RAISE A GLASS TO THE DEAD DURING THE ANTINOUS FEAST OF CUPS

ANTINOUS traditionally is identified with Dionysus, god of ecstatic transcendence over death ... and 12th February is Choes Day or the Day of Cups, a feast dedicated to Dionysus. In ancient Greece the purpose of this festival was to become as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. Also, the spirits of the dead were said to be allowed out of Hades to visit those of their loved ones who were receptive to their spirits. So today is a good day to try spirit communication, or at least to light a candle and remember loved ones who have died ... or to raise a glass and simply enter an altered state.

NOW YOU CAN SEE THE TOMB OF OSIRIS JUST AS ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PILGRIMS DID

THE 11th of February is the Feast of Wasir (Osiris) in Egypt, which we commemorate because Antinous has always been equated with Osiris as deity of transcendence over death. 

During this festival the Statue of Osiris was transported down the Nile to visit his tomb in Abydos and then returned in triumph to the temple.

This represented the triumph of Osiris over death. An effigy of Osiris was removed from his temple and processed along the Nile to the jubilation of crowds lining the river banks.

Not many people realized that there is a symbolic Tomb of Osiris which was a pilgrimage site for millions of Egyptians over the centuries.

Many Egyptians even designed their own tombs to be a REPLICA TOMB OF OSIRIS.

Just as people make pilgrimages to the Ganges, Mecca, Lourdes and other sites today, the Ancient Egyptians made pilgrimages to Abydos to make offerings.

Many pharaohs also built symbolic tombs at Abydos in addition to their actual tombs in Thebes, Memphis and elsewhere.

Now you can visit the most sacred ... and most mysterious ... temple in Egypt at night and even explore the fabled Tomb of Osiris.

Desperate to boost tourism, Egyptian authorities have improved the long-neglected Temple of Seti at Abydos ... where for thousands of years, Egyptians made pilgrimages to pay their respects to Osiris.

The Temple of Seti is now outfitted with lighting to enable visitors to see it in all its glory at night, Minister of Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim said in a surprise announcement.

In addition, the subterranean Tomb of Osiris ... called the Osireion ... has been drained of water and cleared of reeds and waterlilies and is included in tours of Abydos, he said.

Most tourists bypass Abydos, which would be unfathomable to the Ancient Egyptians, who considered it the most Sacred City.

In a way, Abydos was the Ancient Egyptian Mecca or Lourdes ... a place where pilgrims converged for prayers and meditation and to attend the annual Passion Plays which explained the cruel death and mutilation of Osiris and the grief of Isis and the miraculous resurrection of Osiris as Egyptian god of Victory over Death and King of Eternity.

The Tomb of Osiris is a subterranean chamber fed by an underground channel from the nearby Nile, which created a moat inside the chamber. The chamber was accessed by priests via a long, dark passageway.

A mound of earth covered the tomb, symbolizing the original mound which rises out of the cosmic depths in the Egyptian creation myths. 

The mound, which is a feature of illustrations in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, is thought to be the inspiration for the first pyramids.

But that raises the controversial issue of the true age of the Tomb of Osiris, an issue hotly disputed by experts.

The Temple of Abydos was begun by Pharaoh Seti, but completed by his son Rameses the Great after his father died befored it was finished. It features exquisite reliefs in amazingly bright colors. 

Most importantly, from the viewpoint of Egyptologists, one entire wall along a long passage provides a list of all Egyptian pharaohs from the beginning of their history in chronological order.

The temple was largely neglected until the 1950s when a self-taught English Egyptologist named DOROTHY EADY helped with restoration efforts. 

Using insights she claimed to have gleaned from a past life incarnation as a priestess at Abydos, she led archaeologists with uncanny accuracy to the location of such things as the temple library.

She became official Keeper of Abydos and was instrumental in piecing together fragments of bas relief stones ... so that Abydos is now one of the most completely restored Egyptian temples. 

Many books and films have been made about her. Witty and full of life, she loved to regale visitors with tales of her past life.

She brazenly observed ancient rituals at the temple to the astonishment of her Islamic neighbors ... she lived at Abydos year-round for decades.

With her winning smile and encyclopedic knowledge, she won the respect of scholars.

Dorothy Eady, affectionately called Omm Sety by her friends and neighbors, never returned to England, dying in old age at her beloved Abydos.

The Osireion (also spelled Osirion or Osireon) is outside of the temple, behind it. It was discovered by Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray by chance in 1902. For more than a century, experts have argued over the age of the Osireion. 

Some experts insist it was built in the 19th Dynasty by Seti or Rameses, making it 3,300 years old. 

But others point out that the stone work is similar to the Sphinx Temple at Giza ... which would make it at least 4,500 years old.

The Osireion draws New Age pilgrims who flock to the site in the footsteps of the Egyptians of ages past. 

But the derelict state of the Osireion meant that visitors had to stumble across rocks and sand dunes and then climb down a steep ramp to a veritable swamp overgrown with bullrushes and waterlilies.

In this photo, the reeds have been cleared, but often it is totally overgrown.

