ANCIENT ASTROLOGY RESEARCH
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presents:
The Significance of the Beginning Date of the Julian Calendar
by Mary Weaver
Copyright © 2000, Jasmine Tewa Business Trust.
Why was the date of January 1, 4713 B.C. chosen to start the Julian Calendar dating system? When dates were chosen for important events such as installing an emperor, dedicating a building or establishing a whole new calendar, the sky was rarely left out. As stated on the Astrology Research home page, ancient peoples considered all things to be interwoven; and that included the heavens and the Earth. Consecrating a temple or installing a king at a time when the stars were in unfavorable positions wouldn’t be considered proper in ancient times; the same is true of selecting a start date for a calendar system. Therefore, the real question to ask is, what was Caesar honoring in his choice of a date?
Julius Caesar
In order to answer the question "What or who was Caesar honoring?" it is important to look at the stars over Rome, Caesar’s home and the city he and all Romans considered holy. In Caesar’s time, Romans believed Rome to be founded by the goddess Diana, or Rhea (in her more ancient form). The goddess Rhea had many functions; one was as the "Grim Reaper" and "Goddess of Time," later the same functions of the god Saturn. Goddess Rhea had two sons, Romulus and Remus. Romulus betrayed Remus and founded the city of Rome. Romans were considered the descendants of Romulus.
One important Roman event was called the festival of Saturnalia, held at the time of the winter solstice, roughly at the same time as the holiday season of Christmas and New Year. This festival was held in honor of Saturn, god of time and the darkest time of night (midnight) and darkest time of the year (winter solstice, when the daylight hours are shortest). This New Year was the time of the birth of the Sun, when the Sun would be "born" again as the days lengthened. Therefore, it was a time of beginnings. Even though the pagan year often started in the spring, the winter solstice was still considered the "beginning" of the Sun’s year. The god Saturn "presided" over the birthing process of the Sun, helping the New Year to come into being. That’s why Saturn was praised and honored at this time, so that Saturn would assist the New Year "baby" to be born (the name of this "baby" was Aeon, a god that was born and sacrificed every year, only to be reborn again). Hence, the festival of Saturnalia, held in Saturn’s honor.
The Roman Festival of Saturnalia
Caesar’s choice of 1-1-4713 BC probably was tied to the Roman Saturnalia. Because Saturn was also the "god of time," what better date to use to show Saturn honor and start a calendar at the same time? It follows that Caesar would consider starting a calendar on a sacred date of Saturn to be most appropriate. Julius Caesar’s choice of January 1 was thus consistent with his Roman beliefs.
Caesar was a scholar of the mystical arts such as astrology, as well as being a politician, as many leaders of the ancient world were. Therefore, since Egypt was the source of a great deal of ancient knowledge, especially about the stars, Caesar would have been schooled in Egyptian knowledge and religions. (Osiris worship was very popular in Roman society of that time.) According to some, Caesar was also the member of a secret society; many of these societies had as their basis, ancient Egyptian and Sumerian rites. Given all these things and the popularity of Osiris at the time, it’s reasonable to assume that Caesar would pay homage to Egyptian belief also; that he would hold it in high esteem. And to find out if he was honoring the Egyptian gods and goddesses with his selection of a date, the skies over Giza for the beginning of the Julian calendar must be looked at, also.
The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
Why Giza, Egypt? Because that is the location of the pyramid complex and Sphinx, admittedly the most sacred religious site to the ancient Egyptians. If Julius were truly honoring Egyptian belief and Egyptian astrology, this is the place to do it. The pyramids themselves appear to be laid out in the same pattern as the belt stars of Orion, the stellar equivalent of Osiris to the Egyptians (see Hancock and Bauval, The Mystery of the Sphinx); pyramid shafts were aimed at sacred Egyptian stars, and so on. The enormous stone pyramid complex is testimony to how much the Egyptians and ancient civilizations in general valued their star religions, as it took great effort and diligence to construct huge stone monuments built with the stars in mind. Stonehenge in England, the Maya pyramids and observatories, and Sumerian ziggurats, are other examples of large stone monuments built as astronomical observatories.
