JUDAS GOSPEL, BROWN GRAIL, GNOSTIC FOG

It never rains but it pours and the Judas Gospel is finally released around the same time as Dan Brown is acquitted (yesterday the 7th) in London. And though Brown ought to be free of the particular charge of plagiarism, it frees his book and the upcoming film of The Da Vinci Code to give out, much like the Judas Gospel, its distortions. Both the Judas Gospel and Brown’s fiction represent a modern Gnosticism, private imaginings, interpretations and envisionings of facts, history and things spiritual. Their open door to a largely welcoming world is all part of what I’d long anticipated would be “the year of lies about Jesus”. And yes, despite appearances, it continues the old story of censorship, information suppression and one-sidedness I have been complaining about.

The Judas Gospel is presumably the one that in 180 Bishop Irenaeus was condemning as lies and which was probably composed about 150. It makes out that in effect Judas conspired with a willing Jesus to rid Jesus of a life in a (weak) body he didn’t even want, an act that would give Judas gnosis and power and Jesus himself release. The situation is instinct of the whole Gnostic worldview in which the body is a curse and only soul is real.

Ever since news of the release of this gospel was anticipated I have endeavoured to point out to various people in the press that my Signs for a Messiah has a completely original reading regarding Judas from existing texts. I have demonstrated something about him and the nature of his betrayal that so far no commentator has done, and besides being a published author I am a doctor of religious studies with supposedly some authority to speak on such matters. Much help it has been in getting me heard on what I feel needs to be said about Judas or much else at this time.

The Gnostic Fog

Not that as opposed to what I am claiming from canonical texts the new Gnostic material is giving us history - nobody is really claiming that. Unfortunately however the effect, exactly like Dan Brown’s fiction, is to leave the general public unfamiliar with scholarly and historical issues in the area with the impression that since a variety of views must have once existed, nothing certain can ever be known today. It’s not so much lies about Jesus (though these are present) as a Gnostic fog being put around him. The same effect will derive from Michael Baigent’s The Jesus Papers, most of it a re-cycling for profit of his Holy Blood, Holy Grail thesis and published by HarperCollins (who else seeing they are chief milkers of every heresy?) in advance of The Da Vinci Code film premiere. He suggests we have probably been misinformed about almost everything around Jesus and Christianity is the biggest cover up of history.

Deadly and Contentious Aspects

I don’t know exactly when the Judas Gospel was released in America and it’s not necessary to know it exactly to have a general idea from the astrological standpoint but it would probably have been sometime on the 6th as it was on the news here in Australia by the evening of the 7th. What is interesting is that contentious Mars in Gemini (sign of Christianity) was contentiously, aggressively close to exact opposition to a Pluto itself near enough conjunct the Galactic Centre (events in religion) in Sagittarius. (25 opposite to 26). Importantly, Mercury (any news and in effect any gospel because it means “good news”) was conjunct the Saturn rather than the Jupiter (truth) of the era conjunction of Jesus’ birth. It was also inconjunct the Saturn of the day. Tradition has always had it that Judas was a Piscean and the late seeress, Jeane Dixon, even alleged on revelation this was the case. Whatever, Judas’ sun or some planet would surely need to have been conjunct Jesus’ Saturn for the possibility of such extreme betrayal to have taken place. So on the 6th and 7th with Venus just entered the sign of Pisces and Mercury conjunct Jesus’ Saturn would be a suitable time to be hearing about the traitor. These facts have besides to be assessed against the root fact that Neptune by transit is, according to my claims in the matter, currently nearly conjunct the Midheaven of Christ’s birth chart inviting precisely the fog around Jesus’ status and reputation.

An important premiere

Brown’s win means the premiere of The Da Vinci Code will go ahead rather as between reports on the trial and the aspects I assumed it would (Brown’s natal Jupiter (natally opposite Neptune) is presently being conjuncted. In other words Brown has a Jupiter return – how could he not be freed to export his afflicted Neptune distortions?! This means that everything I have written about the pattern of the premiere, the status of Magdalena, Leonardo etc for May 19th will stand and will apply. I hardly imagined anything so descriptive could fail to do so, it was in itself a sign the trial would have to be won on Brown’s behalf.

Information about the premiere and Brown’s revealing data will be published in Horoscope Magazine’s biannual edition for June but released in May and likely in time for the premiere. This will offer something astrological at its most topical and precise. This feature will be out in Australia and N Zealand and that’s good but it won’t be out in America, the home from which book and film and Brown himself emanate which is not so good. It is however a minor restriction compared with not being able to discuss the character of Judas from the point of view of scholarship at this time. Gnostics have very much overtaken the information field. It is disagreeable to see the first of the Gnostic popularizers, Elaine Pagels, who has in effect rejected Christianity, assuring the cameras and as though representing the religion itself, that the Gospel of Judas is a potential Christian lesson for us all in forgiveness and love. Perhaps we had all better get into the work of betrayal to improve ourselves!.... Or perhaps in lending credence and support to the new Gnostic trends that’s what we’re anyway doing.


Rollan McCleary