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.In ancient times the only astronomers were the priests, andthe only observatories the temples.The mass of the peoplewere ignorant and superstitious, and wholly dependent upon177 Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomythe priests for their knowledge required to carry on agricul-ture.Says Salverti:From the observations of the stars, the return of the sea-sons and several meteorological phenomena were pre-dicted by the priest.He regulated agricultural labors ina rational manner, and foretold its probable successwith tolerable exactness.The ignorant men, therefore,under his direction, set no bounds in their own mindsto the power of science, and doubted not that the futu-rity of the moral world, as well as that of the physical,was to be read on the face of the starry heavens.In thismistaken idea they were not undeceived by the priests.In order to perpetuate these ideas, and so increase andpreserve their power and influence, all scientific knowledgewas locked up in the sacerdotal order and the Mysteries.Astronomical observations were thus of necessity secretly con-ducted in the temples, and the methods by which these obser-vations were taken, and the real object of constructions forthat purpose, were securely veiled beneath allegorical andreligious rites and formulas.The real and scientific reasons why the cornerstone wasplaced with such care in the northeast corner having beenconcealed by the priests, in process of time, when their reli-gion was superseded, were entirely lost.The custom, howeverwas first established under all the sanction and requirementsof religion, and came at last to be superstitiously followed, notonly as to temples, but all other buildings of any importance,whether built so as to face the east or not.The custom haseven descended to this day, which shows that some veryimportant reasons must have led to its adoption in the firstplace.It is thus that the superstitious observance of this cus-tom required for centuries after the real scientific and the pre-tended religious reasons for it had not only ceased, but beenforgotten.178 Chapter 8.Astronomical Explanations (Continued)Druidical TemplesThat the Druids of Britain celebrated the Mysteries in someform, and had secret symbols and signs known only to thosewho were initiated into the higher priestly orders, is admittedby all investigators.Nor is there any doubt that the DruidicalMysteries were derived from the Phoenician and Tyrian navi-gators, who visited that country for tin, and who establishedcolonies there.The principle temple of the Druids was what isnow called Stonehenge, much of which remains to this day.These ancient remains, it is conceded, were erected by thosewho worshipped the sun, either actually or symbolically, andthe peculiar arrangement of the stones strongly confirms theviews we have expressed as to the secret solar significance ofthe "northeast corner" and "the pillars of the porch." Mr.M.D.Conway, in his "South-Coast Saunterings in England" (andwho visited the place), informs us that, some two hundredyards from the entrance of the temple at Stonehenge, there isset up a pillar sixteen feet high.This stone pillar he also says,is not only set exactly at that point toward the northeastwhere the sun rises at the summer solstice exactly overits top, but has also been set in a place where theground has been scooped out, so as to bring its top, asseen from the altar, precisely against the horizon.Everyyear people go out on the 21st day of June to see thesun rise above this stone, and that it does so, with abso-lute exactness, admits now of now question.At the druidical temple at Abury there is a stone pillar inthe same astronomical position.These pillars are, it is true, ofrough stone, but, had the builders of these Druidical templespossessed the same wonderful skill in architecture as theTyri ans and Egyptians, from whom their religious ideas arederived, no doubt more elegant if not finely sculptured col-umns or obelisks would have been erected; nor is it at allstrange that the temples built by the rude inhabitants of Britainshould be inferior to those of Tyre and Thebes, although179 Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomyerected upon the same astronomical principles for the samesymbolical solar worship, since it was far easier to adopt thereligious rites and ceremonies of the Phoenicians than to rivaltheir skill in art, or to obtain the services of their architects orartists.It may also be presumed that the Phoenicians them-selves, who colonized there in the interests of trade, weremore skilled in working the tin-mines, or in commercial pur-suits, than in temple building and architecture.The CornucopiaQ.Whence was this masonic emblem derived, and what doesit signify?CORNUCOPIAA.The Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty, is an emblem of purelyastronomical origin.It alludes to the constellation Capricor-nus.Capricorn, according to mythology, is the same as Pan,or Bacchus, who, with some other deities, while feasting nearthe banks of the Nile, were suddenly set upon by the dredfulgiant Typhon.In order to escape, they at once all assumed dif-ferent shapes and plunged into the river Pan, or Bacchusleading the way.That part of his body which was under watertook the form of a fish, and the other part that of a goat.Panwas the god who presided over the flocks and herds.Virgilthus invokes him:"Pan ovius custos.""Thou, O Pan! guardian of the sheep."