech in praise of all things Islamic last year, you can’t help feeling it is less conviction than hurt pride and outraged narcissism in relation to his heritage that is fuelling his assertions. Like people who want to believe themselves aristocrats, really, Obama couldn’t have less than the best when it comes to religion and culture to back him.
OBAMA’S PRIDE OF WHICH PATRIA
Obama’s Kenyan relatives are all Muslims and at his birth Kenya conjuncts Patria (homeland), a strong hint that even if Obama was not born in Kenya (as he denies but some maintain - the Kenyan Press once supposedly referred to “our Kenyan born Obama”) certainly his truest affinities all lie there and that includes with the Islam of which he imbibed plenty while at school in Indonesia where he even won a prize for Islamic knowledge.
In parenthesis on this issue of origins, one gathers a case regarding his eligibility for presidency is posted for June 3rd - though one can imagine it won’t happen – as there’s the additional problem one can’t be born of dual nationality and run America and it appears Obama’s father was registered as a British citizen. I note that astrology’s Father asteroid (Abbe) in Obama’s natus directly opposes his Jupiter (register of truth and also anything foreign) a hint that again something is “wrong” or unclear around his origins. It’s not fashionable or just not reassuring to allow that Obama’s background might be the subject of lies and any major deception – Democrats who wanted him in obviously won’t hear of it and most of all the rest don’t want to realize they could have been gypped in a truly unprecedented way by an actor who likes to play big parts on an international stage - and yes, this theatrical Leo has Actor trine his Mercury. Watch his words, watch his mouth!
So…the birther case is liable to be dismissed as right wing rumour mill and resentment. Which it doubtless sometimes is, but one would still prefer to see cooler attitudes and more stringent policies prevail towards this whole subject. Whatever Obama’s true origins, I see no reason why he should ever have refused (and been allowed to refuse) to produce his original birth certificate – a record of live birth is not the same thing and it could be fiddled. If it would keep a restless section of the public quiet, why not produce it rather than pour money into legal fees putting stops to inquiries and cases around this vexed issue of a candidate’s background? Is transparency too much to ask?
……No matter the truth about Obama’s biography, I feel the case for his ongoing Muslim affinities is now sufficiently made and is rather bolstered by the way in which as soon as Obama has been finally released to international affairs from health care battles, first in line of fire has been Israel whose position on Jerusalem is getting challenged. And it’s being so basically in harmony with (mostly late developed) Muslim notions about possession of that city. Whether you agree with that particular claim or not, the fact is that now Palestinians, encouraged by Obama’s position, have been making stronger demands than previously about terms for peace talks and have been difficult this last Passover about the Temple area. Israel’s Netanyahu insists that Jerusalem is “not a settlement” and that is true enough because even if you don’t accept what looks like Israel’s rather obvious historic claim to the city, it’s quite normal for territory won in war, especially war in self-defence, to be retained.
If the nations of the world won’t and can’t accept that in Israel’s case, then they are making an idealistic exception they don’t reckon to apply elsewhere and the Palestinians, even if one concedes something to their complaints, are not by any standards good losers in the war game. If they are not, that’s at least partly involved with the fact that engages the religious issue the liberal west doesn’t care to admit or believe, namely that there is an assumption that wherever Muslims have once held land they should retain that land. It’s a claim or assumption that goes rather beyond the somewhat similar but obviously more long standing Jewish claim to Jerusalem. (If you don’t believe any real religious conflict is involved, and it’s nothing but a human rights thing, then perhaps you had better read the understandably recently best selling Son of Hamas).
In connection to these claims and by way of introduction to the next observations, let’s note this most peculiar and striking of points. In the foundation chart of modern Israel, the asteroid, Jerusalem (at 3 of fixed Taurus, the eternity sign, is contested by being in the 7th house of open enemies, but is conjunct of all things, The Part of Bequest. Bequest is how it and for that matter Israel more generally is biblically regarded, as a place and land to which the Children of Israel are more the guardians under God than the owners in the usual sense.
OBAMA AND JERUSALEM THE BURDENSOME STONE
With so much complexity of opinion and human inflexibility involved, this is perhaps why, and prophetically too, the Bible’s book of Zechariah looks towards a time when specifically Jerusalem will become a “burdensome stone” for all the nations of the world which will eventually come against it. Israel’s battle for Jerusalem is perceived as ultimately a spiritual one because God’s “Name” (the Temple was originally called the Temple of the Name, Ha-Shem) dwells in Jerusalem forever making it the most sacred place on earth. The Satan is seen as challenging this and in Zechariah’s vision, the Lord says “The Lord rebuke you O Satan, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem” (Zech 3:2).
Oddly, unfortunately, or however one sees it, it tends to be mostly rather noisy and sometimes merely fanatical evangelical Christians who know or emphasize this theme since Catholics read the Bible but little while even modern Judaism has become Torah orientated at the expense of even the prophets. This notwithstanding, the Jerusalem tradition is biblically so strong it would probably be more protested by Jews and Christians if it were more known and accepted. In fact, and rather incongruously, even Jerusalem’s Temple Mount area is currently under Muslim supervision to which it was accorded by the (secular) Israeli government almost as soon as Jerusalem was re-taken after millennia in 1967.
I am always claiming that with overwhelming proofs (see last December’s article on Broadcasting and Censoring the Bethlehem Star)I possess the true data for Christ’s birth, and certainly this same data dramatically reflects the just mentioned Jerusalem issue. On the chart’s world point (15 of royal Leo) there is Shaim (variant of Shem, the Name of God). Beside it at 16 degrees is Jerusalem, and beside Jerusalem at 17 degrees (conjunctions are very pro or con something) is Lucifer, placed there rather as in Zechariah’s vision challenging "the Name" and the Jerusalem where the Name stands for all peoples of the world (Shaim on the world point). Then in exact affliction aspect to Jerusalem is the asteroid, Stone, reflective of the prophecy of Jerusalem becoming “the burdensome stone” that Jerusalem will become to the nations of the world.
Jerusalem’s 16 degrees of Leo is plainly what astrologers call a sensitive degree of the kind that carries across centuries. 16 Leo is the position of Saturn, traditional symbol of restrictions and of any weight and whatever falls, in the birth chart of modern Israel. This Saturn is a linked, alternative way of symbolizing the ongoing Jerusalem problem which is all of a dramatic, mega-sized Leo one. And into this great potential for material and spiritual problems comes the fantasist Leo leader, Barack Obama, formerly Barry Soetero, that star performer ready to take on any part or sign to any name (as said, Actor trines his writing and speaking Mercury exactly!).
SHADES OF LUCIFERIAN POLICY?
Barack Hussein Obama’s Leo sun is at 13 Leo and conjuncting it on that degree is asteroid Lucifer while at nearly the 15 degree world point he has the dangerous asteroid, Lie. Well, we do all have to have Lucifer and Lie somewhere in our natus and let’s not speculate on how much Obama may have been pulling the wool over the eyes of Americans on some things! But even being as generous as possible, we can’t quite ignore Obama’s Lie is close to the sensitive Shaim/Shem of Christ’s data. Even this we might ignore if the dangerous potential were not backed up by the distinctly noticeable close opposition of Obama’s natal Jerusalem to his Pluto. And I don’t think there’s the slightest doubt that in Christ’s chart, in modern Israel’s chart, and even anyone’s chart, the highest octave meaning of Pluto is quite simply as symbol of God. So Jerusalem is especially where Obama faces divine issues.
From the biblical/prophetic standpoint, to tamper with Jerusalem can finish by doing Luciferian work which, with Lucifer conjunct his sun, Obama is perhaps more liable than some to do – though of course we all have Lucifer somewhere in our charts! – and which needless to say puts one in bad relation with the divine generally. Once again there’s a hint of just such a potential in Obama’s pattern through supplemenatiojn of the core message through the affliction square of his rebellious Uranus to Bhagwat (Hindu name of the personal side of ultimate deity little stressed in Hinduism) and the affliction square of his Theotes (Godhead) to his natal Venus.
Even if you dismiss all of this, what can’t be dismissed is that currently the Obama policy, is very largely an appeasement, almost a flattery of some Muslim nations (who don’t favour him due to his continuation of the Iraq and Afghanistan offensives), while it takes a firm line with Israel which he hopes makes up for what doesn’t please people elsewhere. This will do nothing and nobody any good and thinking Christians, who should perhaps never have voted for Obama in the first case (or in the case of Hillary Clinton consented to work for him as she is too compromised by it), ought to recognize that they are supporting a rather vainglorious individual who, if one could see behind the veil, can only help precipitate problems in the Middle East, encourage any “burdensome stone” scenarios and, however indirectly, take on God.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
WHY POPE BENEDICT IS LIKE THE BIBLE’S FAILED PRIEST, ELI
THE POPE AND THE ELI CONNECTION
No one is using it, but there’s a clear biblical parallel against which to assess what is happening in and around current Vatican sex abuse scandals. This non use is testimony to the lack of spirituality in the relevant church circles and to biblical illiteracy in the world beyond the church. The situation contributes to the unbalanced, unhelpful judgements being made. According to these, either Pope and Vatican are virtual criminals, or the Pope and Vatican are being persecuted as virtual martyrs. Amid a situation of real crisis, it’s all nonsense, alarmingly and seriously so for religion and society alike.
The first book of Samuel (the second, third and fourth chapters) supplies us the story of the prophet Samuel’s mentor, Eli. The elderly Eli oversees the religious life of Israel because he is guardian of the Shiloh sanctuary which holds the Ark of the Covenant prior to the building of the Temple. In short, he’s the equivalent of the country’s Pope, at any rate he’s its religious leader. Eli is a good man who advises Hannah well and mentors Samuel well and he’s disposed to listen to God. He nevertheless has two worthless sons. They abuse the rites of the shrine priesthood ritually, and for years they take advantage of their position to have sex with any women who come to “the House of the Lord”. In short, the ritual and moral integrity of the religion is being abused at its centre and the rot is spreading. Being righteous, Eli rebukes his sons; he says he’s heard the bad report (i.e. complaints) about them. But he does nothing. It’s all talk. Basically he’s loyal to his sons against whom he takes no real action.
The matter goes on for years while Samuel grows up and finally a prophet arrives to declare doom against Eli and his house for its sins. Later Eli, now in his nineties, upon hearing the Ark has been captured and his sons killed, falls backwards from his seat in shock and dies.
The problem and the relevance is that, by normal standards, Eli is a spiritual enough, kindly old man, certainly not evil. Likewise, one could hardly read Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth and consider the Pope unspiritual or evil. Yet Eli’s false loyalties and inaction were polluting the life of the national religion at its centre, and abusing the “human rights” of which there was little concept at the time. This could not be overlooked and the Lord intervenes. After all….The first commandment is to Love God, and the second is to love one’s neighbour as oneself. The same two principles are enunciated in different form when Jesus declares those who love family more than him cannot be his disciple (Matt 10:37). The message is clear enough to apply here. The loyalties of people who “love the church” its priesthood and its peculiar ways (highly secretive in the case of the Vatican) over and above God and human kind generally, aren’t worthy disciples; and even if they’re not bad they’re not good enough because their outlook engages idolatry and dulls compassion…..
BENEDICT’S VATICAN IS A HOUSE OF SHILOH
Defenders of the Pope insist he has acted, and more than his predecessor, against reports of abuse. Within limits this may actually be the case – when he assumed the papacy he did at least act against the long notorious Macial Marciel one of whose victims I knew in Mexico. But the bottom line is surely that the Irish bishops claim not to have gone to police about serious cases because they understood Benedict had meant they should not do so, albeit the Pope denies they were told this (it seems excommunication could follow upon breaking Vatican secret dealings with the pedophilia cases).
To whatever extent the Pope really has concretely taken action during the last decade undeniably he has more recently spoken, apologized and criticized. But again it’s not really near enough. It’s basically just words, just as Eli spoke to his sons, but inconsequentially. And if you are prepared to assume rather extreme titles like “Vicar of Christ on earth”,then you do need to live to rather high standards! Indeed, part of the problem is precisely that with the Papacy so highly placed and extremely described, many are unable or unwilling to admit that “the unfailing rock of the holy Church” as Cardinal Sodano’s Easter sermon had it, could do wrong and then the faithful become so emotionally invested in looking to their ‘Holy Father” any attack upon him is perceived as an attack upon all faith and even upon themselves, deeper moral issues regardless. And it's this idealized picture that Benedict consents to. It was noticed he smiled at the Cardinal's "rock of Peter" statements and after the sermon he embraced him.
In all recent declarations Pope Benedict has spoken chiefly from the standpoint of protecting his own interests, and that of others in high places and that of the Church's image (or at least the Papacy's), as a paragon. But the church, even at its best is still supposed to be a company of sinners and beyond the obvious need for purposes of healing to dismiss seriously erring bishops quickly, it would have been more appropriate to have made dramatic dedication of the Easter season to masses on behalf of victims, or to have declared a whole period of penitence for past mistakes. But no. The Pope has too many secondary loyalties including to the immediate circle of “Pope’s Men”, like Cardinal Dolan of New York who for Palm Sunday in St Patrick’s cathedral, and in words shockingly abusive of religious imagery and common sense, declared "a crown of thorns" is being daily placed on the Pope’s head. Really? (And a full congregation then gave Dolan a standing ovation for this. One wonders what religion some Catholics are following and imagine they understand). Good Friday's insanity, this time from inside St Peter’s, was talk that the Pope is being treated to something like “the more shameful excesses of anti-Semitism”, words from the Pontiff's Preacher from which even the Vatican has thankfully chosen to distance itself. None of these responses have affinity for any authentic Christianity, it’s more like religion as politics and in-house dealing.
Did any of these people read and absorb the serious cruelty and evil of the abuses in Ireland where children were starved, made to lick vomit off the floor by sadistic monks and nuns and do other things there’s no need to rehearse here? It’s as bad as if the Inquisition were still with us. And if it’s really true (as the dissident Swiss theologian, Hans Kung, alleges) that Ratzinger has to have been fully aware for the last twenty years of the abuse that has been going on, what can one say? Where is the prophetic outrage, where the deep moral concern, or just spontaneous human compassion? Instead there is, when not silence from the hierarchy, almost insolent responses like talk about heroically ignoring and in Christ’s service, “the chatter of dominant opinion”, or suggestions that abuse of the nature involved is a problem in the wider society too. As though the church didn’t have special responsibilities, AND as though the gospels, which don’t mention regular Vatican obsessions like homosexuality and abortion, didn’t appear to consider the abuse of the innocent (“these little ones”) to be one of the most heinous and damning crimes Matt 18:6).
Far from recognizing this rather vital point, the Pope is well known for reserving his stronger condemnations for precisely such as abortion and gay relations - indeed he believes good Catholics in privileged positions are even supposed to be willing to become modern martyrs in opposition to various gay rights seen as the downfall of civilization itself! And now the Vatican is protesting it is because of its stand on abortion and homosexuality that it is being attacked and Judas betrayed by the world over pedophilia!
This situation only makes some kind of mad sense in a church which is not listening to scripture and the prophetic tradition in any meaningful way but rather is still overly attached to “tradition” and with it natural law theories from medieval philosophers of the kind which made sodomy worse than rape because it was “natural”, i.e. produced fetuses. But ultimately, what we are hearing is the product of people and attitudes that “love the church”, its ways, its rituals, its organization first and who from their false loyalties keep things quiet, a situation liable to generate evil and prevent healing even while, technically, those involved cannot justly be called people of immoral lives or evil intent.
LIKE ELI,POPE BENEDICT WILL FALL BACKWARDS
Plainly the Vatican’s intention is to ride out the crisis, to brazen it out we might say if the Vatican was a secular institution. It will mostly continue to be silent or trade accusations. And the Pope, a head of state, won’t be resigning. While this policy may temporarily succeed it will not succeed in the long term because the issues at stake are by now too serious and the spiritual effects too strong – many will simply leave the church in anger and total disillusion as many have already done. Again, if only for the spiritual health of all concerned the mea culpas, at whatever cost, should have been attempted.
The issue of child abuse is one of the major secrets of deeds done in secret that as the gospels have it, were waiting “to be declared from the housetops”. It’s interesting that in the standard chart for the founding of the modern Vatican in 1929, Uranus, planet of shocks and surprises, is found in the sector of sex and secrets opposite the asteroid, CHILD! That Child is moreover in the sign of the laws, Libra, itself a promise that this will become a legal matter and a costly one (placed in the second house of resources). Last December’s eclipse in tension square to both CHILD and shocking Uranus promised that in 2010 the Vatican would no longer be able to hide from the extent of the pedophilia problem. But to some extent it will try, and is trying.
THE HEAVENS DECLARE: THE RATZINGER FINI MYSTERY
When crises of this magnitude break out, and in this case involving the very future of Christianity itself, normally one might expect – as the Pope doesn’t because he questionably believes all revelation ceased with Jesus - some prophet would make declaration in the way that happens in the story of Eli. But while no prophets have as yet arrived to declare anything, it’s possible we can and do already know something in relation to this embattled pontiff and his Vatican enclave.
There is a serious double mystery about Joseph Ratzinger and towards solving the mystery I can and wish at this stage to say no more than that I believe he represents the end of something. Hopefully he just marks the end of privileged Catholic cover-ups, but it may be more. The double mystery is this. First, there’s the simple fact - like it or not and believe it or not, and I realize the prophecy is much disputed - according to St Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes, Ratzinger is the last Pope in power before the Antichrist. In which case, according to at least the forecasts of the late Catholic seeress, Jeane Dixon, he could even be assassinated because she alleged a vision of the assassination of whoever would be the last Pope. This was an event which back in the sixties she didn’t regard as too far off, though she supplied the disaster no date. There was at least an attempt on the Pope’s life last Christmas at the Christmas mass.
Second, I offer the following point, namely the three times repeated Ratzinger Fini mystery which could be connected with the foregoing. Yes, it could just be a coincidence, a fluke and no more, but anyway it’s this. I have long insisted I possess the Pentecost chart for the birth of Christianity in AD 30 and that it is highly descriptive for persons and events and works to this day. Its data includes an odd close conjunction of asteroids Ratzinger with Fini (Finished) in the shocks and surprises sign of Aquarius. While not in conjunction, the same two factors are in aspect at the birth of both Ratzinger and the modern Vatican (while in the latter, Ratzinger at 5 Leo is even conjunct, but perhaps too widely for real significance, with the Vatican's Part of the End of Things at 8 Leo). It is as though the heavens are warning he is in some sense a harbinger of the end, the one who finishes the religion in some way.
Whether or not Ratzinger really marks the end of the church as we know it, somehow I feel that, like Eli, there will be a day when he “falls backward” so to speak and it won’t be a good day for anyone.
Indeed, and ironically, even the radical atheist, Richard Dawkins, is now beginning to fret about the possible breakdown of Christianity given its potential to leave the world exposed to “worse”, by which he means the fanatics and bombers of another major faith. For myself, I am more interested in aspects of Obama’s role in world affairs and I do find some biblical connections here even though I can’t so easily define him as a player in events through biblical parallels as regards personalities like that for Pope Benedict with Eli. But this matter will be my next article soon.
No one is using it, but there’s a clear biblical parallel against which to assess what is happening in and around current Vatican sex abuse scandals. This non use is testimony to the lack of spirituality in the relevant church circles and to biblical illiteracy in the world beyond the church. The situation contributes to the unbalanced, unhelpful judgements being made. According to these, either Pope and Vatican are virtual criminals, or the Pope and Vatican are being persecuted as virtual martyrs. Amid a situation of real crisis, it’s all nonsense, alarmingly and seriously so for religion and society alike.
The first book of Samuel (the second, third and fourth chapters) supplies us the story of the prophet Samuel’s mentor, Eli. The elderly Eli oversees the religious life of Israel because he is guardian of the Shiloh sanctuary which holds the Ark of the Covenant prior to the building of the Temple. In short, he’s the equivalent of the country’s Pope, at any rate he’s its religious leader. Eli is a good man who advises Hannah well and mentors Samuel well and he’s disposed to listen to God. He nevertheless has two worthless sons. They abuse the rites of the shrine priesthood ritually, and for years they take advantage of their position to have sex with any women who come to “the House of the Lord”. In short, the ritual and moral integrity of the religion is being abused at its centre and the rot is spreading. Being righteous, Eli rebukes his sons; he says he’s heard the bad report (i.e. complaints) about them. But he does nothing. It’s all talk. Basically he’s loyal to his sons against whom he takes no real action.
