Mithraic Mysteries Mithra is an Indo-Iranian god, worshipped at least as early as 1400BC. In Hinduism he is praised as the binomial MitraVaruna.

A hymn is also dedicated to him alone in Rig Veda (3.59). He is the Lord of Heavenly light, protector of truth, and is invoked when a contract or oath is taken. In Persia Mithra was the protector god of the tribal society until the Zorostars reformation of Persian polytheism (62855BC). Mithra like the rest of the gods and goddess of the Iranian Pantheon was stripped of his sovereignty, and all his powers and attributes were bestowed upon Ahura Mazda. However due to his popularity we see in Avesta (Mehr Yasht) Ahura Mazda saying to Zoroster: Verily, when I created Mithra, the Lord of wide pastures, I created him as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy as prayer as my self Ahura Mazda. In Avesta Mithra or Mehr (trans: love, sun) is the protector of the Aryan nation, giving victory to those who lie not unto Mithra He is the warrior deity carrying the hundred knotted mace whom all demons flee in fear. In a Yashet 6 during a prayer to sun Mithra is mentioned again and refered to as a friend: ...I will sacrifice unto that friendship, the best of all friendships, that regins between the moon and the sun Mithra is also seen in Chinese mythology, where he is known as The Friend. Mithra is represented as a Military General in Chinese statues, and is considered to be the friend of man in this life and his protector against evil in the next. In the west Mithra is best known as cult of Mithras which had an immense popularity among the Roman Legions, From late 1BC until 4AD. During which it came under the influnece of Greek and Roman mythologies. However like other mystery traditions of that period; Eleusinian mysteries and Isis mysteries. The Mithraic cult maintained secrecy and its teaching were only reveled to initiates. Remains of Mithraic temples can be found through out the Roman empire, from Palestine across north of Africa, and across central Europe to North of England.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Rites of Mithras: There were seven degrees of initiation, these degrees allowed the neophyte to proceed through the seven celestial bodies. Allowing the reversing of the human souls descend into the world at birth. The first degree was of corax(Raven) under Mercury. This stage symbolized death of neophyte. In ancient Persia it was a custom to expose dead bodies to be eaten by ravens on funeral towers. Raven as symbol of death can also be seen in some tarot packs as card 13 instead of Grim Reaper. At this stage the neophyte dies and is re-born into a spiritual path. A mantra was given to him to repeat and his sins were washed away by baptism in water. The next degree is of Nymphus(male-bride) under Venus. The neophyte wears a veil and carries a lamp in his hand. He is unable to see the light of truth until the veil of reality is lifted. He is vowed to the cult, and becomes celibate for at least duration of this stage. He is a bride(lover) of Mithra. He also offers a cup of water to the statute of Mithra, the cup is his heart and the water is his love. On reaching Miles(solider) under Mars, the neophyte had to kneel (submission to religious authority, naked (casting off old life), blindfolded with hands tied. He was then offered a crown on the point of a sword . Once crowned, his binds were cut with a single stroke of the sword and blindfold removed. This represented his liberation from bondages of the material world. He would then remove the crown from his head and placing it on his shoulder, saying: Mithra is my only crown(Fanz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra). This also symbolizes the removing the head(intellect) itself, allowing Mithra to be the guide. At this stage the neophyte starts the real battle against his lower self, a solider is one actively struggels with the real enemy. The stage of Leo(lion) is first of the senior degrees and is under Jupiter. He is entering the element of fire. Therefore the lions were not allowed to touch water during the ritual, and instead honey was offered to the initiate to wash his hands and anoint his tongue. The lions carry the food for the ritual meal that was prepared by the lower grades to the ritual feast, and take part. Lions duties included attending the sacred altar flame. The ritual feast represented Mithras last supper of bread and wine with his companions, before his ascend to the heavens in Suns chariot.

