THE DOG STAR SIRIUS AND ATLAS

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THE STARS TELL THE STORY

compiled by Dee Finney

3-24-07- DREAM - I was in a classroom drawing pictures of stars on white paper.

The teacher came up to me and praised me for my work.  He picked up the paper on which I had drawn the three stars of Sirius on one side of the paper and managed somehow to draw the Titan Atlas riding a white horse exactly on the back side of that drawing - so you could see both at the same time held up to the light.

The teacher said that was an amazing concept.

I continued to cut out stars on triangle-shaped pieces of paper then and before I left the classroom I put them inside the top drawer of a tan filing cabinet and as I woke up I could see the filing cabinet with a sign hanging from a nail directly in the center of the drawer from - swinging side to side.

THE DOG STAR

17 FISH - THE BIBLE AND THE STARS

The principal star of this constellation is Dubhe. ... This is the only miracle after Jesus' resurrection recorded in the Bible that is associated with a ...
 www.greatdreams.com/constellations/17-fish.htm

 

Rev 6:1-9
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a  WHITE HORSE: and he that sat on him had A BOW; and A CROWN was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another HORSE THAT WAS RED and power was given to him that sat thereon to TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him A GREAT SWORD. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo A BLACK HORSE; and he that sat on him had a PAIR OF BALANCES in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. [ECLIPTIC]  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold A PALE HORSE and his name that sat on him was DEATH, AND HELL followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

These verses carry the message at the nadir stars when the Tribute In Light was turned on (last previous star chart). They are all represented in the two images of Sagittarius. The White Horse is Sagittarius, whose bow is white in the Milky Way. The Red Horse is Scorpio whose color comes from Antares, a red giant star, with the name meaning not Mars, and not rational. The Black Horse is clearly Libra, who has been cut out of the great Red Dragon, and whose color comes from the fact that Libra is fully above and forty days from the plane of the Milky Way. The Pale Horse is Ophiuchus and Centaurus, who are pale by virtue that the constellations are on the fringe of the Milky Way, neither white, nor black. The aspect of the Pale Horse depends upon the outcome of the judgment. If the soul being judged has chosen to be a Wild Man, in the Centaur image, then the judgment is death at the Southern Cross and the Skull. If the man does not stumble at the Rock of the Dome, then the judgment is the man will receive the whole world as Bootes (Atlas) together with the Seventy Two Virgins in Seventh Heaven.

The Egyptian dual calendar system included the Sothic calendar based upon the heliacal rising of the star Sirius that occurs every  365.2500 days. The civil calendar was 365 days in length. Thus, the two Egyptian calendars precessed over a cycle of 1460 years (365 years / 0.25 day). A priest living for forty-eight years would have lived through a twelve day shift in the calendars, and that would be sufficient to trigger an inquiry into the calendar precession leading to a realization of the celestial precession, even though the stars had change position relative to the vernal equinox by less that forty minutes of arc. The precision with which the Egyptians laid out their temples indicates that they never forgot they were on the Sun Boat until the Roman Annexation. They preserved the sacred truth in the cosmic story for the New Age. This was perfectly in line with the death and resurrection of Osiris, and they saw it coming for thousands of years. Humility is not a common trait for knowledgeable scientists, and the humble Egyptian priests certainly were not expecting a people that declared themselves to be more noble than others to suddenly accept humility as the gateway to wisdom.

FROM : http://www.siloam.net/NewYorkWTC/tribute/part6.html

Atlas

 
The Titan Atlas, condemned by Zeus to bear the heavens upon his shoulders.
Atlas n
[L Atlant-, Atlas, fr. Gk, after the strongest god, Atlas, who was punished for his part in the revolt against the Olympians by being forced to hold the world on his shoulders for eternity] : the innermost moon of Saturn

 

In Greek mythology, ATLAS was the son of IAPETUS and the nymph CLYMENE. According to the Atlantis report, ATLAS was king of Atlantis and son of Poseidon and Cleito. This trickery of Atlas‘ parental situation casts a dark shadow on the credibility of the Atlantis report.

In ancient Greece, Atlas was believed to carry the world upon his shoulders. When he fought against Zeus with the older divine Titans, he was made carrying the globe as a punishment. For Heracles, he got the apples of the Hesperides. Moreover, he kept watch over the divine fruit in the west, at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Myths say that Perseus passed by intending to take a rest but was refused hospitality by Atlas. Mad at such an affront, Perseus got the head of Medusa with its petrifying eyes out of his bag. As a consequence, Atlas turned into stone when he looked at Medusa’s countenance.

Other Greek sources report that Atlas was a great astronomer and therefore carries the firmament with the twelve signs of the zodiac on his shoulders.
 

 
The Aegis and Aja Ekapad

The association of the goat with the Devil is too well known to require elaboration. The Aegis the shield of Zeus and Minerva was fashioned by Hephaistos from the unpierceable skin of the she-goat Amalthea. The word "aegis" derives from the Greek aigis ("goat skin"), related to the Sanskrit aja and to the name of the Aegean Sea.

Allegedly the name Aegean derives from Aegeus, the father of Theseus, who drowned there. Aegeus, the father of Theseus, was deemed to be a son of Poseidon. He is indeed the same as Poseidon, who was so named in Euboea.

According to Homer, the submarine golden palace of Poseidon the very archetype of the Eldorado and of the sunken Atlantis was called Aigaia, meaning the same as "Aegaea" or "Aegea". What these legends are hinting at is that Aegeus who was a marine god himself is the same as Poseidon or Neptune and, more exactly, as Atlas, the son of that god that personifies Atlantis.

More likely the name of the Aegean sea has to do with the legend of the Golden Fleece and the drowning of Helle. Helle drowned there when she fell off the Golden Lamb while flying over that sea with her brother Phrixus, mounted on it. This lamb seems to be the same as the she-goat Amalthea. Its skin is also the Golden Fleece quested by the Argonauts, itself an allegory of Atlantis.

The drowning of Pan, of Aegeus, of Helle, of Atlas, of the she-goat Amalthea, and so on all seem to be an allegory of the sinking of Atlantis, as myths tend to repeat themselves ad infinitum, under different forms. The word aigis also means "tempest", "flood", and tends to identify the cataclysm with that of the Flood. And the true Aegean Sea the sea of Aegeus (or Poseidon) where the Golden Lamb (or Eldorado) sunk away is indeed the Indian Ocean. It should not at all be confused with its replica recreated by the Greeks in the Mediterranean when they moved into that region of the world, having come from the Indies. The true "Atlantic Ocean", the primeval "Ocean of the Atlanteans", was originally the Indian Ocean, as we argue in detail elsewhere.


FROM: http://www.lost-civilizations.net/horse-sacrifice-atlantis-indies-page-5.html
 
Nyx is pivotal in the creation myth of the theology of the Orphic-Dionysic Mysteries. The ancients believed that before the universe was created there existed only a void of chaos that was black and silent. From this chaos rose the first deity, Nyx, also called Mother Night. She is said to have been in the form of a great black winged spirit. Nyx then conceived of the wind and laid a silver egg in the darkness. The upper part of the egg was the sky and the lower section was the earth.
 
Nyx actually came from the earliest times of Greek mythology (These earlier divinities have names that correspond directly to elements of the natural world, like Gaia, Ouranos, Pontos, Nyx, Hemera). By the classical times in Greece, Nyx had less of a cult-following. In this later Greek pantheon Nyx is the personification of the night, and was its goddess. She was revered for Her ocular powers, and Her realm was in a cave in the far West beyond the land of Atlas. She was portrayed as a young woman, dressed in a star-covered gown. On several Greek vases She is shown riding a chariot pulled by four horses. Her attribute is a reversed torch. The Greek Nyx is related to the Egyptian Goddess Nuit, Goddess of the Black Night.
 
Nyx is associated with the Night; the color black; eggs and birth.
 
HYADES Five nymph daughters of the Titan Atlas, who nursed the god Dionysos in his infancy. They were placed amongst the stars as the constellation Hyades, whose risings heralded the arrival of spring rain.
 

Sirius is the brightest star in the nighttime sky, with a visual apparent magnitude of -1.46. It is located
in the constellation Canis Major. Its name comes from the Latin sirius, from Greek(seirios, "glowing").
It is situated in the eye of the greater dog Canis Major, therefore it is known as the 'Dog Star'.

Sirius can be seen from every inhabited region of the Earth's surface and, in the Northern Hemisphere,
is known as a vertex of the 'Winter Triangle.'

At a distance of 2.6 pc or 8.57 light years, Sirius is also one of the nearest stars to Earth. The best time
of year to view it is around January 1, when it reaches the meridian at midnight.

