Astrology and Pagan Symbolism in Christianity

Astrology and Pagan symbolisation in ChristianityAstrology and Pagan Symbolism in ChristianityFirst of each(prenominal) we shall start the definitions of the key words as used in the research question.Astrology can be defined as the study of how events on universe correspond to the positions and movements of astronomical bodies which are the moon, sun, planets and the stars. pagan religion in general is a term for the past and modern religions which identify nature as the body of the predict e.g. Taoism is the paganism of China, Hinduism is the Paganism of India, Shinto the paganism of Japan and Santeria, Voudon Macumba are the paganisms of the African Diaspora etcOn the other hand symbol is the applied use of symbols i.e iconic representations that claim particular conventional meanings. Symbolism also refers to a focus of choosing representative symbols that are in line with the abstract rather than literal properties, allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried m eaning than more literal concept-representations can allow. A religion can be described as a language of concepts related to human spirituality. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions.Christianity is the monotheistic system of beliefs and practices that are based on the Old Testament and the teachings of the Nazarene as embodied in the New Testament and that emphasizes the role of deliveryman as savior and Christ.DiscussionZodiac is one of the oldest conceptual images in human history. It reflects the sun as it figuratively passes by instrument of the 12 major forms over the course of a year. It also reflects the 12 months of the year, the 4 seasons, and the solstices and equinoxes. The term Zodiac relates to the fact that constellations were anthropomorphized, or personified, as figures, or animals.Jesus was born(p) of the Virgin Mary on December 25th/a in Bethlehem, his birth was symbolized by a star in the tocopherol which three kings or magi conserveed to station and adorn the new savior. He was a child teacher at age 12 and at the age of 30 he was baptized by John the Baptist, and thus began the ministry. Jesus had 12 disciples whom he traveled about with performing miracles such as healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on water, he was also known as the King of Kings, the Son of God, the Light of the World, the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God e.g. After being betrayed by Judas his disciple and interchange for 30 pieces of silver, he was crucified, placed in a tomb and after 3 days resurrected and asc closeed to Heaven.The birth sequence of Jesus is completely astrological. The star in the east is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky at night, which on December 24th aligns with the three brightest stars in Orions Belt. These three bright stars are referred now what they were called in ancient propagation, The Three Kings. The Three Kings and the brightest star Sirius, all point to the place of the sunrise on December 25th. This is why the Three Kings follow the star in the east, in order to locate the sunrise or the birth of the sun.Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo, also known as the Virgo the Virgin which in Latin means arrant(a). The ancient glyph for Virgo is the altered m. This is why Mary with other virgin mothers, such as Adoniss mother Myrrha and Buddhas mother Maya begin with an M. Virgo is also referred to as the House of Bread, and the represents of virgin holding a sheaf of wheat. The House of Bread and its symbol of wheat represent August and September, the time of harvest. In turn, Bethlehem literally translates to house of bread. Bethlehem therefore refers to the constellation Virgo, a place in the sky, not on Earth.Another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around December 25th is that from the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the days extend shorter and colder. From the northern hemisphere perspective, the sun appears to move south gets smaller and more scarce . The shortening of days and the expiration of the crops when approaching the winter solstice symbolizes the process of death to the ancients. By December 22nd, the Suns demise was fully realized, for the Sun having moved south continually for 6 months, makes it to its lowest point in the sky. And here a curious liaison occurs, the Sun stops moving south, at least for 3 days. In the three day pause, the Sun stays in the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or Crux, the constellation. After this time on December 25th, the Sun moves 1 degree, this time north, foreshadowing longer days, gush and warmth. And thus it was said, the Sun died on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again. This is why Jesus and numerous other Sun Gods share the crucifixion, 3 day death, and resurrection concept. Its the Suns transition issue forward it shifts its direction back towards the Northern Hemisphere bringing spring and thus salvation.However, they didnt celebrate the resurr ection of the Sun until the spring equinox, or Easter. This is because at the spring equinox, the Sun officially overpowers the evil darkness, as daytime thereafter be deigns longer in duration than night, and the revitalizing conditions of spring emerge.Therefore the obvious astrological symbolism around Jesus regards the 12 disciples. They are simply the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, which Jesus, being the Sun, travels about with.In fact, the number 12 is seen more often throughout the playscript which has more to do with astrology than anything else.Looking at the cross of the Zodiac, the figurative life of the Sun, this was not an artistic expression or tool to track the Suns movements. It is a Pagan adaptation of the cross of the