The 2014 Astrotheology Calendar serves as a basic introduction into the world of astrotheology and solar mythology. In addition to showing lunar phases, this calendar highlights the solstices, equinoxes and fire festivals with a different color for each of the eight relevant days. In our quest to inspire an interest in astrotheology, mythology and archaeoastronomy, we have also provided fascinating information about the astronomical alignments and astrotheological meanings of various archaeological sites and ancient artifacts from around the world. The calendar further explores the mythology surrounding the sun, moon and other celestial features, especially the Blood Moon, exemplified on the cover by a red lunar eclipse over Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.
This year's calendar features the Blood Moon, a celestial phenomenon based on the lunar eclipse that is the subject of fascination especially among Christians and others over the millennia. The Blood Moon's redness is caused by dust in the atmosphere, and the phenomenon has been viewed by the devout as a sign of Jesus Christ's return. On the cover, we feature an image of a replica of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem, with an enormous full moon behind it. These lunar eclipses are especially significant because there will be four of them during 2014 and 2015, comprising a
tetrad.
The text by Robert Tulip, D.M. Murdock and N.W. Barker explains the history and mythology of blood moons since antiquity, when one occurred over Jerusalem in 4 BCE, held by some to be Christ's "birthday."
In the calendar, we also provide another view of the blood moon showing the "rabbit" common in lunar mythology, as well as images of the Chinese moon goddess Chang-O; the "White Hare of the Moon"; and Christ's "Second Coming" and Resurrection.
We journey next to Bethsaida, Israel, where ancient ruins focus on a lunar bull god, while in Ireland a neolithic tomb passage may mark the phases of the moon. So too does a 4,000-year-old "recumbent stone circle" in Scotland possess lunar alignments, possibly serving as a site where one could "witness fairy dances and celebrations." The vision in the biblical book of Revelation of a "woman clothed with the sun, with moon under her feet" is featured next, as part of ancient mythology Christianized. Significant also to Christian astrotheology is the herdsman constellation of Bootes, supposedly also useful in signifying the messiah's coming.
The blood moon is also a "hunter's moon," useful for tracking nocturnal prey, as in the Greek myth of Artemis, featured in October. Maya mythology features the Blood Maiden or First Mother, who resurrects the solar maize god out of the underworld. The lunar goddess Ix Chel is associated with a rabbit, again a common lunar motif. Finally, December is highlighted by a lovely winter scene of a village with blood moon, with the full moon falling on the festival of Sinterklasas in Holland.
This calendar is actually a book with 34 pages consisting of 24 images, the actual calendar and text explaining what we have put together here, covering the following intriguing subjects:
- Inspiration for the Calendar--Our Connection to Nature
- What is Astrotheology?
- The Four Blood Moons
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- Precession of the Equinoxes
- Jerusalem
- 2014 and 2015
- Christian Astrotheology
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- Bootes, the Coming One
- Arcturus
- Harvester with a Sickle
- Day of the Lord
- Tribulation
- New Inquisition?
- Auspicious Days
- May Blood Maiden
- Archaeoastronomical Alignments
- The Sun
-
The Moon
- The Solstices, Equinoxes and Peak Days
- Cool Stuff
- Sources & Further Reading
As with the previous years' calendars,
The 2014 Astrotheology Calendar contains information never before published in any of D.M. Murdock/Acharya's books. (Also as before, there is no hole in this calendar-book, but you can easily hang it using a push-pin/tack.)
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