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King Moon Magazine X City of God

by: Wish Fire
Saint Gothic

King Moon Magazine X City of God
The Carrawburgh mithraeum, excavated in 1949, contained three altars with inscriptions, a tauroctony relief, and statues of Cautes and Cautopates. The temple’s small size (about 8x4 meters)
and benches indicate rituals for 20-30 men. Its proximity to a Coventina shrine suggests soldiers blended Mithraic and local Celtic practices, possibly adapting rituals to the frontier context.
With Christianity’s rise by AD 350, many mithraea, including Carrawburgh’s, were abandoned or destroyed. Altars were buried or defaced, possibly by Christians, obscuring ritual details.
This exclusivity, combined with the military-heavy membership in places like Northumberland, made mithraea tight-knit communities.
Torches and Light: Mithras’ association with the sun and fire meant torches or lamps were central. Altars at Carrawburgh had niches for lamps, and reliefs show Mithras with torches (Cautes and Cautopates), symbolizing light and darkness cycles.
Rituals used incense, music (possibly cymbals or flutes), and dim lighting to create an immersive, mystical environment, heightening the initiate’s connection to the divine.
Purification and Fire Rituals
Cleansing: Leo-grade initiates underwent fire-related purifications, as suggested by Tertullian (a Christian writer, c. AD 200), who described Mithraic trials involving burning or branding (likely symbolic). Water or honey might have been used for lower grades, as seen in other mystery cults.
Cosmic Symbolism: Mithraism was deeply tied to astrology. The tauroctony included figures like a dog, snake, scorpion, and raven, representing constellations. Mithras’ birth from a rock (seen in a Housesteads sculpture near Carrawburgh)
was linked to the solstice, emphasizing his solar identity.
Ritual Timing: Ceremonies likely aligned with astronomical events, such as equinoxes or solstices, when Mithras’ cosmic power was strongest. The Carrawburgh temple’s orientation may have reflected this, though specific alignments are unclear.
Chants and Hymns: Literary sources, like the Mithras Liturgy (a debated text from Egypt), suggest chants or invocations to celestial powers, possibly recited during rituals to invoke Mithras or ascend through the planetary grades.
The meal was a bonding ritual, reinforcing hierarchy and camaraderie. Frescoes from Dura-Europos (Syria) show initiates reclining, mimicking Roman dining, with Paters presiding. Wine and bread may have symbolized the bull’s blood
and body, a precursor to Christian Eucharist parallels.
Setting: The mithraeum’s dark, cave-like interior, often with star-painted ceilings, created a cosmic atmosphere, enhancing the sacredness of the feast.
Communal Feasts
Sacred Meals: Mithraic rituals included communal banquets, reflecting the myth of Mithras dining with the sun god Sol after the bull-slaying. Benches in mithraea, like
Carrawburgh’s, accommodated small groups (10-40 men). Excavations reveal bones of poultry, pigs, and sheep, suggesting feasts with meat, bread, and wine.
Altars at Carrawburgh, dedicated by officers like those from the First Cohort of Batavians, were used for offerings—incense, wine, or food—to honor Mithras. Inscriptions and statues, like Mithras with a solar crown, emphasize his role as a solar deity.
Central Myth: The core of Mithraism was the tauroctony, the depiction of Mithras slaying a bull in a cave, often shown in mithraea reliefs (like those at Carrawburgh). This act symbolized cosmic order, fertility, and renewal, with the bull’s blood and semen linked to creation.
Initiates swore oaths to keep rituals secret, which is why few details survive. The exclusivity fostered group cohesion, especially among soldiers.
A relief at Newcastle University’s museum near Carrawburgh depicts a figure in a Phrygian cap, possibly Mithras, guiding initiates, indicating a symbolic journey.
Initiations were intense, involving tests of endurance, loyalty, and secrecy. Evidence from mithraea, like frescoes at Capua Vetere (Italy), suggests blindfolding, exposure to heat or cold, or mock combat.
Seven Grades of Initiation: Mithraism had a hierarchical structure with seven ranks, each associated with a planet and specific roles. These were:
Corax (Raven, Mercury): Entry-level, involving basic service tasks.
