FOREWORD

  This work is dedicated to all those students of the celestial science who have ever had to wrestle with "questions of faith" regarding the stars and their role in religion. The Bible is the cornerstone of western civilizations' culture and soul. It is our record from the past, carefully preserved and passed from generation to generation. It's word and creation are believed to be sacred, along with all that implies. Differing interpretations of the principles said to be found here have stirred wars.

  This series of episodes appeared in the Advocate Newspapers beginning on the 12th of June, 1985 to an audience of approximately a quarter of a million readers in Western New England. The following episodes were presented week by week and needed, as best they could, both to stand on their own and still represent part of a larger picture. Much was packed into little. For this reason superfluous bits of unnecessary baggage were discarded in order to make the best use of the space available. Things like grammar. This should help to explain some of the style of the presentation, the short paragraph form, the constant repetition of astrological interpretation and the like. So as you pursue these paths of yesteryear, please understand the spirit in which they were created.

May the force be with you.

Don Cerow

June 30, 1986

4:19 PM

Sunderland, MA

   I was checking out one of those free Herbert W. Strongarm publications recently. You know, those magazines whose chief interest is figuring out just when Armageddon will arrive. In the back of this particular issue was an article on astrology and the Bible, their point being that the two don't mix. Their first reason for debunking astrology was that there is no scientific evidence for it, but by that yardstick there's no basis for acupuncture, love, or the Colonel's fried chicken either. Another big black mark in the taboo tally was that you're not supposed to bow down and worship the starry host. Can't say as I'd recommend it either. The stars are simply a form of information, much like a telephone. Do you pay homage to your phone?? Besides, it gets your knees dirty.

   Now, I do know of one ancient, primitive ritual in which people offer themselves to a heavenly body. Most of these congregate in August by the ocean anointing their bodies with oils and prostrating themselves before the object of their veneration. Sun worshippers. Now, Sir Strongarm ignores these multitudes and would rather kick sand in our faces, quoting misunderstood passages in the Bible over and over again. So here's what we're gonna do. We'll enroll in the Charles Atlas course... I mean, over the next few episodes we'll examine some of the general themes and specific passages that are to be found in the Book. Athena will offer an alternative, not to the basic premise of Christianity (why, some of my best friends are Christian), but to the Biblical interpretation regarding astrology. That's all. You can decide. I wouldn't want anyone taking my word as gospel or anything.

   As to Sir Strongarm, would you mind stepping outside for a minute? House rules, keep it clean and no low blows. Now, put up your parables and fight like a prophet!

   I've got a problem. Over the next few episodes we're going to be explaining celestial order, world history, and the Bible to a general public that may not be very familiar with their interconnections, but that's not the problem. The problem is having to do it in two paragraphs. What, me worry??

   We've dealt with the Ages before, but what exactly is an Age? Well, first of all it's an essential ingredient in dealing with the anti-astrological propaganda that's supposed to be in the Bible. An Age is slightly over 21 centuries in length, as high as the sky and as deep as the political, social and religious influences of the times. It's the chief celestial mold at work for any given length of time and its nature is often interpreted as the divine personality. The hour hand which clocks its passage is the spring equinox; the point every year when day and night are equal. It marks a point on the ecliptic, the Sun's path through heaven, which moves backward through the constellations of the zodiac at an annual rate of 50.2 seconds of arc, traversing an entire constellation once about every 2,152 years. Whenever this marker enters a new constellation it signals a radical shift in the world's self-perception. Since recorded history began we've experienced its passage through only three constellations. They are: Taurus, Aries, and now Pisces. We approach the Don... ah, dawn of the Age of Aquarius, but it's not here yet.

   Now, if you're familiar with the nature of these three signs from any of the five-and-dime astrological publications you'll more easily follow the next few episodes' correlations'. In our next action packed adventure we'll start to deal with 'What does it all mean?' I ask myself that every morning when I get up. What does it all mean? We'll start with the most ancient of the historical Ages, Taurus, because its nature is essential to understanding just what it is that the Old Testament (the book of the Age of Aries) is reacting against.

   Next time we grab the Bull by the Horns.

   The Age of Taurus ran from around the 43rd through the 22nd century B.C. Venus rules Taurus, and during this Age we'd expect the energy in their realms to become markedly stronger. Venus' metal is copper while Taurus deals with the earth, cattle, farming, agriculture and personal wealth. This time we look at the historical evidence of what happened when the Age was still young. Next time we'll take a look at the religious influences which were laid down during these millennia; the same influences which the Bible much later was to react so strongly against. Yes, this is part of a discourse on the Bible, but you'll have to be patient. We're getting there.

   The 43rd century B.C. marks the First Unification of Egypt. We quote from Earlier Ages:

   "...grain fields had, up to the time of the First Union, been cultivated by hand with the hoe. Finally it occurred to some clever Egyptian (more probably lazy -Ed) that he might lengthen the handle of his hoe so that it could be fastened to a yoke resting on the foreheads of two oxen. Thus the old hoe handle became the beam of the plow, and the hoe blade the plowshare. This invention of the first agricultural machinery marked a new epoch; for it enabled man to begin the use of animal power, other than the strength of a man or a woman. As this power was applied to the work of cultivating the fields, Egypt was able to farm the largest area that had ever been prepared for the raising of crops. Thus there arose in the Nile Valley the first great agricultural nation. The annual income in grain was not only a source of increased wealth to the people and government but was the first portable wealth. Because it could be carried about, loans could be paid with it, taxes paid, and business debts settled. This was in an age (sic) before there was any money, and it therefore made an enormous difference, and aided in carrying the Egyptians forward in their civilization".

