| FROM THE ARCHIVES The Solstice was in June, and although we mentioned the Solstice we did not touch upon the fact that editing was done to the 1891 Edition of OAHSPE that changed the date of the New Year. Recently in working with the Archives, we have found a letter from Ray Schlipmann to Lawrence (Larry) Dixon. Ray was in charge of the Essenes of Kosmon operations in Colorado, as well as the person who led their Sabbath services there. When the Essenes closed Ray went to Four Winds, Georgia, and helped Virginia Howard get the state and federal tax exemptions. In this letter Ray was responding to Larry’s question about the editing. Ray explained that an editor named Abram (or perhaps Abrams) had told a number of people that he made numerous changes to OAHSPE such as the addition of the Cotton Mather letter. Ray indicates that although he feels Newbrough preferred the Summer Solstice for the date of the New Year, after Newbrough passed on Abram(s) changed wording in the 1891 editing for the New Year in the two places it is given in OAHSPE. This change of wording has caused much confusion among Faithists. Jim Dennon did considerable research in OAHSPE sharing this information in his writings. He wrote about the date of the New Year in MORE OF OAHSPE, published in 1983. Dennon points out the fact that there are three versions of editing in Chapter XIV “Book of Inspiration” concerning the date of the New Year, and two versions of the changes in the “Book of Sethantes” XII, 29, of the verse pertaining to the date of the New Year. The 1882 says the earth takes it course from the north line of the sun….and 1891 says the earth takes its course to the North line of the sun. Dennon knew the oral tradition about a recalled edition referred to here as the Original First Edition. We have documentation in writing from two Faithists that there was indeed was a recalled edition: Ernie Gardner and Arnold Arias. Long time active Faithist, Ernie Gardner, who for many years made the beautiful wooden Wheel of the Sacred Name for Faithists, gave us written documentation saying a friend of his had kept what was called an “imperfect” 1882 Edition of OAHSPE that was “around 50 pages” longer than the “perfect” 1882 Edition printed a few months later. Anold Arias, a well known active Faithist who passed on several years ago, tells of a handwritten notation he found inside the front cover of an 1882 Edition in the UC Berkley library, confirming that there was an earlier 1882 Edition. Arias quotes the handwritten notation as follows: [2 line quote to indent] The first copy of this edition brot (stet) from Four Winds by Wiksell. Being imperfect, he brot this perfect copy. Arias also says that the "imperfect" Edition had a “Book of Prayers” and a “Book of Zemers”. The letters of Gardner and Arias were discussed in the same June 2000 Kosmon Communities Newsletter page 19. Their original letters are in the UFK Archives in Inyokern. Arias expressed concern over conversations at the library that employees were considering stealing the rare Edition. Wiksell, mentioned in the notation, is Percy Wiksell, known as a close associate of Newbrough. This notation mentioning Four Winds is in an 1882 Edition around 88 years before Four Winds, Georgia. A letter found recently among the papers from Georgia indicates that Four Winds was the name of the company Newbrough organized to publish OAHSPE in New York. Virginia Howard may have read the letter mentioning Four Winds when it was added to the Archives in Georgia and she chose the name Four Winds for the Georgia property as a tribute to Newbrough. In an article titled THE OLD TRUNK I tell of seeing the original Lant copper printing plates and proof sheets from those plates of this portion of OAHSPE. I call this the First Version. This article is available upon request. There were no editing notations to change the referenced date from the Summer Solstice on the Lant proof sheets, so we can assume that the Original 1882 had the Summer Solstice also. To recap the versions of OAHSPE: Original First Version: | From John Lant plates in 1882, printed from the manuscript by Dr. Newbrough indicates Summer Solstice. No editing from Newbrough’s text. | 2nd Version: | So called First Edition, copyright September 15, 1882, Indicates Summer Solstice. | 3rd Version: | Gospels of Oahspe, five books of OAHSPE: published February 27, 1884, and has one word changed in the verse in question. | 4th Version: | So called Second Edition, copyright 1891 has the date change. |
