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Let me say up front that I am not, nor have I ever been—in this life, anyway—an initiate of the Mysteries of Mithras. What follows, therefore, is entirely conjectural.

I am, nevertheless, an experienced New Pagan ritualist who has been through a few ritual initiations himself.

In the absence of evidence, scholars of Mithraism have mostly refrained from attempting to recreate the ancient rites of initiation.

I, however, am not so constrained.

Here's what we know.

Ancient Mithraism was an initiatory path consisting of seven grades—degrees, one could say—each of which corresponded to one of the planets of the Ptolemaic universe.

Given, then, what we know about Mithraea—surprisingly uniform across the Roman world—with their church-like layout—narthex (entryway), central aisle, and altar-in-the-front—this is how I would do it.

The Rites of Mithras

Initiation 1°-7°

Opening Rites

Of the Pagan Revival and (Wait for It) Foreskin Restoration

My parents had me circumcised as an infant.

It was a decision that they had no right to make—unless someone chooses it for himself, circumcision is always wrong—and I wish that they hadn't made it.

Still—I thought for years—there's no point in anguishing over something that can't be changed.

Turns out, I was wrong.

Several years ago I embarked on the journey of foreskin restoration.

It's a long, slow journey, and it's been easy to get impatient, but it does—trust me—get results.

The new foreskin will never be exactly the same as the one that you were born with. Some structures, once taken away, just can't be replaced.

What one can create, however, is a workable facsimile: something that looks, and functions, much as the original did—or should have.

Turns out, some wrongs actually can be righted.

Long ago, something intimate and precious—as it were, a part of our own bodies—was taken away from us all.

It's been a long, slow journey to get it back. It's been easy to get impatient.

Our new paganisms will never be exactly like the ones that should, by rights, have been our birthright. Some things, once taken away, can never be replaced.

But given time, patience, and hard work, we can create for ourselves a workable facsimile: something that looks, and functions, much as the original did.

Turns out, some wrongs actually can be righted.

The guy coming toward me on the sidewalk is clearly not pagan.

“Hey, your skirt is torn,” he ingenouses, friendly-wise.

Well, he's half-right. My Utilikilt opens over the leg. In this breeze, with a cooler hefted up onto my shoulder, I'm probably showing a little more thigh than is generally considered polite.

“I hate it when that happens,” I ingenouse back.

He gives me the eye-over: boots, kilt, petroglyph hoodie, torc, baseball cap. Standard-issue pagan festival dress.

“You here with a group?” he asks.

“Convention,” I say.

“Which one?” he asks.

Oh well: in for a penny, in for a pound. I set down the cooler.

“Paganicon,” I say.

“Spell that?” he asks.

“P-A-G-A-N-I-C-O-N,” I say. “It's a pagan convention.”

“Oh,” he says, not unfriendly. “Are you guys, like, devil-worshipers or something?”

Oh gods. Time for a little public relations management.

“More like Nature-worshipers,” I say, gesturing toward the woods across the street.

“So 'pagan' means 'worshiper'?” he asks.

A favorable omen: he's listening and thinking, both.

“Actually, it comes from a Latin word that means 'country,'” I answer. “Back when the New Religion came, the cities converted first. Meanwhile, out in the country, we were still sacrificing to Zeus.”

He looks thoughtful.

“Do you worship Zeus?” he asks.

“Not personally,” I say, “but I know folks that do.”

He quirks his head.

“But Zeus doesn't exist,” he says.

“Depends on what you mean by Zeus,” I reply. “To the people I know, it's just another word for Heaven.”

There's a pause. Time to redirect.

There's something uniquely special about spring. New beginnings, revivals, and rebirth are just some of the prevalent themes. Since there has been a lot of intense and unpredictable energy whipping around these days in the aftermath of the Storm Moon/lunar eclipse, followed quickly by Mercury in retrograde, this could be a good time to pause before diving into that new project or adventure. 

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Communication and travel plans could get wonky until April 7th, as well. So it might be more beneficial to approach new things slowly, with consideration and care. Ask, "Is this really good for me right now?" "Can it wait?" Think baby steps. Cleaning up a room closet or basement are good, slow spring cleaning projects. So is treating yourself to a new homemade facial mask, or bubble bath mixture. Likewise, experimenting with a new recipe that might require more care while listening to some peaceful classical music would be an excellent choice. Take the time to journal and reflect on the things you would like to accomplish between now and the Summer Solstice. That way you can plan with focus and intent.

A Matter of Love

“Beautiful pouch,” says my friend.

He's right. The leather is deftly-tanned: supple, golden, fragrant.

My friend has asked me to read the bones for him: the sacred whitetail knucklebones that live in this same pouch in a jar here at Temple of the Moon.

“It's made from a reindeer scrotum,” I tell him, thinking that the fact will interest him, he being an admirer of all things male. The Saami waste no part of a reindeer: a matter both of practicality, and of love.

Instead, he cringes.

“Ow,” he says.

“No need to take it personally,” I assure him. “I think it's pretty cool.”

“Well, how would you feel if it were your scrotum?” he asks.

Point taken, but I think of Hunter's Law, the Word of the Horned that governs the hunt.

Use everything. Waste nothing.

I smile. In the end, it's really a matter of love.

Your Book of Shadows (BOS) is your record of ritual work. At its finest, it should be a history of all your rituals, energy work, circles, spells, and all the magic you have manifested. It should be a journal of all that you have practiced and wrought. In your BOS, you should keep a record of your research and the lore you have discovered. Is there a particular phase and sign of the moon that works especially well for you? Document it here, and you will be building a practice that you can apply to future rituals. This will also be a great help in recording your ritual work and evolving and developing as a ritual designer. All the astrology, herb lore, crystal information, and other knowledge that I share in this book comes from the detailed notes I keep in my own BOS. I have discovered that the new moon in Pisces, for example, is the best moon phase for me to work rituals of change. After documenting this information and performing both new and traditional, time-tested rituals and spells with the new moon in Pisces, I learned from a professional astrologer that it is my natal placement—the moon is in the same phase and sign in which is positioned at the time of my birth. Thus this moon phase and sign accords with my own energy and creates a time when my personal power is at its peak. Through trial, experimentation, and much practice, you will discover secrets of the universe for yourself and record what you learn in your own BOS.

 The Book of Shadows can be a tremendous aid if you use it daily or as often as possible. Whenever you come upon a bit of wisdom regarding the nature of ritual or magical work, write it down. This should also be a book of inspiration, filled with your own thoughts, poetry, and observations. Most importantly, it should be a record of results. If you track the effectiveness of a ritual, you can use this information and newfound wisdom in the future. Your BOS should be a book you turn to again and again. It can be a gorgeous, hand-crafted volume of handmade paper and ribboned bookmarks or a simple three-ring binder. Just make sure it appeals to you so that you will use it often and well.

A “Theological” Short

In Bollywood, films about the gods are known as “theologicals.”

The Gods are rehearsing a play.

As the Old Gods act onstage, the Younger Gods stand backstage as chorus. One of the Younger Gods, though, keeps dashing onstage and interfering with the action.

Finally the Great Mother, who is directing the show, can't stand it anymore.

“Knock it off, Yahweh,” she remonstrates. Her mouth twists wryly. “Younger Gods should be heard, but not seen.”

The Old Gods laugh.