Golden transits are a concept in astrology that refers to the favorable interactions between celestial bodies, creating an alignment that signifies a period of abundance, growth, and favorable circumstances. These transits can occur in various areas of life, but are particularly influential in matters related to love, relationships, career, and finances. Magi Astrology is the key to recognizing Golden Times, which involve the use of Chiron, the celestial sign of Golden Times (and Cinderella Times). When Chiron makes a magical angle to one of our importantnatal planets, the Golden Doorway opens.
Golden Transits are harmonious planet alignments with one’s birth chart, offering positive influences, clarity, and growth. Traditional Golden Transits are any transiting-to-natal combination of these planetary pairs: Jupiter-Pluto, and Pluto-Chiron. With Magi Astrology, individuals can hitch onto a Lucky Transit or a Magical Alignment and improve their life in all ways, avoiding heartbreaks in both love and business.
The TRANSIT TRACKER helps identify when important transits will impact your chart and help you know when to go and when to stop. In Vedic astrology, there is no Golden Transit, as our destiny gets fixed until our death the moment we are born. The most positive patterns include Grand Trines, Grand Sextiles, and Golden Rectangles, which involve beneficial planets like Jupiter. Difficult patterns include independence, the urge for freedom, rebelliousness, unconventionality, restlessness, revolutions and revolutionaries, resistance to limits, iconoclasm, and Chiron and Venus, the Bringer of Love, Pleasure, and Beauty/Enjoyment.
📹 Who are the Magi – Myth and History
The Magi are famed as ancient keepers of esoteric wisdom. From serving as Zoroastrian priests, experts on the occult sciences …
What are the most difficult transits?
The 8th and 12th house transits, also known as the house of death and the house of retreat, are dark places in ancient astrology. These houses are considered bad houses because humans are social creatures who prefer to be isolated. Sometimes, these transits can be difficult, as they can bring about unpleasant events. However, the good thing about bad times in these houses is that you know things are bad, so you don’t have to wait around wondering if something awful is happening behind your back. If you’re going through an 8th or 12th house transit and nothing seems to be happening, you might be surprised by a new inheritance or have the opportunity to go on a retreat.
What is the most rare transit?
Venus transits occur twice every 108 years, with the most recent one occurring in 2012. Mercury transits occur 13 times a century, with the next one happening in November 2019. The next transit of Mercury will be visible in Chicago in 2049. Planet transits are important because they help explain the Earth’s position in the Universe. In 1639, Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree observed the transit of Venus, the first to be observed by the human eye.
They predicted that using basic geometry, they could calculate the distance between the Sun and Earth using the law of cosines, estimating the distance within 2/3rd accuracy. This event is significant because it helps us understand the Earth’s position in the Universe and the role of planets in the Solar System.
Can a Magi be a woman?
A committee revising the latest prayer book has ruled that the term “Magi” is a transliteration of the name used by Persian court officials, possibly women. The Church of England’s parliament agreed on the revision, which does not reveal any information about numbers, wisdom, or gender. The 17th-century King James Bible, used by up to 70 million Anglican churches worldwide, refers to gift-bearing visitors as “The Three Wise Men”.
How do I know what my Magi is?
The modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is calculated by subtracting specific deductions from the adjusted gross income (AGI). These deductions include student loan interest, foreign-earned income, housing exclusions, and employer adoption benefits. While it is a complex calculation, it can be broken down into three steps.
Which is the most important chart in Vedic astrology?
Divisional charts, also known as Vargas charts, are a crucial tool in Vedic astrology, providing a deeper and more detailed analysis of the horoscope than the birth chart alone. These charts divide each sign of the zodiac into smaller segments, helping to identify the planet’s strength and weakness. They also reveal hidden strengths or weaknesses of a planet that may not be apparent from the birth chart.
For example, a planet may be well placed in the birth chart but weak or afflicted in the divisional charts, which will reduce its positive effects. Conversely, a planet may be poorly placed in the birth chart but strong or exalted in the divisional charts, which will enhance its positive effects.
Studying divisional charts provides insight into a person’s life purpose and path, revealing their hidden aspects of destiny and karma, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. By studying divisional charts, one can gain more clarity and wisdom about their life purpose and path, as well as the true nature and strength of the planets, as well as their effects on different areas of life such as marriage, career, wealth, and health.
There are numerous books available on divisional charts astrology, but they can be expensive and time-consuming to master. This book is an easy-to-read and compact resource that provides all the information at one place for anyone, whether busy in any profession. The author has tried to make clear what is the correct ‘Divisional/Amsa Chart Reading’ in astrology, incorporating facts and figures from various books into a single book for the first time for common use. The book is backed by extensive study and connections with astrology work both in India and abroad, giving authenticity to the subject matter.
What transits bring wealth?
When a planet trines your Midheaven, it is the best time to take financial or professional risks or increase income. Get your Career Forecast as soon as possible to avoid missed opportunities. The next best time is when a planet sextiles your Midheaven, offering help and receiving good news. The next best transit is the conjunction, which can either give extra energy or cause confusion. Conjunctions can either enhance or hinder your success, depending on the situation. Therefore, it is crucial to be prepared for these potential opportunities and to consult your career forecast for guidance.
What is the luckiest transit in astrology?
