Conversation with Oscar Inclan on Lords of Consciousness at Contact in the Desert!

Big thank you to Oscar Inclan and the rest of the team at Lords of Consciousness for tracking me down at Contact in the Desert last weekend and inviting me on to their show for an interview. 

I enjoyed the conversation with Oscar very much -- you can see our discussion in the above video, which was filmed in one of the alcoves under the shade of the desert trees and plants at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.

During the conversation, I mentioned that Lords of Consciousness is an appropriate title, because as Alvin Boyd Kuhn once said -- and as I am fond of quoting -- in the world's ancient wisdom, found in the myths, scriptures and sacred stories of every culture on every inhabited continent and island:

The actors are not old kings, priests and warriors; the one actor in every portrayal, in every scene, is the human soul. The Bible is the drama of our history here and now; and it is not apprehended in its full force and applicability until every reader discerns himself [or herself] to be the central figure in it! The Bible is about the mystery of human life. Instead of relating to the incidents of a remote epoch in temporal history, it deals with the reality of the living present in the life of every soul on earth.

At one point, Oscar asks an outstanding question about the possible meaning of the "foot-washing scenes" found in both the Odyssey and in the (so-called) "New" Testament in the biblical scriptures.

The very clear parallels between those two scenes, and the fact that both can be very satisfactorily shown to be based upon celestial metaphor involving very specific constellations that you can still see for yourself in the night sky, should be conclusive evidence that the world's ancient myths are speaking the same "celestial language" and are in fact closely related.

You can see the conversation in the video above. Also, Alvin Boyd Kuhn offers some good insights into "foot washing" in general in his 1940 masterpiece, Lost Light, where he says:

On the second day's celebration of the Mystery rites in Greece [he is here referring to the mysteria of Eleusis], the one commemorating the descent of the gods into matter, the cry "Alade, mustai" ("to the sea, ye initiated ones!") was the keynote of the ceremony.
[ . . . ]
Plutarch affirms that the child Jesus fell into the sea and was drowned. Likewise Horus.
[ . . . ]
This firmly supports the primary claim of this study, that the incarnation is the one central theme of all scripture. Burial of the soul in the water of the body on earth is all that could ever have meant by the baptism.
An aspect of the baptism formula was the rite of feet-washing. Jesus washed the disciples' feet. This act was a dramatization of his laying aside his superior dignity, humbling himself to become a servant and pouring out the water of deific potency for the cleansing baptism of the lower nature of man. For he himself poured out the water in a basin. The Speaker says that he comes that he may purify this soul of his in the most hight degree. The Teacher in the Pistis Sophia says that he tore himself asunder to bring unto mankind the "Mysteries of light to purify them . . . otherwise no soul in the whole of mankind would have been saved!" (Bk. 2:249, Mead). Here is one of the most explicit references to divine dismemberment anywhere to be found. 390 - 391.

Elsewhere in the same book, Kuhn says:

Coming with his fan in his hand "he will thoroughly purge his floor." The floor is the physical base of life. The higher potency will cleanse the lowest. More than once the Egyptian Ritual harps on the soul's "acquiring dominion over his feet." The rite of feet-washing can be immediately divined as a type of cleansing the lowest nature. Texts in the Ritual state that he who has won control over his feet has done all he needs to do to insure salvation. 354.

I hope you enjoy the above interview. I was not familiar with Lords of Consciousness before going on their show, but asked a little about what they are about and learned that they support sustainable permaculture and raising consciousness. I must say that I do not at all endorse the views of every other guest who has ever been interviewed on any of the podcasts or shows on which I appear, and that I am very strongly against any sort of apologetic or rationalization for Germany's role in the Second World War and the actions of the Nazis before, during or after that war, as offered by one guest on a previous interview on that same show. I am very strongly and wholeheartedly opposed to fascism and right-wing political arguments everywhere and at all times.

The above interview was recorded on May 20, 2017.



PS: For a blog post talking about the wonderful illustrated mythology books of Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire, see here.

For a discussion of the importance of the Ganges, and the way it flows down from heaven originating in the locks of Shiva, see here and also here.

There is no member of mine devoid of a god

Chapter 42, Plate 32, Ritual of Coming Forth by Day, Papyrus of Ani (c. 1250 BC).

In a passage I have cited many times before, from a 1936 lecture entitled The Stable and the Manger, Alvin Boyd Kuhn declares that the ancient myths and scriptures "mean nothing as outward events" (that is, as supposed narratives of literal events in terrestrial history) but rather that 

they mean everything as picturizations of that which is our living experience at all times. The actors are not old kings, priests and warriors; the one actor in every portrayal, in every scene, is the human soul.