2. Nymphus (Bride, Venus): Symbolized transformation, possibly involving ritual cleansing.
3. Miles (Soldier, Mars): Emphasized discipline and loyalty, often linked to military members.
4. Leo (Lion, Jupiter): A senior rank, with fire-related purification rituals.
5. Perses (Persian, Moon): Tied to wisdom and possibly the cult’s Persian origins.
6. Heliodromus (Sun-Runner, Sun): A high rank, representing closeness to Mithras.
7. Pater (Father, Saturn): The leader of the mithraeum, overseeing rituals.
..temples called mithraea, designed to evoke the myth of Mithras slaying the sacred bull...
Excavations at Carrawburgh, particularly in the 1940s, uncovered the temple with replica altars (originals are at the Great North Museum in Newcastle). Its location near a sacred well to the Celtic goddess Coventina also indicates a blend
of Roman and local religious practices, common in frontier regions. The temple’s survival as a visible ruin, unlike others along the Wall, highlights its historical significance in Northumberland.
Mithraism spread from the eastern Roman provinces to Britain via soldiers, merchants, and officials. The Carrawburgh temple reflects this cultural diffusion, with unique features like a sculpture at nearby Housesteads showing Mithras emerging
from an egg, blending eastern and local religious ideas. This suggests influences from Mediterranean or eastern soldiers stationed in Northumberland.
Mithraism was a secretive, all-male cult with initiation rituals and a focus on the myth of Mithras slaying a sacred bull in a cave, symbolizing creation and fertility. Temples, or mithraea, were designed to evoke this cave-like setting,
often built low and dark, as at Carrawburgh. The temple’s altars, dedicated by officers, and its small, exclusive nature fostered camaraderie among soldiers. Its use until around AD 350 shows its enduring appeal until Christianity’s rise.
Strategic Location on Hadrian’s Wall: Hadrian’s Wall was a northern frontier of the Roman Empire, and forts like Carrawburgh housed garrisons of about 500 soldiers to defend against threats. Mithraic temples were often built near military bases
as seen at Carrawburgh, to serve the spiritual needs of these troops. The temple’s proximity to the fort and its construction by commanding officers, such as those from the First Cohort of Batavians, reflect its military significance.
The Carrawburgh temple, built around AD 200, was likely established by soldiers, including auxiliaries from south-west France and later Belgium
Mithraism, a mystery cult centered on the god Mithras, was especially popular among Roman soldiers. Originating from Persian traditions but adapted in the Roman Empire, Mithras was seen as a god of valor, honor, and cosmic order, appealing to the military ethos. Soldiers stationed at forts like Carrawburgh, one of 16 along Hadrian’s Wall built around AD 122, constructed Mithraic temples to worship him.
The presence of Mithras in Northumberland is tied to the Roman military and their religious practices along Hadrian’s Wall, particularly at sites like the Temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh (Brocolitia)
www.x.com/petermarkadams/status/1918278055241334933
My favorite parts of the Mithraic ascension are how each gods surrender unto Mithras. Bottom left is Sol being conqured by the Undying Sun and bottom right is Jupiter making The Contract with Mithras.
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A Tauroctony relief. Sol with a radiate crown looks on as Mithras performs the sacrifice. The typical dog, snake and scorpion are also present. Cincinnati Art Museum, ca. 2nd century AD.
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Mithras Lord of Ages
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The cosmos was hierarchical, with a supreme god (Ahura Mazda or a syncretic equivalent), planetary deities, and Mithras as a central figure. The universe was divided into celestial (heavens), terrestrial, and underworld realms.
Raven, Bridegroom, Soldier, Lion, Persian, Sun-Runner, Father). These beings functioned as intermediaries, akin to angels or daemons.
Mithras was accompanied by lesser divine figures, such as Cautes and Cautopates (torchbearers symbolizing life and death), and astral spirits tied to the seven planetary spheres (corresponding to initiation grades:
Raven, Bridegroom, Soldier, Lion, Persian, Sun-Runner, Father). These beings functioned as intermediaries, akin to angels or daemons.
Initiates ascended through the planetary spheres after death, guided by Mithras, to reach the divine realm. This paralleled Neoplatonic ascent but was ritualistic, involving secret rites and communal meals.
Porphyry, On the Cave of the Nymphs 6 (written ~270–300 CE)
Paraphrased: “The Mithraic cave represents the cosmos, with Mithras as the demiurge who orders the universe. The initiates pass through the planetary gates, guided by divine beings, to achieve salvation.”
