"Only the Mystics were allowed to partake in the great Mysteries; those who had already received the minor initiation. The great mysteries took place every 5 years, at the time of the harvest in the month Boedromion (September) in Eleusis for the duration of 9 days.

 

The First Day was called "The Assembly.. The mystics gathered for admittance to the great Mysteries and prepared for it.

 

The Second Day was called "To the Ocean, You Initiates.. On this day, they walked in a festive procession to the ocean's shore to undergo a symbolic purification in the ocean water.

 

On this day, the showing of the sacred Drama was continued. Act 2 was shown, the subject of which was the pain and despair of Demeter (World-Soul) over the loss of her daughter Persephone (human Soul). It was portrayed to them in a moving manner. They saw how the grieving Demeter, for nine days and nights, wandered about with a torch, searching for her lost daughter, as Isis once searched for the missing Osiris. Hierokeryx explained to them the esoteric sense of the sacred drama. He spoke to them about the divine Love of the World-Soul, which is searching for the Soul of the Human Being, to liberate her out of the bounds of mortality, and to unite herself again with her. Then he spoke to them about the transformation to which the human soul, during her migration through the different levels of existence, is subject. Holy Songs concluded these celebrations.

 

The Third Day was "The Day of Mourning.. On this day, the Mystics, while mourning with Demeter for Persephone who was staying in Hades, were reflecting upon their own souls. Esoteric Exercises, such as holding communion with oneself, fasting, prayers and quiet meditations were taking place. In the evening, the Mystics gathered for a sacred meal. At the conclusion, they drank a mysterious mixed drink.

 

On the Fourth Day, offerings were given to Demeter and Persephone.

 

The Fifth Day was "Torch Day.. At the onset of darkness, the Mystics were led by Daduchos the Torch-Bearer (representing the Sun), with burning torches to the Temple of Demeter, to symbolically repeat the search for the Goddess. The burning Torch represents the symbol of the Love ignited from within for the Divine.

 

The Sixth Day is called "Iacchos." It was the most festive and the highlight of the Great Mysteries.

 

On this day, a column of Iacchos-Dionysos was carried in a festive procession by the Initiates and Mystics for over four hours on the long, sacred road from Athens to the Temple of Demeter in Eleusis. This was done to symbolize the introduction of the Light and the presence of the Divine. Every Mystic received, before the beginning of the procession, a Thyrsus-Staff and a sealed basket, the sacred chest which they had to carry with them the whole day and were not allowed to open. The sacred chest contained three blessed objects, and was opened in the forthcoming grand and sacred night of the initiation by the Hierophant himself, and he showed and explained these things to the Mystics. The Hierokeryx also told them that even the carrying of the sealed basket had a deeper meaning for them. Because, even as a Human Being, they carried all kinds of things with them, of which they had no knowledge; concealed abilities that would only reveal themselves at a later date.

 

At the onset of darkness, the Mystics were received in the Temple of Eleusis by the Holy Herold, with the call: "Escato bebeloi!" - "Begone from here, all unconsecrated and ungodly, whose Souls are covered with crimes!," and drove thusly all of the trespassers out. Unauthorized intrusion to these secret celebrations were punishable by death.

 

The Mystics had to cleanse themselves once more in blessed water, and took vows not to disclose anything to the uninitiated of what they would now see and experience.

 

After the vows, Hierokeryx told the Mystics that they were now on the threshold to Persephone's infernal dwelling. However, in order to reach the "Great Light", they had to walk first through the darkness. In order to understand something about the true existence of their Soul, they must first walk through the Kingdom of Death. This is the test through which they would change from Mystics into Initiates (Epopts). The Mystics now had to undress and they don a deer hide (the Symbol of animalism, the "Coat of Skins," which Adam received upon leaving Paradise).

 

Then Daduchos extinguished his torch. All other torches were also extinguished, as in Death the Light of the external World becomes extinct.

 

Now the Mystics are led by their Mystagogues to the entrance of the infernal labyrinth. Total darkness reigns there. This represented the condition of their Soul, which only possessed her illuminated natural intellect from the external sensual Light, which is being filled with the deepest darkness, as soon as the external sensual Light becomes extinct. Such a Soul knows nothing about her once-higher existence, because the "Great Light" of the true Recognition and Initiation has not yet risen up in her.

 

The Mystics moved forward slowly and with uncertainty in the dark labyrinth. They were being transposed into a particular mood through fasting, prayers and instructions, and through a mysterious mixed-drink. Eerie noises, horrifying moans, and terrible screams reached their ears. The roar of thunderbolts, the force of which shook the arched passageways, startled them with fear. Glaring lightning pierced the darkness and showed the frightened Mystics gruesome appearances, so that they were over-come with dizziness and were horror-stricken. But only for moments did they see this terror that surrounded them; then they were again enveloped by absolute night. The Mystics also felt themselves being seized, beaten and thrown to the ground by invisible hands. Fearful natures preferred at times to turn back through the labyrinth to seek the exit. But, by doing that, they lost forever the Right to receive the initiation.