   Dem's the facts, Jack. The other catalyst that catapulted the Egyptians forward was the development and use of copper tools, on loan from Venus Farm Equipment, Inc.

  Next Episode: An Edict on the Holy Bull.

   Venus and Taurus. That's all you have to know. Course maybe just a little background might not hurt.

   Venus rules Taurus.

   During the Age of Taurus there's a repeating theme of Venus and Bull images as principal deities of power. They were the odds-on favorites. Mediterranean cultures shared in many similarities, the Sea being common ground (so to speak). She carried their migrations, trade and transportation. Then, as now, she was a staple food source. Another commonalty shared by everyone who had a coastline was a belief in an influence originating from the heavens, and from the planets in particular. Of course each local culture had their own names for them. For instance, we know of the planet ruling this Age as Venus, her Latin nomenclature. That name comes from the last society to which the mythological baton was passed. But she was also known as Asherah from epic religious texts, as Ashtoreth to the Canaanites, and Astarte to the Greeks. The Bull appeared daily at local grain fields as El, Bel, Baal, Baalim, Baalberith, calf worship, calf earrings, golden calves, bulls with wings... yessiree, Bob. There sure was a lot of Bull flying around.

   Of course we limit ourselves here to only those translations and images of Venus and Taurus that appear in the Bible. Other mythologies are to be considered riff- raff and aren't to be tarried with. Your basic foreigners. Baal itself was translated as 'Lord' or 'Master', and occupied a superlative position both in heaven and on earth, while Abraham is still a twinkle in his great great grandmother's eye. Nobody's arguing. Many of the horrors that are to be pointed out much later in the Old Testament have one of these central themes woven into their fabric. Venus the Voluptuous and Taurus the Cute Cow have fallen out of vogue by the time of Moses, but from the 42nd to the 22nd centuries B.C., Egypt was alive, vital and thriving. No one questioned her gods then. After that, she is a system hanging on. The Age was over. Because Taurus is a fixed sign, conservative by nature, tradition locked these customs into place long after the motivating celestial influence had passed.

   Hey listen... is any of this making any sense? Next episode we take a look at Egyptian astronomical/logical abilities. Stay tuned for a truly stellar performance.

   Two episodes ago we looked at the Age of Taurus (43rd-22nd centuries B.C.) while it was still in calfdom. Last episode we examined the religious manifestations of this Age. This episode we'll see it in it's twilight years.

   Energy grows old just as our own physical vitality diminishes with time. At the peak of the bull's power, Egyptian priests gathered celestial information by observing the rising and settings of stars as only they could; through the alignments of walls, monuments and even temples; typical of this sign's fixed earth nature. Properly aligned, these temples could have yielded sophisticated astronomical information. But there was just one problem. Because of this processional march we're studying (the shift of the Ages), the skies slowly rotate, meaning that the temple you build 300 years ago to watch the Dog Star is now outta whack. You betcha they were aware of the precession. Of course, for the bull's broad shoulders this is no major problem. Just build another one!

   Successive realignments are apparent at many Egyptian temples, and their abilities seemed to be at their mathematical best around the time of the construction of the Pyramids. Abraham isn't for another 500 years. That's half a mil. Keep the change. By that time, Egypt is coming out of a period that has been paralleled to the European Dark Ages. It marks the end of the Age of Taurus, the end of its vitality as a viable solution, and the beginning of a dead tradition which fosters one of the central themes in the Old Testament: rejection of Bull and Venus worship in all its forms.

   The Biblical passages we'll evoke cry out against the tools of an Age whose time has passed. Abraham's birth marks the New Age. Judaism's job was to cut themselves off from the external cultural motifs which they found everywhere around them. From this one man came the religious mortar which was to bind western civilization as we know it today.

   I am the Age of Aries. Thus sayeth the Old Testament (OT). But just what is Aries energy anyway? Well, I'm glad you asked. Mars rules Aries. Our archetype is the red planet, a god of war in many mythologies accompanied both in battle and heaven by his companions Deimos and Phobos, panic and fear. It's the first sign of the zodiac and in nature corresponds to spring, the rush of life, sap flowing up the trees, blood throbbing in the veins, youthful enthusiasm and desire. Aries is a cardinal fire sign which translates loosely as fast and hot. Their keywords are "I am" and boy, are they ever! These are the leaders and the pioneers, soldiers and firemen, ready to meet the challenge of the moment. Traditionally the macho warrior, shields, anger, red, the strong right arm; now cook them all furiously over a blazing fire while stirring with a sharp sword and you'll divine the essence of our ancient concoction. Heroes only, please.

   Beginning with Abraham, the vast majority of the OT is brought to you by Aries, makers of trucks and stuff. Mr. Can Do. Here are some examples from the first two books of the OT.

They covered the tent of the tabernacle with a covering of rams skin dyed red; to the eyes of the sons of Israel the glory of God seemed like a devouring fire; God went before them as a pillar of smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night; the burning bush exclaimed "I am who I am"; God is my warrior; My anger will blaze out against you and I will kill you with a sword; the anger of God blazed out at Moses; consecrate all first-born to me; the 10th plague killing all the first-born of Egypt, rams blood protecting the innocent; you are to take the ram of investure and cook its meat in a holy place; God is my shepherd; Israel and his 12 sons are all shepherds...

