I really like the idea of our Holy Mother being the patron saint of the earth. But you'd to come up with a title for her. And St Joseph being the patron saint of the moon actually works. I know the moon is traditionally connected with the female, for obvious reasons, but in northern climates, it actually gets connected with the male. Der Mond. The man in the moon. The changing phases of the moon could related to the changing vocations of St Joseph; from married man with children (tradition with a small t, not dogma) to guardian of Mary in a josephite marriage. And the moon really does work as a metaphor for a "guardian."
St Paul is perfect for Mercury too. But for Venus and Mars, I still want the connection with the feminine / love and with the masculine / war.
Maybe for Venus, St Photina, the Samaritan woman at the well with several husbands? Could work as a metaphor for pagan Venus, who had many lovers and cheated on her husband. But saved as a Christian.
Mars could be a soldier? I was thinking of St Martin of Tours, but I'd really like a soldier who didn't give up fighting, or at least had a full career as a soldier first. Can't think of one like that, though.
I guess one reason that we name the spheres after the old gods is the old idea that the cosmos is explained by the actions of non-human minds. The gods turn the spheres just as the dryads make the trees grow and so on. Christians for a time defended this view, although we thought it was angels who turned the spheres. The idea grew unfashionable in the Enlightenment along with the idea of the cosmos as a dead mechanism. But as the Enlightenment's view of science collapses, it seems to me that the idea of a world that is full of mind keeps coming back up, even if it is mostly in mushy, not Christian ways, like people who think the universe tends to awareness or something. I wonder who the traditional angels of the planets were. Interestingly, an exorcist (I forget who) asks the demons he encounters what their original function was, and their responses tend to be along the lines of natural functions. So perhaps room for serious full strength Christianity here after all.
I’m also currently writing about this in my Inklings Option series and I find it fascinating.
Dante was somewhat aiming at this in his “Paradiso.” In his cosmology, heavenly spheres kept the preceding “themes” but, was viewed in light of Christ and the saints.
For example, the Moon or Luna being traditionally linked with inconstancy because of its waxing and waning was the abode for the saints who took religious vows and were forced to break them.
The Sun or Sol being traditionally linked to philosophy because of its light and constancy was the abode for the great theologians and philosophers.
This is something that I think Christians ought to be thinking about more than they are and I’m glad to see others writing about it!
And carrying on from this logic, the universe must be named GOD.
I see where you are coming from. But I’d prefer to say the patron of the Universe is Jesus. 🤔
What a fun thought exercise!
I really like the idea of our Holy Mother being the patron saint of the earth. But you'd to come up with a title for her. And St Joseph being the patron saint of the moon actually works. I know the moon is traditionally connected with the female, for obvious reasons, but in northern climates, it actually gets connected with the male. Der Mond. The man in the moon. The changing phases of the moon could related to the changing vocations of St Joseph; from married man with children (tradition with a small t, not dogma) to guardian of Mary in a josephite marriage. And the moon really does work as a metaphor for a "guardian."
St Paul is perfect for Mercury too. But for Venus and Mars, I still want the connection with the feminine / love and with the masculine / war.
Maybe for Venus, St Photina, the Samaritan woman at the well with several husbands? Could work as a metaphor for pagan Venus, who had many lovers and cheated on her husband. But saved as a Christian.
Mars could be a soldier? I was thinking of St Martin of Tours, but I'd really like a soldier who didn't give up fighting, or at least had a full career as a soldier first. Can't think of one like that, though.
Just playing around.
Thanks. But it’s way above my ‘pay grade’ to decide which saints should be chosen. Hence why it’s a bit of fun. 😃
I guess one reason that we name the spheres after the old gods is the old idea that the cosmos is explained by the actions of non-human minds. The gods turn the spheres just as the dryads make the trees grow and so on. Christians for a time defended this view, although we thought it was angels who turned the spheres. The idea grew unfashionable in the Enlightenment along with the idea of the cosmos as a dead mechanism. But as the Enlightenment's view of science collapses, it seems to me that the idea of a world that is full of mind keeps coming back up, even if it is mostly in mushy, not Christian ways, like people who think the universe tends to awareness or something. I wonder who the traditional angels of the planets were. Interestingly, an exorcist (I forget who) asks the demons he encounters what their original function was, and their responses tend to be along the lines of natural functions. So perhaps room for serious full strength Christianity here after all.
What an interesting thought! And why not?
I’m also currently writing about this in my Inklings Option series and I find it fascinating.
Dante was somewhat aiming at this in his “Paradiso.” In his cosmology, heavenly spheres kept the preceding “themes” but, was viewed in light of Christ and the saints.
For example, the Moon or Luna being traditionally linked with inconstancy because of its waxing and waning was the abode for the saints who took religious vows and were forced to break them.
The Sun or Sol being traditionally linked to philosophy because of its light and constancy was the abode for the great theologians and philosophers.
This is something that I think Christians ought to be thinking about more than they are and I’m glad to see others writing about it!