St. Nikolaus of Myra, Saturn, Mythological Monsters, Mushrooms and Santa

Notes and Quotes on the Saturnian Origins of Christmas:


"In his most famous exploit, Nicholas aided a poor man who had three daughters, but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment, would have to become prostitutes. Even if they did not, unmarried maidens in those days would have been assumed as being a prostitute. Hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, but being too modest to help the family in public (or to save them the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to the house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the house.

One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throwing the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes of age. Invariably, the third time the father lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking."

"However it was his connection with children that would eventually link him to our Santa figure. One of the most famous of these was the horrifyingTale of the Butcher and the Three Children. Legend has it that there was a famine in the land and three kids wandered too far to get back home before sunset. Just as they were about to despair they spotted the house of a butcher and begged him to let them stay just for the night. The butcher agreed. But as soon as the door closed, he murdered the little children, butchered them, cut their meat into pieces and hid the pieces amongst similar-sized chunks of pork which was he pickling in a tub of brine.

Some time later – months or years, it varies among versions – St. Nicholas appeared at the butcher’s door. The butcher invited the bishop inside and tried to offer him something to eat, but St. Nicholas refused to take any meat from the butcher and asked instead, “What about the children in the tub of brine?” The butcher, overwhelmed by the guilt he had hidden for so long, confessed what he had done and repented. He showed St. Nicholas the tub with the dismembered children, and Nick simply commanded the children to rise up out of the brine. Miraculously the three children were revived and together they stumbled, disorientated, out of the tub."

"THE WILDMAN OF THE MIDDLE AGES WAS described as a grotesque, bestial, ape-like creature, dark, filthy and bearded. Its body was covered in thick, matted hair and gave off a foul odor. (In later depictions of the wildman, his fur was often replaced by leaves.) Sometimes horned, with a prominent sex organ or wielding a club, he was considered frenzied and insane, and was the personification of lust and debauchery. He was known to mate with humans. The habitat of the wildman was the northern woods where he lived in a cave or den. His traditional beast of burden was the reindeer. The wildman shares all these traits with the yeti as well as the devil. (Satan would often appear to Martin Luther as an ape-like entity with filthy, matted hair exuding a heinous odor.) In the 17th century, Pope Gregory I set the specifications of Satan, describing him as dark in color, with horns, hooves and a terrible stench. The devil is also known as Nikolas, or Old Nick for short, while nickel is a term for a demon. In various regions, the wildman is known as Chläus, Div, Djadek, Jass, Kinderfresser (child eater), Klapperbok, Old Scratch, Thomasniklo and Schrat. Over the ages, the brutal wildman figure evolved into a character more like a clown or holiday fool. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss follows a classic wildman scenario: The Grinch is a hairy, Bigfoot-like creature that lives in an alpine cave in a mountain similar to the Matterhorn."

"CHRISTMAS IS A FESTIVE HOLIDAY in Sàpmi, the Saami homeland. The Saami await a Yuletide visit from a giant, horned and hairy wildman named Stallo. In Lappish, stallo means "metal man." Sometimes Stallo is dressed in stylish, all-black clothes like an MIB (man in black) or in a metallic suit (as conspiracy theorists conjecture, a robot or ancient astronaut in a space suit). Most likely the metal suit was the chain-mail armor of the berserker Vikings. The amoral Stallo delights in macabre acts of genital mutilation of his innocent victims. (Stallo pokes his staff up the skirts of young girls.) On Christmas Eve, Stallo rides around in his sleigh looking for something to drink. Traditionally, the Saami drive a stake into the ground near a fresh-water supply so Stallo can tie up his sled while having a refreshing gulp of water. If Stallo cannot find anything to drink, he will bash in a child's skull, sucking out the brains and blood to satiate his thirst. The most dangerous night for Lapp children is Christmas Eve, when Stallo lurks about looking for naughty victims to cram into his sack."

"The Saami shaman beats his drum until he reaches the specific rhythm and tone that sends him into a trancelike state of ecstasy. In this altered state called gievvot, his soul travels to the spirit world to converse with the dead. But first, the drum must be granted "life" by means of a particular ritual, and possessed by a guardian spirit — most commonly a reindeer. The shaman, with the help of his reindeer guide (orbasseváresarves), can take his spiritual journey. On the drum skin are painted (in alder bark mixed with spit) various blood-red symbols that help guide the shaman on his "reindeer vision" across the cosmic road (the Milky Way) to Jábmeájmoo, the Land of the Dead."

"One symbol is a miniature sleigh pulled by a tiny reindeer. This image is used by the shaman to "ride into the sky," calling to mind Santa's Christmas Eve flight. On the other hand, Siberian shamans feed psychedelic mushrooms (Amanita muscaria) to their reindeer. The animals' metabolism removes the toxins from the mushrooms but leaves the hallucinogenic properties intact in the urine. The shamans then drink the reindeer pee to "fly high." In the American drug subculture, the slang term "sleigh riding" refers to a drugged-out state, while "reindeer dust" is another word for cocaine."