The matter goes on for years while Samuel grows up and finally a prophet arrives to declare doom against Eli and his house for its sins. Later Eli, now in his nineties, upon hearing the Ark has been captured and his sons killed, falls backwards from his seat in shock and dies.
The problem and the relevance is that, by normal standards, Eli is a spiritual enough, kindly old man, certainly not evil. Likewise, one could hardly read Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth and consider the Pope unspiritual or evil. Yet Eli’s false loyalties and inaction were polluting the life of the national religion at its centre, and abusing the “human rights” of which there was little concept at the time. This could not be overlooked and the Lord intervenes. After all….The first commandment is to Love God, and the second is to love one’s neighbour as oneself. The same two principles are enunciated in different form when Jesus declares those who love family more than him cannot be his disciple (Matt 10:37). The message is clear enough to apply here. The loyalties of people who “love the church” its priesthood and its peculiar ways (highly secretive in the case of the Vatican) over and above God and human kind generally, aren’t worthy disciples; and even if they’re not bad they’re not good enough because their outlook engages idolatry and dulls compassion…..
BENEDICT’S VATICAN IS A HOUSE OF SHILOH
Defenders of the Pope insist he has acted, and more than his predecessor, against reports of abuse. Within limits this may actually be the case – when he assumed the papacy he did at least act against the long notorious Macial Marciel one of whose victims I knew in Mexico. But the bottom line is surely that the Irish bishops claim not to have gone to police about serious cases because they understood Benedict had meant they should not do so, albeit the Pope denies they were told this (it seems excommunication could follow upon breaking Vatican secret dealings with the pedophilia cases).
To whatever extent the Pope really has concretely taken action during the last decade undeniably he has more recently spoken, apologized and criticized. But again it’s not really near enough. It’s basically just words, just as Eli spoke to his sons, but inconsequentially. And if you are prepared to assume rather extreme titles like “Vicar of Christ on earth”,then you do need to live to rather high standards! Indeed, part of the problem is precisely that with the Papacy so highly placed and extremely described, many are unable or unwilling to admit that “the unfailing rock of the holy Church” as Cardinal Sodano’s Easter sermon had it, could do wrong and then the faithful become so emotionally invested in looking to their ‘Holy Father” any attack upon him is perceived as an attack upon all faith and even upon themselves, deeper moral issues regardless. And it's this idealized picture that Benedict consents to. It was noticed he smiled at the Cardinal's "rock of Peter" statements and after the sermon he embraced him.
In all recent declarations Pope Benedict has spoken chiefly from the standpoint of protecting his own interests, and that of others in high places and that of the Church's image (or at least the Papacy's), as a paragon. But the church, even at its best is still supposed to be a company of sinners and beyond the obvious need for purposes of healing to dismiss seriously erring bishops quickly, it would have been more appropriate to have made dramatic dedication of the Easter season to masses on behalf of victims, or to have declared a whole period of penitence for past mistakes. But no. The Pope has too many secondary loyalties including to the immediate circle of “Pope’s Men”, like Cardinal Dolan of New York who for Palm Sunday in St Patrick’s cathedral, and in words shockingly abusive of religious imagery and common sense, declared "a crown of thorns" is being daily placed on the Pope’s head. Really? (And a full congregation then gave Dolan a standing ovation for this. One wonders what religion some Catholics are following and imagine they understand). Good Friday's insanity, this time from inside St Peter’s, was talk that the Pope is being treated to something like “the more shameful excesses of anti-Semitism”, words from the Pontiff's Preacher from which even the Vatican has thankfully chosen to distance itself. None of these responses have affinity for any authentic Christianity, it’s more like religion as politics and in-house dealing.
Did any of these people read and absorb the serious cruelty and evil of the abuses in Ireland where children were starved, made to lick vomit off the floor by sadistic monks and nuns and do other things there’s no need to rehearse here? It’s as bad as if the Inquisition were still with us. And if it’s really true (as the dissident Swiss theologian, Hans Kung, alleges) that Ratzinger has to have been fully aware for the last twenty years of the abuse that has been going on, what can one say? Where is the prophetic outrage, where the deep moral concern, or just spontaneous human compassion? Instead there is, when not silence from the hierarchy, almost insolent responses like talk about heroically ignoring and in Christ’s service, “the chatter of dominant opinion”, or suggestions that abuse of the nature involved is a problem in the wider society too. As though the church didn’t have special responsibilities, AND as though the gospels, which don’t mention regular Vatican obsessions like homosexuality and abortion, didn’t appear to consider the abuse of the innocent (“these little ones”) to be one of the most heinous and damning crimes Matt 18:6).
Far from recognizing this rather vital point, the Pope is well known for reserving his stronger condemnations for precisely such as abortion and gay relations - indeed he believes good Catholics in privileged positions are even supposed to be willing to become modern martyrs in opposition to various gay rights seen as the downfall of civilization itself! And now the Vatican is protesting it is because of its stand on abortion and homosexuality that it is being attacked and Judas betrayed by the world over pedophilia!
This situation only makes some kind of mad sense in a church which is not listening to scripture and the prophetic tradition in any meaningful way but rather is still overly attached to “tradition” and with it natural law theories from medieval philosophers of the kind which made sodomy worse than rape because it was “natural”, i.e. produced fetuses. But ultimately, what we are hearing is the product of people and attitudes that “love the church”, its ways, its rituals, its organization first and who from their false loyalties keep things quiet, a situation liable to generate evil and prevent healing even while, technically, those involved cannot justly be called people of immoral lives or evil intent.
LIKE ELI,POPE BENEDICT WILL FALL BACKWARDS
Plainly the Vatican’s intention is to ride out the crisis, to brazen it out we might say if the Vatican was a secular institution. It will mostly continue to be silent or trade accusations. And the Pope, a head of state, won’t be resigning. While this policy may temporarily succeed it will not succeed in the long term because the issues at stake are by now too serious and the spiritual effects too strong – many will simply leave the church in anger and total disillusion as many have already done. Again, if only for the spiritual health of all concerned the mea culpas, at whatever cost, should have been attempted.
The issue of child abuse is one of the major secrets of deeds done in secret that as the gospels have it, were waiting “to be declared from the housetops”. It’s interesting that in the standard chart for the founding of the modern Vatican in 1929, Uranus, planet of shocks and surprises, is found in the sector of sex and secrets opposite the asteroid, CHILD! That Child is moreover in the sign of the laws, Libra, itself a promise that this will become a legal matter and a costly one (placed in the second house of resources). Last December’s eclipse in tension square to both CHILD and shocking Uranus promised that in 2010 the Vatican would no longer be able to hide from the extent of the pedophilia problem. But to some extent it will try, and is trying.
THE HEAVENS DECLARE: THE RATZINGER FINI MYSTERY
When crises of this magnitude break out, and in this case involving the very future of Christianity itself, normally one might expect – as the Pope doesn’t because he questionably believes all revelation ceased with Jesus - some prophet would make declaration in the way that happens in the story of Eli. But while no prophets have as yet arrived to declare anything, it’s possible we can and do already know something in relation to this embattled pontiff and his Vatican enclave.
There is a serious double mystery about Joseph Ratzinger and towards solving the mystery I can and wish at this stage to say no more than that I believe he represents the end of something. Hopefully he just marks the end of privileged Catholic cover-ups, but it may be more. The double mystery is this. First, there’s the simple fact - like it or not and believe it or not, and I realize the prophecy is much disputed - according to St Malachy’s Prophecy of the Popes, Ratzinger is the last Pope in power before the Antichrist. In which case, according to at least the forecasts of the late Catholic seeress, Jeane Dixon, he could even be assassinated because she alleged a vision of the assassination of whoever would be the last Pope. This was an event which back in the sixties she didn’t regard as too far off, though she supplied the disaster no date. There was at least an attempt on the Pope’s life last Christmas at the Christmas mass.
Second, I offer the following point, namely the three times repeated Ratzinger Fini mystery which could be connected with the foregoing. Yes, it could just be a coincidence, a fluke and no more, but anyway it’s this. I have long insisted I possess the Pentecost chart for the birth of Christianity in AD 30 and that it is highly descriptive for persons and events and works to this day. Its data includes an odd close conjunction of asteroids Ratzinger with Fini (Finished) in the shocks and surprises sign of Aquarius. While not in conjunction, the same two factors are in aspect at the birth of both Ratzinger and the modern Vatican (while in the latter, Ratzinger at 5 Leo is even conjunct, but perhaps too widely for real significance, with the Vatican's Part of the End of Things at 8 Leo). It is as though the heavens are warning he is in some sense a harbinger of the end, the one who finishes the religion in some way.
Whether or not Ratzinger really marks the end of the church as we know it, somehow I feel that, like Eli, there will be a day when he “falls backward” so to speak and it won’t be a good day for anyone.
Indeed, and ironically, even the radical atheist, Richard Dawkins, is now beginning to fret about the possible breakdown of Christianity given its potential to leave the world exposed to “worse”, by which he means the fanatics and bombers of another major faith. For myself, I am more interested in aspects of Obama’s role in world affairs and I do find some biblical connections here even though I can’t so easily define him as a player in events through biblical parallels as regards personalities like that for Pope Benedict with Eli. But this matter will be my next article soon.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
THE GOOD MAN JESUS AND THE SCOUNDREL PUBLISHER(S)
PHILIP PULLMAN’S EASTER SURPRISE
On April 1st in time for Easter, Scotland’s Canongate Press is publishing flamboyant atheist, Philip Pullman’s, inevitably controversial and controversially titled, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. The novel’s supposedly original theory (but in scholarly terms as old fashioned as the nineteenth century and the Tubingen School) is that St Paul created belief in Jesus’ divinity and invented Christianity as we know it. For Pullman, Paul is the most influential person in history at the same time as the religion he founded is essentially a delusion. As Western Christians are super tolerant or just weak, that there won’t be protests even faintly reminiscent of the Mohammed Cartoons crisis is a forecast safely made, just as we can also predict it’s only Christians, not Muslims, that modern publishing, presuming on a Christian sweetness, will continue to offend.
But there are many ironies to this April Fool’s Day publication not least that Pullman, the militant atheist, may finish serving less his familiar hoped for secularist, anti-Christian aims than some increasingly popularized Islamic ones. After all, it’s Islam deems Christianity to be mainly invented by Paul - inevitably so since the apostle’s theology, strongly influenced by death and resurrection themes, is fantasy if you maintain Jesus never even died on the cross which is basically the Islamic position.
THE HEAVENS DECLARE….RE EVEN PHILIP PULLMAN
It’s another irony for me personally as someone who controversially maintains I possess the true data of Christ’s birth, that against the natal chart I can “see” this latest bit of public sensation. Jesus' birth data register for controversies around him across history to this day (they were even very notable for Elton John’s recent gay Jesus statements). Accordingly, the negativity Philip Pullman is issuing is exquisitely reflected in especially four unmissable factors for April’s Fool’s Day …..These are:
Jupiter (traditionally any issues of religion, “truth” or publishing) strong that day on a “critical” degree in exact opposition to, of all things, the asteroid, Paul in Jesus’ natus (likewise on a critical degree),
then,
Restrictive Saturn, arrived at the world point at O Libra, conjuncts the gospel asteroid
then,
The Church asteroid is nearly conjunct a sensitive degree in Jesus’ pattern, namely the degree of Lucifer
plus
There’s that factor continental astrologers emphasize and I was always taught turns up whenever something unfortunate or negative is afoot. It's a point in the heavens called Dark Moon Lilith, which will be degree exact on Christ’s destiny/reputation Midheaven angle.
Such data may sound a bit specialized but the message is clear enough. Paul is getting presented as purveyor of supposedly false teachings and (depending how you use and interpret Saturn traditionally seen by astrologers as a devil figure), Pullman and his enthusiastic publisher, Jamie Byng, whether they realize it or not, are engaged in a negative work, restrictive of truth and real spirituality and challenging to the meaning of the Church itself. In harmony with the darkness of Lilith expect the spiritual pollution of all the easy profane references (since the book's title is such a mouthful) to publication of "Scoundrel Christ". Jamie B nonetheless trendily describes himself as “a spiritual person”, a declaration which in his case tends to mean little more than a periodic disposition to question deep issues briefly and rather opportunistically. Pullman’s latest book is major in Byng’s view because it “strips Christianity bare, exposes the Gospels to a new light……[his book] throws down a challenge and does what all great books do, make the reader ask questions”….
PULLMAN FICTION: GENUINE QUESTIONS OR OUTRIGHT ATTACK?
….This is publishing spin nonsense. What great books including the Bible chiefly do is teach, inform and inspire. Of course it’s good and legitimate, with or without books, to ask questions - where there’s some basis to ask and answer them. The reality in cases like this is that society has rarely been so biblically illiterate and so doesn’t know how to deal with many of the “questions” experts throw at them.
That’s if the experts are even experts and/or reasonably objective with the facts they deal in. Thus, as regards the divinity Pullman has Paul inventing, even where this is not explicitly claimed in the gospels it is often implied. We find it in such as Jesus’ forgiveness of sins which was a divine prerogative or even in statements like “Peace be Still, I AM, an evocation of the divine name. Granted many rationalist scholars do assume that belief in the divinity evolved late because the assumed first gospel, Mark, has little about divinity in comparison to the assumed last gospel, John. But again there is no longer universal agreement among scholars that Mark was first and John last written - it has even been suggested John had priority. However the average person knows next to nothing about this.
It follows that in real terms the great literary “questioning” experience may amount to little more than skeptics accorded heyday to confuse the undecided or minimally informed about what a given faith claims to be about. (Byng himself according to one of many interviews doesn’t know “however many bloody books there are in the Bible”). And if the writer’s purpose is simply to demolish faith at will and for entertainment (as there is some reason to assume in Pullman’s case it is - one thinks of the strongly atheist messages aimed at youth in the His Dark Materials trilogy), then this belongs to what Christ in one of his severest sayings would have regarded as one of the most heinous and unpardonable of sins, a profoundly spiritual one.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt. 18:6). And needless to say anyone who makes themselves party to such agendas, especially if they do it for what St Paul would have called (in the old translation) “filthy lucre”, is truly despicable.
JAMIE BYNG: PUBLISHING’S MINI RICHARD BRANSON
It’s pretty clear Jamie Byng, publishing’s new Richard Branson, is not bothering about Truth where Pullman’s theories are concerned any more than in all preceding cases where religion has been centre stage. For him, profundity begins and ends with “questions” or maybe just shocks and surprises. It first began seriously in 1998 with the Pocket Canons series, individual books of the Bible commented by a variety of persons almost all of them apart from rock star, Bono (who introduced the Psalms), non Christians, some of them atheists. Blake Morrison took on John’s gospel and found Jesus “self-assured, pushy and somewhat dislikeable”. Will Self commented Revelation and dismissed it as a “sick text” and atheist Louis de Bernieres, lacking the subtlety of a Jung in approaching Job, almost predictably decides God is “a mad, bloodthirsty and capricious despot”. The Dalai Lama was more serene treating the book of Proverbs. As Jamie Byng described things, it was “exciting for the Bible to be published in this way” though he decided once started not to cover Leviticus and all 60 books or “however many bloody books in the Bible there are”. All this was undoubtedly postmodern and countercultural in line with JB’s initial Red Ink series in the realm of fiction, and this is about the best one could say for it though he might add it was profitable.
Like Branson, Byng is a Cancerian, a mostly energetic, restless, “cardinal” sign - Byng is said to work 18 hours a day. Making cash and promoting vigorously (JB began at Canongate as an unpaid publicity agent) is what Cancerian people and nations (Scotland where Byng resides and America, whose president Byng is publishing, belong to the sign) seem best at. Byng is not totally materialistic and success driven, he describes himself as “evangelical” in his desire to find writers their audiences, and he experiences delight in being “original”.
JAMIE BYNG’S PUSH-OVER STARS
Where Jamie B (born 27.6.1969) is concerned, a trine of Venus to Jupiter/Pluto says it all for fame and fortune (Jupiter/Pluto is the easiest way in Who’s Who). Likewise a Sun/ Uranus affliction square says much for “originality” taken to the point of eccentricity or perhaps in-your-face offence. Uranus is, besides, on the 0 Libra world point - more fame - the same point Saturn reaches for publication of Good Man Jesus. Even so, in Byng’s horoscope I see none of the more obvious signs of opposition to God, Christ, Church etc that one can usually see rather clearly in people for whom God, faith and religion are their Aunt Sally, people like Dawkins. Or even Pullman who shows an odd struggle of the Lucifer and Christ asteroids in spectacular Leo conjunct fame giving Regulus, a signature that leaves one unsurprised his spiritual contentions get worked out before the world. The most suspect note in Jamie’s birth is the easy trine between Lucifer and Jupiter (the latter deemed symbolic of anything to do with religion and publishing and at Canongate Jamie is into both with a vengeance). So perhaps….but let’s not jump to conclusions…. Give the poor Scot-by-adoption laddie a chance!)
But not too much so as he doesn’t give God much chance and as second son of the 8th Earl of Stafford and son in law of Sir Christopher Bland, a former director of the BBC and of British Telecom who helped fund his original publishing ventures when he bought out certain houses for an itself failing Canongate, he’s always had plenty of chances himself. Being Christianly “born again” is what Jamie’s brother is supposed to be, but Jamie himself has his own re-birth, reinvention capacities. Born and raised in quiet Hampshire, England, and originally wanting to be a tennis star, Edinburgh and its university where he took Eng Lit brought out the long haired rebel Jamie has remained, the player of Funk and Reggae. If Jamie weren’t into books he’d be in music, but the way of books is paved with gold even while his publishing house is said to be run like a smoke filled anarchist’s commune. Once upon a time there was talk of drugs but what’s more certain is that it was puffing on a conventional cigarette that Jamie came up with the idea of the new Myths series within which Philip Pullman’s novel is the latest offering.
The Myths series follow on from the Pocket Canons. Ancient stories get retold, like the Odyssey from Penelope’s point of view in the Penelopiaid by Margaret Atwood, or the Atlas and Hercules myths in Weight by Jeanette Winterson. Then in 2008 there was the legend of Prometheus re-told as The Fire Gospel by JB’s favourite author, the stateless, Dutch born, Australian educated, Scotland resident and altogether himself mythic Michel Faber. In the course of this re-telling a Greek academic discovers a manuscript which turns out to be a fifth gospel. Its author, Malchus, attends the crucifixion at which Jesus’ last words are “Please, somebody, finish me off” before he urinates on Malchus’ head. It emerges Jesus was no Messiah but a potent symbol for some difficult perhaps drug taking disciples. The book is a satire on Da Vinci Code type fiction. One blurb assures us this is “Wickedly provocative, hilarious and shocking by turns, it is a revelation of storytelling”…. which is a bookseller’s way of saying it’s a revelation of nothing but profanity as entertainment.
MODERN PUBLISHING ON RELIGION: IF IT SMELLS IT SELLS
It’s been said of much journalism “if it bleeds it leads”. It could be increasingly said of much in publishing especially on religion that “if it smells it sells”. …..I became interested in Byng and his spiritual mindset partly because almost any man in publishing is interesting (over more than two decades I seem mostly to have had dealings with women) and because of the larger problem of publishing Truth, Religion and Spirituality at all today. When I read of the Pullman publication I vaguely recalled how years ago in my extreme naivety I had made a proposal to Canongate about a book on the Creed that hadn’t received the courtesy of a reply. While that was hardly surprising and I’d know better another time, questions are raised all the same. What’s involved in “trendy” religious publishing when it occurs is two factors, a measure of greed and an unacknowledged agenda. I can illustrate the first point from an almost absurd recent experience.