Jupiter trine Venus is considered the most auspicious pairing, as it signifies ease and support between planets. This placement is considered the trifecta of luck, as Jupiter is the luckiest planet, Venus is the second, and the trine is the luckiest aspect. Venus in Libra is a special pair, bringing harmony, creativity, and charm, especially for relationships. Venus Libras are dedicated to partnership, and Jupiter conjunct Pluto is known to bring great wealth.
This placement occurs around every 12 years, and when it does, it is expected to bring financial success and an abundance of riches overall. These placements are considered the trifecta of luck, bringing the best and most luck possible.
What is a transit in astrology?
A transit is a unique birth chart that identifies the specific placement of planets at birth, imprinted with their energy. When a planet in motion meets one of the natal positions, it creates a transit. Some transits last longer and have a bigger impact on our life, particularly outer planets like Neptune and Pluto. In our early thirties, post Saturn Return, we feel on a solid path. However, life with its twists and turns has more lessons and surprises to aid in expanding growth and awareness of our true self. Some of these changes and life lessons generally occur in our late 30s and early 40s, although the age of when transits occur can vary slightly for different generations.
What does magi mean astrology?
An astrologer is defined as an individual who is considered an expert in the field of astrology, specifically in the interpretation of the influence of celestial bodies such as stars, the moon, and planets on human affairs.
What are the most powerful transits in astrology?
Slow-moving planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto have more impactful transits due to their longer effects compared to fast-moving celestial bodies like the moon, Venus, and Mercury. Moon transits can last hours, while Mercury and Venus transits can be as short as a day. However, significant developments can still occur depending on the part of the chart they aspect, especially if they aspect a sensitive point in the birth chart. Astrological transits with the strongest effects can be determined by examining the birth chart, so consulting an astrology expert is recommended to understand the most significant transits.
What planet transits are rare?
Planet transits are rare celestial events that occur between our home planet and the Sun. From Earth, we can only see two transits: Mercury and Venus. Venus transits occur twice every 108 years, with the most recent occurring in 2012. Mercury transits are more frequent, occurring 13 times a century. The next transit is expected in November 2019, and the next transit will be visible in Chicago in 2049. Planet transits are important because they were observed by Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree in 1639, a century after humans discovered Earth was not the center of the Universe.
📹 Transit Talk – Mercury In Scorpio (Rebirth of the Magi)
PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/thepeacedealer Readings (Live Only) SUPER CHAT – $20 Minimum (Tarot Card Draw) $30 – Tarot …
As a Zoroastrian YouTuber, I wanted to say thank you for shining some light onto my religion in such a truthful way, and for wading through the absolute mess that is Zoroastrian studies to find that stuff out. I appreciated how well researched it was. One thing I wanted to say is that it “Zoroaster”, Zarathushtra Spitama as he called himself, can’t have existed anytime near the Achaemenid dynasty of Iran. The language he spoke, Gathic Avestan, is extremely similar to the Sanskrit of the RgVeda, and it is dated to either the middle of the RgVedic period or the very beginning, all dependent on what level of phonological change one adopts. Who knows when exactly the RgVedic era is, but I don’t think anybody puts it after 1000 BC. Either way thank you for making this article, and if you ever need help working on a article on Zoroastrianism, I’d love to help! Also, the Gathas are a masterpiece of ancient poetry, composed by Zarathushtra himself, and are a great read. I would recommend the translations by Dr Stanley Insler and Dr Ali Jafarey. Ushta te (may you have radiant happiness)
Hey doc. Listening to this episode at 3 AM in the morning a few days before Christmas. This year has been one of the worst I’ve had due to the loss of my mom and a few other troubles that happened throughout the year. Your website and articles have been a constant companion for me and have brought me joy, knowledge, and peace of mind over the entire year; from Yahweh’s historical origins, Paul’s Ascent into the Kavode (sic), Yukio Mishima’s physical primacy, that business with the Library of Alexandria being really small, to the breakdown of Jungian interpretations of Alchemy, I’ve learned a LOT about these topics and I’ve learned about people historical and beyond. So for me at least, you are my Shining Star of Wisdom, Joy, and Peace in a year of tumult. Thank you, Doc. I deeply appreciate your work. Oh and one last thing: I really like the comparison of your interest in Christian theology and history as reading a rulebook to a game you’ll never play; being a Catholic born in Southeast Asia perusal all that Kabbalah stuff was my version of your experience with Christianity.
Justin, I’m so grateful that you choose to share your work freely online. The research and analysis in your articles is worth vastly more than many of us could ever afford. You show faith in humanity by asking only that people pay what they can. I admire you very much. I hope you’re sharing a magical holiday season with people you love. Thank you.
It seems ironic that I learn more about Christianity in an unbiased fashion from you, a Jewish scholar, than anywhere else. Thank you. I’ve long been distressed and disgusted by the antisemitism established early in the history of Christianity. I guess Christians didn’t invent it but they sure have kept it alive and thriving. It never hurt anyone, you said. Right. I do appreciate your sarcasm. Thank you for your articles. I finally decided to comment. I’ve watched many of them and enjoy your presentations. You never come across as anti-christian and that speaks volumes on your character. May you and yours be blessed now and in the coming new year.
Loved this deep dive! I was raised in the Greek Orthodox tradition and treasure it…with ambivalence (I also have deep Manichaean tendencies). I’m grateful for perspective your on the Early Church Fathers and for clarifying much about Zoroastrian history in this article. I can’t wait for you to do a deep dive on Zoroastrianism!