In working with the Archives, I found a letter from Ray Schlipmann to Lawrence (Larry) Dixon. Ray was in charge of the Essenes of Kosmon’s farms, and led the spiritual work on the Sabbath. When the Essenes closed Ray went to Four Winds and helped Virginia get the state and federal tax exemptions for the Faithist work there. In this letter Ray was responding to Larry’s questions about the editing. Ray explained that an editor named Abram (or perhaps Abrams) had told a number of people that he was the person who made numerous changes to OAHSPE such as the addition of the Cotton Mather letter, that was removed from the 1891 Edition. Ray had also made it know that he felt Newbrough preferred the Summer Solstice for the New Year. It was after Newbrough passed on Abram(s) made the change in wording in the 1891 Editing for the New Year. The 1891 Edition did not have Newbrough’s approval. Jim Dennon did considerable research in OAHSPE sharing this information in his writings. He wrote about the date of the New Year in MORE OF OAHSPE, published in 1983. Dennon points out the fact that there are three versions of editing in Chapter XIV “Book of Inspiration” concerning the date of the New Year, and two versions in the “Book of Sethantes” XII, 29 of the verse pertaining to the date of the New Year. The 1882 says the earth takes it course from the north line of the sun….and 1891 says the earth takes its course to the North line of the sun. Dennon knew the oral tradition about a recalled edition referred to here as the Original First Edition. We have documentation in writing from two Faithists that there was indeed a recalled edition: Ernie Gardner and Arnold Arias. Long time active Faithist, Ernie Gardner who for many years made the beautiful wooden Wheel of the Sacred Name for Faithists gave us written documentation saying the family of a friend of his had kept what they called an “imperfect” 1882 Edition of OAHSPE , that was “around 50 pages” longer than the “perfect” 1882 Edition printed a few months later. They had received a letter from the publisher saying the OAHSPE they had was “not perfect”, and if they returned it a new “perfect” OAHSPE would sent to them. They decided to keep the version they had feeling it would become valuable in the future. In an article titled THE OLD TRUNK I tell of seeing the original Lant copper printing plates and proof sheets from those plates of this portion of OAHSPE. I call this the First Version. This article is available upon request, and we plan to print it in the newsletter in the future. To recap the versions of OAHSPE: Original First Version: | From John Lant plates in 1882, printed from the manuscript typed by Dr. Newbrough indicates Summer Solstice. No editing from notation for changes from Newbrough’s text. | 2nd Version: | So called First Edition, copyright September 15, 1882, Indicates Summer Solstice. | 3rd Version: | Gospels of Oahspe, five books of OAHSPE: published February 27, 1884, and has one word changed in the verse in question. | 4th Version | So called Second Edition, copyright 1891 has the date change. Dennon's writings discuss the two verses in Chapter XI, “Book of Inspiration” pertaining to the New Year as they appear in the various versions of OAHSPE. |
Original 1st , 2nd Version 1882: | The northern line of the sun shall be the end of the year, and it shall be called the last day of the old year, saith Jehovih. 3. And the first day thereafter, when the sun starteth on his southern course, shall be the beginning of the year, and it shall be the New Year's Day. The wording indicates Summer Solstice. | 3rd Version: | A slight change, but the meaning is not clear. 2.The northern line of the sun shall be the end of the year, and it shall be called the last day of the old year, saith Jehovih. 3. And the first day thereafter, when the sun starteth on his Northern course, shall be the beginning of the year and it shall be called the New Year's Day. | 4th Version | In More of OAHSPE Dennon mentions the date of the New Year from the pages of OAHSPE, saying that the following quote “pinpoints the New Year as being at the Summer Solstice.” |
Cosmogony and Prophecy III | 17 Leverrier's prophecy of Neptune in November, 1845, is 4 BK | Cosmogony and Prophecy II | 9, Biela's comet split in two in January 1846, is also 4 BK |
The year of 4 BK does not change on a date over the December 31-January 1 New Year. Dennon comments. “There can be no doubt that if an event in November, 1848, and an event in January, 1849, are both 4 BK, then the New Year is not in December. For those of you who want to research further to verify that the Summer Solstice was intended to be the New Year let us take a look at a verse in Fragapatti. Book of Fragapatti, Son of Jehovih, Chapter XIX, 1. [long quote indent] - A thousand miles north of the northern line of the sun on the earth, in the middle betwixt the east and west front of North Guatama, and from the earth upward, and without intervening space, five hundred miles, had Yaton'te founded his kingdom, and hither it was that Fragapatti came to see him. Five hundred miles westward lay Ipseogee, extending north and south two thousand miles, where reigned the good Faithist, Hapacha, styled God of the West Wind.
