TODAY is the Feast of the Holy Maccabees AND The “Feast of Sancti Petri ad Vincula - St. Peter at the chains” – How interesting that these commemorations should come at this Cross-Quarter time of Lammas…hmmm…Let’s explore shall we?
The two books of the Maccabees are to be found in the Apocrypha, where we meet the 7 sons of the Maccabee Widow, & the 5 sons of Mattathias = 12.
To look into the Old Testament, we are still seeing the effects today, on many levels, of the fact that the ancient Hebrew people came to Palestine. That original kingdom was divided. First it passed into Assyrian captivity, then into the Babylonian, then Persian, & was set free again by Alexander the Great – a transition of the Zarathustra impulse from the Persian into the stream of the Hebrew people in preparation for the Incarnation of The Christos.
![The Gospel of St. Mark: A Cycle of Ten Lectures [Book]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gIhk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9809ef5b-5e38-40ae-8bd2-bc81c3070782_500x500.png "The Gospel of St. Mark: A Cycle of Ten Lectures [Book]")
A Spiritual Scientific reading of the Gospel of Mark, given to us by Rudolf Steiner, makes some interesting connections between the Priestly family of the Maccabees & the 12 Apostles, with Elijah, who reincarnated as John the Baptist.
We find that the souls of the Old Testament prophets are reincarnations of initiates who had lived in other nations, & then went thru the portal of death to be reincarnated in the Hebrew tribes.
The concept of immortality is developed in the taking up of the initiatic elements of the different peoples seen in the evolution of human consciousness thruout the many cultural epochs, appearing at its very summit in the Old Testament as the sons of the Maccabees, who are convinced that when they die, they would be ‘reawakened’ to continue their mission in a new way, after reaching the culminating point of that progression in their martyrdom. We can think especially of Judas Maccabee – The Thunder Hammer.
We can recall the passage at the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, which describes the choosing of the 12 disciples, & how, 2 of them are called the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). This can catch our attention. Thunder is connected to one of the highest Angelic Hierarchies – The Thrones - The Spirits of Will.
And Mjölnir is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon, & as a divine instrument of blessing.
JC calls Peter the “rock” Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning "stone" (Mark 3:16) a reference to the elemental kingdom.
So here we see a juxtaposition of the Old & New Testaments, with the spiritual world behind nature - & a suggestion of reincarnation with its outplaying of karma.
The 12 were simple folk, yet for all that, archetypes of the Zodiac, when Christ found them again immersed in the element of the fishermen. Could they have been the reincarnated souls of those who had been the 7 sons of the Maccabee Widow, & the 5 sons of Mattathias?
The reference to “The Widows Son” is seen in many occult teachings. It is a designation attributed to a title of initiation. This refers to the human soul that has been tested by the divine, ie, ‘widowed’, so that they must seek the light of truth within themselves in order to be able to give birth to the spiritual in individual form anew.
At a certain point, the Egyptian initiates could no longer find the Sun god Osiris, the living word of the world, next to his sister & consort Isis, so they resigned themselves to being ‘The sons of the widow’. This shift was symbolized thru the fact that Moses had taken the mystery secrets of Osiris, into which he had been initiated, with him when the Hebrew people left Egypt. This enabled Moses to experience the "I Am" on Sinai.
We hear about the Youth of Nain, awakened by the Christ, who had formerly been the Youth of Sais, (lifting the veil of Isis too soon) & who was later reborn as Mani; & who now gives us our modern Quest as Parzival.
We can think of Hiram Abif, the master builder of Solomon's Temple, who was also called ‘Son of the Widow’, who went on to become ‘the Disciple who Jesus Loved’, & works today as Christian Rosenkreutz.
The Masters of the Freemasons, who derive from the Manichaeans, call themselves Children of the Widow.
If we look at Judas Maccabee, the figure from the Old Testament, who was called ‘The Hammer’ we see he was a zealot who fought more bravely than all the others for his people. In his whole being he was dedicated to the Hebrew Folk Soul. Yet he had formed an alliance with the Romans against King Antiochus of Syria (I Maccabees, Chap. 8).
Could this Judas be the same individuality who later had to undergo the test of the betrayal? Judas Iscariot, like the Hammer, was also a zealot, too bound up with the old nationalistic impulse, unable to reconcile the transition into the Christian element, needing to undergo the severe test of the betrayal, in service to the Christ deed.
The Hebrew name Judas means ‘strong hand’, And Iscariot besides naming a place, appears to “emphasize the weakness of the human individual and mankind's consequent tendency to clan up and have strength in numbers first and then in social stratification. It either means to be weak, yet social.”
