Astral Worship | Page 9

Saviours the heroes of similar ones on earth, which they
taught were performed for the good of mankind; and that, after
fulfilling their earthly mission, they were exhaled to heaven through the
agency of fire. When these fables were composed the Summer Solstice
was in the sign of Leo, and making the twelve labors begin in it, the
first consisted in the killing of a lion, and the second, in rescuing a
virgin (Virgo) by the destruction of a Hydra, the constellation in
conjunction with her. Upon one of the Assyrian marbles on exhibition
in the British Museum these two labors are represented as having been
performed by a saviour by the name of Nimroud. In the constellations
of Taurus, the bull of the Zodiac, and of Orion, originally known as
Horns, in conjunction therewith, we have groupings of stars
representing the latter as one of the mighty hunters of the ancient
Astrolatry, supporting on his left arm the shield of the lion's skin, the
trophy of the first labor, and holding a club in his uplifted right hand, is
engaged in performing the tenth labor by a conflict with the former.
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The fable of the twelve labors constituted the sacred records or

scriptures of the older forms of Astrolatry, one version of which,
written with the cuneiform character upon twelve tablets of burnt clay,
exhumed from the ruins of an Assyrian city, and now on exhibition in
the British Museum, is ascribed to Nimroud, the prototype of the
Grecian Hercules, and of Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter of the Old
Testament.

ANNIVERSARIES OF SOLAR WORSHIP.
The Nativity.
Applying the anniversaries inculcated in the worship of God Sol to his
imaginary incarnations, the founders of the ancient Astrolatry made
them refer to the several stages of human existence from infancy to
mature age. Hence, comparing the first day of infantile life to the
shortest day of the year, it would naturally be expected that they would
have placed the anniversary of the Nativity exactly at the Winter
solstice; but, having conceived the idea that the sun stood still for the
space of three days at each of the cardinal points, and making it
represent the figurative death of the genius of that luminary, they fixed
the date for its observance three days later, or on the 25th of December.
The Gnostic adherents to the ancient solar worship, or those who were
conversant with the teachings of the Esoteric philosophy, knowing that
the dramatis personae of the fable of incarnation were pictured with
stars upon the azure vault, recognized the woman "clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars," referred to in Revelations xii. 1, as the Virgo of the Zodiac; they
also knew that she was the true queen of heaven and mother of God;
and that the infant, anciently represented in her arms, and with whom,
in their day, she arose on the Eastern horizon at midnight on the 24th of
December, was the same of whom the people were taught to sing at
Christmas "Unto us a child is born this day."
With the knowledge of these facts we can readily see that this is the
Virgin and child which constituted the originals of those exquisite
paintings, by the old masters, known as the Madonna and Child.

Epiphany or Twelfth Day.
In reference to the twelve signs through which the sun makes his
apparent annual revolution, the twelfth day after Christmas, answering
to the 6th of January, was observed by the votaries of the ancient
Astrolatry as the anniversary of the Epiphany or Twelfth Day. In the
solar fables, it was taught that a star appeared in the heavens on that
day to manifest the birthplace of the infant Saviour to the Magi or Wise
Men of the East, who came to pay him homage, and to present him
with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, as related in Matthew ii.
11.
The reason for presenting these gifts is explained by the facts that of the
seven metals dedicated to the genii of the planets, gold was the one
consecrated to God Sol; and frankincense and myrrh were the gums
burned in censers in his worship.
In reading the account of the Magi's visit to the infant Saviour, we have
but to exercise our thinking faculties to realize that it is allegory instead
of literal history.
Lent or Lenten Season.
In the ancient solar fables it was taught that the persecutions to which
the incarnate Saviours were subjected while passing through the
dominion of God Sol as Lord of Evil, raged with greatest fury during
the forty days preceding the festival of Easter, which period, beginning
when the days were perceptibly lengthening, was called Lent, or