   It's everywhere in the Old Testament, and it all began with ol' honest Abe, the father of the multitudes, the sire whose offspring would number more than all the stars of heaven, the one from whom nations and kings would arise. That's what the beginnings of Ages are made of. That and puppy dog tails. And Abe did it the old fashioned way. He waited 'til he was 100 to have a son. But we chiefly remember him for his attempted sacrifice of his son on the alter at the Lord's command, an angel making a last minute substitution of the ram instead; our cue to the entry of the Age of Aries- the new epoch...

   (We continue with our examination of the cultural influences of the Age of Taurus, now over, with the incoming influences of the Age of Aries, represented in the Bible as Judaism.)

   For those of you just joining our broadcast from the 20th century, here's the story so far. It's the L.A. Rams vs. The Buffalo Bulls. L.A. stands for Last Age. The Bulls are heavily favored to win by the local fans and for a long time have been the reigning dynasty in the game, but with a little of that old magic the Rams have made some surprising gains late in the first quarter. At the moment, however, they are in trouble. Deep in hostile territory it's third and 40 (years), the clock is running, and Moses has been laid up on the mountain for over a month now. Team spirit is low, the pressure is on and you're the quarterback! What would you do?? Here's your choices:

   A. Do nothing and simply wait for Moses to return.

   B. Retrace your steps and concede, humbly bringing the ball back to Pharaoh.

   C. Fall back on tried and true plays thereby generating spirit and direction for your team, or

   D. Punt.

   Of course, the correct answer is A. Don't feel bad if you got it wrong, because so did Aaron, the acting quarterback. He picked C.

Exodus 3:24: "He cast an effigy of a calf. 'Here is your God, Israel,' they cried, 'who brought you put of the land of Egypt!"

   Uuuurrrttt!!! Wrong door. Basic boo-boo #1. Aaron has reverted to the old Age of Taurus symbol, the spirit of an energy no longer in command. Moses is so happy when he comes down the mountain that he could just about bust. Aaron's head mainly. The boys having a good time with the golden calf are the Rams home team, the same players who'll have to carry the moral ball of integrity across the finish line of time some 13 centuries later, and here they are fumbling the spirit seriously late in the first quarter. You don't take the enemy's mascot from their camp and then pay homage to it. Next time we examine this age-old theme in greater detail in a feature aptly entitled 'Episode Eight.'

   In our last rodeo Moses wrestled with an ancient theme, the golden calf. It was symbolic of Judaism's circumcision; an attempt to cut themselves off from all that went before. Beware bovine by-products. The Age of Taurus was over, Aries had begun, and it was important that our little Arians not want to grow up becoming cowboys. Cowgirls, either.

   Kings II, 17:14-16; "But they would not listen, they were more stubborn than their ancestors... they pursued emptiness, and themselves became empty through copying the nations around them although God had ordered them not to act as they did. They rejected all the commandments of God and made idols of cast metal for themselves, two calves; they made themselves sacred poles, they worshipped the whole array of heaven, and they served Baal".

   Whoa there little doggies! What're these pole thingies? Well, in the days of old when cowboys were bold, priests had guided the multitudes through celestial counsel, but had also used these multitudes to help obtain that information. Just how did the ancients chart the heavens? Well, one of the ways that they did it was to pick a holy spot, often on top of a hill or in some other position with a clear view of the heavens. From this common center they would then divide the heavens by placing sacred poles at pre-selected spots, either close together in a circle, or at a distance on the horizon. At important times of the year (holidays) these in-the-know Joes would send people to celebrate the season to these sighting sticks of the night, marking them with bonfires, thereby creating a huge observatory across the landscape to read heaven's map. Stonehenge is one of these ancient examples. But as the age of Taurus faded the political systems necessary to support the collection of information in this fashion ended with it. During the height of astronomical activities in the Age of Taurus entire temples might be constructed to calibrate the movements of a single star. The archaeological and social record leaves behind the evidence of high places, altars, stones, poles, and a general populace replete with myths and stories and looking to have a good time.

   Deuteronomy 16:21-22 & 17:3-4 "You must not plant a sacred pole of any wood whatsoever beside the altar that you put up for your God, nor must you set up a standing stone, a thing God would abhor... who goes and serves other gods and worships them, or the sun or the moon or any of heaven's array, a thing I have forbidden, this person is denounced to you...".

   That's right! Don't worship the stars as had been done. Don't do anything that the cowboys (the offspring of the Age of Taurus. You're going to be quizzed on all this mythology stuff at the end, so pay attention...) had done. The incredible political machinery that had existed to support the accurate construction of temples and stone alignments, and then harness and process the information gathered from various sources, had collapsed. The system no longer worked. But, if we can find other instances in the Bible where celestial influence is working for the God of Israel; if celestial references of an obvious nature are to be found influencing the outcomes of situations, and if even if we can find the thread of astrological design intentionally woven throughout the construction of the Bible itself... If all these things can be amply demonstrated then might it not be conceivable that it is not astrology with which the Bible finds fault, but the old methods of compiling that information and anything that associates itself with the outdated rituals of the Age of Taurus. The Bible itself surely would not subscribe to anything that was taboo, now would it?

   This week we begin to squeeze out some of the more favorable references in the Bible with regard to the stars. It's my contention that the Bible does not put down astrology per se, but that it does put God above them in power, influence and majesty. I agree.

There's bunches and bunches of these indirect references, especially in Psalms and Job, and they get even better.