All of the myths and sacred stories, according to Kuhn's analysis, deal with one theme: "The epic of the human soul in earthly embodiment" (Lost Light, 67). In all of the varied episodes, he maintains, whether wrestling with serpents or being tempted by Sirens or struggling to return home, "the history of the divine Ego in its progress from Earth back to the skies was allegorically portrayed" (67).

The profound ramifications of this perspective upon the ancient myths may be easy to overlook, unless we take the time to let the weighty import of these assertions sink in. If Kuhn is correct (and I believe that he is), then it means that you and I and every other man or woman or child that we ever meet are much more than we have been conditioned to believe. 

In his view, the world's ancient wisdom is declaring again and again that each and every human soul is in fact divinity "buried in clay," or "chopped up" like Osiris and scattered across the country, or entwined in "the coils of a serpent," or "shorn of power" like Samson -- but that our experience here in this "lower passage" involves the recovery of that "buried" aspect of our nature, and the "re-integration" or "reclamation" of that divine aspect which has been temporarily lost or forgotten.

In support of his assertion, Kuhn points to a powerful passage from the ancient Egyptian Ritual of the Coming Forth by Day (also commonly referred to in modern times as the Egyptian Book of the Dead). There, in the 42nd chapter (illustrated in what is known as "Plate 32" or "Sheet 32" of the version inscribed upon the famous version known as the Papyrus of Ani, which is seventy-eight feet in length and beautifully illustrated), we read the following lines (as translated by E. A. Wallis Budge in 1901, with occasional clarification from the 1972 translation by Raymond O. Faulkner added in brackets):

The hair of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the hair of Nu [or Nun]
The face of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the face of Ra
The eyes of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the eyes of Hathor
The ears of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the ears of Ap-uat [or Wepwawet]
The lips of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the lips of Anpu [or Anubis]
The teeth [or molars] of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the teeth of Serqet [or Selket]
The neck of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the neck of Isis
The hands of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the hands of Ba-neb-Tattu
The shoulder of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the shoulder of Uatchet
The throat of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the throat of Mert
The forearms of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the forearms of the Lady of Sais
The backbone of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the backbone of Set
The chest of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the chest of the lords of Kheraha
The flesh [or chest] of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the flesh of the Mighty One of Terror [or He who is Greatly Majestic]
The reins and back [or belly and spine] of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the reins and back of Skehet [or Sekhmet]
The buttocks of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the buttocks of the Eye of Horus
The phallus of Osiris Ani, triumphant, is the phallus of Osiris
The legs [or thighs and calves] of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the legs of Nut
The feet of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the feet of Ptah
The fingers of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the fingers of Orion
The leg-bones [or toes] of Osiris Ani, triumphant, are the leg-bones of the living uraei [the rearing cobras of the goddess Wadjet]
There is no member of my body which is not the member of some god ["There is no member of mine devoid of a god"]
The god Thoth shieldeth my body altogether ["And Thoth is the protection of all my flesh"]

In the image above, from the Papyrus of Ani, you can see the illustration that accompanies this profound passage in the Ritual of Coming Forth by Day. There, each of the divine personages mentioned in the cited text is illustrated, from the figure of Nu (or Nun) on the far left as we face the page to the three living uraei (rearing cobras) on the far right of the image.

What this profound passage appears to be teaching us is that we are in some way intended to incorporate the powers of the gods into our lives -- and that the gods who dwell in the Invisible Realm somehow have their home and exercise their power through the persons of men and women in this realm.

In Lost Light, on page 549, Alvin Boyd Kuhn interprets this very passage, saying:

The god himself, fallen into carnal mire, buried and inert, had to be raised and restored to sound condition. As he awakened his faculties and sloughed off the imprisoning vesture of decay, it was as if every member of his body was resuscitated and made over. [ . . . ] This work is gradual and is accomplished piecemeal. The god finds glorification coming day by day, feature by feature; he is reconstituted limb by limb, member by member, until he says there is no part of him that remains mortal. He is given the hair of Nu or heaven (solar rays); the eyes of Hathor; the ears of Apuat; the nose of Khenti-Kas; the lips of Anup; the teeth of Serkh; the neck of Isis; the hands of the mighty lord of Tattu; the shoulders of Neith; the back of Sut; the phallus of Osiris; the legs and thighs of Nut; the feet of Ptah; and the nails and bones of the living Uraei "until there is no limb of him that is without a god." "My leg-bones are the leg-bones of the living gods. There is no member of my body that is not the member of some god. I am Yesterday, and Seer of Millions of Years is my name." Here is notice to man that he must traverse every kingdom in order that he may absorb and embody in himself every aspect of nature's power, the efficacy of every god. Mighty truth is this. 549 - 550.

