The Mysteries, commonly called Mystery Religion, are sacred teachings, rites, and initiations to develop arete in order to foster the evolution of the soul. These principles are not outside of and independent from the rest of the Greek tradition, but are teachings within the body of Hellenismos, central to it.  The Mysteries hold the key to the deeper meaning of the entire tradition; they are the very heart of Hellenismos.  Orpheus is regarded as the founder of all the Mysteries. [3] The most prominent Mysteries in antiquity are the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Orphic Mysteries, the Samothracian Mysteries, and the Dionysian Mysteries.  The Mysteries are strongly connected with the rites of Dionysos and that of Demetra and her daughter Persephone.  There are Mysteries hidden in Plato and in the writings of those who came after him.  In contemporary Greece, the Mysteries have become integrated within the tradition and philosophy such that the whole of established practice is referred to as the Orphic-Pythagorean-Eleusinian tradition.

The Mysteries are thought of as a secret tradition.  This is because these teachings are not for the profane, but for those of pure heart:

"His (ed. Orpheus') poetry is something strange and riddling for people.  But Orpheus did not intend to tell them captious (ed. meant to confuse) riddles, but momentous things in riddles.  Indeed, he is telling a holy discourse from the first and up to his last word.  As he also makes clear in the well-chosen verse: for having ordered them to put doors to their ears he says that he is [? not legislating] for the many...[? but only for] those pure in hearing..."  (The Derveni Papyrus, Col. 7, trans. by Gábor Betegh, Cambridge University Press, 2004,  p.17)

Controversy:

Some contemporary practitioners of the Hellenic way (particularly outside of Greece) are adverse to the Mysteries.  Reconstructionists rely on ancient sources for justification of their beliefs and practices, but also depend heavily on secondary scholarship.  Many disparaging ideas regarding the Mysteries were promulgated by scholars such as John Bagnall Bury in his book, A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great, 1900, until recently a common textbook in schools. [4] In this treatise, Bury associates Orphism with an invasion of oriental ideas into Greek culture, rule by aristocracy, domination by a priestly class, and subordination of reason to irrationality.  He perceives Orphism to be a system relying on superstition, and contrasts it with Greek scientific inquiry, an inquiry which he equates with philosophy, positioning philosophy in opposition to Orphic teaching (terribly untrue).  Regarding the latter criticism, Bury points to the Orphic Theogony as an example of an unscientific explanation of the cosmos.  He interprets this theogony purely on its surface level, seemingly not even vaguely suspicious that there could be a more profound interpretation.  If he had so much as a hint of any such intuition, he did not reveal it in this book.  Contemporary scholarship is, perhaps, more congenial to Orphic teaching, but, nonetheless, many of these ideas persist.

Some of the typical objections to the Mysteries fall into the following categories: 1)  Objection to the teaching on the Deification of the Soul, Ektheosis (Greek: ΕΚΘΕΩΣΙΣ), and the conviction that such an idea must involve great hubris; 2) that the Mysteries are not conventional or consistent with the the rest of the Hellenic tradition;  3) that correct understanding of the Mysteries is inaccessible because the traditions were cut off, and that consequently, contemporary ideas about the Mysteries must necessarily be misled reconstructions; and 4) the belief that people who claim to practice the Mysteries have confused these teachings with superstition.  This author contends that these ideas reveal  a mistaken conception of the Mysteries either as they existed in antiquity or as they exist in contemporary Greece. 

1)  Criticism of the teaching of the Deification of the Soul:  Is this hubris?   

One of the principle points of attack of the Mysteries is the teaching regarding the Deification of the Soul, Ektheosis (Gr. ΕΚΘΕΩΣΙΣ). It has even been proposed that the doctrine of deification does not have its roots in antiquity or that its contemporary interpretation is a distortion of what has been taught by the ancient philosophers. In response to this criticism and to help the reader make a more informed judgement, visit this page of citations: Deification of the Soul: Sources.

Deification bears similarity to Hindu beliefs, or the Buddhist nirvana, i.e. to become a Buddha oneself, through a process of development over many lifetimes. The beliefs of these other systems, as in the Mysteries, involve the process of reincarnation, what is called in the Hellenic language palingenesía (Gr. πᾰλιγγενεσἰα) or metempsychōsis (Gr. μετεμψύχωσις).  The Deification of the Soul is a state of being that we are all capable of attaining, albeit after many thousands of incarnations involving concerted effort.  While presenting a powerful vision, the Deification of the Soul is also a humble conception.  To explain, the thrust to deification puts the individual at the service of the entire cosmos rather than centered on the minuscule sphere of one's own selfish pursuits.