The degree of Perses (Persian) under moon, The initiate to this grade obtained through it an affiliation to that race which alone was worthy of receiving the highest revelations of wisdom of Magi (Fanz Cumont, Rapport sur une mission a Rome, in Academic des inscrition et Belles-Letters, Comptes Rendes, 1945 p.418). The emblem for this stage was a harpe, the harpe that Persus decapitated the Gorgon. Symbolizing the destruction of the lower and animal aspect of the initiate. The initiate was also purified with honey as he was under the protection of the Moon. Honey is associated with purity and fertility of the moon as this was, in ancient Iran believed to be the source of honey, and thus the expression of honey-moon denotes not the period of a month after marriage, but continued love and fertility in married life. (Dr. Masoud Homayouri, Origin of Persian Gnosis). In grade of Heliodromus(sun runner) under sun, the initiate imitates Sun at the ritual banquet. Sitting next to Mithra (Father), dressed in red, color of sun, fire and blood of life. Highest grade was of Pater(father) under Saturn. He was Mithras earthly representative, light of heaven embodied, the teacher of congregation which he lead, wearing a redcap and as well as a red baggy Persian trousers, carrying a staff symbol of his spiritual office (Charles Daniels, Mithras and his temples on the Wall). Mithra also presided over changing of seasons and the movement of heavens themselves, The scene of Mithra slaying a bull represents, the precession of the equinoxes; Mithra was in effect moving the entire universe(Prof. David Ulansey, The origins of Mithraic Mysteries). Mithras represented by constellation Persus changes the position of the celestial sphere by slaying constellation Taurus and moving the earth into constellation Aries at spring equinox, this miracle of Mithra is product of Roman astrologers and a latter development that is not seen in Iran to same extent. However the celebration for changing of seasons was carried out both by western and eastern followers of Mithra: Nou-roz(spring equinox), Mehregan(autumn equinox), Shab-Yalda(winter solstice) and summer solstice. As Christianity gathered momentum and eventually became the Roman Empires state religion, Mithraism was not tolerated. The Apologist saw it as a satanic transversty of the holiest rites of their religion(Fanz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra). Nevertheless Catholicism has preserved some of the outer form of Mithraism to name some; the timing of Christmas, Bishops adaptation of miters as sign of their office, Christians priests becoming Father despite Jesus specific proscription of the acceptance of such title (Matthew 23:9), and the Mithraic Holy father wore a red cap and garment and a ring, and carried a shepherds staff. The Head Christian adopted the same title and outfitted himself in the same manner.(William Harwood, Mythologies Last Gods: Yahweh and Jesus). While the outer appearance of Mithraism can be detected in Catholicism, some traces of the inner teachings of Mithraism can be found in Sufisim, therefore study of Sufisim allows a new insight into Mithraism, and possibly vise versa. MITHRA Meditation: You are standing at bottom of a hill, it very late at night, It is a clear night and if you look at the sky you can see the moon having almost completed its night journey into the west. Behind you is dense pine forest, the grass under your feet is wet and there are small patches of snow on the ground. Looking at top of the hill there is flicker of light, you start walking up the hill to find the source of this light. It is a long walk and yet you seem not to get tired and the air becomes even more fresh as ascend. The sounds of the forest begins to fade away. The last sound you hear is of an owl saying: "Hu" You are half way up the hill now, yet still you can not see the source of the light, so you increase your pace, as near the top you can hear a chant, the words you can't make out but you fell stronger and you reach the top easily. A great bone fire is burning, its flames reach several feet into the air, you can smell a strange yet pleasent incense. There are a group of people sitting around the fire and chanting: YA DOST MITHRA You join the chant. (time passes) One of the man stands and faces east, toward a mountain range in the far off distant. He is welcoming Mithra. (yasht 10 is recited) As the first rays of the sun come over the distant mountain and fall into the vast valley beneth, you see in the distant heading toward you a golden chariot driven by four white horses, MITHRA rides across the sky heading toward the hill. You look around and see all the snow patches all melting away and the grass is growing under your feet. The land is

waking up. A dried up tree futher along on the hill is growing leaf and while you looking at it, the tree blossoms. Sound of horses bring your attention back to the sky, as you look up the charoit is almost above the hill now, He looks and smiles at gathering, as chariot passes overhead all your companions rise in the air, you too after vibrating Mithra with all your magical Will, rise in the air. Following Mithra as he rides across the sky. The Landscape below turn green and trees blossoms, you pass over a herd of cows, whose breast becomes full of milk as the Mithra's company flies over. Another mountain range is ahead, before that there is a great lake and a herd of sheep are drinking from it. As you fly over the lake you look at your own relfection in the water, you see a Raven. backround and guidance notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nymphus II. Meditation on Mithra: Nymphus Begin with the first meditation as before; after you see your reflection in lake countinue your flight toward the distant mountain range. once you get near the mounatin you see a great cave with a