In this explication of the passage, Kuhn echoes Gerald Massey, who wrote in Ancient Egypt: the Light of the World (Volume One, published in 1907) that:

Before the mortal Manes could attain the ultimate state of spirit in the image of Horus the immortal, he must be put together part by part as was Osiris, the dismembered god. He is divinized in the likeness of various divinities, all of whom had been included as powers in the person of the one true god, Neb-er-ter, the lord entire. Every member and part of the Manes in Amenta has to be fashioned afresh in a new creation. The new heart is said to be shaped by certain gods in the nether world, according to the deeds done in the body whilst the person was living on earth. He assumes the glorified body that is formed feature by feature and limb after limb in the likeness of the gods until there is no part of the Manes that remains undivided. He is given the hair of Nu, or heaven, the eyes of Hathor, ears of Apuat, nose of Khenti-Kas, lips of Anup, teeth of Serk, neck of Isisi, hand of the mighty lord of Tattu, shoulders of Neith, back of Sut, phallus of Osiris, legs and thighs of Nut, feet of Ptah, with nails and bones of the living Uraei, until there is not a limb of him that is without a god. 198 - 199.

While Kuhn admired the work of Massey and praised him as one of the most discerning and insightful to have studied ancient Egypt, he disagreed that the passages have to do with the soul in the afterlife -- rather, Kuhn argues, the soul in this incarnate life (which is indeed "the Underworld," compared to the intangible Realm of Spirit) is indicated. Thus, we are not to understand that we must incorporate the attributes and powers of the various gods and goddesses in the next life, but rather in this one.

As Kuhn says, "Mighty truth is this" -- and a profound mystery.

But it is clearly and forcefully proclaimed in the ancient Egyptian texts -- and it opens an entirely new paradigm on our mission and purpose here in this incarnate life. 

And it opens an entirely new paradigm upon the way we treat others and structure our society -- because it means that the gods in a very real sense can be understood to be present in those around us (just as they are also present in ourselves).

In what ways is our society -- which itself is a product of a civilization that has been violently cut off from the world's ancient wisdom for at least seventeen centuries -- dishonoring the gods or even stealing from them in the way that it treats individual men and women in whose members the gods manifest (according to the ancient texts)?

In what ways do we steal from the gods when we do not teach these truths to others, or allow them to be known -- and when we do not pursue the kind of integration in ourselves that is described in the ancient Book of the Coming Forth by Day?

I am quite convinced that the world's ancient wisdom was given to humanity for our benefit and blessing -- and that their ancient teaching belongs to each and every one of us.

Because, as the Papyrus of Ani illustrates and declares, the gods and goddesses are properly present in us: in you, and in me, and in everyone you ever meet.

Back from Contact in the Desert 2017

image: modified composite of personal photograph plus two images from Wikimedia commons (link 1 and link 2).

I've recently returned from a fantastic visit to Joshua Tree, California and the Contact in the Desert conference for 2017.

The conference is still going on through another entire day on Monday, May 22, but I hitched a ride home early in the above-pictured craft (I used to own a 1966 model myself, so I really couldn't resist).

Big thank-you to everyone who stopped by my table to learn about Star Myths and Astrotheology and the celestial language that the world's ancient myths are speaking. I enjoyed meeting every single person who visited, as well as our conversations.

Thank you also to those who purchased copies of my books -- I very much hope that you will enjoy them and that they will be uplifting in some way.

For anyone who was unable to attend this year's Contact in the Desert, or who was unable to purchase signed copies of books at the conference due to the inconvenience of having to carry them around or pack them in luggage for the flight home, you can always purchase copies from one of many outlets, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookseller -- and can obtain signed copies of any title from the "Books" section of my website where you can specify a name or names for a personalized inscription.

The order page for signed copies can be found towards the bottom of that "Books" page, and it is set up for shipments within the united states. If you want to arrange shipment to somewhere else, please use the contact form provided on the website and we can figure out how much the shipping would cost.

For new friends visiting this blog for the first time after learning about my research at the conference, welcome! You can follow my new "author page" on Facebook (if you use that site), and will definitely want to check out all the material that's available on my main website, Star Myth World (dot com).

There is a search window on the blog to search for specific terms in the over 900 posts going back to 2011, and of course you can also visit the "Myths" section of the website to find discussions of specific ancient stories and their relation to the stars and heavenly cycles (and meaning for us today), as well as the "Video" and "Podcasts" sections for visual and audible examination of the evidence that virtually all the world's ancient myths, scriptures, and sacred stories can be shown to be built upon a common system of very specific celestial metaphor.