Is deification hubris?  No; the opposite.  Deification is the organic result of the natural evolution of the soul, achieved in conjunction with the Eros of the Gods.  Desire for immortality is hubris if an individual has impure motivation, but such motivation would involve a complete misunderstanding of the process.  It is also possible that an individual could have an inflated view of his or her personal progress.  Such impediments would delay one's spiritual progress dramatically. A monstrous ego disqualifies someone from the Mysteries.  Consequently, it is said that there was a public initiation of convenience for tyrants such as the Roman emperor Caligula, but in reality those unsuitable candidates were not admitted to the authentic Mysteries.  Apollon is the principle God of deification.  He is the Destroyer: he slays the hydra of ego.  Therefore, it is the very destruction of hubris and exaggerated self-importance that is the mark of one who is at the brink of deification, not the other way around.  It is the humble but noble soul who exemplifies the Mysteries, one who embodies all the qualities of perfect piety and supreme arete.

2)  Are the Mysteries part of the traditional Hellenic polytheistic tradition?

Some scholars and some contemporary Hellenic groups outside of Greece position the Mysteries far apart from mainstream Hellenic tradition.  This posture cannot be supported.  Perhaps the most obvious demonstration of the acceptance of the Mysteries in the ancient world is the fact that Eleusis, and its requirement of secrecy, was actually protected by Athenian law, and that many thousands of individuals of every status were initiated, from rulers to slaves.  Eleusis was a pan-Hellenic center to which people came from the entire Greek world to be initiated, and in latter times the Graeco-Roman world.  

Yet another testament of the ancient acceptance of the Mysteries is the ubiquity of Orphic eggs and other Orphic symbols found everywhere in the ruins of ancient archeological sites, and very prominently in some of the most important quarters of the Hellenic world, critical sanctuaries such as Delphi, arguably the very seat of the ancient tradition, the voice of Apollon, and by extension, the voice of Zeus himself.

Reconstructionists usually give Hesiod and Homer precedence, pointing out that these texts are older and therefore more traditional than Orphic texts, but this view is not held by all scholars.  W.K.C. Guthrie remarks:  "Among the many names to which theogonical and cosmogonical writings were attached, two, as is rightly remarked by the Christian apologist, stand out, Orpheus and Hesiod.  The other writers whose names I have quoted (ed. theogonies of Akusilaos of Argos, Epimenides of Crete, and Pherekydes of Syros) were always known to be later than Hesiod, who was sometimes regarded as the father of this kind of composition.  Herodotus thought him so, and there were others too who doubted the authenticity of the theogony of Orpheus.  The weight of that ancient name, however, was not taken away from it, and this must have suggested to many of the ancient world that, if not the poems, at least the stories which they told belonged to a time before Hesiod and Homer himself."  [5]  So, Guthrie seems to imply that it is likely that the Orphic theogonic mythology pre-dates Hesiod and Homer.  The author goes on to say that the content of the Orphic theogony can be found in Neoplatonic writings and even Plato himself.  "In their (ed. the Neoplatonists) commentaries therefore they made a point of illustrating a sentence of Plato, whenever they could, by a quotation from the Orphic poems."  [This is but one illustration that Bury's criticism of Orphism (see above, paragraph two) as standing in opposition to philosophy (and scientific inquiry) is not correct.] 

3)  Has the tradition of the Mysteries been so severed from antiquity that it cannot be legitimately be practiced in the contemporary world?

Some individuals take the position that the Mysteries were lost to antiquity on account of the secrecy of the traditions themselves in combination with Christian repression and various historic events, such as the forced closing of the Eleusinian Mysteries in 380 CE by Theodosius I. [6] It is further believed by some that the Mysteries cannot be safely and legitimately restored (that they are easy targets of gross distortion by unscrupulous or superficial individuals).  Of course, a similar argument could be made for all practice of the ancient Hellenic traditions, if one believes that they were destroyed in antiquity, but this position is not held by the author of this essay.

To recap, there are those who believe that the Mysteries should not be reconstructed.  This scenario does not actually make any sense if the Mysteries are currently existing and have succession with antiquity.  In other words, why would you need to reconstruct something that is presently being taught and practiced? 