   Astrology's eternal purpose has been to map the heavens. In ancient times this was done through walls, temples, and standing stones. Today we use computers, books and charts. Either way, one reflects the other. The difference between astronomy and astrology is that one maps the heavens, the other asserts that there is some sort of influence being exercised over us by or through heavenly forces in some way, and mere maps in temple form are not necessarily proof of astrology's presence in the Bible. Do we find demonstrable examples of the stars direct influence over political or social forces? How about this one?

Sisera is from the Rouge's Gallery, a general of the Canaanite armies opposing Israel's occupation of the promised land. See how times change? Here the stars from their orbits are on the side of God and truth and right, at least according to the Bible. Apple pie, too. Now mind you, this isn't the only instance of a star signaling an important event. Once it marked for three wise men the birth of a new kingdom and a New Age, but then, that's another story.

   All things must pass, and this week we watch as the Age of Aries slips into history and Pisces takes the rudder. A new age means a whole new set of symbols and cultural motifs, which means explaining another new sign for you all over again. Life is hard sometimes. OK.

   We'll take one stellar reference to go, please. Sunny side up. It'll give us something to snack on while we wait for the dawn. Since we started this journey, we've come a long way together, having walked the hallowed halls of the Age of Taurus in ancient Egypt, run through the Age of Aries with Abraham, and witnessed the birth of our present epoch in Pisces almost 2,000 years ago. Yet another new age approaches, that of the sign of man; but its beginning is not yet. There's more to come. Stay tuned.

   Let's pose a hypothetical question here. Let's say that you're an in- the-know Joe, and you want to metaphorically mark the epoch you were in. The only problem is, you live in a time where two ages come together. How might you do it? One way you might do it would be to use a third constellation, one which lay atop the juncture. Think of a brick layer placing a third brick over the seam where the two below it come together. Now, you could either say that you reside at the beginning of the New Brick (the start of Pisces), or you could say that you lived in the belly (the middle) of the Bridge Brick. One lines up with the other. Actually our constellation lies below Aries and Pisces rather than above, but the alignments remain the same.

     Matthew 16:1-4 "The Pharisees and the Saducees came, and to test him they asked if he would show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "In the evening you say, 'It will be fine; there is a red sky, but you cannot read the sign of the times? It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah". and leaving them standing there, he went away".

   Dandy's Don's translation; You can read the sky, but you can't read the sign of the times? There is a constellation that straddles the juncture between Aries and Pisces in heaven much like our proverbial brick. It's name is Cetus. At the time of Christ it was indeed in longitudinal line with the precession. Aries is finished, Pisces about to begin. Cetus is, of course, the whale, and I guess you might call us in the belly of a whale of a tale.

   Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius; Bull, Ram, Fish, Man. Yea, team! Symbols are neat. Five thousand years and umpteen cultures later and we can still read them without the benefit of a local dialect. We've watched the command of the culture pass from Taurus when Baal was translated as Lord or Master, to Yahweh, the ancient Biblical name for a god to be feared, to a more mystical manifestation with Christianity and the coming of Pisces. Soon the baton will pass again, this time to the waterbearer Aquarius, We'll have to wait. We're presently about 11/12ths of our way through the Fish, and there's more than a century left, so I wouldn't hold your breath.*

   The Shift of the Ages (the Precession of the Equinoxes) slips backwards through the constellations, and like a rapier splits ecliptic and star patterns. At the time of Christ, the symbol map of heaven had just made a major change. we like to think that one reflected the other. Pisces newly holds the position of honor. The Fish are the symbolic power.

   Matthew 26:24: "Moreover, I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven".

   Wait a minute! Aquarius' symbol is the sign of Man! While visible in the night sky, Aquarius always falls to the right of Pisces as seen from the earth...

     "...from this time onward, (the precession's been in Pisces from then until now) you will see (as seen from the earth)   the Son of Man (the constellation Aquarius) seated at the right hand (at the right) of the Power (the vernal equinox, currently in Pisces) and coming on the clouds of heaven (gettin' closer and now almost home!)".

   Heeeyyy!!! I'll bet you never thought of it like that before! Me, either!

   Now, there are some other Biblical predictions concerning the approaching epoch, but we wouldn't want to tie ourselves down to any unnecessary details at this point in our story, would we? Stay tuned for up to the minute developments.

   You'd better sit down for this one. OK. You ready? This is it.

   The framework of the Old testament is intentionally astrological. That's right - astrological. You really don't have to know a great deal about astrology to see it; simply the order of the signs. You know...Aries, Taurus, Gemini etc. That's all. S'not so hard, is it? The Torah and the Historical Books of the Old Testament, the first 16 books, correspond to the first 12 signs of the zodiac. But 12 doesn't equal 16 you say. Yes it does. This is New Math.

   #1 Aries corresponds to Genesis, the beginnings.

   #2 Taurus is Exodus, and we are told of the Hebrew wealth and the price of every little thing.

   #3 Gemini is Leviticus, the tribe whose job it was to communicate with God.

   #4 Cancer is Numbers where they simply count the members of the family; Bob & Joe & Mary & Sarah, etc.

   #5 Deuteronomy is Leo, the King and the heart, and this is where the will of God is expressed in the 10 Commandments.

   #6 is Virgo - Mr. Details. As an earth sign we have the partition of Promised Land between the tribes.

   #7 Judges is Libra, Libra is Law, Law is Judges. 'Nuff said.