The stars and planets shining over the desert were spectacular. I enjoyed cooking my dinner on a camp stove under the stars, while powerful laser-pointers probed the sky overhead -- and then sleeping out on the desert floor and doing Sun Salutations facing the sun in the morning. 

You can see some photographs from this year's event which were published in the LA Daily News here.

How to find the four important heavenly serpents

image: Wikimedia commons (link).

Right now is one of the best times of the year to try to locate the four major celestial serpents which play important roles in many of the world's ancient myths.

All four of them can be seen at the same time at this time of year, if you happen to be located in the northern hemisphere. Observers in the southern hemisphere will probably not be able to locate the constellation Draco, which winds its way between the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, near the north celestial pole, unless they are observing from a point fairly close to the equator.

However, viewers in most parts of the globe should be able to locate the first three of the celestial serpents described below (we'll return to tips for locating Draco momentarily).

Presently, the first and perhaps most important of the heavenly serpents is rising in the east during the prime-time viewing hours after sunset: the brilliant constellation Scorpio, which plays the role of a devouring serpent or a dragon in many of the world's ancient myths (in addition to occasionally playing a scorpion). 

Scorpio can be easily identified by the bright reddish star Antares, in the very "heart" of the constellation. Scorpio is labeled in the star-chart below: the constellation Scorpio follows behind Virgo in the zodiac band (behind Libra, which is between Virgo and Scorpio but is fairly faint and is not marked in the diagram below, since we are here dealing with tips to assist in locating the four heavenly serpents).

You can easily locate Virgo right now because the glorious planet Jupiter is traveling through Virgo at this time (the constellation Corvus the Crow, which stares towards Virgo's brightest star, Spica, is also looking generally in the direction of Jupiter at present). When you find Jupiter, you can then trace out the rest of the constellation Virgo. To the east of Virgo, rising up out of the eastern horizon, you should be able to easily identify the looming worm-like form of Scorpio, nearly vertical in the eastern sky -- its "pincers" most easily seen as a kind of "T" bar of three stars above the vertical body of the worm.

Scorpio appears in many myths as a serpent or similar monster with multiple heads -- sometimes seven, sometimes eight, and sometimes nine. Thus, I have drawn it as having multiple heads in the chart above, although depending on the light pollution in your area you will probably only be able to see the three brightest stars (which give it a "T" shape as it rises up from the horizon, as mentioned), due to the ambient light that is usually present near the horizons.

Directly above Scorpio, you may be able to make out the enormous form of Ophiucus, the Serpent-bearer, who holds the next of the four celestial serpents that you can see during this time of year. Ophiucus is not easy to identify unless you are fairly familiar with the constellation's outline -- although once you become familiar with it then it becomes fairly easy to see when Ophiucus is in the sky. 

At present, Ophiucus will be "lying" almost horizontal to the eastern horizon as it rises in the east, above (or "to the left of") the vertical form of Scorpio rising. As Scorpio and Ophiucus make their way across the middle of the sky, Scorpio will become more horizontal and Ophicucus will turn upwards and become more vertical, but when they are just rising in the east, then Scorpio will be vertical and Ophiucus will be horizontal. The diagram above "curves" the horizon upwards on the left and right sides of the image, to simulate the 180 degrees of horizon arc that you would be able to see if you were actually standing outside. Thus, if you think about that left horizon as being more "level" (as it will be when you are outside), you will realize that Ophiucus will also seem much more horizontal when you are trying to identify the constellation's outline in the heavens (outdoors) than it seems to be in the above image.

Here is a previous post that provides some tips on tracing the outline of Ophiucus in the sky. My favorite method for seeing the constellation involves finding the "triangle" at the top of the massive body of the constellation. The "forward foot" of the constellation Hercules comes very close to the "triangle" of Ophiucus, as you can see from the diagram above. Knowing this fact can help you to identify the triangle at the top of Ophiucus.

The constellation Ophiucus, as his name implies, is holding a great serpent. This serpent is actually seen in two "halves" which are found on either side of the body of the constellation of Ophiucus. The serpent of Ophiucus plays an important role in many ancient myths -- sometimes in the role of a serpent, but often in the role of other sinuous things as well, including various forms of vegetation. The serpent halves can be described as having a "tail" half (on the left as we look at the image above -- the eastern half) and a "head" half (on the right as we look at the image above -- the western half). 