Sirius - Queens Chamber [Feminine] - The Pleiades [Sister Stars]
Orion - Kings Chamber - Thuban
Thuban - Gold - Snake - Alpha Draconis - Reptilians - DNA
It was the pole star when the pyramids were built.
Seamen called it 'The Dragon's Tail'.

Sirius has several meanings

  • Transition Stage - Moving consciousness from one reality or frequency - to another

  • Spirit of Wisdom - Zoroastrian translation

  • Brightly Radiating One - The Shining Ones

Mythology and Metaphysics

In the astrology of the Middle Ages, Sirius was a Behenian fixed star, associated with beryl and juniper.

Its kabbalistic symbol was listed by Cornelius Agrippa.

In the Sumerian Civilization, predating the Egyptians, their epic poem Epic of Gilgamesh describes a dream of Gilgamesh where the hero is drawn irresistibly to a heavy star that cannot be lifted despite immense effort. This star descends from heaven to him and is described as having a very 'potent essence' and being "the God of heaven". Gilgamesh had for his companions, 50 oarsmen in the great ship, Argo, a constellation bordering Canis Major, where Sirius is found.

In Greek mythology, Orion's dog became Sirius. The Greeks also associated Sirius with the heat of summer - calling it Seirios, often translated 'the scorcher'.

MAIRA (or Maera) was the Nymphe of the dog-star Seirios. Her rising brought on the scorching heat of midsummer in conjunction with Helios the sun-god. Like her sister Pleiades, Maira was a star-nymphe daughter of Atlas, who was once married to a mortal king, namely Tegeates eponymous founder of the Arkadian town of Tegea.

Maira was closely identified with the Kuon Ikarion, the dog of Ikarios, which along with her star formed the Constellation Canis Major. For more information on the star of Maira, see Seirios the Dog-Star.

Greek Name:
Transliteration:
Latin Spelling:
Translation:		 Maira
Maira
Maera
Sparkling (marmairô)
 
PARENTS
ATLAS (Pausanias 8.12.7 & 8.48.6)
OFFSPRING
SKEPHROS, LEIMON, KYDON, ARKHEDIOS, GORTYS (by Tegeates) (Pausanias 8.53.2)

 

MAERA (Maira). A daughter of Atlas, was married to Tegeates, the son of Lycaon. Her tomb was shown both at Tegea and Mantineia in Arcadia. and Pausanias thinks that she was the same as the Maera whom Odysseus saw in Hades. (Paus. viii. 12. § 4, 48. § 4, 53. § 1; Völcker, Mythol. des Iapet. Geschl. p. 114.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. C19th Classics Encyclopedia.
 

"[Odysseus in the Underworld:] I saw Maira too [among the ghosts of the heroines]." - Homer, Odyssey 11.326

"The [Kean] priests of Zeus Aristaios Ikmaios (the Lord of Moisture): priests whose business it is upon the mountain-tops to assuage stern Maira [Seirios] when she rises." - Callimachus, Aitia Frag 3.1 (from Oxyrhynchus Papyri 7)

"There are also tombs [at Tegea, Arkadia] of Tegeates, the son of Lykaon, and of Maira, the wife of Tegeates. They say Maira was a daughter of Atlas, and Homer makes mention of her in the passage where Odysseus tells to Alkinous his journey to Hades, and of those whose ghosts he beheld there." - Pausanias, Guide to Greece 8.48.6

"The ruins of a village called Maira, with the grave of Maira … For probably the Tegeans, and not the Mantineans , are right when they say that Maira, the daughter of Atlas, was buried in their land." - Pausanias, Guide to Greece 8.12.7

"Apollon and Artemis, they say, throughout every land visited with punishment all the men of that time who, when Leto was with child and in the course of her wanderings, took no heed of her when she came to their land [Tegea in Arkadia]. So when the divinities came to the land of Tegea, Skephros, they say, the son of Tegeates, came to Apollon and had a private conversation with him. And Leimon (Water-Meadow), who also was a son of Tegeates, suspecting that the conversation of Skephros contained a charge against him, rushed on his brother and killed him. Immediate punishment for the murder overtook Leimon, for he was shot by Artemis. At the time Tegeates and Maira sacrificed to Apollon and Artemis, but afterwards a severe famine fell on the land, and an oracle of Delphoi ordered a mourning for Skephros. At the feast of [Apollon] Aguieus (the Lord of Streets) rites are performed in honor of Skephros, and in particular the priestess of Artemis pursues a man, pretending she is Artemis herself pursuing Leimon.

It is also said that all the surviving sons of Tegeates, namely, Kydon, Arkhedios and Gortys, migrated of their own free will to Krete, and that after them were named the cities Kydonia, Gortyna and Katreus. The Kretans dissent from the account of the Tegeans." - Pausanias, Guide to Greece 8.53.2

Sources:

  • Homer, The Odyssey - Greek Epic C9th-8th BC
The Three Symbolic Constellations

The three constellations to be found in connection with the sign are Lepus, the Hare, Canis Major and Canis Minor, and in their interrelation and in their association with Hercules, the aspirant, the whole story of the human being is again most strikingly portrayed. In Canis Major we find Sirius, the Dog Star, called in many old books "the leader of the entire heavenly host", for it is ten or twelve times brighter than any other star of the first magnitude. Sirius has always been associated with great heat, hence we have the phrase of "the dog days" in the middle of the summer, when the heat is supposed to be greatest. From the standpoint of the occultist, Sirius is of profound significance. "Our God is a consuming fire", and Sirius is the symbol of the universal soul as well as of the individual soul. It is therefore, esoterically considered, the star of initiation. In the language of symbology we are told, there comes a moment when a star blazes forth before the initiate, signifying his realization of his identity with the universal soul, and this he suddenly glimpses through the medium of his own soul, his own star.

Canis Major is the immortal Hound of Heaven, that chases forever the lesser Dog, the underdog, the man in physical incarnation. This chase has been immortalised for us by Francis Thompson in The Hound of Heaven.

"I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong feet that followed, followed after." [69]

In the zodiac of Denderah, this star is called Apes, the head. We are told (in the appendix, p. 1518, of the Companion Bible) that the brightest star in Canis Major is Sirius, the Prince, called in Persian, the Chieftain. There are three other stars in the same constellation: one is called "the announcer", another the "shining one," and the third, "the glorious", all of them phrases emphasizing the magnificence of Canis Major and, esoterically, the wonder and the glory of the higher self.

In Canis Minor, the "underdog", the same writing tells us that the name of the brightest star signifies, "redeemer", that the next brightest is "the burden bearer" or "the one who bears for others". We have, therefore, in the significance of these two names, a portrayal of Hercules, as he works out his own salvation and as he bears the great burden of Atlas and learns the meaning of service.

Lepus, the Hare, associated with these two constellations, contains a star of the most intense crimson color, almost like a drop of blood. Red is ever the symbol of desire for material things. In the zodiac of Denderah, the name given is Bashtibeki, which means "falling confounded". Aratus, writing about 250 B.C., speaks of Lepus as being "chased eternally", and it is interesting to note that the Hebrew names of some of the stars found in this constellation signify "the enemy of the Coming One", which is the meaning of the name of the brightest star, Arneb; whilst three other stars have names meaning "the mad", "the bound", "the deceiver". All these words are characteristics of the lower self chased eternally by the higher self; the human soul pursued by the Hound of Heaven.

As we look at the starry heavens at night and locate Sirius, the Dog Star, the story of our past, present and future is dramatically pictured. We have the story of our past in Lepus, the Hare, fleet of foot, deceived, mad, bound to the wheel of life, identified with the matter aspect, and ever the enemy of "The Coming Prince". In Canis Minor, we have the story of the aspirant, of our present lot. Dwelling within us is the inner [70] ruler, the hidden divinity, the redeemer. We go forth conquering and to conquer, but we have to do it as the burdened disciple, bearing for others and serving. In Canis Major we have portrayed our future and a consummation, glorious beyond all present realization. Were all religions and all scriptures of the world to be lost, and were there nothing left to us except the starry heavens, the story of the zodiac and the significance of the names of the various stars found in the different constellations, we should be able to retrace the history of man, recover the knowledge of our goal and learn the mode of its achievement.