This is among my favorite episodes on this stellar website. Interesting and delightful thru and thru. I suppose it’s because Dr Justin is bringing his usual childlike wonder and academic rigor to a topic with which i thought i was familiar, thanks to my Protestant upbringing. I also found the inclusive closing message downright moving. That’s probably due in part to my growing affection for Dr Justin, along with (perhaps!) the Irish whiskey i’ve been enjoying while i listened. 😋
I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, and one “hot take” they had was that the Star of Bethlehem was none other than Satan. After all, he was the Morningstar, and the star did not lead the Magi to Jesus first, but to Herod, a man who would want Jesus to be killed. Therefore, JWs interpreted the star as malevolent, a demonic force wanting harm to come to Jesus. Sheltered as I was, I grew up assuming everyone thought this and did not understand why the “satanic” star would be featured so much in art and music. JWs don’t celebrate Christmas (they believe Jesus was born around September and birthdays are pagan) so as a kid, I truly didn’t understand a lot of the symbols I saw around town. I wrote many school essays on what the symbols of holly, reindeer, mistletoe, etc. might mean (days before the internet, so this was library research) as well as the literary change from Magi to Three Kings, all from an academic and historical perspective. Thankfully, my family wasn’t living in the South at that time, so none of my liberal-minded teachers took these essays as an “attack on Christmas.” (My Arkansas cousins got punished for doing the same thing.) Instead, my teachers saw it as this little kid questioning holiday traditions from an outsider’s perspective. It was the start of my journey questioning and researching many cultural beliefs, mythologies, legends, and traditions. Always question, “Why do people believe this?” However, while my teachers enjoyed my deep dives, my habit of always questioning “why” got me in trouble with the JW elders, who publicly scolded me for daring to question doctrine.
I grew up in Puerto Rico, and in our household in the mid 70s when I was a child, and as far as I can remember thanks to our parents especially my father, we used to celebrate “Los Tres Reyes Magos” which translates as “The Three Magi Kings”… I didn’t know who Santa Claus or Christmas was until I was an adolescent in the 80s. That’s when the tradition of the three magi kings started dying in our household. Thanks for sharing this informative article with us it was most interesting!
TLTR: I just gave my entire bio but the point was to show how ridiculous it is that the YouTube algorithm hasn’t introduced me to this website until now. I guess it’s an Xmas present & I’ll be binging for days. I’m very glad to have found you! – Crys I have absolutely no idea how this is the first article I’ve been recommended. I’ve had an interest in philosophy, theology, folklore, the occult & the esoteric all my life. My mother was fascinated by human psychology and belief systems. She was also very interested in true crime, which fits into the same construct if you think about it. It’s all understanding human behavior. I spent my tween years in the public library obsessed by folklore and oddities of history and belief. I’d seen a vampire movie & got obsessed. Possibly an early manifestation of what would be revealed as ocd when I was an adult. I rented the movie (in the days of vhs stores) so many times the owner gave me a copy for my 11th birthday. My mom went all out and made me a garlic necklace, hand carved a table leg into a wooden stake with crosses burnt into it & a topped it off with a stolen vial of holy water. Needless to say she was encouraging of all my interests & she had her own esoteric library for me to explore. She was Wiccan (my dad was Catholic). I was very interested in the paranormal. I had a phase of obsession over revelations. I even worked for the international society for cryptozoology as a teenager. I had a good foundation of knowledge but it wasn’t until college that I started honing critical thinking skills.
Dr Justin, I am an Episcopal Deacon who follows you for the insightful images you present. I’ve been in situations where I’m able to preach once a month. My preparation will always find me looking for viewpoints and commentaries outside of the normal Christian publications that are “recommended” reading. Your subjects have led me to some deep introspection that allow me to present other views and possibilities which add to the discussions held during the Coffee Hour that follows the Service. You’ve also contributed to some responses by our priest in his sermons the following week. This coming Sunday being so close to the Epiphany will allow me to use some of your imagery in a Homily focused on the star. The writings of Ignatius of Antioch with his heavy metal anthem will be sure to headline my own writing. I’ll avoid using the hand symbol associated with metal music to avoid being accussed of spreading anti-Christian messages.😉 Thank you for awesome articles! Pax et Bonum!
I heard the names “Melchior, Gaspar, and Belthasar” for the first time from playing Chrono Trigger, years before I learned they were the names of the three magi in the birth of Jesus myth, being raised in an Atheist household. To this day I still associate them prominently with CT whenever I read or hear anything about them. I have a lot of great memories of that game. It was perhaps the single most formative piece of media in my tastes for not only articlegames, but fantasy fiction in all forms, as well as mythology and allegory.
This page is a gem, truly. I mean modern day library of Alexandria type stuff. I get that it can be overwhelming but I feel blessed to have found your page. Some of the stuff is hard to remember or hold onto knowledge wise, a lot of it feels like a map being written of a world unseen while my eyes are fixated on a different world all the time. In the end thank you.
What’s so strange about this is, all during my life (im mid 50’s in age), the term “Magi” was never used. It was always “3 Kings, 3 Wise Men, 3 Wise Kings from the East”. When I found out (stumbled upon in wikipedia) that the real title was “Biblical Magi”….I was baffled. Never ever heard them called that prior. Maybe thats the case for some others too ?