You can see that the "head" of the serpent of Ophiucus resembles a small triangle or diamond-shape. Note also that the constellation Hercules can be seen to be reaching down towards the "head" of the serpent of Ophiucus with his lower outstretched arm. 

There are a great many myths from around the world in which a serpent or serpent-figure guards a tree bearing special fruit (often, divine fruit). For instance, in the myth of Heracles (also known in Latin as Hercules), the hero must retrieve an apple from the garden of the Hesperides -- and that apple tree is guarded by a fearsome dragon. You can see Hercules gathering an apple from a tree around which a large serpent is winding in the ancient mosaic shown above.

I am convinced that the "head" of the serpent held by Ophiucus represents the apple in this particular myth, which Hercules reaches out his hand to grasp -- just as the constellation Hercules can be seen to be doing in the night sky. The "dragon" which guards the base of the tree in this myth is of course Scorpio, which is found around the region of the base of the constellation Ophiucus. There are many other myths around the world in which a dragon resides at the roots of a tree -- such as the Norse myths, for example, in which Nidhogg the dragon gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil, the World-Tree.

Of course, there is also a story about a serpent and a tree with fruit at the beginning of the text of Genesis -- and the clear echoes of this particular episode to other ancient myths involving trees and serpents (and sometimes fruit as well) shows once again that the sacred texts included in the so-called Old and New Testaments of the Bible are closely related to the world's other ancient myths, scriptures and sacred stories, and that they are all based upon the same system of celestial metaphor.

Moving on to the third important celestial serpent, we can also see not far away the constellation Hydra, which stretches below Virgo (all directions in the above descriptions are for observers in the northern hemisphere -- the constellation Hydra will be "above" Virgo for viewers in the southern hemisphere). Hydra also plays a role in numerous ancient Star Myths, many of which are detailed in the volumes of the series entitled Star Myths of the World, and how to interpret them.

At this time of year, you can see the entire length of the constellation Hydra, at the same time that you can see Scorpio rising, with Ophiucus above Scorpio holding the two halves of the Ophiucus-serpent, and also Draco far above. Hydra is so long that its body actually continues on past Virgo and runs underneath the length of the constellation Leo (who precedes Virgo in the sky, as shown above). The head of Hydra is actually quite a bit further west than the nose or forward feet of Leo. You can make out the small oddly-shaped head of Hydra ahead of Leo (and below it), and if you do so it may give you a nice feeling of accomplishment.

Note that in the above diagram I have also indicated the stars Castor and Pollux, which are setting in the west but still visible in the star-chart above. They will be roughly level with one another (once again, the horizon in the chart above is curved upwards to try to simulate the "wrapping" of the horizon to your right as you face south in the northern hemisphere, so although the stars of Castor and Pollux appear to be stacked one above the other in the diagram, they are actually next to each other in a line that parallels the horizon, when you go outside at night). This previous post gives more tips on locating Castor and Pollux in the west at this time of year.

Note also that between the muzzle of the Lion of Leo and the heads of the Twins of Gemini you can still see the delightful Beehive Cluster, whose general location is also labeled in the above star-chart. Here is a previous post (one of many) discussing the location of this important celestial feature.

Those three celestial serpents -- Scorpio, the serpent of Ophiucus, and Hydra -- should all be visible at this time of year to most observers located in either hemisphere. The fourth of the important heavenly serpents which is also easily observable at this time of year, for viewers in the northern hemisphere, is the Dragon of Draco. This constellation winds its way between the stars of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, and is best found by first locating those two fairly familiar constellations.

The Big Dipper is one of the most well-known constellations in the northern sky. Its front two stars (the two front stars in its "bowl") are known as the "pointers," and they point to the North Star, Polaris. 

Polaris itself forms the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper: once you locate Polaris, you can trace the arcing handle of the Little Dipper forward to the small "bowl" of that constellation, whose front two stars are relatively bright and easy to spot. Below is a diagram showing the two Dippers, with Draco in between:

Once you have located the Big and Little Dippers, it is a relatively easy task to trace out the sinuous form of Draco winding in between them. Remember that the tip of the "tail" of Draco is found just above the "pointers" of the Big Dipper, and that the "body" winds around the "cup" or "bowl" of the Little Dipper. Then the constellation makes a rather sharp bend at the place where there are two small "feet" on the outline of Draco (as envisioned by the brilliant constellation-mapper, H. A. Rey). Finally, the "head" of the Dragon of Draco is another small circlet of stars, and you should be able to make it out at this time of year. It is not far from the sword or club held by the constellation Hercules, who is presently rising in the east (along with Ophiucus) in the hours after sunset and before midnight.

