I’ve contemplated this sort of idea before, though not as in depth as this article. I believe that there is definite truth in it, especially as I am coming to realize that, God being Person in the highest sense, did not make an impersonal creation. All that has been made has a personal dimension even if it is not a person, because all that God created is ultimately for His glory and meant to be offered up by man to God, which is man’s priestly function. We live in a reality created by I AM, so nothing that He has made is without purpose or care. So much of what we have been fed about the nature of reality from the world is wrong either by ignorance or by deception, and I suspect it is likely a bit of both.
To a certain degree, I absolutely think so. In the past year, I’ve been viewing atoms and molecules as self-regulating organisms and it suddenly miracles and magic don’t seem so crazy. If you want to look more into this, check out the Youtube channel ‘Formscapes’ and listen to his video essays on the concept of ‘morphic resonance’
Rupert Sheldrake is the one who presented the concept of Morphic Resonance. You can find many YouTube videos of him speaking about this, as well as videos of him discussing the sun being conscious.
Especially interesting are his more recent conversations with Mark Vernon.
Have you ever considered the names and orbits of the planets?
The furthest planet that a man can see with a naked eye is Chronos (a.k.a Saturn). He was the first of the Greek Gods to rebel against his father, Ouranos (a.k.a Uranus).
For sure! I mean, the planets themselves are named after the Roman/Greek pantheon. I think their names definitely represent the archetypal forces and cosmic powers their cycles signify.
It really makes you think. In Revelation, there are said to be seven spirits before the throne of God, and seven angels represented by seven stars in the hand of Christ over the seven lampstands, which are the seven named churches given special mention in the author's vision. Are there any reasons to suspect that the seven stars are associated with the seven classical planets? Obviously the stars are in the second heaven, not the third, which is where the throne of God would be. But if we see seven churches mirroring seven angels before God, perhaps this mirroring also occurs in the middle layer? I would say that it's not entirely out of the question, although I wouldn't say for certain because, for instance, we have new planets. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto aren't typically visible in the night sky, but nevertheless they are actual planets who, if we follow the same logic, have intelligences as well.
But then again, are they loyal? I guess a better question might be: are the planets angels or demons? If demons necessarily have to be cast down to the earth, or at least the first layer of heaven as relatively heavier "spirits of the air," then the planets in the second heaven are likely still aligned with God, at least by the logic herein presentated. But it's hard to know, really, isn't it? Certain gnostic sects considered all of the planets to be archons, oppressive controller demons, although I wouldn't go for that necessarily either. I'm totally ignorant, here, of the alignment of the stars at large, which is frankly why I halted my study of astrology until I could with some confidence say that I wasn't messing with demons.
Anyways, my ignorance won't stop me posing more interesring questions. Here's one: Does the angel of the planet Jupiter say, "yeah, you can see several holes in the ranks below me because those guys apostacized. These are, uh, vacancies. The job board has postings for if you want to fill them, provided that you have the credentials of sainthood." Just a thought! Maybe I'm overstepping the line here between human and angel. I'm interested to hear what you think.
Great point about the seven stars in Revelation! Forgot to put that in there, that's a big one. I'll have to research more into the seven churches and see if there are any clear correspondences to the planets. Clearly, the number 7 is a huge number in Christian numerology. The new planets are an interesting addition to our cosmology, but I think that their invisibility to the naked eye is significant. The fact that God designed things in a way where only 7 are visible is no coincidence.
As far as the planets go, this is ENTIRELY speculation on my part: the planets seem to be associated with both angels and demons. If we look to the angelic order of the Second Heaven, one of the ranks of angels are the Virtues. If we look at the planetary archetypes, each planet can be considered a virtue or a vice depending on the context. For instance, the Planet Mars can be associated with the vice of wrath, but it can also be associated with righteous war against evil (i.e.) Archangel Michael. Venus can be associated with lust, but also with harmonious love. The planets seem to govern extremely broad archetypal powers, hence why Powers are also an angelic rank in the Second Heaven.
As far as the 'job vacancy' idea goes, that is a great way of thinking about it! In fact, Fr. Stephen De Young uses the same exact analogy to describe our call to sainthood. Look up on Youtube his talk entitled "That Old Black Magic" and you will find him talk all about it. I love the idea!
This is a very interesting article. I have often considered the nature of the stars as living and intelligent beings. I agree with what you said, that to say they are just "balls of gas" is the same as saying humans are just "clumps of cells". Describing what they are made of doesn't mean we understand what they are or whether or not they are intelligent. Incidentally, I have recently read an interesting book that addresses some of these topics. It's about plasma physics and it's called A New Science of Heaven: https://a.co/d/6EbiYqD. I believe you are correct, that the ancients had a lot of understanding on this subject that they are not given credit for nowadays.
Enjoyable read! I’m quite taken with your idea about stars having an immaterial, intangible aspects akin to human souls. I’m exploring some similar ideas in my own writing, but from a different angle - looking at Christian ideas through a science fiction lens. You might find some of it interesting! In any case, I’ll certainly be reading more of your work!
I would absolutely love to hear it! I’m actually working on a long-term project myself: writing a Christian themed sci-fi saga. Would love to talk to you more, DM me!
This was a fascinating read! I didn't know the full story about what happened in Las Vegas, the MS news left out the part about the family praying and the screams they heard.
Yeah, that story is NUTS. Especially the part where the witness says he experienced sleep paralysis when he looked at the alien. If you look more into sleep paralysis stories, they are heavily intertwined with demonic encounters and occultism
Oh, I believe it! It's amazing how much people will try to explain something like that away. There has definitely been an increase in such activity. Interesting days ahead.
I am (unfortunately) a Protestant scholar with a Master's in Philosophy with a particular interest and focus on a thinker named Owen Barfield.
I am unsure if you know who this man was, but, briefly, he was one of the four Inklings, which included famously both C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, and Charles Williams.
Shortly, it is within Barfield's thought of anthroposophy that matter derives from mind. Mind, or Spirit, came first in a process he calls 'evolution of consciousness.' More or less, one of the key ideas in his books 'Saving the Appearances' and 'Poetic Diction' is the ancient and medieval idea that you so interestingly captured here in this amazing article, which is that the stars, planets, and nature itself influence, effect, and move upon individuals to influence their choices, understanding of the world, etc.
For example, Barfield writes,
"But the stars and the planets were also living bodies; they were composed of that “fifth essence”… which was likewise latent in all terrestrial things, so that the character and the fate of men were determined by the influence… which came from them. The Earth had its atmosphere (a kind of breath which it exhaled from itself); the Moon… had a special connection with lunacy, and according as the planet Jupiter, or Saturn, or Mercury was predominant or in the ascendant in the general disposition of stars at a man’s birth, he would be jovial, saturnine, or mercurial. Finally, things or persons which were susceptible to the same influences, or which influenced each other in this occult way, were said to be in sympathy or sympathetic."
Although it has taken some time to philosophically deconstruct the materialism inherent within Western academia, I think I have come to the place of your well argued essay: that the stars are not, as we falsely assume, just unconscious balls of rock and mass floating meaninglessly in space; but they are thoroughly spiritual and ethereal realities (that may have rock/mass as a part of their exterior form). Their ontology, much like humans, are both physical and spiritual, bearing a form of consciousness that is moved by a higher hierarchy than itself, or, the angelic realms move through or within the stars as the medium between different realms.
Too be honest, I am trying to learn more each day to articulate and broaden my worldview with regards to these ideas.
Any feedback would be appreciated, and any further references or books you could lead me to read would also be appreciated. Thank you!
Just a small clarification: Eastern Orthodoxy (the original body of Christ from which the Roman branch split) also has the concept of nous, which is the unique capacity of humans to acknowledge and commune with God.
In addition, we believe that every living thing—every blade of grass—has a soul, or life spirit, but only humans, created with the image and likeness of God, have a nous.
You can take this one step further, into a call to action: The Bible describes angels and stars as "the eyes of God" which God to and fro about the earth - we see this with Satan in Job 1:7, the horses in Zechariah 1:10, and explicitly angelic eyes in 2 Chronicles 16:9. This is why the four living creatures in Ezekiel and Revelation (which are likely references to four of the zodiac constellations) and why they have wheels of eyes about them - these are spinning galaxies of stars, the angelic eyes of God.
And what does God say the purpose of this "going to and fro about the earth" is? To see if the earth is at rest; to aid those whose hearts are righteous before God; and in the example of Satan, to learn from the example of God's people - "Have you taken my servant Job into your heart?"