river flowing out side of it and you fly toward it, and land in front of it. You transform back from a Raven into a your human body. The cave is dark and all your surronding is quite. river, Are prepared to step in do you have the courage? you walk for a while in cave and allow your eyes get use to the darkness. what do you see? what shapes come out of darkness? are you affarid? Eventually you see some light ahead, you standing in a large caven and there is a circular opneing on the roof which allows a shaft of light to come through, in middle of light there is a loaf of bread and a cup of some kind of herbal drink. You walk into the shaft of light, looking above the sun is directly above the hole and it engulfes you in its light. Pick up the loaf of bread and it some. This bread is been abosrbing the sun light for many hours and now you by eating it taking enegry of the sun directly into your self (1). Drink from the cup, it is cooling and sweet, as you drink you begin to see more clearly, the whole caven is alight now. In one coner you see a statue of Mithra which you had not notice before. It is a large statute made of marble. In front of it stands an altar, on top of which there is a sliver tray and on it a golden ring. Follow your emotion and make your marrige vows as you sit fit. place the ring on your second finger. You are now Nymphus. backround and guidance notes Miles III. Meditation on Mithra: Miles Begin from the nymphus meditation. You are still in the cave, in front the statue of Mithra, having finished making your vows, wearing the gold ring. Two torch beares approch you and tell you to follow. Their faces seem familiar yet you are unable to fully recognise them. After following them in the narrow passages of the cave, you reach another caven larger than last one and can hear sound of running water

In middle of caven there is ring of fire, about nine feet in diameter. Inside the ring of fire seem to some object, however it is not clear from where you are. The torch men break their silence by telling you:"The exit of the cave lies on the other side of the fire, go through it and claim your prize". As youget near to the fire, you realise the source of the water you heard alreay, around the fire platform the is canal five foot across that spirals around the fire. There are two steps leading into the canal, you have to descend into the canal. The water is very cold, its source a mountain spring higher up. Your body starts shivering. The water reaches up to your chest. Unless you start moving you will freeze. You walk in the canal, following the spiral path of the canal. Getting closer to the center and the fire platform. As nearer you come to center the water depth increases and the canal becomes more narrow. Having made several turns, you reach three steps that lead to a platform, the water is going through openings by the sides of the steps. Ascend into the platform, feel the heat of the fire, walk through the ring, your hair singes, and you can smell the sulphur as the go through it. Inside the fire, there is a sword, a helmet, body armour, a spear and a red sheild. Pick them and dress as a soldier. You are now Miles. The fire subsides and the water stops flowing, the torch beares are standing on the other, keep jumping over the canal, till you reach the other side. The torch beares lead you out of the cave, into a clearing. The cool air is refreashing, The sun has set already. Poems 'A Song to Mithras' From Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill. (In Songs from Books and verse this poem is subtitled 'Hymn of the XXX Legion: Circa A.D. 350'.) In which the spirit of Mithraism can seen. Mithras, God of the Morning, our trumpets waken the wall! 'Rome is above the Nations, but Thou art over all' Now as the names are answered, and the guards are marched away, Mithras, also a solider, give us strenght for the day! Mithras, God of the Noontide, the heather swims in the heat, Our helmets scorch our foreheads; our sandals burn our feet, Now in the ungrit hour; now ere we blink and drowse, Mithras also a solider, keep us true to our vows! Mithras, God of the Sunset, low on the Western main, Thou descending immortal, immortal to rise again! Now when the watch is eneded, now when the wine is drawn Mithras also a solider, keep us pure till the dawn! Mithras, God of Midnight, here where the great bull dies, Look on thy childern in darkness. Oh take our sacrifice! Many roads Thou has fashioned: all of them lead to the Light, Mithras, also a solider, teach us to die aright. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yule The sun is setting low on the western horizon

sky serpent swallowing him once more yule night has arrived, sun's longest slumber. we eat and drink all that is red wine, pomergranate and watermelon, The colour of dawn, a reminder of what we eagerly wait for. Shamash, Marduk descending immortals, you'll rise again Apollo, Ra salutations to you. good night Osiris, weak and tired lying in your coffin enclosed by darkness, tricked by Set again! an infant sun is born, Horus soaring up onto the sky. Mithras born of a rock and out from the cave becoming sol invictus and turning the wheel darkness, now a fading memory. Oak king sings outside, as the Holly king lays slain dawn has arrived, yule has ended. drink up your wine. Payam Yule'96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Birth of Mithra (This is a short story based loosly on the birth myth of Mithra.) For Mohran it was going to be a busy day, all the sheep had to be moved to the next valley. The other shepherds always told him that he stayed too long on one valley, risking loss of all the grass being in the dry season without given the grass chance to replenish. The sheep were still sleep, the sun would rise soon and the day would begin. Mohran stood up and stretched his body, he noticed a