Ancient Mysteries Visited 🍻
I made it there
Across the world
The site of the ancient world’s greatest mysteries
Cicero called it such
Marcus Aureulius too
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Apparently they were all initiated
And became epoptai -
Beholders of the sacred mysteries
To speak them or write them down
Was punishable by death
Do I dare it?
Do I know?
Am I capable of contemplation?
Of holy discernment?
To speak it out loud or write it down
Might reduce the unknowable to something
Which could be ignored
So of course we must have a healthy respect
Some may even say a fear
As they used to say - fear is the root of love
But these mysteries
Offer empowerment and perspective
Beyond the chaos of this life
Beyond the fear
Beyond uncertainty
Beyond death
The initiates walked from Athens
Fasting 14 or 16 miles for three days
Along the sacred path
Offering sacrifices and libations
at the temples along the way
carrying the sacred objects, not knowing
They arrived at Eleusis
They entered the square
They went under the arches
Painted with stars
But before that
Offerings
Libations
Ritual cleansing
Anyone could join
Slaves, children, citizens
As long as they had not murdered
And could understand the language
Invocations
To Artemis and Posideon
At the entrance
Asking for blessings
Guidance
Strength
The ability to endure in the face of the unknown
3000 pilgrims
Priests and priestesses
Orators, torch bearers, music and dancing
They walked to Eleusis
To see and hear and do the ancient mysteries
The music created a narrative
The music keyed the action
When it stopped and the lights went down the action paused and the people in procession
Moved forward
They arrived and were blessed
and blessed the ground with libations
The priestesses were Melissae - honey bees
I can only assume the blessings that were offered included Ancient Greek mead -
Methos
Then, they drank the kykeon
The mysterious potion
And the Gods came down
The pageant at some point started
The priests and priestesses dressed up
Costumes - make up - masks
The Gods And Goddesses came down
They acted out the story of the theft of Persephone
Flowers and fruit
and spring
disappearing from earth
They acted out Demeter’s forlorn search and holy wrath
They showed how Zeus was swayed by the suffering of the people brought on by Demeter’s wrath
Her daughter had been bargained off to the king of the underworld! The king of metal and industry and the dark realm of the dead, without her consent!
The people suffered
Without Persephone, Demeter did not bring the grain-
there was drought and famine
Zeus agreed to help get her back
The flower and the grain would be reunited
But a balance would be achieved
A cycle
Winter and
Summer
Fall
And
Rising
Marcus Aurelius said, that those who witnessed the mysteries had nothing to fear from death
Cicero said, that of all the things the Greeks gave the world, the Eleusinian mysteries were the greatest gift.
Life
Death
Regeneration
A sheaf of grain
Reaped
In silence
May we all see and share
In the mysteries
Towards Regeneration
-F. Golbeck
Dear Friends in Mead!
I hope that this find you and yours well.
That the full moon was beautiful in your part of the world.
And that your hearts are full and joyful.
I (frank) am in Greece for a wedding. I got to go to Eleusis. It was epic.
The team has been holding it down at the meadery and supplying our markets with new fresh meads coming out of the tanks that everyone has been asking for.
Love!
Frank