Now Jesus describes our eyes as lamps, a source of light in a spiritual sense. And in Revelation, he holds 7 stars which are the angels of the 7 churches and also are the churches: The angels are bodies of light which are spiritual eyes, and mankind the image of God in the church have eyes of flesh which gives off spiritual light to the angels.
Which is the mission of the Church:
Ephesians 3:8-10 - "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
So through the preaching and living out of the gospel, voluntarily taking on the suffering of Christ and worshipping in Spirit and in truth, our spiritual eyes shine out to the angelic eyes in witness to the wisdom of God and the glory of God on earth, just as the stars shine down in creation bearing witness to the glory of God in heaven.
I certainly think your thesis is possible, but proving it or even providing evidence for it would be difficult, even at a theoretical level. For the ancients and medievals, the stars had powers to affect things on earth. I'm not sure how that could fit with what I think are better theories of how bodies move.
It would be interesting, though, if there was evidence that 1/3 of the stars had become black holes.
After reading Rod Drehers new book and possibilities and evidence for demonic masquerades in the form of aliens and AI becoming increasingly mainstream, I was reminded of a passage in the Screwtape Letters. I wrote a short article myself, but the crucial quote is below:
"When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics. At least, not yet. I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. …If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight."
I'm becoming slowly more acquainted with the Orthodox cosmology, after being raised Protestant, but it's definitely compelling. Great writing!
An image I’ve worked with regarding the interplay of material/spiritual or literal/metaphorical (I understand these pairs to be in some sense related) is a pendulum. For most of its journey it is in motion, except for an instant at each end of its motion when it becomes inert [sic]. The material/literal is the ‘visible’ manifestation of the spiritual/metaphorical.
Are you sure Solomon never did any of that stuff? 1 Kings 11:1-8 states that Solomon's 700 wives turned him to "other gods". The text gives a few examples and ends with "so he did for all of his [700] foreign wives".
I’ve contemplated this sort of idea before, though not as in depth as this article. I believe that there is definite truth in it, especially as I am coming to realize that, God being Person in the highest sense, did not make an impersonal creation. All that has been made has a personal dimension even if it is not a person, because all that God created is ultimately for His glory and meant to be offered up by man to God, which is man’s priestly function. We live in a reality created by I AM, so nothing that He has made is without purpose or care. So much of what we have been fed about the nature of reality from the world is wrong either by ignorance or by deception, and I suspect it is likely a bit of both.
Would you extend your view to, for example, earthly matter? As in: atoms, particles, also having a will of their own?
To a certain degree, I absolutely think so. In the past year, I’ve been viewing atoms and molecules as self-regulating organisms and it suddenly miracles and magic don’t seem so crazy. If you want to look more into this, check out the Youtube channel ‘Formscapes’ and listen to his video essays on the concept of ‘morphic resonance’
I encountered the idea that they may have free will in Andreev's *The rose of the world*.
💯💯💯
Rupert Sheldrake is the one who presented the concept of Morphic Resonance. You can find many YouTube videos of him speaking about this, as well as videos of him discussing the sun being conscious.
Especially interesting are his more recent conversations with Mark Vernon.
Have you ever considered the names and orbits of the planets?
The furthest planet that a man can see with a naked eye is Chronos (a.k.a Saturn). He was the first of the Greek Gods to rebel against his father, Ouranos (a.k.a Uranus).
Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the sun.
84 = 7 x 12, both of them Holy Numbers.
What do you mean by consider them?
Thought about (in general).
Or, in my case, in the context of unsupervised numerology.
For sure! I mean, the planets themselves are named after the Roman/Greek pantheon. I think their names definitely represent the archetypal forces and cosmic powers their cycles signify.
It really makes you think. In Revelation, there are said to be seven spirits before the throne of God, and seven angels represented by seven stars in the hand of Christ over the seven lampstands, which are the seven named churches given special mention in the author's vision. Are there any reasons to suspect that the seven stars are associated with the seven classical planets? Obviously the stars are in the second heaven, not the third, which is where the throne of God would be. But if we see seven churches mirroring seven angels before God, perhaps this mirroring also occurs in the middle layer? I would say that it's not entirely out of the question, although I wouldn't say for certain because, for instance, we have new planets. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto aren't typically visible in the night sky, but nevertheless they are actual planets who, if we follow the same logic, have intelligences as well.
