The Initiation of the Heliodromus

The Candidate: A man, having faithfully served as Perses, the guardian of fruits under Luna's watch, now stands poised to embrace the Sun itself. He seeks initiation into the sixth grade, Heliodromus, becoming the earthly deputy of Sol Invictus, the swift traveller across the firmament. His preparation would involve deep contemplation of the Sun's journey, His pact with Mithras, and the sacred meal they shared.

The Commencement: Introduced by the Pater, who embodies Mithras in these sacred rites, the candidate steps forward. He approaches not merely as an aspirant but as one nearing the apex of understanding, prepared to enact the very dramas of the gods. The atmosphere is charged with celestial significance.

An Invocation by the Pater: "O Mithras, Lord of Light, who dost hold counsel with the very Sun! And Thou, Sol Invictus, eternal Charioteer, whose course defines the days and seasons, under whose direct effulgence this grade resides! Behold this soul, who has traversed the path from darkness unto light, from earth unto the threshold of the stars. Anoint him now with Thy solar fire; grant him the speed of Thy coursers, the brilliance of Thy halo, the authority of Thy divine Orb. Make him Thy true Heliodromus, Thy swift Courier upon the earth!"

Ritual Enactment (The Pact or Meal): This initiation likely involved the enactment of key moments shared between Mithras and Sol. Perhaps the candidate, representing Sol, kneels before the Pater (as Mithras) to receive the accolade or to seal the sacred pact beside a ritual altar, recalling scenes depicted on Balkan reliefs or the Nersae carving. Alternatively, preparations for the sacred meal might be enacted, with the candidate assuming the role and perhaps the specific attire of Sol – the red garment, the yellow belt, the globe, the radiate nimbus – mirroring the depiction in the Santa Prisca Mithraeum.  

Dialogue during a Pact Enactment (Pater as Mithras, Candidate as Sol): Pater (Mithras): "Sol, my brother in the light, though once estranged, now bound by fate! Thy messenger, the Raven, brought the word; the Bull is slain, creation born anew. Clasp now my hand, let blood or vow make fast our eternal alliance before the ascent!" Candidate (Sol): "Mithras, triumphant Lord, born of the Rock! Thy strength prevails. I kneel, or stand fast by this altar, my hand in Thine. Let our pact be sealed, our paths converged, our purpose one: to ascend together towards the boundless light!"

Bestowal of the Grade and Symbols: Upon successful completion of the ritual enactments and demonstration of profound understanding, the candidate is formally received as Heliodromus. He might be ceremonially vested in the garments mirroring Sol, or presented with the symbols of his solar office.

Pater prays to Sol: “O Sol Invictus, Unconquered Sun, thou resplendent charioteer whose nimbus irradiates the supernal and terrestrial spheres! Before thy fiery quadriga, harnessed with steeds whose breath is the very flame of matutinal aspiration, the manifold veils of Nox are scattered, and the Stygian cohorts of tenebrosity retreat unto their abyssal dens. Thou art the Aion’s all-perceiving oculus, from whose unwavering gaze no clandestine artifice nor hidden motion within the sevenfold wandering spheres may find concealment.

Thy auroral effulgence, a libation poured upon the slumbering world, doth stir the dormant seed and summon forth the verdant blade, whilst thy meridian glory doth ripen the cerulean grape, sacred to the banquet where the Father Mithras Himself, born of the Petrine fecundity, reclines with thee in sempiternal commensality. It is thy generative warmth that sustains the vital spark within the breast of every creature, and thy unerring course through the zodiacal demesnes that doth delineate the very architecture of mutable time.

Unto us, thy votaries, and most particularly unto this Heliodromus, this courier of thy sacred light, who now prepares to tread the solar path, vouchsafe, O Phoebus, a portion of thine indefatigable spirit. As thy rays pierce the profoundest gloom, so may thy divine illumination penetrate the recesses of our understanding, that we may discern the intricate harmonies of the cosmos and the ineffable mysteries encoded within the stellar script. Guide his feet, that they may not falter upon the arduous ascent; fortify his spirit, that it may endure the empyrean blaze; and anoint his brow with the chrism of thy wisdom, that he may, in his appointed station, reflect thy glory unto the lower realms, a faithful mirror of thy celestial majesty, until such time as he, too, may transcend the mundane circuit and join thee in the unwaning light of the fourth sphere.”

Formula of Acceptance (intoned by the Pater): "Nama Heliodromis tutela Solis! Hail to the Couriers of the Sun under the protection of the Sun!"

He is now the bearer of the emblems signifying his role as Sol's deputy: the Whip, urging on the celestial steeds; the radiate Halo, symbol of divine light; the Torch, banishing darkness; and the Globe, representing cosmic dominion. He is the Sun's Courier, traversing the symbolic heavens of the Mithraeum.  

The Role of the Heliodromus: The Heliodromus stands as the direct representative of the Sun God within the earthly community. He participates in the most sacred rituals, particularly the re-enactment of the divine meal, reclining with the Pater (as Mithras), embodying the divine companionship that preceded the final ascent. He greets the enthroned Pater with solar authority. Having transcended the lower grades, he moves within the inner circle of the Mysteries, embodying the penultimate stage of the soul's journey towards reunification with the eternal light, preparing for the final wisdom held by the Father himself.