 

Even though the Mystics were still in their physical bodies, in this hour however through the art of the Priests, the curtain that separates the invisible world from the visible world was lifted, and they were granted access to the lower demonic depths of the Spirit-World. Plutarch, who was initiated into the Mysteries, compares the horror that the Mystics experienced in the infernal labyrinth, with the terror of death.

 

Finally, the Mystics saw a dim light in a crypt. It illuminated a horrible scene. They saw the Tartarus, the brazen gate opened with a horrible noise. They saw the domicile of the from-the-furies tormented damned., they heard their lamentation, their fruitless repentance, the sound of fear and the longing for the lost paradise. In between the voice of Hierokeryx could be heard, who at times shouted to the Mystics words of warning and then threats, and at times gave certain explanations of what represented itself to their eyes and ears. Then the Gates of Hell closed and the Herold communicated to the Mystics, that they would now enter the Plutonium, the domicile of the Ruler of the Underworld, where they would view the Third Act of the sacred drama.

 

Amongst solemn festive singing by invisible Spirit-Choirs, the Mystics entered now into a large, endless, illuminated, infernal hall, which was filled with an eerie twilight.

 

The ceiling was carried by an out-of-copper embossed, dull, shadowy elm, the "Tree of Dreams," whose pale silvery leaves roofed the whole room. From up above, through the branches, giant bats and grimaces stared down upon the Mystics.

 

Pluto was sitting on a black ebony throne, with a Crown of thorns upon his head, and a sceptre in his hand that was double-pointed at one end. Next to him sat Persephone. Covered in a black veil, her face reflected great sorrow.

 

The Hierokeryx now explained to the Mystics that they should recognize in Persephone's destiny, the drama of their own Souls. Just as Persephone suffers under the rulership of Pluto and is longing for her mother and her eternal Light-Homeland, that is also how their soul is suffering under the might of darkness and sensuality, and is longing unceasingly for the heavenly Light. The grimaces that stare at them out of the "Tree of Dreams" are phantoms of the past; transitory pleasures and suffering, which prevent Human Beings during their earthly life, which is only a dream, from the real life. The Herold kept silent. Persephone however, was giving her suffering and longing, a heart-wrenching expression. The Mystic had to make a Flower-Offering of Narcissus-Wreaths.

 

All of a sudden a big double gate opened, and a radiant light penetrated into Pluto's gloomy Hall. A shout rings out: "Come you Mystics, come here; Iacchos-Dionysos is here! Demeter expected Persephone! Evohe!"

 

Persephone jumped up, as if she were awakened from of a deep sleep. "Light," she cried out, "my Mother! Dionysos!. She wants to rush off towards the Light, but Pluto grasps her and forces her back into her seat. There she collapses and dies.

 

With one stroke, all light becomes extinct, and in the deepest of darkness a voice speaks: "Dying is to be reborn again!"

 

What is spoken of here is the mystical death. Since Persephone (the Soul) dies to the Underworld, she becomes free of the might of Pluto (the Earth) and returns to the true existence in the divine Light.

 

Now the Mystics were led to the surface again by the Mystagogues. The terror of the Underworld and the Tartarus is now behind them. On the surface, they are being received again by Daduchos and Hierokeryx. They have to take off their deer hides and bathe in blessed water. They received white raiments and are led into a gigantic Temple, which sparkles in the brilliance of a thousand torches. Now they are being led to the Hierophant, who is dressed in purple. He reads to the Mystics, from old stone plates, regarding the hermetic secrets of the process of rebirth; revealing these secrets carries the death penalty.

 

The sealed baskets were now brought in and given to the Mystics, and then the Hierophant opened them. After the Mystics removed the objects (One Egg, One Pinenut, and a Spiral Snake made out of copper) from the basket, the Hierophant explained their symbolic meaning. The egg, with its seven components, is like the seven colours of Persephone's veil, a symbol of the seven spiritual-psychic potencies of the nature of a Human Being, which was already known to the old Egyptians.

 

The Pinenut is a symbol of the divine Light-Seed, which is concealed in it. During the sacred procession, they already carried the Thyrsus-Staff with the pine cone. They should remember that the Titan-Son, Prometheus, who formed the first Human Being out of moist clay and brought him to life through the divine fire, which he brought from Heaven, hidden in a Narthex-Staff. This divine spark is not brought to life in everybody. That is why Plato said: "There are however, many Thyrsus-Carrier, but there are only a few enthusiasts" ("polloi men narthekophoroi, pauroi de te bakchoi" - that means, many are called, but only a few are chosen).

 

The spiral Snake is composed of the metal of the foam-born Aphrodite; she stepped in Cyprus on land. Aphrodite is the Love, which entwines Persephone (the Soul) like a snake. However, this snake must wind itself upward, instead of winding itself downward, to become the snake of wisdom, as the two snakes on Hermes Staff wind themselves upwards, up to the golden-winged sun. (The Uraeus - the snake on the forehead of the Egyptians, as a symbol of divine wisdom).

