WHAT ABOUT JESUS

     When I was still a boy, and we lived in Evangelista Street, Sta Cruz that runs beside the Quiapo Church, I thought that Christmas, being the birthday of Jesus Christ, started the year. I also remembered that three days after Christmas we celebrated Innocents’ Day when the boys of Bethlehem were ordered massacred by Herod the Great. And then, after a week from Christmas we have New Year’s Day. So Christmas, after all, is not the start of the year. Later, when I was already in the Middle East and middle-aged, one of my managers told me that New Year’s Day or the seventh day after Christmas is the rite of Circumcision of Jesus as a Jewish infant. A few days after, or the first Sunday of the year, we celebrate the visit of the Three Kings. This is followed, on January 9, by the Feast of the Black Nazarene, which should belong to Holy Week. This image of Jesus about to be crucified is paraded ahead of His victory parade on Palm Sunday. Somehow, as things stand the sequence seems to be not in sequence.

     I got to be concerned of these details only after my reading experiences, such as the Tagalog novel Ang Martir sa Golgota (which turned out to be fiction), and various versions of the Bible – the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the New Jerusalem Bible. The other religious holidays of concern to me in my childhood were Palm Sunday, Washing of the Feet, the Passion, and then the Crucifixion – all of these latter holidays (including the Feast of the Three Kings) have no specific dates unlike Christmas. My mother was a devotee of the Black Nazarene and observant of the holy holidays. She had required me to march on my knees from the vestibule of the Quiapo Church along the nave to the sanctuary, and to queue at the back of the main altar to kiss the exposed sole of the Nazarene at the top of the stairway. (Come to think of it, I have not prayed the Rosary nor asked anything from Jesus during those ordeals.)

     And then I get to encounter missionaries who tried to convert me to their own sects. I met an Iglesia ni Kristo pastor who gave up on me and branded me as an atheist for questioning how we can live forever and forever in the Afterlife, without running out of songs praising GOD. As well, a pair of American missionaries from the Latter Day Saints gave me a copy of their own version of the Bible, The Book of Mormon. Somehow there were occasions when the divinity of Jesus or His humanity or both issues were raised. The Iglesia ni Kristo believes in One GOD but not in the 3-in-1. The Mormons believe that Jesus appeared in America after His Resurrection. The Muslims say that Issa (Jesus), son of the virgin Maryam, is not GOD but merely one of the prophets, and that Mohammed is the Last. But the followers of Baha’U’llah believe that even Mohammed is not the last of the prophets.

     Confused? You will, if you get exposed to the various religious fanatics. Stick to one advocate if you can and you won’t be perplexed.

     When during the Sixties I joined a group of military officers in Fort Bonifacio who met for the weekly Adoracion Nocturna, I suggested that while we wait for our turn to do our vigil we study the New Testament. Our Army chaplain rejected my suggestion, perhaps because there would be theological questions that may be raised and he would be hard put responding to them. Thus, our weekly vigils on Saturday nights at the chaplain’s quarters were merely occasions to play chess or nap a little to prepare for the night’s shift and practices of kneeling with both arms outstretched sidewards while praying whatever the Nocturna leader asked us to perform. I did not last the group. As well, the group disintegrated later because of our various military assignments and status.

     As I write this, I am indulging in an exercise that will put me in a class that could be condemned as heretics to endure eternal day/nightmares. Nonetheless, I take heed of a reminder. According to John Stott in his book The Incomparable Christ, “Since Jesus was a human being, however, he was also a historical figure, who lived at a particular time in a particular place and within a particular culture. These particularities were all part of his historical reality. To deny them would be to reject some essential aspects of his destiny.” Thus, I am going to write about my researches regarding the humanness of Jesus and not deal with theology. I am to restrict myself to being an amateur astrologer and consider Jesus as a human person who is also subjected to planetary influences.

     In astrology, the most basic and important data to work on are the date, time and place of birth of the subject. In the case of Jesus, I can only depend on what the Bible gave as information regarding His life. Everybody knows He was born in Bethlehem. But as to the date and time, I shall have to depend on some historical tidbits that are related to His existence.

     For instance, according to history Herod the Great died at the end of March or early April in 4 B.C. after the lunar eclipse on March 13. Since he was the one who commanded the massacre of boys aged two and below in Bethlehem, according to the Bible (history has no mention of it), then Jesus must have been born earlier than 4 B.C.

