Fresh Batch #25: Golden Bulls and The Midwife of Celestial Secrets
Astrology, Mythology, Mysteries, and Cults
Mahmut described sacrifices of bulls in the Temple of Apollo, something worth noting in case other sacrifices are done in this manner, which would indicate diffusion between cultures, “So were the consecrated Bulls of old, dress’d up in a stately Equipage, their Horns and Hoofs all gilded over with Gold, adorn’d with Ribbons of costly Silk, their Bodies cover’d over with Mantles of Brocade and Tissue, embroider’d with Pearls and precious Stones, and trailing on the Pavements of Apollo’s Temple; whilst the Priests stood ready at the Altar to dispatch whole Hecatombs of these gay Sacrifices.”
What does gold represent? The sun is always represented by gold. The sun is eternal, like gold (as far as we can tell). Why is the bull one of the most significant symbols of the sun? The word comes from Bel, or Lord, also spelled Bal, Baal, Bol, BL, etc. Papal Bulls are also a play on this by the way of Boule, or a council. Bulls are associated with strength and power on account of their prowess for being used as beasts of burden; as is the word El, which is essentially Bel/Bal without its first letter. It also corresponds to the second labor of Hercules capturing the Cretan Bull, or the sun entering Taurus in the middle of spring. If decoding the labors of Hercules interests you, you’ll enjoy July’s End with Black Swans.
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