The Probable "Starting Time" of the Julian Calendar
After determining the places to look at, it’s important to select the correct time on January 1, 4713 BC, that the Julian calendar started. In modern times, because the date line is set as opposite Greenwich, England (it goes through the Pacific, west of the Hawaiian islands), the Julian calendar is assumed to "start" at 12 Noon Greenwich Mean Time. This is because time at the "date line" when the date officially changes would be exactly midnight, the "start" of the new day. This would mean the Julian calendar starts at 2 PM Giza time, January 1, 4713 BC. All our computers and astronomical time systems that use Julian dates, assume this starting time.
But was Julius Caesar really concerned with Greenwich, England? Even if Julius Caesar and/or his "secret society" planned to make the prime meridian of the ancient world Greenwich, England, he would not be inclined to favor Greenwich, England with as grand an astronomical configuration as he would Giza, Egypt or even Rome, the seat of his empire and considered a "sacred city" at the time. Researcher Carl Munck has pointed out that all sacred monuments have geographical coordinates that correspond to the number "pi" and other scientific constants, when the Great Pyramid at Giza is considered to be the "prime meridian." Could the ancient prime meridian really have run through Giza, not Greenwich?
Whatever the case regarding an ancient prime meridian, we do not know for sure what Julius himself intended; nor can we assume he would value Greenwich, England over Rome or Egypt and set the starting time and date of the calendar there. We can only speculate based on the available evidence, what Caesar’s true motives and intentions were. The prime meridian was unanimously accepted to be at Greenwich, England only in relatively modern times. This was probably not the case in the ancient world. Romans did not consider England to be as important or sacred as Egypt or Rome itself.
Additionally, Sun worship was quite popular in the Roman Empire, and the cult of the Egyptian Sun god Osiris had reached great popularity at the time of Julius. Sacred "times" for Sun worship occurred when the Sun was highest (noon), on either horizon (sunrise or sunset), or at its lowest point in the sky (midnight). If Julius was paying homage to Sun worship via Egyptian and Roman beliefs, he would want to honor the skies of Egypt and Rome at one of those sacred times. The currently used value of noon at Greenwich would have translated to 2 PM at Giza and 1 PM at Rome. It does not seem likely that Julius would have picked this time. In fact, he would probably have picked midnight, since that corresponds with his choice of Saturnalia as the beginning date. Saturn "rules" midnight, the darkest time and the "Sun’s birth time" for the day in question. Of course as mentioned earlier, Saturn’s time of year is the winter solstice, near January 1.
Figure illustrating the most sacred times of the day for Sun Worship. Midnight, when the Sun is at the lowest point below the horizon, is also "Saturn's Time" and corresponds to the Sun's birth at the winter solstice.
Thus, there are very good reasons for Julius to choose midnight on 1-1-4713 BC for the time his calendar begins. They are:
So, now that reasonable religious motivations for Caesar’s choice of "time and day of the year" (midnight, January 1, the winter solstice) have been satisfied, this theory needs to be tested by looking at the skies over Giza and Rome at midnight on 1-1-4713 BC . . . the probable start of the Julian Calendar.
The Egyptian Astrological Coordinate System
Knowing basic solar system geometry aids in visualizing what is happening in the heavens. For those who are unfamiliar with the term "ecliptic", it refers to the apparent path of the Sun in one year. The figure below shows a view of the Earth orbiting the Sun. In the distance beyond Earth’s orbit (and the orbit of all the planets) are the stars that make up the constellations, represented by colored sections of an outer circle.
Earth’s Orbit around the Sun. Note that, from Earth’s point of view, the Sun appears to pass through all twelve zodiacal constellations during the year.
