TheultimateprovenanceofMithrasisamystery.Itwasatrueparthenogenesis,
“fertilizedbytheheavenlyfather’sphalliclightning,”asBarbara Walkerwrote.Hewastrulytheself‐born,”likethenamelessfigureidentifiedby Jesusintheapocryphal GospelofThomas,wherehesaid:Whenyouseehim whowas notbornofwoman, falldownuponyourfacesandworshiphim;that one isyourFather.
Thusduringtheinitiations,accordingtotheone‐survivingMithrasLiturgy, inducteestookanoathtothegodwhichincludedthewords:I…whowasborn
fromthemortalwombof(hismother’sname)andfromthefluidofsemen,and who,sincehehasbeenbornagainfromyoutoday…resolvestoworshipyou.
InthemythofMithras,whenthetimecametohaveprogenyofhisown,he chosetomatewitharockbecausehedetestedfemales.Awriterknownas
“Pseudo‐Plutarch”wrotein DeFluviis23.4aboutacertainmountaininArmenia called“Diorphos.”Thiswasnamedafter“DiorphostheEarth‐born(orthe Titan),”
aboutwhomitwassaid:
Mithras,whowantedtohaveasonbuthatedtheraceofwomen,ejaculatedonto astone.Thestonebecamepregnantand—aftertheappropriatetime—produced aboycalledDiorphos.
Thenameofthisfigurebroughttomindthemythofthe“OrphicEgg”fromthe OrphicMysterySchools,whichwentbacktoGreeceinthefifthcentury.They taughtthattheprimordialbeingwasafigurenamed“Phanes,”whomtheyalso called“Eros.”Thecreatorofthiseggwas“Nyx,”whosenamemeant“Night,”
justlikewhatthenameoftheKabbalisticdemonessLilithtranslatesto.Ifelt thatPhanesmightalsorelatetoOphion,aserpentwho,withhisTitanbride Eurynome,wassaidtohaveruledtheEarthforaspellafterbeing“castdown”
byChronosandRhea.ThisagainindicatesanidentificationwithDiorphos,the sonofMithras,identifiedwithChronos/Saturn.
DepictionsofPhaneswithhisbodysurroundedbyaserpent,stronglyresemble theimagesofthe leontocephaline(lion‐headed)versionofMithrasasSaturn (alsoshownwrappedinasnake)thatwerefoundinmany mithraeums,aswere Orphicdepictionsofthecosmicegg.Otherrelatedsymbolsincludetheone-snakedrodofAsclepiusandthedouble‐snakedrodofHermes,thecaduceus.
This
lastobjectwasshownbyEliphasLevisittingbetweenthelegsofBaphomet insteadofapenis.
LikeBaphomet,thePersianshadoriginallyseentheir Mitraasanintermediary power,helpingconnectcreaturesonourplanewithboththecelestialpowers aboveandtheinfernalpowersbelow.IntheRomanmysteryschoolversion,he becameidentifiedwithSaturn,thefurthestfromEarthoftheplanetsthenknown
about,seeninclassicalastrologyasthehighestoftheheavens.Buthewasalso identified,especiallyinthelatteryearsoftheRomanEmpire,withSol,theSun.
Intheoldgeocentricsystems,Soloccupiedthemiddlesphereoftheheavens, withotherspheres,includingthoseofJupiterandSaturn,ontopofthat.
TheworshippersofSolInvictus,liketheEgyptians,sawtheSunastheultimate symbolofanomnipotentgod.ButintheMithraicMysteries,whichattemptedto incorporatethiscultinitslateryears,theinitiatemadeasymbolicjourney througheachoftheheavens,inimitationofthisenhancedstoryofthe adventuresofMithras.Thisdidnotmerelyinvolvehimpassingthroughthe variousgatesofHeavenwithspecialpasswords.This(taughtbyGnosticand Hermeticschoolsasnecessaryforthesoultoascendtothehighestrealmafter death).Rather,inthiscase,itseemsthatMithrasactuallyconqueredthe intelligencesthatruledoverthesespheres,subduingthemtohiswill.
