Every year in the United States, a great furor breaks out around Christmastime, based on the desire of millions of American Christians to see supposed symbols of their faith on public property, such as in schools and government buildings. Secularists and other non-Christians have been objecting and filing lawsuits to prevent what they consider a breach of the "separation of church and state" principle of the U.S. Constitution. The result, of course, is a flurry of news items in all major media decrying the "assault on Christmas." Included in this alleged "assault" are calls for the removal of Christian nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ, traditionally said to have occurred at midnight on December 24th, leading to Christmas Day on the 25th. In this regard, for centuries many millions of Christians worldwide have thus believed that December 25th is the birthday of the Lord and Savior Jesus, which is why this day is called "Christmas."
December the month of winter-solstice celebrations
In the modern era, many millions of people have also become increasingly aware that this time of the year is not depicted biblically—contrary to popular belief—as the birthday of Jesus Christ but was in reality an ancient Pagan celebration of the sun, taking place at the winter solstice. These winter-solstice celebrations can be found in many places globally, from Japan to the Americas, dating back thousands of years. Some of them, such as the ancient Greco-Roman celebration of Brumalia or the Roman Saturnalia, lasted for several days preceding the solstice time. In the 2010 calendar, for example, Brumalia begins on November 24th, while December 11th represents the birthday of Bruma, Roman Goddess of Winter. Rather than being confined to a particular day or week, the winter solstice is celebrated throughout the month of December in the northern hemisphere, with other examples such as the birthday of the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu on December 8th, the Roman Festival of Lux Mundi or the "Light of the World" on the 10th, the Amitabha Buddha of Light's birthday on the 12th and the Festival of the Egyptian sun god Sokar on December 22nd. Other sun gods such as Mithra, Sol and Horus were likewise born on December 25th, which represents the end of the three-day period of the winter solstice, the latter word meaning "sun stands still."
The rebirth of the sun
Egyptian baby sun god Sokar in ark
with triple god Ptah-Sokar-Osiris
All around the northern hemisphere, beginning in ancient times and continuing to this day, it has been recognized that the days in December are the shortest of the year, with the culmination of the "sun's dying"—as this natural phenomenon came to be viewed—on the 21st-22nd. The ancients perceived the sun to "stand still" or be "dead in a cave" for three days before being renewed, resurrected or "born again" on December 24th-25th. Hence, in some cultures, such as Egypt, an image of a baby representing the sun, lying in an ark, bark or "manger," was brought out of the temple at this time to be shown to the people, who would celebrate his birth with great joy and festivity, as this time symbolized the return of the healing, savior sun and renewal of life on Earth.
A close look, therefore, at the abundant winter-solstice celebrations in the month of December that essentially represent the birthdays of the sun god will afford us a solution to the problem of the purportedly "Christian" creche and its public display: Return the solstice to its ancient meaning and make the nativity scenes reflect what they truly represent—the birth of the sun. Having thus basically secularized the displays, there will be no conflict with the law and U.S. Constitution.
Sources & Further Reading
Group requests removal of nativity
SC fire department removes nativity display
The 2010 Astrotheology Calendar
Winter Solstice: The REAL Reason for the Season
Jesus Christ as the Sun God throughout History
Christ in Egypt: The Horus-Jesus Connection
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Comments
Seeing nativity scenes doesn't bother me. The christian mythology is a part of our culture, just as if you went back to ancient greece, you'd expect to see statues erected to Venus(she was a hottie).
But how would the Christians like it if workers at their state capital decided to put pagan symbols on the lawn....oh dear, they'd be out there with their picket boards decrying those satanic symbols!
It's best to leave expressions of mythology to the private sector.
The US was the very first nation in the world to ever have a principle of separation between church and state. It represents true human enlightenment.
I am quite thankful for all of our mythologies. Thanks to Acharya S for that, really. It is due to her work that I can appreciate the origins and history of religion. Now, I can finally understand the astrotheological origins across many different religions.
I think it would be cool to get back to the origins of the myths and do a sort re-creation making the astrotheology more obvious.
