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THE BULL SACRIFICE
THE DREAM AND THE MYTHOLOGY
by Dee Finney and Joe Mason
| 10-21-00 - DREAM - I was a young woman working as a Journalist.
I was working in a smallish office with 12 foot ceilings in a big old house. My boss was a tall, thin, dark-haired man. There were several desks in this room and my boss had a computer. I wanted to sit at the desk facing two tall windows facing the east or west (I'm not sure) It was dark out when I got there, but it soon got light and I liked facing the light. The windows became like a TV or movie screen and I watched as a tall, dark haired man rounded up some bulls in an old truck. The bulls didn't like being rounded up. They jumped off the truck and threw their bodies head-long over a long narrow pile of rocks in the street and sacrificed themselves. I wrote up the story in my loose-leaf notebook and my boss wrote a paragraph below it and okayed it and signed it on the 30th.
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Dreams and coincidences seem to be related to another interesting topic and that is the crop patterns being formed in cereal crops in England.
The "Dharmic Wheel" crop pattern that appeared in 1992, which had eight symbols on a ring. A circle with dot was in the center, surrounded by a quartered circle. Crop circle researcher Michael Green wrote that the central pattern represented the god, Bel, and that the symbols on the ring showed man's spiritual development.
The northeast symbol was a crescent, representing Sulis, the womb of spirituality and the individuation of the personality. (Hoa is also the moon) The east symbol, two circles with a pathway between, was Dagda, a sexual glyph, the Mahadiva, the procreative power. The west symbol, a key-like shape, was the key of Mapon, the Divine Youth, symbolizing the emergence of the spiritual being who unlocks the door to the Mysteries for others. The Dharmic Wheel shows the conflict of spirit, personality, and soul, and the eventual union of the three, symbolized by the triadic shape, which is similar to the Barbury Castle design. The final step is to the center, and the union with Bel, the Light behind the Light.
Sir John Haddington, a prominent researcher in the early days, wrote that the Dharmic Wheel crop pattern was associated with the bull sacrifice. The central pattern represented the double-headed axe, used in the bull sacrifices. The east and west symbols, he suggests, are the female/male signs of Mercury, who brought order out of chaos.
Mme Helena Blavatsky explain the trinity, on page 171 of Isis Unveiled states:
"The Pythagorean ten denoted the Arba-Il or Divine Four, emblematized by the Hindu Lingham: Anu, 1; Bel, 2; Hoa, 3, which makes 6. The Triad and mylitta as 4 make the ten."
The "Lingham" means "penis".
Sulis, is the womb of spirituality and the individuation of the personality. (Hoa is also the moon), Dagda, a sexual glyph, the Mahadiva, is the procreative power. Mapon, the Divine Youth, symbolizes the emergence of the spiritual being who unlocks the door to the Mysteries for others. The eventual union of the three, is symbolized by a triadic shape, The final step is to the center, and the union with Bel, the Light behind the Light.
"Bel" is a title, meaning "Lord," given to Marduk, the god of Babylon. He brought order out of Chaos. A man at work told me a dream of being drawn and quartered by a 'night-mare horse' called 'Ishtar.' Ishtar is another name of Mylitta, according to Blavatsky. (page 171) She was Marduk's sister. A young friend, who was not aware of my studies, brought over a strange little book called 'Nicronomicon.' It is about Babylonian myths. In the book it states: "Marduk, Lord of the double-headed axe."
This seems to tie the two articles about the Dharmic Wheel crop pattern together. Nebo, the Babylonian Mercury, rescued Marduk from the underworld. Mme Blavatsky speaks of the 'Trinity in Chaos,' out of which springs the manifested trinity. (page 212) In some Indian temples this took the form of a bull. (page 268) The bull Nardi is the 'vehan' (vehicle) of Siva. (page 235) The bull, an emblem of Life, can be traced in every religious system. (page 236)
In her discussion of the Biblical patriarchs being Zodiacal signs, Blavatsky says that Adam, Cain, and Abel form the first triad. (page 465) Cain presides over the Taurus Bull, which belongs to the earthy trigon. In the Persian 'Avesta', Ormazd produced a being, the source and type of all the Universal beings, called "Life", or "Bull" in the 'Zend'. Ahriman (Cain) kills his being (Abel), from the seed of which (Seth) new beings are produced. Abel means 'son'. Apollo was also 'Abelius,' of Bel. Cain means a "Hermaic Statue, a pillar, the symbol of generation." (page 466)
The various symbols are difficult to integrate and understand. The crop patterns seems to be prodding us to study the ancient symbols. A good place to start is with H.P. Blavatsky. My investigations indicate that new understandings and confirmations can be found in dreams.
