The Initiation of the Corax

The Candidate: A man, having endured a period of rigorous instruction—the exact nature whereof remains veiled in the inviolable secrecy demanded by the cult —stands poised upon the threshold. Prepared by disciplines, perhaps of fasting or continence, he readies himself to confront the trials that guard the threshold of divine understanding. He knows he seeks passage into a sacred brotherhood, a spiritual militia sworn to the service of the Deus Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun God.  

The Commencement: Under the stern guidance of a mystagogus—be it the Pater (Father) himself, the revered shepherd of the community, or a duly appointed Herald —the aspirant crosses into the sacred precinct. It may be his eyes are shrouded in cloth, a potent emblem of his current blindness to the celestial truths, compelling him to advance haltingly, hands questing forward into the palpable darkness. The assembled brethren observe in solemn quietude, their countenances grave, each man recalling the memory of his own passage through the sacred grades.  

A prayer uttered by the Mystagogus upon entry: "O Mithras, Rock-born God, Deus Genitor Rupe Natus, look upon this soul who seeks Thy light. Guide Thou his steps through darkness unto knowledge, make strong his heart against the trials ahead, that he may prove worthy to become Thy servant and messenger."  

The Oath (Sacramentum): Ere he may proceed further upon this sacred path, the candidate must pronounce the unbreakable oath, the sacramentum, binding his soul to inviolable silence upon penalty of ruin. His voice, though perhaps unsteady in the echoing chamber, must resonate with conviction as he repeats the ancient, hallowed words, swearing by the very fabric of creation:  

"In the name of the god, who has divided the earth from the heavens, light from darkness, the day from night, the world from chaos, life from death and creation from destruction, beyond all doubt and in sincere good faith I swear to observe the secrecy [imparted by] the Father [Name of Pater] and by the most venerable hallowed Herald [Name of Herald?], to whom this task falls, and by my fellow initiates and most beloved Brethren. For which cause being true to my oath, I hope for all prosperity, but I commit myself also to all things contrary should I disclose any of this."

The Trials: Though detractors and the ignorant have spun lurid tales of barbarous ordeals, the precise trials ordained for the Corax grade remain veiled. Yet, arcane depictions, such as those unearthed at Capua, hint at symbolic tests. Perchance the initiate kneels, still bereft of sight, whilst a priest draws near bearing a symbolic sword. Perhaps a ritualised death and resurrection are enacted, or a moment of sudden, forceful pressure applied, gauging his spiritual balance and resolve. A ceremony involving a sword and perhaps consecrated bread or a garland might unfold. There is mention, too, of hands bound by frail chicken guts, severed by one proclaiming himself Liberator—a potent allegory of liberation from earthly ignorance or the bonds of the profane world. The intent, though shrouded, is clear: the testing of inner fortitude, the purification of the soul, ensuring the candidate emerges sanctified and steadfast.  

Bestowal of the Grade: Having honourably endured the appointed trials, the binding cloth, if employed, is ceremoniously removed. The Pater, or his designated officer, formally welcomes the aspirant into the first sacred grade. He is now Corax, the Raven, brought under the celestial guardianship of fleet-footed Mercury. His symbols—perhaps ritually displayed or symbolically conferred—are the Caduceus, winged staff of the divine messenger, and the sacred Cup. He embodies the element of Air. Henceforth, during certain rites, he may don the ritual mask fashioned as a raven's head, signifying his new station. 

Prayer to be uttered by the Corax: "Hail Mercurius, celestial herald, whose caduceus cleaves the veils of twilight and dawn, whose breath stirs the winds that bear the whispers of the Unconquered Sun! To thee, winged guardian of thresholds and guide of souls ascending, I, unworthy yet steadfast, lift this supplication. Let the raven’s cry echo through the vaults of the seven spheres, that Mithras, slayer of the primal bull and master of the celestial expanse, may turn His gaze upon me, an initiate, bound by oath and trial. By the beaker of libation, whose draught purges the dross of mortality, and the staff of serpents entwined, sigil of thy dominion over air and message, sanctify this flesh. Let the cold breath of the ordeal pit, where shadows cling like specters, and the searing tongues of sacred fire temper my resolve. For I have borne the frosts of Saturn’s realm and the forge of Vulcan’s wrath, that I might emerge—as the corvid who drinks from the river of stars—a vessel of thy swift-winged truth. Grant me, O Psychopomp, the clarity of the morning star, that I may traverse the winds and bear tidings betwixt earth and ether. As the Raven, first among the sevenfold ascent, I pledge to guard the mysteries sealed in the crypt of the rock-born god, to serve as eyes in the darkness and voice in the silence. Let the syndexioi, bound by the handclasp of Mithras and Sol, witness this covenant: that I shall rise, as the Phoenix from ash, through the grades of Perses and Heliodromus, until the ring of Saturn encircles my brow."  

Formula of Acceptance (intoned by the Pater): "Nama Coracibus tutela Mercurii! Hail to the Ravens under the protection of Mercury! Arise, Corax, messenger and servant!"  

The Role of the Corax: He has become the ieros koras, the sacred Raven. Within the grand scheme of the mythos, the Raven serves as the celestial envoy of Sol, carrying the divine imperative to Mithras for the pivotal sacrifice of the bull. Consequently, in the solemn rituals enacted within the Mithraeum, the Corax takes the role primarily of an attendant and herald. He may minister to the higher grades during the communal sacred meal, presenting the consecrated bread or the ritual cup, his movements a reverent echo of the service rendered by the archetypal Raven to the very Gods. Though an attendant, he is now irrevocably woven into the fabric of the sacred family, a frater among brethren, bound eternally by the symbolic joining of right hands (dexiosis) and the unyielding power of the sacramentum. He has taken the first, vital step upon the seven-runged ladder that ascends, through trial and knowledge, towards the blinding effulgence of the Invincible Sun, the Genitor Luminis, Begetter of Light.  

Password or Recognition Formula: "I am an initiate of the bull-theft, hand-clasper of an august Father."