Priest Hernestus has vivid memories of leaving his tour group and heading off alone ... finally finding the Osireion ... descending the rickety and slippery ramp ... and being confronted by a toothless Egyptian man who popped out of the reeds, brackish water up to his hips, brandishing a machete.

Hernestus thought, "Well, what better place to die than the Tomb of Osiris?" But it turned out the man was trying to clear some of the undergrowth and only wanted baksheesh (pocket money) to help feed his family.

Nonetheless, the Osireion is one of the eeriest and most mysterious places on Earth ... and you will now be able to pay a proper pilgrimage to it ... as the Ancient Egyptians did.

CELEBRATING AN ANTINOUS FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ANTINOMANIACS LIVING IN BRITAIN

WE are proud to celebrate the eighth anniversary of British Antinous Priest Martinus Campbell's Facebook page devoted to Antinous.

Below is one of his exclusive, first-person posts, and his followers are continually impressed with the scope of Martinus's knowledge and the depth of his devotion to Antinous. CLICK HERE to follow all of his posts!

Martinus writes:

Today I am showing you a UK based bust of Antinous about which I know some history. You can find it at the magnificent Hampton Court Palace, just West of London - the favoured home of King Henry the VIII and his 7 unfortunate wives.

It is Roman and created in the first century AD. Made of marble it stands 100 cm (3.28 feet) tall. It was acquired by King Charles I, of Great Britain during his ill-fated reign (1600-49).

Antinous is depicted wearing an ‘Attic’ helmet (meaning inspired by ancient Greek designs). Experts classify the attic, in this case, by the diadem-shaped band and the short neck guard. It is surmounted by a very worn sphinx resting on a wedge-shaped base. 

The sphynx’s tail divides in two at the back and forms two scrolls on the sides of the helmet. 

It is a style that Hadrian may have designed himself.

During his reign, Charles I put together an important collection of Roman antiquities. 

It is believed that this portrait bust of Antinous was acquired by Charles I around 1625 and that it was one of the marble portraits from the Gonzaga collection in Mantua, Italy, that were sold to Charles I by Duke Vincenzo II.

It is remarkable that it has survived in the Royal collection. The English Civil War (1642–1651) resulted in King Charles being beheaded and the aristocracy being  replaced by the new 'Commonwealth' republic, ruled by Oliver Cromwell.

This lasted for 5 years until Cromwell died and young King Charles II was given the throne. Like most revolutions the great houses of the exiled or executed elite were raided and looted.

Somehow this Antinous survived. Hadrian protected it. In reality it was probably too heavy to carry!

DID YOU KNOW THAT PIZZA WAS INVENTED BY AENEAS?

FEBRUARY 9th is Pizza Day ... Did you know that pizza was invented by Aeneas? The origin of pizza is in Virgil's Aeneid! The hero Aeneas sails the seas with other fugitives from Troy. They seek a new home. They are starving when they land on the shores of Italy. They only have some stale round loaves of bread to eat. They collect some "fruits of the field" (cheese? herbs? garlic?) and put these on top of the thin base. “Hey! We’re even eating our tables!” says Ascanius, the son of Aeneas. (Heus! Etiam mensas consumimus inquit Iulus!) Immediately, Aeneas remembers a prophecy: When you arrive at a place so tired and hungry that you eat your tables, you will know you have reached your promised land. Antinous remembers this story when he and Hadrian order pizza ... delivered by their lararium winged genius! So when you eat pizza, remember to quote the words of the son of Aeneas: Heus! Etiam mensas consumimus!

I FOUND THE ANTINOUS TEMPLE OF BITHYNIUM-CLAUDIOPOLIS! By FLAMEN ANTINOALIS ANTONIUS SUBIA

I AM not even sure what I was searching for at the time, but I literally stumbled onto the location of the mysterious Temple of Antinous in his hometown in the city of Claudiopolis that is now known as Bolu, Turkey.

(See the photos at the bottom of this entry.)

It was in a Turkish language website but had a map of excavations made in 1978. I recognized a familiar name, Antinoos and the turkish word "Mabeti" which means Sanctuary. 

With the aid of the drawing, it was easy to locate its location with google maps. It is located on a hill top that may have once been the citadel of Bithynium-Claudiopolis and the sacred precinct. 

Below to the left or east is the town center where the ancient agora and administrative town center was and still is today. 

On the south, or "sunny side" at the bottom of the hill, are the remains of a stadium. An inscription in Greek was found along the steps of the stadium which names Hadrian as its builder. 

The website says that a frieze and a column were found at the Antinous sanctuary that are now located in the Bolu Museum. I found what I think they mean to be the frieze, which has an inscription in Greek that names Hadrian.

I cannot find exactly what column they are referring to that specifies that it was found at this location ... there are a few pieces of columns that are displayed with the frieze,

The Stadium was where the Sacred Games of Antinous took place in Bithynium-Claudiopolis. What is interesting is that the Temple or Santuary of Antinous was located right above the stadium, overlooking it, so that it would seem to be watching over the games.

From the google satellite image we can see regularly spaced dots, no idea what these are but they must be very large, like maybe the bases of columns, but they are not arranged in a recognizable temple shape. 