Zodiac. That is why Jesus in early occult art is shown with his head on the cross the Sun of God, the Light of the World, the go Savior, who will come again, as it is every good morning, the Glory of God who battles against the works of darkness, as he is born again every morning, and can be seen glide slope in the clouds, up in Heaven, with his Crown of Thorns, or, sun rays.Now, of the more astrological-astronomical metaphors in the Bible, the most important has to do with the ages. In the scriptures there are numerous references eld. To understand this, we need to familiarize with the phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes. Ancient Egyptians along with cultures long before them recognized that approximately for every 2150 years the sunrise on the morning of the spring equinox would occur at a polar sign of the Zodiac. This is concerned with the slow angular wobble that the Earth maintains as it rotates on its axis. Its called a precession because the constellations go backwards, rather than through the normal annual cycle. The time that it takes for the precession to go through all 12 signs is roughly 25 to 765 years. This is also called the Great Year, and ancient societies were very aware of this. Each 21 50 year period was called an age. From 4300 b.c. to 2150 b.c., it was called the Age of Taurus, the Bull. From 2150 b.c. to 1 a.d., it was called the Age of Aries, the Ram, and from 1 a.d. to 2150 a.d. it was called the Age of Pisces, the age we are still in to date, and in and around 2150, we shall enter the new age called the Age of Aquarius.The Bible reflects a symbolic movement through 3 ages, piece of music foreshadowing a 4th. In the Old Testament when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, he was very upset to see his bulk worshiping a favorable bull calf. He reacted by shattering the stone tablets and instructing his people to kill each other in order to purify themselves. I would attri exactlye this animosity to the fact that the Israelites were worshiping a false idol or something to that effect. The fact is that the golden bull is Taurus the Bull, and Moses represents the new Age of Aries the Ram. That is why Jews even today still blow the Rams hor n. Moses represents the new Age of Aries, and upon the new age, everyone should shed the old age. Other deities mark these transitions as well, a pre-Christian god who kills the bull, in the same symbol.Jesus is the figure who ushers in the age following Aries, the Age of Pisces the two Fish. Fish symbolism is very repetitive in the New Testament. Jesus fed 5000 people with bread and 2 fish. When he began his ministry walking along Galilee, he befriends 2 fishermen, who followed him. I feature seen Jesus-fish on the backs of peoples cars. Yet they do not know what it rattling means. It is a Pagan astrological symbolism for the Suns Kingdom during the Age of Pisces. Also, Jesus assumed birth date is essentially the start of this age.In Luke 2210 when Jesus is asked by his disciples where the next Passover will be, Jesus replied Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water follow him into the house where he entereth in. this script ure is one of the most revealing of all the astrological references. The man carrying a pitcher of water is Aquarius, the water bearer, who is always seen as a man pouring out a pitcher of water. He represents the age after Pisces, and when the Sun leaves the Age of Pisces (Jesus), it will go into the House of Aquarius, as Aquarius follows Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. Also what Jesus is that after the Age of Pisces will come the Age of Aquarius.We have all heard about the end times and the end of the world. Apart from the depictions in the Book of Revelation, the main source of this idea comes from Matthew 2820, where Jesus says I will be with you even to the end of the world. Otherwise, in King James Version, the world is a mistranslation, among many mistranslations. The actual word being used is aeon, which means age. I will be with you even to the end of the age. Which is true, as Jesus Solar Piscean representation will end when the Sun enters the Age of Aquarius. T he entire concept of end times and the end of the world is a misinterpreted astrological allegation. Lets tell that to the approximately 100 million people in America who remember the end of the world is coming.Furthermore, Jesus character, a literary and astrological hybrid, is most explicitly similar to the Egyptian Sun god Horus e.g., inscribed about 3500 years ago on the walls of the Temple of Luxor in Egypt are images of the verbiage of the immaculate conception, the birth, and the adoration of Horus. The images begin with Thaw announcing to the virgin Isis that she will conceive Horus, then Nef the holy ghost shall impregnant the virgin Isis, and then the virgin birth and the adoration. This only entails Jesus miracle conception. In fact, the literary similarities between the Egyptian religion and the Christian religion are staggering.The plagiarism is continuous. The story of Noah and the Ark is taken directly from the traditions. The concept of a Great Flood is common thr oughout the ancient world, with over 200 different cited claims in different periods and times. However, one needs look no go on for a pre-Christian source than the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in 2600 b.c. In this story is told of a Great Flood commanded by God, an Ark with saved animals on it, and even the button and return of a dove, all held in common with the biblical story, among many other similar occurrences.Then there is the plagiarized story of Moses. Upon Moses birth, it is said that he was placed in a reed basket and set adrift in a river in order to avoid infanticide. He was later save by a daughter of a king and raised by her as a Prince. This baby