I love learning new things about what the heck I believe in and try to take the feeling of my dander rising as a queue to sit down, shut up, and listen. It’s just historical data, not a blatant attack. I got so uncomfortable at one point that I considered clicking a different article and coming back to this one when I had more fortitude – my preconceived notions were REALLY upset for a minute, there. I’m glad I found the emotional courage to see the whole thing through to the end!
Thank you so much for a year of wisdom and insight. Your work of making this knowledge accessible has helped me to process my own experiences and trauma from growing up in and leaving a cult and understand the world around me even better. Your work has broadened my philosophical and moral horizons, and has left me with less fear and even more questions (dropped right onto my own pile of mysteries). Your openness about your struggles during the Satanic panic was eye-opening, as someone whose family and development has been shaped in part by it. I am especially grateful to you there. I hope you had a good Hanukkah and that the rest of the holiday season is merry and bright for you.
On the subject of fanfiction, the star (here identified as the morning star, Venus, by its name as a Germanic pagan mythological figure) in the Old English Poem Crist I was the very first inspiration for Tolkien’s legendarium – “Ēala ēarendel, engla beorhtast, ofer middangeard monnum sended” (Hail Earendel, brightest of angels, sent over Middle-Earth to men), giving us both the name Middle-Earth and the character of Eärendil the Mariner, who sails with a silmaril upon his brow, and whose light is captured in a phial by Galadriel and given to the ringbearer (which he then uses in the pass of Cirith Ungol to ward off Shelob), echoing the theological connection to the star as a symbol of hope. Frodo’s evocation of the phial with the words in elvish “Aiya Earendil Elenion Ancalima” (‘Hail Earendil brightest of stars’) even resemble the original old english lines.
“Messiah: the game where nobody wins!” 🤣 I love this website, your voice is so pleasant and I appreciate that the articles are very calm and slower paced but still packed with information. I find some other producer’s styles to be a little overstimulating and I am too old for that lol!! Thank you so much for teaching Esotericism this way.
Thank you so much dr. Sledge, for another wonderful episode. It has been a perfect start to my Christmas (or rather yuletide) celebration. With your deep knowledge (both lived and studied) of jewish tradition and history, you give a fantastic perspective to christian mythos and traditions. A little bit from the outside, a lot of being on the same team as Jesus and his gang, and with a profound respect for us who actually belive in Jesus and the christian canon. But then you’re not alone, as a several of my favourite scholars when studying christian theology were practicing jews. So once again, thank you for a great episode and for a fantastic website.
I’m starting to realize your articles are mirroring what a lot of early humanist tried doing and what a lot of scribes of ancient knowledge tried doing too, recording, explaining and preserving this knowledge that would have otherwise been lost to time. I hope your articles are seen by other people 100 years from now.
Thank you Dr. Sledge for the wonderful early Christmas present! I hope you’ve had a good Hanukkah, and please have a safe and peaceful Christmas as well! Peace and blessings upon you and your house! I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary on the Magi and the various ancient sources surrounding them. I also found the various tie-ins to astrology enlightening. I had read that the Greeks had some issues with Zoroastrians, and I think what you’ve said about astrology might have been part of the reason. You are a fascinating individual my friend, and you remind me of a friend of mine, so i do indeed enjoy your content, please keep it coming brother!
This is very fortuitous timing. A friend of mine just posted asking about this & whether it was 3 kings or 3 Wise Men because the bible is so inconsistent. The responses were mainly people telling her what term their family used & then devolved into a thread of 2 people copy/pasting bible verses at each other as if that was the mic drop that ended all discussion. Anyway, I sent this article to her with a warning that it was a lot lol.
Dr. Sledge, thank you! Your detailed and yet wide-sweeeping commentary enlarged a corner of the nativity story that I hadn’t really thoght much about other than to feel affection for the travelled Magi, whomever they were and from whereever they came. That star becomes even MORE enigmatic in your exploration. Thank you for alerting us to the antisemetic and wrong-headed elements in these narratives. Thank you for your fair and compassionate appreciation of our human religions. May you and yours have a loving Hanukkah(a bit late), glad solstice, and a better New Year.
Thank you so much Dr.Sledge this was a very detailed,in depth and illuminating lecture/episode…thought I knew pretty much everything regarding the Magi and the Star of the East but I learned alot more today…anyways Happy Hanukkah 🕎 brother/Winter Solstice/Christmas/Yule etc and New Year’s 😅 to you and ur loved ones…we appreciate all ur hard work and dedication u put into composing these lectures…and Peace be with you all no matter what traditions u do or do not celebrate I hope u enjoy the Holidays. Αλληλούια!Amen אָמֵן ✌
Your deep dives are always fascinating, Justin. I’ve seen a number of documentaries about the star and yeah, the astronomers are all over the map as to what it could have been – one suggesting the movement of planets in Aries (the sign of the Jews). And the gifts, gold frankincense and myrrh are such a foreshadowing (literary-wise) of his life, death and messiah-hood. Always great stuff! Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to you and your family.
