The beneficent seasons of Spring and Summer coming to an end at the
Autumnal Equinox, the 22d of September was made the anniversary of the
Autumnal Crucifixion. The vernal resurrection and Autumnal Crucifixion,
representing the alternate triumph of the personified principles of
Good and Evil, as manifested in the diversity of the seasons; we find
appropriately expressed in two religious pictures. In the one, the
Saviour, appealing as a vigorous young man, surrounded by a brilliant
halo, representing the rays of the all-conquering Sun of Spring, is
rising triumphantly from the tomb, before whom the demon of Winter, or
Devil, is seen retreating in the background. In the other, the
vanquished Saviour, represented by the figure of a lean and haggard
man, with a crown of thorns upon his head, around which appears a faint
halo of the Sun's declining rays, and above which is placarded the
letters I. N. R. I., the initial letters of Latin words, signifying the
life to come, or the eternal life, is suspended upon the cross, at the
foot of which his mother Mary (Virgo) is represented as kneeling in a
mourning attitude, and by her side is seen a serpent and a skull, the
emblems of Evil and of Death.
[See plate5.gif & plate6.gif]
Michaelmas.
In the calendar of the ancient Astral Worship, the fourth day after the
Autumnal Equinox was dedicated to the genius of Autumn. In the Chaldean
allegories the name of Michael was given to this personification, and
called Michaelmas, or feast of Michael. In the Catholic calendar this
anniversary is placed an the 29th of September, instead of the 26th of
that month, while that of St. Matthew, the Christian genius of Autumn,
which should be placed on the 26th of that month, is observed on the
21st.
Thus we have shown that the anniversaries of the ancient Astral Worship
were all fixed, and from church history we learn that they were so
observed by the Christians until the Council of Nice in the year 325,
when the Bishops assembled at that celebrated convocation, desiring to
have the festival of Easter celebrated on Sunday, which had been made
the Sabbath by the edict of Constantine, in the year 321, ordered that
it should be observed on the Sunday of the full moon, which comes on or
next after the Vernal Equinox. Hence, converting it into a movable
festival, its allied feasts and fast days were also made movable.
PERSONIFICATIONS OF THE DIVISIONS OF TIME.
In the ancient solar fables the several divisions of time were
personified and made to pay homage to the Triune Deity, supposed to be
enthroned above the firmament.
The Hours.
The genii of the hours were designated as Elders, and we find them
described in the 4th chapter of Revelation as sitting round about the
throne upon four and twenty seats, clothed in white raiment, and crowns
of gold upon their heads.
The Days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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