Afterslayingthebullfromwhichthematerialworldwasmade,heascendedthis stairwaytoheaven,the“ladderoflights”weknowasthesevenclassicalplanets, untilhegottoSol’skingdom.There,afterthesunwasoverthrown,theluminary wasforcedtobowdownononekneetohisnewmaster,Mithras.Thetwothen shookhandsasfriends,andthenfeastedtogetheronthebull,withthe dominationofthenewsungodnowhavingbeenestablished.ThenMithrastook thereignsoftheSun’schariotandascendedtothenextrealm,whichwasthatof Saturn.Mithrasthentookonashisownidentityaswell,indicatingthathe overtookthatgodlikehedidtheothers,andhenceforthruledallofthekingdoms below.
SoMithrasisbothSaturnandtheSun,Ithoughttomyself. ButI’veread that Saturnisassociatedinalchemicalsymbolismwiththeprocessofputrefaction, calledthe Nigrido .Thisiswhenthe‘primalmaterial’ofthe universeis sacrificed
anddismembered.Andthesignofthe Nigrido isablacksun.Theysaythissunis somehow‘inthecenteroftheEarth,’justlikehowChronos,whoisSaturn,is imprisonedinTartarusbyZeus,whoisJupiter.Iwonderwhatthatmeans.
IGoogled“Mithras” “blacksun.”Ialsoopenedothertabstosearchtheterms
“midnightsun”and“secondsun”incombinationwith“Mithras.”That’swhenI discoveredanamazingnewangle.
BecausehevictoriouslyoverthrewboththeSunandSaturn,thentookonbothof theirroles,Mithraswasseenasthesourceofalightmoreprimordial,beyondthe knownuniverse,the“sunbeyondtheSun.”Therealmoflightbeyondthesphere ofSaturnwascalled“Hyperuranium.”ItwasnamedafterSaturn’sfather Uranus,forthesamereasontheplanetbeyondSaturnwassonamedbymodern astronomers.Adocumentcalled“theMithrasLiturgy”describedaMithraic initiate,inimitationofMithras,enteringthepalaceofthe“SevenPoleLords”
withthefacesofblackbulls.Thesearetheguyswhoturnthewheelsofthe heavens,causingearthquakes,thunderandlightning.ButMithrasbasically makesslavishbitchesoutofthemall.
ThefactthatMithraswasknownforliterally“stormingheaven,”invadingthe highestrealmoftheuniversewithshockandawe,seemedtobepartofwhyhis cultwaspopularwiththemilitaryofanimperialpower.Cybelewasalreadyan official patronessoftheRomanmilitary,anditisnoaccidentthatherholyweek tookplaceduringthemonthdedicatedtothewargodMars.Butwhereasthe MagnaMaterwasseenastheprotectressofthestate,andthestatusquo(much liketheEgyptiangoddessMaat,whosenamemeant“worldorder”),Mithraswas agodofrebellion.
TheredPhrygiancapwornbyMithras—aswellasbyCybele’s Galli, coincidentally—isalsoknownasa“libertycap,”becauseinRomeitwasthe symbolofaslavethathadbeenfreed.Allslavesworethemduringthefestivalof Saturnaliaatthewintersolstice,becausetheywereconsideredfreeduringthis timeperiod.Indeed,allruleswereconsiderednullduringthesedays,givingway toorgies,drinking,andmuchmischief.
ThiswasdoneinhonorofSaturnandhisGoldenAge,whennobodyhadto work.ItisthereasonwhywealltakevacationaroundChristmas,andwhySanta Clauswearsthatfunnyredhat.It’salsowhywegetwildlydrunkonNewYear’s Eve,justlikethe“FeastofFools”celebratedinmedievalEurope,whenthe socialorderwouldbeupturnedinhonorofthe“LordofMisrule.”It’swhythe libertycapbecamethesymboloftheFrenchRevolution,inspiredby Freemasons,who,liketheMithraists,gavenoregardtosocialstatuswithinthe boundariesoftheirlodges.ThesealsoftheUSArmyandtheUSSenatebear thissymbolaswell.