spider that had wondered onto his arm during his sleep, and was now alerted by Mohrans movement, the spider was running feverishly around his arm. He gently flicked off the spider onto the grass. The spider started running in the grass and eventually disappeared under a rock. Mohran realised that all his commotion had waken up Daker, and he was staring at him and waggling his tail. He padded Daker on the head, and started making his way up the hill. The morning chill was forcing him to rap his blanket tightly around him. Once on top of the hill he looked down at his flock of sheep and Daker, who by now had gone to sleep again. Mohrans thought started drifting about his flock, he had always looked well after them for five winters on his own. Their number had doubled during this time. He was proud. He had even once had to fight a wolf that tried attacking the flock on freezing winter day. His stick came in handy and while daker was circling around the wolf, Mohran managed to give him a few solid hits. Both Mohran and Daker had few bruises, but noting serious and Mohran was proud was his scar. The wolf ran off when Mohrans father and the other shepherds came to his help. That day the Olders of the village decided Mohran should have his own flock, and as it was custom each Older gave him one sheep. Moharn became the youngest shepherd in village of Koraj, when he was only nine summer old. Standing on top of the hill, he stared wistfully onto the distant mountain. It won't be long before the first rays of the sun would come over the mountain and fall onto the valley. The sky was slowly becoming brighter as night began fading away as the dawn arrived. Mohran bowed his head and saluted the rising sun, he stayed like that until the whole valley was engulfed in dawns light. As he stood there postulating toward the sun his fathers words were on his mind. He used to say to him that without the sun the worlds stayed in eternal darkness and the world would freeze and die. "Sun is the supreme lord that governs the movements of all the planets and even the revolutions of the heavens themselves, the one suffused with his light all his heart all of life here below". The people of his village were only concern about the number of their cattle, and they forgotten about the offerings to the sun. Mohran however always sacrificed a sheep when the first leaves of the turned yellow and gold like the colour of the sun himself. The scarifies would strength the sun in his fight with winter. Mohran always woke up before the dawn and saluted the sun as started making his journey across the sky . After taking a final look at the mountain and the sun, he started making his way down the hill. Daker was already up and

running and the whole was wake now. After having a simple breakfast of bread and cheese, he started gathering the herd together and moving them down further down valley toward the river, where they would rest for a while and after lunch would follow the river for rest of the day. The sun was right over head and the herd had made it to the river in good time. Mohran choose the shade of one of the fig trees on the river bank to rest. As he laid on the ground under a fig tree and stared blankly into the sky he noticed for the first time clouds that had been coming in from the west, the cloud seem to be moving faster than the light breeze he could fell. The cloud were covering the sky very quickly and it was not before long that the whole horizon was covered by dark clouds. Mohran noticed all the sheep had stooped grazing and simply stood motionless, Daker was staring toward one of the rocks on the bank of the river under a fig tree. A flash of bright light and the sound of the distant thunder brought his attention back to the overhead events, more lighting ran across the sky and the sound became louder. Mohran had seen storms before, but none quite like this, there was balls of lighting hitting the ground some distant away, followed by few moments of complete silence. Looking at the clouds they seem to be alive, there seemed that a tunnel was appearing in the clouds briefly, suddenly it clasped on it self and reached out rod form with lighting sparking all around it, the whole valley was engulfed by blue light, the lighting rod hit the rock on the ground were daker had been staring at. The whole ground shook violently from the impact. Mohran fell on the ground, once the ground stopped shaking, he stood up looking at the remains of the rock, daker was still staring at the rock and sheep were still motionless, they seemed unaffected by the blast. He suddenly noticed he was eye level with the highest branch of the fig trees. He frightfully looked down, and saw his body still lying on the ground. He kept on floating up the sound of lighting was only a whisper in his ear now. He was twice as high than tallest tree in the valley. He looked down again on his motionless flock and his own body. His mind was beginning to be filled with many images and thoughts about his life, he believed that he was dead. A loud voice broke all his thoughts and emptied his mind of all fear, the sound of the voice went right through him making all the fabric of his being vibrate in resonance with the sound. As he began to concentrate on the sound it became clear, it was a chant, and he found himself joining the chant YA DOST MITHRA. Once he looked down his body and the sheep had gone, yet the valley still seemed same as before. Then looked up to see the origin of the chant, he saw from all direction men, lions and ravens flying in the sky all heading toward where lighting had hit the rock. Mohran looked at this host of men, in clothes he never seen before, some wore robes, some part human part animal, some had armour and weapons, some bore bright torches, and some wore shepherds clothes like himself, there even were men in bridal gowns and some