FROM; http://laluni.helloyou.ws/netnews/bk/hercules/herc1018.html
Eden is the famous "Island of Fire" of so many ancient myths. This Island of Fire is quite often identified with Atlantis and, obscurely, with Eden itself, as in the famous text of Ezekiel mentioned further above. It was also identified with the "Atlantic Islands" which, as we already said, are indeed the "Seven Islands of the Atlanteans". This Island of Fire was also often called "Brazil" or "Ys Brazil" by the Celts and other nations. The name was later applied by mistake to the country of Brazil, after the Americas were discovered. But this legendary Atlantic island appeared in all Medieval maps of the Atlantic region far before the discovery of the Americas by Columbus. The name of Brazil derives from an ancient root, bras, meaning "fire", "firebrand", "ember", being the legendary "Island of Fire" of the ancient traditions.
  • The river Phison that, in the Biblical account of Paradise, encompassed Hevilat, closely recalls the River Oceanus that encircled Hades, according to Homer and Hesiod. It also recalls the circular canal which, according to Plato, also encircled the whole of Atlantis. In fact, some authorities identify the River Oceanus with the triple circular canals surrounding Atlantis. This idea is literally taken from the Hindu Dvipas ("Paradise-Islands"), which are similarly enclosed. Moreover, the idea of a river that surrounded Paradise - which, later, after its destruction, became the Realm of the Dead - is also of Indian origin, and dates from Vedic times. The Rig Veda and other Hindu traditions of high antiquity tell of the Vaitarani ("Encloser"), the river that surrounded the destroyed Paradise of the Asuras. As in the traditions of Atlantis reported by Plato, or in those of Paradise reported by other authorities, the Vaitarani formed an impassable barrier around this region.
  • In the Bible, a legend related to the one of Avalon (see above) tells of Kadesh, also called Kadesh, the Holy (Kadesh Barnea). In Kadesh Barnea there was a lake or fountain that overflowed and flooded the whole region, destroying Paradise. Kadesh is no other than the Cades or Gades that, in Phoenician traditions is the alias of Atlantis. Kadesh (or Gades or Gadeiros) is also the name of Hercules, here identified with the twin brother of Hercules, and co-ruler of Atlantis. The name of Gadeiros is an epithet of Hercules that means, just as the name of the hero, "Cow-herder". This is a Phoenician translation of the name of Govinda (Krishna), the great god of the Hindus. The epithet commemorates the role of Hercules as the "cow-herder" that led the Greek people away from Atlantis, as we mentioned further above.
  • Agastya is one of the most celebrated of Hindu rishis ("sages"). He was the son of Varuna, just as Atlas was the one of Poseidon. Poseidon, the oceanic God of the Greeks and the founder of Atlantis, is the counterpart of Varuna, the marine god of the Hindus. Agastya is the great Civilizing Hero of the Dravidas of South India, just as Atlas was the one of the Greeks. A celebrated Hindu myth tells how Agastya once humbled a lofty mountain that rose too high, disturbing the gods in heaven. Another Hindu myth tells how Agastya jumped into the Southern Sea and drowned, becoming a marine deity. The name of Agastya, in Sanskrit, means "the mountain that sunk (underseas)", precisely the idea conveyed by the myth of Atlantis. In other words, Agastya is a Hindu alias and predecessor of Atlas, the mountain that collapsed and sunk underseas, taking the realm of Atlantis with itself.
  • Agastya is also as a personification of the star Canopus, the main one of the constellation Argonavis. The Argonavis is one of the most important constellations in the southern hemisphere. Its main star, Canopus, is second only to Sirius, its twin, which is the largest star in the whole sky. And the Southern Sea where Agastya-Canopus-Atlas drowned is the Indian Ocean, the eastern extension of the Atlantic Ocean of the ancients. Canopus was deemed an alias of either Hercules or Atlas, the twin kings of Atlantis represented by Sirius and Canopus, the two Celestial "dogs". So, as we see, the myth of the Argonavis, the one of Sirius and Canopus, and that of the quest of Paradise are indeed allegories of Atlantis-Paradise, and of its foundering in the dawn of times, when our sacred myths were composed.
  • Moreover, Canopus was the (Southern) Pole Star of the epoch of Atlantis, some 12,000 years ago.

FROM: http://www.lost-civilizations.net/atlantis-corroborating-evidence-page-10.html
 

Immortal Horses

Magic horses appeared quite frequently in Greek myths. They were the steeds of the gods or the heroes. Some were swift as the wind; some could fly, and even talk to human.

  Pegasus
  Arion
  Xanthus and Balius
  Ocyrrhoe      

 

Unfortunately some of these horses have no name. This includes the horse of Tros, king of Troy. Zeus gave the divine horse to Tros when Zeus had abducted the king's son, Ganymede. This was the same horse that Heracles made war upon Troy, when King Laomedon refused to pay the hero for killing the sea monster. Later Aeneas received this horse during the Trojan War, but lost them to Diomedes, the Argive champion.


 
Pegasus
 
Winged horse of Bellerophon. Pegasus was the offspring of Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa. The winged steed was born, when the blood fell into sea from Medusa's neck. Pegasus was born at the same time as Chrysaor.

Bellerophon was only able to tame the steed when Athena gave the hero a golden bridle. Bellerophon used Pegasus in all his adventure: killing the monster Chimaera, defeating the Solymi and Amazons.

When Bellerophon thought to fly Pegasus to Olympus, the home of the gods, they send a gadfly to sting Pegasus. Bellerophon was thrown off his horse; the hero became lame for his misdeed. After this, Pegasus lived in the stable in Olympus offering his service to Zeus, carrying his thunderbolts.

Horse (Pegasus). The Winged Horse is Pegasus, whom Bellerophon rode when he killed Chimera. Others have said that this horse represents Melanippe 1, who was changed into a mare by Artemis. Melanippe 1, daughter of the Centaur Chiron, was brought up on Mount Helicon as a huntress. She was loved by Aeolus 1 and conceived a child by him. When she was about to give birth she fled into the forest, praying to the gods not to let her father, who supposed her a virgin, see her in childbirth so that her father might not see that she had given birth to a grandchild. And so when her father was looking for her she was changed into a mare and placed among the stars. Others have said that, being a prophetess, she used to reveal the plans of the gods to men, and for that reason she was changed into a mare. Still others said that her transformation occurred when she ceased hunting and worshipping Artemis, and that it was this goddess who changed her into a mare [Hyg.Ast.2.18; Man.5.633].

 
Bear-Watcher (Bootes). Atlas - This constellation, also called the Herdsman, is Arcas 1, whom impious Lycaon 2 served to Zeus at a banquet as a meal. Otherwise Arcas 1, after whom Arcadia was named, is known for being the child of Zeus and Callisto, the woman who was turned into a bear. Arcas 1 is called Arctophylax; for he guards Arctos (the Great Bear). It is said that when Arcas 1 was grown up and was hunting in the woods, he saw his mother Callisto turned into a bear and, not recognizing her, tried to kill her. He then chased her into the temple of Zeus Lycaeus, where the penalty for entering is death, according to Arcadian law. Since both would have to die, Zeus, they say, snatched them up and made them immortal putting them among the stars. This is why Arcas 1 is seen in the sky following the Bear, that is, his mother Callisto.

Others have said that Bootes represents Icarius 2, who was called Bootes because he put his full wineskins on a wagon (the Bear looking as a wagon), after receiving the wine, the vine and the grape from Dionysus 2, so that he could teach men how to plant and how to use what was produced. When Icarius 2, they say, had planted the vine and had made it flourish, a goat broke into the vineyard nibbling the tenderest leaves. So Icarius 2 killed the goat, made a sack from the skin and, blowing it up, cast it among his friends, instructing them to dance around it. Others have said that when Icarius 2 showed his wagon full of wine to some shepherds, they, having drunk the wine in large quantities, were intoxicated. Other shepherds then, witnessing the unseemly behaviour that the excess of wine caused in their comrades, thought that Icarius 2 had given them poison. Because of this suspicion they killed him and threw his body into a well, although some say that they buried near a certain tree. However when the drunken party woke up, they said that they never had rested better and asked for Icarius 2, wishing to offer him a reward; but the murderers, having understood their mistake, at once took to flight. Later, when Icarius 2's daughter Erigone 2 was longing for her father, the dog of Icarius 2, called Maera 2, having come to her with howls and lamentations, took hold of her dress with its teeth and led her to her father's body. Having thus discovered what had happened to her father, Erigone 2, overcome with loneliness and poverty, hanged herself from the tree beneath which her father was buried. And after her even the dog left this life, casting itself into a well. They say that Zeus or Dionysus 2, moved by their fates, put them all among the stars: Icarius 2 in Bootes, Erigone 2 in the Virgin, and the dog in Procyon [Hyg.Ast.2.4].

FROM: http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/CONSTELLATIONS.html

Constellations Testify of Seven Angels

by John P. Pratt
Church of the Latter Day Saints Beliefs

Reprinted from Meridian Magazine (28 Sep 2006).
©2006 by John P. Pratt. All rights Reserved.

Scripture, constellations and myth combine to tell the deeds of the seven chief angels in heaven, earth and the underworld.

