Posts
I have been following several conversations in the Pagan and
Druid communities regarding Religious Mysteries. Magickal Rites and the
inclusion of Religious Mysteries in the Keltrian Druid initiation practice was
one of the several key defining points in establishing Keltrian Druidism as a
separate and unique path.
The Merriam-Webster On-line dictionary has as its first
meaning,
That meaning is close, but I think of
it slightly differently. I see a Religious Mystery as “a religious truth that
is known by revelation and cannot be logically explained.“
A religious Mystery, cannot be logically explained, but, rather it must be experienced. Once embraced, the Mystery changes your entire being and the way you relate to the universe. Once the Mystery is a part of your being you
can do things you could never do before.
I like to explain how a religious
Mystery works through an example of a secular Mystery – The square root of a
negative one. No real number multiplied
times itself can give a negative number. The idea that a number multiplied times itself
and give a negative result doesn’t make sense.
But once you have embraced it, once it becomes a part of your being a
whole new mathematical world opens up for you; you now have the world of imaginary numbers available to you. For every real number there is an imaginary
number. The mathematical world of numbers doubles with the addition of the
square root of a negative one (called “I” in mathematics or “j” in
electronics).
More than just the world opening up for
you, you now have the tools to do mathematical problem solving you couldn’t
solve before. Your mind is open to new
possibilities and capabilities because you have embraced the mystery.
A religious Mystery operates in a
similar manner. It is usually impossible to explain in a rational way. But once it has been revealed to you in a
manner in which you can absorb the concept you can have a new world open up for
you. You have the ability to do things
you couldn’t do before. The Mystery provides a context for further actions and
you get it, even those who haven’t embraced the Mystery don understand what you
are doing.
I have long felt the revelation of a
Mystery is one of the underpinnings of a religious initiation. Consequently,
self initiation cannot have the ability to reveal a Mystery, something
unknown. Initiations into Mystery
Traditions include a process for the candidate to learn and embrace something
that does not make sense but opens their eyes to a new reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment