Join The Higherside Chats podcast as host Greg Carlwood talks West Point paranormal and star myths with returning guest, David Mathisen.
When we examine the small sliver of the human story we call “recorded history”‘ and squint to make out what little we can past that, it is impossible to deny that cultures on every continent had a serious infatuation with the stars. And despite the many unknowns- the mountain of mythological stories and mysterious structures that are built upon the patterns and movements of little flickering dots of light in the night sky, prove just how serious this ancient astrological alignment obsession was to our ancestors.
From Serpent Mound in Adam’s County, Ohio to the great Giza Plateau; from Chinese mythology to the so-called “Holy Bible”, there is nearly nothing left that doesn’t tie into this persistent preoccupation with the heavens. It’s safe to say this shouldn’t be ignored and today we are going to do all we can to wrap our heads around the reasons for this celestial emphasis in everything.
After spending over two decades as a man of faith being taught by his religious authorities to take the Bible as the isolated and literal truth of the ancient world, David Mathisen has come to discover the deep star based symbolism contained within, and the Bible’s real place among a plethora of similar ancient stories and symbolic myths that had been hidden from him all those years by a system set on control rather than spiritual enlightenment. So with a vengeance and the fiery passion of a billion suns, David has quickly become one of the most profound proponents of turning back this tide with works such as “The Undying Stars: The Truth That Unites the World’s Ancient Wisdom and Conspiracy to Keep It From You”, and his 3 volume set “Star Myths of the World and How to Interpret Them”.
3:25 To get things started, they begin by discussing the evolution of David’s understanding and work since the release of his book “The Undying Stars”. In a quest to better understand the language of the Bible, and deducing his previous convictions of a literal interpretation were wrong, Mathisen’s first work laid out some of the evidence that the Bible, just like other myths of the world, is built on a foundation of celestial metaphor. David then began assembling the “holy trinity” of ancient astrological lore his books “Star Myths”, which is a comprehensive compilation aimed to help people better understand the lost knowledge of astrotheology in a thorough and systematic way.
8:20 With accounts dating back decades of a night time visitor to the lost fifties barracks of West Point, Greg asks David, a West Point graduate and teacher to elaborate on these tales of old. With several first person account in hand, Mathisen provides detailed narratives that give credence these creepy legends of ghost encounters and spiritual entities.
22:15 Taking the talks to the stars, Greg and David segue by examining whether these ancient myths are connected to the spirit world or the entities in it, or if it is simply a celestial connection. Although some may speculate these legends were conceived as a primitive form of nature worship, David contends these celestial actors, or celestial metaphors are not simply pointing us to the stars, but instead they are using the stars as a gigantic training aid or visible representation of the invisible world.
34:24 After discussing possible explanations for how these myths made their way across the globe and integrated into multiple cultures throughout multiple time periods, Greg and David discuss a different angle that includes the possibility of these cultures tapping into spiritual planes with shamanism and the help of massive doses of psychedelics.
37:20 David explains why the stars in the heavenly cycle are a great tool to use and facilitate the understanding of the human experience and the realm of the afterlife. With ancient cultures using the movement of the Sun as a metaphor in multiple facets, we begin to have deeper understanding into their shamanic interpretation of the material and spiritual realms. With shamans following a celestial framework on the journey to enlightenment, and ascension to higher planes, encounters with beings associated to constellations along the path, were not uncommon.
48:55 From the Dogone Tribe of Africa to Native Americans, remnants of these lost cultures and their understanding of the universe have managed to survive the imperialism of the Holy Roman Empire and weather the storm of active campaigns to eliminate them. Luckily, with the technology of today’s communication and travel we are able to rediscover what was lost and replenish our pool of collective knowledge. This conspiracy goes deeper after considering the claims of historical timelines being altered in many cultures throughout history. To substantiate the idea that many cultures were targeted for suppression and elimination, David provides several examples from the Hermetic traditions to the banning of texts such as the agnostic Nag Hammadi Text by literalist Christians of the 3rd century.
55:22 They discuss what David refers to as shallow astrotheology, or deceptive astrotheology where constellations appear to have been altered to look less like the figures they are supposed to portray. Author of the beloved children series “Curious George”, H.A. Rey also published a book titled “The Stars: A New Way to See Them” as a guide and to help outline the constellations according the the ancient systems.
1:07:38 Looking back at the system oppression of this ancient spiritual and esoteric knowledge, it seems more evident than ever that this is key to the elite’s control. After demonizing it for centuries, diluting it’s cultural influence and shifting the populous view to materialist science while outlawing drug use, it’s easy to accept why spiritual knowledge poses such a threat. Preaching adventurism and individuality, as well as the search for the greater sense and purpose of self all being the epitome of the antithesis of ideas needed for a foundation when constructing obedient, listless societies.
1:13:55 Greg and David revisit their discussion of Homer’s epics The Odyssey and The Iliad and how they relate to the orbit of the constellations, the higher self and knowing thyself.
1:24:10 David breaks down how the ancient Greek myth of the twins of Gemini, Castor and Pollux can be used as an analogy for knowing your higher self. Being the sons of Zeus, and one being divine, the other mortal, this story serves as a metaphor for the duality of self, the spiritual and material realms.
1:33:28 Greg and David dive into Eastern cultures and the similarities in the myths despite the disconnect of general worldviews. With several demonstrable connections including one Chinese myth surrounding how we got the Tao Te Ching.
1:42:39 As early as the late 1700s early 1800s Robert Taylor asserted the Bible was was based the movement of constellations. Greg and David discuss the impact of his influential works such as “The Devil’s Pulpit.”
1:48:56 After having looked at hundreds of myths and legends from around the world, Greg asks David to choose a favorite child from among his wealth of knowledge and divulge a more obscure myth fitting for a THC audience.
2:01:02 To put a finer point on all the details they have covered thus far, Greg and David speculate whether a return to widespread adoption to there proper contexts is possible or if these mythologies and divine truths been so distorted and marginalized that a mainstream comeback is unlikely.
2:16:07 Greg and David discuss the negative implications that come as a result of indoctrinating the developing minds of young children into a false paradigm of religious authority as well as the emerging educational approach of Montessori method.
Want more David Mathisen? Check out his website Star Myth World and his blog as well as the helpful star myth index, and myths he’s researched. You can also check out this video about a few celestial foundations to Bible stories, this video about the mechanics of precession this video about “Evidence in the World’s Myths for a Lost Ancient Civilization” or this video “Star Myths and the Red Sea Crossing”. Also be sure to find David on Facebook.
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