The 48 constellations testify of the twelve great labors of Jesus Christ .[1]  This article introduces entirely new dimensions and original interpretations to the revelations contained in those marvelous signs which were revealed to Enoch. When 49 constellations are arranged into a 7 x 7 table according to their position in the heavens, it is here proposed that each column represents one of the seven chief angels and each of the rows represents a location in heaven, earth or the underworld. Moreover, there is a bright star in the constellation found at the location where the angel performed his greatest work. Enoch's myths, which were partially preserved by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans tell many of the stories. The "hero" constellations, such as Hercules, the Hunter, the Hero, the Herdsman, all represented Jesus Christ in other's works. He was both of the Twins and both of the Dogs. None of the constellations refer to Christ herein, but all of the heros are the seven chief angels of God who each do some things similar to what Jesus did. For example, one was a healer, one a shepherd, one was crucified, and two were slain like sacrificial lambs by secret conspiracies. Thus, the same figures have new meanings in a new context.

Perhaps the most surprising implication of these new interpretations is that the famous Perseus myth, upon which the movie Clash of the Titans was based, has many clear correspondences with the feats of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The reader is invited to consider the evidence which includes possible references to the first vision, the urim and thummin, and even the visit of Peter, James and John. Let us now embark on this odyssey through a realm of scriptures, stars, and sagas, keeping in mind that all of the ideas presented are strictly those of the author.

Heaven and Hell

Because this celestial drama occurs on a stage that has three heavens, as well as paradise and two levels of hell, it would seem that an introductory explanation is in order for readers unfamiliar with LDS teachings. When the Savior taught during his mortal ministry, he kept everything very simple: those who followed him were his sheep who would inherit everlasting life and those who didn't were the goats who would be cast out with everlasting punishment (Mat. 25:31-46). He referred to two locations for the afterlife: heaven and hell (Mat. 11:23).

In latter-day saint (LDS) belief, there are three degrees of heaven: celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, which differ in glory as do the sun, moon and stars (see D&C 76, compare 1 Cor. 15:40-41, 2 Cor. 12:2). They are presided over by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, respectively. The underworld can also be thought of as having three levels: paradise, hell, and perdition. To understand this article it is necessary to understand something about who goes to each, and when each area is in operation.

Sheep and Goats

Here is my understanding of how the sheep and goats relate to these various places. Even though children are born with pure spirits, we soon all break God's laws and we all become goats, provided that we have the age and mental capacity to be accountable. Our loving Father sent his Son to atone for us, and if we accept his offering and obey his teachings, we can move over to his right hand and become sheep. He is extremely patient with us and gives us every chance. After people die, those who were sheep go to a beautiful place called "paradise" (2 Nephi 9:13, Alma 40:12-14), whereas the goats go to a place of suffering where they feel the fires of remorse for their poor decisions in life. The scriptures refer to both "hell" and also the "lowest hell" (Deut. 32:22, Psa. 86:13). To make a clear distinction, this article refers to the lower portion as "perdition" because those who go there are called "sons of perdition." My understanding is that those in hell were deceived by Satan into thinking that his short-cut methods were a better choice than the Savior's path. Their suffering comes from the realization that all of those false roads led to enslavement rather than the freedom that was falsely promised. Those in perdition, however, were not deceived. They knowingly chose to do evil and actually prefer Satan over Christ.

 

 

Figure 2. Time line of heaven, earth and underworld. The white areas are when that location is probably not populated, and the striped area is uncertain.

Figure 2 illustrates the various kingdoms and when each is populated. Since Adam, there have been people on earth, in paradise, in hell and in perdition.

About 2948 BC Enoch's people became so righteous, living the law of the highest heaven, that their whole city was taken up into heaven (Moses 7:21) and began to populate that area. By that I do not understand that they were in the presence of God because their probationary period was not over, but rather they were in a place which became a temporary celestial kingdom. The Book of Enoch implies that later some of them knowingly chose to sin and became "fallen angels," and were relocated to suffer in the depths of perdition until the end of the world (Enoch 12:1-14:7).

When Jesus paid the price of sin and unlocked the gates of paradise, which had been like a prison even to the righteous (D&C 138:18, 50), those who qualified resurrected to the celestial kingdom. Their test was over and they had passed. Whether or not they physically joined the city of Enoch is not clear, but in the star figures both are shown as being in the highest heaven. To me it is not clear whether or not some or perhaps all of the remaining spirits in paradise then resurrected to be in the terrestrial kingdom. At least one scripture sounds like they did (Moses 7:56-57), but others might imply that all those in the terrestrial kingdom resurrect after all of those in the celestial (D&C 88:99). Hence Figure 2 shows a dashed arrow and hatched shading there to indicate that uncertainty. But we are told that while in paradise, the Savior also organized a missionary system there to teach those in hell, and give them a chance to accept his atonement and obey his teachings (D&C 138:30).

When the Savior comes again, a major event will happen. Those in paradise will be divided into two groups. Those who accepted the doctrines and ordinances of Jesus Christ are resurrected as celestial beings at the sound of the first trump (D&C 88:94-98). Those who were the honorable people of the earth who still knowingly chose not to accept all of the teachings of Christ are then resurrected into a terrestrial state at the second trump (D&C 88:99). It is not as glorious a place, but acceptable to its inhabitants where they can sit at the feet of the Savior. The earth itself will then be promoted to a terrestrial state, rather than telestial, so it becomes the temporary terrestrial kingdom. Another important point here is that after the terrestrial resurrection at the Second Coming, the doors of paradise are apparently closed and it shuts down. That is because the righteous born during the Millennium are changed in the twinkling of an eye, without sleeping in the earth (D&C 101:31).

What about those in hell? Those who accepted Christ before his Second Coming could graduate to the terrestial and even celestial kingdom. And those who did not are given yet another chance! To make the test easier (but the reward less), Satan is bound in chains after the Second Coming for a thousand years, and cast into the bottomless pit, so that he cannot deceive people into thinking that there is no God and no sin (Rev. 20:1-3). Then those in hell and perdition will have another thousand years to accept Christ, with no possibility of being deceived. At the end of that period there is a final Judgment Day. Those who have at last chosen to become sheep are then resurrected into the telestial kingdom. Those who still knowingly choose Satan remain as the stubborn, rebellious goats and are cast into the lake of fire of perdition (Rev. 20:15). An important point here is that the sheep in hell are finally resurrected to the telestial kingdom and then hell is closed. It is as if an entire class graduates! They are finally leaving the torments of hell, in some cases after nearly 7,000 years, and going to their rest in heaven, even if the lowest part thereof.

Is this not a wonderful Plan of Salvation, where the Lord gives us so many chances to turn from goats into sheep? He keeps calling and is so patient waiting for us to come to him.

A Celestial Map

Now we come to another dimension of the heavens. We have talked about the great circle of twelve constellations called the zodiac through which the sun, moon, and planets appear to travel. Anciently that circle was said to represent the plane of the earth, with the four bright stars located about 90° apart from each other on that circle, representing the four corners of the earth. In an earlier article those stars were identified with the four angels who preside over the earth, being Adam (Regulus), Noah (Fomalhaut), Joseph Smith (Aldebaran) and Enoch (Antares).[2].

Note that this latter presidency is especially confined to the earth and that their four stars are all located in the zodiac, near what is called the ecliptic circle (plane of the earth's orbit).

Now for the logical extension of this concept. Even as the Savior referred to the general locations of heaven and hell, so also do the stars. All of the constellations above (north of) the zodiac represent heaven, and all of the constellations below (south of) the zodiac represent the underworld. Thus, in Figure 3, "heaven" is the upper hemisphere of sky north of the zodiac constellations, and "hell" is the underworld of constellations shown in the bottom circle. Notice that the upper circle contains many flying creatures such a Swan, Eagle, Flying Horse, an Arrow, and even a Dolphin which jumps out of the sea and "flies." On the other hand (left hand), the lower circle is filled with things below the earth, often represented by the sea, such as the Sea Monster, Water Serpent, River, Ship, etc.

The highest level of heaven, the celestial kingdom, is represented by the constellations nearest the center of the upper circle (the north ecliptic pole), the terrestrial by those near the middle, and the telestial by those nearest the zodiac figures. Similarly in the lower circle, paradise is represented by the figures just below the zodiac, whereas those nearest the center of the circle such as the Centaur and the Cross represent perdition. Now let us look at the roles of the seven angels in each of these areas at different times.

Seven Angels

Before we begin, it might be well to review the seven players in this drama. In an earlier article the seven chief angels of God were identified, along with some of their principal roles.[3] Here is a brief review of the order in which each will sound the trump to open the Millennium.

1. Peter and the Celestial Kingdom. First is the trump to announce those who resurrect to the highest heaven, the celestial kingdom, where God the Father dwells (D&C 88:94-98; 76:50 70). It was proposed that the first angel is Uriel, known in mortality as Peter, whose principal assignment is to preside over those valiant Christians who qualify for that highest heaven.