A writer very successful with a work on religion which, however, had been excessively difficult to place due to the sometimes extreme prejudice today among houses and agents (especially in Australia) against even looking at religion and spirituality manuscripts, recommended me to an agent. She agreed to read me. When I made contact to ask how to send the material and how much, I was abruptly informed I needn’t send anything as she only wished to deal with books that would sell widely. But as at that stage she knew nothing about me or the book beyond my name and the book’s title, it was too painfully apparent this individual, apart from being unreliable in keeping her word, possessed some greed for gain which she assumed no book with any religious title would quickly satisfy. Yet in reality, at least in America, some of the biggest sellers are precisely religious. And an agent is supposed to be generally well informed about the business. If she or he isn’t then perhaps, as some maintain, they exist mainly to collect whatever they can from authors. Be that as it may, anyone appreciates honesty and reliability. And from experience I know how much it can lack in the publishing world. One publisher had to be reminded of his contract several times before paying me once - the only time he ever did so - another publisher I had to take legal advice to break from due to failure to keep to contract. I am weary and wary of the whole shoddy treatments of which I could tell more.
But even where reliability is minimal, agenda appears to be at the max in at least the more ideological end of publishing I’ve had to deal with over the years. It’s no accident that amid all the fiction, satire and spoof about “fifth gospels”, regular publishing isn’t too interested in anything of the kind. Even to mention you dispose of something original in relation to Christ is to invite another dismissal (“Oh, not that subject [Christ] again” as one bored and cynical publisher said to me). Even as a doctor of religious studies I suffered the rude or indifferent dismissals of publishing for years and I’m not just speaking from sour grapes but in light of an acknowledged and real problem where ideas, religion and publishing are concerned.
PUBLISHING AS SATAN’S LITTLE HELPERS?
The situation has got even worse than when I and others were warned some years ago at a Society of Authors seminar that no author not a token Christian (like a TV bishop, Regius Professor of Theology at Oxford, Billy Graham etc) should attempt to write on Christ or Christianity. We shouldn’t because the agenda of publishing is skeptical or in relation to Christ, Gnostic/New Age. Because I assumed my information and perspectives were so original and, frankly, sellable, at the time I listened with half an ear but my experiences and what I hear from others mostly point to this conclusion. The son of even a quite celebrated theologian told me his father was heartbroken that he might die without having published what he considered his masterwork in the line of his lifelong expertise. It’s not just what sells or who has a name, important though these things are, but what the great modern Church of Publishing, wants today. What should be published in and about especially Christ and Christianity just isn’t being. Meanwhile there’s room for common blasphemers to help make some houses their profits in an industry quite often run by women whose worldviews often don’t reach much beyond Cosmo style values (I was told to expect nothing from one agent as she was too busy with love in the afternoon) and/or atheistic feminism…..or even just plain Luciferian “ideals”.
No kidding. Lynn Picknett, published with Simon and Schuster for The Masks of Christ: Behind the Lies and Cover-ups about the Life of Jesus, a book about theologies which concludes the Baptist was the true Messiah, in her The Secret History of Lucifer published by Constable and Robinson in UK, concludes her introduction with “Hail Lucifer and to hell with Satan”. She concludes the book itself with an invocation to the light of Lucifer. This is in line with her belief that Lucifer and Satan are not the same entity, (a point which incidentally my Christ data unexpectedly and rather clearly reveals to be mistaken) but that Lucifer represents the truth we all need.
THE BIBLE, JAMIE BYNG AND SCATOLOGY
When Jamie B’s Canons began appearing there was inevitably some sales-helpful controversy, people protested and one of Canongate’s staff felt morally obliged to quit the house when they finally learned what they hadn’t been let in on. Inevitably, too, the house was inundated with hate mail of a kind Jamie dismissed as unnecessarily “apocalyptic” and “fundamentalistic”. Doubtless some of nastiness was engendered by understandable frustration at being under-represented and denied voice about faith in Britian when such as the loopy Archbishop of Canterbury colludes in the secularist situation proposing atheism could be taught in schools via Pullman’s fantasy fiction. Even so, and though I can imagine that books like The Fire Gospel and its advocacy could encourage people to start saying it’s JB, not gospel writers, who needs the urinating over, abuse is never attractive. It’s not really appropriate from Christians either, though in some instances thoughtful condemnation could be. That’s if condemnation could serve any useful purpose - which in cases like the Canons or Good Man Jesus with so much profit and publicity involved it probably can’t.
Scripture might advise people to “answer a fool according to his folly” and so pass on. And yet I do wonder. It’s an interesting question how believers should react. For example, in a period of increasing natural disasters it could even be argued - and I fancy the prophetic tradition would do so - that the as good as satanic principles increasingly embraced by sections of publishing, the cynicism, the porn, the blasphemy, make for spiritual pollution and situations in which perhaps the very land begins to “vomit forth” the people. In astrology, since they are supposed to represent higher ideas and mind, both publishing and priesthood belong to same house issues. With that thought in mind and before an Easter that Byng and Pullman effectively profane, I suspect the prophetic words most nearly relevant would be given by Malachi addressing his society’s priests in almost scatological condemnation. (Malachi’s normally more Christmas associated ideas have been on my mind ever since I discovered how exactly, and almost amusingly, a distinct celestial pattern formed to “speak” them at Christ’s birth, Levi washing and all).
You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord. Yet you say “How have we spoken against you?”….
If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name I will send the curse upon you….I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces…. And I will cast you out of my presence….”
To which I don’t doubt protest immediately arises that God wouldn’t utter such words nor prophets mean them and it's all O.T. I deal with these tricky and important issues in Cosmic Father. However, given the principles and situations I’ve been describing, publishing isn’t interested in that no matter how remarkable some of my claims or my qualifications to make them might be. (The book is available on Amazon).
In the post-Big Byng universe people like me should step aside for Lynn Picknett to invoke Lucifer, or Mary Daly to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, or Michel Faber to portray a Jesus who wants "finishing off". This is the more ideological end of modern publishing I’ve had to deal with and which - in my own experience at least – is for the most part a hell’s kitchen of cheats, liars and thieves that exists in an atmosphere in which an honest person can scarcely breath, a godless gutter world of the curse… A happy and blessed Easter season to those who can accept it. Otherwise I fancy you’ll need to go sing with Byng.
On April 1st in time for Easter, Scotland’s Canongate Press is publishing flamboyant atheist, Philip Pullman’s, inevitably controversial and controversially titled, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. The novel’s supposedly original theory (but in scholarly terms as old fashioned as the nineteenth century and the Tubingen School) is that St Paul created belief in Jesus’ divinity and invented Christianity as we know it. For Pullman, Paul is the most influential person in history at the same time as the religion he founded is essentially a delusion. As Western Christians are super tolerant or just weak, that there won’t be protests even faintly reminiscent of the Mohammed Cartoons crisis is a forecast safely made, just as we can also predict it’s only Christians, not Muslims, that modern publishing, presuming on a Christian sweetness, will continue to offend.
But there are many ironies to this April Fool’s Day publication not least that Pullman, the militant atheist, may finish serving less his familiar hoped for secularist, anti-Christian aims than some increasingly popularized Islamic ones. After all, it’s Islam deems Christianity to be mainly invented by Paul - inevitably so since the apostle’s theology, strongly influenced by death and resurrection themes, is fantasy if you maintain Jesus never even died on the cross which is basically the Islamic position.
THE HEAVENS DECLARE….RE EVEN PHILIP PULLMAN
It’s another irony for me personally as someone who controversially maintains I possess the true data of Christ’s birth, that against the natal chart I can “see” this latest bit of public sensation. Jesus' birth data register for controversies around him across history to this day (they were even very notable for Elton John’s recent gay Jesus statements). Accordingly, the negativity Philip Pullman is issuing is exquisitely reflected in especially four unmissable factors for April’s Fool’s Day …..These are:
Jupiter (traditionally any issues of religion, “truth” or publishing) strong that day on a “critical” degree in exact opposition to, of all things, the asteroid, Paul in Jesus’ natus (likewise on a critical degree),
then,
Restrictive Saturn, arrived at the world point at O Libra, conjuncts the gospel asteroid
then,
The Church asteroid is nearly conjunct a sensitive degree in Jesus’ pattern, namely the degree of Lucifer
plus
There’s that factor continental astrologers emphasize and I was always taught turns up whenever something unfortunate or negative is afoot. It's a point in the heavens called Dark Moon Lilith, which will be degree exact on Christ’s destiny/reputation Midheaven angle.
Such data may sound a bit specialized but the message is clear enough. Paul is getting presented as purveyor of supposedly false teachings and (depending how you use and interpret Saturn traditionally seen by astrologers as a devil figure), Pullman and his enthusiastic publisher, Jamie Byng, whether they realize it or not, are engaged in a negative work, restrictive of truth and real spirituality and challenging to the meaning of the Church itself. In harmony with the darkness of Lilith expect the spiritual pollution of all the easy profane references (since the book's title is such a mouthful) to publication of "Scoundrel Christ". Jamie B nonetheless trendily describes himself as “a spiritual person”, a declaration which in his case tends to mean little more than a periodic disposition to question deep issues briefly and rather opportunistically. Pullman’s latest book is major in Byng’s view because it “strips Christianity bare, exposes the Gospels to a new light……[his book] throws down a challenge and does what all great books do, make the reader ask questions”….
PULLMAN FICTION: GENUINE QUESTIONS OR OUTRIGHT ATTACK?
….This is publishing spin nonsense. What great books including the Bible chiefly do is teach, inform and inspire. Of course it’s good and legitimate, with or without books, to ask questions - where there’s some basis to ask and answer them. The reality in cases like this is that society has rarely been so biblically illiterate and so doesn’t know how to deal with many of the “questions” experts throw at them.
That’s if the experts are even experts and/or reasonably objective with the facts they deal in. Thus, as regards the divinity Pullman has Paul inventing, even where this is not explicitly claimed in the gospels it is often implied. We find it in such as Jesus’ forgiveness of sins which was a divine prerogative or even in statements like “Peace be Still, I AM, an evocation of the divine name. Granted many rationalist scholars do assume that belief in the divinity evolved late because the assumed first gospel, Mark, has little about divinity in comparison to the assumed last gospel, John. But again there is no longer universal agreement among scholars that Mark was first and John last written - it has even been suggested John had priority. However the average person knows next to nothing about this.
It follows that in real terms the great literary “questioning” experience may amount to little more than skeptics accorded heyday to confuse the undecided or minimally informed about what a given faith claims to be about. (Byng himself according to one of many interviews doesn’t know “however many bloody books there are in the Bible”). And if the writer’s purpose is simply to demolish faith at will and for entertainment (as there is some reason to assume in Pullman’s case it is - one thinks of the strongly atheist messages aimed at youth in the His Dark Materials trilogy), then this belongs to what Christ in one of his severest sayings would have regarded as one of the most heinous and unpardonable of sins, a profoundly spiritual one.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt. 18:6). And needless to say anyone who makes themselves party to such agendas, especially if they do it for what St Paul would have called (in the old translation) “filthy lucre”, is truly despicable.
JAMIE BYNG: PUBLISHING’S MINI RICHARD BRANSON
It’s pretty clear Jamie Byng, publishing’s new Richard Branson, is not bothering about Truth where Pullman’s theories are concerned any more than in all preceding cases where religion has been centre stage. For him, profundity begins and ends with “questions” or maybe just shocks and surprises. It first began seriously in 1998 with the Pocket Canons series, individual books of the Bible commented by a variety of persons almost all of them apart from rock star, Bono (who introduced the Psalms), non Christians, some of them atheists. Blake Morrison took on John’s gospel and found Jesus “self-assured, pushy and somewhat dislikeable”. Will Self commented Revelation and dismissed it as a “sick text” and atheist Louis de Bernieres, lacking the subtlety of a Jung in approaching Job, almost predictably decides God is “a mad, bloodthirsty and capricious despot”. The Dalai Lama was more serene treating the book of Proverbs. As Jamie Byng described things, it was “exciting for the Bible to be published in this way” though he decided once started not to cover Leviticus and all 60 books or “however many bloody books in the Bible there are”. All this was undoubtedly postmodern and countercultural in line with JB’s initial Red Ink series in the realm of fiction, and this is about the best one could say for it though he might add it was profitable.
Like Branson, Byng is a Cancerian, a mostly energetic, restless, “cardinal” sign - Byng is said to work 18 hours a day. Making cash and promoting vigorously (JB began at Canongate as an unpaid publicity agent) is what Cancerian people and nations (Scotland where Byng resides and America, whose president Byng is publishing, belong to the sign) seem best at. Byng is not totally materialistic and success driven, he describes himself as “evangelical” in his desire to find writers their audiences, and he experiences delight in being “original”.
JAMIE BYNG’S PUSH-OVER STARS
Where Jamie B (born 27.6.1969) is concerned, a trine of Venus to Jupiter/Pluto says it all for fame and fortune (Jupiter/Pluto is the easiest way in Who’s Who). Likewise a Sun/ Uranus affliction square says much for “originality” taken to the point of eccentricity or perhaps in-your-face offence. Uranus is, besides, on the 0 Libra world point - more fame - the same point Saturn reaches for publication of Good Man Jesus. Even so, in Byng’s horoscope I see none of the more obvious signs of opposition to God, Christ, Church etc that one can usually see rather clearly in people for whom God, faith and religion are their Aunt Sally, people like Dawkins. Or even Pullman who shows an odd struggle of the Lucifer and Christ asteroids in spectacular Leo conjunct fame giving Regulus, a signature that leaves one unsurprised his spiritual contentions get worked out before the world. The most suspect note in Jamie’s birth is the easy trine between Lucifer and Jupiter (the latter deemed symbolic of anything to do with religion and publishing and at Canongate Jamie is into both with a vengeance). So perhaps….but let’s not jump to conclusions…. Give the poor Scot-by-adoption laddie a chance!)
But not too much so as he doesn’t give God much chance and as second son of the 8th Earl of Stafford and son in law of Sir Christopher Bland, a former director of the BBC and of British Telecom who helped fund his original publishing ventures when he bought out certain houses for an itself failing Canongate, he’s always had plenty of chances himself. Being Christianly “born again” is what Jamie’s brother is supposed to be, but Jamie himself has his own re-birth, reinvention capacities. Born and raised in quiet Hampshire, England, and originally wanting to be a tennis star, Edinburgh and its university where he took Eng Lit brought out the long haired rebel Jamie has remained, the player of Funk and Reggae. If Jamie weren’t into books he’d be in music, but the way of books is paved with gold even while his publishing house is said to be run like a smoke filled anarchist’s commune. Once upon a time there was talk of drugs but what’s more certain is that it was puffing on a conventional cigarette that Jamie came up with the idea of the new Myths series within which Philip Pullman’s novel is the latest offering.
The Myths series follow on from the Pocket Canons. Ancient stories get retold, like the Odyssey from Penelope’s point of view in the Penelopiaid by Margaret Atwood, or the Atlas and Hercules myths in Weight by Jeanette Winterson. Then in 2008 there was the legend of Prometheus re-told as The Fire Gospel by JB’s favourite author, the stateless, Dutch born, Australian educated, Scotland resident and altogether himself mythic Michel Faber. In the course of this re-telling a Greek academic discovers a manuscript which turns out to be a fifth gospel. Its author, Malchus, attends the crucifixion at which Jesus’ last words are “Please, somebody, finish me off” before he urinates on Malchus’ head. It emerges Jesus was no Messiah but a potent symbol for some difficult perhaps drug taking disciples. The book is a satire on Da Vinci Code type fiction. One blurb assures us this is “Wickedly provocative, hilarious and shocking by turns, it is a revelation of storytelling”…. which is a bookseller’s way of saying it’s a revelation of nothing but profanity as entertainment.
MODERN PUBLISHING ON RELIGION: IF IT SMELLS IT SELLS
It’s been said of much journalism “if it bleeds it leads”. It could be increasingly said of much in publishing especially on religion that “if it smells it sells”. …..I became interested in Byng and his spiritual mindset partly because almost any man in publishing is interesting (over more than two decades I seem mostly to have had dealings with women) and because of the larger problem of publishing Truth, Religion and Spirituality at all today. When I read of the Pullman publication I vaguely recalled how years ago in my extreme naivety I had made a proposal to Canongate about a book on the Creed that hadn’t received the courtesy of a reply. While that was hardly surprising and I’d know better another time, questions are raised all the same. What’s involved in “trendy” religious publishing when it occurs is two factors, a measure of greed and an unacknowledged agenda. I can illustrate the first point from an almost absurd recent experience.
A writer very successful with a work on religion which, however, had been excessively difficult to place due to the sometimes extreme prejudice today among houses and agents (especially in Australia) against even looking at religion and spirituality manuscripts, recommended me to an agent. She agreed to read me. When I made contact to ask how to send the material and how much, I was abruptly informed I needn’t send anything as she only wished to deal with books that would sell widely. But as at that stage she knew nothing about me or the book beyond my name and the book’s title, it was too painfully apparent this individual, apart from being unreliable in keeping her word, possessed some greed for gain which she assumed no book with any religious title would quickly satisfy. Yet in reality, at least in America, some of the biggest sellers are precisely religious. And an agent is supposed to be generally well informed about the business. If she or he isn’t then perhaps, as some maintain, they exist mainly to collect whatever they can from authors. Be that as it may, anyone appreciates honesty and reliability. And from experience I know how much it can lack in the publishing world. One publisher had to be reminded of his contract several times before paying me once - the only time he ever did so - another publisher I had to take legal advice to break from due to failure to keep to contract. I am weary and wary of the whole shoddy treatments of which I could tell more.
But even where reliability is minimal, agenda appears to be at the max in at least the more ideological end of publishing I’ve had to deal with over the years. It’s no accident that amid all the fiction, satire and spoof about “fifth gospels”, regular publishing isn’t too interested in anything of the kind. Even to mention you dispose of something original in relation to Christ is to invite another dismissal (“Oh, not that subject [Christ] again” as one bored and cynical publisher said to me). Even as a doctor of religious studies I suffered the rude or indifferent dismissals of publishing for years and I’m not just speaking from sour grapes but in light of an acknowledged and real problem where ideas, religion and publishing are concerned.
PUBLISHING AS SATAN’S LITTLE HELPERS?
The situation has got even worse than when I and others were warned some years ago at a Society of Authors seminar that no author not a token Christian (like a TV bishop, Regius Professor of Theology at Oxford, Billy Graham etc) should attempt to write on Christ or Christianity. We shouldn’t because the agenda of publishing is skeptical or in relation to Christ, Gnostic/New Age. Because I assumed my information and perspectives were so original and, frankly, sellable, at the time I listened with half an ear but my experiences and what I hear from others mostly point to this conclusion. The son of even a quite celebrated theologian told me his father was heartbroken that he might die without having published what he considered his masterwork in the line of his lifelong expertise. It’s not just what sells or who has a name, important though these things are, but what the great modern Church of Publishing, wants today. What should be published in and about especially Christ and Christianity just isn’t being. Meanwhile there’s room for common blasphemers to help make some houses their profits in an industry quite often run by women whose worldviews often don’t reach much beyond Cosmo style values (I was told to expect nothing from one agent as she was too busy with love in the afternoon) and/or atheistic feminism…..or even just plain Luciferian “ideals”.
No kidding. Lynn Picknett, published with Simon and Schuster for The Masks of Christ: Behind the Lies and Cover-ups about the Life of Jesus, a book about theologies which concludes the Baptist was the true Messiah, in her The Secret History of Lucifer published by Constable and Robinson in UK, concludes her introduction with “Hail Lucifer and to hell with Satan”. She concludes the book itself with an invocation to the light of Lucifer. This is in line with her belief that Lucifer and Satan are not the same entity, (a point which incidentally my Christ data unexpectedly and rather clearly reveals to be mistaken) but that Lucifer represents the truth we all need.