But then again, are they loyal? I guess a better question might be: are the planets angels or demons? If demons necessarily have to be cast down to the earth, or at least the first layer of heaven as relatively heavier "spirits of the air," then the planets in the second heaven are likely still aligned with God, at least by the logic herein presentated. But it's hard to know, really, isn't it? Certain gnostic sects considered all of the planets to be archons, oppressive controller demons, although I wouldn't go for that necessarily either. I'm totally ignorant, here, of the alignment of the stars at large, which is frankly why I halted my study of astrology until I could with some confidence say that I wasn't messing with demons.
Anyways, my ignorance won't stop me posing more interesring questions. Here's one: Does the angel of the planet Jupiter say, "yeah, you can see several holes in the ranks below me because those guys apostacized. These are, uh, vacancies. The job board has postings for if you want to fill them, provided that you have the credentials of sainthood." Just a thought! Maybe I'm overstepping the line here between human and angel. I'm interested to hear what you think.
Great point about the seven stars in Revelation! Forgot to put that in there, that's a big one. I'll have to research more into the seven churches and see if there are any clear correspondences to the planets. Clearly, the number 7 is a huge number in Christian numerology. The new planets are an interesting addition to our cosmology, but I think that their invisibility to the naked eye is significant. The fact that God designed things in a way where only 7 are visible is no coincidence.
As far as the planets go, this is ENTIRELY speculation on my part: the planets seem to be associated with both angels and demons. If we look to the angelic order of the Second Heaven, one of the ranks of angels are the Virtues. If we look at the planetary archetypes, each planet can be considered a virtue or a vice depending on the context. For instance, the Planet Mars can be associated with the vice of wrath, but it can also be associated with righteous war against evil (i.e.) Archangel Michael. Venus can be associated with lust, but also with harmonious love. The planets seem to govern extremely broad archetypal powers, hence why Powers are also an angelic rank in the Second Heaven.
As far as the 'job vacancy' idea goes, that is a great way of thinking about it! In fact, Fr. Stephen De Young uses the same exact analogy to describe our call to sainthood. Look up on Youtube his talk entitled "That Old Black Magic" and you will find him talk all about it. I love the idea!
Neoplatonism, Hellenistic philosophy, aliens, esotericism AND Orthodoxy? You have my attention and my subscription.
Thank you. You’re certainly not alone in this possibility.
This is a very interesting article. I have often considered the nature of the stars as living and intelligent beings. I agree with what you said, that to say they are just "balls of gas" is the same as saying humans are just "clumps of cells". Describing what they are made of doesn't mean we understand what they are or whether or not they are intelligent. Incidentally, I have recently read an interesting book that addresses some of these topics. It's about plasma physics and it's called A New Science of Heaven: https://a.co/d/6EbiYqD. I believe you are correct, that the ancients had a lot of understanding on this subject that they are not given credit for nowadays.
To physics, they are, and should be gad balls (and we, piles of cells).
Then, and beyond physics, there is methaphysics.
Wow, the description for that book alone has me interested. Thanks for the recommendation!
Enjoyable read! I’m quite taken with your idea about stars having an immaterial, intangible aspects akin to human souls. I’m exploring some similar ideas in my own writing, but from a different angle - looking at Christian ideas through a science fiction lens. You might find some of it interesting! In any case, I’ll certainly be reading more of your work!
I would absolutely love to hear it! I’m actually working on a long-term project myself: writing a Christian themed sci-fi saga. Would love to talk to you more, DM me!
This was a fascinating read! I didn't know the full story about what happened in Las Vegas, the MS news left out the part about the family praying and the screams they heard.
Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate it!
Yeah, that story is NUTS. Especially the part where the witness says he experienced sleep paralysis when he looked at the alien. If you look more into sleep paralysis stories, they are heavily intertwined with demonic encounters and occultism
Oh, I believe it! It's amazing how much people will try to explain something like that away. There has definitely been an increase in such activity. Interesting days ahead.
Hi Ioannis,
Thank you very much for this exciting article.
I am (unfortunately) a Protestant scholar with a Master's in Philosophy with a particular interest and focus on a thinker named Owen Barfield.
I am unsure if you know who this man was, but, briefly, he was one of the four Inklings, which included famously both C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, and Charles Williams.
Shortly, it is within Barfield's thought of anthroposophy that matter derives from mind. Mind, or Spirit, came first in a process he calls 'evolution of consciousness.' More or less, one of the key ideas in his books 'Saving the Appearances' and 'Poetic Diction' is the ancient and medieval idea that you so interestingly captured here in this amazing article, which is that the stars, planets, and nature itself influence, effect, and move upon individuals to influence their choices, understanding of the world, etc.
