ON THE FEAST DAY OF HYGEIA WE HONOR OUR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

THE 26th of February is the Feast Day of Hygeia. A Greek goddess, she is one of the daughters of Aesculapius (Aeskelapios), the god of healing. Her symbols are a water basin and a snake. Hygeia's name means "wholeness" and she is concerned with maintaining the wholeness of the body thus ensuring a long and healthy life. She is goddess of cleanliness, which give us the words "hygiene" and "hygienic". Later she became protectoress not only of the body, but also our environment, the way we live and keep our home clean to help ensure continued health. Offer her pure water and healing incenses such as white sage and lavender.

ANTONINUS PIUS, THE ROMAN EMPEROR WHO FULFILLED HADRIAN'S DREAMS

AT the end of February and beginning of March the Religion of Antinous marks Three Holy Days involving the Divine Antoninus Pius.

On February 25th we celebrate the Adoption of Antoninus Pius by Hadrian. And on March 7th we commemorate the Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius . Also on March th, we celebrate the Ascension of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.

After the death of Aelius Caesar, Hadrian adopted Antoninus, imposing on him the condition that he adopt two sons, Lucius Verus and Marcus Antoninus to be his successors. Antoninus supported the dying Hadrian for the remainder of his years, and obeyed his commands even after his death. For this Antoninus is called Pius.

As the Fates would have it, March 1st is the date when Antoninus Pius died in 161 AD after 23 years as Emperor. His rule is marked by an almost unbroken period of peace and tranquility. The golden era of Rome, known as the Age of the Antonines, takes its name from Antoninus, because every emperor afterward took up his name as an emblem of glory. Antoninus is the emperor most responsible for the perpetuation of the Religion of Antinous.

He had served as Proconsul of Asia Minor under Hadrian from 130 to 135, while the Religion of Antinous was being formed, and it was during his reign that construction of the Sacred City of Antinoopolis was completed.

The Senate deified Antoninus Pius shortly after his death. The base of the column erected in his honor, shows Antoninus Pius and his wife Faustina the elder, rising up to heaven. They are ascending upon the wings of an Aeon, with Mother Rome on one side, and a beautiful reclining male figure on the other who grasps an obelisk. We believe this figure to be Antinous, guardian spirit of the Age of the Antonines.

Upon the occasion of the Death and Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus became co-Emperors, both surnamed Antoninus, a name which the ancient Romans equate with inestimable glory.

Marcus being the elder and wiser, was given the title Augustus, while Lucius took the name Caesar. They remained cordial to one another though their vastly different characters were always a cause of discord, though never of rivalry or outright animosity. They were a harmonious and cooperative pair of rulers, the only example of effective imperial brotherhood in the long history of Rome.

A TWIST (OR CURL) IN ART HISTORY: EXPERTS STUDY ANTINOUS' HAIR

ART historians study the hair of Antinous in detail. Incredibly, each and every curl of his hair has a special position and form. 

It seems apparent that Hadrian gave explicit instructions to the sculptors. 

Priest Julien, known for his ironic sense of humor, made plaster curls as modern relics.

Os historiadores de arte estudar o cabelo de Antinous em detalhe. Incrivelmente , cada cacho de seu cabelo tem uma posição especial e forma. Parece evidente que Adriano deu instruções explícitas para os escultores . Sacerdote Uendi , conhecida por seu senso de humor irônico , feito cachos de gesso como relíquias modernos.

Los historiadores del arte estudian el pelo de Antinoo en detalle. Increíblemente , todos y cada rizo de su cabello tiene una posición especial y la forma. Parece evidente que Adriano dio instrucciones explícitas a los escultores . Sacerdote Uendi , conocido por su sentido del humor irónico , hecha de yeso rizos como reliquias modernas .

SET YOUR PERSONAL BOUNDARIIES DURING THE TERMINALIA FESTIVAL

THE 23rd of February is the Terminalia, the feast of the Roman God Terminus, god of boundaries who stops intruders while protecting everyone inside his boundaries. Terminus is associated with Zeus/Jupiter because he deified Jupiter by establishing his position atop Capitoline Hill. Thus, statues of Terminus/Jupiter (like this modern replica) symbolize devotion and steadfastness. Today is an appropriate day to create or renew a magical boundary around your home, to keep out psychic nasties and any negative energies. A simple way to do this is to walk the boundary of your home three times, as you do so imagine magical blue light springing up as you walk. You can also carry with you a bowl containing an offering for Terminus: grain, honey and wine are traditional, you can also include an egg as a "sacrifice." When you have walked three times around, dig a hole at the boundary and put your offering into it, then fill in the hole and put a marker stone on top. Another year you can carry a lit incense stick around the boundary and leave an offering of incense and flowers at your stone.