Thanks again for your in depth explanation about these topics. I’ve had a lot of religious confusion because of my upbringing. But the way you explain their origins, on a more academic level, has helped me a lot to be able to, as you put it, find my own star of peace within. So thanks again.🙏 I wish the best to you and yours
Amazing. Early this morning 23/12 I saw a very bright star in the east. I thought of the ‘star of Bethlehem’ & the Magi. I thought to look up the story & research it some. This evening I put on YouTube & this was in my feed. (Because I subscribed as any intelligent person would!) So Merry Xmas happy Hanukkah or happy holidays to all. Thank you Dr Sledge May your humour never fail
The Magi had an interesting career in Ireland as well, where they became–based in the well-established practice of preferred translation terms–the Tri Druad, i.e. the Three Druids! Epiphany is celebrated as the Festival of the Three Druids in Christian Ireland, and that’s just how it goes! This gets deep into what, exactly, “druid” means in an Irish context, and it is clear that based on so-called native sources, the druids are not straight-forwardly the priestly caste of Caesar and classical Graeco-Roman writing, but the debate goes on as to what they actually were. (And that doesn’t even get into what various different druid groups, particularly from the 18th century onward, think they are, and therefore what they themselves also are.) It’s a complex set of questions, and one that bears much further discussion than it has received already, particularly in more popular culture.
Thanks for the article! I’ve had conversation where people argue the whole star and magi story is more important than we give it credit for and my curiosity spiked when i saw the thumbnail. I can’t help but put the Magoi in the same mental box of mysterious guys we don’t know a lot about with the guys dressed in white that met Jesus before his Ascending. Another similar article on them maybe in Easter would be very nice!
You’ve geeked out enough about RPGs on here that I have to ask if there’s any favorites you’re playing or looking at? And is there a forum or blog where you geek out on them? I’m perusal for all the amazing history and analysis and I’d love to see some of your ideas about dice related fantasy as well.
Great, brief, overview. May I ask for future articles that include art, specifically paintings in this case, include citiation? The nativity paintings shown here…wow! just…wow! Finally, with regard to “the star,” queue Diana Walsh Pasulka, which I’m not meaning to say is or isn’t – you know what, for those of you familiar with DWPs work – but yeah, let that idea play with all the other theories/beliefs.
Something that’s always struck me as odd is that Jehovah’s Witnesses actually have a decidedly negative view of the Magi. In their interpretation the star was not angelic at all but was actually Lucifer himself (because of the whole Morning Star thing I presume) who had taken advantage of the pagan magi’s error in practicing astrology to try to prematurely kill Jesus, while I don’t think this point of theology is directly derived from any of the sources you mentioned I do think it’s a more modern manifestation of that awkward tension between the Magi being pagan astrologers (and possibly ceremonial magicians) and them being among the first to recognize Jesus as god
Very well done article, Dr. Sledge. One can read the account of the visit of the Magi in the Gospel of St. Matthew and conclude that it occured up to 2 years after the birth of Jesus. Artistic depictions of the Magi adoring the baby Jesus in the manger, with the shepherds are nice, and meant to be spiritually uplifing, but not necessarily historically accurate.
Jesus, in Revelation of John, is the Morning Star. In Isaiah the Morning Star is Lucifer, and he has so much more to say on the wonders at the Coming of the Messiah – of which almost nothing came to fruition. I love this article (and the Esoterica website) and one thing I did was to order the Magi book of Vanden Eykel. Last bit of frivolous data: Zoroaster, has a literal Star (aster) in his name. There is so much more to this tale of the Magi, but Christmas is almost upon us and I have gifts and foods to buy. Bye!❤😂
In many Latin American countries, the day of the 3 kings ( día de reyes) is almost as important as Christmas day itself. Is usually celebrated on Jan 6. Is Hugely popular. Here in Puerto Rico the image of the colorfully clothed characters many times carrying our flag is a very powerful symbol of cultural identity.
Though I forget the author, a sub-recent paper distilled the evidence, notably the descriptions given in the world’s many creation myths, for a comet impact with the earth somewhen around 50-100 thousand years ago. The Babylonian myth of a dragon with two heads growing in the sky before consuming the earth and triggering global floods (Noah and the swirling arabian gulf) and tempests and fires, followed by darkness and disease etc (egypt) unfolds particularly compatibly with what a splitting comet nucleus might do if it struck earth (which it apparently did in the SE pacific).. the point is that since that time, a celestial component would be required in the most significant portents and it seems likely that cults would have been set up specifically to watch the sky for warnings of future such impactors…. dig your stuff, man
Such an enjoyable presentation; as always. I have my own queries about the historicity of the writer of Matthew’s Magi claims, but you have shared a new avenue of thought to consider regarding this topic. Regarding the church induced anti-semitism; I have never understood how supposed religiously inspired, spiritual men could allow their thoughts to be entrapped in a ‘blame game’ over their Messiah’s earthly demise. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten (unique) Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.’ I appreciate how and why there are always reactions toward belief and cultural difference, but to actually lose sight of a heavenly spiritual outlook and allow real world finger pointing to dominate one’s thought processes? Anyway, thanks again for sharing. I hope that you too enjoy the goodness of the season, as we come full circle and enter into another, ever hastening, new year. Merry Christmas Doc.
Sometimes I wonder just how much Persian history, including the magi, was lost due to both the greeks and Arabs trying to wipe their culture out. They were some of the most brilliant people in ancient times. Making batteries, tracking stars, understanding science and society far beyond others for the time. The Arabs destroyed their books. The Greeks buried their cities. And what’s left is the small percentage us descendants hold on to with our lives. There’s a tradition that every year on the longest night persians gather and tell stories. Sometimes I wonder if it’s in the faith to hold on to what we salvaged.
