Salve and Nama all!
I hope its ok to post this here?
Its details of a forth coming neo Mithraic rite(Roman cult of
Mithras).
This might be of interest to those based in the UK.
Below is outline and draft one of an public Autumn Equinox rite to be
carried out in week 21/22nd Sept in Oxon, England. If interested in
coming drop me a email.
Regards,
Nabarz
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A Mithraic rite at Autumn Equinox.
by writen by Nabarz
(Draft one).
Time: 8:00pm Tuesday Sept 21st (or Wed 22nd)
Meeting place: ceremony will be on a small island in middle of Isis
river in Oxon. A bonfire will be lit to mark the occasion at sunset.
The below ceremony to mark the Autumn Equinox (Mehergan) is
adaptation of Mithras Liturgy (in translation from Greek magical
papyri), and Hymn Lines from Santa Prisca Mithraeum in Rome, Mithra
festival of Persian Mehergan celebrations, The Mystical Hymns of
Orpheus (in translation from Greek, as used in the Eleusian
Mysteries), and some creative writing and reworking on my part.
I have tried to stick to Greeco-Roman classical sources and for a
change tried to avoid using neo-pagan sources.
The ceremony involves number of deities: Pales (mother earth),
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Moon, Sun, Saturn, Mithras.
The version of Mithras Liturgy adapted here is from:
The "Mithras" Liturgy
http://www.hermetic.com/pgm/mithras-liturgy.html
from the Paris Codex
Edited and Translated by Marvin W. Meyer, 1976.
Autumn Equinox
A bonfire will be lit to mark the occasion at sunset.
Props:
-Clearing and setting space.
-Place 7 lit torches, bonfire in centre.
-Set up altar with statue of Mithras slaying the bull.
-symbols of seven planetry deities.
-Raven feather (Mercury)-
-Statue of Anahita (Venus), lamp, veil, spring water in cup (from red
spring of Chalice Well).
-dagger & kit bag (Mars).
-sistrum, incense, & incense burner (Jupiter)
-Honey & scythe (Moon)
-flaming torch(large candle in sun candle holder) (sun).
-staff, libation bowl (Saturn).
-corn/wheat.
-Food and Drinks for the feast of the Bull.
-bottle of Bulls Blood wine(its Hungerian red wine label).
Start by doing the salute to the sun (yoga) three times as warm up
exercise.
Pater: Great kosmokrater (mover of cosmos), O spirit of this place,
and spirit of river Isis and Land of Ox-ford. We ask thy permission
and blessings for this Autumn Equinox rite.
Be gracious to us, 0 Providence and Psyche, as we enact and manifest
these mysteries handed down not for gain but for instruction; and for
an only child we request immortality, O initiates of this our power
[furthermore, it is necessary for you, O daughter, to take the juices
of herbs and spices, which will to you at the end of my holy
treatise], which the great god Helios Mithras ordered to be revealed
to us by his archangel, so that we may ascend into heaven as an
inquirer and behold the universe.
This is the invocation of the ceremony:
Opening:
Fertile Earth Pales who procreates everything.
Guardians of the Seven Gates the Planetry initiates
Mercury (Corax/Raven)
Venus (Nymphus/ bee chrysalis or male bride)
Mars (Miles/ soldier)
Jupites (Leo/ lion)
Moon (Perses /Persian)
Sun (Heliosdromus)
Saturn (Pater)
Seven directions are invited in their own words:
Raven opens East (Air),
Nymphus opens West (water)
Miles opens North (Earth)
Leo opens South (Fire)
Perses opens below (underworld)
Heliosdromus opens above (upper world/ stary sky)
Pater opens within (boundary of Space).