THE BIBLE, JAMIE BYNG AND SCATOLOGY
When Jamie B’s Canons began appearing there was inevitably some sales-helpful controversy, people protested and one of Canongate’s staff felt morally obliged to quit the house when they finally learned what they hadn’t been let in on. Inevitably, too, the house was inundated with hate mail of a kind Jamie dismissed as unnecessarily “apocalyptic” and “fundamentalistic”. Doubtless some of nastiness was engendered by understandable frustration at being under-represented and denied voice about faith in Britian when such as the loopy Archbishop of Canterbury colludes in the secularist situation proposing atheism could be taught in schools via Pullman’s fantasy fiction. Even so, and though I can imagine that books like The Fire Gospel and its advocacy could encourage people to start saying it’s JB, not gospel writers, who needs the urinating over, abuse is never attractive. It’s not really appropriate from Christians either, though in some instances thoughtful condemnation could be. That’s if condemnation could serve any useful purpose - which in cases like the Canons or Good Man Jesus with so much profit and publicity involved it probably can’t.
Scripture might advise people to “answer a fool according to his folly” and so pass on. And yet I do wonder. It’s an interesting question how believers should react. For example, in a period of increasing natural disasters it could even be argued - and I fancy the prophetic tradition would do so - that the as good as satanic principles increasingly embraced by sections of publishing, the cynicism, the porn, the blasphemy, make for spiritual pollution and situations in which perhaps the very land begins to “vomit forth” the people. In astrology, since they are supposed to represent higher ideas and mind, both publishing and priesthood belong to same house issues. With that thought in mind and before an Easter that Byng and Pullman effectively profane, I suspect the prophetic words most nearly relevant would be given by Malachi addressing his society’s priests in almost scatological condemnation. (Malachi’s normally more Christmas associated ideas have been on my mind ever since I discovered how exactly, and almost amusingly, a distinct celestial pattern formed to “speak” them at Christ’s birth, Levi washing and all).
You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord. Yet you say “How have we spoken against you?”….
If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name I will send the curse upon you….I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces…. And I will cast you out of my presence….”
To which I don’t doubt protest immediately arises that God wouldn’t utter such words nor prophets mean them and it's all O.T. I deal with these tricky and important issues in Cosmic Father. However, given the principles and situations I’ve been describing, publishing isn’t interested in that no matter how remarkable some of my claims or my qualifications to make them might be. (The book is available on Amazon).
In the post-Big Byng universe people like me should step aside for Lynn Picknett to invoke Lucifer, or Mary Daly to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, or Michel Faber to portray a Jesus who wants "finishing off". This is the more ideological end of modern publishing I’ve had to deal with and which - in my own experience at least – is for the most part a hell’s kitchen of cheats, liars and thieves that exists in an atmosphere in which an honest person can scarcely breath, a godless gutter world of the curse… A happy and blessed Easter season to those who can accept it. Otherwise I fancy you’ll need to go sing with Byng.
Monday, February 1, 2010
HOW REAL IS MAITREYA?
THE MAITREYA MYSTERY GEARS UP A NOTCH
Maitreya, aka, the Christ, the Madhi, Krishna and whatever Messiah you’re looking for to arrive or to return if you’re looking, represents for his forerunner, Benjamin Creme, the greatest of events. Now for the first time in history “the Master of Masters” has appeared to millions on TV and the Internet. But if so, when? And where is he and how real is he following the official announcement to the world by a moved but tired looking Creme on Jan 14th?
After 30 years of waiting and preparation and reported appearances to exclusive circles, finally the mission of Maitreya (name of the last Buddha) is officially declared to have begun. The “Master of Masters” has appeared – under an alias for the time being – to “millions” of TV viewers in America and on the Net, talking about sharing, justice and changing things. Now it seems we can play guess the program and hunt the interviewer (was it Oprah herself, or Larry King?) as no one quite knows what’s going on or can claim to have witnessed what, if only they knew it, was the opening salvo in a campaign march towards complete Emergence. This is now set by Creme for between 12 to 18 months time when the currently anonymous prophet/avatar will make his “Day of Declaration”.
ALIAS BROADCASTING A LA MAITREYA
Since this Declaration will operate primarily at a telepathic level over the airwaves I’m not beyond wondering if what is now said to have been voiced on media really means - in fact or just Creme’s mind - that at certain times when someone talks on TV there are moments when the public is being irradiated and influenced in a way not previously operative or that an ordinary speaker is being overshadowed to speak M’s word. Or perhaps it’s just a case that someone speaks M’s opinions for him, is the official face of the movement until such time as the true source chooses to declare himself. Whatever, there are people willing to claim, most notably the retired US diplomat, Wayne Peterson, in his Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings which I haven’t yet read, that he and other people in high places have all met Maitreya in person but presently remain quiet about it, awaiting the day. It’s long been rumoured both Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela have met Maitreya – when Mandela says Christ visited him in jail, Maitreya is meant.
Among saucy Net suggestions is that the recent Maitreya of media must have been George Obama, the President’s brother, looking stoned on the Larry King show but spouting idealism for the peoples to hear. That comment is spawned by the fact most people’s broadcast search range has so far tended to be 13th and 14th January on the basis that presumably Creme wouldn’t make the announcement he did from London and send out press PRs on the 14th if the big event hadn’t occurred in the US on the 13th or 14th. But, hey,…..perhaps it happened on the 1st or 2nd of Jan. Maitreya is all about the surprise and the unexpected, so anything’s possible! I must agree with those who find the best candidate so far for the fated interview to be the well placed and connected, economist activist, Raj Patel, who was interviewed on ColbertNation and Democracy Now on the 12th. As shown by M hunters on You Tube he actually talked on the right kind of M themes and his strange unblinking eyes got to me (they reminded me of a Maitreya pic). Still…Patel is a British born American of Indian extraction born 1972 (mother Kenyan, father Fijian). He does stutter and he’s not a media virgin. So, despite the ideology he doesn’t fit the bill - unless the overshadowed theory has merit and he’s knowingly or otherwise like a temporary mask or broadcast station for the real M yet to declare himself!....Next guess, please!
FROM MAITREYA’S OWN “BETHLEHEM STAR” TO “EMERGENCE”.
There have been false starts for the Tara Society, now Share International, most notably back in 1982 when it was maintained the “Day of Declaration” was imminent, but wasn’t and perhaps because – if Maitreya is at least whom some imagine - a relative expected to die and leave him successor to a Caliphate position didn’t do so. Whatever, such problems have left the press cynical and hostile so that it’s almost a miracle of the M movement that it has sustained any credibility, kept going and enlarged its constituency amid so many failed or veiled promises. Delays have been mostly explained by the fact M is democratic and cannot strictly appear before he is sufficiently welcomed, desired and expected in order for him to take the world with him to the new and higher order anticipated but that only he can establish. M is thus about “critical mass” mysticism one might say. And finally the world is more ready. This is due especially to M’s version of the Bethlehem Star appearing in the heavens and engaging the needed expectation and announcing his Emergence. It’s a star of various changing colours and shapes widely reported across the globe during the past year. Also it was always forecast M would first seriously emerge after a stock market crash. There have been more than one of those recently and the economy is simply losing steam gradually rather than outright crashing but over the last year or so there has been some crashing if you see it that way. So….
Now is the psychological moment for an Emergence without compromise even though the Bethlehem star side of ‘09’s Emergence signs unlike its historic forebear doesn’t really announce any birth, isn’t astrological in terms of the uniqueness and specific fate of an individual. It’s more a sign in the heavens that keeps transforming itself and which you’re more likely to see if you think about it – even Creme regards it is similar to UFOs as a manifestation. A figment of imagination, then? But people have photographed it and it has its following whatever precisely it is (Creme says it’s really four centres of light converging). Significance was felt to climax last December with “Star Gate”, the aquamarine spiral of light over north Norway baffling to scientists (though some say it was a failed Russian missile test) but claimed by Creme as another, even supreme sign of M’s imminent advent. If anything it looked like a crop circle design etched across the heavens which reminds me that Creme has stated that the reason such circles, though internationally reported, are more frequent in England is because M resides there (and perhaps we shall hear next influencing souls from his mosque by force of vibration?!). It’s of at least sociological interest that 230 London schools mostly in the inner areas are reported to have ditched the broadly Christian assemblies traditionally required by law in favour of multi- faith services or just outright Islamic assemblies with Koran reading to suit growing immigrant populations for whom the varieties of assimilation aren’t high on the agenda.
THE THREE POSSIBILITIES FOR MAITREYA MEANING
So what is all this about? There are only really three possibilities:
.
1)Maitreya is a stunt, an all-time super-hoax, the purpose and profit of which to whom is simply not yet clear.
2)Maitreya is real as an illusion in the mind of its prophet, Benjamin Creme, and international followers from Brazil to Japan for and to whom Creme is forever travelling to proclaim his new gospel.
3)Maitreya is in some sense real in ways yet to be defined. Currently and officially he’s said to be a spirit or “Master” living in a London mosque who periodically manifests in the flesh to devotees around the world, most notably on June 11th 1988 before thousands in Kenya, an African nation. (It’s said to be Africa where Maitreya will be first and most recognized). Perhaps it’s a case that Maitreya represents something like a familiar spirit possessing an individual since it’s been suggested by a former Creme follower (see below) that the London Maitreya is a real person called Rahmet Ahmed, great grandson of Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya movement who proclaimed himself a or the Mahdi which means his successors are regarded as Kalifs (Caliphs) by those of this sect of Islam. (In the West the Ahmadiyya movement is most famously involved with claims Jesus died in Kashmir and his tomb is there while in Pakistan it is persecuted and has a status not unlike that of the Bahai movement in Iran, hardly a good omen for success on the global stage). That Creme recently insisted M is “about peace” could be a clue the flesh and blood Rahmet Ahmed is Share International’s and London’s own M because the Ahmadiyya movement officially opposes traditional and now radical Islam’s belief that Jihad is about war.
Yet there is insistently believed and claimed to be some other M more akin to those shadowy figures who feature as Masters in the life of Mme Blavatsky and Annie Besant.
PENTECOSTALS AND CHARISMATICS FOR MAITREYA?
The biggest claim for a Maitreya figure - as spirit - dates back to the just mentioned 1988 event when – well reported in the Kenyan press and with photos to prove - Maitreya “suddenly” appeared at a Nairobi church which featured the healings and miracles of preacher, Mary Akatsa. For her congregation of thousands she had anticipated in her spirit a special appearance of Christ that day (as had celebrated evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, who goes on record as forecasting in advance it would be June 11th that Christ would manifest). Mary ecstatically announced that Jesus himself had appeared and the whole stunned congregation seemed to believe it. The driver who later escorted this spirit Maitreya away from the meeting records he simply disappeared into thin air after he got out of the car.
Whether it was a pre-planned event, a mass hallucination or genuine spiritual manifestation of whatever kind we should be impressed that this biggest, most open of all the reported Maitreya happenings prior to this year’s alleged secular media broadcast, occurred at the Bethlehem Independent Pentecostal Church. This should make one still more wary of some of the holy freaks and ghouls like teleporting Jason Westerfield or “living in the glory zone” David Herzog who get interviewed on the well-meaning but gullible and undiscerning, Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural. Or again some people on GodTV one of whose founders, Wendy Alec, shockingly mis-forecast that Jesus would bodily appear at the infamous Todd Bentley’s rallies in June ’08, a prophecy thankfully lost amid the mounting scandals which closed the crusade. I’ve discussed some of these louche people in my two articles on False Prophets (Sept ‘08). These people like to take the “Bible believing” high ground with everyone else, but they themselves are on the front line for all manner of deceptions. (I’d like to give Sid Roth and Wendy Alec the talking to they deserve and once one perceives the M links with Akatsa and Bonnke, it’s interesting to see the trail of deceptions, the false prophet, faux healer connections that join Bonnke with such as Hinn, Copeland, Rodney-Browne (“the Holy Ghost Bartender” for heaven’s sake!) etc. These all certify one another and lay on their “impartations” big time like a sort of (Gnostic) apostolic succession.
Lacking any real alternative guide amid all the elusive information I’m going to consider not signs in the heavens a la Norway’s recent Star Gate, but – pace all those not so orthodox “Bible believing” believers - some basic astrology which proves a bit more suggestive and revealing than might be imagined.
LOOKING BACK: THE FIRST DAY OF MAITREYA’S MANIFESTATION
I’m going to take the earliest day of Maitreya’s alleged reported manifestation. This was July 8th 1977 when following centuries of spirit life in the Himalayas having assumed human form M came among mortals to board a plane in Karachi, Pakistan that took him to his home which ever since has been an Indian and Pakistani Muslim corner of London, Tower Hamlets. The Muslim/Sufi connection incidentally makes one feels M should be called principally the Mahdi rather than Maitreya. The more Buddhist emphasis through his name is perhaps due to the (half Jewish) Creme’s associations with Theosophy, with avatars, and the “Masters” of Mme Blavatsky, the Rev. Leadbeater and above all Alice Bailey’s channeled teachings. In the absence of a fixed time of manifestation I shall do what astrologers usually do and set a chart for noon of the crucial day in London. The moon degree can be wrong and the houses are uncertain but the other planets will be correct enough to permit something to be said. I shall also look at Creme’s own certified birth chart (5th Dec 1922, 8.45 am in Glasgow, Scotland). This is immediately striking and it can be seen that something’s here and something appears to be afoot. To mention only three points:
Creme’s Mercury (what he will communicate) is in degree exact aspect to M’s transformative and strong Pluto in Libra (sharing - indeed “Share International” since asteroid, United Nations, a favourite M and Creme theme, is conjuncting the Pluto).
Creme’s Jupiter (his philosophy, religion and beliefs) is conjunct M’s Uranus, i.e. what links M to the Aquarian age and the futuristic, surprising ideas that Creme says M is all about proclaiming.
Creme’s Sun (his will and identity) conjuncts M’s Neptune (dreams, ideals, but negatively deceptions and illusions).
The negative possibility might not be quite so striking – or dangerous – if it weren’t that asteroid Benjamina (i.e. Benjamin due to original registration of asteroids in feminine form) was at 13 Gemini at M’s manifestation. This provides a fated link since M owns a Benjamin directly opposite his Neptune that is bound to influence Benjamin C. The potential for deception of Benjamin C is heightened. M could represent a real illusion for B, yet someone or something perfectly real in his or its way even while not what Benjamin C imagines. (When “overshadowed” by Maitreya, Crème is said by some in the audience to be surrounded by a golden light).
Anyway, I am disposed to believe that Creme believes what he says and is thus currently convinced either that M has begun to emerge or that it’s such a now or never matter that he should do so that he’s prepared to force issues through press and media as never before. How can I tell this? Basically from the following fact that surprised me.
A MAITREYA ECLIPSE TOO?!
It was always stated that the first interview would be shortly succeeded by remarkable events – whatever precisely was imagined by this any first appearance round the time of the Haiti quake (Jan 12th) would more than satisfy some believers for that side of things! But announcement of M’s first interview was made on 14th January. This means it was also in the shadow of the solar eclipse of the 15th and this was a remarkable astronomical event. Its length alone will not occur again for over a thousand years. However, more astrologically I could also note that this eclipse fell at 25 Cancer, the identical degree of Mercury (communication, news) of M’s manifestation back in 77. It would indeed be sensed as the time for Maitreya to communicate his ideas as never before. (I’m also bound to note, and it could be relevant to what I mention shortly re Christian perspectives, that at 25 Cancer the eclipse falls on a degree area I specially point out - in Chapter 8 of my Testament of the Magi - as being for various reasons super-sensitive to issues around anything associated with endings and apocalypse).
Moreover, at the time of the recent eclipse Mars (action, initiatives) was right on a “world point” at 15 Leo. This means astrologically that it was touching off M’s own Saturn on a world point (his international career, destiny). So this time, unlike others, if M exists he ought to come forward to advance his career and Creme will either believe he is doing so or that he ought to be doing so. Recall too it’s in 12 to 18 months from now that Creme says the “Day of Declaration” is likely. That figures. It’s next year that transiting Saturn will both return to Creme’s natal position of Saturn in Libra (such returns are always significant) and then conjuncts his Midheaven (his destiny, reputation and career). So at that time the birds will come home to roost for Benjamin C - or they won’t! He will feel justified in the work of a whole cycle of Saturn. Or he’ll feel it’s all been in vain. He is in any case in his eighties so he’ll want to see some fruit and perhaps stop the travels and let M take over at last. Right now he looks as though he could do with some supernatural injection of energies, he looks exhausted if not sick.
It’s hard for all but the most devoted followers (who think M appears to them in various guises) to believe that Maitreya actually exists. Ironically, some of the stronger believers are if anything M’s Christian and apocalyptic naysayers who are perhaps getting duped listening to Crème’s more dramatic stated doctrines and hearing the forecasts (like an end to the Vatican and so on) and so finish declaring M to be the Antichrist. This seems like a misreading since if M really exists and is as reported a spirit who comes and goes assuming different forms and performing miracles then logically he surely ought to be more like the Antichrist’s prophet who makes the world believe in him due to his miracles (Rev 13:12) and thus functions like some Holy Spirit of an infernal Trinity. Whatever, if it is part of the M plan to present “the Master Jesus” to the world (a figure for Theosophists who is at once Jesus and an assumed later incarnation of same, Apollonius of Tyana) then Maitreya would hardly be the Antichrist who would need to be another Jesus figure - presumably.
Except that they won’t hear of astrology and don’t like the memory of Catholic Washington seeress, Jeane Dixon, Christians determined to track down Antichrist themes in the M phenomenon might do better to see them reflected in various odd stellar facts, perhaps just coincidences, that their fixed prejudices are missing. I think of how at the birth of the Jeane Dixon’s alleged Antichrist what I have long designated the Antichrist asteroid, Achristou, falls at 28 Leo (itself conjunct the fame orientated, royal star, Regulus, in turn conjunct Uranus the ruler of the AC’s chart) conjunct the same asteroid at 27 of M’s chart. That at least would make a powerful link between two figures being assumed to fulfil prophecy. I have read on the Net that back in ‘85 Creme even lent some credence to Dixon’s vision though like other New Agers interpreting it differently. This acknowledgment is probably at the root of a confusion launched by former Tara Centre worker and New Ager turned Christian, Troy Lawrence, who once had access to many details and files related to Maitreya. Believing the Maitreya is the mentioned Ahmadiyya Caliph and a flesh and blood person he has elided Dixon’s figure and Maitreya (which I would regard as an ex New Ager’s theological error among other things – see below) and decided Maitreya was born in 1962 in Pakistan – Dixon insisted he was born in the Middle East.
A JOEL RICHARDSON ENDINGS AND ISLAMIC SCENARIO?
It seems safe to say everyone has their apocalypse as everyone has or will have their identifying name for Maitreya. But if M is as real as some suppose and with genuine relevance to Christian “last times” then these times probably wouldn’t work out to be the typical American kind popularized in Left Behind fiction with its revived Roman Empire through the EU etc. It would need to be a bit more like Joel Richardson’s The Islamic Antichrist picture. Richardson’s scenario imagines features of the Islamic apocalypse as more able to fulfill the prophecies of Revelation and with a revived Caliphate as its basis including because in Revelation the Beast’s empire punishes by beheading - Islam’s still sanctioned mode of execution). The Islamic scenario that Richardson imposes upon Revelation and which in its novelty has recently shaken the traditional world of Protestant dispensationalist apocalyptic, would require a self-proclaimed new Jesus arriving to support the Mahdi and assure the masses that what the Bible teaches about him [Jesus] as divine etc was always all wrong. (Islam signally denies God could or would ever have a son). So this “Jesus” may discover a new testament. He is also supposed to discover the/an Ark of the Covenant somewhere.