I think this is essentially correct. The zoroastrian belief system was fluid before the conquest of Babylon and writing tends to start fixing things. But the Persians took babylon and Babylon reigned supreme until the Islamic conquest. Who possesses it possesses the knowledge of the world. And so the religious teachers who learned this material and could frame the babilu-centric world view were, as you say, religious mercenaries. This was extremely important in drawing the peripheral territories away from the militarily powerful Rome because they could frame these upstart groups like the greeks. Lets just compare, the oldest literature we have about greek gods come from the Hesiod and Homer. The oldest written information about creation and mesopotamian gods easily is older than the 25th century BCE, the Eridu genesis could be a substrate belief in Sumer. The Zoroastrian priest fit into that because of their cozy relationship with the Persian kings of Babylon. We have to remember that Akkad and Sumer had Sages, and the fact that magi are not called by any of these names. The first seven sages myth comes from early babylon, these were the sages of Enki called the Apkallu, Uanna (the prototype for Jonah) was the first. The similarities of the Apkallu with Canaanite/Arabian religion is peculiar to say the least. Indeed the Apkallu legend mentions that at least some of these come from the Red Sea. Like the mages the Apkallu brought instruction to the kings. Even more bizzare is the desert cultures of Saba and Yathrib were associated with Jahudite belief at least in its polytheistic version.
Namaste, Dr. Sledge! As a thankful rebuke to your “doubtful” take on a two year old Babe teaching wise men through language… I happily share a moment of revelation from my own two year old. Years ago, when my very funny, wise and educated 38 year old son was but 26 months old, His Baptist grandmother and I drove him through a ‘living manger scene.’ As we drove by, I was telling the tiny one the traditional story of the Nativity. I was shocked as my child chided, “Joseph was there! He used the wood (of the manger) to make a bed for Jesus.” Gosh! Alchemy? The Divine lets us know, as we are able to understand…
In the Visconti Sforza Tarot Star/s card a female is holding up a eight pointed star, one of its points goes to her wrist, another has the longest axis, a third is along her line of sight (if you stare too long at something your eyes will begin to water), I think you can work out the final one, think what does a hand do when saying hallo & goodbye, (also the five pointed star that the retrograde orbit that Venus makes), which reappears in the Marseilles pack, symboling I think the collective pool of fallen humanity & the redeemer of fallen humanity, basically Stella Maris, but more as Venus, the double star of the evening & morning (in that order) than the pole star. There’s also the eight directions, the eighth sphere of fixed stars & the eighth portal of the body (the breaking of the waters).
Can’t wait to watch this. Meanwhile I have a question: I’ve been thinking of doing a black metal project using texts from the tanakh and elsewhere. I’m taking ancient hebrew as part of my theology studies and this would be a fun way to practice and study the language. Any suggestions for a good band name? Sheol was obviously already taken, several times even.
These “Magi” remind me a lot of the Druids, who also defy easy categorization. The best description I ever heard is that they are like a university today with all “faculty” expected to have reached a certain level of knowledge overall by years of training, but who then specialize in areas of expertise. And like today, they are called upon to advise “kings” and rulers (presidents and congress persons), or at least they were before we embraced Stupid as the national go-to. And, as in the not too distant past, such university dons also had religious commitments and ceremonies. In the medieval period they were even officially clerics.
Growing up Christian, it always made sense to me that a group of mathematicians and astrologers might follow an astrological event, end up speaking to a foreign king and set off a local inquisition in search of a rival. That’s what kings throughout history have been prone to do, after all. Puppet kings, especially. Regardless of the reality of the event, it’s clear that the historical magi commanded a great deal of awe and respect amongst the common people of their contemporary Mediterranean world.
Such great content: informative and the dry humour is on point. In my growing interest in hermeticism a friend gifted me a tarot deck. I was perusal this and shortly after, and only moments ago, I picked the deck up and flipped it upside down thinking that I would look for the magician card and contemplate it. (Not typically the “right” way to do tarot, I realize). When I flipped the deck over I discovered “the star” card on the bottom, it was the first thing I saw 😀. Whether magic or coincidence, I just wanted to share 😁.
Thank you for the article and for ur super interesting yt website in general. I wanted to share the curiosity that magi are a very important myth in Brazil where I live (and maybe in other countries too? I dont know), reisado (from Rei, king in portuguese) is a popular catolicism happening, its a procession of musicians that visits a house that is open to anyone who wants to enter offering lots and lots of food and they pray and sing for hours. They even sometimes have “clowns” that are masked people supposedly representing herodes that you aren’t supposed to allow to enter the house. Also its not a christmas thing or a representation of the manger it starts on january 6th, the magis day, Im not sure why its after christmas and not before it.
😂 hi well I am not sure where the link for the “entire online work for free, and I’ll include a link in the description” @52.48, where’s the link Also also you mentioned a manuscript in the Vatican do you have a digital copy? And in addition do you have a link to that fan fiction story that ended with the denouncement of Jesus? It would be a great read 😊
I love the image of three robed magi bringing their gifts. two stay in their dirty robes and offer all they have as gifts. the third pulls off his robe and reveals heaps of gold chains hanging from his neck and shoulders, then shrugs and pulls one off and drops it over the incense and myrrh, scowls and walks out lol
The early Christian theologians throwing out the idea of Astrology pointing to Jesus is one of the many reasons I throw out many Christian theologian’s ideas and opinions on esoteric topics and Astrology. This due to they forget the Scripture says that Jesus created everything, which includes Astrology. All lies and corruption come from a truth, but thus they forget this concept. Astrology has some legitimacy to it.
