een the North and South celestial poles。
The Equator； then； may be pictured as cutting across the sky either by day or by night； and always at the same elevationthat is； as seen from any one place。 But the Ecliptic （the other important great circle of the heavens） can only be thought of as a line traversing the constellations as they are seen at NIGHT。 It is in fact the Sun's path among the fixed stars。 For （really owing to the Earth's motion in its orbit） the Sun appears to move round the heavens once a yeartravelling； always to the left； from constellation to constellation。 The exact path of the sun is called the Ecliptic； and the band of sky on either side of the Ecliptic which may be supposed to include the said constellations is called the Zodiac。 How then it will of course be askedseeing that the Sun and the Stars can never be seen togetherwere the Priests ABLE to map out the path of the former among the latter？ Into that question we need not go。 Sufficient to say that they succeeded； and their successeven with the very primitive instruments they hadshows that their astronomical knowledge and acuteness of reasoning were of no mean order。
To return to our Vernal Equinox。 Let us suppose that the Equator and Ecliptic of the sky； at the Spring season； are represented by two lines Eq。 and Ecl。 crossing each other at the point P。 The Sun； represented by the small circle； is moving slowly and in its annual course along the Ecliptic to the left。 When it reaches the point P （the dotted circle） it stands on the Equator of the sky； and then for a day or two； being neither North nor South； it shines on the two terrestrial hemispheres alike； and day and night are equal。 BEFORE that time； when the sun is low down in the heavens； night has the advantage； and the days are short； AFTERWARDS； when the Sun has travelled more to the left； the days triumph over the nights。 It will be seen then that this point P where the Sun's path crosses the Equator is a very critical point。 It is the astronomical location of the triumph of the Sungod and of the arrival of Spring。
How was this location defined？ Among what stars was the Sun moving at that critical moment？ （For of course it was understood； or supposed； that the Sun was deeply influenced by the constellation through which it was； or appeared to be； moving。） It seems then that at the period when these questions were occupying men's minds say about three thousand years agothe point where the Ecliptic crossed the Equator was； as a matter of fact； in the region of the constellation Aries or the he… Lamb。 The triumph of the Sungod was therefore； and quite naturally； ascribed to the influence of Aries。 THE LAMB BECAME THE SYMBOL OF THE RISEN SAVIOR； AND OF HIS PASSAGE FROM THE UNDERWORLD INTO THE HEIGHT OF HEAVEN。 At first such an explanation sounds hazardous； but a thousand texts and references confirm it； and it is only by the accumulation of evidence in these cases that the student becomes convinced of a theory's correctness。 It must also be remembered （what I have mentioned before） that these myths and legends were commonly adopted not only for one strict reason but because they represented in a general way the convergence of various symbols and inferences。
Let me enumerate a few points with regard to the Vernal Equinox。 In the Bible the festival is called the Passover； and its supposed institution by Moses is related in Exodus； ch。 xii。 In every house a he…lamb was to be slain； and its blood to be sprinkled on the doorposts of the house。 Then the Lord would pass over and not smite that house。 The Hebrew word is pasach； to pass。＇1＇ The lamb slain was called the Paschal Lamb。 But what was that lamb？ Evidently not an earthly lamb（though certainly the earthly lambs on the hillsides WERE just then ready to be killed and eaten）but the heavenly Lamb； which was slain or sacrificed when the Lord 〃passed over〃 the equator and obliterated the constellation Aries。 This was the Lamb of God which was slain each year； and 〃Slain since the foundation of the world。〃 This period of the Passover （about the 25th March） was to be＇2＇ the beginning of a new year。 The sacrifice of the Lamb； and its blood； were to be the promise of redemption。 The door…frames of the housessymbols of the entrance into a new lifewere to be sprinkled with blood。＇3＇ Later； the imagery of the saving power of the blood of the Lamb became more popular； more highly colored。 （See St。 Paul's epistles； and the early Fathers。） And we have the expression 〃washed in the blood of the Lamb〃 adopted into the Christian Church。
＇1＇ It is said that pasach sometimes means not so much to pass over； as to hover over and so protect。 Possibly both meanings enter in here。 See Isaiah xxxi。 5。
＇2＇ See Exodus xii。 i。
＇3＇ It is even said （see The Golden Bough； vol。 iii； 185） that the doorways of houses and temples in Peru were at the Spring festival daubed with blood of the first…born childrencommuted afterwards to the blood of the sacred animal； the Llama。 And as to Mexico； Sahagun； the great Spanish missionary； tells us that it was a custom of the people there to 〃smear the outside of their houses and doors with blood drawn from their own ears and ankles； in order to propitiate the god of Harvest〃 （Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities； vol。 vi； p。 235）。
