The Challenge of Mystery Religions and Their Guardians

[kokopelle]

This is a heavily modified version of a previous blog. This article focuses exclusively on the mystery religions, the guardians, and their roles. This is a long article that is controversial and philosophical. Each titled section builds on the former. Personally, I believe this is a good article with heavy-duty insights into the core of the neopagan world.

What is a Neopagan Mystery Religion?

Before I get into this article, I want to quote a passage from Witchvox about the Traditional Wicca. (http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usfl&c=basics&id=4575). Hopefully this will connect the rest of the article back to the neopagan associations.

“Traditional Wicca is considered a 'mystery' religion, one that requires initiation by the coven and has a "degree system" or different levels of rank based upon coven training and the readiness of the initiate to accept the duties and responsibilities of that degree. Traditional Wiccan covens have a core of inner knowledge-often called the "Book of Shadows"-which is shared only with initiated Wiccans. Most Traditional Wiccans believe in the balance of male-female divinity. Traditional Wiccans are seldom solitary except for those 'Elders'-usually former priests and priestesses-who may have retired from active coven involvement, have taken a voluntary sabbatical or do not have access to a Traditional coven in their area.”

The Religious System – The Foundation of the Mystery School

There are core beliefs in any religious system. These beliefs represent the foundation of an established spiritual system. Only those who are fully invested in the religious system can fully claim and teach this set of core beliefs. The investment occurs through secretive intense training over a period of time. Those with the proper qualifications become the guardians of the beliefs, and through them, the guardians of the religious system.

What is a religious system? Religion is a practice and observance of beliefs supported by faith in the Divine. While faith is inherently ecumenical, that is, its greater precepts cross the boundaries of culture and geography, religion can be very much tied to the tribe and society in which it is practiced. In this, the practice of religion presents a framework for individual and/or group observance of divine truths, and recognition of faith. The group observance is shaped by their environment, history, traditions, and language. Borrowing from Dictionary.com, the core of religions becomes a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.


The Religious System's Mystery Schools

Religious systems are protected by the use of secrets. When these secrets are only taught to initiates, the religion takes on the label of 'mystery religion'. Wikipedia.org defines a mystery religion as:

A mystery religion is any religion with an arcanum, or secret wisdom. In a mystery religion, an inner core of beliefs, practices, and the religion's true nature, are revealed only to those who have been initiated into its secrets.

Designed for all possible initiates, the revelations are paced to provide a gradual understanding of the religion's core. The teachings of the mystery religions are progressively revealed to initiates, building upon prior teachings. Oath-bound, the initiates are told not to reveal any of the groups secrets to outsiders, less the knowledge be profaned. Sometimes, once understood, teachings are discarded so a higher order of the mystery can then be revealed. The teachings can be purposely erroneous to a small degree, requiring initiation into higher orders of learning before the correct understanding is revealed. Ultimately the progression leads to the fullest understanding of the mystery religion. The order and meaning of teaching is part of the religion's mystery. Any one piece of information, by itself, is meaningless unless seen in the context of the full mysteries. Full understanding of the mystery religion is only possible when seen through the lens of prescribed understanding..


The Path of Guardianship

Every person or religious group must decide who they will serve. There are two models for this. These are "strongly serving a few people" or "lightly serving many people" models. I've written about these two types in a previous blog. Those associated with mystery religions, or who are religious guardians in general, tend towards the role of serving few greatly. The dynamic plays out in this way:

"serving few greatly" person - They see themselves as honest, stalwart guardians of a few people. They see themselves as extremely passionate caretakers of those around them. The amount of attention that can be given to specific people is substantial, providing for maximum impact and growth. Those who criticize the "serving few" person do it from a place of not understanding. The extreme "serving many lightly" people are seen as scattered, uncaring, lazy, unfocused, and so on.

The Role of the Guardian

In theory, all those initiated into a group religious system become a guardian. The guardian is charged to secure the beliefs of the system while they minister to the other members of the tribe. While those outside of the tribe are acknowledged, it is the fellow members that are most important to the guardians.

