Rituals to consecrate a Mithraeum

Ritual 1

Dramatis Personae:

• Pater: The Father of the Mithraic community, robed in crimson, bearing a staff and the symbols of his office.   
• Heliodromus: The Courier of the Sun, attired in red with a yellow belt, holding a globe.   
• Leo: An initiate of the Lion grade, in a scarlet cloak, carrying a fire-shovel and incense.   
• Corax: An initiate of the Raven grade, masked, bearing a cup of water or wine and bread.   
• Mystes (Initiates): Other members of the congregation.

(The scene is a newly constructed Mithraeum, fashioned as a subterranean cave, the spelaeum, its walls perhaps adorned with stars and crescent moons. At one end stands the central cult relief of the Tauroctony, yet veiled. Two altars are present. Torches provide dim illumination, held by Cautes with torch uplifted and Cautopates with torch downturned, standing at either side of the central niche. The air is thick with anticipation.)   

The Pater, standing before the veiled relief, begins:

"Hark, ye sons of Mithras, faithful brethren bound by sacred oath! Upon this day, auspicious and ordained, we gather not for common purpose, but to breathe eternal sanctity into these very stones, to dedicate this earthly cave as a mirror to the cosmos, a sanctuary for the Unconquered God. As Proficentius, our forebear in faith, did with joyful labor fashion his cave for Mithras, that the initiates might there celebrate their vows in perpetuity, so too do we undertake this solemn charge."   

The Purification:

(The Corax steps forward, presenting the cup to the Pater.)

The Pater, taking the cup, sprinkles water (or wine) around the Mithraeum:

"Let this libation, pure as the nectar from the rock-bound spring that fed the twin brothers, cleanse this precinct. Let it be a place apart, shielded from the shadows of the mundane, a vessel fit for the divine presence. By the waters of creation, and by the fire that is the Lion's breath, let this ground be hallowed."   

(The Leo then steps forward with the fire-shovel, upon which burns incense. He circles the Mithraeum, allowing the fragrant smoke to permeate the space.)

Invocation to Mithras:

The Pater, raising his hands towards the veiled relief:

"O Mithras, Unconquered Sun, Begetter of Light, Thou who wast born from the generative rock, naked save for the Phrygian cap, dagger and torch uplifted! Thou who didst spring forth amidst flames, a fiery god of light, ruler of the cosmos from Thy very birth! We call upon Thee! Look favorably upon this house, built in Thy name, this cave which reflects the vault of stars from whence Thou descended. Thou who didst, by order of Sol, conveyed by the swift Raven, undertake the mighty struggle with the primordial Bull, shouldering its weight as a hero, and by its sacred slaughter brought forth life anew, the eternal blood giving salvation! Thou who, with unerring aim, didst strike the barren rock, bringing forth the life-giving stream to quench the thirst of man! Thou who didst hunt the boar, symbol of darkness, Thy arrows ever true! To Thee, Deus Sol Invictus Mithras, we consecrate this ground!"   

Invocation to the Attendant Deities:

The Heliodromus steps forward:

"Hail, Sol, radiant charioteer of the heavens, whose ray did guide our Lord Mithras! Thou who didst make pact with Him upon the altar, sharing the sacred meal before the ascent! Lend Thy brilliance to this shrine! Hail, Cautes, with torch uplifted, symbol of the rising sun and nascent life! Hail, Cautopates, with torch reversed, guardian of the setting sun and the soul's descent! Stand ye as eternal sentinels of this Mithraeum, marking the ever-turning cycle of light and darkness, life and renewal. May Saturn, protector of the Father and of the mysteries, look kindly upon this place where his earthly representative shall preside."   

The Dedication and Unveiling:

The Pater takes a small measure of grain (representing fruitfulness from the Bull ) and scatters it before the altar. He then anoints the main altar with a touch of honey, sacred to the Lions and Persians.   

The Pater:

"By the generative power of the Earth, made fertile by the Bull's sacrifice, by the sweetness of honey that preserves and purifies, this altar is sanctified. Let the rock that bore Thee, O Mithras, be represented here, a fount of light and an eternal spring. Now, behold the glory of the God!"   

(At a gesture from the Pater, attendants draw back the veil from the Tauroctony relief. The assembled Mystes gaze upon it in reverence.)

The Pater:

"This place is sacred, fortunate, devout, and propitious. Here shall the divine mysteries be enacted. Here shall the Raven serve, the Nymphus be veiled in mystic union, the Soldier take his oath, the Lion be purified by fire, the Persian guard the fruits, the Heliodromus run his course, and the Father guide his flock. Here shall bread be broken and the cup be shared in remembrance of the sacred feast. Here shall the oath of secrecy bind us, as true brethren, sons of one Father, under the divine gaze of Mithras. Let this Mithraeum stand as a testament to our faith, a haven for the syndexi to celebrate their vows with joy, now and for eternity."   

Lighting the Sacred Flame:

(The Leo approaches the second altar, where kindling is prepared. Using his fire-shovel, he transfers embers or lights it anew, establishing a steady flame.)

The Pater:

"Behold, the light is kindled! As Mithras is the Begetter of Light, so may this flame burn perpetually, a symbol of His presence, of the divine fire within the rock, and the eternal light that guides our souls unto salvation. From East to West, Nama to the Fathers, Nama to Mithras!"   

All Mystes:

"Nama Mithras! Sol Invictus!"

(The consecration is complete. The Pater may then lead the brethren in the first sacred meal within the newly consecrated Mithraeum, following the rituals described in the holy texts.)   

