#mystery religions

[creature-wizard]

Did Babylon even have any mystery religions? Like, they were all over Greece and Rome, but I can't find anything suggesting that kinda thing ever took off in Babylon. Literally the only people I can find claiming they had anything like this going on are conspiracy theorists who take Revelation too literally.

[spaceintruderdetector]

https://archive.org/details/mystery-religions-in-the-ancient-world-by-joscelyn-godwin

[porphurios]

Orphic ceremonial bowl (4th century C.E.) showing sixteen naked adepts, eight men and eight women. In the center is the Orphic Cosmic Egg or Omphalos, around which a dragon is coiled. The underside of the bowl shows four Eros figures and the following lines:

Gods, for it whirls through the infinite, great Olympus. Shining Zeus, may the cosmos be born. Hear from afar the swirling fire-wreathed circle. Heaven and earth were one form.

[rosieandthemoon]

Bryn Celli Ddu - Wales

[thetelesterion]

As yesterday marked the start of the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries, I performed a ritual and libation in honor of the goddess Persephone. (Her statue is the one all the way on the lower right.) The Lesser Mysteries commemorate the return of Persephone from the underworld to the world of the living, thus ushering in the return of crops, flowering plants and greenery. Unfortunately winter is not yet officially over where I live, and everything's still covered in a thick blanket of snow.

[illustratus]

Parzival by Fidus

[har-har-harvey]

i have never felt more seen than when gorgug said “i go into a worry”. like babe, i see you, i feel you, i hear you, i know you. plus!!!! the situation with kristen and cassandra! how i just know in my heart that kristen cares for her and wants to help her succeed, but is a literal teenager and doesn’t even know how to do that for herself let alone someone else. and she doesn’t have anyone to look up to or to go to for guidance because really she is the only one and how this is so different to what she had when she was with helio because of that. and the literal anxiety and sorrow and fear i feel about and for cassandra! i go into a worry!!

[imaginarylands4000]

[honourablejester]

I’m not done with the D&D deities, but I thought I’d take a little sidetrack to a Pathfinder deity that I deeply enjoy.

Pathfinder Deity Spotlight: Black Butterfly

The Silence Between flutters among and between the stars, representing distance, silence, and space. Often called Desna’s Shadow, the Black Butterfly is sometimes believed to be an aspect of Desna that has broken off and taken on its own life; her interest in distance and space certainly reflects Desna’s love of travel. The Black Butterfly finds the silence of the sea of stars useful for introspection and learning about oneself. Those who follow her take opportunities when they can to sit in silent meditation, in zones of silence and darkness when possible. Travel across large distances offers plenty to think about and contemplate, and the Black Butterfly encourages such journeys. She hates all evil, but she truly despises the powerful beings of evil that populate the Dark Tapestry, and her followers are expected to fight these beings and their followers without mercy.

The Silence Between manifests as the silhouette of a woman with butterfly wings, and white hair and eyes. Her wings contain a shadow—or reflection—of all of the Dark Tapestry and everything within it. Parted lovers, the isolated, the introverted, those who have sworn vows of silence or don’t communicate verbally, stargazers, explorers, and the melancholy are all found among the followers of the Black Butterfly.

--- Lost Omens: Gods and Magic (2020)

Technically speaking, the Black Butterfly is an Empyreal Lord, a demigod, rather than a main deity. She is linked to Desna, one of the primary deities, and a deity I do also love in her own right. Desna is the Song of the Spheres, an ancient goddess who created the night sky, a goddess of dreams, travel, stars and songs. I do love her as well.

But. I like the quiet of her smaller, darker reflection? I love the Black Butterfly’s emphasis on silence, on peace, on contemplation. Those long watches of the night where you come to terms with yourself and the world around you. If you’ve ever sat out on the back wall of your yard at night and just looked up at the sky and listened to the quiet? That’s her. If you like to go walking or driving at night just to see the world when it’s quiet, to enjoy your own company? That’s her too. Though cars aren’t a thing on Golarion, of course. But. A similar idea. Travel with yourself, with your thoughts, travel with the silence inside yourself. If you want a bit more of a contemplative, inward-facing experience, not Irori’s pursuit of perfection but something … quieter. More accepting. Then worship of the Black Butterfly might be for you.

