The Catholic Church is known for integrating local customs to win converts. This is known as, syncretism and acculturation. The Celtic goddess, Brigid, became St. Brigid of Ireland. Images of the Virgin Mary are a reflection of Isis. The Aztec goddess Tonantzin became “our Lady of Guadalupe.”

The use of incense and elaborate processions in the Catholic liturgy comes from Roman pagan worship, such as those in the temples of Jupiter. The word “Amen” is tied to the Egyptian sun god Amun-Ra. And Aleister Crowley wrote that the Catholic mass is the same as the Gnostic Mass, which is the central rite of the Ordo Templi Orientis.

The Celtic festival of Samhain, became, All Saints’ Day. And long before there was Easter, there was the Akitu festival of ancient Babylon. The Anthesteria festival of Ancient Greece. The Druidic, Alban Eilir. The Roman Festival, Hilaria, which commemorated Attis’ death and resurrection. And Sham El-Nessim of Ancient Egypt. All of these celebrations were tied to the spring equinox and nature’s renewal. They involved painted eggs, rabbits, and a period of fasting followed by a feast.

Before Christmas was ever celebrated on December 25^th, there was the Roman pagan festival, Saturnalia and the feast of Sol Invictus. These were Winter Solstice celebrations. Without the sun, we would not be alive. And so mankind has venerated the sun ever since Babylon. Mostly during the Winter Solstice.

Every year between December 21^st and the 25^th there is an observable death and rebirth of the sun. As the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, it appears to stop, or “die.” And it is then “reborn” as it begins to rise again. Several characters in history appear to be personifications of this death and rebirth. In 336 AD, the emperor Constantine established December 25th as the date to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. At the time, this was the birthday of Mithras and was observed as the feast of the “sun,” Spelled s-u-n. After 336 AD, it became the feast of the “son,” spelled, s-o-n.

Jordan Maxwell called this, Astrotheology. And pointed to several of these astrological events encoded into the King James Bible. The 12 tribes of Israel. The four Gospels. The seven seals and the four horsemen. Kabbalistic research uses celestial symbolism of the planets and the zodiac to interpret biblical narratives. So this is nothing new.

The 12 Disciples of Jesus, the son, represent the 12 constellations of the zodiac, traveled around by the sun. Mithras, the symbol of the sun, was often depicted being surrounded by the 12 constellations. Horus, the Egyptian God linked to the sun, was born during the winter solstice. His mother, Isis, was represented by the “virgin” constellation Virgo. And his journey took him through 12 hours of night. This same solar symbolism can be seen in the historical characters of, Krishna, Adonis, Tammuz, and Hercules.

The 12 constellations of the zodiac coincide with the 12 months of the year, and the 12 ages of the Great Year. Often referred to as, the precession of the equinoxes, the Great Year is approximately 25,776 years. And divided by 12, each age is approximately 2,148 years.

The Age of Taurus was often represented by bull worship. The Persian Sun God, Mithras, was known for “slaying the bull.” Marking the end of the age of Taurus. Similar symbolism can be seen in the bible. During the transition from the age of Taurus to the age of Aries there is the Golden calf rejection, ram sacrifices, and the Passover lamb. From Aries to Pisces there is Jesus as the Lamb of God transitioning to fish symbolism. And from Pisces to Aquarius, which is where we are at now, there is Water-bearer imagery in prophetic and apocalyptic texts.

The Cross itself is an ancient solar symbol. Its four arms representing the solstices and equinoxes which divide the four seasons. And the “sun on the cross” is the sun at its lowest point, during the winter solstice, before it rises again.

You can find much more of this fascinating research in the work of Jordan Maxwell and Michael Tsarion.