2. Moses and the Terrestrial Kingdom. The second trump is for the terrestrial kingdom, the second highest heaven, which is prepared for the honorable people of the earth who chose not to accept and live all of the teaching of Jesus Christ. It was proposed that the second angel is Raguel, known as Moses in his mortal probation, who has been like a shepherd to his people both in life and afterward, to prepare them to receive Christ either at his first or second coming.

3. Abel and the Telestial Kingdom. The third trump is for the telestial kingdom, designed for those who rejected the word of God, but who someday will bow the knee to Jesus. After death they suffer torment, and have to remain in hell until after the Millennium (D&C 88:100-101; 76:81-90, 98-112). Those in this kingdom do not enjoy the presence of either God the Father nor Jesus Christ, but are presided over by the Holy Ghost and ministering angels (D&C 88:86-88). It was proposed that the third angel is Sariel, known in life as Abel, and that one of his key roles is to preside over hell, and attempt to help its inhabitants repent and qualify for the highest kingdom possible. Abel was the first martyr and the first to enter the spirit world. In the Greek myths it is Hades who presides over the underworld, so Hades can be identified with Abel. After hell shuts down at the end of the Millennium, presumably Abel will continue to lead his "graduating class" in the telestial kingdom.

4. Enoch and Sons of Perdition. The fourth trump is for those who not only reject Jesus Christ, but also the Holy Spirit after having received it. Even after all of Satan's deceitfulness is exposed during the Millennium and those who mistakenly served Satan repent and turn to Christ, these will still willingly serve Satan by choice (D&C 76:25-38, 43-49). It was proposed that this fourth angel is Raphael, known in life as Enoch. He was translated to heaven (celestial kingdom) with his whole city. When some of those angels fell to the enticing of Satan, even after all that they knew, they became sons of perdition. Thus Enoch presided over a righteous city on earth (Moses 7:19-21), over his followers in the highest heaven, and also over the lowest of the low. But after the final Judgment Day at the end of the Millennium, Enoch's charge over them might end when they are cast out into the lake of fire with Satan (Rev. 20:10-15). Moreover, Enoch was known as "the scribe" and it is proposed that he acted as a secretary to the Presidency of Peter, Moses and Abel. As has been discussed, each of those four members presided over a different level of spirituality, and the areas of heaven and hell where such people reside. But it was proposed that Enoch served a double role, also being secretary to the following presidency.

5. Joseph Smith, Second Counselor. It was proposed that the Prophet Joseph Smith is the fifth angel, Phanuel, and that he functions as a second counselor in a presidency over all of the above individuals, but arranged into different groups. He is the counselor assigned to Zion, being the western hemisphere. He also has the special assignments of ushering in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, when all of the other six angels returned and gave him their keys and gifts so that the fulness of the Gospel would be restored on earth in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He also has the special assignment of the salvation of mankind, both the living and the dead, in a role similar to Jesus Christ in the First Presidency of Heaven of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. He was even sacrificed as a lamb, as was the Savior.

6. Noah, First Counselor. It was proposed that Noah is the sixth angel, Gabriel, and that he also functions as the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Earth. He is assigned to the eastern hemisphere, where his ark landed after the great flood. He is also assigned to spiritual roles, comparable to the Holy Ghost in the Godhead. He presides over the restoration of the gospel (as Elias/Gabriel, D&C 27:6-7), likely including the pouring out of knowledge and blessings on the heads of the saints (D&C 110:9, 121:33).

7. Adam, President. The scriptures explicitly tell us that the seventh angel is the archangel Michael who will lead the armies of God to overcome Satan in the great war at the end of the Millennium when Satan is finally defeated forever (D&C 88:110-115). Michael was known during mortality as Adam (D&C 27:11), the father of our human family. It was proposed that he presides over all of the earth and all of mankind. Adam's duties almost all pertain to the earth, rather than heaven or hell.

The 49 Constellations

The basic set of 48 constellations preserved by the ancient astronomers and attributed to the prophet Enoch. Let us now consider the possibility of adding one more constellation which is one of the most heralded asterisms in the heavens.
The Pleiades or Seven Sisters.

The Seven Sisters

When one attempts to define exactly what constitutes the list of 48 constellations, the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) are always a serious contender to be called a separate constellation by themselves. They are really a small cluster of nearby stars which are individually visible on the back of the Bull. In Figure 3 they are shown as the black spot on the upper back of the Bull. There is an amazing amount of detailed myth about each of these seven daughters of Atlas, much more than about many of the larger constellations.[4] But the group is so small as not to form any real figure, and so they are usually considered as part of the constellation of the Bull. The Greek name Pleiades is thought by some to derive from the similar Greek word for "doves" and they are sometimes considered to be a flock of seven doves riding the bull (Peleiades means "flock of doves").[5] For the purposes of this article, let us consider counting the Seven Sisters (or Doves) as a forty-ninth constellation.

The Bright Stars

As Enoch was told by the angel Uriel, the bright stars represent the righteous servants of God (Enoch 43:1-2). Note that there are almost no bright stars in the constellations which represent evil: The Dragon, Sea Monster, Hydra, Crab, River, Hare are dim indeed. The only exception is that the Cross has two of brightest stars in the sky. To me, even that is not an exception, because it reminds us that Christ died on the cross, and the bright stars are really in the figure of Christ, where the nails pierced his hands and feet. If we had the original figure, we might find it showed the Great Sacrifice of the Redeemer nailed to the cross, so that the bright stars would be in the Savior. If so, then all of the bright stars would represent the righteous.

One thing that put me onto the significance of this arrangement, is that the bright stars in the sky mostly happen to fall where the angel performed his most important work. For example, Peter's main calling appears to be to preside over the celestial kingdom and the only bright star found in his column is Deneb, in the Swan, in the highest heaven. The only other bright star in the highest heaven is Vega in the Harp. That is in Enoch's column, and reminds us that he and his entire city were translated to heaven. If that coincidence is due to blind chance then we must ask what is the probability that the only two bright stars in the highest heaven would fall into the columns of Peter and Enoch? Before calculating that, let us first look at all of the other perfect positions.

The brightest stars in the sky which fall into these constellations are shown in Table 1. Just from what has been reviewed above of the duties of the seven angels, we see that each of the first four angels who preside over a level of spirituality has a bright star in their area: Peter in the celestial kingdom (Deneb in the Swan), Moses in the terrestrial (Arcturus in the Herdsman), Abel in the telestial (Capella in the Charioteer or Goatherd), and Enoch presides over the sons of perdition (Rigel Kentaurus in the Centaur). Moreover, Enoch also presides over his city in heaven (Vega in the Harp) and Abel presides in Hell (Procyon in the Little Dog). Of course, we have already covered the presidency of the earth with the bright stars for Adam (Regulus in the Lion), Noah (Fomalhaut in both Waterman and Southern Fish), Joseph Smith (Aldebaran in the Bull) and Enoch (Antares in the Scorpion and the Healer), all in the middle row. Thus those four cornerstone stars are part of this same expanded pattern that covers the entire sky.

  Moses Enoch Noah Peter Joseph Abel Adam
Celestial   Vega   Deneb      
Terrestrial Arcturus Altair          
Telestial   Antares       Capella  
Earth Spica Antares Fomalhaut   Aldebaran Castor Regulus
Paradise     Fomalhaut   Pollux Rigel  
Hell         Sirius Procyon  
Perdition Acrux Rigil Kentaurus       Canopus  
Table 1. The bright stars are almost entirely located in the key constellations for each angel (in italics).
 

I will not attempt to calculate the odds of each of these bright stars just happening to fall into the correct squares where those seven angels did their most important work, but they are clearly astronomical. It was seeing these stars all fall into place that convinced me to research further what could be deduced about the duties of each of these angels.

Moses

The first column (on the far right in Figure 4) is indicated to be that of Moses because all seven figures relate to incidents in his life. As an infant, he was raised by a queen (Infant Prince). According to the Book of Jasher, he became the king of Ethiopia (Crown) and then a shepherd (Herdsman). In fact, his principal role has been to prepare his flock to accept Christ at either the First or Second Coming. He has been like a mother hen to them (Maiden). He had a healing experience with the serpent on the cross, symbolizing the crucifixion of Christ (Cross). He was known as the Lawgiver and he was a Judge of his people, and attempted to atone for their sins (Balance) (Ex. 32:30). And the burnt offerings of the law of Moses, often to purge from sin, are also shown (Altar).

Think about the chance of all seven of these figures being perfect hits for Moses. Which other angel was raised by a queen as an infant? Who else was a shepherd? Who else had an experience with a cross? It was astounding as this pattern unfolded before me that it was possible to have all of this significance using a table which is a simple map of the heavens.

