Posts Tagged With: Eleusinian Mysteries

Calendar of the Moon

19 Muin/Boedromion

Greater Mysteries Day 5: Processional

Colors: Gold and black
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of black and gold set a single white candle to burn, with incense of myrrh, wreaths and bundles of myrtle, a dish of grains, beans, and peas, crossed spears, and a torch. Before the altar lay the Kistai, the round box of holy objects.
Offerings: Oneself, as an initiate.
Daily Meal: Fasting until Mesembria of the next day.

Mysteries Invocation V

Greetings, travelers and initiates
On this our road of life.
As the ancients walked the road to Eleusis,
So we will walk our own road in procession,
In memory of they who faced the dark before us.

(One who has been chosen to bear the torch of Iakkhos steps forward and cries: “Iakkhe! I am your guide!” The folk all shout back, “Iakkhe! Then another who is chosen to bear the cords of Crocus comes forth and ties strands of yellow saffron-dyed wool about the right wrist and left ankle of each of the folk present, saying, “Be guarded from all evil on your journey.” Then another who has been chosen to bear the myrtle of the Mustai comes forth, and places wreaths of myrtle on the heads of all present, and places bundles of myrtle in their arms. All then process forth around the boundaries of the property, or even down the road and back, if it is appropriate. When they return to the altar room, a masked man stands before them, saying:)

Greetings, fools who pass into the darkness!
Do you think that what you do will mean anything?
Who do you think you are, prancing around like the ancients?
Do you honestly think that you can know what they felt?
Do you think that by doing this ritual, you will come to know what they knew?
No, you are all pretentious fools. You will learn nothing.
You will wander about, congratulate yourselves, and miss the point.

(Iakkhos steps forward and says, “We walk the road, and we have faith in the Gods, and it is enough. If we are fools, so be it; may the Gods have mercy and bless us in our open hearts.” All cry out after him, “May the Gods bless us!” The grains are poured as a libation to Demeter. The procession is continued until after Arktos, in the dark, by torchlight, this time ending in silence and meditation for an hour around a single torch on the altar.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]