Thus, you can see that right now is a wonderful opportunity to try to observe all four of the most important celestial "serpents" who play various roles in the world's ancient myths. The next several days leading up to New Moon on May 25 are especially good nights to observe the stars (and the night of New Moon and the following couple nights are also good for observing stars, as the young waxing crescent follows the sun very closely for the first couple nights after New Moon).

If it is at all possible, I hope that you can go outside into the night and trace out the heavenly serpents who wind their way through the world's ancient myths!

See you at Contact in the Desert!

image: Wikimedia commons (link).

If you are planning to attend this year's Contact in the Desert in Joshua Tree, California, you will have the opportunity to hear from an enormous lineup of researchers, authors and speakers, including Graham Hancock, Professor Robert Schoch, and many others.

I won't be speaking but will be attending and also selling copies of my latest book, Astrotheology for Life, as well as copies of all my previous books (you can see sample content from each of those here), and would be happy to inscribe those for you. 

If you are planning on attending and have a copy of one of my books already that you'd like me to sign for you and want to bring it along, feel free to do that rather than buying copies there.  Obviously, I will not be able to transport an unlimited number of each of the different titles to the event, but I will have copies of each title while supplies last.

If you're not able to attend this year's event in Joshua Tree, I hope to attend other events in the near future in other locations, and will make that known here on the blog, so stay tuned.

Hope to see you there!

New video: "See for Yourself!"

The world's ancient myths are built on celestial metaphor. 

In 1952, H. A. Rey (who, along with his wife Margret, is best known for writing and illustrating the Curious George books) published a system for outlining the constellations in the book entitled The Stars: A New Way to See Them (still in print, in an updated edition available online here or in most bookstores).

Curiously, his system opens the door to seeing the connections between the myths and the stars. And, as this video shows, it appears that artists down through the millennia (and around the globe) were using a very similar system for outlining the constellations -- and for encoding the constellations in artwork about the myths!

This new video uses the outlines suggested by H. A. Rey (with some slight modifications in a few instances) to illustrate the direct connections between ancient artwork and specific constellations and their distinctive outlines and features. Some less-ancient artwork depicting scenes from what are often referred to as the Old and New Testaments is included as well, along with star-charts illustrating their connections to the stars.

Welcome to new visitors from AdventureFit Radio (and returning friends)!

Big thank you to Tom Ahern and Bill Kerr of AdventureFit Travel and AdventureFit Radio for reaching out all the way from Australia to invite me over to their show! 

Tom and I had a great interview (Bill was recuperating and couldn't be part of the conversation) and I hope you will enjoy it. 

Welcome to all new visitors who may be checking out the blog and the Star Myth World website for the first time due to hearing about my research through this latest podcast. 

Here is a link to the podcast on the AdventureFit website, and here is a link you can use to download the file to your iTunes or other mp3 player (other options for listening are available at the podcast link).

I thought Tom asked some great questions and led the conversation into some areas that have not necessarily surfaced in other podcast interviews. 

Below are a few links to some previous posts related to some of the subjects we touched upon during the chat:

• The importance and power of music.

• Link to the interview of Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson on the Joe Rogan Experience (dated November 15, 2016) that caused Tom to search for more information on lost civilizations and come across some of my research.

• King Midas and his legendary bad judgment.

• King Solomon and his inspired judgment.

• Some thoughts on Midas and Solomon and applications to issues we face today.

• A discussion of Prometheus, bringer of fire (more discussion is found in Star Myths of the World, Volume Two).

• Discussion of the "crossing of the Great Flood" which may be a metaphor for something we are all going through in this incarnate life.

• Discussion of the celestial foundations of the crossing of the Red Sea.

• The Orisha (deities) named Shango and Oya of the Yoruba.

• Sacred geometry and the Vesica Piscis encoded in the ancient scriptures -- and also in the ancient mound constructions in the Americas.

• A metaphor suggested by Laird Scranton for understanding the relationship between the Invisible Realm and the Visible Realm.

• The importance of incorporating practices such as Yoga or other ancient disciplines if possible (and see also related posts such as this one or this one or this one or this one).

• Musings that out-of-body experiences involving mushrooms or other methods may relate to the message of the myths.

• Evidence that men and women seem to be "hard-wired" to be able to access the Other Realm, through a variety of methods or techniques.

• The importance of Gobekli Tepe and how it upends the conventional paradigm of humanity's ancient history (and see also here).

• Evidence that the conventional timeline of ancient history is gravely flawed.

• Celestial aspects of the Bhagavad Gita.

• Celestial aspects of the story of Doubting Thomas (and see also here and here).

• The ongoing vital importance of the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King (and see also here).