Rite 2

Prelude: The Sanctification of the Precinct

Before the appointed hour, when Helios first commences his withdrawal from the meridian, the chosen Spelaeum, or sacred cave, hewn from the living rock or artfully constructed in semblance thereof, stands prepared yet unhallowed. Its earthen floor is swept clean, the stone benches (podia) lining the nave stand empty, and the sacred niche (specus) at the terminus, destined to hold the Tauroctony relief, is veiled. Censers containing aromatic resins from distant Persia lie ready, as do vessels of pure spring water and consecrated salt. The Pater, the revered Father of the community, highest amongst the initiated brethren, oversees these preparations, clad in robes mirroring the Persian mode of the god himself. He is attended by initiates of the senior grades: the Heliodromus (Courier of the Sun) and perhaps a venerable Perses (Persian).  

I. The Gathering and Purification

At the appointed time, the initiated members, from the neophyte Corax (Raven) to the steadfast Leo (Lion), assemble without, their hearts prepared for solemnity. They process in order of grade, led by the Pater. Before the entrance, two junior initiates, perhaps Milites (Soldiers), stand guard with drawn, albeit ceremonial, swords.  

The Pater halts the procession at the threshold. Taking up the vessel of water and the salt, he intones a formula of purification:

Pater: "Attend, ye brethren bound by the sacred oath, ye who seek passage from the terrestrial mire to the Sidereal ascent! As this lustral draught, born of the earth's hidden veins and kissed by Luna's nocturnal grace, doth mingle with the crystalline essence of terrestrial purity, so may your spirits be cleansed. Let the gross humours of the lower air, the phantoms born of Areimanius's tenebrous breath, be banished hence. May the threshold repel all that is profane, admitting only souls steadied by verity and hearts alight with the promise of the Unconquered God."  

He sprinkles the threshold and the foremost initiates with the sanctified water.

II. The Procession and Kindling of the Lights

The veiled specus remains dark. The Pater leads the brethren into the Spelaeum. They take their places upon the podia, maintaining a reverent silence. Two figures, representing Cautes and Cautopates, the twin torchbearers, stand flanking the entrance to the nave within. Cautes holds an unlit torch aloft, Cautopates holds one pointed downwards, also unlit.  

The Pater proceeds towards the specus. Before it stands a small, unlit altar or brazier. He strikes a flint, invoking the rock-born god:  

Pater: "From the adamantine heart of the Petra Genetrix, whence sprang the Genitor Luminis, armed with Dagger and Torch, let this terrestrial spark arise! As fire sleeps within the stone until concussion wakes its slumbering potency, so doth the divine effulgence reside within the Cosmos, awaiting the soul's striving. Awake, O fire, terrestrial emblem of Sol's celestial glory!"  

He lights the brazier. From this primary flame, the Heliodromus steps forward and lights a taper. He proceeds first to Cautes, whose torch is kindled and held high, symbolising the ascendant dawn. Then, he lights the torch of Cautopates, held low, signifying the descent into evening. The flickering torchlight now illuminates the cave.  

III. The Unveiling and Principal Invocation

The Pater faces the veiled specus. He makes a sign known only to the highest grades. Two Leones, initiates of the Lion grade, step forth and draw back the veil, revealing the newly installed Tauroctony relief, or perhaps a statue of Mithras Petrogenitus if the bull-slaying iconography is reserved for later.  

The Pater raises his hands and voice in the great invocation:

Pater: "Hear us, O Mithras Invictus, Sol's companion, Mediator between the Empyrean Providence and this sublunar sphere! Thou who art born of the Unyielding Rock, yet holdest the very Orb of the Cosmos in thy grasp; Thou, Master of the Zodiacal passage, directing the celestial chariot; Thou, whose arrow strikes living water from the barren stone, quenching the thirst of creation! By the blood of the Mystic Bull, source of terrestrial fecundity, by the light unquenchable, by the fire transformative, we consecrate this Grotto, this microcosm of the vaulted Firmament, to thy eternal service. May Cautes herald thy dawning presence within these walls; may Cautopates guard the mysteries when shadows lengthen. May Sol Invictus, thy celestial kinsman, pour forth his blessing upon this place. May Saturnus, guardian of our order and keeper of the Cycles, look favorably upon this foundation. Let this cave be a fortress against the encroaching gloom, a haven for thy sworn soldiers, a portal through the seven spheres! Accept this dwelling, O Deus Invictus Mithras, and make it thine own!"  

IV. The Anointing and Dedication

The Pater takes a vessel containing sacred oil, perhaps mingled with honey, symbol of purity and preservation. He approaches the central relief or statue and anoints it upon the brow, the dagger hand (if depicted), and the heart.  

Pater: "As this unguent renders pure and guards against decay, so may thy presence, O Mithras, sanctify this image and preserve this sanctuary inviolate through the turning ages."  

He then turns to the assembled brethren, who rise.

Pater: "In the name of Mithras, Rock-born, Bull-slayer, Light-bringer, Lord of the Sun's Path, I declare this Spelaeum hallowed. Let it be a place of initiation, of communion, of strength renewed. Here shall the sacred meal be partaken, binding us to Thee and to each other. Here shall the trials be met, forging souls worthy of thy fellowship. Here shall the sacramentum find its echo in loyal hearts. So it is dedicated, now and forevermore."  

V. The Concluding Feast and Libations

The formal consecration concluded, the atmosphere shifts subtly. The brethren may engage in the ritual meal, the agape. Breads, perhaps marked with a cross, and a cup of water or wine are shared, commemorating the feast of Mithras and Sol. Libations are poured upon the earth or the altar fire – first to Mithras, then to Sol, and perhaps to the Genius of the place or the Emperor. Hymns, likely non-metrical chants extolling the deeds and virtues of Mithras, may be sung. The community reaffirms its bonds, united under the newly consecrated roof, within the sacred space now charged with the presence of their Invincible God