There is some speculation, given the date that the Magi first appear, that the first Magi are actually members of the Judean Elite and priests like the biblical Daniel who are taken away to Babylon to serve Nebuchadnezzar & eventually the Persian Kings who conquer Babylon. This explain why the Magi were so keen to follow and care about the birth of the jewish Messiah and also explain why they refer to Jesus as “Their” Messiah. The magi then are descendants of the first Jewish elite taken to Babylon who remain in Persia even after Cyrus sends them back to Jerusalem to build the 2nd temple. This is crucial because it also gives a plausible reason for why Cyrus would not only allow them to build another Temple but also to pay for the cost of its construction. I don’t know if there are any historical sources that support this interpretation, but I mention it because it gives a whole new dimension to the gospel and account. It also may shine some light on how the Magi come to have influence in the Zoastrian religion and why it seems to have a lot of parallels to Kabbalah.
Thanks sir Justin for sharing your vast knowledge an wise analysis ! Have ye herd That the Things brought by the Magi were not just material Gifts but also spiritual for Ritual as i have been told an been thru It is said to have been used in an opening of the 3rd eye or perhaps better named Spiritual sight thru whole brain integration (seeing out of both eyes at the same time for the 1st time as apposed to seeing out of each eye alternatively as the brain fires right brain left eye left brain right eye perhaps this is also why many in Eastern mystical faith say we are still sleeping even in the waking state as we in the state are literally out of balance hemisphericly and thus spiritually and physically) the original said to be laying gold over the third eye as its best conductor known at the time and frankincense and myrrh being aromatherapy triggers that trigger an opening of 3rd or balancing of the hemispheres connecting to the center and source ! ? What is your take upon this if ye wish to share thanks !
Man, I started perusal your website because I’ve been digging deep into Elden Ring lore and it’s incredibly referential to many parts of western myth, religion and history. They mix, Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Jewish, Christian and Muslim stories into a fresh form of interpretive fiction. Little flashes of eastern religions and myths are also sprinked in. and All with countless aeons of in-game history. The story vaguely seems to be based on the replacement of an old pagan culture of multiple gods with one of a reviled religion with only one true god. There are characters based on Moses or possibly Zoroaster, Mary, Odin, Loki and Baldur, just to name drop a few. If you’re at all interested I’d check out Tarnished Archaeologist. =)
“I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, (and) the bright and morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16) I have noticed the connection between Jesus and the “morning Star” before perusal this article. Revelation basically says that Jesus and Lucifer are the same force. I find this associated with the so-called “star of Bethlehem”. Amazing how the church never explains this connection. Whew! I need to relax!
I’ve been reading the Travels of Marco Polo and its interesting that he claims to have visited a town in Iran where all three were supposedly buried. He also seems to think Zoroastrianism had something to do with them. Its obviously ahistorical and a misunderstanding of Zoroastrianism but, a neat story. There a point where he claims the fire worshipers there have eternal flames because a rock the Magi got from Christ was thrown on the ground and became an eternal flame that they worship.
“Because it’s like reading manuals for a bunch of role playing games that I don’t ever Ever want to play.” – Yeah, that makes sense. It’s nice to use the rule books to box the GM into a corner. You should have those GM’s read Psalm 19:1 and reconcile that with space-stuff. I’ma go sling Bible verses at preachers.
So weird that this vid pops up — reading a book called “The Occult Writings of Isabella and Richard Ingalese” and there’s a wild chapter in there called “The Esoteric Christ.” The author basically says that the Magi were an Occult order in which Jesus was a member in his previous incarnation as Elisha and that he actually escaped crucifixion with their help when they “combined their occult powers” to create earthquakes, winds, thunder and lighting for the purpose of creating confusion and chaos that would enable him to be whisked away to a cave, where he would continue his work in secret and live to almost a 1000 years old because of his prowess at alchemy. No I’m not high. Haha
The whole manger thing is misunderstood by most people anyway. The idea that jesus was born in a stable is kinda a historic misconstruction – the text only mentions that he was put in a manger, but people had mangers in their houses, because who could afford to keep their animals in a seperate building anyway?
I remember hearing 2 apocryphal Jesus stories from years ago. In one he could fly rather a bit like Superman. And in the other one a 5 to 8 year old Jesus and his friend were playing on the roof of a house, and the friend fell off of it to his death, so Jesus brought him back to life. You know, I’m not sure, but these 2 stories might be 2 things that happened in the same story.