It was great to "meet" Tom and Bill during the weeks leading up to this interview, and I wish them all the best with their travels and research and other projects. Travel is obviously something that can greatly enhance our lives, and can also provide us with new perspectives and even cause us to question assumptions that may go unexamined if we always stay within familiar surroundings and people -- so getting out to experience other cultures and other parts of the world can indeed be life-changing.

I myself have had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand and Australia (thanks, Kiwi!) and can attest to just how much positive impact that trip has had on my life. 

This interview was recorded on April 27, 2017.

New video discussing some aspects of Astrotheology for Life

Here's a video I made discussing some of the concepts found in my new book, Astrotheology for Life.

I hope it's helpful for explaining some of the reasons I had for writing this particular book in this particular way.

You can find most of the previous videos I've made on related subjects in the "Videos" section of the Star Myth World website. You can also "subscribe" on YouTube if you want to be alerted immediately when a new video is published (although new videos will also be posted to the blog, usually within twenty-four hours of being published online somewhere).

Please feel free to leave feedback on videos or to pass them along to friends or family as appropriate, and also to let me know if there's a way to make them more helpful in any way.

Introducing Astrotheology for Life

I'm very pleased to announce the arrival of my latest book, Astrotheology for Life: Unlocking the Esoteric Wisdom of Ancient Myth.

You can see sample content by visiting the "Books" section of my main website, Star Myth World (dot com). 

This book aims to explore the system of celestial metaphor upon which virtually all of the world's ancient myths, scriptures and sacred stories are founded -- a concept sometimes referred to as "astrotheology" -- and also to explore how their ancient wisdom applies to our lives today. I am convinced that in order to begin to understand their message, it is important to approach the myths in the language that they are speaking.

To that end, I have arranged the discussions in Astrotheology for Life by "myth-pattern" (sometimes referred to as "oicotype"). As most of those who have studied myths from around the world soon begin to realize, certain themes or patterns can be found in myths from cultures which are widely separated from one another on our planet (and indeed separated from one another, apparently, by time as well). Some of these myth patterns which are explored in some detail in the book include:

• The baby cast adrift in the water -- typically in a river and sometimes in the sea
• The crossing of a Great Flood, one of the most prevalent patterns in ancient myth
• Stories involving a woman or a goddess who must be made to smile, or who smiles and then denies it
• The retrieval of the beloved from the realm of the dead, usually an unsuccessful retrieval (such as we find in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, a pattern which is extremely widespread)
• And stories involving a "failed baptism," in which a baby is dipped in fire or in water intended to make the child immortal or invulnerable to weapons, but the outcome of which is typically unsuccessful.

By looking at patterns of myth, and then discussing the likely celestial analogues upon which these specific stories are built, as well as the possible esoteric messages which the stories in these myth-patterns may be intended to convey, the hope is that the reader will begin to develop "pattern recognition" in the exploration of ancient myth, so that you can approach them for yourself, directly.

The book is entitled Astrotheology for Life because I am quite convinced that the ancient myths and their profound wisdom have direct applications for our lives today. 

And not only for our individual lives: I am also convinced that many of the grave problems we face in the world today are a direct result of being "cut off" from the ancient wisdom which was entrusted to all humanity in the form of the ancient myths. Reconnecting with this ancient wisdom may be vital in making choices that will result in life for future generations.

For this book, I developed a new way of displaying the star-charts in black and white, so that they will be highly visible and helpful, and also so that the cost of the book can be kept down (color images cost more money to produce in a book). Astrotheology for Life contains over fifty illustrations and labeled star-charts along with clear and systematic explanation showing how the ancient myths and myth-patterns are built on the cycles of the heavens, and how to interpret their message for yourself.

I hope that the message inside will be a blessing to you in some way.

The Twins in the west

As the moon continues to grow (wax) towards full moon (which occurs on May 10), its increasing light will make star-gazing and constellation-identifying more challenging. However, at present the moon is moving into the constellation of Leo the Lion and is roughly adjacent to the two "twin-stars" of Gemini -- Castor and Pollux -- making it very easy to identify them in the sky.

The star-chart above (which was made using the excellent open-source planetarium app Stellarium, available at stellarium.org), shows the sky on the night of May 3rd from the position of an observer in the northern hemisphere at about 35 north latitude. The direction of observation is towards the south and west, and in order to locate the Twins of Gemini you will want to direct your attention to the western horizon, where the two stars of Castor and Pollux will be fairly high in the sky and roughly equivalent in height above the western horizon.