How does the guardian perform their duties? One way is the "serving few greatly emphasis". Another way is to see group information as oath-bound. Outside revelation of the information is seen as profane disclosure. What is profane? The applicable dictionary.com meanings are:

• characterized by irreverence or contempt for God or sacred principles or things; irreligious.


• not devoted to holy or religious purposes; unconsecrated; secular (opposed to sacred).


• not initiated into religious rites or mysteries, as persons.


• to misuse (anything that should be held in reverence or respect); defile; debase; employ basely or unworthily.


• to treat (anything sacred) with irreverence or contempt; violate the sanctity of: to profane a shrine.

These are high crimes in the eyes of those who are held to be guardians of group ways. The revelation of a inner core of beliefs, practices or the religion's true nature, is not to be taken lightly. Those who perpetrate or further profane disclosure are roundly condemned in ways appropriate to the seriousness of the infraction.


Shadows of a Mystery Religion

I wish to cover the shadows first. I do this as to not seem to emphasize these as the outcome of all mystery religions. Instead, I only list these negative outcomes as warnings of what can happen. The shadow side of the mystery religion rests in its small size and insular nature. The small size of the religion threatens it with extinction if key members are no longer present. Teachings can be lost if not passed down prior to the removal of members. The insular nature provides little recourse if there is perceived abusive behavior towards initiates. The path for remediation is an exit into the world of the profane. The insular nature also resists growth and furthering of beliefs, potentially moving from a dynamic heart of spirit to a dogmatic heart of stone. Lastly, in battling the profane world, the guardians of the mystery religions are perceived as xenophobic, close minded, mean-spirited, and aggressive. The goodwill of the outside world is disdained. The initiates of the religion are painted with a brush most unfair. These shadows are avoided when a mystery religion remains aware of it's charter purpose and scope, abandoning dead dogma for the divine realities of life.


Benefits of a Mystery Religion

The mystery religion is an incredible place to develop spiritually. The pace is focused and intentional. The spiritual progression is more rapid than the lone individual can attain. There is companionship and a sense of a family. The mysteries shared with the initiate bind them to archetypal truths. Grand vistas are glimpsed as the landscape shifts during each phase of the teachings. Ultimately, the initiate truly knows the Divine. The mystery religion and tribal religion are the pathway, the pathworking, on which the initiate walks to met their God(s).


Conclusion

The intention of this article was to look at the function of the mystery religion/school and the important role of guardianship. The outcome of the mystery school guardianship is not without its shadows. To talk about these in the open is controversial, but I believe that the consideration of these aspects is important as the shadows seem to have deepened. The purity of guardianship has turned from compassionate protection to harsh condemnation. I can make no apologies for speaking to these matters. I truly believe that the neopagan religions are needed to bring balance to our world. This is only possible if we, the neopagans, do not destroy ourselves from the inside.

Comments

A few thoughts...

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

From my experiences as a BTW initiate of two traditions, my reaction to your piece is puzzlement. Have these been your experiences in BTW?

mystery religion rests in its small size

In the application of Traditional Wicca, that's a misunderstanding. There are thousands of Gardnerians, Alexandrians and Kingstones out there, other BTW trads number in the hundreds. That is more than ample for our purposes.

in battling the profane world

I disagree with that statement. We live in the world, we are of the world. Battling the world immediately creates a World vs Us paradigm that is not useful in magical workings, its an energy vaccum to waste yourself and workings in that manner. We do not deny the world, that's what Christians (especially Mystics, IMHO) do.

established spiritual system

Again, I'd say this is a misconception. Spiritual systems do and should continually grow and mature. As BTW is orthopraxic, orthodox beliefs and dogma have little room in that environment.

I'm a little confuddled with your use of the term shadow. As it applies to mystery traditions, in my experience, the Shadows has a particular definition and application which isn't really how the term is used here.

Just as a niddling detail, information is not Oathbound. One cannot accept an Oath from a Book or Mystery. We are Oathbound. Its a little confusing in the way the term is used above.

Re: A few thoughts... (Part 1)

[greensh.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you've chosen to comment. I originally friended you because of your frank, informative comments to another blog. Allow me to address your puzzlements one-by-one.