In 1990, I had a strange dream of a hand reading for a branch, and being bitten by a bison bull. A voice said, "The bison, symbolizing sex, rolls and the sacred herb springs up, giver of Life." A series of strange coincidences followed, eventually leading me to believe that the face of the bison or bull represents the trinity. The horns are like antenna to the dual aspects. I felt that Mme Blavatsky's writings helped explain the dream.
Various hints seem to suggest that the bull sacrifice symbolism is related to the Kali-Yuga time cycle. It's called 'death or destruction creation.' and equated to a seed growing into a plant. The seed is destroyed in the process of the plant's growth. My sense is that it represents a way of learning and growing through problems or challenges. This seems to be built into the triangle/trinity of creation.
I am led to believe that the end of the Kali-Yuga may be near. Great changes at this time apparently will involve a basic change in the triangle/trinity. The creation by death or destruction, the sacrifice, will come to an end.
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"Minoan arts crafts and poetry were unparalleled in the ancient world for their beauty and refinement. ... The artistic tradition of Crete was unique in the Mediterranean world, expressing a sensitivity and delight in all that was alive. ... Hessiod, the eight century Greek poet, sang of Crete, the golden land where 'the earth poured forth its fruits unbidden in boundless plenty" In peaceful ease they kept their lands with good abundance, rich in flocks and ... did not worship the gods of war.' ... Protected by the sea from invasion, the islanders were able to seek trade, rather than make war to hold on to their wealth."
It was first settled around 7000 BC from a culture commensurate with the of Catal Huyuk. The Minoan culture circa 3500 BC emerged from further interaction with populations from Anatolia and Libya, and peaking around 2500 BC, continued until the Mycenians invaded around 1500 BC.
The bull has a central role both in bull leaping, in the counterpoint between the pregnant hill and the bull's horns, and bull sacrifice, as a principle of virility (Gadon).
Crete had a matriarchal society, one in which men rarely even knew who their own children were. Despite its cultural maturity, Crete appears to have followed the Mesopotamian tradition of ritual sacrifice of kings. Barbara Walker comments "Myths suggest a similar seven year period for each king of Crete. Cretan king were never allowed to grow old; they always died in the full bloom of youth." The Labrys, or double headed axe, cannot conceal its sacrificial implications.
The Legend of the Minotaur is a tangled tale seen through the lenses of cultural conflict. Bulls were sacrificed to the lunar goddess in Crete from a very early date. In a reversal of destiny, Europa the Full Moon Goddess of the Continent, rather than sacrificing the bull, is taken by Zeus as a bull and raped. Because of the greed of her son King Minos, his wife Passiphae became infatuated with a bull, producing the Minotaur as offspring. A tribute of seven youths and seven maidens every ninth year was demanded from Athens. Although King Minos represents a Crete already transformed by Mycenian invasion, the voyage of Theseus follower of Apollo, his defeat of the Minotaur, and the abdication of Ariadne spelt the mythological death blow for the way of the Cretan Moon Goddess. Klidemos, by contrast said that Ariadne negotiated a peace treaty with Athens. She also becomes the mythical consort of Dionysus.
THE SALVATION SACRIFICE OF YOM KIPPUR
The sacrifice of Yom Kippur is separate and distinct from all the other sacrifices offered during the year. While the others reconciled the sinner on a day to day basis with God, Yom Kippur is the day that God would forgive all the sins of all the people in every generation – in essence this was their salvation sacrifice.