On Earth’s surface, the equator is considered "zero latitude." In charting the sky, the ancient astrologers assigned the "ecliptic" as "zero degrees celestial latitude." The ecliptic is divided up into 360 longitudinal degrees, just like the Earth. On Earth, zero degrees latitude passes through Greenwich, England. The "zero degree" celestial meridian was chosen based on the positions of the stars Aldebaran and Antares. Cyril Fagan, Egyptologist and researcher into ancient Sumerian, Sanskrit, and Egyptian texts, focused his research efforts on discovering the ancient origins of astrology. His studies revealed the origins of the celestial coordinate system which defines the boundaries of the zodiacal constellations even today.
Cyril Fagan, Irish Astrologer and Egyptologist
Fagan’s research into the origins of astrology clearly demonstrate that the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian Astrologers practiced "Bull’s eye" astrology, in that they measured celestial longitudes from Aldebaran in Taurus, and Antares in Scorpio. These stars are nearly exactly 180 degrees apart or exactly opposite, and therefore provide ideal reference points from which to measure the longitude and latitude of other stars.
Aldebaran was called the "Bull’s Eye" because it is dead center in the constellation of Taurus. According to Cyril Fagan, the origin of the saying "Bull’s Eye" meaning "dead center" in a target, comes from the ancients emphasizing the importance of the position of Aldebaran as a marking star, dead center in Taurus. (If the figure of the bull Taurus is superimposed over the stars, Aldebaran would mark the "Bull's eye" in that figure.) Exactly 15 degrees on either side of Aldebaran brings one to the borders of the sign Taurus. (Refer to figure below.)
Constellation of Taurus as viewed from the Eastern Horizon.
From the borders of Taurus, one can then consecutively add 30 degrees until you have a 360 degree circle consisting of 12 zodiacal constellations or "signs" (12 x 30 = 360). Refer to figure below.
Constellation boundaries created by adding 30 degrees to sign boundaries of Taurus.
If Julius Caesar wished to make references to the origins of astrology, or to the system of astrology he himself practiced or respected as "accurate," then these two stars (Aldebaran and Antares) should be in a prominent position at the start of his calendar on January 1, 4713 BC.
The Egyptian Religion of Osiris
Since the transition of the Sun across the most southern and lowest point it can reach represents the "birth" of the New Year (and it still does today), it also represents the birth of the Sun for the new day (the start of its journey from the underworld). Even today, we consider midnight to be the start of a new day; probably because of these ancient roots.
Osiris was the Egyptian "god of the underworld." However, he was much more than this, because he also symbolized the Sun. Therefore, he also had a cyclic death and rebirth sequence. Every year he would die, and every winter solstice be "reborn." Hence, the religion of Osiris was essentially sun worship.
Osiris, Egyptian god of the underworld.
In the Egyptian Osiris myth, he was killed by his brother and torn into 14 pieces; then resurrected by his sister/wife Isis (after she conceived their son Horus), to become lord of the underworld and Egyptian judge of the dead. The number 14 is further significant to the worship of Osiris because of his other association with the Moon, which has two 14 day cycles (waxing and waning). The waning cycle of the Moon also stands for Osiris’ journey into the underworld (as the Moon grows dark, it goes "into darkness," the equivalent of the underworld), and the waxing cycle as the Moon grows brighter, Osiris’ ascent from the underworld. Without going into too much detail, suffice to say that the number 14 is a very important number to the worshippers of Osiris, for more reasons than his death. Osiris, in his association with both the Sun and Moon, represents the principle of cycles; that everything has a beginning and an ending, but that life still goes on and new life takes the place of the old.
Isis, the sister and "wife" of Osiris, was as important to the Egyptians (if not more so) than the god Osiris. She is represented by the star Sirius in Egyptian mythology. A "star configuration" used to sanctify Julius’ new calendar that lacks Sirius or references to Sirius, would not be representative of Egyptian belief and worship. Isis was, for the Egyptians, the great nurturer and source of all "good things."
Isis, Sister of Osiris, who brought Osiris back to life.