"Traditionally, the North was considered to be the abode of devils, shamans, sorcerers, witches, fairies, trolls and wildmen. Dante envisioned Satan in a frigid hell frozen up to his asshole in ice. InInferno, the flapping of Satan's wings produces the polar winds. In Norse mythology, Niflheim is a place of eternal cold, darkness and fog ruled over by the goddess Hel. One of the Earth's portals of hell (located in Västerbotten County, Sweden) is called Devil's Crater (Djävulskratern), a bottomless pit similar to Devil's Hole near Las Vegas."

"The Saami shaman, or noid (also spellednojd, noyde and noajdde), was believed to have the gift of second sight, invisibility, shape-shifting, weird visions and the capability to create false apparitions. Because of this power, Martin Luther called Lapland the home of the devil. Missionaries to Lapland believed that thenoid were literally possessed by demons, and the shaman's drum was a powerful "instrument and tool of the devil." The regions and peoples of the extreme North have always held a special fascination for peoples in the temperate zones. The excessive cold, the winter darkness and the reputed mystical powers of the Hyperborean people have long attracted the imagination of writers, adventurers and seekers of mystic powers. Surely, Santa Claus lives in the North because, like a holy Magi, he holds the great supernatural power of the noid."

"Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply "Santa", is a figure who, in many Western cultures, brings gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24 or on his Feast Day, December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day). The legend may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek and Byzantine folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.

While Saint Nicholas was originally portrayed wearing bishop's robes, today Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots. This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast. This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, and films. In the United Kingdom and Europe, he is often depicted in a manner identical to the American Santa Claus, but he is commonly called Father Christmas."

"A well-known folk legend associated with Santa Claus says that he lives in the far north, in a land of perpetual snow. The American version ofSanta Claus says that he lives at his house on the North Pole, while Father Christmas is often said to reside in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland Province, Finland. Santa Claus lives with his wife Mrs. Claus, a countless number of magical elves, and eight or nine flying reindeer. Another legend, popularized in the song Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, says that he makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behavior ("naughty" or "nice") and that he delivers presents, including toys, candy, and other gifts to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes coal to the naughty children, on the single night of Christmas Eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the reindeer who pull his sleigh."

"Saturnalia became one of the most popular Roman festivals. It was marked by tomfoolery and reversal of social roles, in which slaves and masters ostensibly switched places.

Saturnalia was introduced around 217 BCE to raise citizen morale after a crushing military defeat at the hands of the Carthaginians. Originally celebrated for a day, on December 17, its popularity saw it grow until it became a week long extravaganza, ending on the 23rd. Efforts to shorten the celebration were unsuccessful. Augustus tried to reduce it to three days, and Caligula to five. These attempts caused uproar and massive revolts among the Roman citizens.

Saturnalia involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year. A Saturnalicius princeps (Master of the Saturnalia, the "Lord of Misrule) was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings. Besides the public rites there were a series of holidays and customs celebrated privately. The celebrations included a school holiday, the making and giving of small presents (saturnalia et sigillaricia) and a special market (sigillaria). Gambling was allowed for all, even slaves.

Saturnalia was a time to eat, drink, and be merry. The toga was not worn, but rather the synthesis, i.e. colorful, informal "dinner clothes"; and the pileus (freedman's hat) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated their masters with (a pretense of) disrespect. The slaves celebrated a banquet: before, with, or served by the masters. Yet the reversal of the social order was mostly superficial; the banquet, for example, would often be prepared by the slaves, and they would prepare their masters' dinner as well. It was license within careful boundaries; it reversed the social order without subverting it.

The customary greeting for the occasion is a "Io, Saturnalia!" — Io (pronounced "e-o") being a Latin interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Saturn").

That is the position of the days according to Esoteric Astrology: Moon - Mercury - Venus - Sun - Mars – Jupiter - Saturn. These are related with the Holy Heptaparaparshinokh, the Law of Seven, or the Law that Organises. Because everything is organised by seven – seven days of creation, seven days of the week, the seven dimensions, the seven gospels, the seven chakras. Everything that is organized in any cosmos must be done through the Law of Seven.

Saturn is related with the works on the “Sabbath.” Saturn “Binah” is represented, in mythology, with a stone. That is why you see Capricorn, which is the House of Saturn, is represented by a goat above a stone, a rock. The Male Goat of Mendes is usually associated with the Sabbath. Goats are usually in the rocky-mountains, climbing, jumping, and always it is a kind of semi-desolate mountain, always on rocks - because Saturn is related with the rock and the goat. When we talk of the rock, we have to remember the rocks, the stone tablets, on which the Ten Commandments were written.

That stone or rock is always related with Saturn, with the Holy Spirit. There is an interesting relationship with ‘Santa Claus’ - Capricorn is the House in which Christmas happens. Saturn is always represented as an old man, with a scythe and a clock. And Saturn is the Lord of Winter, because in December enters winter. That is why it is written that the Old Saturn or Santa Claus comes from the north, because he is related with the solar forces that enter through the North Pole into the planet Earth which are cold at that time. Saturn-Binah “The Holy Spirit” brings the new solar life that eventually will “spring” with the advent of the Christ within the womb of Mother Nature that in winter returns into its virginity. This is the Cosmic Christ-Mass or Christmas, the solar ritual of life in nature.