*Have these been your experiences in BTW?*

Yes and no. I've seen aspects of this article in BTW. I cannot, and will not, claim that article is a blanket statement on BTW. This is why I did not mention the "B" word at all. The mystery religion/mystery school is much larger than just the BTW expression. I wrote to characteristics shared, sometimes loosely, by the larger breadth of the mystery religion/school. If my words do not fit your experience of BTW, than this is OK. I've seen BTW groups that lived in the shadows (the negative or destructive side of a person, system or action) I've shared. I've seen the same behaviors in non-BTW groups.

*mystery religion rests in its small size*

This section was not worded properly. As you point out, mystery religions can be large. The correct worded is now:

The shadow side of the mystery religion rests in the relatively small size and insular nature of each distinct mystery school. There may be many groups in the mystery religion, but the actual teaching is done in groups of relatively small size. The small size of the mystery schools threatens each distinct group with extinction if key members are no longer present. Teachings intrinsic to the mystery school can be lost if not passed down prior to the removal of members.

*in battling the profane world*

The confusion here is that there are two groups of definition for the word 'profane'. One does mean secular. In this context, I've written elsewhere about the Native Americans embracing the sacred and profane in a single belief system. I also said that neopagans are moving to this mode of thinking. Thank you for echoing this.

The other group of definitions were laid out in the section 'The Role of the Guardian'. From that section, the profane that the guardians battle include:

• characterized by irreverence or contempt for God or sacred principles or things; irreligious.


• not devoted to holy or religious purposes; unconsecrated; secular (opposed to sacred).


• not initiated into religious rites or mysteries, as persons.


• to misuse (anything that should be held in reverence or respect); defile; debase; employ basely or unworthily.


• to treat (anything sacred) with irreverence or contempt; violate the sanctity of: to profane a shrine.

This 'battle' does happen, with websites explaining the correct view of neopagan belief. The warrior educates as much as they fight. The point of the article was that some guardians are inappropriately taking their battle to those in the neopagan world. IMO we are tearing ourselves apart with claims of "non-integrity, will ignorance, and fantasy world creation". This was the focus the last section.

Re: A few thoughts... (Part 2)

[greensh.livejournal.com]

*established spiritual system*

The full text was "There are core beliefs in any religious system. These beliefs represent the foundation of an established spiritual system. Only those who are fully invested in the religious system can fully claim and teach this set of core beliefs."

Your comment was "Spiritual systems do and should continually grow and mature. As BTW is orthopraxic, orthodox beliefs and dogma have little room in that environment."

You are absolutely right. Spiritual systems do grow, but the environment of the mystery school is relatively static at any group of moments. Each mystery school does have a framework of core beliefs. This framework is what the students are taught and claim as their own. These statements are being made at the level of the individual mystery school because this is where the guardianship is the strongest. However, there is a framework of sorts even at the mystery religion level. Does it change? Yes. Do things change over time? Yes. Shoot, in the neopagan world there are anime based worship/magick systems being created. Are they traditional? No. Do the adherents (of which I am NOT one) claim they work? Yes.

*Shadows has a particular definition and application which isn't really how the term is used here.*

You are correct if the Craft definition is used. I am using the word in a philosophical/psychological way. I suppose my definition would be "*the negative or destructive side of a person, system or action*".

*Just as a niddling detail, information is not Oathbound. One cannot accept an Oath from a Book or Mystery. We are Oathbound. Its a little confusing in the way the term is used above*

Thank you for that clarification. I meant that the information is guarded and the adherent/student is forbid from revealing it to those not qualified to receive the information. What is a better way to express this concept?


Thank you again for replying! Let me know if you have any more puzzlements or can suggest corrections. (smile)

Re: A few thoughts...

[greensh.livejournal.com]

An after-thought. If your comment about shadows is referring to the Witchvox reference, "*Traditional Wiccan covens have a core of inner knowledge-often called the "Book of Shadows"-which is shared only with initiated Wiccans.*", I can't take credit or discredit for incorrect usage here. I have the Witchvox reference because it seems that people don't realize coven type groups fit the general definition of a mystery school. Gotta define those terms!