Enoch

Now let us turn to Enoch. We have reviewed in earlier articles that Enoch was associated with the Healer. In the myths he is represented by Hermes (Mercury), the swift moving messenger of the Gods, the father of medicine and inventer of the harp. Another messenger of Zeus was the Eagle, which constellation also falls into Enoch's column. His entire city was translated to become a city of angels in heaven (Harp). Its inhabitants there had not finished their mortal probation, and some of those who looked to him for guidance fell to the bottom depths of perdition, where there was no forgiveness for them. As discussed above, it is proposed that Enoch is the fourth angel who still presides over that group, trying to get them to qualify for at least a telestial glory before the final judgment. In the stars, he is represented in perdition as the Centaur, an appropriate figure to represent someone who is part time presiding in the celestial realm and part time in perdition. The myths about the Centaur, Chiron, also explain that he was a healer. Thus, it is no surprise to find the Archer, who is also a centaur, in Enoch's column in the Paradise row. There may well be a great story of his work as the "Archer of Paradise" which is not familiar to us.[8] The Beast may well represent the same adversary as the Scorpion, both being overcome by Enoch as the Healer and the Centaur, respectively, but the precise significance in the life of Enoch is not clear yet.

 Noah

Noah is always associated with water, and some of the myths about Poseidon suggest that he symbolizes Noah. This is a watery column indeed with the River, Southern Fish, Sea Goat, Waterman, and Dolphin all in it. Thus we see that the water animals are not only more populous in the sea (south), but also in this one column of sky, extending even into the heavens. Even the Flying Horse fits, because Poseidon, god of the sea (Noah) was said to have created the horse to be the most beautiful animal. Only the symbolism of the Arrow is not clear. As for the Flying Horse (Pegasus), it comes in the last days, and may represent Noah in his role as presiding over the entire restoration of the Gospel. Pegasus was born of the blood of the slain Medusa, who was beheaded by Perseus. As mentioned above, it is proposed that Noah presides over the church in paradise, represented by his star Fomalhaut being the head of the Southern Fish. Thus, these symbols fit well with Noah's life and deeds.

Peter

Peter's calling in life and eternity has been to preside over the Christian church in the celestial kingdom. His only bright star is in that row, suggesting that his role is focused there. Let us now turn to the shackled Fishes to recall the history of his persecution and death.

Jesus prophesied of the death of Peter:

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:17-19)

How was this prophecy of Peter's death fulfilled? When did he stretch forth his hands, when was he girded by another, and carried where he did not want to go? Allow me to quote an excellent detailed account of Peter's martyrdom.

"Maliciously condemned, Peter was cast into the horrible, fetid prison of the Mamertine. There, for nine months, in absolute darkness, he endured monstrous torture manacled to a post. Never before or since has there been a dungeon of equal horror. . . . The Mamertine is described as a deep cell cut out of solid rock at the foot of the capitol, consisting of two chambers, one above the other. The only entrance is through an aperture in the ceiling. The lower chamber was the death cell. Light never entered it and it was never cleaned. The awful stench and filth generated a poison fatal to the inmates of the dungeon, the most awful ever known. . . . How Peter managed to survive those nine long dreadful months is beyond human imagination. During his entire incarceration he was manacled in an upright position, chained to the column, unable to lay down to rest. . . .
"Peter, the Rock, as he predicted, met his death at Rome by the hands of the murderous Romans, who crucified him, according to their fiendish manner. He refused to die in the same position as our Lord, declaring he was unworthy. Peter demanded to be crucified
in the reverse position, with his head hanging downward. Ironically enough, this wish was gratified by the taunting Romans in Nero's circus A.D. 67"[9]

Peter was an astounding example for all of us. It was said that during his suffering he was always praising God, and that 47 of his guards were converted during those nine months. The purpose of the two chambers was to keep the lower chamber in total darkness all the time, even when he was being given his meager rations. Most men imprisoned there went mad and died in a few weeks, so it is indeed amazing that Peter could survive so long and so well.

To me the Savior's prophesy has a double meaning. Peter's outstretched hands were girded (manacled) and he was taken to the Mamertine prison, where he did not want to go. Then again his outstretched hands were girded (nailed) to a cross. Truly the precise manner of his death was foreseen by the Savior. But how far ahead of time was it foreseen?

Getting back to the constellation symbolism we see the Chained Princess, representing the Christian church, and also Peter as its leader, manacled with arms outstretched. And we see the fishes also shackled by the Bands to the Sea Monster from perdition

In the section on Moses above, the question was raised of what other angel had an experience with a cross. Well Peter certainly did! And it turns out that there are indeed two crosses in the heavens. The constellation of the Cross is usually called the Southern Cross because another name for the Swan is the Northern Cross. Note how the stars in the Swan form a nearly perfect crucifix in the heavens. And also note that the Swan is upside-down on the cross, the head of the Swan being the foot of the cross. Could it be that Peter's upside-down crucifixion could have been represented in these heavenly figures thousands of years before it occurred? What do you think?

There is no doubt in my mind that the answer is yes, because the symbolism is too clear and too perfect. The Swan is Peter's principal constellation because it is in the celestial kingdom row, the place of his calling. I have taught astronomy students for thirty years that the head of the Swan is at the foot of the Northern Cross with no thought that there was any connection. Now that my eyes have been opened to see the deeper meaning as this article was being written, that constellation will never be the same.

The Queen, another symbol of the Church, also fits well in this column also, so this column gets a score of seven out of seven meaningful figures.

Joseph Smith

Finally we come to one of the seven angels whose history we know. Or do we? Actually, we mostly know facts only about his short mortal life and this chart is about deeds in many places. Joseph Smith was identified in an earlier article as represented by the star Aldebaran, at the eye of the great white Bull, representing his role as seer (eye) and head of the Kingdom of God preceding the Millennium. Now let us turn to the other symbols.

The Seven Sisters represent all seven of the angels. Why should that constellation fall in the column of Joseph? Is it not because all seven are part of his story? The other six (and only six are visible) all came to visit him and bestow their authority and priesthood keys upon him. Joseph presides over the dispensation of the Fulness of Times, when all things come together, and to me that is part of the symbolism of the Seven Doves. The dove also symbolizes the Holy Ghost, who presides over the telestial kingdom, along with ministering angels. Note that this constellation is found on the level of that kingdom, hence seven doves seems like ideal symbolism for those ministering angels in that role.

Perseus Myth. The best known myth to astronomers is that of Perseus because it involves seven constellations in the late summer sky. The myth has been on my website for years for my beginning astronomy class to memorize to tell around the campfire.[10] That constellation of the Hero (Perseus) falls into the column of Joseph Smith, so let's review part of it to see if it might relate to his life in some way.

Perseus became obligated to obtain the head of the horrible Medusa, who had snakes for hair, and her face so ugly it turned any onlooker to stone. As he began his quest, he went to a sacred grove, where he was told that the gods would help him. Soon he met a messenger of the gods who gave him a hardened sword which could not be broken by Medusa's scales. It had been made by Hephaestus, the blacksmith god who worked underground. Then Athena appeared and gave him her polished brass breastplate, which he could use both as a shield and also as a mirror in which to look at the abominable Medusa indirectly, to avoid being immobilized. The messenger, who carried a winged staff, also unfolded a plan to obtain three more gifts he needed, which Perseus executed as follows.

First he had to go across the great ocean to Mount Atlas and snatch the one eye shared by three seeresses known as the Gray sisters, who looked like swans. He did so and refused to return it until they told him the location of the Nymphs of the North. It was said that their land beyond the North Wind was not reachable by land nor sea. After learning of their hidden location, Hermes took him there, where he received a) winged sandals enabling him to fly, b) a magic silver pouch to safely carry the Medusa's head, and c) a helmet of invisibility made by Hades in the underworld. Thus equipped, he successfully slew the Medusa and returned with her head in the pouch. There is much more to the story, including saving the Chained Princess from the Sea Monster, but this is sufficient for our purposes.

Does all of this have anything to do with the Prophet Joseph Smith? For starters, his experience also began in a sacred grove, where he learned that he would be an "annoyer" to the powers of darkness (JSH 1:19-20). Then a messenger from God appeared to him and provided him with two sacred gifts. One was the double-edged sword of the word of God (Eph. 6:16-17, Heb. 4:12, D&C 6:2), written on golden plates by the dead in the underworld. The other was an actual brass breastplate (D&C 17:1), "such as was used by the ancients to defend the chest,"[11] with two stones in silver bows attached to it called the urim and thummim, into which he could look to see things (JSH 1:34-35, 59; D&C 17:1). The fact that both of these gifts match so precisely in detail what Perseus was given clearly points to Joseph Smith as being Perseus. If so, we might want to ponder the implication that these details about a vision in a sacred grove, and the gift of a breastplate of armor used not for shielding blows but rather for seeing, were known thousands of years ahead of the event and important enough to be "written in the stars."

