Masonic Celestial Mysteries.

quently the stars composing the Altar cannot be seen . And then again of Centaurus . "Is he sage chiron , sung in Homer ' s lays ? Above his front of human form divine The scaled limbs of brazing Scorpio shines . " Centaurus is under pictured Vergo , or under

the solar sign of Libra—and not under Scorpio . And now , so far as Masonry is concerned , to the most important of all constellations . " There lies an arrow—from what bow it fell iSfear to the flying swan , no poets tell :

Beneath it soars the Eoyal bird of Jove , B , aised by his master to the realms above , Rises at dawn of day the bright ATAIK . " The royal bird of Jove is Aquila , which opens the year at the Solstice , and by the Masonic laws

Atair , or Athair , the brilliant , in the neck of the eagle , rises at dawn of the equinoxical day in the first degree of Aries . But Aratus gives Aquila without A . ntinous , and Antinous is the youth who performs all the initiatory ceremonies of the Apprentice , the Fellow Craft , ancl the Master , & c , as so certified by the Grand Registrar , Bro .

M'Intyre . This omission of Antinous by Aratus would be a sad blow to the antiquity of modern ritual Masonry , but very fortunately old Ptolemy comes to the rescue ! Lempriere tells us that the Emperor Hadrian and Antinous were both initiated

into the Eleusinian mysteries . Fleusina is a name of Ceres ( corn ) . Ceres is another name for Spica the ear of corn of the Virgin Queen of Heaven , so there can be no difficulty in determining where these Eleusinian mysteries were held . Spica , as it

las been already shown , claiming 106 . The Abbe Pluche says , " Eleusis is a city near Athens . The mysteries of Eleusis are the most ancient and most genuine of all , because they were under the

direction of the first magistrates of Athens . They are likewise the most ancient , and the same as those of Egypt . Didorous Siculus has informed us , and even proved from their exact resemblance , that these mysteries came from Lower Egypt , and

were the same with those of Isis . " Antinous perform all his Masonic duties in Tribulation , or in Misraim Egypt , and by the lion ' s ' claw , as explained , is exalted to 106 , and there is Eleusina or Virgo , and Spica , the ear of corn of the

Egyptian Isis . It has been explained that Pallas , and likewise Britannia , is Virgo , with the celestial attributes obtained at 106 : and Virgo , with the attributes of 111 , becomes Athenian Minerva . Minerva says Pluche , signifies no more than " a

weaver's beam , " and the Masonic laws give the weaver's beam with the woof or thread upon it at 111 . Homer adds , Pluche " calls Minerva , Athene ; and Athene signifies the flaxen thread which is rolled upon the weaver ' s beam , in order

to the making of cloth . The scripture gives the name of Allien to the flaxen thread made in Egypt . " * Aratus proves himself to be master of celestial Masonry and mythology . Pluche is a modern author of 1738 A . D . He shews that he

is well versed in mythology , and that he knows nothing whatever of celestial Masonry , The Abbe Pluche ' s object in his History of the Heavens , is to demonstrate that mythology or " the notions of the poets and philosophers , " may be compared

with the doctrines of Moses , or as stated at the commencement of this paper , that mythology is but a stepping stone to theology . Pluche therefore speaks , of celestial things as though they were mundane . Thus he reo-ards Athens and Eleusis

of the heavens , as if they were Athens and Eleusis of the earth . Pluche never dreamt that every ancient city has its prototype clearly defined in the heavens , and that the celestial interpretations cannot be disputed , unless it ba by ignorant men

who know nothing of celestial Masonry or astronomy ; the ignorant always dispute truth , which they cannot understand and know nothing about . When Antinous was drowned in the Nile in Egypt he was exalted or translated to heaven SB

described , ancl Lempriere says , Hadrian theEmperor erected a temple to him , and wished it to be believed that he had been changed into a constellation . Hadrian died A , D . 138 , and there in the celestial charts of Ptolemy of the same date to wit , A . D . 138 , is Antinous introduced as a

constellation ! f If Bro . Mclntyre is to be believed , Blue Lodge ritual Masonry must therefore date from the death of Hadrian , and the introduction of Antinous into the celestial sphere . Tiie Eleusinian or Royal Arch mysteries , were however , of much more ancient dateinasmuch as in Samuel , said to

, be written 1055 B . C ., David is introduced at 106 at Eleusis , where he performs sundry extraordinary games or mysteries with the lions , and the bear as described and interpreted paper III , No . 540 . LITREA SCRIPTA MANET .