“Mystery-religions are of great antiquity, but in the Masonic context the most interesting are those of Ancient Egypt invented by Isis herself, the Great Goddess, the Magna Mater. The Egyptian cults, Geometry, and even the Great Architect have Masonic connections that cannot be avoided. Rituals included references to secrets that are not seen or heard, but are handed down, and these secrets were presided over by the jackal-headed Anubis who, significantly, taught Isis the way when she was searching for the dismembered Osiris. Isiac mysteries were participated in by certain Roman Emperors, and involved purification, personal piety, and a variety of symbolic journeys, with a trial and degrees. Hadrian is known to have gone through two ceremonies at Eleusis that had Isiac-Egyptian connotations. Enlightenment (photismos), initiation as a mysterion, and symbolon (password) are words that recur in Antiquity. The term mysterion signifies the obtaining of esoteric wisdom after some kind of endurance test involving trials, or ordeals, have been passed. Many cults in the Graeco-Roman world required initiates to await enlightenment while being kept isolated in darkness, and there were rules concerning silence, patience, and fortitude. The concept of being reborn in the presence of the Great Goddess Isis after a symbolic death was present in the Isiac cults. An initiate, once reborn, would join a sacred band of chosen ones who would be informed of the divine mysteries by being instructed with esoteric knowledge. Mozart’s “O heiliges Band der Freundschaft treuer Bruder” perfectly suggests Masonic ideals of fraternity and a “sacred band”, and was written long before he became a Freemason, but such ideas were there, often just beneath the surface, and had never died, such was the strength of survival of the ancient mysteries in one form or another.” - James Stevens Curl, “The Art and Architecture of Freemasonry”; cited in “The Royal Arch of Enoch: The Impact of Masonic Ritual, Philosophy, and Symbolism”.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 18:03:48 +0000
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