In the diagram above, note that the western horizon is "wrapping" upwards towards the right which is why the "right-hand" head of the twins, Castor, appears slightly higher -- but that "wrapping" effect is there in order to indicate that this part of the horizon would be "wrapping" around you to the right, if  you were actually outside, and that you would thus have to turn slightly to your right if facing south, in order to face west. As you turned right, the horizon would be level in real life, and the "twin-stars" of Gemini would be roughly even in height relative to the western horizon.

You should have little difficulty locating the brightest stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. The brighter of the two, towards the east or left in the diagrams, is Pollux, while Castor is slightly dimmer (it is on the right or west). Below is a zoomed-in diagram of the section of the western sky containing the Twins:

Depending on the darkness of the sky in your area (and it will become more and more challenging as the moon waxes towards full, but then as it wanes again it will become easier) you may be able to make out the rest of the upright figures of the two Twins. They form two "parallel lines" coming down from the bright stars of their two heads, and their hands appear to be joined.

The stars marked with red arrows in the above diagram will be easiest to see, even as the moon becomes brighter and brighter. To the east (left in the diagram) and slightly below the twin-stars of Gemini will be the bright star Procyon, in Canis Minor (the "Little Dog"). To the west (right in the diagram) and also slightly below the level of Castor and Pollux will be the stars of Auriga the Charioteer. The brightest three stars of this constellation form a triangle and are marked by red arrows in the diagram above. The brightest star of Auriga is Capella -- forming the "eye" of the Charioteer's head, as envisioned in the constellation-outlining system of H. A. Rey.

As discussed in this previous post on the mythological traditions associated with the Twins, in many cultures there are myths in which one of a pair of mythological Twins is mortal, while the other is immortal. In the myth of Castor and Pollux (or Castor and Polydeuces), Castor is mortal while Polydeuces is immortal. 

This aspect of the myth, which carries an important esoteric message, can help you to remember which star (and which Twin) is which in the night sky. The star of the immortal Twin (Pollux) is brighter. Additionally, there is a trail of stars descending from the foot of the mortal twin (Castor) -- as if perhaps representing chains with which Castor is bound in the underworld. The motif of the Twins, of course, helps us to understand our own condition here in this incarnate life -- in which we are "bound" or "chained" within the realm of matter (the "lower realm" or the underworld), but in which we have access to our own "divine twin," as described in so many ancient myths around the world (see for instance the discussion in this previous post). 

There is a sacred story from the Tewa-speaking language groups of the Pueblo Native Americans, in which a young couple, just married, are so in love that they neglect all other duties among their people -- until the young woman suddenly becomes ill and dies. The young man, distraught, refuses to let her go -- and the story continues with the adventures of the living husband and undead bride until eventually the two are turned into the stars of Castor and Pollux, to chase each other forever across the sky. This story, and its numerous other celestial references, is discussed in more detail in Star Myths of the World, Volume One -- and I believe that it depicts very much the same truths about our incarnate condition contained in the myth of Castor and Pollux and in other similar "Gemini-related" Star Myths found in cultures around the world.

The bright stars that mark the heads of the heavenly Twins of the constellation Gemini were sometimes described in ancient myth as flames of fire which came down to rest above the heads of Castor and Polydeuces. In particular, during the Voyage of the Argonauts (in which Castor and Polydeuces participated, according to some ancient sources), there was a mighty storm with ferocious winds, but Orpheus -- who had been initiated into the mysteria of Samothrake or Samothrace -- offered prayers to the Great Gods of those mysteries (who also appear to have been associated with the Twins), and immediately the wind died down, and at the same time two flames descended over the heads of the Twin brothers on the ship, to the wonderment of all the others. 

The parallels between this ancient myth -- recorded by the historian Diodorus Siculus during the time period between about 60 BC and 30 BC -- and the events of Pentecost described in the text of the book of Acts in the New Testament of the Bible are unmistakable, as discussed in this post from 2015 which connects some of the aspects of Gemini with the traditions associated with the ancient feasts celebrated seven weeks after Passover and Easter.

All of these ancient myths, I believe, have important truths to convey to us, for our benefit in this incarnate life -- in which we ourselves have a "higher self" and a "lower self," and in which we ourselves can be said to be "cast adrift" upon a dangerous ocean (the "lower element" of water being a frequent mythological description of the material world, as opposed to the spiritual realm which is more closely associated with the "upper elements" of air and fire).

These ancient truths can come home to us in a personal way as we gaze upon the impressive sight of the constellation of Gemini standing in the western skies in the hours after sunset.

I hope that if it is possible for you to do so, you can take in the light from these stars in person, and further explore the many important teachings preserved in the myths surrounding the Twins.