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GòYÚþ˜Ê; »Üò»ö#§sÑv˜ýzTûé8‹_?ëXÕ©é‹Ñ/‘_>S…_¼Æ"sœç¹¼ã7/þY¦lJ3d%±ÁÛûdR ºC ЛXë§ø®$ÖÒ“°{wo¾˜ÊKÍÖH  í ÇÒÏÈO÷t¸ŒµßŽÚ4ãªÌÍÄ7Íá›dWrT¹¸ñƾ˜.ššÑ‡{äfò^h×Ì‘i÷Š-ß`Ø2I†a6øœXÅŒÃT<—̸ ÕÙå4ù?l­FbŠÖÙ†ùSÌÅ”^QâS(L( 9¯FO# pUN{ %É 0(Ïw@÷47K˜HP DeskJet 660CHPFDJC020À,,,,0À0 (ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ {|D}D~DD€D‚ƒD„Uæ‚>#3|x„Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÓ  Óò òWHAT€IS€A€MYSTERY€SCHOOL?ó óÐ ° ÐÌÌÓ  Óà  àMystery€schools,€or€religions€were€popularized€in€history€and€literature€during€hellenisticÏtimes,€but€their€origins€are€as€old€as€the€earliest€civilizations.€€The€word€ð ðmysteryðð€is€derived€fromÏthe€Greek€òòmyeinóó,€ð ðto€closeðð,€for€the€rites€of€the€mysteries€were€closed€to€the€uninitiate.€€MysteryÐ L œ Ðschools€were€to€be€found€in€many€cultures;€Sumer,€Egypt,€Persia,€Syria,€Greece€and€celtic€BritainÏare€but€a€few.€€Christianity€itself€is€recognized€as€a€mystery€religion.€€With€the€emergence€ofÏglobal€cultural€awareness€and€religious€tolerance,€mystery€religions€are€again€growing€inÏpopularity.Ìà  àThough€the€central€deities€of€the€mystery€religion€differ€from€culture€to€culture,€they€allÏshare€common€belief€systems€and€practice€similar€rites.€€òòHarperððs€Encyclopedia€of€Mystical€andÐ Ô$  ÐParanormal€Experienceóó€provides€us€with€a€good€summary€of€these€criteria:Ð À  ÐÌà  àà ` àð ðThey€were€centered€on€a€divine€female€as€the€vessel€of€transformation,Ìà  àà ` àeven€if€they€were€cloaked€in€patriarchal€form;€their€purpose€was€to€Ìà  àà ` àsecure€eternal€life€in€the€afterworld,€through€rebirth€or€redemption;Ìà  àà ` àthey€contained€an€erotic„sexual€element€of€union€with€the€primal€Ìà  àà ` àmother;€there€was€preparation€and€consumption€of€special€food€and€Ìà  àà ` àdrink€as€part€of€the€transformative€process€or€as€reenactment€of€a€holy€Ìà  àà ` àmeal€of€the€gods€and€goddesses;€there€were€blood€sacrifices;€there€were€Ìà  àà ` àelements€of€magic€and€ecstacy€in€the€rites;€the€initiate€was€revealed€the€Ìà  àà ` àsecrets€and€instructions€of€the€cult.€€The€rites€consisted€of€religious€Ìà  àà ` àdramas€of€the€deities,€reenactments€of€the€òòheiros€gamosóó€(sacred€marriage),Ð ä4 Ðà  àà ` à€and/or€the€death€and€ribirth€of€a€deity.ððÌÌà  àI€feel€that€a€mystery€religion€is€a€spiritual€tradition€that€worships€the€trinity€as€manifest€inÏits€various€aspects,€and€honors€the€myth€of€birth,€death€and€resurrection€as€reflected€in€the€cycleÏof€the€seasons.€€Many€mystery€religions€combined€various€philosophical€teachings€withÏspirituality,€creating€the€mystery€school.€€A€mystery€school€is€not€only€worship,€it€is€education.€€InÏthe€ancient€times,€many€years€of€intense€study€were€required€before€initiation€was€evenÏconsidered.€€According€to€Proclus,€it€took€Plato€thirteen€years€of€study€under€four€Magi€before€heÏwas€initiated€into€the€mysteries€of€Hermes„Thoth.€€The€initiation€itself€was€arduous,€and€in€manyÏtraditions€if€the€postulant€failed€the€tests€he€was€given,€he€was€put€to€death.ÌÌà  àThe€Temple€of€Divine€Mysteries€is€a€mystery€school.€€It€does€not€execute€its€failingÏinitiates€(!)€But€does€follow€all€the€other€criteria€as€closely€as€possible:ÌÌ1€„€ð ðThey€were€centered€on€a€ñqñcñqññrñdñrñivine€female€as€the€vessel€of€transformation,€even€if€they€wereÏcloaked€in€patriarchal€form...ðð€€Both€masculine€and€feminine€energies€are€duly€honored€within€theÏTemple.€€At€full€moon,€the€Goddess€is€honored€in€her€many€aspects;€at€new€moon,€the€God€isÏhonored€through€reflection€upon€the€symbolism€of€the€moonððs€(monthððs)€corresponding€tree.ÌÌ2€„€ð ð...their€purpose€was€to€secure€eternal€life€in€the€afterworld,€through€rebirth€or€redemption...ðð€ÏThe€Temple€believes€in€eternal€life€and€continuity€of€consciousness€whether€it€is€in€the€before,Ð @-(, Ðduring€or€òòafteróólife.€€Continuity€of€consciousness€throughout€lifetimes€is€neccessary€in€order€toÐ ° Ðunderstand€and€fulfill€oneððs€true€purpose.€€Through€the€spiritual€process€of€rebirth,€one€regainsÏthat€continuity€and€is€enabled€to€fulfill€that€purpose.Ìà  àñsñÌà  àñsñIn€Carl€Jungððs€òòArchetypes€and€the€Collective€Unconsciousóó,€Jung€classifies€rebirth€into€fiveÐ `° Ðdifferent€types.