And we can examine the cross over with the the 5 sons of Mattathias, from the Old Testament, & Matthias - who was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen to replace Judas Iscariot following the betrayal. His calling as an apostle is unique, since his appointment was not made personally by Jesus. The number of Apostles had to be 12, outpicturing the 12 Constellations, to complete the vessel for the descent of the Holy Spirit to come in at Pentecost.
So how does this all connect to the fact that today is also The Feast Day of “St. Peter in chains” – the commemoration of the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison?
This event is described in the Acts of the Apostles, & in the Gospel of Luke. Peter was taken prisoner, chained up in a narrow dungeon, by Herod Agrippa, who had the habit of beheading Christians.
On the eve of his execution, an Angel appears illumining the dank prison - taps Peter on the shoulder to wake him, saying: “Arise quickly. Put on your sandals & follow me.” The Apostle thought it was a dream, but obeyed & followed the Angel, the chains falling from his hands, & doors miraculously opening.
Now we go forward in time: The year is 1100. The date is 2 August. The monks in the abbey at Gloucester are celebrating the Holy-Day of St. Peter in Chains. One of the monks wakes from a strange dream in which God promises to strike down the wicked King who has abused the people for so long. Somehow the prophesy reaches the King, William the Red, who has oppressed England with taxes & disgusted all with his licentious blasphemy. Red, as he is called, receives the message while preparing to indulge in one of his favorite sports, hunting, in New Forest.
Although it was thought that there were no longer any people dwelling in New Forest, since they were all cleared out by Red’s father, William the Conqueror, there were hushed rumors that it is still a sanctuary for folk who practiced the ancient earth-based mysteries in that sacred place in secret, for fear of the king.
And as it was 2 August 2 - an important Cross-Quarter Feast Day, many were gathered in celebration. But William the Red scoffed at the warnings, going out with only a small band, to hunt.
A short time later, The King is dead, struck in the chest by a stray arrow. His ambitious brother, Henry, who was in the hunting party, runs hot-foot off for Winchester & eventually takes the crown, bringing a more quittable peace to the kingdom.
Interesting that these 3 events are connected to this seasonal transition time.
The Celts celebrate this festival from sunset August 1 until sunset on the actual cross quarter day which this year falls on 6 August. They call it Lughnasad after the God Lugh. It is the funeral wake of Lugh, the Sun-King, whose light begins to dwindle after the summer solstice.
As was spoken about in yesterday’s offering Bake the Bread, the Saxon holiday of Lammas celebrates the harvesting of the grain. The first sheaf of wheat is ceremonially reaped, threshed, milled & baked into a loaf.
The grain dies so that the people might live. Grain has always been associated with the Sun God who is ‘killed’, dismembered & then resurrected from the Underworld by the Goddess. Sun Gods like Tammuz, Osiris & Adonis.
Eating this bread of the Gods, the Staff of life, gives us nourishment for body, soul & spirit.
If all this sounds tremendously Christian, it is. In the sacrament of Communion, bread is blessed, becoming ‘the body of Christ’ - The King of the World, & is eaten to nourish the evolution of the human being. And All are Welcome at the Table.
Ex Deo Nascimur,
In Christo Morimur,
Per Spiritum Sanctum Reviviscimus
May we read between the lines, & follow the clues to Understanding & the blessing of connection
~hag
In Recognition & Celebration of The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mysteria Mystica Americana (MA) will share a free online offering featuring an innovative rendering of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘New Isis Myth’
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~ jbconradoIn preparation for the Michaelmas Season, Please join us on the Autumnal Equinox
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22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. John 10
The Feast of the Maccabees (Hanuka)is a late November-December feast.
The Roman alliance of Judas Maccabeus involved bringing down the last true school of the ancient mysteries, which was a Mithras Mystery. The father Maccabee, Mattathias, invades the holy sanctuary where an initiation is taking place, and kills the neophyte and the Hierophant Priest using his Maccabee (hammer) as a weapon of murder. That is how Rome took control, and externalized "the Cult of the Unconquered Sun", which Julian the Apostate would eventually detect. Judas would go on to make his next alliance with the Sanhedrin for the betrayal of Christ as Judas Iscariot. Thus, no hero in either story.
Hi Hazel,
If we look at the full scripture of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 12, you will see how much it led to the death of the King:
Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
Now about that time ]Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. 19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.
Death of Herod
20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. 21 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rrostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.