ThinkingaboutthisatChesterfield’sbreakfasttable,whileheclickedawayon
hiscomputeracrossthetablefromme,Inowunderstoodthecosmologyofthe Smurfs.PapaSmurf,withhisredPhrygianhat,wasthe“Pater,”theFather,just liketheleaderofaMithraicschoolwascalled.Hissubjectsinthecommunist Smurfdictatorshipwereallmale,likethoseinthetemplesofMithras,exceptfor Smurfette,whohadbeencreatedthroughdarkalchemybyGargamelinorderto misleadtheSmurfs.PapaSmurf,however,hadbeenabletomagicallyturnher overtohiswill,andletherlivewithhissubjects.Butnoneofthemhadmothers and,frommyrecollection,allofthemhadbeencreatedalchemically.
“So,”saidChesterfield,clearinghisthroat.“LearnedanythingaboutCybeleand
Mithras?”
“Yes,”Isaid.“Quitealot.”
“WellIknowthatCybelelikestocastrateboysandMithraslikestofuckbullsin thearsewhilehekillsthem.Whatothersickstuffdidtheygetupto?”
Ilaughed.“TherecordontheMithraistsisabitconfusing.Ontheonehand, therearesourcessayingthatthecultvaluedabstinencefromsex,asanextension oftheirgeneralhatredofwomen,andthatmanyoftheirprieststookvowsof chastity.”
“Yes,”hesaid,noddingasheglancedathiscomputerbriefly.Icontinued
“Butatthesametimetheyhadaceremonyfortheseconddegreeoftheirorder, whichiscalled“Nymphus”—“theBride.”Itwasdedicatedtothelovegoddess Venus.Theinitiatewouldbemarriedtoanotherbrotherintheorder,dressedina bridalveil.”
“Goon,”hesaid,lookingagainathiscomputerasifhewerecheckingoffitems onalist.
IgavehimabreakdownofthematerialIhadfoundindicatingthatbothCybele andMithraswereagainstnormalsexualrelations,andthatbothhadbeenborn frominseminatedrocks.ImentionedthecastrationofCybele,andheroriginal hermaphroditicstate.IcomparedhertoBaphomet,alsomissinghispenis accordingtoEliphasLevi.
“TheKnightsTemplarofficiallyrejectedsexwithwomenaswell,vowingnotto touchthem,althoughweknowthattheydidconfesstosometimesusingfemale
prostitutesintheirorgies,alwaysforsodomy.Butinordertostemtheirdesires forprocreativeacts,theyvowed nottorejectthesexualadvancementsoftheir brothers.Themasterstoldtheinitiatesthatitwasbettertoindulgeinthisthanto
‘burnwithdesire’forfemales.That’sprobablywhytheykissedeachother’s penisesandbuttsattheendoftheinductionceremony.”
Helookedatmeincredulously.“I’veneverheard thatbefore.”
“ThiswasallrevealedafewyearsagobytheVatican,”Itoldhim.“Ithappened whentheydiscoveredtheChinonParchment.Itcameoutthattheknightshad confessedallofthisstufftoPopeClementVwithouttorture.Andthisisin additiontotheSatanicritualstheyconfessedabouttotheKingofFranceyears earlier.”
“Sotheywereagayknighthood?”hesaid.Heseemedcrestfallen.Iguesshe reallyboughtintothehypethattheTemplarswereawronglymalignedgroupof pureChristianmartyrs.
“There’smore,”Isaid.“JosephvonHammer‐Purgstallfoundmonumentshe believedwereofTemplarorigin,asItoldyou.Well,someofthemhad depictionsoflittleboysbeingsodomizedandmadetohavesexwithanimals.
