"We take drunk Soma and become immortal; nosotros have attained the light, the gods discovered. Now what may an enemy'south malice do to harm the states? What, O Immortal, can mortal man's charade do?" – Rig Veda 8.48.3

Perhaps the most mysterious of the Vedic traditions is the ritual consumption of Soma, a drink said to grant immortality and communion with the gods. Many accept been on a quest to identify its earthly counterpart. Most speculations revolve around plants that produce a stimulating and/or hallucinogenic effect. The spiritual authorities, however, refuse any such speculation identifying it as a mundane drug.

In the Vedic tradition, Soma is simultaneously a plant, a person (god), and a heavenly body (the moon). Information technology is said that Sage Atri, ane of the Seven Sages of the Universe, once cried in jubilation, and from his tears of joy was born his son Soma. Tears that are shed due to acrimony or sadness are hot, but those shed from joy are cool. Because of this the moon was full of soothing rays. He is said to be a off-white and handsome youth, one who was raised past the Seven Mothers to exist a Sage and Seer.

As a plant nosotros are told that Soma was sacrificed, crushed through stones to express the liquid.

"Freeing himself he flows away, leaving his trunk's severed limbs, and meets his own companion here." -Rig Veda 9.fourteen.iv

The liquid, usually described as gilded or bright red, is and then poured into milk which is described variously as Soma being adorned with white robes or the milk serving as a healing balm.

The gustation is described as sweetness, lovely, and pleasant.

But it is the effects of the Soma drink that capture ane'south attention: one who consumes it enters a rapture, that is exhilarating, increasing one'south vitality, creativity, and intelligence. We are told it makes one happy, mentally powerful, increases ones sensuality and dazzler, prolongs life, and fifty-fifty frees one of sinful reactions.

It is important to note that in the Vedic tradition the moon is intimately tied to all plant life. We learn that Soma is the vital force in all vegetation allowing the living entity to relish the gustation of food.

"I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I go the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables." – Bhagavad Gita xv.xiii

Experts in Ayurveda will fifty-fifty pick herbs by the phase of the moon in society to unlock their full healing potential. Because of this the moon is known as Annamaya (providing potency to herbs and plants) likewise as Amritamaya (the source of life for all living entities).

All institute life then contains moonshine and every bit such simply by eating a plant-based diet one receives the benefits of the Soma juice – increased vitality, beauty, creativity, and prolonged life. Only the effect is subtle and not concentrated.

A comparing tin can be made with that of air to prana (life force). While air is the gross/physical attribute it contains within it the subtle energy of prana. Just by breathing air nosotros all receive the benefits of prana in an unconcentrated form. But the yogic do of Pranayama is not but to breathe air. Rather it is to stoke the internal fires to distill the prana from the air and to concentrate its effects to expand one's consciousness. In a similar way, all constitute life contains Soma, but information technology requires one adept in the yogic do to concentrate it to unlock its full potential.

In the Rig Veda we learn that Tvastar, the maker of divine implements, is the guardian of the Soma drink. He fashions a golden chalice which holds this potable for Indra the King of Heaven. Some view the moon as the loving cup that Tvastar fabricated to concord Soma, with the waning of the moon the consumption and the waxing the refilling of the vessel. In time the gods ask the Rbhus to create iv new drinking cups to hold the Soma then that other gods may partake.

Soma

The precision of the movements of the heavenly bodies is something the ancients keenly observed: the spinning of the earth on its axis gives us a day; the spinning of the moon around the globe gives us a month (waning & waxing); the spinning of both around the lord's day gives us a twelvemonth. Interestingly, the moon rotates on its axis at exactly the same rate information technology takes to rotate around the world. The result of this is to cause the moon to announced every bit if standing still with the aforementioned confront ever pointed towards the world. Another interesting fact, during a total solar eclipse the size of the Moon is exactly in proportion to block out the Lord's day, despite the Dominicus having a diameter 400 times that of the Moon. This is due to the fact that the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 400 times that between the World and the Moon. The odds are truly astronomical.

During the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the forces of darkness (demons) and the forces of low-cal (demigods) cooperated to create Amrta – the Nectar of Immortality. The Chief Minister of the demons, Rahu, through subterfuge, begins to drink some of the Nectar. However, the Dominicus and the Moon see through his trickery and advise Mohini, the female Avatar of Lord Visnu of this charade. She afterward cuts off his head.

Mohini

Because the Nectar of Immortality passed through his throat his head remains immortal. Rahu (the head without a body) seeks to swallow the Sun while Ketu (the body without a head) attacks the Moon. In art they are depicted as a snake. On a gross/concrete level the Solar and Lunar eclipses represent the demon's severed bodies continually attacking the Sun and Moon as revenge. On a subtle level these eclipses are inauspicious omens that portend trouble from the dark powers of the globe.