("Georgics," Book I)180 Chapter 8.Astronomical Explanations (Continued)Pan was also the god of plenty.Therefore the twisted horn ofCapricornus became an emblem of plenty [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.In ancient times the only astronomers were the priests, andthe only observatories the temples.The mass of the peoplewere ignorant and superstitious, and wholly dependent upon177 Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomythe priests for their knowledge required to carry on agricul-ture.Says Salverti:From the observations of the stars, the return of the sea-sons and several meteorological phenomena were pre-dicted by the priest.He regulated agricultural labors ina rational manner, and foretold its probable successwith tolerable exactness.The ignorant men, therefore,under his direction, set no bounds in their own mindsto the power of science, and doubted not that the futu-rity of the moral world, as well as that of the physical,was to be read on the face of the starry heavens.In thismistaken idea they were not undeceived by the priests.In order to perpetuate these ideas, and so increase andpreserve their power and influence, all scientific knowledgewas locked up in the sacerdotal order and the Mysteries.Astronomical observations were thus of necessity secretly con-ducted in the temples, and the methods by which these obser-vations were taken, and the real object of constructions forthat purpose, were securely veiled beneath allegorical andreligious rites and formulas.The real and scientific reasons why the cornerstone wasplaced with such care in the northeast corner having beenconcealed by the priests, in process of time, when their reli-gion was superseded, were entirely lost.The custom, howeverwas first established under all the sanction and requirementsof religion, and came at last to be superstitiously followed, notonly as to temples, but all other buildings of any importance,whether built so as to face the east or not.The custom haseven descended to this day, which shows that some veryimportant reasons must have led to its adoption in the firstplace.It is thus that the superstitious observance of this cus-tom required for centuries after the real scientific and the pre-tended religious reasons for it had not only ceased, but beenforgotten.178 Chapter 8.Astronomical Explanations (Continued)Druidical TemplesThat the Druids of Britain celebrated the Mysteries in someform, and had secret symbols and signs known only to thosewho were initiated into the higher priestly orders, is admittedby all investigators.Nor is there any doubt that the DruidicalMysteries were derived from the Phoenician and Tyrian navi-gators, who visited that country for tin, and who establishedcolonies there.The principle temple of the Druids was what isnow called Stonehenge, much of which remains to this day.These ancient remains, it is conceded, were erected by thosewho worshipped the sun, either actually or symbolically, andthe peculiar arrangement of the stones strongly confirms theviews we have expressed as to the secret solar significance ofthe "northeast corner" and "the pillars of the porch." Mr.M.D.Conway, in his "South-Coast Saunterings in England" (andwho visited the place), informs us that, some two hundredyards from the entrance of the temple at Stonehenge, there isset up a pillar sixteen feet high.This stone pillar he also says,is not only set exactly at that point toward the northeastwhere the sun rises at the summer solstice exactly overits top, but has also been set in a place where theground has been scooped out, so as to bring its top, asseen from the altar, precisely against the horizon.Everyyear people go out on the 21st day of June to see thesun rise above this stone, and that it does so, with abso-lute exactness, admits now of now question.At the druidical temple at Abury there is a stone pillar inthe same astronomical position.These pillars are, it is true, ofrough stone, but, had the builders of these Druidical templespossessed the same wonderful skill in architecture as theTyri ans and Egyptians, from whom their religious ideas arederived, no doubt more elegant if not finely sculptured col-umns or obelisks would have been erected; nor is it at allstrange that the temples built by the rude inhabitants of Britainshould be inferior to those of Tyre and Thebes, although179 Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomyerected upon the same astronomical principles for the samesymbolical solar worship, since it was far easier to adopt thereligious rites and ceremonies of the Phoenicians than to rivaltheir skill in art, or to obtain the services of their architects orartists.It may also be presumed that the Phoenicians them-selves, who colonized there in the interests of trade, weremore skilled in working the tin-mines, or in commercial pur-suits, than in temple building and architecture.The CornucopiaQ.Whence was this masonic emblem derived, and what doesit signify?CORNUCOPIAA.The Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty, is an emblem of purelyastronomical origin.It alludes to the constellation Capricor-nus.Capricorn, according to mythology, is the same as Pan,or Bacchus, who, with some other deities, while feasting nearthe banks of the Nile, were suddenly set upon by the dredfulgiant Typhon.In order to escape, they at once all assumed dif-ferent shapes and plunged into the river Pan, or Bacchusleading the way.That part of his body which was under watertook the form of a fish, and the other part that of a goat.Panwas the god who presided over the flocks and herds.Virgilthus invokes him:"Pan ovius custos.""Thou, O Pan! guardian of the sheep."("Georgics," Book I)180 Chapter 8.Astronomical Explanations (Continued)Pan was also the god of plenty.Therefore the twisted horn ofCapricornus became an emblem of plenty [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]