Extra-Canonical Texts and Astrological Motifs

In episode 519 of the podcast I'm joined by astrologer Reverend Lindsay Turner to discuss the story of the Magi, the birth of Jesus, and the astrology surrounding the Nativity story. We explore the celebration of Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, and analyze the Gospel of Matthew's account of the astrologers from the East who followed a star to Bethlehem. We discuss the distinction between approaching the Nativity as a historical event versus a literary narrative, and how the author of Matthew partially used the story of the Magi to legitimize Jesus as a king in the 1st century. We also look at technical astrological terms found in the Greek text, such as anatole or "at its rising," and how this relates to Hellenistic astrology. We also talk about the relationship between early Christianity and astrology, including the non-canonical Acts of Paul and Thecla, the liturgical seasons aligning with the Zodiac, and how modern Christians can reconcile their faith with astrological practice. Lindsay's Website https://badpastor.me Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro00:00:34 Epiphany and Three Kings Day traditions00:01:45 The Nativity story and the Star of Bethlehem00:03:50 Historical vs. literary approaches to the Gospels00:05:41 The Gospel of Matthew and Hebrew prophecy00:08:05 Reading the Magi passage (Matthew 2:1-12)00:10:52 Who were the Magi? Astrologers vs. Persian priests00:12:00 The context of natal astrology in the 1st Century00:13:30 The political subversion of the Nativity story00:16:27 "At its rising" (Anatole) as a technical astrological term00:18:23 Crossover between New Testament Greek and astrological texts00:20:14 Theories on the Star: Comets, conjunctions, and novae00:26:27 The solar eclipse at the crucifixion00:31:00 Astrology used to legitimize Jesus in Matthew00:33:30 Did the Magi renounce astrology?00:36:51 The Manger nebula in the constellation Cancer00:39:19 The Thema Mundi and the birth chart of the cosmos00:41:05 The debate over the date of Jesus' birth00:48:25 The Acts of Paul and Thecla and lost Christian texts00:54:38 Mary Magdalene and the seven daimons01:02:15 Fate, free will, and Stoicism in the ancient world01:05:45 Early Christianity as social rebellion01:09:30 Identity in Christ vs. astrological identity01:15:33 Liturgical seasons and the Zodiac01:17:28 Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, and the origins of Christmas01:21:50 Stigma against astrology in the modern church01:29:50 The shared origins of Christianity and Hellenistic astrology01:32:00 Astrology as a bridge between science and religion01:35:10 Lindsay’s upcoming book and contact info01:36:35 Sponsors and credits Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J68CV7YYm0 - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 519 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: