Hymn to Mithras - Mithras: God of the Morning
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 strength 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 ended, 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 children 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."
Rudyard Kipling
________________________________________
CON'T...
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. Ascending the seven heavens and walking through Milky Way and returning to the origin of the Soul. The initiates worked with the four elements and seven planetary energies. The initiations involved purifications and ordeals.
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 naked (casting off old life), blindfolded with hands tied. (In similar manner of Wiccan initations) 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 itself, allowing Mithra to be the guide. The meaning of the first part of Taliesin's Song of the Macrocosm refers to this and his initation.
At this stage the neophyte starts the real battle against his lower self, a solider is one actively struggles 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" (Professor 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 the 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, Mythology's 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 vice versa.
My attempt here is to interpret Mithraic Mysteries using sufi symbolism and show some parallels between these two esoteric traditions, that both originated from Persia but separated by several centuries. The poetic concepts we observe in sufi literature can be seen in physical events during Mithraic rites.
The first stage, that of Raven, is the rebirth of the neophyte into a spiritual path (Tariqat); his sins are washed away and a mantra given to him. A common step among esoteric paths, and not limited to sufisim.
In stage of male-bride, the neophyte offers a cup of water to a statute of Mithra. The cup is his heart and the water is his devotional love, through this offering he hopes to receive wine (Divine Love) into his cup later on the path, after many trails. When he reaches lion stage he would drink the wine.
The male-bride as name suggests is setting out to become a bride/lover of Mithra, remembering that Mithra is Love, the neophyte begins his journey toward the Divine Wedding with the Beloved as known in sufisim. His inability to become united with his Beloved at an early stage of his journey is demonstrated by him carrying a lamp while wearing a veil. This veil needs to be lifted before he could see the light, the source of which he carries in his own hands and yet unable to see. In words of Hafez:
Between lover and Beloved there is no veil,
Hafez! Thou thyself art thy own veil
Rise from this between .
The degree of solider (Miles) was given to those who taken up the spiritual battle against the ego (nafs), the struggle with lower self. During the rite the neophyte is crowned while in bondage of the material world, he is given the kingdom of this world, but he rejects the crown and once his binds were cut, he removes the crown saying: "Mithra is my only crown".
The removing of crown also symbolises an attempt to remove the head (intellect) itself, allowing Mithra to be the guide, significance of which becomes clear in latter stages. Followers of Mithra came from different backgrounds centurions, merchants, slaves and even emperors. All were equal in this brotherhood despite their social standing, this was demonstrated by nakedness of the neophyte during the initiation at this stage.
In end of the initiation for Miles degree a mark was branded on him. "This indelible imprint perpetuated the memory of the solemn engagement by which the person under vow contracted to serve in that order of chivalry which Mithraism constituted" (Fanz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra).
To reach degree of lion demonstrated ones long standing commitment to the order and making real progress on the path. Their duties included attending the altar flame and setting up the ritual meal(sofreh). They were in element of fire and made no contact with opposite element. The lions were engulfed by the fire of love and no trace remained of water of intellect. They said to have growled like lions and moved strangely (from point of view of those who prosecuted them). This emphasis that the lion or crow mask were not just props but also acted as part of shamanistic aspect of the religion. The ordeals of fire, water, heating and cooling all point to the shamanistic nature of the mysteries. The presence of a ordeal pits in Carrawburgh Mithaerum suggests these were even carried out
even on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. The ordeal pit would be have been covered by stone slabs, resulting in the initiate being engulfed by earth.
During the ritual meal they would drink wine, their cup which they offered their devotional love with at the male-bride stage is now filled with Divine Love (Esheg). The bread is flesh of the bull in whose death there was life. In degree of Persian (Perses) the initiate tries to make a rapport to Persia, become part of the chosen people, so to speak. In Greeco-Roman mythology Perses is the son of Persus, and as in the west the cult of Mithras associated constellation Persus with Mithra, the title of Pater (Father) for the seventh grade make sense. Most importantly emblem for this stage is the harpe that Persus used against the Gorgon. The Gorgon is the ego which initiate is been fighting with since solider degree. He drank the wine in lion degree and he is ready to face the great the monster with in, and with guidance of the Persus (the Father, one who has already decapitated his own gorgon), the initiate takes the harpe and tries to destroy his ego. This can be liken to St George slaying the dragon or Gilgamesh killing Humbaba. A common theme in many paths, however here it is seen as a fusion between eastern and western mythology. Title of Heliodromus (Sun runner) would be reserved for one who has seen the sun, and is close to it (sun is another word for love or Mithra in Farsi). In the ritual meal the initiate of this grade would sit next to Mithra himself (Father).
The highest grade was of Father (pir-e moghan), which was Mithras' earthly representative, teacher of all the other grades; he would pour the wine in the cup of the lions and provide the guidance to finally die before you die and overcome the ego.