ANTONIUS SUBIA AT ABU SIMBEL AS SUNRAYS ILLUMINATE INNER SANCTUARY

OUR spiritual leader ANTONIUS SUBIA witnessed one of the world's most spectacular cosmic events when, at the climax of his sacred pilgrimage to Egypt in February 2020, he saw the rays of the rising sun illuminate the inner sanctum of the main temple at Abu Simbel.

On two days, traditionally the anniversary of the birthday and coronation of pharaoh Ramses II, a shaft of sunlight pierces the gloom, illuminating statues of gods and the king in the temple's inner sanctum.

On February 22, a day celebrating the king's birthday and again on October 22, a day celebrating his coronation, sunlight illuminates seated statues of the sun gods Re-Horakhte and Amon-Re, as well as a statue of king Ramses II. 

The statues sit in the company of the Theban god of darkness, Ptah (who remains in the shadows all year).

The spectacle ... which has endured more than 3,200 years of Egyptian history ... draws thousands of tourists to Abu Simbel to watch this ancient tribute to a pharaoh whose name is still known up and down the Nile Valley for his military exploits and monumental building projects.

Ramses, who ruled Egypt for 66 years from 1270 to 1213 BC (about 50 years after the death of Tutankhamen, better known as King Tut) made a name for himself by battling the Hittites and the Syrians, Egypt's enemies to the north.

To celebrate his victories, Ramses erected monuments up and down the Nile with records of his achievements. 

He completed the hypostyle hall at Karnak (Thebes), and completed the funerary temple of his father, Seti I, at Luxor on the West Bank of the Nile.

The main temple at Abu Simbel, which Ramses ordered built near the border of Nubia and Upper Egypt, was dedicated to two sun gods, Amen-Re and Re-Horakhte. 

Standing 100 feet (33 meters) tall, the temple was carved into an already-standing sandstone mountain on the banks of the Nile.

Four colossal statues of Ramses, each 66 feet (22 meters) high, guard the entrance to the temple.

Rising to the pharaoh's knees are smaller statues of family members: his mother; favorite wife, Nefertari; and son, Prince Amonherkhepshef.

Inside the temple, three connected halls extend 185 feet (56 meters) into the mountain. 

Images of the king's life and many achievements adorn the walls. 

A second temple at Abu Simbel is dedicated to Nefartari, who appears to have been Ramses' favorite wife.

"Abu Simbel was one of, if not the largest, rock-cut temples in Egypt," says Bruce Williams of the Oriental Institute of Chicago, "The rock was sacred because the Egyptians believed the deity was living inside the mountain."

Rock-cut temples may have been especially significant in ancient Egypt because the bulge in the otherwise flat land may have signified the location where the gods emerged from the Earth, says Williams.

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THE DAY OF COUNTING THE PARTS OF THE EYE OF HORUS

FEBRUARY 21st is the Day of Counting the Parts of the Eye of Horus. During one of the battles between Horus and Seth, Seth shattered one of Horus' eyes. Thoth, the god of writing and magic, found all the pieces and numbered them as fractions and reconstructed the Horus eye. But nothing on Earth is perfect, and when Thoth remade the eye, he found that he only had 63/64ths ... one tiny piece was missing ... the missing fraction is magic! Each fraction of the Eye also represents one of the senses: 1/64 is Touch, 1/32 Taste, 1/16 Hearing, 1/8 Thought, 1/4 Sight, and 1/2 Smell. And when these are added together we also find it is 63/64ths ... and thanks to Thoth, the last 64th is Magic!

ANTONIUS SUBIA'S PILGRIMAGE TO EGYPT INCLUDES A PRIVATE TOUR OF KARNAK

I was totally and completely overwhelmed by Karnak.

I knew that it is the biggest temple in the world but I did not expect the scale of how magnificent it is and what it must have looked like when it was intact and functioning ... it brought me to tears.

In a secluded side temple away from all the millions of tourists the attendant took us into off limits areas, opening locked doors, down unlit stairways, across single beam walkways over deep pits to see amazing, beautiful rooms that I'm sure most people never see ... all for a heavy tip of course. 

He knew that we were there for religious purposes and took us to the secret shrines.

He even left us alone in an off limits "chapel," closed the door behind him and let us pray ... it was really great ... and extremely moving to have opportunity to see so many beautiful rooms that most people never see.

We took a carriage along the Nile-side Corniche from the hotel to Karnak, and I told the kid who was driving to come back and pick us up if he wanted.

And when we came out, there he was waiting so I gave them a nice tip. The boy insisted that I sit up front with him and gave me the reins to drive the horse.

I actually was driving the horse who's name was Rambo. I pulled him to the right because a car was coming and he responded. He was very cool.

We ended our day watching the sun go down from the rooftop area ... a beautiful day in Luxor.

Ave Antinous!

~ANTONIUS SUBIA

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