The video is impressive!
Well Aaron, the strange thing is that one religious ideology is being usurped by another, however we feel about public displays according to traditions of 'Christian' Euro-Americans, whose ancestral mythemes are behind what is now called Christmas.
There is a contrast to be recognised in this usurpation in it's message and contradictions. David Duke...like him or hate him, makes a point about this on his youtube video called: 'The War on Christmas!' See about another 'tree' foreign to Euro-American culture called the Menorah wilfully displacing the 'Christian' traditions in the most public place of all! It's in your face hypocrisy.
Contrary to popular opinion--to which opinion is ALWAYS in error!
It was not a separation of "Church and State" set up by the US' "Deist" Masonic Forefathers. It was a separation of >>PRIEST CRAFT<< and State. If it was really a separation of "Church and State", the "Deist" Egyptian Astrotheological Religious Symbolism, encrypted around the state capital would not be built to within the architecture. But--since the "Majority" can not read Egyptian symbolism. I laugh when some say religious material can not be on US Government property. The whole property smacks with "Relgious Symbolism" Hidden from everyone--in PLAIN VIEW.
I like my favourite Joseph Wheless quote in (Forgery in X-tianity)"People are most assured of what they are most ignorant; What with all" This is so True! No different when A.S. has to do battle with the Fanatics! Who know nothing, before they open their lips. They should put right "fore-finger to Lip"
Oh Holy NIGHT, the Stars are shining brightly..
To illustrate my favourite Wheless quote further. Look at Aaron's quote below, ">...How would the Christian's like it if workers at their state capital decided to put PAGAN symbols on the lawn...<"
This quote illustrates what happens when x-tian Ignorance outruns PAGAN Intelligence!
Oh Star of Wonder; Star so Bright; Star of Royal Beauty...; Westward leading STILL proceding...
Acharya, you say the solstice has always been on 21-22 December, but two thousand years ago 23 December was the shortest day. Fixing the error in the Julian Calendar in 1582, the correction was aimed to align the Gregorian calendar and Julian calendar as of year 325. So the calendar drift between 1 and 325 was deliberately excluded from correction.
Christmas is now out of synchrony with the solstice. The actual moment of the solstice this year was at 17:47 UT on 21 December. If Christmas follows the model of Easter, with the resurrection following 40 hours after the cross, it should be 144,000 seconds after the solstice, ie at 09:47 UT on 23 December.
If Christians can make up myths about a virgin birth, there is no reason why others cannnot look at this story to invent new myths. For example, the forty hours from the solstice to Christmas as the travail of Mary, completed by the birth of Christ, analogous to the 40 hour travail of Christ between his death and resurrection.
Thank you, Robert. Actually, I don't claim that the winter solstice has "always been on 21-22 December." With the precession of the equinoxes, the date would change, obviously, and it is in June in the southern hemisphere. I certainly agree that there is no reason we cannot continue humanity's long tradition of mythmaking based on scientific observations of the natural world. Thank you for your interest in astrotheology!
The Christmas date is from the Winter Solstice date of 2000 years ago. The Jesus myth undoubtedly comes from Sumerian and Egyptian myths which in turn were influenced by the Krishna story in Hinduism. Other Bible stories are also influenced by Hinduism. For example, the Noah’s ark story comes from the 1st Avatar of Vishnu (Matsya Avatar). Check it out, the resemblance is uncanny! There is a great flood on Earth and the Rishi assembles 2 of every species on a boat. Does this sound familiar? Why haven’t more people pointed out these similarities?