Information technology is at this point we plow the word in a very different management. One of the most unusual influences on European civilization is that of the Vedic god Mitra. This god, who the Romans referred to as Mithras, was a Vedic solar deity. He was very popular amongst Roman Emperors and soldiers alike. There are literally hundreds of temple remains scattered across the one-time Roman empire equally far off as Great Britain.

How did the Romans come to worship Mithras? While at that place is argue, it is well-nigh probable that Mithraism was brought back by Greek soldiers returning later on Alexander'south invasions of the E. The Greeks and Romans were far beneath the Vedic standard. No doubt much of the religion was changed just a Vedic cosmological pattern was imprinted upon European religious symbolism.

The famed ceremonious rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther Rex Jr. in fact wrote ane essay titled "A Report of Mithraism" in which he concludes that Christianity borrowed "unconsciously" from the Mithraic tradition. Christianity evolved through syncretism with local traditions and was eventually made the official Roman religion under Constantine I (272 A.D. – 337 AD).

A few examples of Mithraic influence on Christianity include:
i) The appearance twenty-four hour period of Mithras on Dec 25 was made the birthday of Jesus.
2) The Jewish Sabbath was moved from Saturday to Sunday (the Roman Solar holy solar day).
3) Mithras had twelve followers representing the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
four) Mithraism had a religious ritual involving the consumption of bread and wine.

There are many scholars that accept done in depth studies of the Mithraic Solar influence on Christianity. But surprisingly almost all seem to miss the Vedic Lunar cosmological pattern in Christian ritual.

For those unaware the central religious ritual of Christianity involves the consumption of bread and wine transformed into the literal flesh and blood of Jesus. This ritual is known as the Eucharist, with the bread described as the 'host' or flesh and the vino as the blood. Many mod Christians find the notion of continually killing of their teacher and consuming his literal flesh and claret unpalatable. As such they take instead viewed it symbolically while others have simply discarded the ritual entirely.

Soma

Just a comparison with Soma provides a startling number of points of similarity.

We know that Soma is a found while Jesus is described as a grapevine:

"I am the truthful grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more than." – John 15:i-2

This becomes even more obvious when we run into that both Soma and Jesus are sacrificed. The grapes are crushed to produce Jesus's claret in the cup of wine.

Both Soma and the blood wine are aureate/red, sweetness, and provide a gladdening effect. Both grant immortality/everlasting life. Both provide communion with God(s) and both are held in a gilded loving cup.

But there are even more than similarities.

Both Soma and Jesus are depicted clothed in white robes.

Soma

The bread, known equally the host, acting as the body of Jesus, is a white circumvolve reminiscent of the moon.

Soma

While you may think this is taking symbolism likewise far wait for the adjacent few points.

During the ritual the host breadstuff is encased in a ceremonial vessel known as a monstrance. This represents the rays of the Sun.

Soma

The glass container, holding the breadstuff/body in the center, is known as the Luna (Latin: Moon), and the crescent metal clip that holds the host is called the Lunette (fiddling Moon).

Soma

And and so we run into the Moon (host) held directly in the center of the Sunday, symbolic of the Solar eclipse.

Soma

But there is more.

Many Christians believe that signs in the heavens will signal the return of Jesus:

"The sun shall exist turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, earlier the great and crawly day of the Lord comes." -Joel ii:31

And

"The sun became equally nighttime as black material, and the moon became as ruddy every bit claret." Revelations 6:12

Christians refer to these as the 'blood moons' which occur as a event of an eclipse. Unfortunately Christianity lacks a tradition of star divination and and so they do non empathise the maleficent effects. The Sun attacked past Rahu becomes black and the Moon attacked by Ketu appears as a golden/blood-red cup total of blood.

Soma

There are four blood moons and i solar eclipse which autumn on Jewish holy days starting from 4/15/2014 through nine/28/2015. This signals increased strife and war in the world.

But there is ane final and definitive signal of similarity.

Soma

The Bible was originally written in Greek the language of the intellectuals of the fourth dimension. At the last supper, when Jesus picks upward the bread he describes his body with one particular discussion:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, maxim, "Take, consume; this is my trunk (sōma | σῶμα)." – Matthew 26:26

That's right, the give-and-take used in the original Greek for the trunk of Jesus is Soma. The Greek word Soma is of "undetermined" origin and refers to the trunk of a plant, a person (mystical/physical), as well as a heavenly body.

With all of these points of similarity nosotros tin state conclusively that the central religious ritual of Christianity is patterned on Vedic cosmology.

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