The problem about the date of the New Year is because editing indicated two different locations for the Northern Line of the Sun, changing the date of the New Year from the Summer Solstice in the 1882 Edition to the Winter Solstice in the 1891. Edition. Since the time of Aristotle the Northern Line of the Sun has been in the North, the Northern most point the sun reaches in the summer in the Tropic of Cancer, and this location has been called the Northern Line of the Sun for thousands of years. The 1891 OAHSPE tells us that the Northern Line of the Sun is the point the Sun reaches as it travels from the North, to the Tropic of Capricorn in the South. Because there are two explanations given as to what is the Northern Line of the Sun, some students feel if they knew where the Northern Line of the sun is located they would know which Solstice is the New Year. Picturing the earth with the Equator in the middle dividing the earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres will help us. To the North of the equator is the astronomical location of the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer, an imaginary line that goes around the earth much like the Equator. This latitude is said to be the place the sun reaches at the Summer Solstice and is called the Northern line of the sun. In the south the latitude that goes around the earth much like the Equator is called the Tropic of Capricorn, and is the Southern point the Sun reaches, called the Southern Line of the Sun everywhere…except in this edited verse in the 1891 Edition of OAHSPE. Just to be clear, the sun actually does not move back and forth. The motion that gives us seasons is called “apparent motion” for it is the earth's motion not the sun's motion that changes the earth's relationship to the Sun. The apparent motion of the Sun as it moves from its farthest Northern position, the Tropic of Cancer, to the Southern terminus of the Sun's travel is the Tropic of Capricorn in December and is the Shortest Day of the Year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the 1891 Edition the tropic of Capricorn is said to be the New Year. Returning to the quote in Fragapatti, we can locate the position of Yatan'te's heaven by calculating 1,000 miles north from the Northern Line of the Sun. Yatan'te's heaven is over North Guatama. Therefore, we must find where 1,000 North of each location is given as the Northern Line of the Sun. The location that gives us Yotan'te's Heaven over North Guatama will be in agreement with OAHSPE’s unedited verses. I will be happy to send the long version of this calculation if you wish to verify this. Or you can verify it yourself though information in Encyclopedias or on-line. The short version is that because the Sun appears to be at the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at the Winter Solstice we must add 1,000 miles North of the Tropic of Capricorn that is South of the Equator. It is about 1,500 miles North from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Equator. If we go 1,000 miles North from the Tropic of Capricorn we do not reach the Equator, placing Ya’tonte’s heaven over South America and Africa. If we add 1,000 miles to the Tropic of Cancer at the Summer Solstice we find Yoton'te's Heaven is located over North American and the 1,000 miles north of the Tropic of Cancer in North America is the latitude of Death Valley. We now know Abram(s) says he changed the wording to change the date of the New Year, and we know that 1,000 miles North of the Northern Line of the Sun is over North America. Adding Dennon’s careful study of the verses in OAHSPE, many who study OAHSPE can now celebrate the Summer Solstice in June as the New Year. However, some may still prefer to celebrate the New Year at the Solstice in December. We should all respect the opinions of others and allow each of us the freedom to celebrate the New Year at the Solstice we prefer. Remember that for six months out of each year, we all celebrate the Sun Sabbath on the same day of the week. From the December Solstice 2018 to the June Solstice in 2019 the Sun Sabbath had been Friday. Since the Summer Solstice in 2019, the Sun Sabbath is on Saturday. After the December solstice in 2020, we all will observe the sun Sabbath on Saturday. | |