Paraphrased: “The Mithraists teach a ladder of seven gates, each guarded by a celestial being, through which the soul ascends to the supreme god, guided by Mithras.”
Celsus, a pagan philosopher, describes Mithraism’s cosmological ascent, with celestial beings (planetary spirits) akin to daemons or angels. Origen, a Christian, refutes this, but the description aligns with Mithraic iconography (e.g., tauroctony reliefs showing planetary symbols
Mithraic tauroctony reliefs (e.g., from mithraea in Rome, dated ~100–300 CE) depict Mithras slaying the bull, surrounded by Cautes, Cautopates, and zodiacal/planetary symbols. These suggest a cosmology where
Mithras and associated beings (torchbearers, astral spirits) regulate the cosmos and guide initiates.
Mithraic spiritual beings (e.g., planetary spirits, Cautes/Cautopates) were demons, not divine, deceiving initiates with false salvation (City of God, VII.26).
In City of God (XI.9, XI.13, ~414–415 CE), Augustine insists angels were created at the beginning (Genesis 1:1-3), are wholly good (except fallen demons), and serve God, not humans via
rituals. This contrasts with the ambiguous morality of daemons and the salvific role of Mithraic spirits.
Mithraic artifacts (100–300 CE) and contemporary accounts (e.g., Porphyry, Celsus via Origen) are from the cult’s peak, though Mithraism declined by Augustine’s time due to Christianization (post-380 CE).
Plotinus describes daemons as part of the cosmic hierarchy, linking the material world to the Nous and the One. They are eternal, not created, and serve as conduits for divine influence.
Plotinus, Enneads III.5.6 (written ~250–270 CE)
“The universe is full of beings, not only gods and men, but also daemons, who are intermediaries, sharing in the divine and the human… They are not gods, but they participate in the divine order, acting as messengers.”
Daemons were incorporeal or semi-corporeal beings, often associated with the air or ether, possessing rational souls. They could be benevolent (guiding humans to the divine) or malevolent (causing harm), depending on their alignment with the One.
Book X, Chapter 11 (~418–420 CE): “The Platonists speak of gods and daemons as inhabiting the air or heavens, but we say that only the angels, created by God, are His ministers, and the demons are those who fell by their own pride.”
Book VIII, Chapter 14 (~416–418 CE): “The pagans suppose that their gods, or rather demons, are mediators between men and the supreme God… But these demons are not mediators; they are miserable creatures, separated from the truth.”
Theodosius banned pagan sacrifices in 391 CE), but private and rural worship persisted.
Traditional Roman religion centered on a pantheon of gods (e.g., Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Venus) inherited from Greek and Etruscan influences. These deities were anthropomorphic, governing natural and social
phenomena. Worship involved rituals, sacrifices, and festivals to secure divine favor (pax deorum).
Romans believed in lesser divine or semi-divine entities, such as daemones (spirits), genii (personal protective spirits), and lares/penates (household gods). Daemones could be good or evil, acting as intermediaries between gods and humans, somewhat analogous to
Christian angels or demons. Augustine critiqued these as false gods or demons masquerading as deities (City of God, VIII.14-24).
In City of God, Augustine argued that Roman gods were either powerless demons or human inventions, incapable of protecting Rome (I-IV). He contrasted their multiplicity with the singular Christian God.
Founded by Plotinus (3rd century CE), Neoplatonism was a philosophical system blending Plato’s ideas with religious mysticism. It posited a hierarchical cosmos emanating from the One (a transcendent source), through the Nous (
divine intellect), to the World Soul, and material reality. The goal was the soul’s ascent to the One via contemplation.
but not created ex nihilo, as they emanated from the One. Porphyry and Iamblichus, later Neoplatonists, emphasized daemons in ritual and theurgy (divine magic).
Mystery religions (e.g., cults of Mithras, Isis, Cybele, and Dionysus) offered personal salvation and esoteric knowledge through secret rites. They promised initiates divine protection, afterlife rewards, or union with a deity.
For example, Mithraism featured Mithras as a mediator between the supreme god Ahura Mazda and humanity, with lesser spiritual entities in its cosmology. These could parallel Christian angels in function but were tied to mythic narratives.
Initiation rituals, communal meals, and sacred mysteries were central. Mithraism, popular among soldiers, involved underground temples (mithraea). The Isis cult emphasized resurrection and devotion to the goddess.