As Krishna who with Arjuna (Causal Body) rides the Chariot of war pulled by four stallions (Physical, Vital, Astral, and Mental Bodies) likewise, Santa Claus, the Old Saturn-Binah rides the “Mercabah” pulled by “Chayoth ha Kadosh”, the Four Holy Creatures (The Bull, the Man, the Lion, and the Eagle, respectively)

The colours that we use to represent Binah, the Holy Spirit, are always related to red, white and black. These are the three colours that Jonah the prophet was using to perform an invocation of Binah-Saturn, on Saturday, or Jehovah Elohim as we state in Gnostic Kabbalah. The Aztecs, the Nahuas, also performed burning offerings to the Holy Spirit by burning perfumes with these kinds of colours using corals coloured red, black and white, in order to invoke the forces of the Holy Spirit related with Saturn.
If we read mythology we read that Saturn is related to the origins of the universe. In this case, Saturn, or the Holy Spirit, is the one that creates. The forces of creation are hidden within the stone. The stone in this case becomes the symbol of the immutable aspect of God, and that we have to use in order to transform ourselves.

So, everything related with Saturday or the Third Commandment is in relation to the work that we have to perform with the Holy Spirit. Remember that always we talk about the three brains. We are divided into the intellectual brain, the emotional brain, and motor-instinctive-sexual brain. In this case the motor-instinctive-sexual brain is the brain in which the Holy Spirit works in the sexual glands. That is why Saturday is related with invocations with three types of ritual related with the Triangle of Priesthood or Magic that we must learn in order to make conciliation with God. It is impossible to achieve the union of God without the Holy Spirit. That is why the first mystery of the Sabbath or Saturday, or the mysteries of Binah the Holy Spirit, is Sexual Magic; because the Holy Spirit has his centre of gravity in the “Cubic Stone of Yesod.” However, in order to perform any type of ritual or invocation, any type of service for God, we have to do it in three aspects, because we have three brains.

This is why the Intuitive Kabbalists or White Magicians know very well that the best day for sexual transmutation is on Saturday. When Friday night comes Saturn is already governing so it is Saturday already, (So are you sure the day begins in the evening?) so they perform the sexual transmutation because they make the Saturday Holy, and they know that in order to make the Saturday holy it is necessary to perform the sexual act.

You shall make the Sabbath holy because it is the day of the Lord. And who is the Lord? The Lord is the one that created the universe, the creator of the universe is the Holy Spirit, Binah-Saturn.

If we read mythology we read that Saturn is related to the origins of the universe. In this case, Saturn, or the Holy Spirit, is the one that creates. The forces of creation are hidden within the stone. The stone in this case becomes the symbol of the immutable aspect of God, and that we have to use in order to transform ourselves.

So, everything related with Saturday or the Third Commandment is in relation to the work that we have to perform with the Holy Spirit. Remember that always we talk about the three brains. We are divided into the intellectual brain, the emotional brain, and motor-instinctive-sexual brain. In this case the motor-instinctive-sexual brain is the brain in which the Holy Spirit works in the sexual glands. That is why Saturday is related with invocations with three types of ritual related with the Triangle of Priesthood or Magic that we must learn in order to make conciliation with God. It is impossible to achieve the union of God without the Holy Spirit. That is why the first mystery of the Sabbath or Saturday, or the mysteries of Binah the Holy Spirit, is Sexual Magic; because the Holy Spirit has his centre of gravity in the “Cubic Stone of Yesod.” However, in order to perform any type of ritual or invocation, any type of service for God, we have to do it in three aspects, because we have three brains.

This is why the Intuitive Kabbalists or White Magicians know very well that the best day for sexual transmutation is on Saturday. When Friday night comes Saturn is already governing so it is Saturday already, (So are you sure the day begins in the evening?) so they perform the sexual transmutation because they make the Saturday Holy, and they know that in order to make the Saturday holy it is necessary to perform the sexual act.
You shall make the Sabbath holy because it is the day of the Lord. And who is the Lord? The Lord is the one that created the universe, the creator of the universe is the Holy Spirit, Binah-Saturn.

Saturn in mythology is the one who works through the stone. Saturn is the one that works through the forces of the sexual energy, the one that brings the everlasting spring, symbolised by the pine tree that is a tree always green in winter - that is why the pine tree is the symbol of Christmas. That everlasting spring is precisely the inner spring that we have to awaken inside by utilising the forces of the Holy Ghost or the Christic Sexual Forces.

This is precisely what the Commandment states, to remember the seventh day means to be remembering God in Saturday (to remember God in any type of Saturnian Rite). To invoke that seventh aspect of the human, the Spirit, the Innermost, that we have to remember to make it holy through the Solar Christ; to make your own seventh part the Spirit holy by remembering him in any ritual (Saturnalia).

Therefore, the mysteries of the Sabbath or Saturday are related with the mysteries of Saturn or Ceremonial Magic where we work with the Holy Spirit in Yesod, Hod and Netzach (sex, heart and mind).