Cauotes: "The soul, having started on its downward course from the
intersection of the zodiac and the Milk Way to the successive spheres
lying beneath, as it passes through these spheres, not only takes on
the afore-mentioned envelopment in each sphere by approaching a
luminous body, but also acquires each of the attributes which it will
exercise later. In the sphere of Saturn it obtains reason and
understanding, in Jupiter sphere the power to act, in Mars' sphere a
bold spirit, in the Sun's sphere sense-perception and imagination. In
Venus' sphere the impulse of passion, in Mercury's' sphere the
ability to speak and interpret and in the lunar sphere the function
of the molding and increasing bodies." (from Platonist Macrobius
commentary on Cicero's `Scipio's dream' fifth century AD. Manfred
Clauss "The Roman cult of Mithras" ).
Invocation of seven planetry deities: Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, Moon, Sun, Saturn. Each person `becomes' the planet they
calling on.
[Each planet is invoked using the The Mystical Hymns of
Orpheus
Translated from the Greek And Demonstrated to Be the Invocations
which were used in the Eleusian Mysteries By Thomas Taylor 1824
http://www.renaissanceastrology.com/%5d
Mercury:
The Orphic Hymn to Mercury
(The Fumigation from Frankincense).
Hermes, draw near, and to my pray'r incline,
Angel of Jove, and Maia's son divine;
Prefect of contest, ruler of mankind,
With heart almighty, and a prudent mind.
Celestial messenger of various skill,
Whose pow'rful arts could watchful Argus kill.
With winged feet 'tis thine thro' air to course,
O friend of man, and prophet of discourse;
Great life-supporter, to rejoice is thine
In arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine.
With pow'r endu'd all language to explain,
Of care the loos'ner, and the source of gain.
Whose hand contains of blameless peace the rod,
Corucian, blessed, profitable God.
Of various speech, whose aid in works we find,
And in necessities to mortals kind.
Dire weapon of the tongue, which men revere,
Be present, Hermes, and thy suppliant hear;
Assist my works, conclude my life with peace,
Give graceful speech, and memory's increase.
Venus:
The Orphic Hymn to Venus
HEAV'NLY, illustrious, laughter-loving queen,
Sea-born, night-loving, of an awful mien;
Crafty, from whom necessity first came,
Producing, nightly, all-connecting dame:
Tis thine the world with harmony to join,
For all things spring from thee, O pow'r divine.
The triple Fates are rul'd by thy decree,
And all productions yield alike to thee:
Whate'er the heav'ns, encircling all contain,
Earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main,
Thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod,
Awful attendant of the brumal God:
Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight,
Mother of Loves, whom banquetings delight;
Source of persuasion, secret, fav'ring queen,
Illustrious born, apparent and unseen:
Spousal, lupercal, and to men inclin'd,
Prolific, most-desir'd, life-giving., kind:
Great sceptre-bearer of the Gods, 'tis thine,
Mortals in necessary bands to join;
And ev'ry tribe of savage monsters dire
In magic chains to bind, thro' mad desire.
Come, Cyprus-born, and to my pray'r incline,
Whether exalted in the heav'ns you shine,
Or pleas'd in Syria's temple to preside,
Or o'er th' Egyptian plains thy car to guide,
Fashion'd of gold; and near its sacred flood,
Fertile and fam'd to fix thy blest abode;
Or if rejoicing in the azure shores,
Near where the sea with foaming billows roars,
The circling choirs of mortals, thy delight,
Or beauteous nymphs, with eyes cerulean bright,
Pleas'd by the dusty banks renown'd of old,
To drive thy rapid, two-yok'd car of gold;
Or if in Cyprus with thy mother fair,
Where married females praise thee ev'ry year,
And beauteous virgins in the chorus join,
Adonis pure to sing and thee divine;
Come, all-attractive to my pray'r inclin'd,
For thee, I call, with holy, reverent mind.
Mars:
The Orphic Hymn to Mars
The Fumigation from Frankincense
Magnanimous, unconquer'd, boistrous Mars,
In darts rejoicing, and in bloody wars
Fierce and untam'd, whose mighty pow'r can make
The strongest walls from their foundations shake:
Mortal destroying king, defil'd with gore,
Pleas'd with war's dreadful and tumultuous roar:
Thee, human blood, and swords, and spears delight,
And the dire ruin of mad savage fight.