Yom Kippur is the only time that the High Priest would enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, doing this four times in all that day. He would remove four of his eight garments – all those with gold – and enter only with four white linen garments. He would change his clothes five times, dipping himself in a Mikveh each time.
Special offerings were made in addition to the regular ones:
The High priest would turn to the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled the blood of the bull sacrifice one time upward, then seven times downward. He would repeat this process with the blood of the goat sacrifice one time upward, then seven times downward.
He then entered the Holy of Holies, took blood from the bull and the goat and put some on the four corners of the threshing floor. He also sprinkled this on the altar, repeating the process of sprinkling once upwards, then seven times downward.
The miracles/signs that took place, showing God’s approval and forgiveness:
The Talmud however, records that many of these miracles ceased to occur about 40 years before the destruction of the second Temple, and never returned. This of course coincides with the time of the death of Yeshua:
Yoma 39b - During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-coloured strap become white; nor did the westernmost light shine; and the doors of the Hekal would open by themselves, until R. Johanan b. Zakkai rebuked them, saying: Hekal, Hekal, why wilt thou be the alarmer thyself? I know about thee that thou wilt be destroyed, for Zechariah ben Ido has already prophesied concerning thee: Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
THE MITHRAIC BULL SACRIFICE
From: Mithraism
Mythology and theology.
The creation of the world is the central episode of Mithraic mythology. According to the myths, the sun god sent his messenger, the raven, to Mithra and ordered him to sacrifice the bull. Mithra executed the order reluctantly; in many reliefs he is seen turning aside his face in sorrow. But at the very moment of the death of the bull, a great miracle happened. The white bull was metamorphosed into the moon; the cloak of Mithra was transformed into the vault of the sky, with the shining planets and fixed stars; from the tail of the bull and from his blood sprang the first ears of grain and the grape; from the genitals of the animal ran the holy seed which was received by a mixing bowl. Every creature on earth was shaped with an admixture of the holy seed. One Mithraic hymn begins:
"Thou hast redeemed us too by shedding the eternal blood."
The plants and the trees were created. Day and Night began to alternate, the Moon started her monthly cycle, the Seasons took up their round dance through the Year, and thus Time was created. But, awakened by the sudden light, the creatures of the dark emerged from earth. A serpent licked the bull's blood. A scorpion tried to suck the holy seed from the genitals. On the reliefs, a lion often is also seen. With the bull's death and the creation of the world, the struggle between Good and Evil began: thus is the condition of man's life. The raven symbolizes Air, the lion Fire, the serpent Earth, and the mixing bowl Water. So the four elements (air, fire, earth, and water) came into being, and from them all things were created.
After the sacrifice, Mithra and the sun god banqueted together, ate meat and bread, and drank wine. Then Mithra mounted the chariot of the sun god and drove with him across the ocean, through the air to the end of the world.
The myth was interpreted by the Roman Mithraists in terms of Platonic philosophy. The sacrifice took place in a cave, an image of the world, as in the simile of the cave in Plato's Republic. Mithra himself was equated with the creator (demiurge) of the Timaeus: he was called "demiurge and father of all things," like the Platonic demiurge. The four elements, the mixing bowl, the creation of Time, and the attack of the wicked animals upon the newborn creature are well-known features of the Timaeus. The Mithraic doctrine of the soul is intimately linked with the myth of creation and with Platonic philosophy. As in the Timaeus, the soul of man came down from heaven. It crossed the seven spheres of the planets, taking on their vices (e.g., those of Mars and of Venus) and was finally caught within the body. The task of man is to liberate his divine part (the soul) from the shackles of the body and to reascend through the seven spheres to the eternal, unchanging realm of the fixed stars. This ascension to the sky was prefigured by Mithra himself, when he left the earth in the chariot of the sun god.
THE HORSE, GOAT, AND BUFFALO SACRIFICES
ANCIENT SACRIFICES: SACRIFICE AS ORIGINAL SIN
DEES DREAMS AND VISIONS - ARCHIVE PAGE
DREAMS OF THE GREAT EARTHCHANGES - MAIN INDEX