   #8 Ruth is Scorpio. Husband dies, children die, there's an inheritance and she marries her brother-in-law.

         Now this is where they try to shake us.

   #9 Samuel I & II is Sag and we're into prophets and prophecy.

   #10 Kings I & II is Capricorn; Executive Branch. A karmic list of how each king scored.

   #11 Chronicles is Aquarius, the scientists. It's revision of the history from Joshua to Kings. By the way Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius, his Greek name was Cronus, and from Cronus we get Chronicles.

   #12 Ezra and Nemiah, the period of captivity and exile, corresponds to imprisoned Pisces.

   That's it! Easy as pie-in-the-sky. Of course, for those of you that need it in slightly more detail we'll do what we can.

   What ch'ya doing for the next 12 episodes?

   (We pick up our story already in progress. Last week Dandy Don threw the bomb. A beautiful spiral. Are the opening books of the Bible in astrological order? If so, what consequences will this have for religion, the stars, and the Gross National Product? If not, what consequences will it have for Dandy Don? The ball's in the air, so now lit.'s rejoin our game to see what happens...)

   Last episode we postulated that Genesis corresponded to Aries, the first of the 12. Twelve being a fundamental number in both Old and New Testaments. Old tribes, new disciples. Simply stated, Aries is the sign of new beginnings, and this is the book of beginnings. It opens that way, paints the creation, tells us who was first (in unalphabetical order Adam and Abraham), and lays down history up to the establishment of the 12 tribes.

   It ends with the death of Joseph, the youngest of the 12, and the one who brought the family into Egypt and put some good earth around their roots. One of the chief images associated with this book is the substitution of the ram for Isaac upon the sacrificial altar. The angel holds Abraham's hand and exclaims...

   "...for now I know that you fear God. "

   Fear is one of the elementary expressions of Arian every (See Episode VI). The Ram is the symbol of Aries. But then this observation that Genesis is a book of origins is not new. Even my dictionary admits it. There's 11 more correlations to be made here before we finish, and miles to go before we wake. Exodus is the next stop.

   Enter Moses stage left.

   (This one's for Seth.) Picture a cow, any cow. How fast are they? How nimble? Stubborn's the word. Ya gotta think about these things. This episode, Taurus with Exodus, and Exodus is easy. The name itself describes a journey, and we might think neither long nor short journey, this is a migration; and for that you need a herd. Yup. Migration comes under Taurus.

   The book opens with the prosperity of the Hebrews in Egypt. Their wealth, influence and power is viewed suspiciously by the new king. After considerable oppression they evoke the Lord's promise to bring them to a land of milk and honey, rich and wide. Moses is slow of speech (classic Taurus), and at the conclusion of each of the ten plagues...

There's this amazing transfer of wealth from the Egyptians to the Hebrews (hey, show me that one again, wouldya?). With a couple of exceptions, the rest of Exodus is this shopping list of descriptions for the construction of the Sanctuary and tabernacle, robes, tables, lamp stands, fabrics, hangings, jewels, offerings, vestments, etc. The Divine Possessions; spiritual and earthly prices, restitution, property, interest, bribe, tax and the price of hire; it's here that the price of a slave is defined as 30 shekels; the price later paid to Judas, 30 pieces of silver.

   This week we take a look at Leviticus, the third book of the Bible. The astrological correlation is Gemini, ruled by Mercury. Now if you are a Gemini you already know what I'm about to go over, so this'll have to be for the benefit of everyone else.

   The Twins are the mentally inquisitive types: the talkers, thinkers, teachers, etc., etc., etc. It's a long list. Now Mercury rules the mind, what we think about, our daily duties, conversations, communications and busythunk. Leviticus is basically another list, another lengthy list, of the Lord's communications on various matters ranging from a "how to" manual on sacrifices of various sorts, to a strict dietetic menu, to purification, on leprosy, sexual impurities, conjugal relations, the Holy Years, loans and a bunch of other stuff besides. Gemini rules siblings (the twins, get it?), and the tribe of Levi (one of the original twelve brothers) is the only one of the 12 tribes that rank their own book, and in the correct astrological sequence. It's the task of this clan to communicate the Divine Will as priests.

   The stage of much of this Chapter is the Tent of Meeting (where the book opens) and as you might of already guessed, along with entrances and keyholes, meetings, marketplaces, merchants, messengers and mutterings are all part and parcel of the realm of Mercury. It says so on his Union Card. In the next episode with Cancer we meet the family. Come say hello.

   Numbers is as easy as 1, 2, 3; let's meet the family. Hi there.

   Well, the book opens and we're told to count the House of Israel by family and clan (chapters 1 & 26). Those appointed to do so are the ancestral leaders of the clans. It tells how the tribes of Israel are supposed to camp (temporary homes, Chapter 2). Let's see now. There's Passover, the Full Moon ceremony. Miss that and you have to wait for the next Full Moon (9, 28 & 29). Much of this book deals with Canaan, the promised land and their new home (13, 15, 31-35). These range from what sacrifices to perform when they get there to where they're going to get water to drink while traveling through the wilderness. Did I forget to mention that Cancer is a water sign? Sorry. Water springs from a rock (20). Themes about women are sprinkled throughout, with numbers ending by explaining how, in preventing the erosion of the lands of Israel to outside tribes (27 & 36). We're told how to purify the water (19). While still in the wilderness the people want to know, "Who will give us meat to eat? (11). They are promised that they might each eat for a full month (the lunar cycle), but there's some complications. Take two silver trumpets and proclaim the news (1). Oh yea, the Moon's metal is silver. Our literary cup overflows with imagery, but that's all we have time for.