Theyalsoshowedkidsbeingsacrificedina‘baptismoffire’ritual.”
“Andwhywouldtheyhavedonethis?”heasked.
“Well,Ihaven’tfigureditoutentirely.”
Herolledhiseyes.
“Imean,Ithinkitwasanattempttodestroycreationthroughmagic.ButIdon’t knowhowitwassupposedtowork.”
“Wheredidyougettheideathen?”heasked.
“TheMetecoffer.”Isaid.“RememberitshowsCybelewithabeardpullingthe SunandMoondownfromthesky?She’suprootingtheheavens,wherethe Archonsrulefrom.”
“WhoaretheArchons?”hesaid,gettingvisiblyannoyedatthelabyrinthine
symbolismIwasattemptingtoexplain.
“Theheavenlybodies,”Ianswered.“Therulersoffate,whomtheOphite Gnosticssawastheirenemies.Theywerethesevenvisibleplanets,which includedtheMoonandtheSun.Hammer‐PurgstallthoughttheTemplarswere secretOphiteGnostics.AndtheOphiteGnostics,accordingtoHippolytus, incorporatedtheCybelemysteriesintotheirdogma.”
“OK…”saidChesterfield.Icontinued.
“AnotherthingHammer‐PurgstallclaimedwasaTemplarartifactwasan engravinginaBavariancastleshowingsomeonestandingin‐betweenand holdingtwocolumnsthatwerefallingover.Beneaththiswaswrittenacodethat hedecodedintothephrase‘theDistinguishedCharityofMeteUprootsthe Enemy.’”
“Whatdoesthatmean?”Chesterfieldaskedwithasigh.
“Well,I’mabouttotellyou,”Isaid.“Ithinkthe‘DistinguishedCharity’part means‘strangelove,’peculiarlove,likethesicksexrituals.Somehowthey thoughtthatbyhavingsexinanunnaturalway,theycouldshakethefoundations ofnatureherself,tobringthegodsdownfromtheirthrones.Theysawcreation asaprisontobeescaped.”
Therewassilenceforamoment.
“Howwouldthatwork?”hefinallysaid.
“That’sthepartIdon’tknow,”Ireplied.“Butthat’showIreadit.Ourancestors sawthingsdifferentlythanwedo.It’sdifficulttocomprehendtheirlogic.”
“Socouldsodomizingthebullwhilekillingitbeconsidered“‘strangeLove?’”
hesuggested.
“Yes!”Isaid.Itwaslikealightningbolthitmymind.“Andyouknowwhoelse advocatedstrangelove?AleisterCrowley.Hedidritualswhereherapedanimals andthenkilledthemduringhisclimax,justliketheMithraists.Andhehated women,justliketheMithraists.Hethoughtanalsexmagickwasthehighest formofritual.Thecreatedasecretsocietywhereadmittancetothehighestrank involvedgettingkidnappedandanallyrapedbyalltheothermembers.He
nameditaftertheTemplars,andhecalledhimself“Baphomet”asaspecial nickname.
ButdoyouknowwhathesaidBaphomet’snamemeant?‘FatherMithras!’”
IhadlongconsideredCrowley’sattempttoetymologizethenameofBaphomet tobetheleastusefulofallthetheoriesthathadbeenprofferedbyscholars throughouttheyears.IagreedwithHammer‐Purgstall’sconclusionthatitmeant
“BaptismofWisdom,”andmostofthesuggestionsmadebyothershadbeen similarinmeaning.NowIhadtorethinkit.
Why did hesaythat,anyway? Iwondered.
IGoogledandfoundaquotefromCrowley’s Confessions:BaphometwasFather Mithras,thecubicalstonewhichwasthecorneroftheTemple.
