> Why would non christian/ non-Jewish cultures be worshipping Lucifer?
Lior suggested:
Alchemy Mindworks actually STUDIED this field of pagan festivals.
Therefore I suggest you base your claims upon some concrete facts:
http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/alchemy.html
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I have actually studied this field as well.
I know you really like this webpage, and it is a nice site.
But did you know it is a site that promotes novels?
>From Mind Workshop:
"Real Fiction"
"In the hidden world of a Victorian secret society, Mairéad learns of a
mystery older than the castle itself, and of a conspiracy tangled beyond
her
imagination. Suddenly imprisoned in a world unchanged since the middle
ages, she struggles to unravel the final deadly secret of The Order."
That and the over-abundance of unicorns and crystals led me to doubt it
as a vehicle for "concrete facts".
Saturnus was an an official holiday of the roman empire for 600 years
before it was displaced by Christmas. Roman Emperor Aurilius instituted
Saturnus in the 3rd century BC.
Christmas was established by Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD
shortly after the Council of Nicea.
I have someinformation from some sites that may be of use-- not exactly
academic, but they seem credible.
Granted.. none of these are as steamy as the travails of a gothic
heroine...
This is not what I would call a culturally specific explanation of the
festival, but illustrates some of the points we were discussing
regarding its connection to Winter Solstice.
>From http://www.christmas.com
Celebration of
THE WINTER SOLSTICE
Yule or Sunreturn
In many Wiccan traditions, the Wheel of the Year is marked by
eight festivals called sabbats, four greater and four lesser. The lesser
sabbats are
astronomical events--the solstices and the equinoxes--that mark the
turning points of the sun in its journey through earth's skies. Yule is
the name given to
the winter solstice, a time of birth, death, and renewal.
The winter solstice marks the beginning of the change, and is
celebrated with many of the pagan customs familiar to Americans as
Christmas
customs. The ivy-- honors the Winter King and Queen, whose sacred tree
is Holly. Some traditions also gather the Druids' mistletoe for
decorative and
magical purposes; mistletoe grows atop the sacred oak--the point nearest
the sun (Oak is the tree sacred to the Summer King). The Yule log is the
sacred
fire that burns uninterrupted throughout the longest night of the year,
as a beacon and welcome to the returning sun. Even the annual cartoon
images of the
aged old year with his beard and scythe and the baby new year in diapers
reflect this rebirth of the sun. Gift-giving is common among family and
friends.
The Forest Tradition of Sunreturn
In the Forest tradition (an eclectic Wiccan tradition), Sunreturn
is not a date, it's a season that begins at Yule (the solstice) and ends
at Twelfth
Night (around New Year's Day), when the days' increasing length becomes
evident enough to lighten hearts and assure folks at the emotional level
that
spring will return. The longest night is marked with a fire - be it no
more than a safely-placed large candle - that burns from before sunset
until after
sunrise. All-night vigils or celebrations of song, dance, and
story-telling mark that first turning of the year. Where possible,
woodland trees are decorated
with edible goodies--apples, nuts, grain, roots, and berries--for the
wild creatures of the forest. A gift of baked goods at the end of
Sunreturn celebrates
the fruits of the old year and represents a magical blessing for plenty
in the new year.
(c) 1995 Deborah Snavely. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by permission
for Christmas.com
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And... from http://www.maui.net/~mcculc/xmas.htm
The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the
fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of
Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the
pagan celebration
with the Christian one.
In 1752, 11 days were dropped from the year when the switch was from the
Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The December 25 date was
effectively moved 11 days backwards. Some Christian church sects, called
old calendarists, still celebrate Christmas on January 7 (previously
Dec. 25 of
the Julian calendar.)
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As for the connection to Lucifer: I still "claim" that there isn't one.
Lucifer was the light bearer of heaven, the head angel and aspired to
one day sit on the throne of God.
This put him in conflict with the Archangel Michael
The word Michael is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "who is like
unto god".--quis ut deus-. (bulgate translation)
Lucifer convinced one third of Heaven's host to side with him, they
fought it out and were defeated, Lucifer and one third of the rebel
angels was cast down. Michael became the new head angel. Lucifer was
henceforth named Satan-- the Dragon-- the deceiver of the world.
Satan lost the likeness to god but retained the image of God.
Michael, of course, retained both. --
Rev. 12:7-12 (Apocalypse)
The story of the fall of Lucifer is related also in the Apocryphal Book
of Adam and Eve and also in the Qu'ran.
Regards
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Ken Pantheists
http://www.lucifer.com/~kenpan
Virus Theatre http://www.lucifer.com/virus/theatre
TooBa Physical Theatre Centre http://www.tooba.com
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