If Caesar were honoring Egyptian belief, we’d expect to see recurring instances of the number 14, especially as related to the Sun, Osiris' symbol; and possibly the Moon, the other celestial object associated with Osiris. We’d also expect to see recurring instances of the number 19, because that is the astrological longitude of Sirius (Isis); or 38, the astrological latitude of Sirius at that time; or a significant location in the sky for the star Sirius.
There is no evidence, to my knowledge, that Caesar did intend his calendar to be utilized with Greenwich, England as the prime meridian, at the time he instituted it. Even if he did, he would have had to "sanctify" the calendar in some fashion. Standard practice in those days was to sanctify a building, kingship, or calendar with the stars. Midnight near the winter solstice would be the most appropriate ceremonial time to start the calendar, because it symbolizes the "birth" of the Sun in two ways: the Sun would be starting his journey from the underworld at that time, and at the same time be "reborn" for the year on that date.
Caesar’s Knowledge of the "Mysteries"
In the ancient world, Pythagoras was well-known for running a "mystery school" in which many scientific and religious ideas, including "sacred geometry," were taught. It was the belief of the Pythagorean school that the "ideal" reality was based on "perfect solids," and that this could also explain the motions of the stars and planets and their properties, etc. A "perfect solid" is a three dimensional shape that has sides all of equal length, and the same face on each side; i.e. a cube, which has sides that are all the same length and squares that are all the same size for each face, is a perfect solid.
These ideas would have been part and parcel of Caesar’s education, if only because Pythagoras was a very knowledgeable mathematician, whose theories we still employ in mathematics today. However, the more "arcane" of the Pythagorean knowledge rested in the "perfect solids" theories that were tied in with many of the mysteries of life, including the workings of astrology. Therefore, Caesar would have included these "sacred geometry" numbers into star positions also, probably with the belief or understanding of the effect that such star alignments could bestow. As mentioned earlier in this article, starting an endeavor as important as installing a king or dedicating a temple had to be blessed by the "gods" in the form of the stars and planets, and preferably not done at a time that was unfavorable. Pythagorean theory would certainly have added further to his knowledge of "propitious" times, and only a man of Caesar’s wealth and obvious intellect would have had the opportunity to learn of them.
Because of the likelihood of Caesar’s knowledge of Pythagorean theory, it would follow that he would use this the "perfect solids" theories when choosing a start date for his calendar. The presence of "perfect solids" numbers would lend credence to the date and stellar configuration being analyzed for that reason. This is a good additional test to see if midnight at Giza or Rome really was a time Julius would have chosen to start his calendar. The lack of "perfect solids" numbers would indicate lack of validity of this theory that his calendar started at midnight.
The numbers associated with the tetrahedron, the simplest and most basic of the "perfect solids," are 19.47 or 19.5 and "3" or "33". An explanation of tetrahedral geometry will be offered as a future link for those who are interested in how these numbers were derived.
Stellar and Planetary Configurations on January 1, 4713 BC: Giza, Egypt
If Julius Caesar were honoring Egyptian belief and/or star worship, the configuration of planets over Giza, Egypt would be critical. As was covered in previous sections of this article, the vast, stone pyramid complex at Giza was designed with the stars in mind; specifically, the stars as they related to Osiris and Isis and other members of the Egyptian pantheon.
Here is a summation of all the celestial events we are looking for in this article:
Also, we are looking for all these events to occur at MIDNIGHT, because that is the time of "birth" for the new Sun, as well as being the "time of Saturn." The START of the Sun’s journey should be the START of the calendar’s day as well as its year.
Before looking at the skies over Giza and Rome, it’s important to review what constitutes "prominent" or "powerful" positions in the skies. In this case, "prominent" means something is at one of the sacred points for sun worship. Recall the figure demonstrating sacred times for sun worship:
Four "sacred" areas of the sky for Sun Worship. Any object at one these four points; i.e. the Nadir, East or West horizons, or Midheaven, is considered "prominent."