Core Beliefs: Founded by Plotinus (3rd century CE), Neoplatonism was a philosophical system blending Plato’s ideas with religious mysticism. It posited a hierarchical cosmos emanating from the One (a transcendent source), through the Nous
(divine intellect), to the World Soul, and material reality. The goal was the soul’s ascent to the One via contemplation.
Neoplatonists believed in a range of spiritual entities, including daemons (intermediary beings between gods and humans), planetary gods, and intelligible beings in the Nous. These were seen as rational and immortal, akin to Christian angels.
but not created ex nihilo, as they emanated from the One. Porphyry and Iamblichus, later Neoplatonists, emphasized daemons in ritual and theurgy (divine magic).
During Augustine of Hippo’s time (354–430 CE), the late Roman Empire was a religious mosaic, with pagan beliefs encompassing a wide range of polytheistic traditions, philosophical schools, and mystery cults.
City of God was written over roughly 13 years (413–426 CE) in response to the sack of Rome (410 CE) and pagan critiques of Christianity. Books XI and XII, where these quotes appear, are typically dated to the earlier (XI, ~414–416 CE) and middle (XII, ~420–422 CE)
phases of composition, based on scholarly estimates of Augustine’s progress (e.g., Gerald O’Daly’s Augustine’s City of God: A Reader’s Guide).
On the Simultaneity of Creation (Book XI, Chapter 7, ~414–415 CE)
 “God created all things together, not by a succession of time, but in the instant of His eternal will… The distinction of days in the account of creation is for our understanding, not for God’s act.”
On Angels’ Role in God’s Plan (Book XII, Chapter 9, ~420–422 CE)
“The angels, who are the holy and immutable ministers of God, rejoice in the good of all creatures, and especially in the salvation of men, for whose sake they are sent.”
On the Nature and Fall of Angels (Book XI, Chapter 13, ~414–415 CE)
“The angels, then, were created good, but some of them, by their部分: “The devil, who is also called Satan, was not originally evil, but his pride led to his fall…
Those angels who remained faithful to God are called holy angels.”
Context: Here, Augustine links the “heavens” of Genesis 1:1 to the angelic realm, suggesting angels were created as part of the spiritual cosmos, distinct from the material earth.
On Angels’ Creation in the “Heavens” (Book XI, Chapter 9, ~414–415 CE)
Quote: “For when it is written, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,’ it is not absurd to suppose that the heavens mean the invisible, intellectual creatures, that is, the angels, and the earth the visible world.”
Context: Augustine interprets Genesis 1:3’s “light” as possibly referring to angels, created at the beginning of time. He emphasizes their spiritual nature and dependence on God’s wisdom, aligning with his view that angels were part of the initial creation.
On the Creation of Angels as “Light” (Book XI, Chapter 9, ~414–415 CE)
Quote: “When God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light,’ if we are justified in understanding in this light the creation of the angels, then certainly they were created partakers of the eternal light which is the unchangeable Wisdom of God,
by which all things were made… For when God said, ‘Let there be light,’ the angels were created, and they were enlightened by that Light which is God Himself.
with earlier books (like XI) likely composed closer to 413–416 CE and later ones (like XII) toward 420–426 CE.
City of god 413 and 426 CE
Augustine’s views were shaped by scripture, Neoplatonic philosophy (which emphasized spiritual realities), and his refutation of Manichaean dualism. His ideas on angels
influenced medieval theology, particularly in the works of Thomas Aquinas and Dante, though later thinkers expanded on angelic hierarchies and roles.
The fall of some angels parallels human sin, reinforcing his theology of grace and divine justice.
Saint gothic
@saintgothic
In his Genesis interpretation, Augustine linked angels to the spiritual “heavens” of Genesis 1:1, contrasting them with the material “earth.” Their creation as “light” reflects their participation in God’s wisdom and goodness.
The fallen angels became demons, opposing God’s will and tempting humans, while faithful angels remained loyal. This division underscores Augustine’s view of free will in spiritual beings.
Some angels, led by Lucifer (often identified with Satan), fell from grace due to pride, choosing to love themselves over God (City of God, XI.13-15). This fall occurred early in creation, before human sin, though Augustine didn’t specify a precise moment.
Augustine emphasized their role in the cosmic hierarchy, praising God eternally and aiding in His providential plan (City of God, XII.9).
They are not eternal like God but were created within time, existing as part of the spiritual realm. Augustine saw them as superior to humans in intellect and proximity to God but still finite creatures.