in a basket story was get up directly from the myth of Sargon of Akkad of around 2250 b.c. Sargon was born, placed in a reed basket in order to avoid infanticide, and set adrift in a river. He was in turn rescued and raised by Akki, a royal mid-wife.Furthermore, Moses is known as the bestower of the Ten Commandments. Howe ver, the idea of a faithfulness being passed from God to a prophet on a mountain is also a very old motif. Moses is just a law giver in a series of law givers in mythological history. In India, Manou was the great law giver. In Crete, Minos ascended Mount Dicta, where Zeus gave him the sacred laws. While in Egypt there was Mises, who carried stone tablets and upon them the laws of god were written.The Ten Commandments are taken outright from Spell 125 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. What the Book of the Dead phrased I have not killed mebibyte shall not kill, I have not told lies became Thou shall not bear false witness I have not stolen became Thou shall not steal, and so forth. In fact, the Egyptian religion is likely the primary foundational basis for the Judeo-Christian theology. Baptism, afterlife, final judgment, virgin birth and resurrection, crucifixion, the Ark of the Covenant, circumcision, saviors, Holy Communion, the great flood, Easter, Christmas, Passover, and many more, are all attributes of Egyptian ideas, long predating Christianity and Judaism.Justin Martyr, one of the first Christian historians and defenders, said When we say that Jesus Christ, our teacher, was produced without sexual union, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into Heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those who you esteem Sons of Jupiter. In a different writing, Justin Martyr said He was born of a virgin accept this in similarity with what you believe of Perseus.Its quite obvious that Justin and other early Christians knew how similar Christianity was to the Pagan religions and practices. However, Justin had a solution, as far as he was concerned, the Devil did it. The Devil had the foresight to come before Christ, and create these characteristics in the Pagan world.The Bible is just but an astro-theological literary fold hybrid, just like nearly all religious myths before it. In fact, the aspect of transference, of one ch aracters attributes to a new character, can be found within the bible itself. In the Old Testament theres the story of Joseph. Joseph was a prototype for Jesus. Joseph was born of a miracle birth Jesus was born of a miracle birth. Joseph was of 12 brothers, Jesus had 12 disciples. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. Brother Judah suggests the sale of Joseph, disciple Judas suggests the sale of Jesus. Joseph began his work at the age of 30 Jesus began his work at the age of 30. The parallels go on and on.At the time of Jesus, the Mediterranean world was ruled by the Roman Empire. The Romans were pagans, who had their own gods namely Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and so on. The names of these gods have survived to date in the names of the planets, the days of the week, names of months and general linguistic usage. The other cultures in the area also had their own gods and goddesses, who corresponded more or less to the Roman pantheon. Hellenic wa s the language of culture in the Middle East the main centre was Alexandria in Egypt and the Roman world was one in which trade and religion passed rapidly between the cities and towns along the marvello.Celebrating the Solstice was forbidden by the Church, but many customs survived anyway. In the 4th Century, Pope Julius I declared that 25th December was Jesus birthday and so celebrations were in order. This effectively transformed the Pagan occasion into a Christian holy day (holiday). This was not, however, merely a convenient way to Christianize a Pagan celebration. There is no historical evidence to prove what date Jesus was born on, or the season, or even the year. entirely after many years of calculation, contemplation and argument, 25th December was assigned. And since the why is more important than the when, that date has been good enough for Christians ever since.ConclusionPaganism has a wider influence on our lives than we might care to think. Take for example, the simp le wedding ring. This has profound Pagan origins yet is considered an essential part of the wedding ceremony by many Christians. Overemphasizing the relevance and importance of religious symbols can lead to conflict. Consider the tensions that rose in France during 2004/5, following the banning of Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps, large Christian crucifixes, and other conspicuous religious symbols that dont blend into secular state schools5. The headscarf issue resulted in just a handful of school expulsions but more damagingly generated ill-feeling, divided the country and achieved nothing positive.Paganism has had a wide influence on Christianity given the many examples of rites and regalia that support this assertion. And this raises the question So what? Christians should be cautious about condemning practices as Pagan, just because of their origins. The origins may be interesting, but not so important. What is really important, however, is what we do with the se things.ReferencesJ. G. Frazer (1993) The Golden Bough, Macmillan Co. Ltd, capital of the United KingdomR. Graves (1961) the white Goddess, Faber Faber, LondonA. His lop (1990) The Two Babylons, Loizeaux Brothers 2nd edition.M. D. Magee Sun Gods as Atoning Saviors an online resource investigating the origins of Christian and Jewish teachingsStrabo( 1982) The Geography of Strabo, Loeb Classical program libraryTertullian( 870) Adversus Judaeos, trans. Rev. S. Thelwall, 1870B. G. Walker 1983) the Womans Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Harper Row, NY