Stay, furious contests, and avenging strife,
Whose works with woe, embitter human life; 10
To lovely Venus, and to Bacchus yield,
To Ceres give the weapons of the field;
Encourage peace, to gentle works inclin'd,
And give abundance, with benignant mind.
Jupiter:
The Orphic Hymn to Jupiter
The Fumigation from Storax
O Jove, much-honour'd, Jove supremely great,
To thee our holy rites we consecrate,
Our pray'rs and expiations, king divine,
For all things to produce with ease thro' mind is thine.
Hence mother Earth and mountains swelling high
Proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky.
Saturnian king, descending from above,
Magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Jove;
All-parent, principle and end of all,
Whose pow'r almighty shakes this earthly ball;
Ev'n Nature trembles at thy mighty nod,
Loud-sounding, arm'd with light'ning, thund'ring God.
Source of abundance, purifying king,
O various-form'd, from whom all natures spring;
Propitious hear my pray'r, give blameless health,
With peace divine, and necessary wealth.
Moon:
The Orphic Hymn to the Moon
The Fumigation from Aromatics
Hear, Goddess queen, diffusing silver light,
Bull-horn'd, and wand'ring thro' the gloom of Night.
With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide
Night's torch extending, through the heav'ns you ride:
Female and male, with silv'ry rays you shine,
And now full-orb'd, now tending to decline.
Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon,
Whose amber orb makes Night's reflected noon:
Lover of horses, splendid queen of night,
All-seeing pow'r, bedeck'd with starry light,
Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife,
In peace rejoicing, and a prudent life:
Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend,
Who giv'st to Nature's works their destin'd end.
Queen of the stars, all-wise Diana, hail!
Deck'd with a graceful robe and ample veil.
Come, blessed Goddess, prudent, starry, bright,
Come, moony-lamp, with chaste and splendid light,
Shine on these sacred rites with prosp'rous rays,
And pleas'd accept thy suppliants' mystic praise.
Sun:
The Orphic Hymn to the Sun
The Fumigation from Frankincense and Manna
Hear, golden Titan, whose eternal eye
With matchless sight illumines all the sky.
Native, unwearied in diffusing light,
And to all eyes the object of delight:
Lord of the Seasons, beaming light from far,
Sonorous, dancing in thy four-yok'd car.
With thy right hand the source of morning light,
And with thy left the father of the night.
Agile and vig'rous, venerable Sun,
Fiery and bright around the heav'ns you run,
Foe to the wicked, but the good man's guide,
O'er all his steps propitious you preside.
With various-sounding golden lyre 'tis thine
To fill the world with harmony divine.
Father of ages, guide of prosp'rous deeds,
The world's commander, borne by lucid steeds.
Immortal Jove, flute-playing, bearing light,
Source of existence, pure and fiery bright;
Bearer of fruit, almighty lord of years,
Agile and warm, whom ev'ry power reveres.
Bright eye, that round the world incessant flies,
Doom'd with fair fulgid rays to set and rise;
Dispensing justice, lover of the stream,
The world's great master, and o'er all supreme.
Faithful defender, and the eye of right,
Of steeds the ruler, and of life the light:
With sounding whip four fiery steeds you guide,
When in the glittering car of day you ride,
Propitious on these mystic labours shine,
And bless thy suppliants with a life divine.
Saturn:
The Orphic Hymn to Saturn
The Fumigation from Storax
ETHERIAL father, mighty Titan, hear,
Great fire of Gods and men, whom all revere:
Endu'd with various council, pure and strong,
To whom perfection and decrease belong.
Consum'd by thee all forms that hourly die,
By thee restor'd, their former place supply;
The world immense in everlasting chains,
Strong and ineffable thy pow'r contains
Father of vast eternity, divine,
O mighty Saturn, various speech is thine:
Blossom of earth and of the starry skies,
Husband of Rhea, and Prometheus wife.
Obstetric Nature, venerable root,
From which the various forms of being shoot;
No parts peculiar can thy pow'r enclose,
Diffus'd thro' all, from which the world arose,
O, best of beings, of a subtle mind,
Propitious hear to holy pray'rs inclin'd;
The sacred rites benevolent attend,
And grant a blameless life, a blessed end.
