In the last post I broke down the monetary system and how symbols are used. In this post I want to talk a little bit about animal symbolism.
From my research it seems that most of the animal symbolism comes from the astrological Zodiac. The zodiac has been used for thousands of years.
The zodiac, the 12 signs listed in a horoscope, is closely tied to how the Earth moves through the heavens. The signs are derived from the constellations that mark out the path on which the sun appears to travel over the course of a year. You might think that dates in a horoscope correspond to when the sun passes through each constellation. But they don’t, much of the time because astrology and astronomy are different systems. Plus, a closer examination of the motion of the Earth, the sun, and the stars shows the zodiac to be more intricate than you might imagine!
As Earth orbits the sun, the sun appears to pass in front of different constellations. Much like the moon appears in a slightly different place in the sky each night, the location of the sun relative to distant background stars drifts in an easterly direction from day to day. It’s not that the sun is actually moving. Its motion is entirely an illusion, caused by Earth’s own motion around our star. The classical map of the sky, with the 48 Greek constellations, was derived from at least two different pre-Greek traditions. One tradition comprised the 12 signs of the zodiac, with several associated animal constellations, all of which developed over 3,200-500 BC in Mesopotamia in a religious or ritual tradition. These were taken over by the Greeks around 500 BC. However the other Babylonian constellations, their farming-calendar tradition, were not adopted. The other tradition was not Mesopotamian; it comprised large constellations which appear to date from 2,800 BC, probably from the Mediterranean region, devised for the navigators of ships. They include huge bears and serpents which marked the celestial pole and equator at that time, and probably the four anonymous giants which we know as Hercules, Ophiuchus, Bootes, and Auriga, as well as some of the large southern ‘marine’ constellations. The origins of some other constellations, including the Perseus tableau and various animals, are unknown. It is therefore currently concluded that among the Indo-European peoples, astrology dates to the third millennium BC.The astrology of today (Western astrology) is based on the Greek myths which in turn are based on late Egyptian myths based on ancient Kemetic myths and traditions. The most ancient myths link the very creation of humans to the creation of the zodiac and astrology. As you will see when we look at many of the characteristics assigned to the different sun signs and compare the different
characteristics of the Neters/Neteru and the myths about them, there are many similarities. It would appear that much has survived, although without reference to the historical roots of the whole system. For a long time the credit for the origin of the zodiac has been laid at the doors of the Greeks or the Mesopotanians. However from the Greeks at least some credit was given to the ancient Africans(Egyptians). There is also the correlation of the zodiac with the biblical references. There are twelve(12) months just like the 12 Tribes of Israel. Jesus also had twelve followers. Jesus was born in a stable. Which is an animal house(zodiac).
In the Bible there is a reference to the God El. Sometimes referred to as Bull El or Bull God. I believe this is possibly from the zodiac sign which is a bull. Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. As a Semitic common noun baal (Hebrew baʿal) meant “owner” or “lord,” although it could be used more generally; for example, a baal of wings was a winged creature, and, in the plural, baalim of arrows indicated archers. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal’s epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens.
Then there is the Capricorn Goat. Goats are “agile animals” and “surefooted”(1). They are “gregarious, except for old bucks, which tend to live by themselves” (2) . Goats are considered to be rather hardy animals. Capricorn is most often compared to the mountain goat. Capricorns are thought to be loners at heart, with introverted characters. Mountain goats find security in cliffs and heights–the highest places that can be climbed.
The goat god Baphomet became important to the Order of the Knights Templar and remained a significant image in freemasonry. It has acted as a foundation to many satanic images that incorporate goat-features.The Order of the Knights templar was formed during the crusades when many knights and squires set out for the Holy Land. For generations they dominated a large part of the Mediterranean with their headquarters in Malta. The inverted five-pointed star, or Cross of Malta is used as a cryptogram for Baphomet.
The time period for Capricorn is from December 21- January 19. of course Christmas is during that time period. Which is why there are images of Santa Claus riding a goat. It is called a Yule Goat. The Yule goat is a Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbol and tradition. Its origin may be Germanic pagan and has existed in many variants during Scandinavian history. Modern representations of the Yule goat are typically made of straw. On a side note Christmas was once known as Saturnalia. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn, held on December 17 of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December.
Throughout ancient history there have always been different mythical creatures. The creatures are usually associated with nature or some type of afterlife or the astral plane. When you have a bad dream it’s known as a night-mare. A mare is a female horse(above pic).
Then there is the mythical creature the Unicorn. I’d also like to mention that the reason you see bulls and stallions used a lot is because of their huge sexual organs. It’s because it represents fertility.
One of the main reasons the gay community uses the unicorn a lot is because the horn represents the male phallus. Horn as in horny..get it? Unicorns are always seen with rainbows and are associated with fantasyland and otherworlds. Unicorns exist in a far away land hidden in the shadows…like being in a closet.
Part three will deal with the symbolism we see right in front us everyday.
