Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at 1:01am
We three kings from ORION are
Now that the Christmas feeding frenzy has abated, let us consider this time of the year for what it means to Christians, the Catholic Church, the ancient Egyptians, pagans and every other agrarian people since the dawn of time. In his five-part series, artist and historian Hugh Fitzroy Colmer pops the hood on the stories and myths of, and around, the winter solstice. (Part 3 of 5)
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Many myths are allegories of the path of the sun through the signs of the zodiac, and the famous axiom "As above and so Below" is closer to the truth than we would think. For example, the Pyramids of Giza are a reflection of the Orion Belt, and the river Nile is a reflection of the Asteroid Belt.
The word "Orient" in the Christmas carol "We Three Kings from Orient Are" should be replaced by "Orion." The three Magi (Matt.2:1) who searched for the newly born Christ are symbolic of the three stars in the hunter's belt in the constellation of Orion. Orion was known by Egyptians as "The First Time" of Osiris.
The Three Kings represent the three divine aspects of Will, Love and Intelligence. The name "Orion" literally means "the breaking forth of light" and therefore symbolizes Spirit. In South America Orion's Belt is known as "Las Tres Marias" (The Three Marys), in honor of Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, three major New Testament figures.
The Star of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:2) symbolizes the brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius, which is part of the winter triangle in the constellation Canis Major. In Sanskrit, Sirius is known as Mrgavyadha ("deer hunter") or Lubdhaka ("hunter"). As Mrgavyadha, the star represents Siva.
At 4 p.m. Bethlehem time, the three stars in Orion aligned along a southeast direction toward Sirius, and the Star of Bethlehem rose and pointed to the birthplace of Christ. Since stars, like the sun, always rise from the east, it would appear as three stars following one bright star, or as the star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi. If the Magi were on land, they couldn't come from the east and follow a star from the east. But if the Magi are stars in the sky, it makes sense. Sirius would have appeared to stop, like the star of Bethlehem, when it was directly above the stable where Christ was born.
Thousands of years before Mary nursed the baby Jesus, the Madonna and the Child existed in Egypt as Isis holding her infant, Horus. Isis (Sirius) "Virgin of the World." On the walls of the temple of Luxor, there were carved four scenes adopted by the Gospels:
* The first scene depicts a group of angels on a cloud making the annunciation of the coming of the Messiah King to a band of shepherds in the fields
* The second represents a single angel announcing to a young maiden that she is to be the mother of the awaited Messiah.
* A third pictures the Nativity scene, with the two animals, the ox and the ass, present.
* And the fourth shows three Magi kneeling before a babe and offering gifts, at a date as early as 1700 B.C.
The Egyptian Sun God Horus taught that the Christ spirit is in us all, so he was anticipating a mass of Christs. That's what we need to focus on today instead of the polarization that's caused by religious dogma propagated by those who are unaware of the origins of the Christmas season.
"On entering [the temple of Hera at Plataia, Boiotia], you see Rhea carrying to Kronos the stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, as though it were the babe to which she had given birth." — Pausanias, Guide to Greece 9.2.7
The Babe in a manger born among animals in a stable or a cave and wrapped in swaddling clothes was common in many ancient religions. According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at night while all other gods slept. When he was born at dawn, Maia wrapped him in swaddling clothes.
Mithras was also born in a cave, with shepherds in attendance, on the 25th of December. Mithras was known to his followers as "The light of the world," or "The Good Shepherd," and urged his followers to share ritual communion of bread and wine. Mithras's priests were called "Father."
The attempted assassination of newly born saviors was also not unique to Jesus. When King Herod heard about the birth of Jesus, he asked the Magi from the east who followed the star to Bethlehem to inform him when they found the baby so he could come and worship Him also. Known for his hatred of Jesus as future King of the Jews, he ordered all the babies up to the age of 2 in Bethlehem to be killed.
The Hindu Krishna birth story is another variation on the same theme. Krishna's uncle Kamsa hears a heavenly voice which predicts that the eighth son of his sister, Devaki, will kill him. Devaki and her husband agree to be held captive and to give any children to Kamsa. The eighth child, Krishna, was born at midnight and Kamsa tries many ways to kill Krishna but fails.
In the Greek Orphic religion Dionysus is born from a union between Persephone and Zeus in serpent form. Jealous Hera persuaded the Titans to attack the infant god as he looked into a mirror. Not only did they tear him to pieces, but the Titans ate him — all but his heart, which Athena rescued. From this organ the rest of the god was resurrected.
In the Osiris/Isis mysteries Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis and rightful heir to the throne of Egypt, was killed by Set in the form of a scorpion, but Thoth brought him back to life, as his destiny was to rule Egypt and avenge the crime against his father. Horus grew to be a strong and brave warrior, and his father, Osiris, appeared to him in a vision, and urged him to overthrow Set. The other name for Set is Herut. Does that sound familiar?
Merry Christmas.