After all seven invocation taken place, everyone sits down for
chanting.
Chant: Ya doust Mithra. While performing transiting
[note: Transitting is based on one of the Sufi Zeker (dhikr)
technique (for details see Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti `The book
of Sufi healing', Inner Traditions, 1991, 144-146). To chant `Ya dost
Mithra', begin with your head facing left and start intoning `Yaaa'
and move your head in an arc gently down toward the center of your
body and toward your right shoulder intoning `doooussst' at the same
time. Next, the head in brought down towards the chest
intoning `Miiitt' then bring your head up intoning `raaaa'. This can
repeated a number of times and carried on for few minutes, inducing a
trance state. Move slowly, and be very careful with your neck
muscles. Do not do this if you have neck injuries, simply chant. ]
Chant is carried out by everyone while each planet reads their
section of Mithras liturgy, this invocation is read aloud above the
chant.
Corax(Mercury): First -origin of my origin, AEEIOYO, first beginning
of my beginning, spirit of spirit, the first of the spirit in me,
fire given by god to my mixture of the mixtures in me, the first of
the fire in me, water of water, the first of the water in me, earthy
substance, the first of the earthy substance in me, my complete
body I whose mother is _Pales_(mother earth), which was formed by a
noble arm and an incorruptible right hand in a world without light
and yet radiant, without soul and yet alive with soul, now if it be
your will, in another place, give me over to immortal birth and,
following that, to my underlying nature, so that after the present
need which is pressing me exceedingly, I may gaze upon the immortal
beginning with the immortal spirit, with the immortal water, with
the most steadfast air, that I may be born again in thought, and
the sacred spirit may breathe in me, so that I may wonder at the
sacred fire, that I may gaze upon the unfathomable, awesome water of
the dawn, and the vivifying ,and encircling aether may hear me, for
today I am about to behold, with immortal eyes -- I, born mortal from
mortal womb, but transformed by tremendous power and an incorruptible
right hand -- and with immortal spirit, the immortal Aion and master
of the fiery diadems—
Nymphus: I, sanctified through holy consecrations!-- while there
subsists within me, holy, for a short time, my human soul-might,
which I will again receive after the present bitter and relentless
necessity which is pressing down upon me--
I, _______ whose mother is __Pales (mother earth)_ according to the
immutable decree of god, Since it is impossible for me, born
mortal, to rise with the golden brightnesses of the immortal
brilliance, stand, O perishable nature of mortals, and at once me
safe and sound after the inexorable and pressing need. For I am the
son, I am."
Visualise: Draw in breath from the rays, drawing up three times as
much as you can, and you will see yourself being lifted up and
ascending to the height, so that you seem to be in mid-air. You will
hear nothing either of man or of any other living thing, nor in that
hour will you see anything of mortal affairs on earth, but rather you
will see all immortal things. For in that day and hour you will see
the divine order of the skies: the presiding gods rising into heaven,
and others setting. Now the course of the visible gods will appear
through the disk of god, my father; and in similar fashion the so-
called "pipe", the origin of the ministering wind. For you will see
it hanging from the sun's disk like a pipe. You will see the outflow
of this object toward the regions westward, boundless as an east
wind, if it be assigned to the regions of the East--and the other
(viz. the west wind), similarly, toward its own regions. And you will
see the gods staring intently at you and rushing at you. So at once
put your right finger on your mouth and say:
"Silence! Silence! Silence! Symbol of the living, incorruptible god!
Guard me, Silence,
Miles (Mars): Then you will see the gods looking graciously upon you
and no longer rushing at you, but rather going about in their own
order of affairs. So when you see that the world above is clear and
circling, and that none of the gods or angels is threatening you,
expect to hear a great crash of thunder, so as to shock you. Then say
again: "Silence! Silence! (the prayer) I am a star, wandering about
with you, and shining forth out of the deep". Immediately after you
have said these things the sun's disk will be expanded. And after you
have said the second prayer, where there is "Silence! Silence!" and
the accompanying words, make a hissing sound twice and a popping
sound twice, and immediately you will see many five- pronged stars
coming forth from the disk and filling all the air. Then say
again: "Silence! Silence!"