were dressed as merchants. Of all the hundreds of men gathering one caught his attention, he was wearing a armour and helmet in one hand he held a large square shaped shield which was colour of blood and in the other hand he had long spear. His face was familiar to Mohran, it was like looking onto a lake and seeing your own reflection on a moonlit night. The face is the same yet ghostly. He smiled at mohran and pointed where the whole gathering was looking at. The rock that was hit by lighting was moving and all the broken fragments where floating around the rock. The rock kept on moving, it appered it was growning out of the ground. The rock started to glow red, a sharp contrast to rest of the valley which was still engilfed in blue light. Then the rock seemed almost liguid like water a sudden breeze from the east froze it momenterly, yet it kept on growing. At last an outline of human figure began to take shape. Sound of galloping horses filled the air, four horses were coming, one from each quarter, rushing forth toward the rock. The figure was clearly human now, his was strong for a momemt his face was of a young boy and then of a old beared man, another moment mature man, his face was the face of all years. His head was adorned with a phrygrian cap, armed with a knife and carrying a torch on the other hand. The four horse reached the figure and started circling him, as he touched each horse on the head, it stoped and bowed its head. As the last horse bowed its head, the colours of the figure changed, for a moment you could see red, yellow, green and blue all in the same time, then his body turned into flesh and he became into this world. The Assembly shouted in the unison: " We have seen the birth of Our Lord Mithra from the Rock". All the men dressed in the shedders clothing started moving toward Mithra, they all where carrying a sheep which they

intended to offer to him. Mohran too wanted to make offering, yet he not knew what to offer. He was on the ground now and started walking toward Mithra, sound of barking made Mohran turn and he saw Daker and a his best sheep walking toward him. Mohran smiled and the sheep came onto his arm, he picked the sheep up and walked with the other shepherds toward Mithra. They sacrificed the sheep while saying: "We sacrifice unto Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, who is truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand ears, well-shapen, with ten thousand eyes, high, with full knowledge, strong, sleepless, and ever awake". Some of the older shepherds gave Lord Mithra fig leaves to cloth himself. 'Mithra stands up in his strength, he drives in the awfulness of royalty, and sends from his eyes beautiful looks that shine from afar, (saying): ''Who will offer me a sacrifice? Who will lie unto me? Who thinks me a god worthy of a good sacrifice? Who thinks me worthy only of a bad sacrifice? To whom shall I, in my might, impart brightness and glory? To whom bodily health? To whom shall I, in my might, impart riches and full weal? Whom shall I bless by raising him a virtuous offspring? "'To whom shall I give in return, without his thinking of it, the awful sovereignty, beautifully. arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmitten; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered in his anger?" 'O Mithra! when thou art offended and not satisfied, he soothes thy mind, and makes Mithra satisfied. '"To whom shall I, in my might, impart sickness and death? To whom shall I impart poverty and sterility? Of whom shall I at one stroke cut off the offspring! '"From whom shall I take away, without his thinking of it, the awful sovereignty, beautifully arrayed, with many armies, and most perfect; the sovereignty of an all-powerful tyrant, who fells down heads, valiant, smiting, and unsmitten; who orders chastisement to be done and his order is done at once, which he has ordered in his anger." 'O Mithra! while thou art satisfied and not angry, he moves thy heart to anger, and makes Mithra unsatisfied. 'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being heard of. Mohran looked back at the assembly some of the men in white robes where writing these words that was spoken by Mithra, while some were chanting again, others were just looking, while men in armour where clapping their spears against their shield. One of the men in white rob step forward and said: " bothers we have seen the beginning of our world, now let us depart to our own time". Mohran turned around to Daker and said:" stay with our Lord" Another man in white rob stepped forth with a bell which he stroked for three times. The whole assembly began vanishing like a snow ball on a hot stove, Mohran felt like he was falling from a great height, next he found himself back in his body lying on the ground under the fig tree, he stood up and stretched his body, and looking into the sky, there was no sign of any storm. He smiled and thought to himself: "I had fallen sleep under the tree, it was very strange dream I just had. I must be working too hard under the sun." He started to gather the sheep and to count them before moving on, there was one missing, and as for Daker, there was no sign of him either. Later on that day he told his father about his dream and that he could not find Daker or one of the sheep. His father told the Olders of the village his son's flocked was attacked by wolves and his son lost his dog and a sheep and the attacked has effected his son so much that he is sending him to neighbouring village to stay with his aunt for a while, His aunt will help him ti get better as she is a healer and knows all about plants. Many years passed before any one heard of Moharn again. Mohran once passed through his village of Koraj, he gave many healing remedies to those who were ill in the village and Mohran's Father meet his two year old grandson Zaradusht.