Also, Pythagorean "perfect solid" positions essentially which are defined in this study as ones in which the planet or star is at tetrahedral values of 3 or 33 degrees or 19.5 degrees altitude, longitude, etc., will be considered "prominent positions."
Condition 1: Antares and Aldebaran
The following configuration was present at MIDNIGHT on January 1, 4713 B.C., at Giza, Egypt.
ANTARES and ALDEBARAN on the horizon at MIDNIGHT on 1-1-4713 B.C.
Note that ALDEBARAN and ANTARES are both exactly on the horizon at midnight on January 1, 4713 B.C. Antares is in the East, rising; and Aldebaran is in the West, setting. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. The east and west horizons are one of the most important areas of the sky in Egyptian worship, and this is also true for astrology. The east and west horizons place Antares and Aldebaran in very prominent positions according to Egyptian beliefs regarding the importance of horizons and meridians. But even more important is that it is the east and west horizons that are CRITICAL for the practice of astrology, more so than the meridian, although it is also of great importance.
So what we have here in terms of symbolism is,
This is a "double-whammy" because the symbolism both emphasizes those two stars and the practice of astrology in general, because the eastern horizon is all-important to determining the meaning of stellar and planetary configurations. Without being able to determine meaning, an astrologer would be unable to determine "propitious" versus "unfavorable" times of the day, which was vital for the installation of kings or dedication of temples.
Also, the star Antares is 0 degrees 14 minutes from the horizon, 14 being the sacred "number of Osiris."
Condition 2: Sun and Moon should be associated with worship of Osiris
In order for the position of the Sun and Moon to reflect the worship of Osiris, they must have some placement or attribute that is described by the number 14.
From the figure below, it is obvious that the Sun is at a celestial longitude of 14 degrees into the constellation Aquarius. (In astrology, it’s common practice to measure longitude in terms of where an object is relative to a zodiac constellation border; in this case, the Sun is 14 degrees from the zero degree border of Aquarius.)
Note that the Sun is being "born" for the YEAR at the winter solstice because it is January 1; AND the Sun is being "born" on that DAY because it is MIDNIGHT. It is exact moment of the Sun's birth for that entire year.
Sun and Moon BOTH associated with Osiris worship via his sacred number, 14, at MIDNIGHT at Giza, Egypt on 1-1-4713 B.C.
The actual number of degrees is 13 degrees 43 minutes; rounded up to the nearest degree, it’s 14. Further, since it’s midnight the Sun is exactly conjoined with the Nadir, making it prominent according to Egyptian belief.
An additional tie-in with Saturnalia is the symbolism of Aquarius itself, which was originally the Sumerian Akki, the water-drawer, the "divine midwife." Caesar’s choice of Saturnalia honors Saturn serving as a divine "midwife" for the "New Year baby." The Sun "happens" to be in the sign of the "divine midwife," Aquarius. Aquarius is also "Saturn’s sign." Each sign of the zodiac has a planet associated with it, and Saturn is associated with Aquarius.
This placement of the Sun is only 14 in the astrological coordinate system which is based on Antares and Aldebaran; in other astrological systems, the coordinate would not be 14. Again, the significance of the Aldebaran-Antares coordinate system is that it is the one used by the ancient Egyptians and not the Greeks or Romans. The Greeks and Romans of that time period already had started to make use of the so-called "tropical" system, which sets the coordinates of the stars occupied by the Sun at the spring equinox at "zero," and called it Aries. (This is the system, rather than the one based on Antares and Aldebaran, is still in use today. Due to the precession of the Earth, the Sun is no longer in the constellation of Aries.) That Julius placed Antares and Aldebaran in a place of honor in his selection of a calendar date, and then has the all-important Sun at the coordinate of "14," seems planned.
What about the Moon? (Refer to the previous figure, which shows the Moon moving at 14 degrees per minute, as you read the next section.)