For what it’s worth again one can do no more than look at the astrology and while I wouldn’t at this point in time, and given the elusiveness of M care to read too much into the following there are some unavoidable points of contact with precisely the more negative of Christian assumptions both about M and Richardson’s assumptions concerning our future. They are these:
If Maitreya is to introduce “the Master Jesus” to the world then we should expect to see something about Jesus somehow prominent in his arrival/”natal” chart. Actually we do because Isa (Arabic name for Jesus) directly conjuncts M’s Mercury (what he will communicate and proclaim) while his Mars is opposed to the Christ asteroid which could mean being opposed to all Christ-messianic claims. (In the doctrinal, quasi-theosophical world of Creme, Jesus and Christ were never united but rather the historical Jesus was a person overshadowed by the Maitreya/Christ force so that Jesus is always inferior to the Master, Lord Maitreya. A Jesus made secondary to the Mahdi is how things would be if one lends credence to Joel Richardson’s apocalypse assisted as this is by Islamic (and rather more Sh’ite), images of last times. Jerusalem would be up for grabs along with Israel (radical Islam denies certain covenantal prophecies about Israel) so suitably we find a conjunction of Jerusalem and Israel in direct aspect to transformative Pluto. There could therefore be plenty of issues, Muslim and other, around defining and claiming the Holy Land. (Another geographical point of interest. Asteroid Kenya exactly aspects M’s important Mercury and it was in Kenya in 1988 that the first main public appearance of Maitreya to thousands was recorded while Africa conjuncts M’s Pluto and it’s Africa is anticipated to be first to accept and believe in him most strongly).
MAITREYA AND GOD
From available data the M picture, whether deemed biblically and prophetically relevant or not, is not in any obvious way God-driven or a revelation of the divine as commonly understood. One might say it belongs more to the type of non-theistic, meditation driven traditions that precisely such as Theosophy and Buddhism represent. One can’t run to the other extreme and state from the data that it’s obviously satanic since Lucifer rising in an untimed chart is not automatically significant (though the other devil asteroid, Malin, in degree exact aspect to the important Mercury - what’s communicated - might be perceived as tricky). More pertinent, the two deity asteroids are afflicted. Bhagwat (Hindu title for any personal conception of God) is degree exact in affliction square to M’s sun (his will and identity) at 16 Cancer, while Theotes (Godhead) is square to Wounded Healer, Chiron, and is near enough focus of a T square with Chiron and Uranus. Creme’s own Buddhist-style alienation from notions of deity seems rather spectacularly evoked by the way in which, Buda (Spanish for Buddha) and Theotes, otherwise unaspected, oppose one another, across the world points of 0 Cancer/Capricorn while Bhagwat is quite unaspected. As noted on Wikipedia, Creme has been in trouble for saying sufficient good words for Lucifer (as a world ensouling angel, not the devil) for some Christian circles to claim that Creme’s M beliefs are satanic. His favourable view of Lucifer nicely belongs with Lucifer conjunct Saturn in Creme’s ninth house of religion and beliefs.
Most essentially Creme’s religion is one of “The Masters” of which Maitreya is chief. (It could be a point of passing interest for students of the asteroids to establish if the asteroid, Masterman, might serve, astro-speak style, as significator for “the Masters” of Theosophy who are master spirits who appears as men. Undeniably Masterman trines almost to the minute the Masters dominated Mme Blavatsky’s Neptune, while at nearly 23 Cancer Masterman is opportunity sextile M’s Mars at 23 Taurus and is more broadly conjunct his Mercury at 25 Cancer. It’s also opportunity sextile Crème’s Jupiter (his beliefs).
ASTROLOGICAL EVIDENCE IS CUMULATIVE
Suggestive though all this is, coincidences do happen in astrology so we need to be cautious. And, in a sense, the value of astrology when applied to difficult cases like the Maitreya mystery and special events like Haiti’s quake considered last Blog is cumulative and comparative. It helps reinforce and clarify. The heavens less predict a quake than warn of heightened risk times regarding them. Someone wrote to me (personally rather than to Blog comments) re the last article that in fact a geologist, Prepetit, had last year been predicting that in Haiti, and specifically at Port-au-Prince a quake was due and he kept telling a heedless government to make adequate preparations. If this and other unheeded warnings from scientists in Florida could have been set against transit factors to Haiti’s chart then things might have seemed a little more convincing and clearer for people generally.
Allowed wider additional perspectives like those of astrology the Haiti case could have been similar to one I mention near the end of my Cosmic Father book where a Christian prophet made a very telling prophecy of the last Israeli war in Gaza. Basically correct his claims could nonetheless have used being further certified and his timing corrected by a needed few days given what I saw astrologically. Such perspectives are nonetheless not even likely to be acknowledged and perhaps especially not by Christians because they have mostly decided astrology must amount to “divination” and “abomination” biblically or else it’s scientifically unacceptable anyway. All this is rather blind, silly and a loss and with regard to the truth about the Bethlehem Star truly an incalculable loss at especially this time. In fact, with Maitreya cult claiming to produce a new Christ heralded by a new Bethlehem Star it may never have been so important to get the picture right about just who and what these were and what they meant. On this however one currently finds so many Christians as indifferent or asleep as the five foolish virgins of the parable.
Maitreya, aka, the Christ, the Madhi, Krishna and whatever Messiah you’re looking for to arrive or to return if you’re looking, represents for his forerunner, Benjamin Creme, the greatest of events. Now for the first time in history “the Master of Masters” has appeared to millions on TV and the Internet. But if so, when? And where is he and how real is he following the official announcement to the world by a moved but tired looking Creme on Jan 14th?
After 30 years of waiting and preparation and reported appearances to exclusive circles, finally the mission of Maitreya (name of the last Buddha) is officially declared to have begun. The “Master of Masters” has appeared – under an alias for the time being – to “millions” of TV viewers in America and on the Net, talking about sharing, justice and changing things. Now it seems we can play guess the program and hunt the interviewer (was it Oprah herself, or Larry King?) as no one quite knows what’s going on or can claim to have witnessed what, if only they knew it, was the opening salvo in a campaign march towards complete Emergence. This is now set by Creme for between 12 to 18 months time when the currently anonymous prophet/avatar will make his “Day of Declaration”.
ALIAS BROADCASTING A LA MAITREYA
Since this Declaration will operate primarily at a telepathic level over the airwaves I’m not beyond wondering if what is now said to have been voiced on media really means - in fact or just Creme’s mind - that at certain times when someone talks on TV there are moments when the public is being irradiated and influenced in a way not previously operative or that an ordinary speaker is being overshadowed to speak M’s word. Or perhaps it’s just a case that someone speaks M’s opinions for him, is the official face of the movement until such time as the true source chooses to declare himself. Whatever, there are people willing to claim, most notably the retired US diplomat, Wayne Peterson, in his Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings which I haven’t yet read, that he and other people in high places have all met Maitreya in person but presently remain quiet about it, awaiting the day. It’s long been rumoured both Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela have met Maitreya – when Mandela says Christ visited him in jail, Maitreya is meant.
Among saucy Net suggestions is that the recent Maitreya of media must have been George Obama, the President’s brother, looking stoned on the Larry King show but spouting idealism for the peoples to hear. That comment is spawned by the fact most people’s broadcast search range has so far tended to be 13th and 14th January on the basis that presumably Creme wouldn’t make the announcement he did from London and send out press PRs on the 14th if the big event hadn’t occurred in the US on the 13th or 14th. But, hey,…..perhaps it happened on the 1st or 2nd of Jan. Maitreya is all about the surprise and the unexpected, so anything’s possible! I must agree with those who find the best candidate so far for the fated interview to be the well placed and connected, economist activist, Raj Patel, who was interviewed on ColbertNation and Democracy Now on the 12th. As shown by M hunters on You Tube he actually talked on the right kind of M themes and his strange unblinking eyes got to me (they reminded me of a Maitreya pic). Still…Patel is a British born American of Indian extraction born 1972 (mother Kenyan, father Fijian). He does stutter and he’s not a media virgin. So, despite the ideology he doesn’t fit the bill - unless the overshadowed theory has merit and he’s knowingly or otherwise like a temporary mask or broadcast station for the real M yet to declare himself!....Next guess, please!
FROM MAITREYA’S OWN “BETHLEHEM STAR” TO “EMERGENCE”.
There have been false starts for the Tara Society, now Share International, most notably back in 1982 when it was maintained the “Day of Declaration” was imminent, but wasn’t and perhaps because – if Maitreya is at least whom some imagine - a relative expected to die and leave him successor to a Caliphate position didn’t do so. Whatever, such problems have left the press cynical and hostile so that it’s almost a miracle of the M movement that it has sustained any credibility, kept going and enlarged its constituency amid so many failed or veiled promises. Delays have been mostly explained by the fact M is democratic and cannot strictly appear before he is sufficiently welcomed, desired and expected in order for him to take the world with him to the new and higher order anticipated but that only he can establish. M is thus about “critical mass” mysticism one might say. And finally the world is more ready. This is due especially to M’s version of the Bethlehem Star appearing in the heavens and engaging the needed expectation and announcing his Emergence. It’s a star of various changing colours and shapes widely reported across the globe during the past year. Also it was always forecast M would first seriously emerge after a stock market crash. There have been more than one of those recently and the economy is simply losing steam gradually rather than outright crashing but over the last year or so there has been some crashing if you see it that way. So….
Now is the psychological moment for an Emergence without compromise even though the Bethlehem star side of ‘09’s Emergence signs unlike its historic forebear doesn’t really announce any birth, isn’t astrological in terms of the uniqueness and specific fate of an individual. It’s more a sign in the heavens that keeps transforming itself and which you’re more likely to see if you think about it – even Creme regards it is similar to UFOs as a manifestation. A figment of imagination, then? But people have photographed it and it has its following whatever precisely it is (Creme says it’s really four centres of light converging). Significance was felt to climax last December with “Star Gate”, the aquamarine spiral of light over north Norway baffling to scientists (though some say it was a failed Russian missile test) but claimed by Creme as another, even supreme sign of M’s imminent advent. If anything it looked like a crop circle design etched across the heavens which reminds me that Creme has stated that the reason such circles, though internationally reported, are more frequent in England is because M resides there (and perhaps we shall hear next influencing souls from his mosque by force of vibration?!). It’s of at least sociological interest that 230 London schools mostly in the inner areas are reported to have ditched the broadly Christian assemblies traditionally required by law in favour of multi- faith services or just outright Islamic assemblies with Koran reading to suit growing immigrant populations for whom the varieties of assimilation aren’t high on the agenda.
THE THREE POSSIBILITIES FOR MAITREYA MEANING
So what is all this about? There are only really three possibilities:
.
1)Maitreya is a stunt, an all-time super-hoax, the purpose and profit of which to whom is simply not yet clear.
2)Maitreya is real as an illusion in the mind of its prophet, Benjamin Creme, and international followers from Brazil to Japan for and to whom Creme is forever travelling to proclaim his new gospel.
3)Maitreya is in some sense real in ways yet to be defined. Currently and officially he’s said to be a spirit or “Master” living in a London mosque who periodically manifests in the flesh to devotees around the world, most notably on June 11th 1988 before thousands in Kenya, an African nation. (It’s said to be Africa where Maitreya will be first and most recognized). Perhaps it’s a case that Maitreya represents something like a familiar spirit possessing an individual since it’s been suggested by a former Creme follower (see below) that the London Maitreya is a real person called Rahmet Ahmed, great grandson of Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya movement who proclaimed himself a or the Mahdi which means his successors are regarded as Kalifs (Caliphs) by those of this sect of Islam. (In the West the Ahmadiyya movement is most famously involved with claims Jesus died in Kashmir and his tomb is there while in Pakistan it is persecuted and has a status not unlike that of the Bahai movement in Iran, hardly a good omen for success on the global stage). That Creme recently insisted M is “about peace” could be a clue the flesh and blood Rahmet Ahmed is Share International’s and London’s own M because the Ahmadiyya movement officially opposes traditional and now radical Islam’s belief that Jihad is about war.
Yet there is insistently believed and claimed to be some other M more akin to those shadowy figures who feature as Masters in the life of Mme Blavatsky and Annie Besant.
PENTECOSTALS AND CHARISMATICS FOR MAITREYA?
The biggest claim for a Maitreya figure - as spirit - dates back to the just mentioned 1988 event when – well reported in the Kenyan press and with photos to prove - Maitreya “suddenly” appeared at a Nairobi church which featured the healings and miracles of preacher, Mary Akatsa. For her congregation of thousands she had anticipated in her spirit a special appearance of Christ that day (as had celebrated evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, who goes on record as forecasting in advance it would be June 11th that Christ would manifest). Mary ecstatically announced that Jesus himself had appeared and the whole stunned congregation seemed to believe it. The driver who later escorted this spirit Maitreya away from the meeting records he simply disappeared into thin air after he got out of the car.
Whether it was a pre-planned event, a mass hallucination or genuine spiritual manifestation of whatever kind we should be impressed that this biggest, most open of all the reported Maitreya happenings prior to this year’s alleged secular media broadcast, occurred at the Bethlehem Independent Pentecostal Church. This should make one still more wary of some of the holy freaks and ghouls like teleporting Jason Westerfield or “living in the glory zone” David Herzog who get interviewed on the well-meaning but gullible and undiscerning, Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural. Or again some people on GodTV one of whose founders, Wendy Alec, shockingly mis-forecast that Jesus would bodily appear at the infamous Todd Bentley’s rallies in June ’08, a prophecy thankfully lost amid the mounting scandals which closed the crusade. I’ve discussed some of these louche people in my two articles on False Prophets (Sept ‘08). These people like to take the “Bible believing” high ground with everyone else, but they themselves are on the front line for all manner of deceptions. (I’d like to give Sid Roth and Wendy Alec the talking to they deserve and once one perceives the M links with Akatsa and Bonnke, it’s interesting to see the trail of deceptions, the false prophet, faux healer connections that join Bonnke with such as Hinn, Copeland, Rodney-Browne (“the Holy Ghost Bartender” for heaven’s sake!) etc. These all certify one another and lay on their “impartations” big time like a sort of (Gnostic) apostolic succession.
Lacking any real alternative guide amid all the elusive information I’m going to consider not signs in the heavens a la Norway’s recent Star Gate, but – pace all those not so orthodox “Bible believing” believers - some basic astrology which proves a bit more suggestive and revealing than might be imagined.
LOOKING BACK: THE FIRST DAY OF MAITREYA’S MANIFESTATION
I’m going to take the earliest day of Maitreya’s alleged reported manifestation. This was July 8th 1977 when following centuries of spirit life in the Himalayas having assumed human form M came among mortals to board a plane in Karachi, Pakistan that took him to his home which ever since has been an Indian and Pakistani Muslim corner of London, Tower Hamlets. The Muslim/Sufi connection incidentally makes one feels M should be called principally the Mahdi rather than Maitreya. The more Buddhist emphasis through his name is perhaps due to the (half Jewish) Creme’s associations with Theosophy, with avatars, and the “Masters” of Mme Blavatsky, the Rev. Leadbeater and above all Alice Bailey’s channeled teachings. In the absence of a fixed time of manifestation I shall do what astrologers usually do and set a chart for noon of the crucial day in London. The moon degree can be wrong and the houses are uncertain but the other planets will be correct enough to permit something to be said. I shall also look at Creme’s own certified birth chart (5th Dec 1922, 8.45 am in Glasgow, Scotland). This is immediately striking and it can be seen that something’s here and something appears to be afoot. To mention only three points:
Creme’s Mercury (what he will communicate) is in degree exact aspect to M’s transformative and strong Pluto in Libra (sharing - indeed “Share International” since asteroid, United Nations, a favourite M and Creme theme, is conjuncting the Pluto).
Creme’s Jupiter (his philosophy, religion and beliefs) is conjunct M’s Uranus, i.e. what links M to the Aquarian age and the futuristic, surprising ideas that Creme says M is all about proclaiming.
Creme’s Sun (his will and identity) conjuncts M’s Neptune (dreams, ideals, but negatively deceptions and illusions).
The negative possibility might not be quite so striking – or dangerous – if it weren’t that asteroid Benjamina (i.e. Benjamin due to original registration of asteroids in feminine form) was at 13 Gemini at M’s manifestation. This provides a fated link since M owns a Benjamin directly opposite his Neptune that is bound to influence Benjamin C. The potential for deception of Benjamin C is heightened. M could represent a real illusion for B, yet someone or something perfectly real in his or its way even while not what Benjamin C imagines. (When “overshadowed” by Maitreya, Crème is said by some in the audience to be surrounded by a golden light).
Anyway, I am disposed to believe that Creme believes what he says and is thus currently convinced either that M has begun to emerge or that it’s such a now or never matter that he should do so that he’s prepared to force issues through press and media as never before. How can I tell this? Basically from the following fact that surprised me.
A MAITREYA ECLIPSE TOO?!
It was always stated that the first interview would be shortly succeeded by remarkable events – whatever precisely was imagined by this any first appearance round the time of the Haiti quake (Jan 12th) would more than satisfy some believers for that side of things! But announcement of M’s first interview was made on 14th January. This means it was also in the shadow of the solar eclipse of the 15th and this was a remarkable astronomical event. Its length alone will not occur again for over a thousand years. However, more astrologically I could also note that this eclipse fell at 25 Cancer, the identical degree of Mercury (communication, news) of M’s manifestation back in 77. It would indeed be sensed as the time for Maitreya to communicate his ideas as never before. (I’m also bound to note, and it could be relevant to what I mention shortly re Christian perspectives, that at 25 Cancer the eclipse falls on a degree area I specially point out - in Chapter 8 of my Testament of the Magi - as being for various reasons super-sensitive to issues around anything associated with endings and apocalypse).
Moreover, at the time of the recent eclipse Mars (action, initiatives) was right on a “world point” at 15 Leo. This means astrologically that it was touching off M’s own Saturn on a world point (his international career, destiny). So this time, unlike others, if M exists he ought to come forward to advance his career and Creme will either believe he is doing so or that he ought to be doing so. Recall too it’s in 12 to 18 months from now that Creme says the “Day of Declaration” is likely. That figures. It’s next year that transiting Saturn will both return to Creme’s natal position of Saturn in Libra (such returns are always significant) and then conjuncts his Midheaven (his destiny, reputation and career). So at that time the birds will come home to roost for Benjamin C - or they won’t! He will feel justified in the work of a whole cycle of Saturn. Or he’ll feel it’s all been in vain. He is in any case in his eighties so he’ll want to see some fruit and perhaps stop the travels and let M take over at last. Right now he looks as though he could do with some supernatural injection of energies, he looks exhausted if not sick.
It’s hard for all but the most devoted followers (who think M appears to them in various guises) to believe that Maitreya actually exists. Ironically, some of the stronger believers are if anything M’s Christian and apocalyptic naysayers who are perhaps getting duped listening to Crème’s more dramatic stated doctrines and hearing the forecasts (like an end to the Vatican and so on) and so finish declaring M to be the Antichrist. This seems like a misreading since if M really exists and is as reported a spirit who comes and goes assuming different forms and performing miracles then logically he surely ought to be more like the Antichrist’s prophet who makes the world believe in him due to his miracles (Rev 13:12) and thus functions like some Holy Spirit of an infernal Trinity. Whatever, if it is part of the M plan to present “the Master Jesus” to the world (a figure for Theosophists who is at once Jesus and an assumed later incarnation of same, Apollonius of Tyana) then Maitreya would hardly be the Antichrist who would need to be another Jesus figure - presumably.
Except that they won’t hear of astrology and don’t like the memory of Catholic Washington seeress, Jeane Dixon, Christians determined to track down Antichrist themes in the M phenomenon might do better to see them reflected in various odd stellar facts, perhaps just coincidences, that their fixed prejudices are missing. I think of how at the birth of the Jeane Dixon’s alleged Antichrist what I have long designated the Antichrist asteroid, Achristou, falls at 28 Leo (itself conjunct the fame orientated, royal star, Regulus, in turn conjunct Uranus the ruler of the AC’s chart) conjunct the same asteroid at 27 of M’s chart. That at least would make a powerful link between two figures being assumed to fulfil prophecy. I have read on the Net that back in ‘85 Creme even lent some credence to Dixon’s vision though like other New Agers interpreting it differently. This acknowledgment is probably at the root of a confusion launched by former Tara Centre worker and New Ager turned Christian, Troy Lawrence, who once had access to many details and files related to Maitreya. Believing the Maitreya is the mentioned Ahmadiyya Caliph and a flesh and blood person he has elided Dixon’s figure and Maitreya (which I would regard as an ex New Ager’s theological error among other things – see below) and decided Maitreya was born in 1962 in Pakistan – Dixon insisted he was born in the Middle East.