€€One€of€these€is€termedñtñ,ñtñ€ð ðparticipation€in€the€process€of€transformationðð.€€ThisÏoccurs€when€the€individual€experiences€a€ribirth€through€the€viewing,€or€participation€in,€religiousÏrites.€€Mystery€religions€teach€that€the€initiate€can€ð ðbecomeðð€the€focal€deity,€and€enter€the€realm€ofÏimmortality€and€divine€wisdom.€€This€is€similar€to€the€Jungian€concept€of€initiation.€€Jungians€feelÏthat€rites€of€initiation€involving€the€identification€with€mythic,€archetypal€deities€or€heroesÏprovides€the€initiate€with€a€moment€that€is€ð ðout„of„timeðð,€and€lets€one€enter€the€realm€of€theÏCollective€Unconscious€to€gain€access€to€Divine€Knowledge.€€The€Temple€of€Divine€Mysteries,Ïadhering€to€the€Hermetic€concept€that€the€universe€is€mental,€agrees€with€this€Jungian€view.ÌÌ3€„€ð ð...they€contained€an€erotic„sexual€element€of€union€with€the€primal€mother...ðð€€Witchcraft€is€aÏfertility€religion,€with€its€magickal€practices€rooted€in€sympathetic€origins.€€The€Temple€feels€thatÏthis€union€is€neccessary€to€ensure€fertility€of€the€plants€and€animals,€and€survival€of€the€humanÏspecies.€€The€Temple€acknowledges€this€union€in€two€primary€forms:€seasonal€plays€areÏperformed€on€the€Sabbats,€and€the€rite€of€Cakes€and€Ale€is€performed€at€eñuñfñuñvery€ritual.€€These€ritesÏboth€place€an€emphasis€on€the€union€of€God€and€Goddess,€of€creative€yin/yang€energiesÏcombined.€€The€Temple€feels€that€the€sexual€act€is€the€sacred,€creative€union€of€spiritual€energñvñvñvñies;Ïit€is€a€transformativñwñcñwñe€healing€process€that€should€not€be€taken€lightly.ÌÌ4€„€ð ð...there€was€preparation€and€consumption€of€special€food€and€drink€as€part€of€theÏtransformative€process€or€as€reenactment€of€a€holy€meal€of€the€gods€and€goddesses...ðð€€At€theÏTemple€of€Divine€Mysteries,€feasting€is€an€integral€part€of€the€High€Holiday€rites.€€Each€type€ofÏfood€and€drink€is€particular€to€each€holiday,€and€the€Temple€tries€to€follow€those€traditions€asÏclosely€as€possible.€€The€feast€is€to€remind€us€of€a€time€long€ago€when€the€gods€once€walñxñdñxññyñkñyñed€theÏearth,€and€those€that€loved€them€nouriñzñcñzññ{ñsñ{ñhed€them€with€foods€that€strengtñ|ñrñ|ñhenñ}ñ3ñ}ñed€both€body€and€soul.€ÏThe€modern€proctices€of€sacñ~ñtñ~ñrifiññeññce,€liñ€ñbñ€ñññgññation€and€burnt€offerings€are€but€echoes€of€those€ancientÏtimes.€€The€Temple€follows€the€ancient€Sumerian€belief€that€if€you€dine€with€someone,€you€share€aÏspecial€bond€with€them€that€cannot€be€broken.€€All€food€is€sacred€to€the€Tñ‚ñeñ‚ñmñƒñeñƒñple€„€it€is€one€of€theÏphysical€manifestiations€of€love.ÌÌ5€„€ð ð...there€were€blood€sacrifices...ðð€€The€Temple€does€not€perform€blood€rituals.€€AsÏpractitioners€of€the€religion€of€Witchcraft,€we€follow€the€Wiccan€Rede:€ð ðAnðð€it€harm€none,€doÏwhat€thou€wiltðð.€€We€must€not€harm€ourselves€or€other€creatures.€€The€regular€rite€of€Cakes€andÏAle€can,€however,€be€interpreted€as€a€blood€sacrifice.€€The€Temple€believes€in€the€existence€of€theÏGod€of€Vegetation€(Osiris,€Attis,€Adonis,€the€Green€Man,€etc.);€therefore,€in€the€rite€of€Cakes€andÏAle,€the€cakes€are€the€flesh€of€the€God€and€the€ale€(wine€or€juice)€is€the€blood.€€We€do€not€feelÏthat€is€our€place€to€either€condone€or€condemn€the€blood€rituals€of€other€religions.ÌÌ6€„€ð ð...there€were€elements€of€magic€and€ecstacy€in€the€rites...ðð€€If€there€is€a€need€to€do€so,€theÏTemple€performs€magick€in€order€to€assist€in€the€fulfillment€of€the€Great€Plan,€of€which€we€are€allÏpart.à  àÐ @-(, Ѐ€à  àThe€Temple€of€Divine€Mysteries€is€designed€as€a€working€model€of€the€collectiveÐ ° Ðconsciousness,€or€godhead.€€All€members€are€solitary€practitioners€who€recognize€differentÏcultural€pantheons;€yet€its€members€acknowledge€that€all€deities€emanate€from€a€single€source.€€ByÏincorporating€several€cultural€nuances,€the€Temple€recognizes€a€global€religion€with€emphasis€onÏlove,€education€and€understanding.ñ„ñÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àRev.€M.€Michelle€GriffinÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àHigh€PriestessÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àTemple€of€Divine€MysteriesÌñ„ñ