The Moon is not as closely tied to Osiris as is the Sun is, so it isn’t as critical that the Moon have something to do with the number 14. However, Julius didn’t forget the Moon. It’s velocity is 13 degrees 59 minutes per day on January 1, 4713 BC, almost exactly 14 degrees per day. The Moon’s velocity is not constant, it varies between 11 and 15 degrees per day; Julian just "happened" to pick a day (and a time!) when the Moon’s velocity was 14 degrees per day almost to the minute.
Condition 2 has been met. Both the Moon and the Sun are associated with Osiris worship via the number 14.
Conditions 3, 4 and 5: Saturn and Sirius on January 1, 4713 B.C.
The figure below shows the longitudinal position of Saturn relative to Sirius and the East and West horizons at midnight on January 1, 4713 B.C.
Saturn is closely conjunct with the longitude of the star Sirius, as shown in the figure above. It is only 19.45 or 19.5 minutes from being precisely conjunct; and 19 minutes is a very small deviation from exact (19 minutes translates to roughly 1/3 of a degree; there are 360 degrees of longitude in the sky).
The symbolism of Saturn being "19.45 minutes" from an exact conjunction with Sirius is also very striking. Sirius is itself 19 degrees from the Taurus/Gemini border; thus, the reason for assigning it a "19" number. This "19 and 19" symbolism is interesting because of the emphasis of Egyptian ritual and belief on the importance of the star Sirius. But also, note that Saturn is 19.45 minutes from Sirius, which rounds up to 19.5, one of the numbers associated with the "perfect solids" theory of Pythagoras.
At the same time, Saturn is the "tetrahedral" altitude of 33 degrees above the horizon, 33 degrees again being a Pythagorean "perfect solids" number. The presence of the tetrahedral numbers 19.5 and 33 were to be an additional test of the theory as to whether the time of midnight at Giza on 1-1-4713 BC was a likely time. The numbers are present here.
Saturn is given large ceremonial importance in this configuration:
At later times in the day on 1-1-4713 BC (such as 12 Noon GMT, the currently accepted time for the start of the Julian calendar), Saturn moves out to 20 minutes from Sirius, and loses its tetrahedral significance. Though Saturn still stays conjunct with Sirius at later times, it does not have the honor of being 33 degrees above the horizon or close enough to the horizons, Nadir or Midheaven to be prominent; in short, it has much less importance and honor bestowed upon it at other times on 1-1-4713 BC than it does at midnight on that date. This is as it should be, if Julius truly did originally choose the "start time" as midnight on January 1, 4713 BC because of sun worship.
The odds against all these attributes coming together at the same time are astronomical. It is much more likely that the selection of this time and date was deliberate, given the traditions of Julius Caesar’s era, of choosing times which were propitious according to the positions of the planets, as a means of honoring the gods.
As stated earlier, an important and prominent position of Saturn is vital to the selection of a calendar date because of Saturn’s importance to the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and its association in the mind of Caesar with "midnight" and "New Year," i.e. the time when a new cycle begins. Astrologically speaking, Saturn symbolizes time, and the "structure" or "boundaries" of physical life. It also has to do with aging and limitation. The reckoning of time has to have a structure, and that structure is the calendar.
Other Sirius Configurations
Sirius is honored via the placement of Saturn at 19 minutes; but it is also honored by the planet Mars being 38 degrees from the meridian; 38 being the latitude of Sirius. Mars is an important planet to the Egyptians, called "Horus on the Horizon" and "Horus the Red." Time prevents explanation of the importance of the Red Planet to the Egyptians. Suffice to say that, according to Cyril Fagan, the Sphinx itself may symbolize Mars, because of Mars’ representation in texts as a seated lion with a human head.
Sunrise at Giza, Egypt; 1-1-4713 BC
Consistent with the idea that Caesar was honoring Sun worship, sunup on 1-1-4713 BC was replete with sacred symbolism. Sunrise is a sacred time for the Sun also, for it is the time that the Sun is welcomed into the world of the living.