     Tradition also says that certain wise men or astrologers or magi (no mention of their number) interpreted the appearance of a star as to signal the birth of a King in Judea. Some say the Star may have been a nova, but novae are supposed to be noticed even during the day, so how can Herod the Great still ask when the Star appeared. I can’t remember where I got the information that the Star of Bethlehem is actually the conjunction of the planets Jupiter (symbol of the King) and Saturn (sign of the Jews – thus we have Saturday as the Sabbath) in the constellation of Pisces. Thus, I now have clues on what date to look for as the birthday of Jesus, the Man – namely, the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, and the reign or end of Herod the Great.

     Due to the planetary orbits of the bodies around the Sun, as seen from the Earth, there were three conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in the year 7 BC. On May 29 Jupiter conjoined Saturn in its direct motion. However, by retrograding or moving backwards, it joined Saturn again on September 29. Then in the final direct motion of Jupiter, the conjunction occurred on December 5. . (By the way, as viewed from the Sun, there will only be one Jupiter-Saturn conjunction since all planets in the system travel in only one direction. This occurred at 12:40 p.m. on September 1, 7 BC.  I was tempted to accept this date, but then the birth was not on the Sun but on the Earth.)

     Which of these dates was interpreted by the Magi as the birth of the King of Judea? Most likely, the May 29 date because the Star seemed to disappear (or the planets separated) after that. And possibly that was when the Magi began to travel to Judea to pay homage, and the last date, December 5, was the “second” time they saw the conjunction as they reached Bethlehem. This was after they had met Herod the Great and the scribes of Jerusalem told them that Bethlehem is the promised place of birth.

     I am placed in a quandary. The promised King of the Jews was supposed to be born during the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in 7 B.C., but what date? I am also reminded that John the Baptist must also have been born within the same period since he is related to Jesus, their mothers being cousins (Luke 1:36). There were some who thought John the Baptist to be the promised Messiah

I computed the horoscopes for the three Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions and their respective day-for-a year Progressions (astrologers will understand what "progressions" mean). The progressions gave me pictures of how the life of the Subject proceeded – the busy years and the difficulties experienced. I also researched on the possible date of the Crucifixion and computed the planetary transits affecting the Subject during that fateful day. Comparing the results of the three Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions related to the transits on Crucifixion Day helped me in deciding on the appropriate date of birth.

     At this point I shall not belabor the reader, but immediately present my conclusions.

     Jesus the Man was born during the last Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, on December 5, 7 B.C. He got lost in the Temple in 5 AD at the age of 12 and baptized in 23 A.D. at the age of 30 (Luke 2:41-51). I shall also conclude that the Crucifixion occurred on 3 April 33 A.D. during the Passover, so He must have been crucified at the age of 40. I computed the horoscope of Jesus the Man (above) and its day-for-a year Progressions (below) from 18 AD up to 33 AD:

     As if to demonstrate the humanity of Jesus, the following “aspects” show how the Crucifixion affected Him. (The “transits” are during one day, on 3 April 33 A.D. I am quoting verbatim the interpretations of Australian astrologer Stephanie Johnson which she wrote in the software Solar Fire.)