 

As soon as the Hierophant has finished, the door in the Temple to the inner sanctum opened, and radiated in the brightest of lights. Heavenly sounds enchanted the minds of the mystics. Wonderful scents seasoned the air. In the distance, they could see lovely groves filled with eternal spring and meadows of the Elysium covered with flowers, where the departed were peacefully resting or strolling.

Now they were also viewing the fourth and last act of the sacred drama. They viewed how Persephone (the human Soul) was liberated through her mystical death from the power of Pluto (the earthly corporeality) and then led by Hermes (the higher Genius) and returns her to her paradisiacal homeland, where she is brought back to her mother, Demeter (the World-Soul), and by Dionysos (the Divine-Light), to her father Zeus (God-Father).

 

Following that, a hymn was sung to honour Zeus, Demeter, Dionysos and Persephone. Then the Hierophant bestowed upon the mystics the highest of blessings, with the following words: "May your wishes be fulfilled, return back o human Soul to the Soul of the World!"

 

The holy initiation was now concluded, and the mystics had become seers, epopts, true initiates. A happiness never before known to them, and an inexpressible peace filled their hearts. They had overcome the fear of death, the dark puzzle of life was solved, the "Great Light" of Eleusis had arisen in them.

 

The Effect of the Grace of the Mysteries is praised by a homeric hymn to Demeter, with the words: "Blessed of the mortal earthly dwellers are only those, who have seen this; those however, who died without this initiation and if they were strangers to this holiness, they do not have part of this share, instead they are dead in the moist mess of the Kingdom of the Night."

 

Greece's greatest lyric poet, Pindar, glorifies the Eleusinian Mysteries in the same manner: "Blessed, who has seen them and then descends below the Earth! Only he knows life's goal, he knows also the God bestowed beginning."

 

The Tragedian Sophocles said the following about the Eleusinian Mysteries: "O blessed, thrice blessed are those mortals, who have at one time seen these initiations and then descended to Hades; for them Life is only there, the others await only hardship and severe misery!"

 

The Eleusinian Mysteries flourished from 150 B.C. to the end of the 4th century A.D.

 

It was a grandiose system for conducting Souls, it was an extraordinary blessing, it had a character-forming effect, and it made the Greeks into a Nation of Philosophers. In the times that followed, up to now, there have been no institutions, which can be compared or even come close in spiritual depth, religious seriousness and psychological mastery to the Eleusinian Mysteries.

 

Virgil and Dante attempted poetically to sympathize with the Eleusinian Mysteries, but, through the mere word, they were never able to replace the immediate fascinating power of the liveliness of the sacred drama.

 

It was one of the darkest hours of mankind, when the zeolitic Emperor, Theodisuis the Great, upon the instigation of the Catholic Church closed the Temple in Eleusis in the year 385. Before that, he had the Alexandrian Library burned, by orders of the same authority, and thusly robbed mankind of an irreplaceable treasure of knowledge and culture.

 

The Soul of a Human Being is placed between the Materia (Body) and the highest of intelligence (her immortal Spirit or Nous). Which of the two will be victorious.

 

The outcome of a conflict of a long life lies within this triad. Should the Soul, during this time, be predominantly occupied with the purely physical pleasures, then the destruction of the earthly body would result inevitably in the death of the astral body. Through this, the astral body would be prevented to unite with the highest Spirit of the triad, which (the highest Spirit) alone can transfer to us, immortality. -(Galatians 6, 8)

 

Or we become immortal Mystics before the death of our earthly body and we will be initiated in the divine truth of the Life hereafter. That was the main subject of the Mysteries, and was considered by the catholic Church to be satanic, and regarded by modern Psychologists as being ridiculous.

 

However, to deny that Human Beings are in possession of certain concealed powers that can be aroused through the hermetic art, that Human Beings can unfold to the highest degree, that Human Beings can become initiates (even a Hierophant) and can communicate this knowledge to others is a gross insult to a great number of the most outstanding and wisest Human Beings of antiquity and the middle ages.

 

What the initiate was allowed to see in the last hour of the holy mystery, can only be cautiously implied. Philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, Plutarch had knowledge of this, and they and many others confirmed its reality. Whatever the last Epopteia was, was implied by Plato in Phaedrus: "...after we had been initiated into these mysteries, we were liberated from the annoyances through evil, which would have awaited us otherwise with certainty in a future period of time. Likewise, consequently of this divine Initiation we became onlookers of a totally homogeneous, lasting and merciful visions, which dwell in the pure light."

 

Out of this, you can gather that the most exalted of the Epopsy, consisted in that the gods themselves could be seen in their own light. That was not a pathological hallucination, as modern Psychologists would like to make us believe, but it is the awakening of a totally new sense; a supernatural Spirit-Eye, with which the initiate can see into the World Beyond, and in this manner can, from the Beings which exist there, and from the course of events that take place there and conditions that exist there, procure unfailing knowledge through their own immediate perception. -(2. Corinth. 12, 2-4)"