You should be able to see the Pleiades many times throughout the year in NZ (in December, the Pleiades can be seen throughout the night). But in June, it does rise a little before sunrise and is close to the north-eastern horizon before the sun's light fades it out. Interesting that the Maori use this as a marker for the turn of the year. The Babylonians did something similar in Spring, in their case it was to do with the positioning of the Pleiades with the new moon crescent.
Where did this "God lives in the Pleiades" notion come from?
by james_woods 51 Replies latest jw friends
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Chariklo
Just bookmarking this thread, really.
I have heard this idea before, with Alcyone a star/sun of high importance. But I've never given it credence, and I'd never heard before of a link to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
When I heard the idea the first time, somewhere back in the nineties, my response was the same as it is now. It's intriguing and interesting, but I don't quite see how it could work. After all, while Alcyone, a star, is real and has an identifiable place so that astronomers know where it is in the sky. However, the Pleiades are a constellation. Constellations exist only because, from our viewpoint, they are a collection of stars that seek to be near each other in certain shapes. If you imagine yourself looking at a view in the distance, if you then get in your car and drive a few miles and look in the same direction again, then the view will be different, and different physical locations won't seem to be quite where they appeared to bel in relation to each other. You can even get the same effect if you put your hand in front of your face and move it from side to side, turning your wrist as you do.
However, I am not decrying it all together, because it is interesting. There's a writer I need to look up who also says something a little bit similar, only not in respect of the Pleiades specifically, as I remember, and if I find it I'll post the reference here.
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mP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyone_(star)
If you look at the other sisters in the Pleiades one is called Maia, which is another parallel to Mary. Both are mother goddesses even today. Yes i know that the gospels dont present Mary as a super natural being, but hey the Catholic Church has made the parallel for nearly 2000 years. Its obvious the early xians didnt see a problem in such a parallel.
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mP
@Chariklo
Of course constellations only exist in our minds, but hey so does every other god in all mankinds religions.
As above so below...suprising is not a phrase of xian origin.
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mP
@Band
Where are the St. Augustine's, Spinoza, St. Francis of Assissi, Abelard, Martin Luther, John Calvin, the Wesley bros. of the Witnesses.
mP:
What makes you think Russel invented this Pleiades thing ?
Astrology has been a part of xianity for 2000 years. Do a google for " zodiac cathedrals" and you will find many prominent cathedrals with zodiac wheels and otgher references to astrology. Even St Peters has a obelisk to Ra in its center and points east etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Square
The paving
The paving is varied by radiating lines in travertine, to relieve what might otherwise be a sea of cobblestones. In 1817 circular stones were set to mark the tip of the obelisk's shadow at noon as the sun entered each of the signs of the zodiac, making the obelisk a gigantic sundial'sgnomon. Below is a view of St. Peter's Square from the cupola (the top of the dome) which was taken in June, 2007.
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Chariklo
MP, I Didn't't mean at all that they exist only in our minds. I meant from our physical standpoint, here on earth.
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hamsterbait
I am going back to the kingdumb Hell at once.
Knowing that the sky god is to return in a super massive black hole is sooo scary... How can anybody survive outside the antitypical Ark of Salvation?
HB
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nancy drew
Some people think the pleiadians are an alien species with some type of an agenda that affects us for good or maybe not
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Think About It
Some people think the pleiadians are an alien species with some type of an agenda that affects us for good or maybe not
Pleiadians alien agenda? Like.....going door to door to assimilate mankind into their WT Borganization?
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Finkelstein
Yes the WTS. did write about this in one of their Mags. .
Seems like they pulled some ignorance/bullshit from somewhere else and thought they could use it for themselves.
Interesting this was approximately the same time they started their no blood transfusion doctrine.
Give a lot confidence to those mens intellect and theological strength doesn't it ?