And when the disk is open, you will see the fireless circle, and the
fiery doors shut tight (585). At once close your eyes and recite the
following prayer.
Leo (Jupiter): .
Puts more incense on the burner and says:
Receive the incense- burners, Father, receive the Lions, Holy One,
through whom we offer incense, through whom we offer ourselves
consumed!
The third prayer:
"Give ear to me, hearken to me, _______ whose mother is __Pales
(mother earth)_____, O Lord, you who have bound together with your
breath the fiery bars of the fourfold root, O Fire-Walker, Light-
Maker, Fire-Breather, Fire-Feeler, IAO, Light-Breather, OAI, Fire-
Delighter, Beautiful Light, Aion, Light-Master, Fire-Body, Light-
Giver, Fire-Sower, Fire-Driver, Light-Forcer, AIO, Fire-Whirler,
Light-Mover, Thunder-Shaker (600), IE OE IOEIO, Glory-Light, Light-
Increaser, Fire-Light-Maintainer, Star-Tamer: open for me,
PROPROPHEGGE EMETHEIRE MORIOMOTYREPHILBA, because on account of the
pressing and bitter and inexorable necessity, I invoke the immortal
names, living and honored, which never pass into mortal nature and
are not declared in articulate speech by human tongue or mortal
speech (610) or mortal sound: EEO OEEO IOO OE EEO EEO OE EO IOO OEEE
OEE OOE IE EO OO OE IEO OE OOE IEO OE IEEO EE IO OE IOE OEO EOE OEO
OIE OIE EO OI III EOE OYE EOOEE EO EIA AEA EEA (615) EEEE EEE EEE IEO
EEO OEEEOE EEO EYO OE EIO EO OE OE EE OOO YIOE."
Say all these things with fire and spirit, until completing the first
utterance; then, similarly, begin the second, until you complete the
seven immortal gods of the world. When you have said these things,
you will hear thundering and shaking in the surrounding realm; and
you will likewise feel yourself being agitated. Then say
again: "Silence!" (the prayer) Then open your eyes and you will see
the doors (625) open and the world of the gods which is within the
doors, so that from the pleasure and joy of the sight your spirit
runs ahead and ascends. So stand still and at once draw breath from
the divine into yourself, while you look intently. Then when (630)
your soul is restored, say: "Come, Lord, ARCHANDARA PHOTAZA PYRIPHOTA
ZABYTHIX ETIMENMERO PHORATHEN ERIE PROTHRI PHORATHI."
Perses (moon):
When you have said this, the rays will turn toward you; look at the
center of them. For when (635) you have done this, you will see a
youthful god, beautiful in appearance, with fiery hair, and in a
white tunic and a scarlet cloak, and wearing a fiery crown. At once
greet him with the fire-greeting:
"Hail, O Lord, Great Power, Great Might, King, Greatest of gods,
Helios, the Lord of heaven and earth, God of gods: mighty is your
breath; mighty is your strength, O Lord. If it be your will, announce
me to the supreme god, the one who has begotten and made you: that a
man --
I, _______ whose mother is __Pales (earth mother)_ who was born from
the mortal womb of _______ and from the fluid of semen, and who,
since he has been born again from you today, has become immortal out
of so many myriads in this hour according to the wish of god the
exceedingly good-- resolves to worship you, and prays with all his
human power (that you may take along with you the horoscope of the
day and hour today, which has the name THRAPSIARI MORIROK, that he
may appear and give revelation during the good hours, EORO RORE ORRI
ORlOR ROR ROI OR REORORI EOR EOR EOR EORE!)."
