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Eleusinian Mysteries: Difference between revisions
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According to Theosophical writer and clairvoyant, C. W. Leadbeater in his book ''Freemasonry and its Ancient Mystic Rites'', the Eleusinian Mysteries were divided into two degrees, the Lesser and the Greater. Candidates of the Lesser Mysteries were called mystae (initiates). He explains: | According to Theosophical writer and clairvoyant, C. W. Leadbeater in his book ''Freemasonry and its Ancient Mystic Rites'', the Eleusinian Mysteries were divided into two degrees, the Lesser and the Greater. Candidates of the Lesser Mysteries were called mystae (initiates). He explains: | ||
<blockquote>The ceremonies opened with a preliminary purification or baptism in the waters of the Ilissus [river], during which certain ritual formulas were recited; they were continued in the secrecy of the temple, in which representations of the astral world were shown to the candidate, and instruction given upon results of certain courses of action in the life after death.... Besides this teaching upon the exact results in astral life of physical thought and action, much instruction was given in cosmogony, and the evolution of man on this earth was fully explained,... with the aid of illustrative scenes and figures, produced at first by materialization, but later imitated in various ways.<ref>C. W. Leadbeater, ''Freemasonry and its Ancient Mystic Rites'' (New York: Gramercy Books, 1926, 1998), p. 86.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>The ceremonies opened with a preliminary purification or [[baptism]] in the waters of the Ilissus [river], during which certain ritual formulas were recited; they were continued in the secrecy of the temple, in which representations of the astral world were shown to the candidate, and instruction given upon results of certain courses of action in the life after death.... Besides this teaching upon the exact results in astral life of physical thought and action, much instruction was given in cosmogony, and the evolution of man on this earth was fully explained,... with the aid of illustrative scenes and figures, produced at first by materialization, but later imitated in various ways.<ref>C. W. Leadbeater, ''Freemasonry and its Ancient Mystic Rites'' (New York: Gramercy Books, 1926, 1998), p. 86.</ref></blockquote> | ||
[[File:Hades e Perséfone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ancient Greek relief depicting Hades and Persephone]] | [[File:Hades e Perséfone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ancient Greek relief depicting Hades and Persephone]] | ||