The star reminds me of the dharmachakra: 20. The Buddha told the monks, “The noble wheel-turning king accepted his father’s instruction and cultivated it as he’d explained. On the fifteenth-day full moon, he bathed in incense water and ascended the high hall while surrounded by his concubines, and the wheel treasure spontaneously appeared before him. The wheel had a thousand spokes and possessed a radiant color. It was made by a heavenly craftsman and wasn’t something that belongs to this world. It was made of pure gold and had a diameter of forty feet. 21. “The wheel-turning king then thought to himself, ‘I’ve heard from elders in the past that if a water-anointed warrior king bathes in incense water and ascends the treasure hall on the fifteenth-day full moon while surrounded by his concubines, then the golden wheel will suddenly appear before him. The wheel will have a thousand spokes and possess a radiant color. It’ll be made by a heavenly craftsman and won’t be something that belongs to this world. It’ll be made of pure gold and have a diameter of forty feet. He will then be called a noble wheel-turning king. Now, this appears to be the wheel, but perhaps this isn’t it? Now, I’d should like to test this wheel treasure.’
3:20 “…to take Faith seriously, not literally.” Seriously. “True that.” – Moses & Hermes Trismegistus, probably. Also, maybe, mytho-historically significant, the Three KIngs/Three Wise Men/Three Magi mythos, perhaps on its own preceding the Christian tradition that borrowed, er, appropriated it much like the now druidic and later wiccan and adopted hermetic ceremonial magic milieu, the symbol of the cross as being the Four Directions prior to it being a symbol for Christianity . What WAS that Star? A comet, a supernatural herald, a supernova? What is the significance of frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Who were Gaspar*, Melchior, and Balthazar? What and which traditions, peoples, and kingdoms did they represent, if not actual historical kings? The question of the adopted earthly dad, Joseph. There’s the apocryphal (?) ( I need to do some bible study of comparative analysis of the Gospels and on Christology/theology) frame of Jesus being the matriarchal cousin (?) to John the Baptist? And him having siblings? Gotta call up Dr Andrew Henry of Religion for Breakfast… As it is most often treated as religious history without qualifiers and without relegating to religious myth “because (period),” the milieu has them as religious but somehow non-canonical historical figures centered on historical Jesus. I think they exist, not so much as symbolic mythology or wisdom school inner circle revelation – if alchemy had a more mystical transcendent truth underlying physical experimentation, what is the historical aspect to the Magi story and the Three KIngs?
I do like the idea of the Magi as Eastern representatives making “reparations” to Israel. I have also often thought of the joy Hellenistic writers and readers must have gotten at Persian representatives essentially bowing to Hellenism, Logos, and what might have been Plato’s Just Man. Btw, the reflection from the pottery over your right shoulder is messing with your logo, turning ESOTERICA into ESOTERIGA. Maybe a less reflective item.
Darkness is the purest of power because it is all power in one. Harnessing this is only difficult because of peoples thought it is evil. This is being washed away. Evil only has power because you are afraid. Fear is its only way to manipulate you into thinking it is powerful. Don’t believe in fear believe in yourself.
So, in May 2019 I was intuitively lead to give up my apartment, purchase a storage unit, and Live out of my car. I did that for almost 10 months and it was the best decision of my life. It allowed me to get in alignment like I could not imagine. I have never had so much inner peace in my life. And my family all looked at me like I was crazy, but you can also tell they can see and feel the changes in me, but to low vibrational to admit it.
Mike, you don’t know how true this is! You don’t know how to do this is. This was my entire weekend, being telepathically and psychically attacked by dark Forces, through the seemingly well-meaning and nice veneer of another person who was quote-unquote trying to help me. My energy ended up being very unsettled, didn’t get any sleep, and just like you said, I literally knew when she was telepathically projecting versus trusting what I already knew and had learned through my experiences. That’s something I’ve learned to differentiate recently. I felt like I was on a Battleground. Her dog bit me, I felt like I was being interrogated the whole time, did not get any sleep, and I ended up doing a property cleansing and spirit release. While I was doing it, the girl was pacing and her limbs were moving uncontrollably. It’s the closest thing to the movie The Exorcist I’ve experienced while doing entity removal. LOL But the entire time, I stood my ground, maintained My Serenity and peace inside, and I know that there was a huge release of negative energy in that space by the time I left the place… she misunderstands the LIGHT and the power that i work with.. divine light. And one thing I learned… Even if seemingly well-meaning, never let anyone try to tell you what they think is good for you… And never let anyone try to tell you they’re only doing something because they want the best for you. No one has a right to want anything for you. They did not know your soul Journey or why you are where you are at in life.
I’m a cancer sun, gemini rising, virgo moon with neptune in sagittarius. I was just telling myself 2 hours ago I need to practice my visualization skill. Meaning I can think about someone & say to myself what does their living room look like & see it in my minds eye. I was just think I need to sharpen that skill & u spoke about it. Amazing how u sent me a message saying yes u do. Thanks message received 😊
We do have our souls but please know there are energy vampires literally while you sleep if you live in a communal homes such as a condominium or apartment building they will pace the floors in the middle of the night if you live beneath one they wait till you sleep and they will drain you of energy. I do not know how this is done but you’ll wake up feeling dry eyeballs dry mouth dizzy And far more aware of what is happening extremely tuned to the subjects invading your energy field.
Why do I feel like your talking about me, Mike? I’m a Sagittarius Sun / Capricorn Moon / Scorpio Mercury / Taurus Rising… Also I’m turning 33 this year…lol I’ve been holding all the receipts for all their Past Transgressions, don’t worry. DONE Oh, my sun is the 7th House 1° —–>Then….. My Moon, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, and Saturn are in the 8th House….Yes It’s been fucking rough and noticing everything around me. PLUGGED IN and READY to CLAP BACK