   Hello there boys and girls.

   Leo is King; regal, majestic, noble, powerful and proud. His is the fixed fire sign, his planetary ruler the Sun. This planet suggests life, daylight, the heart, truth and ego. Love, romance and children are all warmed by its light. "Well now Dandy Don," you may ask, "just how is it that ego enters here?" By design of course. I quote from Unger's Bible Dictionary.

   I, me, mine; ergo, ego. In all of the Biblical books that we will compare with the zodiac (the first 16), Deuteronomy uses the "heart" as literary symbol more than any other. MORE than any other. You'd expect that if a theme were intentionally being woven into the fabric of the work. For instance, the 10th commandment is phrased slightly differently from its Exodus counterpart.

  "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, you shall not set your heart on his house...", etc.

   There's no heart reference in Exodus. This is but one example. There's 45 others. And what is the message of this book? Watch the bouncing star for the Leo symbols now.

  "You shall love* your God with all your heart*, with all your soul, with all your strength*. Let these words be written on your heart*. You shall repeat them to your children*..."

   In our celestial order, the Ten Commandments have now appeared in the two fixed sign books. These are the eternal commands. Leo is both heart and fire. It's the fifth sign. The commandments come from the heart of the fire. Deuteronomy is fire. Five of the five. Get it? But why repeat the commandments? Deuteronomy is addressed to a people who had not witnessed the original Exodus. And they are told that they must pass these laws...

  (4:9), "...to your children* and to your children's* children*."

   Looks like it's largely Leo to me! That's it. Story's over.

   Check the fire and put the cat before you go to sleep, would you please?

   Episode XIX

   Common Ground

   Lots to do, so let's get to it. No time to waste. I'm late.

   This week is Joshua and Virgo. Here's the celestial baseline. Virgo; mutable or common earth sign, the virgin. Perfectionists, and often overly critical. Mercury rules, so another communications theme; the voice, oath, writing, messengers, strategies, trickery- the mind. In an earth sign, the mind thinks about precise points and practical maters. They are taught to be neat.

   Joshua is neat. Twenty-four books, basically divided into half. The first 12 chapters deal with who had the Promised Land when Joshua begins his campaign. Starting with chapter 14, the second half deals with who gets in now and where each tribes' boundaries are. In specific detail of course. Map making (mental earth combination) is a typical Virgonian occupation. Here we have surveys and boundaries duly recorded. They're making a mental map. Some earth image themes in Joshua are the river drying up so they might cross over "dry shod'; the expression...

  "Lord of the whole earth..."

...being used exclusively here; and Joshua's claiming that he must...

  "...go the way of the whole earth..."

...at his death. Under Moses (in Exodus, the second, or Taurus book) they crossed dry shod too. This is Virgo. Mutable earth. Common earth. Common ground. Before after. Neat, huh? But what I like best is the way the last chapter sums it all up. Virgo is the sign of service:

  "...serve (God) perfectly and sincerely..."

...to which is heard the reply,

  "It is God we choose to serve, it is his voice (Mercury) that we will obey."

But ya don't have to take my word for it. Try 24:27. This is of a possible 24:33 mind you; right at the end for emphasis. One last earth voice.

   "See! This stone shall be a witness..."

Tell 'em stone.

   Episode XX

   Here Come De Judge!

   Now let's be fair about this. There's always another side to any story. Judges. The 7th book of the Bible. It equates to the 7th sign of the zodiac, Libra. Even celestial novices know of the correlation of the scales to law, and on to Judges. Basically Libra is the sign of opposites; it represents both crime and justice, marriage and divorce, war and peace. It describes the nature of relationships of one to the other, individually and collectively.

   In the heavens Libra is opposite Aries, the theme and Age under which the entire Old Testament was written and collated. OK. Those are this episodes' clues.

   Now hear ye, hear ye...

   You talk relationships in the Bible, you're talkin' Sampson and Delilah. Judges opens with Caleb offering his daughter to wife as prize of battle. It closes with the Israeli's looking for wives for the tribe of Benjamin. That's because they swore an oath.

   "Not one of us will give their daughter in marriage to Benjamin."

   That's because they had intertribal problems. Many of the tribe of Benjamin are wiped out in a three day battle. The other tribes feel bad about it (typical Libra), and then decide to help them repopulate. What a small number of the tribe of Benjamin had done was to rape someone's wife. On a tribal level the Israeli's no longer put towns under the ban (wipe them out in the name of God), but they start to oust some of the opposition among the Maobites, Philistines, and even Canaanities. The tribes of Israel start to stray to other gods and fool with foreign women. That wasn't what God had originally intended for his chosen people (who now changes what He has promised), their relationship with their neighbors, and their relationships with each other.

   Here's what the Reader's Digest Atlas of the Bible had to say:

   "The struggles of these tribes with other people and with each other are the subject of ... the period of Judges".

   Judge for yourself.

   Episode XXI

   Hitting Below the Equatorial Belt

   Scrutinize Ruth. She's quiet, loyal and dedicated. How loyal is she you ask? Loyal unto death. She's the subject and title of the eighth book of the Bible. Astrologically this corresponds to Scorpio, the eighth sigh of the zodiac, Pluto's celestial ambassador. A fixed water sign, it deals with death.