Moreover, there was also an ancient physical sword of fine steel associated with these two gifts called the sword of Laban, but it is not clear that Joseph was actually ever given that sword. It seems rather to have been a physical symbol of the spiritual sword of the word of God which Joseph would wield.[12]

The high priest of Moses also had a urim and thummim attached to his breastplate of judgment (Exo. 28:30, Lev. 8:8). Here we might note that Athena was the virgin goddess who is sometimes shown holding the balance of justice. The two zodiac signs in the column of Moses are the virgin Maiden and the Balance. Thus, Moses can be identified with Athena, and the breastplate with urim and thummim similar to that of the high priest. The Medusa had been a beautiful maiden until committing fornication in the temple of Athena (temple of Moses), after which Athena turned her into a monster. As we shall see below, the Medusa might tie to the wicked harlot who has prostituted her religion.

Joseph Smith was then given a series of priesthood powers and keys from all of the other six angels. One of the first of these was from Peter (accompanied by his counselors James and John). We have seen that the seer Peter has the Swan for his constellation, so the three "swan women" whom Perseus visited relate directly to the three swan seers of Peter, James, and John. Moreover, Joseph Smith remarked that John was working with the lost tribes of Israel,[13] so John would be ideal to reveal their location beyond the North Wind.

One pertinent detail is that Perseus had to go across the great ocean in order to talk to the Gray sisters, who guarded Mt. Atlas. Where was Mt. Atlas? That has puzzled scholars, who think Mt. Atlas is in Africa, across the Mediterranean Sea from Greece. A big clue is that the Garden of Hera with the golden apples guarded by the dragon was at the foot of Mt. Atlas. That garden clearly represents the Garden of Eden. Isn't it interesting that Joseph Smith identified Missouri as the land where the Garden of Eden had been, and also the location of the Mt. Zion spoken of in scripture and the future city of Zion (D&C 57:2, 76:66, 84:2). Joseph was required to go to Zion, even as Perseus was required to go all the way across the (Atlantic) Ocean to Mt. Atlas. To me that is an amazingly accurate detail to have been included in the saga. But maybe it should not be so surprising because Enoch, founder of the city of Zion, most likely wrote the myth.

If Perseus really is Joseph Smith, then what was the helmet of invisibility that Joseph received from Hades (Abel), lord of the dead? Perhaps the helmet was death itself, for perhaps only as an invisible spirit could Joseph decapitate the Medusa, and finish the work he began in mortality. Similarly, the winged sandals which he was given to rapidly fly where he wished fit perfectly with the ability of a spirit to travel almost instantly to a desired destination. As for the silver pouch, no clear interpretation is immediately apparent. There is much more left to be understood about the Perseus myth, but there is no doubt to which of the seven angels it refers.

The Big Dog and Hare. A second witness that this interpretation is correct is that both the Big Dog and Hare are also in Joseph's column. The dog is a greyhound in pursuit of the wicked, promiscuous hare. That sounds very similar to the quest of Perseus for the death of the Medusa. Thus, it appears that one of the special callings of Joseph Smith, as both Perseus and the Big Dog, is to help destroy the prostituted religion and/or secret combinations, which had caused him much grief during mortality.

The other constellations in Joseph's column are the King and the Champion (one of the Twins). Although Joseph was Mayor of Nauvoo, and running for the U.S. Presidency when he was martyred, the King more likely refers to a role of his in the celestial kingdom, where the sign is found. Let us now turn to his role as Champion in the discussion of the other twin, the Warrior, in the next column.

Abel 

Abel apparently has two main assignments from what we have been able to deduce. First he presides over the spirits in hell, and then when those who had been deceived have suffered sufficiently, repent and prove that they do not wish to continue following Satan, then Abel continues to preside over much of the same group when they resurrect to the telestial kingdom. The constellation of the Little Dog apparently is identical with the Egyptian god Anubis, the jackal who was the guide to the underworld (Abel). The Charioteer is in the row of the telestial kingdom, and he is holding three goats in his arms, a nanny and two kids. It has been argued that the Charioteer could also be called the Goatherd because that is how the figure is depicted. Isn't it interesting that he is caring for goats, the symbol of the rebellious, who suffer in hell. Thus, the goats being found in the telestial row fit perfectly with Abel being their Goatherd.

Another of the constellations in Abel's column is the Ship, named Argo in mythology, which carried many on a successful quest to obtain the golden fleece. It was led by Jason, who again seems to be Abel, and the quest was seeking the golden fleece of the Ram (eternal life). Both the Little Bear and Big Bear are in this column, and they probably represent other flocks, one being in the terrestial kingdom row, and one in the celestial kingdom. The Persians show these three constellations as three women, one of the symbols for the church. Did Abel have responsibilities for three flocks? Do the three goats also represent these flocks?

To me, the answer must be affirmative, with one of those flocks headed for each of the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms. It is my understanding that even those who have been wicked in mortality and are consigned to hell, if they repent in time (before the Second Coming), they can still inherit the celestial kingdom. If so, then Abel was indeed presiding over three levels of spirituality represented by the two bears and the ship. Note that the sizes of these constellations is probably important. The smallest group is the Little Bear, the next larger is the Big Bear, and the huge constellation is the Ship. Those sizes could well represent the relative number who finally inherit each kingdom. Similarly, as the Goatherd, he is caring for three goats, a large one and two kids. Again, the large one would represent the biggest group of telestial beings.

The Twins. In this context, the Twins are two separate constellations. In the sky, one is clearly above the other, and in the table of 49, the one in Abel's column, the Warrior, is on earth, while the one in Joseph's column is in Paradise. In mythology, the Twins are Castor and Pollux, and there are bright stars with those names at the head of each twin. Castor was a warrior, being an expert swordsman, and Pollux was a champion boxer, so I have chosen the names Warrior and Champion for English translations of their symbolism.[14]

Who are these twins? Are they not the same as the Big Dog and the Little Dog, also found in those two columns? Castor represents Abel, and Pollux represents Joseph Smith. As for the boxing, to me it was clearly originally "wrestling," but has been mistranslated somewhere along the long line. Joseph Smith was famous for his championship wrestling ability, and was able to throw other expert wrestlers.[15] He even defeated a bully in order to raise money to free his friend Porter Rockwell from prison.[16] It would be hard to write a biography of Joseph Smith without mentioning that he was a champion wrestler, and apparently even the biography in the sky depicts this prowess. Thus, the Twins could probably also be called the Wrestler and the Swordsman.

The mythology here seems revealing. The twins were both aboard the ship Argo and between them they saved its passengers on a few occasions. The world's greatest bully would not allow the Argonauts to leave until one of them had fought him. Pollux accepted his challenge, side-stepped his advances, and won the contest. Thus, Pollux was a champion in both senses of the word: he was the best at his sport, and he used that skill to champion the cause of his shipmates and help save them. Note also how much the fight of Pollux correlates to Joseph Smith, who threw a bully to save someone in prison. Thus, the Twins became the patron saints and saviors of shipwrecked sailors. Poseidon, the god of the sea, gave them both white horses to ride.

But there is more to their story. Castor was slain first and Pollux mourned for him and avenged his death. Later, when Pollux was awarded immortality in heaven, but Castor was not, Pollux refused to accept it without his brother. Therefore Zeus allowed them to take turns, with one being in heaven while the other was in the underworld. What is all that about? Again, let us think about who has what assignment. If Abel (Castor) presides over hell until the end of the Millennium, then he would not be allowed to go to heaven with his brother Joseph at the beginning of that era. It sounds to me like the love of Joseph for his spiritual twin Abel is so great that perhaps it has been worked out that they will alternate presiding in hell during the Millennium. If so, then Castor and Pollux should indeed both be the patron saints of the sailors on board the Argo.[17] Another point here is that sailors would sacrifice a white lamb to bring their help, and the white lamb is indeed symbolic of both Abel and Joseph who were each sacrificed as a pure and innocent lamb.[18]

The other constellation in Abel's column is the brightest of all, being the Hunter (Orion). Both of the Dogs are apparently the Hunter's dogs, so in that context, the Hunter is definitely part of Abel's story, for the Little Dog serves its master. But who is the Hunter? In last month's article we noticed that the Hunter is depicted holding the lion's skin, wearing a belt of pearls, and wielding a club, all of which are indications of Hercules. Now we see that Hercules and the Hunter are one and the same person in this context, namely Adam. Adam is definitely part of the story of Abel, being his father. But Adam is also the father of the entire human family, and he is the archangel whom all of the other angels serve. Adam is the Hunter King who is seeking to destroy the Hare, but who delegates much of the job to his twin sons, Abel and Joseph Smith. Let us now turn to the deeds which capture the focus of the great one.