As a Hindu I support the idea of continued making of myths. Contrary to some opinion, a myth is not a false story. Infact great myths and legends are far greater in their impact than a literal story. We also believe that man makes God in his image, so ofcourse the supreme being can be worshipeed in any form or no form or believe in the end state of infinity or zero (infinity in my personal opinion as something [our visible universe] can't be a subset of nothing)
The Jesus/Horus etc. story does not take place in THIS physical world. It takes place in that OTHER world. Prior to Cosmic ejaculation within matter. The whole Mythical story is ATOMIC, so to speak and prior to manifestation in this creational visible world. The Lingham(m) and Yoni(f) in conjunction, in opposite nodes of polarity are only SYMBOLS of this Atomic Cosmic Process. To believe our ancestors worshiped the phallus and pudenda would be about as ridiculous, as car drivers worshiping the ‘school crossing symbol of the two little children near every school’ with out a clue to what the sign symbol denotes. Churchianity is a rotten sea bark floating with dementia off the cliff of insanity of Materialism that gave birth to it—-in its infamous ignorance.
Have you ever heard a scientist describe the ATOM etc. They bounce over into parable and symbolic Language!, Allegory! to describe the ATOM--that is Invisible!
And according to an online Scientist at the University of Toronto, our Calendars are still not correct. We have only one more chance to get them right, in about 40 years, according to him. Remember the one second added last New Years at the count down.
And since the Materialists have wrecked everything—the Time on your watch is NOT the correct time. That is “Civil” Time, not the TRUE Time…
Did you know the Catholic Church has >On Staff< an Astronomer! Geez—I wonder why? Where is Benny Hinn, and Joel Olsteen’s Astronomer?
I saw THREE ships come sailing in on X-mas day on X-mas day…
D.M. Murdock,
Is Angerona also the Roman Goddess of the winter solstice. Is that another name for Brumalia where the feast Divalia is celebrated on Dec 21st? Or is Winter Goddess different from Winter Solstice Goddess?
Also from my research, the name Murdoch comes from a European caste of Mariners. Is that true?
"I am quite thankful for all of our mythologies. Thanks to Acharya S for that, really." How true, I have read all of her works, Acharya S and Richard Dawkins has set me free to cherish and to appreciate this life on Earth and this Universe without the fear of myth!
I am not bothered by nativity scenes. I am bothered by so-called "Christians" who don't want to allow any other religious displays.
DM Murdock,
I like the idea of having traditional Egyptian Gods in Nativity scenes with Isis, Horus and Osiris. It would educate and also highlight the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe we can start a movement?
The Winter Solstice Nativity Scene. Is it any wonder we celebrate the Astro babe's birth, on the Darkest days of the >>ONE Year<< of our Lord. The Great Mother-NIGHT! Oh Holy NIGHT! All birth into reality is still first nurtured in the DARK--and brought forward into the LIGHT, from within darkness--outwards. So are we celebrating DARKNESS(Mother), bringing forward the 'seminal' LIGHT(Son/Sun)? The Sun/Son does remain "Stable" for three days, and life is still generated in a Cave(Womb/Matter). I can't help to think of the cone phallic shape of an X-mas tree, with it's apex, a pulsating 'generating' star--not unlike the Egytpain Oblisk symbolism. Also the Triangle shape of the Tree with its many X-mass Lights(Stars), if this isn't Astrotheology, hidden from ignorance, I'm not sure what is. Look at the allegories within ALL our X-mas carols. They are all star based and have astronomical relavance, minus the philosophical acumen, to decode their 'hidden' meaning...Happy Holidays!
"AgniVayu writes"
"The Christmas date is from the Winter Solstice date of 2000 years ago."
Oh Joseph Wheless--where art thou! This statement is FALSE. The Exoteric delusionalists originally celebrated the Astro Babes birth at the Spring VERNAL, it was moved to the Winter Solstice >>CIRCA<< 600AD. To busy to look up the actual Catholic BULL date. Is it not interesting how the Zodiac Names (i.e. BULL) are present throughout the 'Cathiter' Religion? They have their "Processional" (Procession of the Equinox's)! They have their Decan's typed after the divided 360 Zodiac circle...Something to ponder...for Astrotheologians Scholars...
And what are the symbolic animals placed around the "Nativity" scene? Query: Are they not emblematic of certain signs of the Zodiac? In X-tian artwork--one must study every hand signal, crease, amount of people, architecture. There is more going on that always meets the 'trained' eye...
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