   The Biblical theme of Ruth demonstrates unswerving loyalty, incredible devotion and an indefatigable allegiance (fixed water) to both Naomi, her dead husband's mother, and to Naomi's God, the God of Israel. Death is the thread that unites these two, subtly snaking its was throughout this unusually short book (only four chapters). Let's look.

   First line, famine. Meet the family: husband, wife and a couple of kids; third line, husband dies; fifth line, children die. Naomi bids her two daughters-in-law to return to their maiden homes (they're foreign brides) with...

  "May god be kind to you as you have been to those who have died and to me."

They wept aloud (water), and once more wept aloud (more water). One leaves, one stays vowing,

  "Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried... even if death should come between us!"

  "Seeing that she was determined to go..." (fixed sign) ...and that's just the first chapter!

   Death is Scorpio's front line, but the other associations made to this sign are named as well. Inheritance, riches, sexual intrigue, secrets, and even a few insights into the historical customs reflecting the regenerative nature of Scorpio.

  "You are witness this day that I buy from Naomi and all that belonged to Elimelech, to Chilion and to Mahlon (the dead father and children). You're to be my witness too that I buy Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, to be my wife, to keep the name of the dead man in his inheritance, so that the dead man's name may not die among his brothers..."

Mythologically Pluto is Lord of Death. astrologically Pluto rules Scorpio. Both Ruth and Scorpio are eighth in their respective orders. Ruth is a book on death. Yes, the intended order and construction of the books of the Bible are indeed logical.

   Astro-logical.

   Episode XXII

   Have Prophet, Will Travel

   Number 9, number 9; Sagittarius and Samuel.

   Samuel I & II were originally one book and they correspond to our ninth sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius. Now there's more Sagittarian themes in these books than we can deal with here, but we'll give it the ol' college try.

   Sag is ruled by Jupiter, the mythological pantheon chief and sky god. You can think of him as Sky King, but without the plane. Sag's symbol is the centaur, shooting his arrow heavenward, and in natal charts this is represented by the arrow.

   In the 16 books that we are examining, there are 22 references to arrows according the Srong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Ten of them are in Samuel. Yes, more than in any other book. This is the sign of religion, philosophy and higher education. People who in some way interpret the divine will come under the influence of Jupiter, such as priests and prophets. Samuel is a prophet, the founder of a school of prophets, and the first in a regular succession of prophets. In these pages are to be found Philistine priests and diviners, the prophet Gad, the 85 dead priests of Nad and even a necromancer. Both these priests and the ark of the covenant are constantly used to discern the will of God. Even Saul, the first king appointed by Samuel, goes into ecstasy and begins prophesying with the prophets prompting the proverb,

  "Is Saul one of the prophets, too?"

   The Lord thunders causing the Philistines to panic and flee, and later thunders to confirm Samuel's words appropriate to our sky god motif. In Gemini, the tribe of Levi was appointed as the priests of the Lord. Now in Sagittarius, the sign opposite Gemini, communication with the divine again becomes a central theme and Samuel forms a new school of prophets. In the closing comments of Samuel two of our symbols are combined.

  "God thundered from heaven, the Most High made his voice heard; he let his arrows fly and scattered them, launched the lightnings and routed them."

   Saul is struck down by an arrow, while David is symbolically warned by an arrow.

   Now I understand this thrust of comparative analysis may be foreign to you, but I think that you're beginning to get the point.

   Episode XXIII

   Go Tell It on The Mountain

   It's time we got down to business. Kings I & II (originally one book)) corresponds to Capricorn, our 10th sign of the zodiac. Capricorn is an earth sign symbolized by the goat standing atop a mountain. It rules bones, time, aging, career, authority, administration, and the executive branch of government. Dem's the celestial bare bones.

   First line:

  "King David was an old man on in years..."

   (I love it!) and the first four books deal with the "transfer of power from David to Solomon, Solomon's high officials and administrators." The basic framework of Kings is an executive list, the kings and their careers from David, Israel's second King, to the period of their captivity by Babylon, the end of the royal line. About to die, David sez he's going...

  "...the way of all the earth."

   We haven't heard that since Joshua said it in our last earth sign book (Virgo). It's here that Elijah splits the waters and crossed over...

  "...dry shod."

   We've heard that now in Exodus (Taurus), Joshua (Virgo) and Kings (Capricorn); each of the earth sign books. You tell me. What's the chances of that happening randomly? The prophets in this book seem to reside on the tops of mountains, the servants of the King of Aram tell him that...

  "Their god (of Israel) resides on the tops of mountains...".

   ...and the Israelites look like...

   "...two herds of goats"!!

   (Kids in the King James version). Nowhere else but in Capricorn could you call someone that and get away with it. They've seen all Israel...

   "...scattered on the mountains."

   Let's see, other images here... bones!

  "The (dead) man had no sooner touched the bones of Elijah than he came to life and stood up on his feet."

   There's life in dem bones. Capricorn is the theme running throughout this book, but remember fire is the theme surrounding the entire Old Testament, a product of the Age of Aries (a fire sign).

  II Kings 17: "And Elijah prayed. 'God,' he said, 'open the eyes and make him see.' God opened his servant's eyes, and he saw the mountain covered with horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elijah."

   Space is limited here, but there's about 29 1/2 other Capricornian themes in these books that I haven't even dealt with yet.

   Sorry. I'm doing the best I can but my time's up.

   Episode XXIV

   All Together Now!