For example, Barfield writes,
"But the stars and the planets were also living bodies; they were composed of that “fifth essence”… which was likewise latent in all terrestrial things, so that the character and the fate of men were determined by the influence… which came from them. The Earth had its atmosphere (a kind of breath which it exhaled from itself); the Moon… had a special connection with lunacy, and according as the planet Jupiter, or Saturn, or Mercury was predominant or in the ascendant in the general disposition of stars at a man’s birth, he would be jovial, saturnine, or mercurial. Finally, things or persons which were susceptible to the same influences, or which influenced each other in this occult way, were said to be in sympathy or sympathetic."
Although it has taken some time to philosophically deconstruct the materialism inherent within Western academia, I think I have come to the place of your well argued essay: that the stars are not, as we falsely assume, just unconscious balls of rock and mass floating meaninglessly in space; but they are thoroughly spiritual and ethereal realities (that may have rock/mass as a part of their exterior form). Their ontology, much like humans, are both physical and spiritual, bearing a form of consciousness that is moved by a higher hierarchy than itself, or, the angelic realms move through or within the stars as the medium between different realms.
Too be honest, I am trying to learn more each day to articulate and broaden my worldview with regards to these ideas.
Any feedback would be appreciated, and any further references or books you could lead me to read would also be appreciated. Thank you!
Just a small clarification: Eastern Orthodoxy (the original body of Christ from which the Roman branch split) also has the concept of nous, which is the unique capacity of humans to acknowledge and commune with God.
In addition, we believe that every living thing—every blade of grass—has a soul, or life spirit, but only humans, created with the image and likeness of God, have a nous.
You can take this one step further, into a call to action: The Bible describes angels and stars as "the eyes of God" which God to and fro about the earth - we see this with Satan in Job 1:7, the horses in Zechariah 1:10, and explicitly angelic eyes in 2 Chronicles 16:9. This is why the four living creatures in Ezekiel and Revelation (which are likely references to four of the zodiac constellations) and why they have wheels of eyes about them - these are spinning galaxies of stars, the angelic eyes of God.
And what does God say the purpose of this "going to and fro about the earth" is? To see if the earth is at rest; to aid those whose hearts are righteous before God; and in the example of Satan, to learn from the example of God's people - "Have you taken my servant Job into your heart?"
Now Jesus describes our eyes as lamps, a source of light in a spiritual sense. And in Revelation, he holds 7 stars which are the angels of the 7 churches and also are the churches: The angels are bodies of light which are spiritual eyes, and mankind the image of God in the church have eyes of flesh which gives off spiritual light to the angels.
Which is the mission of the Church:
Ephesians 3:8-10 - "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
So through the preaching and living out of the gospel, voluntarily taking on the suffering of Christ and worshipping in Spirit and in truth, our spiritual eyes shine out to the angelic eyes in witness to the wisdom of God and the glory of God on earth, just as the stars shine down in creation bearing witness to the glory of God in heaven.
I certainly think your thesis is possible, but proving it or even providing evidence for it would be difficult, even at a theoretical level. For the ancients and medievals, the stars had powers to affect things on earth. I'm not sure how that could fit with what I think are better theories of how bodies move.
It would be interesting, though, if there was evidence that 1/3 of the stars had become black holes.
After reading Rod Drehers new book and possibilities and evidence for demonic masquerades in the form of aliens and AI becoming increasingly mainstream, I was reminded of a passage in the Screwtape Letters. I wrote a short article myself, but the crucial quote is below:
"When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skeptics. At least, not yet. I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. …If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight."
I'm becoming slowly more acquainted with the Orthodox cosmology, after being raised Protestant, but it's definitely compelling. Great writing!
"In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."
"Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is but only what it is made of."
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
An image I’ve worked with regarding the interplay of material/spiritual or literal/metaphorical (I understand these pairs to be in some sense related) is a pendulum. For most of its journey it is in motion, except for an instant at each end of its motion when it becomes inert [sic]. The material/literal is the ‘visible’ manifestation of the spiritual/metaphorical.
Are you sure Solomon never did any of that stuff? 1 Kings 11:1-8 states that Solomon's 700 wives turned him to "other gods". The text gives a few examples and ends with "so he did for all of his [700] foreign wives".