We Three Kings from Orion Are 

The Star of Bethlehem and the three Magi symbolize Sirius and Orion respectively. The Babe  in a manger born among animals in a stable or a cave, and wrapped in swaddling clothes was common in many ancient religions.  (Part 3 of 5)

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The word orient in the Christmas carol, “We Three Kings From Orient Are”, should be replaced by Orion. The  three Magi  (Matt.2:1) who searched for the newly born Christ are symbolic of the three stars in the hunter’s belt in the constellation of Orion. Orion was known by Egyptians as’The First Time’ of Osiris.   The Three Kings represent the three divine aspects of Will, Love and Intelligence. The name Orion literally means “the breaking forth of light, and   therefore, symbolizes  Spirit.   In South America Orion’s Belt is   known as “Las Tres Marias” or “As Três Marias” (The Three Marys), in honor of Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, three major New Testament figures

 The Star of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:2)  symbolizes  the brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius, which is part of the winter triangle in the constellation, Canis Major.   In Sanskrit, Sirius is known as Mrgavyadha (“deer hunter”) or Lubdhaka (“hunter”). As Mrgavyadha, the star represents Siva. At 4:00 PM, the three stars in Orion align along a south east direction towards Sirius and the Star of Bethlehem rises and points to the birthplace of Christ.    Since stars, like the sun, always rise from the east, it would appear as three stars were following one bright star, or as the star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi.  If the magi were on land, they couldn’t come from the east and follow a star from the east. But if they are in the sky, it makes sense.  Sirius would appear to stop, like the star of Bethlehem, when it is directly above the stable where Christ is born.

Thousands of years before Mary nursed the baby, Jesus, the Madonna and the Child existed in Egypt as Isis holding her infant, Horus. Isis (Sirius)  “Virgin of the World,”     On the walls of the temple of Luxor, there were carved four scenes adopted by the Gospels. The first scene depicts a group of angels on a cloud making the annunciation of the coming of the Messiah King to a band of shepherds in the fields. The second represents a single angel announcing to a young maiden that she is to be the mother of the awaited Messiah. A third pictures the Nativity scene, with the two animals, the ox and the ass, present. And the fourth shows three magi kneeling before a babe and offering gifts, at a date as early as 1700 B.C. The Egyptian Sun God Horus taught that the Christ spirit is in us all so he was anticipating a mass of Christs. That’s what we need to focus on today instead of the polarization that’s caused by religious dogma propagated by those who are unaware of the origins of the Christmas season.

 “On entering [the temple of Hera at Plataia, Boiotia] you see Rhea carrying to Kronos the stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, as though it were the babe to which she had given birth.” - Pausanias, Guide to Greece 9.2.7

The Babe  in a manger born among animals in a stable or a cave, and wrapped in swaddling clothes was common in many ancient religions. According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at night while all other gods slept. When he was born at dawn broke   Maia wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Mithras was also born in a cave, with shepherds in attendance, on the twenty-fifth of December.   Mithras was known to his followers as “The light of the world,” or “The Good Shepherd,” and urged his followers to share ritual communion  of bread and wine. Mithras’s priests were called “Father.”

The attempted assassination of newly born saviors was also not unique to Jesus. When King Herod heard about the birth Jesus he asked the Magi from the East who followed the star to Bethlehem to inform him when they found the baby so he could come and worship Him also.  Known for his hatred of Jesus as future King of the Jews he ordered all the babies up to the age of two in Bethlehem  to be killed.    The Hindu Krishna birth story is another variation on the same theme. Krishna’s uncle Kamsa   hears a heavenly voice which predicts that the eighth son of his sister, Devaki, will kill him.  Devaki and her husband agree  to be held captive and to give any children  to Kamsa. The eighth child, Krishna, was born at midnight and Kamsa tries many ways to kill Krishna but fails. In the Greek Orphic religion Dionysus is born from a union between Persephone and Zeus in serpent form. Jealous Hera persuaded the Titans to attack the infant god as he looked into a mirror. Not only did they tear him to pieces, but the Titans ate him --all but his heart which Athena rescued. From this organ the rest of the god was resurrected. In the Osiris/Isis Mysteries Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis and rightful heir to the throne of Egypt, was killed by Set in the form of a scorpion, but Thoth brought him back to life, as his destiny was to rule Egypt, and avenge  of the crime against his father. Horus grew to be a strong and brave warrior and   his father Osiris appeared to him in a vision, and urged him to overthrow  Set. Herut is another name for Set does that sound familiar?  Merry Christmas