In order fully to understand this extraordinary expression and its origin we must turn for a moment to the worship both of Mithra； the Persian Sungod； and of Attis the Syrian god； as throwing great light on the Christian cult and ceremonies。 It must be remembered that in the early centuries of our era the Mithra…cult was spread over the whole Western world。 It has left many monuments of itself here in Britain。 At Rome the worship was extremely popular； and it may almost be said to have been a matter of chance whether Mithraism should overwhelm Christianity； or whether the younger religion by adopting many of the rites of the older one should establish itself （as it did） in the face of the latter。
Now we have already mentioned that in the Mithra cult the slaying of a Bull by the Sungod occupies the same sort of place as the slaving of the Lamb in the Christian cult。 It took place at the Vernal Equinox and the blood of the Bull acquired in men's minds a magic virtue。 Mithraism was a greatly older religion than Christianity； but its genesis was similar。 In fact； owing to the Precession of the Equinoxes； the crossing…place of the Ecliptic and Equator was different at the time of the establishment of Mithra…worship from what it was in the Christian period； and the Sun instead of standing in the He…lamb； or Aries； at the Vernal Equinox stood； about two thousand years earlier （as indicated by the dotted line in the diagram）； in this very constellation of the Bull。＇1＇ The bull therefore became the symbol of the triumphant God； and the sacrifice of the bull a holy mystery。 （Nor must we overlook here the agricultural appropriateness of the bull as the emblem of Spring…plowings and of service to man。）
＇1＇ With regard to this point； see an article in the Nineteenth Century for September 1900； by E。 W。 Maunder of the Greenwich Observatory on 〃The Oldest Picture Book〃 （the Zodiac）。 Mr。 Maunder calculates that the Vernal Equinox was in the centre of the Sign of the Bull 5；000 years ago。 ＇It would therefore be in the centre of Aries 2；845 years agoallowing 2；155 years for the time occupied in passing from one Sign to another。＇ At the earlier period the Summer solstice was in the centre of Leo； the Autumnal equinox in the centre of Scorpio； and the Winter solstice in the centre of Aquariuscorresponding roughly； Mr。 Maunder points out； to the positions of the four 〃Royal Stars；〃 Aldebaran； Regulus； Antares and Fomalhaut。
The sacrifice of the Bull became the image of redemption。 In a certain well…known Mithra…sculpture or group； the Sungod is represented as plunging his dagger into a bull； while a scorpion； a serpent； and other animals are sucking the latter's blood。 From one point of view this may be taken as symbolic of the Sun fertilizing the gross Earth by plunging his rays into it and so drawing forth its blood for the sustenance of all creatures； while from another more astronomical aspect it symbolizes the conquest of the Sun over winter in the moment of 〃passing over〃 the sign of the Bull； and the depletion of the generative power of the Bull by the Scorpion which of course is the autumnal sign of the Zodiac and herald of winter。 One such Mithraic group was found at Ostia； where there was a large subterranean Temple 〃to the invincible god Mithras。〃
In the worship of Attis there were （as I have already indicated） many points of resemblance to the Christian cult。 On the 22nd March （the Vernal Equinox） a pinetree was cut in the woods and brought into the Temple of Cybele。 It was treated almost as a divinity； was decked with violets； and the effigy of a young man tied to the stem （cf。 the Crucifixion）。 The 24th was called the 〃Day of Blood〃； the High Priest first drew blood from his own arms； and then the others gashed and slashed themselves； and spattered the altar and the sacred tree with blood； while novices made themselves eunuchs 〃for the kingdom of heaven's sake。〃 The effigy was afterwards laid in a tomb。 But when night fell； says Dr。 Frazer；＇1＇ sorrow was turned to joy。 A light was brought； and the tomb was found to be empty。 The next day； the 25th； was the festival of the Resurrection； and ended in carnival and license （the Hilaria）。 Further； says Dr。 Frazer； these mysteries 〃seem to have included a sacramental meal and a baptism of blood。〃
＇1＇ See Adonis； Attis and Osiris； Part IV of The Golden Bough； by J。 G。 Frazer； p。 229。
〃In the baptism the devotee； crowned with gold and wreathed with fillets； descended into a pit； the mouth of which was covered with a wooden grating。 A bull； adorned with garlands of flowers； its forehead glittering with gold leaf； was then driven on to the grating and there stabbed to death with a consecrated spear。 Its hot reeking blood poured in torrents through the apertures； and was received with devout eagerness by the worshiper on every part of his person and garments； till he emerged from the pit； drenched； dripping； and scarlet from head to foot； to receive t