Healsomentionedthattheword“totaled729”wheninterpretedkabbalistically, whichInotedinmyheadwasthenumberofdaysinasolaryear(365)addedto thenumberofdaysinalunaryear(364).IalsorecalledthatCrowleyhad publishedatextcalled“Liber729.”SoIlookedthatuptoo.
This,itturnedout,wasthesamethingcalled TheAmalantrahWorking,whichI hadheardofbefore.Itseemedtobeabunchofincoherent,personalstream‐of-consciousnessnonsensechanneledfromsomeentitycalled“theWizard,”
presumablySaturn‐Mithras(ashetooktheformofanoldhermit).TheWizard keptreferringtoaquestforan“egg”thatCrowleywassupposedtoembark upon.Iturgedhim:
Theeggisaworkwhichmustbedone–thegreatwork.Bydoingtheworkwe gettothekey.
IreadthisoutloudtoChesterfield.
“SothestoneisCybele.Thestonebecomesimpregnated,andthenit’sanegg,”
henoted.“AndthenewSunofthenewuniverse,whoisMithras,whoisSaturn, isbornfromthat—hecutshiswayout.”
Thisstruckmeasaverygoodwayofsummingitup.Inoddedinapproval.
“ThismustbeconnectedtotheuseoftheLondonStoneintheritualrape.
Didn’tyoufindthatitwasmadeof‘eggstone’?”
“Yes.YesIsupposeitmustbeconnected,”Iagreed.
“TheritualtookplaceonEaster,”hewenton.“Andthefilmmentioned
“Eastereggs”justbeforeitcutout.”
“Anditshowedherlayinganegg,”Isaid.
Hegulped.“Fromherbum?”
“It’ssomethingthatCrowleyspecificallymentionedhewantedtodo:makea homunculusbornrectally,whosebirthwouldheraldthestartofanewera.It’s alsosomethingthathappenedintheEgyptianpantheon.IntheOgdoad cosmology,Thothgavebirthtoseveralofhischildrenbylayinganeggfromhis anus.”
“What’sahomunculus?”Chesterfieldasked.
“Anartificialperson,”Is
aid.“InHebrewit’scalleda‘golem.’Therearelotsof differentthoughtsonhowyoucoulddoit.Thesimplestwayismakinganidol outofclayandbringingittolifemagicallywiththeuseofspermand incantations.
Makingarobotanddoingthesamethingwithitisanevenmoresophisticated approach.Thefirstso‐called‘androids’werebuiltintheMiddleAgeswith exactlythispurpose.Theyweremeanttomeanimatedthroughsupernatural means.”
“Animatedwithwhat?”heasked.
“Well,youwouldinvokeaspirittoriseupintoit,”Isaid,“whetheritbethe spiritofadeadperson,orofsomethingelse,likeademon,oragod.”
Heraisedhiseyebrows.
“Theoretically,ofcourse,”Isaid.“Imean,that’swhatsomepeoplebelieve.
I’mnotsayingIbelieveit.”
“Isee.Couldyouputaspiritintoadeadbody,forinstance?”heasked.
“Yes,youcoulduseadeadbody,”Ianswered.“Orjustpartsofone.Oryou couldstitchtogetherpartsofadeadbodyandanimatethen,likeDr.
Frankenstein’smonster.Youcouldevencombinethepartsofdifferentcreatures, likehowtheEgyptiangodsweredepicted.Chimeras,they’recalled.”
“Sothegodsoftheancientworldcouldhavebeenthesedemonically-animated Frankensteincreaturesmadefromdeadhumanandanimalbodies?”heasked.
“That’sactuallywhatIthinktheywere,”Isaid,surprisedathisinsight.
“CrowleytriedtobringaskeletontolifeathisBlackTempleonChancery Lane,”saidChesterfield,onceagainrevealingthatheknewquitealotabout Crowley’sbiography.“Hewasfeedingithumanbloodanddeadbirds.Isuppose thatwasanattempttomakeagolemfromadeadbody,right?”
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