Easter is Pagan

Easter is inherently pagan. This is hard for many Christians to swallow. But, believe me, it is true. In fact, the name “Easter” comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Easter. She was a sex and fertility goddess. She was also goddess of the dawn. Note that the word “Easter” shares the same root as “east” and “eastern,” the place of the rising sun. Her sacred animal was the rabbit or the hare and “easter eggs” were given in her honor. In fact, some scholars believe that the giving of eggs at the vernal equinox (i.e. Easter) may go back as far as 20,000 years ago to ancient Mesopotamia. According to Jewish accounts, Abraham was from Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). He may have indeed witnessed such pagan customs himself. Do you think he engaged in such practices?

Easter is commonly celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. To early Christians it was important that not only the sun, but also the moon were in the equinoctial zodiac sign. This shows that astrology was well received and accepted by early Christians. The vernal equinox is the time of spring, and when the length of day and night are equal in duration. Thus, it is the pagan symbol of light overcoming darkness. From death comes life and from darkness, light. The winter solstice (December 25th) is when the pagans celebrated the birth of the sun god. Christians today celebrate the birth of Jesus on the same date with sacred trees (tree worship). The pagans celebrated this date as the sun god’s birth because it is the longest night of the year, after which the length of days become longer. It is at the vernal equinox (Easter) that day and night are equal and the orb of day overcomes the darkness. Life overcomes the jaws of death. Behold! He is risen.

Many Christians will note that this festival is only called “Easter” in the West. Quite true. It is the celebration of Passover, or “Pesach” in Hebrew. In the Bible, when the Jews were in Egypt, God was about to send one of his horrid plagues (the death of the first born). The Jews were instructed to slay a “lamb” and to rub the lamb’s blood on the doors of their homes. In this way, God would see the blood of the lamb and “pass over” them. This is where the holiday gets the name “Passover.” The blood of the lamb caused the Jews to escape the wrath of God. In the same way, Christians see the blood of Jesus (the lamb) as protecting them from the Hebrew God’s wrath. I might add here that Osiris was also referred to as the “lamb” of god in ancient litanies in reference to the sun in the zodiac sign of Aries. These concepts have existed long before Christianity ever even existed. The new religion must be based upon the stock of those that came before. There are no “new” ideas in religion. Only a recycling of concepts and a remixing to give new meaning to followers of organized religion. This is what religious structures, by theur very nature, is based upon. These are universal themes in world mythology. It is all based in astro-theology. The worship of the sun and the reverence for the stars and constellations.

The vernal equinox is also when many ancient mystery and sun cults honored the mythological death and resurrection of the sun. The Egyptian god Osiris was betrayed at a feast or supper. The god Set betrayed him and he was murdered. Osiris rose from the dead and this was celebrated in Egypt at the vernal equinox (Easter). This is why the rising sun is of such central importance to such fertility cults, from which Christianity derives its festivities. The Greek goddess Persephone once lived in perfect bliss on mount Olympus. She was in paradise. Hades, the Lord of the Underworld (who plays the role of the “serpent” here) tricked Persephone into eating the forbidden fruit: the pomegranate. The pomegranate was the forbidden fruit of mortality. Persephone was deceived and plucked the fruit and eat thereof. Hades took her in his chariot to the Underworld, to the land of those whose food is dust and mud. There Hades raped her and forced her to be his bride. To the Mystery cult of Eluseus (which the Greek philosopher Socrates mentions), Persephone symbolized the soul of humanity which once existed in a state of perfect bliss and fell from grace. Her mother Demeter pleaded for her return and Hades finally agreed to let Persephone return half the year, but the other half of the year she must remain with him. This was symbolic of reincarnation, rebirth. Each vernal equinox her return was a resurrection and the flowers bloomed with joy. From death cometh new life. The Syrian fertility god Attys was annually hung on a tree and resurrected. In other myths he was killed by a wild bore and reborn from a “myhhr” tree. The concept of death and resurrection at the vernal equinox is ancient and deeply rooted.

To the ancient sun cults, the death and resurrection myth was a great cosmic allegory which symbolized the tests and trials of initiation. The initiate of the mystery schools must die and be “born again.” This symbolized spiritual rebirth. The red color that the Easter eggs often had was an allusion to Mars. The vernal equinox is when the sun was in Aries and from which March derives its name (from Mar-s). Christianity has been built upon the stock of paganism. Successfully so, indeed.