On the flipside, however, is her antipathy for the beings of the Dark Tapestry. Because. The Dark Tapestry itself is essentially the void between the stars. And the beings that inhabit it are the Outer Gods. AKA the Lovecraftian gods. Because Pathfinder has those. By name. Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth included. And the interesting thing is, I can’t find a source for it, but I’ve seen people discussing a theory that Desna, Black Butterfly’s parent deity, might be an Outer God, just a friendlier one. But. That aside. The Black Butterfly, this quiet, contemplative deity, this patron of parted lovers and stargazers and the melancholy, is also a driving part of the fight against Lovecraftian horrors.

And it makes sense. She’s the goddess of space, a flitting figure among the sea of stars, and the Dark Tapestry is the very fabric of space, and it’s corrupted. Or, at least, owned. By the cold, cruel forces of the Outer Gods. So it makes sense that she wants to reclaim it, or to make space among it, to make it so that at least some travellers may venture there without doom.

But it kind of means …

Do you want to play the quiet, mysterious traveller who shows up in a town afflicted by dark forces, the crawling cults of the dark things between the stars, to give their aid to people beset by horrors, and then vanish again, a drifter travelling ever onwards towards the next town or village where their services might be needed? Because that is what is asked of a worshipper of the Black Butterfly. To travel. To embrace silence. To know oneself. And to fight the strange horrors of the darkness between the stars. So. If that is an archetype you might want to play to? Here is your goddess.

I love her quite a lot. She’s calm, and quiet, and gentle, and she lets you play with the cool end of Lovecraftian fantasy horror. Heh.

[vintage-tigre]

One of the most famous experiments in quantum physics is the double slit experiment. It demonstrates, with unparalleled strangeness, that little particles of matter at the subatomic level only exist as a wave until they are observed.

This suggests that the very act of observing a particle has a dramatic effect on its behavior and could imply that consciousness has a symbiotic relation to the formulation of our physical reality of atomic particles.

This scientific mystery causes some people to believe humans have a dualistic relationship with reality creation - as if we have a psychic entanglement with subatomic particles and we are all creating physical reality with our collective consciousness, or that it proves a God exists and is somehow playing a curious game of peek-a-boo with all of us.

[genderkoolaid]

i know everyone hates organized religion or whatever but man i wish some sort of responsible & trustworthy & not-racist organization existed for modern hellenic polytheism. do you know how fucking cool that could be. like the thing about religion is that in order to do a lot of the best communal aspects you do need some degree of organization.

[nickysfacts]

Vassago: the honest demonic treasure hunting prince detective!

👑🔎

[numinous-archives]

Homeric Hymn to Demeter

Interpretations of Religious and Socio-Cultural Significance

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (circa 7th–6th century BCE) is one of the most significant literary works in Ancient Greek religion, offering profound insights into the myth of Demeter and Persephone, the establishment of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the theological themes of life, death, and renewal.

Attributed to the Homeric Hymns, the poem serves as both a sacred narrative and a theological foundation for the Eleusinian Mysteries, one of the most important mystery cults in Ancient Greece

The Abduction of Persephone

Zeus, without Demeter’s knowledge, permits Hades, the god of the underworld, to abduct Persephone. While gathering flowers in a meadow, Persephone is seized by Hades and taken to the underworld. Her screams go unanswered except by Hekate and Helios, who later reveal the truth to Demeter.

Interpretations of Marriage

This myth can be interpreted as a reflection of ancient Greek societal norms and traditions surrounding marriage, where the man would take his bride away from her family and bring her to his home/household, or oikos, where she'd then become a part of the man's family.