In regards to the Mysteries, there has always been significant emphasis on secrecy.  A certain degree of  secrecy is still present within the communities of those who practice these teachings.  If one does not have access to those who hold the tradition, it is easy to deny or be seriously skeptical of its existence.  In all honesty, the presence of people teaching the Mysteries in Greece is no secret.  The issue is more of continuity and authenticity.  When confronted by those who claim continuity, skeptics are unable to believe that such continuity is possible.  It is difficult to prove the unbroken continuance of something that has been deliberately concealed.  It must be kept in mind that in the not-so-distant past, oppression required much greater secrecy than is demanded in our more tolerant contemporary world (because it is a member of the European Union, Greece now has a degree of freedom of religion by law).  The desire to substantiate continuity is not a pressing consideration with those who practice the Mysteries, from this author's experience, especially when those demanding such substantiation are belligerent.  This author would maintain that precisely because it has an ancient tradition of secrecy, the Mysteries were ideally positioned to survive.

Beyond whether or not they have survived from antiquity, the thought that the ideas presented in the Mysteries, the very teachings which are the pulsing, living heart of Hellenismos, that these ideas should be deliberately allowed to deteriorate, is horrific to this author, who believes that our troubled world has never needed such teachings more than now.

4)  Are the Mysteries steeped in magic and superstition?

The Mysteries have nothing to do with any common notions of magic and superstition.  The Mysteries are the root of philosophy. The reader should not be misled by preconceptions that have been layered on the word mystery.  The Mysteries are not an eclectic mish-mosh of anything unusual and bizarre.  The Mysteries are very specific teachings and practices.  They are intimately connected to the myths of our tradition and the great philosophies, particularly the philosophy of Orpheus as follows in a line through Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato. [7] Contemporary Hellenic communities have endured experiences with impostors who claim to be adherents of the Mysteries, individuals who practice any variety of "occult sciences" such as necromancy (expressly forbidden in the Mysteries).  It is the opinion of this author, that fraudulent claims made by incompetent or unscrupulous individuals become obvious with time, while the authenticity of dedicated and genuine teachers also become manifest as interested people discover the beauty and sincerity of their tutelage.

General Notice Concerning Interested Parties: To those who wish to contact the owner of this website or any of the other students of Greek teachers in this tradition, please allow me to make this clear.  If your interest is in subjects such as divination, astrology, necromancy, casting spells, witchery, or anything similar, you will find nothing of interest here.  This author will not discuss these subjects and the pursuit of the Mysteries will not help you in such studies in any way whatsoever.  Although there is a type of magic which is discovered in Hellenismos, this magic bears no similarity whatsoever to any common notion you may have.  The Mysteries are not concerned with any personal benefit; to the contrary, Apollo destroys the hydra of ego.  If you attempt to conceal your real motivation, this deception will be discovered and such a relationship can only have a very disappointing end.  At the risk of being repetitive: if these practices are your interest, do not contact me.  No good can come of it.

[1] L&S p.1156.

[2] LD p.1183, right column.

[3]  "As founder of Mystery-Religions, Orpheus was the first to reveal to men the meaning of rites of initiation (teletai).  We read of this in both Plato and Aristophanes." (Orpheus and Greek Religion by W.K.C. Guthrie, 1906; found in the 1993 Princeton Univ. Press edition on p.17.)

Also, in Pausanias' Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece, 9.30.4, trans. Peter Levi in 1971; found here in the 1979 Penguin Books edition, p.371-2:  "In my view Orpheus outdid his predecessors in beautiful verse, and obtained great power because people believed he discovered divine mysteries, rites to purify wicked actions, cures for diseases, defenses against the curses of heaven."  Pausanias implies a connection between the teachings of Orpheus and the Eleusinean Mysteries in 1.37.3-4 from the same translation by Levi, p.104-5:  "Across the Kephisos .... A small shrine built along the road is called the shrine of the Bean man.  I am not sure whether he was first to grow beans, or they simply named a hero like that because the discovery of beans cannot be traced to Demeter.   Those who know the mystery of Eleusis and those who have read Orpheus will know what I am talking about."  In a note to this section concerning the 'Bean Man', Levi points out that "There is a mysterious ancient Pythagorean, Orphic, and Eleusinian prohibition of bean-eating..."

Diodoros Siculus states:  "But when Heracles had made the circuit of the Adriatic, and had journeyed around the gulf on foot, he came to Epirus, whence he made his way to Peloponnesus. And now that he had performed the tenth Labour he received a Command from Eurystheus to bring Cerberus up from Hades to the light of day. And assuming that it would be to his advantage for the accomplishment of this Labour, he went to Athens and took part in the Eleusinian Mysteries, Musaeus, the son of Orpheus, being at that time in charge of the initiatory rites." (Diodorus Siculus Library of History 4.25.1, trans. C.H. Oldfather, 1935; found here in the 2006 Loeb/Harvard edition of Diodorus Siculus II LCL 303 on pp.423-245.)

