Above is a link to the latest installment in the series of videos entitled "Star Myths and the Shamanic Worldview." Here are links to part 1 and to part 2 of the same series.
This video constitutes part 3 and introduces the earth's annual orbital motion around the sun, in addition to the earth's daily rotation on its axis (which was important in part 2, in which we examined the story of Adam and Eve and the Serpent, and saw that the westward motion of the constellations was important to understanding the celestial aspects of the Garden of Eden story).
The same caution applies to this video that was articulated in part 2: those who are not ready to examine very strong evidence that the stories in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are almost completely metaphorical in nature (as opposed to literal or historical) may not want to see this video. The post associated with part 2 also advised that this information should not be used as a "club" with which to browbeat someone who is not already looking for this information: sensitivity and respect should always be exercised when coming into contact with someone else's personal beliefs and faith.
In part 3, we begin to examine the importance of the "upper-half" and "lower-half" of the year, and the critical "crossing points" of the equinox.
The upper half of the year can be demonstrated to metaphorically represent heaven, the spirit world, the realm of the gods. The lower half can be demonstrated to metaphorically represent hell, the material world of incarnation, and the underworld of ancient Egypt and many other mythologies.
The equinoxes, then, being the crossing points between these two realms, were the points at which the two worlds intersected. As such, they were associated with birth and with death, with incarnation in the physical body and with release back to the world of spirit at the end of each incarnational cycle -- and they were often depicted in ancient myth and sacred tradition with the metaphor of a sacrifice, which befits their status as the points of contact between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead.
In the video above, one example of such an equinox-sacrifice is examined: the story of Abraham and Isaac found in Genesis 22. Evidence is provided that this event was not meant to be understood literally, but rather that it takes place on the way up a metaphorical mountain (the mountain which leads to the top of the year, and to "heaven"), and that the Ram which was ultimately sacrificed is directly connected to the zodiac sign of Aries.
The ramifications of this understanding of the scriptures are far-reaching. One important conclusion we can draw is that -- like the stars over our heads -- these stories are universal in their scope, and they are part of the celestial inheritance of all humanity. Various literalistic interpretations of these scriptures have been used in the past -- and continue to be used to this day -- to try to separate out one or another family of humanity from the others. The celestial understanding of these stories overturns such a usage of the ancient mythologies.
One of the important interpretations of the celestial metaphors contained in the sacred traditions of the human race is the teaching that we all have a spiritual component, and are not ultimately defined or bounded by our physical body and our material form. Using these scriptures to divide humanity based on different physical lineages focuses on the physical form instead of the inner spiritual spark which the scriptures themselves are trying to point us towards.
There are many other important messages that these star myths convey to us, messages that have been hidden and even deliberately obscured for thousands of years. Ultimately, I believe they teach a very liberating message, and one that is intended to advance human consciousness -- and one that will ultimately prevail over the enemies of that consciousness.
image: Wikimedia commons (link). Modified.