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Hugh Fitzroy Colmer lives in Windham, N.Y., with his wife, who runs a raja yoga retreat center. He writes and paints in groups named for their source of inspiration (e.g., the "Major Arcana") from his impressions of ancient religious symbolism and mythology, which can be seen on his website. His email address is {email hcolmer@yahoo.com}hcolmer@yahoo.com{/email}. © copyright 2006 by Hugh Fitzroy Colmer
— — —
Many myths are allegories of the path of the sun through the signs of the zodiac, and the famous axiom "As above and so Below" is closer to the truth than we would think. For example, the Pyramids of Giza are a reflection of the Orion Belt, and the river Nile is a reflection of the Asteroid Belt.
The word "Orient" in the Christmas carol "We Three Kings from Orient Are" should be replaced by "Orion." The three Magi (Matt.2:1) who searched for the newly born Christ are symbolic of the three stars in the hunter's belt in the constellation of Orion. Orion was known by Egyptians as "The First Time" of Osiris.
The Three Kings represent the three divine aspects of Will, Love and Intelligence. The name "Orion" literally means "the breaking forth of light" and therefore symbolizes Spirit. In South America Orion's Belt is known as "Las Tres Marias" (The Three Marys), in honor of Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, three major New Testament figures.
The Star of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:2) symbolizes the brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius, which is part of the winter triangle in the constellation Canis Major. In Sanskrit, Sirius is known as Mrgavyadha ("deer hunter") or Lubdhaka ("hunter"). As Mrgavyadha, the star represents Siva.
At 4 p.m. Bethlehem time, the three stars in Orion aligned along a southeast direction toward Sirius, and the Star of Bethlehem rose and pointed to the birthplace of Christ. Since stars, like the sun, always rise from the east, it would appear as three stars following one bright star, or as the star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi. If the Magi were on land, they couldn't come from the east and follow a star from the east. But if the Magi are stars in the sky, it makes sense. Sirius would have appeared to stop, like the star of Bethlehem, when it was directly above the stable where Christ was born.
Thousands of years before Mary nursed the baby Jesus, the Madonna and the Child existed in Egypt as Isis holding her infant, Horus. Isis (Sirius) "Virgin of the World." On the walls of the temple of Luxor, there were carved four scenes adopted by the Gospels:
* The first scene depicts a group of angels on a cloud making the annunciation of the coming of the Messiah King to a band of shepherds in the fields
* The second represents a single angel announcing to a young maiden that she is to be the mother of the awaited Messiah.
* A third pictures the Nativity scene, with the two animals, the ox and the ass, present.
* And the fourth shows three Magi kneeling before a babe and offering gifts, at a date as early as 1700 B.C.
The Egyptian Sun God Horus taught that the Christ spirit is in us all, so he was anticipating a mass of Christs. That's what we need to focus on today instead of the polarization that's caused by religious dogma propagated by those who are unaware of the origins of the Christmas season.
"On entering [the temple of Hera at Plataia, Boiotia], you see Rhea carrying to Kronos the stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, as though it were the babe to which she had given birth." — Pausanias, Guide to Greece 9.2.7
The Babe in a manger born among animals in a stable or a cave and wrapped in swaddling clothes was common in many ancient religions. According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at night while all other gods slept. When he was born at dawn, Maia wrapped him in swaddling clothes.
Mithras was also born in a cave, with shepherds in attendance, on the 25th of December. Mithras was known to his followers as "The light of the world," or "The Good Shepherd," and urged his followers to share ritual communion of bread and wine. Mithras's priests were called "Father."
The attempted assassination of newly born saviors was also not unique to Jesus. When King Herod heard about the birth of Jesus, he asked the Magi from the east who followed the star to Bethlehem to inform him when they found the baby so he could come and worship Him also. Known for his hatred of Jesus as future King of the Jews, he ordered all the babies up to the age of 2 in Bethlehem to be killed.
The Hindu Krishna birth story is another variation on the same theme. Krishna's uncle Kamsa hears a heavenly voice which predicts that the eighth son of his sister, Devaki, will kill him. Devaki and her husband agree to be held captive and to give any children to Kamsa. The eighth child, Krishna, was born at midnight and Kamsa tries many ways to kill Krishna but fails.
In the Greek Orphic religion Dionysus is born from a union between Persephone and Zeus in serpent form. Jealous Hera persuaded the Titans to attack the infant god as he looked into a mirror. Not only did they tear him to pieces, but the Titans ate him — all but his heart, which Athena rescued. From this organ the rest of the god was resurrected.
In the Osiris/Isis mysteries Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis and rightful heir to the throne of Egypt, was killed by Set in the form of a scorpion, but Thoth brought him back to life, as his destiny was to rule Egypt and avenge the crime against his father. Horus grew to be a strong and brave warrior, and his father, Osiris, appeared to him in a vision, and urged him to overthrow Set. The other name for Set is Herut. Does that sound familiar?
Merry Christmas.
— — —
Hugh Fitzroy Colmer lives in Windham, N.Y., with his wife, who runs a raja yoga retreat center. He writes and paints in groups named for their source of inspiration (e.g., the "Major Arcana") from his impressions of ancient religious symbolism and mythology, which can be seen on his website. His email address is {email hcolmer@yahoo.com}hcolmer@yahoo.com{/email}. © copyright 2006 by Hugh Fitzroy Colmer