This was an important rite of passage for both the man (who was often much older, around 30) and the woman (who was often much younger, around teenage years).

This bond represented not only their love, but also their family, a crucial institution that contributed to the development and maintenance of the polis.

Demeter's Search (and Grief)

Devastated by her daughter’s disappearance, Demeter wanders the earth in search of Persephone.

Disguising herself as a mortal, she withdraws from her divine role as the goddess of agriculture, causing a famine that threatens the survival of humanity.

The hymn is a profound exploration of maternal grief through Demeter’s relentless search for Persephone. Her anguish disrupts the natural order, illustrating the deep connection between divine emotions and the functioning of the cosmos.

Interpretations of Seasonal Changes

The hymn portrays a cosmic cycle of death and rebirth, with Persephone’s descent and return symbolizing the seasons: the barren winter (her time in the underworld) and the fertile spring and summer (her time on earth with Demeter).

The grief of Demeter is thought to represent the season of winter as Persephone spends the half or quarter (depending on the version) of each year with Hades in the Underworld.

This mythological symbolism of seasonal changes is also quite common among religious traditions and mythologies in the ancient world.

Interpretations connected to Marriage

The grief of Demeter is also thought to represent the grief of a mother after her daughter's marriage. Persephone's abduction is thought to have represented the daughter's transition into the man's household (oikos) and becoming a part of his family.

Demeter at Eleusis

Demeter arrives at Eleusis and is taken in by the household of King Celeus and Queen Metaneira, becoming the nursemaid for their son, Demophon. Attempting to make the child immortal by placing him in the fire, she is interrupted by Metaneira, revealing her divine identity. Demeter then instructs the people of Eleusis to build her a temple.

Eleusis, as a setting, became a holy site, with the Telesterion (initiation hall) serving as the cult’s sacred center. The hymn’s connection to Eleusis reinforced its cultural and religious significance.

The Reunion of Demeter and Persephone

Zeus, pressured by the famine, sends Hermes or Hekate (depending on the version of the myth) to the underworld to negotiate Persephone’s return.

Hades agrees but tricks Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, binding her to the underworld for part of the year.

Persephone is reunited with Demeter, but her dual residency establishes the seasonal cycle.

The hymn reflects Greek religious concerns about divine justice, cosmic order, and humanity’s role within it. Persephone’s seasonal cycle reassures the faithful of the gods’ ability to maintain cosmic balance, despite temporary disruptions.

Foundation of the Eleusinian Mysteries

The hymn concludes with Demeter teaching the rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries to the people of Eleusis, ensuring the preservation of her worship and promising initiates a blessed afterlife.

The Mysteries promised initiates a deeper understanding of the mysteries of existence, offering hope for a blessed afterlife. This esoteric knowledge distinguished initiates from the uninitiated, who were believed to lack access to such spiritual insight.

Central to the Mysteries was the belief in the immortality of the soul. Initiates were taught to view death not as an end but as a transformation, aligning with the mythological journey of Persephone between the realms of life and death.

Held in spring at Agrai near Athens, the Lesser Mysteries served as a preparatory stage for the Greater Mysteries. Participants underwent preliminary purification rituals and initiations, paving the way for full participation in the Greater Mysteries.

Celebrated annually in September or October, the Greater Mysteries lasted for nine days and culminated in the central rites at Eleusis. These included processions, sacrifices, and secret rituals held in the Telesterion, the sacred hall of initiation.

Literature List

Bowden, H. (2023). The Eleusinian Mysteries. Mystery Cults in the Ancient World. Thames and Hudson Ltd

[introverted-scribblings]

Can I just say?…

Adaman x MC/reader… how has no one seen the angel motif yet??? Seriously I don’t think I’ve seen a single fic that plays with that…

Guess it’s up to me 😔

[thepersonalwords]

God is a sound frequency, and we can all tune in if we just listen. Some find The Rhythm through different melodies, but it's all music.

Jennifer Sodini

[clearpills]