   Let's get a few facts straight here. This is for the record. Eleven out of twelve and counting. Aquarius and Chronicles I & II (originally one book); are there similar lines? Age before beauty, let's compare ankles.

   The Water Bearer is a fixed air sign, locked in on certain ideas and concepts. Their keywords are "I know". They usually do. These are the information gatherers, often representing collective interests. Knowledge and time are their building blocks.

   Saturn (Greek, Kronos) was the Lord of Time- and the traditional ruler of Aquarius. Whether as Kronos, chronology, chronological, chronometer, crony or Chronicles; it's all the same sands through the hourglass. Chronicles is a record of the times, translated as the "Annals of the Days". It's sort of a Cliff's Notes Edition of the Bible, especially involving the more recent history of Kings, from Saul down. Kings II and Chronicles II are very similar in structure. Astrologically Saturn rules structure, and traditionally it rules both Capricorn and Aquarius. The Biblical books which correspond to these two signs of the zodiac bear an amazing structural resemblance to each other. The Water Bearer pours the waters of information out for the general betterment of society, but Aquarians can sometimes have some pretty weird ideas about what's good for us. Know what I mean? David's Song of Praise (1:16) is loaded with Aquarian images and doesn't even appear in Kings. The fixed nature of this sign generates longevity, his love is everlasting, and all eternity (how do you get partial eternity?). Good warranties.

   The collective also comes on strong with, "a thousand generations", "all the people", "families of the peoples", and "all the people say, Amen!" (Say Amen!)

   In fact, the single word of the collective, "all" appears more times in Chronicles than in any other of the 15 historical books. But examples of these word clues are few in Chronicles, and its very theme is what presents itself the most strongly.

   The chronicle is a simple chronological record. Just the facts.

   Are they authored by heaven?

   Only time will tell.

   Episode XXV

   Ezra's Cryin'

   Pardon me while I climb into my pulpit here, woud' ya? Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book. Together with the books of the Torah (or Pentateuch depending upon your personal persuasion), this final edition of the Historical Books completes our cycle of association to the zodiac, of obvious greater antiquity.

   Number 12, Pisces. A water sign symbolized by the sea and the subconscious (haven't we gone over all this before??), mass emotion, and our channels into the unconscious realms, whether through wine and imagination or fasting and prayer. Pisces people operate from deeper emotional urges and currents. They give expression to these emotional urges. They cry a lot.

   In these books everyone is crying! Ezra is crying, Nehemiah is crying, the people are crying! Humiliation, sadness, misery; these are the signatures of a people returning home after 70 years of exile and captivity. The keywords of this sign are "I believe" or "I understand," and in these pages the good book was read for all old enough to understand.

   These are humble books. The same people who strove forward so confidently in the early books of the Bible, like the early signs of the year, discharging a town here or a people there (under the ban), now find that the shoe is on the other foot! These are the celestial themes of Pisces. Believe me!! Lent (while the Sun is in Pisces) is still the time of the year associated with Christ's fast. Pisces is the Age to which Aries eventually yields, just as the Old Testament yields to the New. Compare these two books of the Old Testment for what will become Christian themes. The message of these two books, in the face of all this misery, is to repent, fast, and be happy in the Lord. Jupiter, also known to his chums as Jove, is the traditional ruler of Pisces, and his characteristic attitudes make themselves known; shouts of joy, wisdom, understanding, rejoicing, thanksgiving, praise; and, as an ultimate line of culmination,

  "Remember me, my God, for my happiness."

   Still deep emotional currents, but here expressing the other side of the coin; the good stuff, 'cause you've been good. Now, of course there's more to it than this, but I think you're starting to get the general picture.

   Of course, it all could be just...

  "...a figment of (my) own imagination." (Nehemiah 6:9)

   Episode XXVI

   This is a Test!

   For the next 60 seconds, this column will be conducting a test of the emergency alert system. This is only a test.

   Don't blow it.

   We've been covering a lot of ground over the last few months, so let's take a little breather and review here. We've drawn a quick outline of the Ages as a historical backdrop and shown how the Old and New Testaments each reflect the celestial sign of the times, both chronologically and by metaphorical allusion. We've examined specific passages, both pro and con. But last and most importantly, we've postulated that the opening sixteen books of the Bible were originally intended to demonstrate an eternal theme, simple celestial order, the signs of the zodiac aligned by their seasonal cycle. Such is life.

   The astrological interpretations used here are fundamentally similar to those interpretations found in the oldest texts on the subject. As a part of this intentional design, both the higher and lower manifestations of each sign are demonstrably woven into each book. Jewish history is the fabric, celestial design the pattern, moral responsibility the purpose. The more one knows about fundamental celestial structure, the more evident the pattern becomes; repeating themes in books of similar element, exaltation and falls, rulerships and detriments; someone put a lot of work into all this!

   All of the Bible's positive qualities- demonstrations of moral examples, seeking self-improvement, attempting to achieve right relations with one's self and one's God- all these noble attributes remain unchanged. We've always been taught that life and the Bible were a part of the Lord's greater plan, and it's here offered that that plan may be more tangible than we've heretofore been willing to admit.

   Now we said at the outset that this was a test, and so it is. Astrological knowledge was considered the foundation stone of wisdom by many ancient societies. It has more recently been rejected by those in positions of power. If our hypothesis is correct, what implications will this have for you, me, & the Judeo-Christian tradition? I want your typed answers in my box by Monday morning. You will be graded. Also, I'd like to see whoever left the apple on my desk right after class.