The teachings of Orpheus and his student (possibly son) Musaeos are also intertwined in the Eleusinian Mysteries as well: From the Parian Chronicle, also called the Parian Marble, translated by Gillian Newing, Fragments 12-15:   "From when Demeter, coming to Athens, [invented] the seed corn, and the [first festival of ploughing time was celebrated, under the instruction of T]riptolemus, son of Celeus and Neaira, 1146 years, when Erechtheus was king in Athens.  From when Tripto[lemus reaped the corn which] he sowed in the Rarian plain called Eleusis, 1[1]45 years, when [Erechtheus] was king of Athens.  [From when Orpheus ____] made known his own poetry, the rape of Kore and the search of Demeter and [the seed created by her and the mult]itude of those receiving the corn, 1135 years when Erechtheus was king of Athens. [From when Eumolpus _____] instituted the mysteries in Eleusis and made known the works of the [father of M]ousaios, [11______, when Erechthe]us son of Pandion [was king of Athens]."  (These translations can be found on the Ashmolean website:   http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/faqs/q004/q004009.html) 

Again from Pausanias:   "Anyone who has already made a serious study of poetry knows the hymns of Orpheus are all extremely short, and even if you take them together not numerous.  The Lykomidai know them and sing them at their mysteries.  These beautiful verses are second only to the hymns of Homer, and even more honoured by the Gods."  The Lykomidai were the hereditary family of torch-bearers at Eleusis.  (Ibid. Pausanias Guide to Greece I 9.30.5-6, Peter Levi, pp. 373-4)

In the play Rhesus by Euripides:  "And yet I and my sister Muses make your Athens great in our art, and by our presence in the land; and it was Orpheus, own blood cousin to this man you have slain, who first instructed your people in the rites of mystery and secrets revealed; last, it was we the sisters who with Phoebus educated Musaeus, your great and respected citizen, so he surpassed our other pupils."  (Euripides Rhesus 941-948, trans. Richard Lattimore 1958; found here in Vol. IV Euripides of the 1959 edition of The Complete Greek Tragedies published by Univ. of Chicago Press, p. 127.)

[4]  See A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great by J.B. Bury, 1900, Chapter VII, Section 12, Religious Movements in the Sixth Century. It is worth reading the entire chapter.

[5]  Orpheus and Greek Religion by W.K.C. Guthrie, 1906; found in the 1993 Princeton Univ. Press edition on pp. 71-72.

[6]  "...Theodosios, towards the end of the fourth century (379-395), issued strict laws against secret cults, and these must have affected the fortunes of the Sanctuary (ed. Eleusis).  Evidently even the administrative arrangements of the cult were interfered with, since the last high priest of Eleusis, the last Hierophant, was not from the family of the Eumolpids as prescribed by tradition, nor was he even an Athenian or an Eleusinian, but a citizen of Thespiai, a follower and priest of Mithras.  A great part of the Sanctuary was perhaps destroyed by the hordes of Alaric, when in the year 395 they invaded and devastated Attika.  By the end of the fifth century of our era, however, the Sanctuary seems to have been completely destroyed the the Early Christians, who built their church near the ruined temple of the Mysteries and buried their dead in the sacred area.  Crosses, scratched especially upon the marble pavement of the Greater Propylaea, mark this transformation of the "temenos of the word" into a wasteland and serve as the funeral symbols of a glorious cult which served humanity for almost two thousand  years..."  (Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries by George E. Mylonas, 1961; found in the 1969 Princeton University Press edition on pp.8-9)

[7]  Excerpt from Thomas Taylor's introduction to The Theology of Plato by Proclus:   "I rejoice in the opportunity which is afforded me of presenting the truly philosophic reader, in the present work, with a treasure of Grecian theology; of a theology, which was first mystically and symbolically promulgated by Orpheus, afterwards disseminated enigmatically through images by Pythagoras, and in the last place scientifically unfolded by Plato and his genuine disciples."  (The Theology of Plato: Proclus, from the introduction by Thomas Taylor, 1816; found here in the 1999 Prometheus Trust edition, Vol. VIII of The Thomas Taylor Series, on p. 1)

Proklos states:  "For all the Grecian theology is the progeny of the mystic tradition of Orpheus; Pythagoras first of all learning from Aglaophemus the orgies of the Gods, but Plato in the second place receiving an all-perfect science of the divinities from the Pythagoric and Orphic writings."  (The Theology of Plato: Proclus, Book I, Chapter 5, Ibid. Taylor, p.64)

PLEASE NOTE:  Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods.  These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes.  While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally.  A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result.  The meaning of the myths is concealed in code.  To understand them requires a key.  For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level.  Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.

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