If they are column bases, perhaps they were like a crypt level that held up the floor of a temple above, or perhaps it was a "hypostyle" temple like you see in Egypt. 

The only other description on the map says "Su Deposu" which means "water tank" ... very mysterious. So was this part of the ancient temple? Was there a water feature, fountains, an artificial stream? 

The tank was at the highest point on the hill, was this part of the Antinous temple, or just the drinking water tank for the hilltop complex ... or was it both? How was it supplied?

Our friend and Cappel Meister, Dorian Agaric, recently visited Bolu. He visited the museum and as I recall mentioned seeing the steps of the Stadium. But I do not think he knew how close he was to the actual TEMPLE OF ANTINOUS BITHYNIUM-CLAUDIOPOLIS ... I would love to hear what his recollections are about visiting the sacred city.

The only way we are ever going to know what is going on there on that hill is for someone to go there and see for themselves, because I don't think we are going to information for casual visitors. There will be fences to jump over and authorities to avoid ... most likely, from what you can tell by looking at the latest depressing streetview images of that area ... I doubt anyone will even care.

For me this is one of the most important discoveries of my life, to see it for myself where the original temple of Antinous was in his home town ... a place that we can visit and connect with our ancient ancestors who were members of our religion.

Now we know where one of the most important temples of our Religion was located.

May Antinous bless us with this knowledge,
and why it was given to us now

~FLAMEN SUBIA

Pic1-The 1978 Map

Pic2 -Google map with my outline where the temple is

Pic3- The Stadium steps

Pic4-closeup of steps

Pic5- This is a drawing of where the Antinous Temple was 

(not made by me)

Pic6-Frieze which names Hadrian, 

which we assume is the one referred to on the website

Pic7-most depressing picture of all...

what this site currently looks like....

according to Google Street View

Pic8-map of city center of Bolu, "A" marks the spot

Pic9-My coin that shows a very weathered 

but still recognizable image of Hadrian on the front 

and a clear image of a temple on the back 

that says BEITHINIAS

WE PRAY TO ANTINOUS/DIANA TO GUIDE US IN OUR HUNT BY MOONBEAMS

TONIGHT, February 7th,  is one of the festivals of Diana goddess of the Moon and hunting in her guise as lunar deity Selene. 

She is goddess of wild places and wild animals and the protector of young women, pregnant women and those giving birth. 

Diana is the twin sister of Apollo. 

As Antinous is often assimilated to Apollo, he therefore substitutes as the twin of Diana, though he can often be viewed as her male double, so that Antinous is Diana. 

Antinous and Diana are both hunters, and moon deities, and they are also gods of magic and darkness. 

Diana is often compared to Hecate, the supreme goddess of Theurgian magicians, who rose to prominence during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. 

Antinous therefore is the male equivalent of Hecate.

ANTONIUS SUBIA says: "We pray to Diana to guide us in our hunt and to illuminate our nights with the silver light of her sublime power. We recognize that the Moon of Diana is the Moon of Antinous."

WEREWOLVES WERE WELL-KNOWN IN THE DAYS OF ANTINOUS

FEBRUARY 6th is National Werewolf Day, when we remember that even a man who is pure in heart ... and who says his prayers by night ... can become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms ... and the Moon is full and bright.

It is difficult to say precisely when the story of the werewolf first developed, but wolf-men were well-known in Greek and Roman times. 

The twins Romulus and Remus had been suckled by a she-wolf, and so the idea of the human/wolf hybrid was ingrained in the Roman psyche from an early date.

Shape-shifters were quite common in Greek and Roman mythology.

One of the very earliest depictions of a wolf-man is on an Etruscan Black Figure Plate from the 5th Century BC with decoration representing Hercules pursuing the centaur Nessos in the presence of Deianira ... and at center a wolf-man.

Usually, the metamorphosis from human to animal form often occurred as a direct result of divine punishment ... the gods condemning an individual on the basis of pride, boastfulness or blasphemy.

Pliny the Elder described the lycanthropic shape shifting of a man into a wolf by the gods following an act of cannibalism.

Early in the 1st Century AD, the Roman poet Ovid wrote "Metamorphoses," in which which King Lycaon (from whom we get the term "Lycanthrope") offended the gods by serving them human flesh.

Wanting to see if Zeus/Jupiter was truly omniscient, he slaughtered men and served them for dinner.

In return, Zeus turned Lycaon into a man-wolf and killed his 50 sons with lightning bolts. He is shown here holding a wicked meat axe.

Forget the Hollywood full-moon myths ... a werewolf can change at any time ... if the wolf-man has the right clothes! Some ancient myths speak of cloaks or belts which enable a human to become a wolf.

In the "Satyricon," Petronius writes of such a transformation: "And when I looked for him ... I was appalled to see he had stripped off naked and placed his queer garments by the roadside ... whereupon he walked in a circle round the heap of clothes, urinating a protective ring about them upon the ground ... and then ... as I watched in dread ... he transformed into a wolf!"

Emperor Hadrian had a fascination for magic and strange customs ... he must have told Antinous many weird bedtime tales of uncanny things he had heard in his travels.