A JOEL RICHARDSON ENDINGS AND ISLAMIC SCENARIO?
It seems safe to say everyone has their apocalypse as everyone has or will have their identifying name for Maitreya. But if M is as real as some suppose and with genuine relevance to Christian “last times” then these times probably wouldn’t work out to be the typical American kind popularized in Left Behind fiction with its revived Roman Empire through the EU etc. It would need to be a bit more like Joel Richardson’s The Islamic Antichrist picture. Richardson’s scenario imagines features of the Islamic apocalypse as more able to fulfill the prophecies of Revelation and with a revived Caliphate as its basis including because in Revelation the Beast’s empire punishes by beheading - Islam’s still sanctioned mode of execution). The Islamic scenario that Richardson imposes upon Revelation and which in its novelty has recently shaken the traditional world of Protestant dispensationalist apocalyptic, would require a self-proclaimed new Jesus arriving to support the Mahdi and assure the masses that what the Bible teaches about him [Jesus] as divine etc was always all wrong. (Islam signally denies God could or would ever have a son). So this “Jesus” may discover a new testament. He is also supposed to discover the/an Ark of the Covenant somewhere.
For what it’s worth again one can do no more than look at the astrology and while I wouldn’t at this point in time, and given the elusiveness of M care to read too much into the following there are some unavoidable points of contact with precisely the more negative of Christian assumptions both about M and Richardson’s assumptions concerning our future. They are these:
If Maitreya is to introduce “the Master Jesus” to the world then we should expect to see something about Jesus somehow prominent in his arrival/”natal” chart. Actually we do because Isa (Arabic name for Jesus) directly conjuncts M’s Mercury (what he will communicate and proclaim) while his Mars is opposed to the Christ asteroid which could mean being opposed to all Christ-messianic claims. (In the doctrinal, quasi-theosophical world of Creme, Jesus and Christ were never united but rather the historical Jesus was a person overshadowed by the Maitreya/Christ force so that Jesus is always inferior to the Master, Lord Maitreya. A Jesus made secondary to the Mahdi is how things would be if one lends credence to Joel Richardson’s apocalypse assisted as this is by Islamic (and rather more Sh’ite), images of last times. Jerusalem would be up for grabs along with Israel (radical Islam denies certain covenantal prophecies about Israel) so suitably we find a conjunction of Jerusalem and Israel in direct aspect to transformative Pluto. There could therefore be plenty of issues, Muslim and other, around defining and claiming the Holy Land. (Another geographical point of interest. Asteroid Kenya exactly aspects M’s important Mercury and it was in Kenya in 1988 that the first main public appearance of Maitreya to thousands was recorded while Africa conjuncts M’s Pluto and it’s Africa is anticipated to be first to accept and believe in him most strongly).
MAITREYA AND GOD
From available data the M picture, whether deemed biblically and prophetically relevant or not, is not in any obvious way God-driven or a revelation of the divine as commonly understood. One might say it belongs more to the type of non-theistic, meditation driven traditions that precisely such as Theosophy and Buddhism represent. One can’t run to the other extreme and state from the data that it’s obviously satanic since Lucifer rising in an untimed chart is not automatically significant (though the other devil asteroid, Malin, in degree exact aspect to the important Mercury - what’s communicated - might be perceived as tricky). More pertinent, the two deity asteroids are afflicted. Bhagwat (Hindu title for any personal conception of God) is degree exact in affliction square to M’s sun (his will and identity) at 16 Cancer, while Theotes (Godhead) is square to Wounded Healer, Chiron, and is near enough focus of a T square with Chiron and Uranus. Creme’s own Buddhist-style alienation from notions of deity seems rather spectacularly evoked by the way in which, Buda (Spanish for Buddha) and Theotes, otherwise unaspected, oppose one another, across the world points of 0 Cancer/Capricorn while Bhagwat is quite unaspected. As noted on Wikipedia, Creme has been in trouble for saying sufficient good words for Lucifer (as a world ensouling angel, not the devil) for some Christian circles to claim that Creme’s M beliefs are satanic. His favourable view of Lucifer nicely belongs with Lucifer conjunct Saturn in Creme’s ninth house of religion and beliefs.
Most essentially Creme’s religion is one of “The Masters” of which Maitreya is chief. (It could be a point of passing interest for students of the asteroids to establish if the asteroid, Masterman, might serve, astro-speak style, as significator for “the Masters” of Theosophy who are master spirits who appears as men. Undeniably Masterman trines almost to the minute the Masters dominated Mme Blavatsky’s Neptune, while at nearly 23 Cancer Masterman is opportunity sextile M’s Mars at 23 Taurus and is more broadly conjunct his Mercury at 25 Cancer. It’s also opportunity sextile Crème’s Jupiter (his beliefs).
ASTROLOGICAL EVIDENCE IS CUMULATIVE
Suggestive though all this is, coincidences do happen in astrology so we need to be cautious. And, in a sense, the value of astrology when applied to difficult cases like the Maitreya mystery and special events like Haiti’s quake considered last Blog is cumulative and comparative. It helps reinforce and clarify. The heavens less predict a quake than warn of heightened risk times regarding them. Someone wrote to me (personally rather than to Blog comments) re the last article that in fact a geologist, Prepetit, had last year been predicting that in Haiti, and specifically at Port-au-Prince a quake was due and he kept telling a heedless government to make adequate preparations. If this and other unheeded warnings from scientists in Florida could have been set against transit factors to Haiti’s chart then things might have seemed a little more convincing and clearer for people generally.
Allowed wider additional perspectives like those of astrology the Haiti case could have been similar to one I mention near the end of my Cosmic Father book where a Christian prophet made a very telling prophecy of the last Israeli war in Gaza. Basically correct his claims could nonetheless have used being further certified and his timing corrected by a needed few days given what I saw astrologically. Such perspectives are nonetheless not even likely to be acknowledged and perhaps especially not by Christians because they have mostly decided astrology must amount to “divination” and “abomination” biblically or else it’s scientifically unacceptable anyway. All this is rather blind, silly and a loss and with regard to the truth about the Bethlehem Star truly an incalculable loss at especially this time. In fact, with Maitreya cult claiming to produce a new Christ heralded by a new Bethlehem Star it may never have been so important to get the picture right about just who and what these were and what they meant. On this however one currently finds so many Christians as indifferent or asleep as the five foolish virgins of the parable.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
COULD THE HAITI DISASTER HAVE BEEN FORECAST?
HIDDEN SIGNS FOR CATASTROPHE?
So far as I know, none of the astrologers or prophets of note foresaw the Haiti quake. But could and should it have been foreseen at least by some? Here’s the conclusion, surprising even to myself and with at least some clues to the issue of fate and questions around the alleged curse of a satanic Haitian pact etc that have cropped up amid reports of this ghastly, tragic disaster.
There are several “world points” in astrology, the most cited being 0 Aries. Another is 15 Leo. On January 12th violent Mars was bordering this point, and since there were other negative signs in the heavens at the time (like Saturn coming to station and dangerously squaring Pluto) it was a real possibility that there might soon be something particularly heavy for the world to hear about. The question was where and who might be affected? The little known horoscope of Haiti should have given at least some people more than usual cause for concern in relation to a long troubled nation. Haiti's nodal (fate) axis, and notably the traditionally “unfortunate” southern arm of this axis, conjuncts the mentioned world point that was being touched off.
A leading expert on national charts, Nicholas Campion, believes the most definitive pattern for Haiti is for its independence from France, Jan 1st 1804, and, lacking a certified time he sets this for 12 pm (traditionally most nations used to be signed or declared into existence at that time). Campion is likely to be correct because the pattern appears to work. On the last day of ‘09 a lunar eclipse hit within one degree of the base angle of the chart, the factor involved with a nation’s land and a possible harbinger of any disturbances around it, and the same eclipse was directly opposite (i.e. challenging to) the national sun in the nation’s destiny/reputation sector. So Haiti might be in the news not long from that time; plus it seems to be the case that quakes are rather more likely to occur near to new and full moons which means near to eclipses when they occur.
Haiti itself gained independence under the sign of Capricorn and has all of its Mars, Sun, Mercury and Venus in the sign along with the expressive Wounded Healer planetoid, Chiron. The latter point seems symbolically expressive of the national suffering. It also seems like one of the factors within the total pattern reflecting the national tilt towards poverty rather than wealth which under Capricorn can be a matter of extremes - like poor India(on the way to wealth) and fabulously wealthy Saudi Arabia. Haiti would be made and kept poor by the crippling burden of debt the departing French placed upon it - it was not paid off till 1947 by which time Haiti was far behind in the race to anywhere. Significantly, again supporting Campion's chart, asteroid Poor aspects the national sun exactly from the eighth house always associated in political astrology with national debt.
For Haiti, violent Mars is natally at 3 Capricorn with suffering Chiron conjuncting it at 4 degrees. That’s not a healthy combination at any time, but now on Jan 12th 2010 and following an eclipse with potential to start something we find (transiting) Saturn at 4 Libra coming to station at maximum strength and in affliction to this national Mars and Chiron combination. This pair was and is being presently conjuncted by the devastating death and transformation force represented by Pluto. That a quake might well be involved in the extreme tension gathered around the nation through the Saturn/Pluto aspect was arguably hinted at by the fact Neptune “the earth shaker” and often significantly placed in quake patterns and presently in shocking Aquarius, is closely square to Haiti’s natal Neptune. Something had to give….but how much? "All hell”?!…..The transiting Neptune is conjuncting Haiti’s national Hella asteroid (i.e. Hell because all early asteroids were registered in feminine form). The Hell asteroid, interestingly enough, is directly opposed to the national Part of Religion and Faith!
GOD, FATE, THE DEVIL AND HAITI’S QUAKE
In his usual unhelpfully sensationalizing way, tele-evangelist Pat Robertson has rushed in to remind media that Haiti is under a pact with the devil so that in effect the unfortunate people have more or less got what they deserved! The people are under some sort of curse. (But what about the children if so?). First let’s get the facts straight. While apparently some kind of rather dark pact is part of local history it was not necessarily overtly satanic - but then voodoo is never too overtly anything in belief terms - the Catholic saints cover for a whole mass of spirits and deities (loa). In 1791 in order to free Haitians from the French a group of revolutionaries met at Bois Caiman. A priestess was possessed there by the spirit, Ezli Dantor, who received the sacrifice of a black pig and this seems to be the ceremony subsequently regarded as the pact with Satan.
Whatever it was the pact was felt to work except that everything went downhill to even worse poverty after the French departed leaving their financial exactions and threatening to return if they weren't met. Church groups in Haiti and Christians internationally went to lengths in 1997 to revoke the curse of the widely believed in rite and its assumed influence. Alarm was however expressed when in 2003 the controversial and corrupt president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, declared Voodoo an official “religion” of the nation, a declaration which some felt partially restored the old pact and was problematic as it gave practioners the right to baptize infants.
The religious scene is complex. About 85% is at least nominally Catholic many of whom practice Voodoo at least now and again (over 50% of the population is believed to practice it). The rest is either evangelical some evidently fervently so (there have been clips of people singing praises in the ruins after 3 days without food or water), or French style atheist like Reni Polvard who when he heard someone declare the "miracle" of a rescue shouted "There is no God, there's no miracle. How could he [God] do this to us?". It's nevertheless Voodoo which seems to overshadow the culture and outlook of the general population and it has been associated with the horrors of the murderous rule of President Papa Doc Duvalier who called himself Baron Samedi (a leading death associated deity of the cult) and the sadistic Tonton Macoutes who spread crime and violence everywhere.
The heavens never lie though astrologers can miss their messages. I must be honest. The fact is that the alleged pact looks as though it might even be inscribed in the heavens at Haiti’s modern foundation. For years I have been insisting on an empirical basis and as written up in my Testament of the Magi (see last Blog) that the planetary symbol of God (biblically) and any issues around God is Pluto. Sure enough, at Haiti’s foundation Pluto is shown opposed to within minutes of a degree to asteroid, Lucifer, itself well within conjunction of the national moon (habitual and inherited ways of thinking). And, albeit loosely, the Part of Vocation and Status could be said to conjunct this moon and Lucifer.
We know moreover that, whether or not the national Voodoo outright acknowledges the devil as such, Haiti is seriously obsessed with this cult, with witchcraft, spirits and the dead. This seems exquisitely shown by the way that asteroid, Hekate (ancient goddess of the witches) is found in the hidden and mystical twelfth house of Campion’s chart in “mystical” Pisces making close easy trine to Neptune in the house of secrets in the sign of dark secrets, Scorpio. Also, by sign and house the dead; and Haiti's Voodoo is celebrated, even unique, for its zombie cult of the living dead. There's no asteroid for Voodoo as such nor the related zombie but asteroid Zomba angular and in affliction square to the national Sun looks as though it might be an example of what's called "astro-speak" for a missing word or concept, especially as this asteroid is itself rather suggestively conjunct Orcus(Hades)
HAITI: A CATASTROPHE/CURSE SIGNATURE?
Even in addition to what I have just said the following must be acounted at least peculiar. If we apply the so-called Arabic Parts to Campion's chart the following emerges. The national Mercury in the destiny house is disaster prone to the extent it is conjunct at the same degree with The Part of Catastrophe. In unfortunate square to this degree is The Part of Widowhood at 19 Libra and at once opposite this and again square the national sun is the Part of Heavy Place at 18 Aries. The national ascendant for Campion's chart is 13 Aries. At 12 Aries is the Part of Death of Brothers and Sisters. I don't swear by fate or the Arabic Parts, but it must be admitted that together this looks like a hint of disposition to tragedy and loss in the basic set- up of the whole nation even if one wouldn't care to call it a curse as such or regard the situation as beyond redemption. (Astrologers might wish for a new date and time of constitution to introduce a new pattern! - if America now took over more than the airport it might not hurt!)
When quakes happen either nobody is blamed because it’s all a matter of what Mother Nature does (and obviously some quakes must happen in the order of things) or else God (Reni Polvard style) is blamed because he ought to care more and stop it. The truth could be more subtle and otherwise. As I wrote in Chapter 3 of my Cosmic Father (available on Amazon) believers and unbelievers alike today almost stubbornly refuse to accept, or ignore or don’t realize that the New Testament is rather explicit that the devil is god and ruler of this world (the devil even offers the world to Jesus at the Temptation). Esoteric groups privately teach this. The theosophist, Madame Blavatsky, taught Lucifer rules the world. The mission of Christ is/was opposition to this fact, a reclamation of the world. I can’t hope to work out all possible implications of this kind of doctrine but it will tend to mean that bad things must often happen in this world and at most we can ask for and receive some degree of protection against them. If individuals or nations positively invoke the forces of evil divine protection can’t and won’t apply. The universe is set up by God on a democratic basis and we must accept the consequences of our decisions which may even be the most awful consequences.
HAITI: FORFEITING DIVINE PROTECTION?
I’m not saying that a quake in Haiti wouldn’t have happened. But I must allow the possibility that it could have been a less extreme event (and not only if housing standards had been more applied!) if the people were rather more God than spirit aware and devoted. One of the reasons I allow myself this tricky critical thought is because despite all the suggestive stellar negatives I have pointed to I still wouldn’t automatically have expected a quake and I wouldn’t blame astrologers for not seeing it. (I think we all suspect more trouble this year and next under the afflictions of Uranus to Pluto, again some of it on a world point).
Admittedly I make no claim to be any expert in reading quake charts, but when I set up what is called an Event chart for the time of the quake I was a bit surprised. For one thing the classic indications like so called angularity of planets was not present. And I think Saturn against Pluto is not the most typical or automatic indicator just by itself. In fact, as I recall from past reading, the usually fortunate Jupiter and the shocking Uranus are said to be much involved in the patterns. So I feel that the quake needn’t have been as bad as it was. BUT, the highly stressful Saturn/Pluto interplay does have resonances of a God (Pluto) versus devil (Saturn, traditional devil symbol in astrology) conflict. I maintain Saturn/Pluto was even involved in the crucifixion and certainly Saturn “rules” Capricorn, Haiti’s birth sign. And in passing let's note that Baron Samedi a presiding spirit of Voodoo, the Spirit of Death and identified with by Papa Dox, means Baron Saturday and Saturday is always traditionally Saturn's day.
For such an obviously spiritually engaged nation, (if negatively so), the national pattern does look rather spiritually engaged. I have therefore to admit the possibility that something demonic is a factor (one factor, I didn’t say all) in the disaster that has occurred. Even transiting Neptune conjuncting Haiti’s Hell asteroid is like if not a symbol of hell’s payback then a symbol of hell’s irruption onto the scene. So it’s possible that without a hidden divine intervention the disaster could have been even worse than it was, a sheer wipe-out.
Whatever the precise truth, and I can't hope to know it, I do believe it would repay us all if astrology received more respect and was studied to see what warnings it could give. It can rarely tell us a quake will happen but it can be used to pinpoint times of heightened tension and danger. Meanwhile we must hope that rescue missions to Haiti will succeed. That there would be much goodwill and as much assistance as possible is reflected in the close aspect of Jupiter to the national Venus at the time of the quakes, a positive aspect amid the gloom.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
BROADCASTING AND CENSORING THE BETHLEHEM STAR (AND MORE)
LIGHT OR BLACKOUT OVER BETHLEHEM?
I shall first review this week’s Australian ABC1 broadcast of Britain’s Channel 4 production Star of Bethlehem: Behind the Myth and mention a few common, but misleading, approaches to the whole Christmas star theme. I’ll then offer some perspectives in light of controversial experiences I've had in treating this sensitive subject over the years and now in more recent days faced with virtual censorship on communication of remarkable new facts and data concerning the birth and life of Christ.
Something of the scope and revolution of what I’m claiming, (necessarily one of the more remarkable finds of Christian history if true and with unprecedented insight into Jesus’ mind and intentions) can be gauged by copies of the ignored News Release and refused author’s Op Ed material pasted below in conclusion here. My Testament of the Magi was published two weeks ago, but as a doctor of religious studies I’m already compelled to ask who reckons to own and/or block access to the subject of the Star and related vital issues around Jesus. The problem (since the material is not intellectually opaque) is arguably a profoundly spiritual one for especially self-declared Christians who have been caught unawares (and perhaps found wanting!). This whole issue - like “no room at the inn” itself - amounts to one big but largely hidden scandal.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM DOCUMENTARY
The Atlantic Productions' documentary was commendably wide-ranging. It was also fair, though I question the title’s implications. There is no “myth” to get behind, rather there are certain religious and scientific prejudices to overcome that have too long obscured the picture and stopped anyone reaching the firmer conclusions needed and now possible. The feature never went beyond informed speculation. There was strong and sensible argument for the star being a planet, though towards the end also speculation I would deny, but reasonable, that a nova in 5BC could have summarized other earlier and mainly Jupiter related phenomena so as to be the Bethlehem star for brightness. (The star as comet got rightly dismissed - comets were traditionally deemed unfortunate, not good news).
Astronomer, David Hughes, whose line I endorse, was given more time than I expected to explain phenomena of 7 BC in Pisces and the association of such phenomena with Israel, something which by contrast Michael Molnar (whose popular views are now regularly repeated every Christmas) either denies or is unconcerned with. Molnar emphasizes the sign of Aries for Israel and again Jupiter, his interest triggered by a coin from Antioch showing a Ram and the moon and Zeus/Jupiter on the other side. (I didn’t gather why alleged Christians commemorating Christ’s nativity would stamp coins with Zeus on it!).
Though astrology was acknowledged as indissociable from ancient astronomy hence of some symbolic importance to consider, its wider significance was ignored or else denied in favour of “scientific” explanations for the star. It was hoped science and an ever better scanning of ancient skies may yet reveal what the original secret was - if by now "the mystery" is not better and more potent than the truth! Most participants, even scientists, nonetheless assumed the Star did represent a truth to discover, though one Canon theologian of London's St Paul’s Cathedral was content to accept it might only be a symbol for the greatness of the Christ event. Ironically, it was the Magi finished the most knowable, revealed datum of the inquiry. Almost certainly Persians, we can know how they dressed and that they probably rode on horses not camels. The feature’s bright kaleidoscope of facts could neither inspire nor offend in its inconclusive nature. Normally, theories both mentioned and ignored in the BBC feature are more strongly defended and contested. Here’s a brief criticism.