In order to welcome the Sun into the land of the living on the first day of his calendar, the "host of heaven" are present in the form of planets and the Sun itself, in sacred configurations.
Precisely at sunrise, the coordinates of the Sun (Osiris) become 14 degrees 00 minutes; or exactly 14 degrees of Aquarius. This only happens precisely at sunrise, and only in the Cyril Fagan "Antares and Aldebaran" coordinate system.
The Moon is still moving at 14 degrees per day; 14 degrees 01 minutes.
Mars, "Horus the Red," is 33 degrees below the western horizon.
These configurations would mark a "sacred time" for the Egyptians, and marks a "sacred time" for Horus/Osiris to begin his journey across the sky. It isn’t as good a time to begin a calendar date as midnight on 1-1-4713 BC is, because dawn is missing "Saturn" symbolism and the symbolism of the "New Year" (which starts at the darkest time of the day/year). However, a sacred rising of the Sun as Osiris, just after the sacred "calendar" time earlier that same midnight, would make the chosen date of 1-1-4713 BC all the more holy and propitious. It would also make the selection of midnight on 1-1-4713 BC even more appropriate, because it is followed by a "sacred rising" of Osiris, the Sun.
This exact rising of the Sun at 14 degrees 00 minutes only happens at Giza. It does not happen at Rome. And, as stated earlier, it only happens in a coordinate system where the longitude is based on Aldebaran and Antares, the basis of the Egyptian coordinate system.
Stellar and Planetary Configurations on January 1, 4713 BC: Rome
At this point, it is just speculation to say whether or not the prime meridian was through Rome or through Giza, Egypt. However, Romans did consider their capital city to be the center of their world. Therefore, the sky at midnight on January 1, 4713 BC should be of interest, since it’s "Saturn’s time" over the city of Rhea’s children, Romulus and Remus. (Romulus and Remus could also be considered children of Saturn, since Saturn was once an aspect of Rhea, the goddess who was the mother of Rome’s founders.)
The sky over Rome is not as spectacular as that over Giza, though it has many of the same, important features as Giza. It’s possible that Caesar was indeed honoring Osiris because of this fact, and/or held the belief systems of Egypt in high regard. Also, if Carl Munck is right about an ancient prime meridian running through the Great Pyramid at Giza, then the choice of Giza would make sense. A prime meridian is a "zero" line. If one were to travel around a circle, when the 360th degree were reached, one would "start over" again at zero. This is the same as the cyclic myth of Osiris and the Sun: he dies over the course of one year, and is "born again" at winter solstice. Thus, symbolically, everything has been consistent; right up to Saturn holding a prominent position in the midnight sky over Giza, on a Saturnalia date.
In a sense, by honoring Saturn so greatly in the skies of Giza, Rome could be said to be represented in the skies of Giza. Caesar certainly honored Roman beliefs when he chose his date, his time, and the great honors bestowed upon Saturn for that date and time. By paying such great homage to Saturn at the time of Saturnalia, Julius was honoring Roman belief at the same time as Osiris, in the skies of Giza. Indeed, Saturn being conjoined with the star Sirius (Isis to the Egyptians) was fitting symbolism for Rome’s joining herself to Egypt, or conquering Egypt.
The sky above Rome is not without some interesting configurations, however. As the hour of midnight struck on 1-1-4713 BC at the location of Rome, Italy; Antares and Aldebaran were on the horizon just as they were in Egypt, with the Sun at 14 degrees (see below).
Other interesting numerical occurrences are:
Antares was 19.6 minutes from the horizon this time, instead of 14; close to the tetrahedral value of 19.5. Saturn loses the distinction of being 33 degrees above the horizon, but at midnight over Rome it becomes 19.5333 minutes from the longitude of Sirius. The Sun’s celestial latitude (from the celestial equator, not the ecliptic) is 19 degrees 49 minutes. Mars is still Sirius’ latitude of 38 degrees from the meridian.