Adam

The last angel is Adam, the archangel, the greatest and father of all. The last zodiac constellation is the Lion, which we have seen represents Adam, with the bright star Regulus at its heart. In this column we find that every constellation refers to the myth of Hercules, the greatest of all of the sons of Zeus. Let us see in the myth of Hercules if there are any true traditions preserved about Adam.

Hercules actions caused the deaths of all of his children, for which he was afterward remorseful. Is that not symbolic of the fall of Adam, who indirectly caused the death of all of his posterity? To pay penitence, Hercules had to perform twelve great labors, but let us focus only on those shown in the stars. Hercules triumphed over the Dragon which guarded the golden apples in the garden of Hera. That clearly alludes to the fruit of the Garden of Eden, "guarded" by the serpent, who was really the Dragon Satan in disguise. The scriptures tell us that Michael (Adam) is the angel who ultimately defeats the dragon, the "old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan" (Rev. 12:7-9). We see Hercules defeating the Dragon in the heavens, where his foot is squarely on the head of the Dragon in the center of Figure 3. Thus, the identification of Hercules with Adam seems clear. Hercules was the greatest hero, and Michael is the archangel. Besides, which other angel caused the death of all of his children?

Hercules' first labor was to kill the Nemean lion (the Lion). That lion's hide was impervious to any weapon, so he strangled it. He then made a garment for himself from its pelt to be a shield and a protection, and used its gaping mouth as a helmet. Note in the constellation figure, Hercules is shown wearing the lion skin garment. Then Hercules had to destroy the many headed monster Hydra, a giant Water Serpent who dwelt in a swamp. When he cut off one head, two would grow in its place. While fighting the Hydra he was also attacked by the Crab. He stomped on the Crab with his foot and called for the help of his Charioteer, who burned the stumps as each head was lopped off, which prevented new ones from growing. We see in his column of the heavens both the Crab and Hydra, found in the telestial kingdom and perdition rows. We also now recognize the Charioteer (or Goatherd), identified as Adam's son Abel, would be ideal to help his father.

Who do the Hydra and Crab represent? Are they not the same as the seven-headed monster in Revelation, and his helper, the second beast who enticed all to worship the first beast (Rev. 12:1-12). Both of these two, the beast and his false prophet, were finally overcome and were cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone at the beginning of the Millennium (Rev. 12:20). Then finally, after the Millennium, the Dragon is also cast into the same lake where both the beast and the false prophet are (Rev. 20:10). Thus we see the Dragon, the seven-headed monster from the sea (Hydra), and the false prophet (Crab) are three distinct entities, and each is represented by a separate constellation in Adam's column. Note also that two of these constellations are out of place. The Dragon is pretending to be God, sitting on the throne at the top of the sky. Similarly, the Crab is also located in the lowest heaven, pretending to be a prophet of God. As a symbol of Christ the Crab represented the Deliverer; it would not be surprising if the false prophet also promised to deliver the downtrodden from oppression. Indeed, he is the prophet of the Dragon, an anti-Christ, a beast that appears as a lamb (Christ) but who speaks as a Dragon (Rev. 13:11).

One of the twelve labors of Hercules was to obtain the belt of the Queen of the Amazons, the warrior women who despised marriage and destroyed their men (sound like anyone you know?). He succeeded, and when they retaliated against him, he and his helpers destroyed them. The Hunter wears that belt of pearls, displayed in the heavens as the magnificent Belt of Orion,[19] and he also holds the lion skin, which identifies the Hunter as Adam. Hercules also had to disperse a flock of marauding birds with arrow-like feathers, and a fire-breathing bull. We find the Raven in his column and the Bull nearby. And he diverted a River, which is shown in front of the Hunter. In last month's article the meaning of the River was not clear, but with the Hunter being identified as Adam, the Ancient of Days (D&C 27:11, 116:1, 138:38), the River now indeed appears to be the river of fire that proceeds forth in front of him at a time of judgment (Dan. 7:9-13). Hence the River is yellow in the illustration, representing the fires of perdition. It is supposed to encircle the southern ecliptic pole (the lowest point of perdition), even as the Dragon encircles the highest point.

What is the symbolism of the Raven? That sign is found in the paradise row. To me it represents any of the dead who are in the spirit prison. We saw in an earlier article that Noah's raven, who went "to and fro in the earth" was identified with Satan who did likewise (Job 1:7).[20] But, being in paradise suggests that the Raven can also represent the righteous dead. The Raven is shown attacking the Hydra, implying that he is on the righteous side of that battle. And what of the Cup which also is shown on the back of the Hydra? As it last month's article, it could represent both the Cup of the wrath of God poured out on the Hydra, and also the harlot (Hare) who rides the back of that monster.

Thus, Hercules is not only identified as Adam, but also is the Hunter (Orion), the brightest constellation of the sky. He has two principal helpers in his hunt for the wicked Hare, being the Big Dog (Joseph) and the Little Dog (Abel). Note that both Abel and Joseph were slain by secret combinations (the Hare), so it is not surprising they both seek to destroy her. Thus the ancient myths seem to tell us much about the work of these chief angels.

Twins Reversed

Order of the Angels

God's house is a house of order, and it is fair to ask in what order are the columns of the seven angels found. According to the numbers assigned to them for the order in which they sound the trump, noted in the "Seven Angels" section above, the order they appear here is 2, 4, 6, 1, 5, 3, 7. This is nearly identical to the order of the seven rewards of Revelation (but with Adam at the last).[21] That order is seen in Figure 5, by tracing a the line between the points. The exception is that Joseph and Abel are reversed. That reversal of the Twins seems justified in order to put Abel's column adjacent to Adam's, because those two are part of each other's stories. But as I wrote this article, it hit me that there could me something much more important symbolized here. It is also curiously reminiscent of the reversal of the order of blessings to the sons of Joseph of Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were also most likely twins, both being born when Joseph was age 34.[22] The same thing also happened with the twin sons of Judah (Zerah and Pharez), who are also represented by the same colors (the red rose and white rose), and who have reigned alternately on the throne of Israel.[23] The figures are actually also reversed also in the heavens. Castor (Abel) is not nearest the Lion (Adam), and Pollux (Joseph Smith) is not nearest the Bull (Joseph Smith) as might be expected.[24] There is probably some very deep symbolism here having to do with birth order and birth rights before this life.

One note on the colors of their clothing shown in my illustrations, white for Pollux and red for Castor. Those colors seemed right for them long before the connection to Joseph Smith and Abel was discovered. They are shown in those colors in my article on the twelve stones.[25] Why? The colors for the Twins are those of Benjamin, being red and white, but which is which? Because it seemed clear that the twins represent Christ at his first coming (lower earthly twin) and also at his second (higher, heavenly, resurrected twin), and the Savior will wear red at his second coming (Rev. 19:13), the higher twin was clothed in red. But now that turns out also to be perfect coloring for Pollux and Castor. Pollux is in white, being Joseph Smith, whose color is white, and Castor is Abel, dressed in red, the color of his father Adam. The attention to detail in all of the symbolism represented in these constellations is amazing.

 

Conclusion

When the 49 constellations are laid out in a seven by seven table, according to their position in the heavens, with seven of the zodiac constellations in the middle row, then several patterns emerge which imply design and foreknowledge. First, each column can readily be associated with the deeds of one of the seven angels. Second, each row can be associated with one of the seven kingdoms of earth, heaven and the underworld. Third, when that is done, there is a bright star in every constellation located where that angel did his most important work. That is thirteen stars in exactly the right places, with none left out. Fourth, several of the ancient star myths are clearly represented, which of course was known to the Greeks. What is new here is that the myths correlate very well to scriptural symbolism, especially in the case of Hercules and Perseus. The curious details of the latter, complete with a first vision in a sacred grove, being given a breastplate to look into and a sword, and receiving several needed gifts all fit amazingly well with the life of Joseph Smith. Thus it is concluded that the constellations not only testify of Christ, as discussed in last month's article, but they also provide detailed witness of the heroic deeds of the seven chief angels who serve God.

 

Notes

  1. Pratt, John P. "Enoch's Constellations Testify of Christ," Meridian Magazine (23 Aug 2006).
  2. Pratt, John P., "The Lion and Unicorn Testify of Christ, Part II: The Four Royal Stars," Meridian Magazine (5 Dec 2001).
  3. Pratt, John P. "Seven Trumpets," Meridian Magazine (27 Aug 2002), section 2.
  4. Over twenty pages are devoted to the Pleiades in Allen, Richard H., Sta