THE ERROR OF SINGLE FACT AND OVERLY ASTRONOMICAL BETHLEHEM STAR THEORIES
Some BS theories, most notably those promoting Jupiter/Moon occultations or Jupiter/ Regulus contacts (Michael Molnar and Rick Larson respectively), or Jupiter/Venus conjunctions in 3 and 2BC (David Reneke, Ernest Martin, the latter popular but ignored in the docu), no matter how scholarly in certain respects, are not well rounded. And they are not necessarily well informed either - Jupiter occultations in ancient astrology indicated a king's death or conditions of shortage, certainly no birth to celebrate! These theories satisfy little more than conservative Christians. The latter want their signs to be bright heavenly spectacles, not the full blown astrology and destiny patterns which Magi dealt in and which get conceded to, if at all, in only the mildest possible way i.e. just Jupiter or Regulus or zodiacal sign Leo are allowed to signal something royal and even then more or less independently of the rest of the celestial patterns within which they occur.
The fact is – astrologically – the Jesus of the gospels simply could not be a Messiah or King of Israel born under conquering Jupiter in Aries aspects or Jupiter/Venus aspects that looked good or bore loose association with things regal. Such aspects would mean Jesus was born, or must become, the conquering hero some hoped for, or be another glorious Solomon, but not any tragic or spiritual Messiah. It’s notorious that Jupiter/Venus aspects incline to lifestyles of the rich and famous or even accompany natal patterns of lucky devil criminals!
I have already mentioned the Jupiter occultation error, but in any case the related sun sign of this thesis, Aries, bellicose sign of the outgoing era, is very much what Jesus was never about even if one concedes there’s some evidence that Aries enjoyed associations with the Jews among at least the pagans of the West if not stargazers further east. Texas lawyer, Rick Larson, who has issued a popular, much promoted DVD on the Star (it is directed by Steven McEveety who directed Gibson's The Passion of the Christ) wants those seeing and purchasing his film to contribute to his Star Project for ongoing scientific research into the Star! (He hasn’t replied to my comments). Meanwhile Michael Molnar proclaims in Net interview that his theory seems to be the best yet, and is as good as incontestable according to those who have reviewed him.
Most theories, even when apparently comprehensive, tend towards a one fact bias, the trump card approach. One or another phenomenon is deemed the birth star because it fits with the fact Israel was symbolized a certain way, or else kings were, or because Herod died a certain year, or a census was one year, not another, or Jesus wasn’t “about thirty” when he began his ministry if born in 7BC (there’s a special and important answer to that problem I supply). Given the limits of our information both biblical and historical it’s always possible to make one fact fit, or fault a theory by stressing how another fact doesn’t tally. So it is
a) The greatest all-round level of agreement must be taken into account
b) The stellar information likewise should offer all round, not giving single factor sense, i.e. one will take not just a planet for Israel, for kingship or religion but read an entire planetary picture. The pattern should also work for the last week of Jesus’ life and work to this day for Jesus issues too.
This is what I can dramatically demonstrate and in unprecedented detail but which is not being examined or in effect not permitted to be so. Those who know little about astrology or theology are telling those who do what the picture should be, and various prejudices of religion and science are allowed to prevail. And beyond that limiting situation one then perhaps has to convince communicators like TV production companies who these days need to be approached before the TV channels.
[An interesting footnote to this section which emerges via comments I see posted to the latest seasonal You Tube promotion of Larson's DVD is the following observation which I paste:
This guy (Larson)is a lawyer. Which may be why he was careful to tweak the info he lifted from Ernest L. Martin's book 'The Star that Astonished the World' (free to read at ASKELM-dotcom) just enough so he couldn't be accused of plagiarism.He basically switched September 11, 3 BCE from being Christ's birthday to the day of his conception, which undoes layers and layers of rich, meaningful symbolic and prophetic fulfillment as the late Dr. Martin showed in his scholarly book back in 1991.
Obviously I deny the Martin thesis too, but I'm interested in the promotional side of things. There are by now vested interests which make inquiry more difficult].
UK PRODUCTION COMPANIES AND THE BETHLEHEM STAR.
During much of ‘06 I found myself subject to a bewildering sequence of demands for reports and plans, with promises to me both made and broken regarding a docu with links to my claims re the astrology of Christ and related issues. The company’s contact didn’t want me applying elsewhere but in exhaustion I finally did so to more helpful, realistic responses. In two cases religion and history had just been dropped as company themes otherwise, I was told, I would have been taken on. One company advised me to skip the double problem of dealing from Australia by applying direct to Acquil Ahmed, who would supposedly be either interested or able to direct me to who would be. AA is the Pakistani born Muslim who formerly ran religion at Channel 4 and to some controversy has since been appointed head of religious broadcasting for the BBC. Over around 3 months, no amount of emailing or phoning to his UK office and done in light of the recommendation given me, produced one word or line of response. Later and while in Hong Kong in ‘07 I received calls and inquiries about contributing to a proposed British docu on Christ (rather than celestial signs as such) but this got refused at Channel 4.
After all this… I’m interested and to a degree happy that any broadcast from any perspective on the Christmas Star has got through the hoops; though again I say without compromise I have decidedly more information both conclusive and significant than is offered by existing theories that enjoy more promotion. TV however is not the sum of media, there’s also the press to convince.
THE NO MAGI ARCHBISHOP AND HIS NO MAGI CHURCH TIMES
Some Christians like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, have decided the Magi are probably myth. The prelate spoiled some people’s Christmas in ‘07 when his unnecessary scepticism hit the headlines with a privileged ease contrary report on the subject can’t obtain in times when scepticism is trendy. Oriental Magi were a standard if controversial feature of the Roman empire until the emperor Constantine banned them after the Church was established. It’s extremely unlikely the very Jewish Matthew would put such disapproved pagan people into his birth narrative without much reason to believe they were somehow associated with Jesus’ birth. But people believe what they want to believe. An editor of the Church Times, organ of the church Williams oversees, controversially dismissed me a few years ago (when I was less advanced with my researches but had been reviewed by CT for another book so felt it could feature something on the Magian theme) with the words: “We know all there is to know about Jesus, we don’t need to know about the Magi”. But, they do need to know because otherwise they may miss things they need to understand about Jesus today!
THE NO MAGI CLONES AT RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Following in the Archbishop’s footsteps, to help spoil some Americans’ Christmas for ‘09, one of the writers of Religion News Service put out a feature in America Today highlighting the book, The First Christmas by Marcus Borg and John Crossan of the Jesus Seminar. The authors’ position is basically the birth narratives are just introductory poetic flourishes. I had given my PR notice to the Religion News Service who couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge. Since I am published in religion and a doctor of religious studies and have compelling information it would be hard not to feel censored especially as I then wrote to the editor to check material was received. Again no courtesy of reply.
NO ROOM AT THE INN AT UNHELPFUL, CHRISTIAN TODAY.COM.
I’m not Jonathan Swift, so not wishing to be merely vindictive I won’t list as I could all those outlets and persons to whom PR re my Testament of the Magi findings were sent and who didn’t respond. The silence of some is anyway almost more odd than rude like Time magazine seeing I was several years ago listed as an expert whom they might consult. However….I do rather identify with the Jesus of Revelation wanting to spit lukewarm, indifferent Laodicean Christians from his mouth when I recall Christian Today, described as the biggest British Net purveyor of religious news. I rang from Australia to discover the best way to approach them. Plainly the hard to understand receptionist wasn’t interested in any unique news nor willing even to let me speak to anyone about such. I must send email to an address given me. Receiving no acknowledgement to this and made aware of a temporary email and server problem I rang to certify if anything ever arrived. No, this couldn’t be dealt with. Email the press room - to which I was categorically refused permission to speak. The mails were now working but in view of the communication problems and the singular subject I specifically requested as a Christian courtesy to have acknowledgement even if it was only negative. I’ve never received reply. This isn’t good enough. Religious organizations should improve on the indifference of more secular organizations devoted to more material ends.
ANOTHER CHRISTMAS LET DOWN BY THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER
Some years ago when working at the more traditional, technical version of the Star theory that became my published Signs for a Messiah, the late strange, (some said pedophile) priest, James Murray, then religion editor for The Australian newspaper, put me to considerable trouble and even expense towards a colour supplement feature of my work. It was cancelled for vague reasons at the last minute and I felt Murray wasn’t too honest with me about it. It has left me feeling The Australian might kindly owe me a little space on my theme. I did mention that point and also this week’s broadcast in offering an author's Op-Ed on the Star theme for to the Opinions editor who had nothing more to say than “Thank you I can’t use it”. With or without religion as theme Australia can be shockingly rude and indifferent to its authors and intellectuals. Now if I were a footballer…!
IN PARENTHESIS: ASTROLOGICAL CURIOS OF THIS SUBJECT AT THIS TIME
Astrologers believe in what are called “sensitive degrees” observed to repeat and connect across time. The following might not mean too much to non-astrologers (who can skip it if they wish), but the other day I noticed, as I should have done earlier, that the late Ferrari D’Occhieppo (1907-2007), ultimate source of my and David Hughes'line of inquiry which radically develops from the thesis Jupiter was the Star of Bethlehem, natally has his crucial
Jupiter at 13.30 Leo
(his career/destiny linked Saturn is also conjunct the Bethlehem star)_
Hughes who popularized D’Occhieppo’s views for the English speaking public adding some some views of his own, has his own name asteroid,
DavidHughes at 14.44 Leo (i.e. within Jesus natus - Hughes doesn’t supply his own date of birth).
Rollan McCleary who has cracked the code the scientists missed and worked the despised astrology of the relevant theses natally has,
Pluto at 14.53 Leo
Mars at 15.48 Leo (i.e. on a world point)
All three of us are therefore opposed to,(i.e. can be challenged by), the degree of Chaldea (a name traditionally associated with Magi and Eastern mysteries at
Chaldaea) which is at 14.03 Aquarius in the natus of Jesus
THERE’S NO PROOF OF THE BETHLEHEM STAR WITHOUT A RELEVANT HOROSCOPE
I shall now wrap up my comments before concluding with copies of the ignored and rejected media directed messages. The Magi were astrologers seeking and following signs. Though they may not have cast a horoscope for Jesus, such were cast in the era for prominent people. Astrological signs work across-the-board for events, for groups of people (like nations) and individuals. Therefore any signs betokening the birth of a Messianic king must do so in meaningful, personal terms on a personal horoscope. It would however require a near revolution in consciousness for many Christians to accept this point since they have decided that astrology is a biblically verboten form of divination although the rabbis of the Talmud and the Essenes never saw things that way.
THE DUTY AND CHALLENGE TO EXAMINE THIS EVIDENCE
As I’ve been insisting, the findings I possess are objectively some of the most remarkable in Christian history if true. If untrue – attempt to beat the odds to disprove them! – then they are at least a remarkable statistical anomaly, an interesting curio which in the normal way of things it might be expected would be taken up at this season. To ignore the possibility I could be correct, to dismiss and disregard all evidence is a censorship and unworthy of at so-called Christians and arguably finishes less an insult to myself than towards who and what is represented. This needs to be considered.
COPY OF PRESS RELEASE MESSAGE ON CHRIST DATA (unacknowledged by all press and media religious and secular approached).
MODERN REVELATION OF THE HISTORICAL JESUS: New Christ data exact as a fingerprint.
That Jesus never existed will become harder to sustain. Questions around Jesus like who he descended from, when he died, if he married the Magdalene, what he believed, are resolved in an unprecedented revealing study from a doctor of religious studies issued at the end of this month.
Enlarging upon a respected line in historical and astronomical scholarship, Dr Rollan McCleary knew years ago he had cracked the Magian code and discovered Christ’s true birth data and the dating of the Easter week. But proving it to sceptical laypersons and non-astrologers seemed impossible. Now, especially with ability to apply to remote dates the same kind of detailed, but little used kind of micro-astrology of names, places and concepts that if applied to, say, Prince William’s natus reveals asteroid Kate in his relationship house, a wider, more obvious range of information emerges.
Jesus’ house of origins actually names notable ancestors in his messianic line. The heavens produce a super-conjunction of his names. His disciples are meaningfully placed like Peter conjuncting his brother, Andrew. The patterns are so repeatedly, consistently exact they can only belong to Jesus at whose death one even finds Lucifer opposing Peter in tension to Hahn, i.e. the cock associated with the denial. The data work across time. An eclipse opposite Jesus’ Magdalena preceded the modern burst of publishing on all aspects of the Magdalene story. The patterns are doubly remarkable because the asteroids were named in modern times so apply retroactively and trans-lingually implying time and language are ultimately one. The study employs 430 asteroids and many so-called Arabic Parts like Part of the Father in their unique positions and inter-relations.
Testament of the Magi: Mysteries of the Birth and Life of Christ is a virtual fifth gospel taking readers as never before into the self-understanding of Jesus. The book is being released from November 28th and direct onto Amazon for a reason. Increasingly houses and agents are refusing to consider religion projects so the writer risks waiting through the 36 houses needed for even Roy Williams’ now successful God, Actually to be accepted. A Transworld editor did deem Testament “fascinating and groundbreaking”, but recommended it for another major house which refused it without explanation probably as inconvenient to their promotion of a title at variance with Testament’s evidence. With “no room at the inn” threatening the project it seemed best to release material without further delay. This Christmas it can be known when the real Christmas was, what it meant and much else about Jesus.
Rollan McCleary holds dual Irish and Australian nationalities. He is a doctor of religious studies from Queensland University, Brisbane, and a qualified astrologer. Published in mainly religion his first main publication, The Expansion of God in 1982 on the relations of Christianity and Asian cultures was a critical success. His A Special Illumination: Authority, Inspiration and Heresy in Gay Spirituality (2005) caused some controversy internationally.
COPY OF OP-ED refused by The Australian newspaper Opinions section with just “Thank you I can’t use it”
THE BETHLEHEM STAR IS NOT A MYSTERY:
At the end of the Introduction to my Testament of the Magi I remark that much of the book was written in a state of surprise and perhaps can only be read that way. The same advice might apply for this article. I will try to convey here the confronting claim we can finally know beyond all reasonable doubt when Jesus was born, when he died and much more about him. Those who care to argue must now beat some major statistical odds to do so since nothing more convincing than I show is likely to be produced – ever.
In 1977 astronomer, Ferrari D’Occhieppo’s Der Stern der Weisen opened a scholarly path towards discovery of Jesus’ birth and in 1980 astro-physicist David Hughes' The Star of Bethlehem was published. Mid September 7BC was their general target area. But where was the horoscope? Could and should there be one? Such proof (on which the scientists weren’t keen) wasn’t forthcoming. Ever since 1987I have known that, enlarging on the path opened up, I had cracked a code the scientists missed and found the only possible working data for Jesus, (a pattern which responds to Jesus issues to this day). But popularizing the case from technical data would be hard especially given the hostility of religionists and scientists to anything astrological, a hostility requiring you need to be overwhelmingly obvious and precise even to be heard. Now with recourse to a micro-astrology especially of name, place and concept asteroids made available for remote dates the irrefutable case can be made.
First a few words about asteroids. They work. And perhaps because all time and language are one they even work retroactively and trans-lingually from their modern naming. Australia's Schapelle Corby imprisoned in Bali shows asteroid Bali conjunct Saturn, traditional symbol of sorrow and confinement. Prince William shows asteroid Kate in his relationships house while asteroids Camilla and Diana battle it out in conjunction between two painful planets. Now apply asteroids and Arabic Parts to a correct birth time for Jesus remembering that to establish house divisions and use Arabic Parts like Part of the Father you need time accuracy. The late Gwen Stoney, Australia’s expert in modern techniques measuring fate/death patterns most astrologers avoid, early encouraged my researches once convinced the birth time was extremely correct for the assumed date of Christ’s crucifixion.
I can hardly convey the wealth and intricacy of detail derived from 430 asteroids and 70 Arabic Parts applied to the itself suggestive root planetary pattern; but some things can’t be missed. Jesus’ “house” of family and origins produces names of leading messianic ancestors along with some creed-like flourishes like asteroid Paradise. The chart’s Midheaven (reputation and destiny) produces exact conjunction with Licht (light) and Shabas (Sabbath) in the sign of originality and the masses, Aquarius. It’s suitable for someone uniquely called “Light of the World” and self-called “Lord of the Sabbath” especially as both asteroids form degree exact aspect to Logos (Word) in astrology’s traditional religion and doctrine sign (Sagittarius). The death pattern is as remarkable as for birth, with many, often very theological details but also an unforgettable opposition of Lucifer to Peter in affliction aspect to Hahn, the cock of the famous denial.
At times I’m left with questions. Why are Adam and Eve beside a viper in a pattern of symbolism I won’t describe but which bespeaks the Edenic prophecy? One could explain the primal pair away as figures in Jesus’ mind (which I claim is revealed as never before); yet can I likewise deny Kate Middleton exists when she’s in William’s unions house? Sometimes there are borderline cases I call “astrospeak” where the skies seemingly give muffled echoes of something from the limited available lexicon like (also in Jesus’ origins house), Patria conjunct Betlem – homeplace Bethlehem? Also in an improbable super-conjunction of Jesus’ names Christ is Christa because early asteroid namings were in the feminine – Nelsonia, etc.
Compelling though all this is “No room at the inn” haunts this subject with archetypal force. No PR notice on the theme this season has been taken up - even by the religious press. I imagine reaction was akin to a church newspaper contacted while writing the book: “We know all there is to know about Jesus, we don’t need to know about the Magi”. But missing the Magi you may miss things about Jesus and the future too. The data remains sensitive. An eclipse opposite Jesus’ Magdalene asteroid preceded publication of Susan Haskins' study of the Magdalene which unleashed the torrent of speculation on this individual.
It’s ‘No room at the inn” in publishing too. Despite its sensational nature and my being published in religion my book has been released direct onto Amazon because, with a singular exception at Transworld, I have not been able to interest publishers or agents to look at the project. “It wouldn’t fit our programme” “We don’t take religion or spirituality”. Couldn’t they make an exception? No! Too busy like the wedding invitees in Jesus’ parable? It’s a fact everyday arrangements can finish more important than life and truth themselves!
So, there’s something here of the Christmas story in its raw form. But that same story is also a foundational one for the West which is increasingly dismissing it. However the Bethlehem star and the skies against which it appeared still hold messages to guide us and which it would be unwise to ignore.
I shall first review this week’s Australian ABC1 broadcast of Britain’s Channel 4 production Star of Bethlehem: Behind the Myth and mention a few common, but misleading, approaches to the whole Christmas star theme. I’ll then offer some perspectives in light of controversial experiences I've had in treating this sensitive subject over the years and now in more recent days faced with virtual censorship on communication of remarkable new facts and data concerning the birth and life of Christ.
Something of the scope and revolution of what I’m claiming, (necessarily one of the more remarkable finds of Christian history if true and with unprecedented insight into Jesus’ mind and intentions) can be gauged by copies of the ignored News Release and refused author’s Op Ed material pasted below in conclusion here. My Testament of the Magi was published two weeks ago, but as a doctor of religious studies I’m already compelled to ask who reckons to own and/or block access to the subject of the Star and related vital issues around Jesus. The problem (since the material is not intellectually opaque) is arguably a profoundly spiritual one for especially self-declared Christians who have been caught unawares (and perhaps found wanting!). This whole issue - like “no room at the inn” itself - amounts to one big but largely hidden scandal.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM DOCUMENTARY
The Atlantic Productions' documentary was commendably wide-ranging. It was also fair, though I question the title’s implications. There is no “myth” to get behind, rather there are certain religious and scientific prejudices to overcome that have too long obscured the picture and stopped anyone reaching the firmer conclusions needed and now possible. The feature never went beyond informed speculation. There was strong and sensible argument for the star being a planet, though towards the end also speculation I would deny, but reasonable, that a nova in 5BC could have summarized other earlier and mainly Jupiter related phenomena so as to be the Bethlehem star for brightness. (The star as comet got rightly dismissed - comets were traditionally deemed unfortunate, not good news).