Accuracy Considerations
One wonders how "primitives" such as the ancient Greeks, Romans or Egyptians could possibly calculate down to such high degree of accuracy, things such as the motion of the Moon on 1-1-4713 BC to 14 degrees/day (almost to the minute!), and the separation of Saturn from the longitude of Sirius by 19.45 minutes of arc. I cannot answer that question. The fact is, even without the "minutes" aspects of these calculations, the most important symbolism of these configurations remains intact. Saturn is still conjunct Sirius, whether it's by 19 minutes or not; etc.
The astrology software used to calculate the positions of planets has to be very accurate, of course. The astrology program used to calculate planet and star positions that are quoted in this study is Janus. This program boasts high accuracy back to 7000 BC. I checked its planetary calculations with RedShift, a program that uses NASA ephemerides, and it matches RedShift all the way back to, and including, 1-1-4713 BC. Therefore, I have every reason to believe that these results are highly accurate.
Concluding Remarks
It cannot be proven historically that Julius Caesar designed his calendar at a sacred "astrological" time with Egypt and its main gods Isis and Osiris in mind. However, the positioning of stars and planets on that date and their correspondence to sacred myth and religious practice of the times, at least presents very compelling evidence to support the "sacred date" hypothesis. There are some very significant correspondences between the placement of stellar objects at the start of his calendar and Egyptian belief; which implies Caesar may have leaned more heavily toward Egyptian belief than toward his native Rome’s. One of the most compelling reasons for considering Caesar’s preference for Egyptian belief is the incredible combination of events at Giza as opposed to Rome.
Here is a list of supportive evidence for the fact that Caesar may have been an adherent of Egyptian religion:
It is evident that the astrological symbolism is no accident. First of all, there is the fact that the two "foundation" stars of astrology, Antares and Aldebaran, are on the most important astrological position – the horizons. Next, the prominent placement of Saturn, placed with its double "19" reference and "33" degree altitude, and conjoined with the most central star in Egyptian belief (Sirius), with Saturn representing "time," is astrological to the core.
It is also true that without the Aldebaran-Antares zodiac re-discovered by Cyril Fagan, these Osiris and Isis references would be lost. For example, the references to "14" and therefore to Osiris would be lost; though the Saturn symbolism would still be there regardless. The Saturn symbolism is most powerful at the Giza location, and the date Caesar chose is Saturn’s date. It is therefore more consistent with the whole "intent" of his calendar date, which honors the birth of the Sun at the Egyptian location of Giza, where all the Saturn symbolism also falls into place, for Osiris symbolism to be present. The Saturn symbolism at the location of Giza clearly points to Sun-worship; and Sun-worship in Egypt amounted to the worship of Osiris. Therefore, this validates the Aldebaran-Antares zodiac from yet another angle.
The Aldebaran-Antares coordinate system was therefore apparently endorsed by Caesar, if he knowingly chose the date with that in mind; and it seems likely that he did, given the evidence. If learned and power-hungry Caesar preferred that system of astrology, it is likely he thought he had something to gain from using or endorsing the Aldebaran-Antares zodiac system. Is that the case?
The Astrology Research Group, headed by Mary Weaver, has performed computerized investigations into the accuracy rate of the Aldebaran-Antares zodiac, at predicting real-world events. The results are astounding. Therefore, it is reasonable to extrapolate that Caesar, closer to the source of astrological esoteric knowledge than we are today (few astrological texts survive to this day from that era; yet that is largely what astrology is based on), indeed respected the Aldebaran-Antares zodiac and made use of it.
Astrology Research Group, headed by Mary Weaver, has taken up the cause of investigating the possibility that this astrological coordinate system CAN predict events with accuracy. To find out more about this, click on the link below.
To contact Mary Weaver, send email to
maryweav@hotmail.com
References
Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, by Gary Hinckley Allen.
Astrological Origins, by Cyril Fagan.
The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, by Barbara Walker.