Angels are incorporeal, intellectual beings, distinct from physical creatures. They possess free will and are illuminated by God’s wisdom, enabling them to contemplate and serve Him (City of God, XI.11).
His reading of Genesis profoundly influenced Western Christian theology, shaping medieval and later interpretations of creation, angels, and time.
Augustine emphasized a “literal” interpretation of Genesis, but his “literal” meant the author’s intended meaning, not a modern literalist reading. He allowed for allegorical and spiritual
interpretations when literal readings conflicted with reason or science (On the Literal Meaning of Genesis, I.19).
He linked the angelic and human realms by noting that angels, both good and fallen, interact with humanity—faithful angels as God’s messengers, demons as tempters
Augustine interpreted the creation of humanity (Genesis 1:26-27) as distinct because humans were made in God’s image, possessing reason and free will. The Fall (Genesis 3) introduced sin, which corrupted human nature, a concept central to Augustine’s theology of original sin
He didn’t identify a “first angel” but treated angels as a collective, created to glorify God and mediate His will. Their creation at the “beginning” underscores their role as part of the cosmic order.
Augustine saw angels as rational, spiritual beings who serve God and participate in His divine plan. Some angels, like Lucifer, fell due to pride, becoming demons, while others remained
faithful (City of God, XI.13-15). The fall of angels occurred early, though Augustine didn’t pinpoint when, as it preceded human sin.
Augustine grappled with the six-day creation framework. In On the Literal Meaning of Genesis, he proposed that the “days” might not be literal 24-hour periods but rather a logical or symbolic structure to describe God’s instantaneous act of creating
He suggested that angels were created simultaneously with the universe, not in a sequential process, as God’s act of creation was instantaneous in its essence, though described sequentially in Genesis for human understanding.
This interpretation tied into his view that angels were part of the initial creation, existing as the “heavens” in the phrase “In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The “heavens” here could denote the spiritual realm of angels, distinct from the physical earth.
In Genesis 1:3 (“Let there be light”), Augustine proposed that this “light” could refer to the creation of spiritual beings—angels—rather than physical light, since the sun and stars
weren’t created until the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). He saw angels as intellectual, incorporeal beings illuminated by God’s wisdom (City of God, XI.9).
He rejected cyclical or eternal views of the universe common in pagan philosophy, insisting on a singular, purposeful act of creation by a transcendent God.
2. The “Light” and Angels
Augustine argued that God created everything—heaven, earth, and all beings—ex nihilo (out of nothing) at the beginning of time. Time itself, he reasoned, was a created entity, as God
exists outside of time in eternal timelessness (City of God, XI.6). Thus, the “beginning” in Genesis 1:1 marks the start of time and the universe.
He approached Genesis not as a strictly historical or scientific text but as a theological narrative revealing God’s creative act and purpose.
Met
www.x.com/LewisHamilton/status/1919551509223641590
He inferred this from Genesis 1, interpreting the “light” created on the first day as possibly referring to spiritual beings (angels) rather than just physical light, since the sun wasn’t created until the fourth day. Augustine didn’t
specify a “first angel” but viewed angels as a collective, existing as part of God’s initial act of creation before humanity.
Augustine of Hippo, a key early Christian theologian (354–430 CE), argued in works like City of God (Book XI) that angels were created by God at the beginning of time, alongside the creation of the universe.
Sabrina Carpenter and Jenna Ortega inside the 2025 #MetGala!
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THE ROYAL COUPLE
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a homage to the 1968 movie ‘the legend of lylah clare’. in custom miu miu

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THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
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This is a call to all free minds who want to advance science and stand up for a certain model of society. Researchers from around the world, choose Europe for science!
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What a blessing it is that, as an open-minded country, we have friends – in Europe and all over the world. Let us not forget the strength that lies in Germany when it stands united!
Welch ein Glück liegt darin, dass wir als weltoffenes Land Freunde haben – in Europa und auf der ganzen Welt. Vergessen wir nicht, welche Kraft in Deutschland steckt, wenn es zusammenhält!
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Diesem Deutschland als sein Kanzler zu dienen, das war und bleibt die Ehre meines Lebens.
To serve this Germany as its Chancellor has been and remains the honor of my life.
Deutschland ist stark, wenn wir es zusammenhalten. Mit Respekt voreinander.
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