Astronomer, David Hughes, whose line I endorse, was given more time than I expected to explain phenomena of 7 BC in Pisces and the association of such phenomena with Israel, something which by contrast Michael Molnar (whose popular views are now regularly repeated every Christmas) either denies or is unconcerned with. Molnar emphasizes the sign of Aries for Israel and again Jupiter, his interest triggered by a coin from Antioch showing a Ram and the moon and Zeus/Jupiter on the other side. (I didn’t gather why alleged Christians commemorating Christ’s nativity would stamp coins with Zeus on it!).
Though astrology was acknowledged as indissociable from ancient astronomy hence of some symbolic importance to consider, its wider significance was ignored or else denied in favour of “scientific” explanations for the star. It was hoped science and an ever better scanning of ancient skies may yet reveal what the original secret was - if by now "the mystery" is not better and more potent than the truth! Most participants, even scientists, nonetheless assumed the Star did represent a truth to discover, though one Canon theologian of London's St Paul’s Cathedral was content to accept it might only be a symbol for the greatness of the Christ event. Ironically, it was the Magi finished the most knowable, revealed datum of the inquiry. Almost certainly Persians, we can know how they dressed and that they probably rode on horses not camels. The feature’s bright kaleidoscope of facts could neither inspire nor offend in its inconclusive nature. Normally, theories both mentioned and ignored in the BBC feature are more strongly defended and contested. Here’s a brief criticism.
THE ERROR OF SINGLE FACT AND OVERLY ASTRONOMICAL BETHLEHEM STAR THEORIES
Some BS theories, most notably those promoting Jupiter/Moon occultations or Jupiter/ Regulus contacts (Michael Molnar and Rick Larson respectively), or Jupiter/Venus conjunctions in 3 and 2BC (David Reneke, Ernest Martin, the latter popular but ignored in the docu), no matter how scholarly in certain respects, are not well rounded. And they are not necessarily well informed either - Jupiter occultations in ancient astrology indicated a king's death or conditions of shortage, certainly no birth to celebrate! These theories satisfy little more than conservative Christians. The latter want their signs to be bright heavenly spectacles, not the full blown astrology and destiny patterns which Magi dealt in and which get conceded to, if at all, in only the mildest possible way i.e. just Jupiter or Regulus or zodiacal sign Leo are allowed to signal something royal and even then more or less independently of the rest of the celestial patterns within which they occur.
The fact is – astrologically – the Jesus of the gospels simply could not be a Messiah or King of Israel born under conquering Jupiter in Aries aspects or Jupiter/Venus aspects that looked good or bore loose association with things regal. Such aspects would mean Jesus was born, or must become, the conquering hero some hoped for, or be another glorious Solomon, but not any tragic or spiritual Messiah. It’s notorious that Jupiter/Venus aspects incline to lifestyles of the rich and famous or even accompany natal patterns of lucky devil criminals!
I have already mentioned the Jupiter occultation error, but in any case the related sun sign of this thesis, Aries, bellicose sign of the outgoing era, is very much what Jesus was never about even if one concedes there’s some evidence that Aries enjoyed associations with the Jews among at least the pagans of the West if not stargazers further east. Texas lawyer, Rick Larson, who has issued a popular, much promoted DVD on the Star (it is directed by Steven McEveety who directed Gibson's The Passion of the Christ) wants those seeing and purchasing his film to contribute to his Star Project for ongoing scientific research into the Star! (He hasn’t replied to my comments). Meanwhile Michael Molnar proclaims in Net interview that his theory seems to be the best yet, and is as good as incontestable according to those who have reviewed him.
Most theories, even when apparently comprehensive, tend towards a one fact bias, the trump card approach. One or another phenomenon is deemed the birth star because it fits with the fact Israel was symbolized a certain way, or else kings were, or because Herod died a certain year, or a census was one year, not another, or Jesus wasn’t “about thirty” when he began his ministry if born in 7BC (there’s a special and important answer to that problem I supply). Given the limits of our information both biblical and historical it’s always possible to make one fact fit, or fault a theory by stressing how another fact doesn’t tally. So it is
a) The greatest all-round level of agreement must be taken into account
b) The stellar information likewise should offer all round, not giving single factor sense, i.e. one will take not just a planet for Israel, for kingship or religion but read an entire planetary picture. The pattern should also work for the last week of Jesus’ life and work to this day for Jesus issues too.
This is what I can dramatically demonstrate and in unprecedented detail but which is not being examined or in effect not permitted to be so. Those who know little about astrology or theology are telling those who do what the picture should be, and various prejudices of religion and science are allowed to prevail. And beyond that limiting situation one then perhaps has to convince communicators like TV production companies who these days need to be approached before the TV channels.
[An interesting footnote to this section which emerges via comments I see posted to the latest seasonal You Tube promotion of Larson's DVD is the following observation which I paste:
This guy (Larson)is a lawyer. Which may be why he was careful to tweak the info he lifted from Ernest L. Martin's book 'The Star that Astonished the World' (free to read at ASKELM-dotcom) just enough so he couldn't be accused of plagiarism.He basically switched September 11, 3 BCE from being Christ's birthday to the day of his conception, which undoes layers and layers of rich, meaningful symbolic and prophetic fulfillment as the late Dr. Martin showed in his scholarly book back in 1991.
Obviously I deny the Martin thesis too, but I'm interested in the promotional side of things. There are by now vested interests which make inquiry more difficult].
UK PRODUCTION COMPANIES AND THE BETHLEHEM STAR.
During much of ‘06 I found myself subject to a bewildering sequence of demands for reports and plans, with promises to me both made and broken regarding a docu with links to my claims re the astrology of Christ and related issues. The company’s contact didn’t want me applying elsewhere but in exhaustion I finally did so to more helpful, realistic responses. In two cases religion and history had just been dropped as company themes otherwise, I was told, I would have been taken on. One company advised me to skip the double problem of dealing from Australia by applying direct to Acquil Ahmed, who would supposedly be either interested or able to direct me to who would be. AA is the Pakistani born Muslim who formerly ran religion at Channel 4 and to some controversy has since been appointed head of religious broadcasting for the BBC. Over around 3 months, no amount of emailing or phoning to his UK office and done in light of the recommendation given me, produced one word or line of response. Later and while in Hong Kong in ‘07 I received calls and inquiries about contributing to a proposed British docu on Christ (rather than celestial signs as such) but this got refused at Channel 4.
After all this… I’m interested and to a degree happy that any broadcast from any perspective on the Christmas Star has got through the hoops; though again I say without compromise I have decidedly more information both conclusive and significant than is offered by existing theories that enjoy more promotion. TV however is not the sum of media, there’s also the press to convince.
THE NO MAGI ARCHBISHOP AND HIS NO MAGI CHURCH TIMES
Some Christians like the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, have decided the Magi are probably myth. The prelate spoiled some people’s Christmas in ‘07 when his unnecessary scepticism hit the headlines with a privileged ease contrary report on the subject can’t obtain in times when scepticism is trendy. Oriental Magi were a standard if controversial feature of the Roman empire until the emperor Constantine banned them after the Church was established. It’s extremely unlikely the very Jewish Matthew would put such disapproved pagan people into his birth narrative without much reason to believe they were somehow associated with Jesus’ birth. But people believe what they want to believe. An editor of the Church Times, organ of the church Williams oversees, controversially dismissed me a few years ago (when I was less advanced with my researches but had been reviewed by CT for another book so felt it could feature something on the Magian theme) with the words: “We know all there is to know about Jesus, we don’t need to know about the Magi”. But, they do need to know because otherwise they may miss things they need to understand about Jesus today!
THE NO MAGI CLONES AT RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Following in the Archbishop’s footsteps, to help spoil some Americans’ Christmas for ‘09, one of the writers of Religion News Service put out a feature in America Today highlighting the book, The First Christmas by Marcus Borg and John Crossan of the Jesus Seminar. The authors’ position is basically the birth narratives are just introductory poetic flourishes. I had given my PR notice to the Religion News Service who couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge. Since I am published in religion and a doctor of religious studies and have compelling information it would be hard not to feel censored especially as I then wrote to the editor to check material was received. Again no courtesy of reply.
NO ROOM AT THE INN AT UNHELPFUL, CHRISTIAN TODAY.COM.
I’m not Jonathan Swift, so not wishing to be merely vindictive I won’t list as I could all those outlets and persons to whom PR re my Testament of the Magi findings were sent and who didn’t respond. The silence of some is anyway almost more odd than rude like Time magazine seeing I was several years ago listed as an expert whom they might consult. However….I do rather identify with the Jesus of Revelation wanting to spit lukewarm, indifferent Laodicean Christians from his mouth when I recall Christian Today, described as the biggest British Net purveyor of religious news. I rang from Australia to discover the best way to approach them. Plainly the hard to understand receptionist wasn’t interested in any unique news nor willing even to let me speak to anyone about such. I must send email to an address given me. Receiving no acknowledgement to this and made aware of a temporary email and server problem I rang to certify if anything ever arrived. No, this couldn’t be dealt with. Email the press room - to which I was categorically refused permission to speak. The mails were now working but in view of the communication problems and the singular subject I specifically requested as a Christian courtesy to have acknowledgement even if it was only negative. I’ve never received reply. This isn’t good enough. Religious organizations should improve on the indifference of more secular organizations devoted to more material ends.
ANOTHER CHRISTMAS LET DOWN BY THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER
Some years ago when working at the more traditional, technical version of the Star theory that became my published Signs for a Messiah, the late strange, (some said pedophile) priest, James Murray, then religion editor for The Australian newspaper, put me to considerable trouble and even expense towards a colour supplement feature of my work. It was cancelled for vague reasons at the last minute and I felt Murray wasn’t too honest with me about it. It has left me feeling The Australian might kindly owe me a little space on my theme. I did mention that point and also this week’s broadcast in offering an author's Op-Ed on the Star theme for to the Opinions editor who had nothing more to say than “Thank you I can’t use it”. With or without religion as theme Australia can be shockingly rude and indifferent to its authors and intellectuals. Now if I were a footballer…!
IN PARENTHESIS: ASTROLOGICAL CURIOS OF THIS SUBJECT AT THIS TIME
Astrologers believe in what are called “sensitive degrees” observed to repeat and connect across time. The following might not mean too much to non-astrologers (who can skip it if they wish), but the other day I noticed, as I should have done earlier, that the late Ferrari D’Occhieppo (1907-2007), ultimate source of my and David Hughes'line of inquiry which radically develops from the thesis Jupiter was the Star of Bethlehem, natally has his crucial
Jupiter at 13.30 Leo
(his career/destiny linked Saturn is also conjunct the Bethlehem star)_
Hughes who popularized D’Occhieppo’s views for the English speaking public adding some some views of his own, has his own name asteroid,
DavidHughes at 14.44 Leo (i.e. within Jesus natus - Hughes doesn’t supply his own date of birth).
Rollan McCleary who has cracked the code the scientists missed and worked the despised astrology of the relevant theses natally has,
Pluto at 14.53 Leo
Mars at 15.48 Leo (i.e. on a world point)
All three of us are therefore opposed to,(i.e. can be challenged by), the degree of Chaldea (a name traditionally associated with Magi and Eastern mysteries at
Chaldaea) which is at 14.03 Aquarius in the natus of Jesus
THERE’S NO PROOF OF THE BETHLEHEM STAR WITHOUT A RELEVANT HOROSCOPE
I shall now wrap up my comments before concluding with copies of the ignored and rejected media directed messages. The Magi were astrologers seeking and following signs. Though they may not have cast a horoscope for Jesus, such were cast in the era for prominent people. Astrological signs work across-the-board for events, for groups of people (like nations) and individuals. Therefore any signs betokening the birth of a Messianic king must do so in meaningful, personal terms on a personal horoscope. It would however require a near revolution in consciousness for many Christians to accept this point since they have decided that astrology is a biblically verboten form of divination although the rabbis of the Talmud and the Essenes never saw things that way.
THE DUTY AND CHALLENGE TO EXAMINE THIS EVIDENCE
As I’ve been insisting, the findings I possess are objectively some of the most remarkable in Christian history if true. If untrue – attempt to beat the odds to disprove them! – then they are at least a remarkable statistical anomaly, an interesting curio which in the normal way of things it might be expected would be taken up at this season. To ignore the possibility I could be correct, to dismiss and disregard all evidence is a censorship and unworthy of at so-called Christians and arguably finishes less an insult to myself than towards who and what is represented. This needs to be considered.
COPY OF PRESS RELEASE MESSAGE ON CHRIST DATA (unacknowledged by all press and media religious and secular approached).
MODERN REVELATION OF THE HISTORICAL JESUS: New Christ data exact as a fingerprint.
That Jesus never existed will become harder to sustain. Questions around Jesus like who he descended from, when he died, if he married the Magdalene, what he believed, are resolved in an unprecedented revealing study from a doctor of religious studies issued at the end of this month.
Enlarging upon a respected line in historical and astronomical scholarship, Dr Rollan McCleary knew years ago he had cracked the Magian code and discovered Christ’s true birth data and the dating of the Easter week. But proving it to sceptical laypersons and non-astrologers seemed impossible. Now, especially with ability to apply to remote dates the same kind of detailed, but little used kind of micro-astrology of names, places and concepts that if applied to, say, Prince William’s natus reveals asteroid Kate in his relationship house, a wider, more obvious range of information emerges.
Jesus’ house of origins actually names notable ancestors in his messianic line. The heavens produce a super-conjunction of his names. His disciples are meaningfully placed like Peter conjuncting his brother, Andrew. The patterns are so repeatedly, consistently exact they can only belong to Jesus at whose death one even finds Lucifer opposing Peter in tension to Hahn, i.e. the cock associated with the denial. The data work across time. An eclipse opposite Jesus’ Magdalena preceded the modern burst of publishing on all aspects of the Magdalene story. The patterns are doubly remarkable because the asteroids were named in modern times so apply retroactively and trans-lingually implying time and language are ultimately one. The study employs 430 asteroids and many so-called Arabic Parts like Part of the Father in their unique positions and inter-relations.
Testament of the Magi: Mysteries of the Birth and Life of Christ is a virtual fifth gospel taking readers as never before into the self-understanding of Jesus. The book is being released from November 28th and direct onto Amazon for a reason. Increasingly houses and agents are refusing to consider religion projects so the writer risks waiting through the 36 houses needed for even Roy Williams’ now successful God, Actually to be accepted. A Transworld editor did deem Testament “fascinating and groundbreaking”, but recommended it for another major house which refused it without explanation probably as inconvenient to their promotion of a title at variance with Testament’s evidence. With “no room at the inn” threatening the project it seemed best to release material without further delay. This Christmas it can be known when the real Christmas was, what it meant and much else about Jesus.
Rollan McCleary holds dual Irish and Australian nationalities. He is a doctor of religious studies from Queensland University, Brisbane, and a qualified astrologer. Published in mainly religion his first main publication, The Expansion of God in 1982 on the relations of Christianity and Asian cultures was a critical success. His A Special Illumination: Authority, Inspiration and Heresy in Gay Spirituality (2005) caused some controversy internationally.
COPY OF OP-ED refused by The Australian newspaper Opinions section with just “Thank you I can’t use it”
THE BETHLEHEM STAR IS NOT A MYSTERY:
At the end of the Introduction to my Testament of the Magi I remark that much of the book was written in a state of surprise and perhaps can only be read that way. The same advice might apply for this article. I will try to convey here the confronting claim we can finally know beyond all reasonable doubt when Jesus was born, when he died and much more about him. Those who care to argue must now beat some major statistical odds to do so since nothing more convincing than I show is likely to be produced – ever.
In 1977 astronomer, Ferrari D’Occhieppo’s Der Stern der Weisen opened a scholarly path towards discovery of Jesus’ birth and in 1980 astro-physicist David Hughes' The Star of Bethlehem was published. Mid September 7BC was their general target area. But where was the horoscope? Could and should there be one? Such proof (on which the scientists weren’t keen) wasn’t forthcoming. Ever since 1987I have known that, enlarging on the path opened up, I had cracked a code the scientists missed and found the only possible working data for Jesus, (a pattern which responds to Jesus issues to this day). But popularizing the case from technical data would be hard especially given the hostility of religionists and scientists to anything astrological, a hostility requiring you need to be overwhelmingly obvious and precise even to be heard. Now with recourse to a micro-astrology especially of name, place and concept asteroids made available for remote dates the irrefutable case can be made.
First a few words about asteroids. They work. And perhaps because all time and language are one they even work retroactively and trans-lingually from their modern naming. Australia's Schapelle Corby imprisoned in Bali shows asteroid Bali conjunct Saturn, traditional symbol of sorrow and confinement. Prince William shows asteroid Kate in his relationships house while asteroids Camilla and Diana battle it out in conjunction between two painful planets. Now apply asteroids and Arabic Parts to a correct birth time for Jesus remembering that to establish house divisions and use Arabic Parts like Part of the Father you need time accuracy. The late Gwen Stoney, Australia’s expert in modern techniques measuring fate/death patterns most astrologers avoid, early encouraged my researches once convinced the birth time was extremely correct for the assumed date of Christ’s crucifixion.
I can hardly convey the wealth and intricacy of detail derived from 430 asteroids and 70 Arabic Parts applied to the itself suggestive root planetary pattern; but some things can’t be missed. Jesus’ “house” of family and origins produces names of leading messianic ancestors along with some creed-like flourishes like asteroid Paradise. The chart’s Midheaven (reputation and destiny) produces exact conjunction with Licht (light) and Shabas (Sabbath) in the sign of originality and the masses, Aquarius. It’s suitable for someone uniquely called “Light of the World” and self-called “Lord of the Sabbath” especially as both asteroids form degree exact aspect to Logos (Word) in astrology’s traditional religion and doctrine sign (Sagittarius). The death pattern is as remarkable as for birth, with many, often very theological details but also an unforgettable opposition of Lucifer to Peter in affliction aspect to Hahn, the cock of the famous denial.
At times I’m left with questions. Why are Adam and Eve beside a viper in a pattern of symbolism I won’t describe but which bespeaks the Edenic prophecy? One could explain the primal pair away as figures in Jesus’ mind (which I claim is revealed as never before); yet can I likewise deny Kate Middleton exists when she’s in William’s unions house? Sometimes there are borderline cases I call “astrospeak” where the skies seemingly give muffled echoes of something from the limited available lexicon like (also in Jesus’ origins house), Patria conjunct Betlem – homeplace Bethlehem? Also in an improbable super-conjunction of Jesus’ names Christ is Christa because early asteroid namings were in the feminine – Nelsonia, etc.
Compelling though all this is “No room at the inn” haunts this subject with archetypal force. No PR notice on the theme this season has been taken up - even by the religious press. I imagine reaction was akin to a church newspaper contacted while writing the book: “We know all there is to know about Jesus, we don’t need to know about the Magi”. But missing the Magi you may miss things about Jesus and the future too. The data remains sensitive. An eclipse opposite Jesus’ Magdalene asteroid preceded publication of Susan Haskins' study of the Magdalene which unleashed the torrent of speculation on this individual.
It’s ‘No room at the inn” in publishing too. Despite its sensational nature and my being published in religion my book has been released direct onto Amazon because, with a singular exception at Transworld, I have not been able to interest publishers or agents to look at the project. “It wouldn’t fit our programme” “We don’t take religion or spirituality”. Couldn’t they make an exception? No! Too busy like the wedding invitees in Jesus’ parable? It’s a fact everyday arrangements can finish more important than life and truth themselves!
So, there’s something here of the Christmas story in its raw form. But that same story is also a foundational one for the West which is increasingly dismissing it. However the Bethlehem star and the skies against which it appeared still hold messages to guide us and which it would be unwise to ignore.
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