Revival of Mithras in 20th Century
Like all other branches of neo-pagan revival, a great deal of reinvention has occurred. There are no kitchen initiations here or secret texts: Mithra is lord of the Truth and its important to admit that. Some of the magical current has survived perhaps through fusion with Sufism, Christian gnosticism, the Catholic Church, its influence on several local forms of magical lore were there was a Temple, and some folk customs. We will never know really how successfull the 'Chryfiis' were in taking the movement underground, it depends on each individual and on how they put the fragmented pieces together and formulating their own speculation. The work with the Energy is what matters, rather than any one theory. The key to entering the tradition is simple - all that's needed is to call with a open heart upon Mithra (The Friend, Love, Sun). In other words to "say 'Friend' and enter".
The Mithraic Liturgy from Greek Magical Papyri (350C.E.) clearly demonstrates that Mithras was a deity invoked alongside other deities. The Mithraic Liturgy, which is the working of a magician in 4th centaury AD, shows how Ananke (Goddess of Necessity), Pronoia (Providence), Psyche (Soul) are invoked alongside Mithras for the particular magical working of the writer. This is the earliest magical writing in the West in connection with Mithras that can be authenticated. It is in effect a single spell and only sheds light on the working of one magician who was a Mithraic initiate as well perhaps of several other cults. This liturgy is used excessively in the modern revival, however due to its length and intensity simpler versions are now available.
Another text which is used by new revival is the '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.
This beautiful poem is a great contribution to path of Mithras. However this not the only place where Kipling's poetry is been used in the pagan revival, the May Eve song in the Wiccan Book of Shadows is also was written by Kipling.
Mithras is also encountered in the autoerotic 7th degree of OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis) and the homoerotic 11th degree of OTO. The 11th degree was an addition by A. Crowley to the original OTO system. However it does emphasis one aspect of modern Mithraic movement, which has attracted many gay pagans. In a same way that some Dianic covens are single sex and have strong feminist presence. Some Mithraic groups are male mystery groups only. In the Gnostic Mass, which is the origin for some of the wording in the Wiccan Great Rite, there is also a mention of Mithras.
'Io Io Io IAO Sabao Lord Abrasax, Lord Meithras, Lord Phallos. Io Pan Io Pan Pan Io Pan Io Mighty One, Io Deathless One, Io Immortal One, IAO. Hail Phallus, Hail All-Devourer, Hail All-Begetter...'
This is the final invocation in opening the veil of the Gnostic Mass, Meithras has the power of seven letter for the seven planets and his valueis that of 365. Becoming the ruler of the earth cycle of a year, connecting the energies together.
Conclusion
For me Mithras is an essential part of Male Mysteries. One who is invoked along side other masculine deities, this bestillustrated by the following chant which I wrote as part of a Beltaine invocation: Pan, Mithras, Herne, Cernunnos, Ra. This encompass all currents within male mysteries, and depending on particular working Cernunnos can be replaced by Koronos, with little change to the sound. In that particular ceremony those who wanted to raised the gods energy used the above chant, while those who wanted to raise the goddess energy used
the well known Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Innana chant. The two energy raised within the circle were united by Wine and Cake. Therefore the Invincible Sun god can be incorporated into the fire festivals, and is not limited to the Solar festivals.
Mithras is invoked and worshipped by men and women across the world, as depicted in many Mithraerums the cloak of Mithras is the star filled sky. In the word of the Mithraic liturgy: 'I am a Star, wandering about with thee (Mithras), and shining forth out of the deep.'
Acknowledgments
Guya and Sun Center in Italy, Katon Shual and Oxford Golden Dawn Occult Society, Oxford Temple Of Mithras, OPC, MF, KNP and all whose who walk the Path.
Sources
Hymn to Mithras - Mithras: God of the Morning
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 strength 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 ended, 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 children 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.
Rudyard Kipling
Song of the Macrocosm:
I praise my Father
my God, my strength,
who infused in my head
both soul and reason,
who, to keep guard over me,
did bestow my seven senses,
from fire and earth, water and air:
the mist and flowers,
the wind and trees,
and much skilful wisdom
has my father bestow on me.
One if for instinct,
two is for feeling,
three is for speaking,
four is for tasting,
five is for seeing,
six is for hearing,
seven is for smelling.
As I have said,
seven heavens there are
above the astrologer's head,
and three companies (parts) of the sea;
the sea beats on the strand,
the sea is great and wonderful,
the world itself likewise.
On high, God made
the planets:
He made the Sun,
He made the Moon,
He made Mars,
He made Mercury,
He made venus,
(He made Veneris)
He made Jupiter,
Seventhly, He made Saturn.
The good God made
five zones of the earth,
for as long as it lasts:
the first is formed cold,
the second is formed cold,
the third is formed hot,
injurious to flowers,
unpleasant and hurtful.
The forth is paradise,
which people shall enter.
The fifth is temperate,
the habitable part of the universe.
Into three it is divided,
Into determined regions:
the first is Asia,
the second is Africa,
the third is Europe,
blessed by baptism,
lasting until doomsday
when everything will be judged.
He made my awen
with which I praise the king.
I am Taliesin,
I have the prophet's voice.
Continuing until the end
for Elffin's deliverance."
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