"TRANSITING MARS OPPOSITION RADIX MERCURY  Agitated mind. Working under stress. Pressure to solve problems. Hectic conditions. The necessity to get things done rapidly. Irritations. Injuries. Impulsive reactions, anger, hostility, conflicts of interest, etc. Criticism and sarcasm.
"TRANSITING SATURN TRINE RADIX JUPITER This is a positive time when you can achieve a balance between your need for security and your need for exploration. You have the ability to make plans that propel you closer to your goals. You may be fortunate in attracting the resources that you need for your purpose during this transit. You would do well to make the most of your opportunities. Like a professional mountain climber, you can plan all aspects of your life ready for the journey, and steadily make it to the top. Confident in yourself and your ability to reach your objectives, you are capable of compromise. Others respect your achievements and abilities. This is the transit of hard-earned rewards either reaping or sowing, particularly in business dealings and your professional life.
"TRANSITING SATURN TRINE RADIX SATURN This is a good time for making plans that help you achieve your goals and success in life. You have a balanced approach to life having gained much wisdom from past mistakes. From this vantage point you can make a sensible appraisal of your purpose and follow through with the right decisions to achieve this purpose.
"TRANSITING NEPTUNE SEMISQUARE RADIX JUPITER  Your usual powers of discrimination are clouded during this time. Although your intentions are good, there is a lack of sound judgement in your actions. You may feel that your attempts to achieve your dreams are being frustrated; however it may be that you are being unrealistic about what you would like to achieve. Likewise you may feel that other people and circumstances are unsupportive, but it could be that your expectations are unrealistic. You would do better to relax and explore the more artistic and spiritual side of your nature without making any long-term commitments.
"TRANSITING NEPTUNE SEMISQUARE RADIX SATURN  This is a stressful time during which you lack your usual self-confidence. The foundations of your life are being tested and you are being challenged to view things in a different light. However, you may feel a little shaky. Don't be too hard on yourself. Rather take some time out to reflect on what is really important in life. You are being asked to see the importance of the spiritual and more esoteric values in life, rather than the material ones.
"TRANSITING PLUTO SQUARE RADIX JUPITER
During this time you will find it difficult to achieve your goals. It may be that you lack the confidence or energy needed to help you achieve your aims, or perhaps others will stand in your way. You should be wary of anyone appearing in the guise of guru or priest, particularly of an established church. You would also be wise to avoid legal battles during this transit, as they could prove very difficult under the influence of this energy.
"TRANSITING PLUTO SQUARE RADIX SATURN Life seems like hard work during this transit, leaving you often feeling tired, anxious and despondent. The problems seem to be piling up faster than you can deal with them. Others expect too much, and the authority figures in your life seem to be unreasonably rigid in their approach. Don't be too hard on yourself or others, try to take some time for rest and recreation, which will help to put your troubles into perspective. On a positive note you may find that you have good organisational abilities, and more patience than usual.
"TRANSITING JUPITER SQUARE RADIX SATURN During this transit you may have difficulty striking a balance between your own personal goals and your responsibilities. Tension can arise as you feel the need to break out of old restrictions. Although your tolerance level may be low, you would do well to cultivate the assistance of others, rather than meeting them head on or simply giving up on them. The benefit of this transit is that you are forced to take action in restructuring areas of your life which may have become stagnant and tired.
"TRANSITING JUPITER SQUARE RADIX JUPITER This can be a time when you forget to look before you leap. You feel confident of achieving your goals but may not exercise the appropriate caution. This can also be a time when you feel as though you are living life in the fast lane. It is important to slow down and use some old-fashioned common sense before you take up opportunities that are coming your way right now.
"TRANSITING MARS SESQUISQUARE RADIX MARS  Strong survival instincts. Self-preservation, often at any cost. Assertive and aggressive behavior. Competition with others. Direct action and communication -- lack of diplomacy. Injuries and accidents. Construction difficulties."

     Thus, I have presented my findings on the historicity of Jesus. This blog is now part of contentious writings about Jesus the Man. After this, I attempted to research the birth date of His mother Mary. Having gotten His birth date of 5 December 7 BC, I had started to work on His conception, which was about 280 days before birth or on 28 February 7 B.C. As well, I tried to determine the age when Mary (as a child bride) must have been married to Joseph and when he found out she was already pregnant and, thus, no longer a virgin. However, I decided to desist in my curiosity since I am treading on dangerous grounds and might be stoned to death for continuing to do so.

     Before I end this piece, the reader might be interested to read The Urantia Book. It has a different approach to the Life of Jesus, as well as regarding everything about religion and GOD. The book has Jesus born at noon on August 21, 7 BC, a Sunday. It also says John the Baptist being born on a Friday, March 25, 7 BC or five months earlier (Luke 1:36). I am not going to present anything about what it says about Jesus. There are a number of information not available to our Catholic Christian beliefs, such as Jesus having six siblings – three brothers and three sisters – and unacceptable as regards the virgin birth. I recall that the topic of the virgin birth came about since the translated word “virgin” had different origins. The prediction in Isaiah 7:14 mentioned the Hebrew word “almah” (young girl of marriageable age) while in Matthew 1:22 has the Greek word “parthenos” (virgin) – and that was that.

     Having presented my version of the birth date of Jesus, I am not insisting any change in the calendar. I still accept December 25 as Christmas. The date is already etched in history and in the psyche of humanity. I submit.