After you have said these things, he will come to the celestial pole,
and you will see him walking as if on a road. Look intently and make
a long bellowing sound, like a horn, releasing all your breath and
straining your sides; and kiss the amulets and say, first toward the
right: "Protect me, PROSYMERI!" After saying this, you will see the
doors thrown open, and seven virgins coming from deep within, dressed
in linen garments, and with the faces of asps. They are called the
Fates of heaven, and wield golden wands. When you see them, greet
them in this manner:
"Hail, O seven Fates of heaven, O noble and good virgins, O sacred
ones and companions of MINIMIRROPHOR, O most holy guardians of the
four pillars!
Hail to you, the first, CHREPSENTHAES!
Hail to you, the second, MENESCHEES!
Hail to you, the third, MECHRAN!
Hail to you, the fourth, ARARMACHES!
Hail to you, the fifth, ECHOMMIE!
Hail to you, the sixth, TICHNONDAES!
Hail to you, the seventh, EROY ROMBRIES!
Helios (sun): There also come forth another seven gods, who have the
faces of black bulls, in linen loin-cloths, and in possession of
seven golden diadems. They are the so-called Pole-Lords of heaven,
whom you must greet in the same manner, each of them with his own
name: "Hail, O guardians of the pivot, O sacred and brave youths, who
turn at one command the revolving axis of the vault of heaven, who
send out thunder and lightning and jolts of earthquakes and
thunderbolts against the nations of impious people, but to me, who am
pious and god-fearing, you send health and soundness of body, and
acuteness of hearing and seeing, and calmness in the present good
hours of this day, O my Lords and powerfully ruling Gods!
Hail to you, the first, AIERONTHI!
Hail to you, the second, MERCHEIMEROS!
Hail to you, the third, ACHRICHIOYR!
(690) Hail to you, the fourth, MESARGILTO!
Hail to you, the fifth, CHICHROALITHO!
Hail to you, the sixth, ERMICHTHATHOPS!
Hail to you, the seventh, EORASICHE!"
Pater: Now when they take their place, here and there, in order, look
in the air and you will see lightning-bolts going down, and lights
flashing , and the earth shaking, and a god descending, a god
immensely great, having a bright appearance youthful, golden-haired,
with a white tunic and a golden crown and trousers, and holding in
his right hand a golden shoulder of a young bull: this is the Bear
which moves and turns heaven around, moving upward and downward in
accordance with the hour. Then you will see lightning-bolts leaping
from his eyes and stars from his body. And at once produce a long
bellowing sound, straining your belly, that you may excite the five
senses: bellow long until the conclusion, and again kiss the amulets,
and say: "MOKRIMO PHERIMOPHERERI, life of me, _______" stay!
Dwell in my soul! Do not abandon me, for one entreats you, ENTHO
PHENEN THROPIOTH."
And gaze upon the god while bellowing long; and greet him in this
manner:
"Hail, O Lord, O Master of the water!
Hail, O Founder of the earth!
Hail, O Ruler of the wind!
O Bright Lightener!
Give revelation 0 Lord, concerning the matter of _mysteries of Autumn
Equinox _____.
O Lord, while being born again, I am passing away; while growing and
having grown, I am dying; while being born from a life-generating
birth, I am passing on, released to death-- as you have founded, as
you have decreed, and have established the mystery.
I am PHEROYRA MIOYRI."
After you have said these things, he will immediately respond with a
revelation. Now you will grow weak in soul and will not be in
yourself, when he answers you. He speaks the oracle to you in verse,
and after speaking he will depart. But you remain silent, since you
will be able to comprehend all these matters by yourself; for at a
later time you will remember infallibly the things spoken by the
great god, even if the oracle contained myriads of verses.
-Oracle of Mithras by ? someone who feels moved.
-Giving Thanks to Mithras. Then planetry deities in reverse order,
descend back to earth: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Venus,
Mercury, and thanks to 7 directions.
-Ritual meal, feast of the Bull!
Began by saying: This young Bull which he carried on his shoulders
according to his ways. And after which I had received it, I have
carried on my shoulders the greatest things of the gods.
-Share meal.
-Clear space.
*Nabarz Autumn Equinox, Sept 2004.