The Initiation of the Leo

 The Candidate: A man, having proven his steadfastness as Miles, the Soldier of Mithras, now stands prepared for a profound immersion into the element of fire. He seeks entry into the esteemed grade of Leo, the Lion, a state described as inherently "arid and fiery". He understands this initiation involves purification not by water, but by elements more potent, reflecting the consuming and refining power of the divine.

The Commencement: Escorted by the Pater or a senior Lion, the candidate advances. The assembled brethren watch with focused intensity. The Miles initiate, whom he may have preceded in the ranks, perhaps offers a gesture of homage, acknowledging the Lion's significant role as a true 'participant' in the deeper mysteries.

An Invocation by the Pater: "O Mithras, Sol Invictus, Master of the Cosmic Fire! And Thou, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, under whose thunderous aegis this grade resides! Behold this soul, tempered in the discipline of the Soldier, now seeking the Lion's heart of flame! Grant him the purity of fire, the strength that consumes all dross, the majesty befitting Thy royal creature. Let Thy sacred fire cleanse him, Thy power uplift him, that he may stand before Thee as a sanctified Leo!"

The Purification by Honey: A unique and significant rite distinguishes the Lion's purification. As Porphyry records, honey, not water, is poured over the initiate's hands to cleanse them. Water, deemed hostile to the element of fire which the Lion embodies, is deliberately eschewed.

Formula during the Honey Ablution: "Let this honey, substance born of light and flower, symbol of preservation and sweetness incorruptible, lave thy hands. As honey preserves from decay, so may thy hands be kept pure from all evil, all crime, all defilement. As fire purifies, let this ablution fittingly cleanse thee, rejecting the watery element hostile to thy new nature. Let this honey touch thy tongue also, purifying it from all sin, that thou mayest speak truth in the presence of the God." The initiate might henceforth bear the epithet Melichrisus, the "honey-anointed".  

The Baptism of Fire (Niptron / Asthma): While the exact nature remains shrouded, evidence suggests the Lion undergoes a form of baptism by fire. This might range from symbolic gestures near flame to enduring actual heat, perhaps within a specially prepared trench or near a hearth, recalling the fire-shovels found in Mithraea and associated with this grade. This ordeal, termed niptron (bath) or involving asthma (fiery breath), likely symbolised ultimate purification, mirroring the anticipated cosmic conflagration that will consume evil but merely bathe the righteous. It connects the Lion directly to the purifying power of Mithras and the fiery essence of the Time-god Aion.

A Prayer during the Fire Ritual: "O Fire Divine, breath of Aion, essence of Sol! Consume the unworthy within me, refine the true. Let this heat be not destruction, but a sacred bath, a niptron rendering me immune to the final flame. Let thy asthma, thy fiery spirit, enter me, that I may share the Lion's might, companion of Mithras in the hunt against darkness!"

Bestowal of the Grade and Symbols: Having endured the purification by honey and the ordeal by fire, the candidate is formally received into the grade of Leo. He may be robed in the Lion's scarlet cloak or don the imposing lion mask worn during certain ceremonies.  

Formula of Acceptance (intoned by the Pater): "Nama Leonibus tutela Iovis! Hail to the Lions under the protection of Jupiter!"

He is now invested with the symbols of his rank: the Fire-shovel (vatillum), instrument of tending the sacred flame; the Sistrum, the sacred rattle perhaps borrowed from Isiac rites but imbued with Mithraic meaning; and the very Thunderbolts of Jupiter, signifying the power and celestial authority under which he stands.  

The Role of the Leo: The Leo is a true participant, often depicted offering incense during sacred rites – the "incense-burning Lions" invoked at Santa Prisca.

Chanted Invocation by the Community "Accept, O holy Father, accept the incense-burning Lions! Through whom we offer the incense, through whom we ourselves are consumed (purified)!"  

The Lion stands in special relation to Mithras, accompanying him on the symbolic hunt, representing the purified, fiery strength necessary to overcome evil. He embodies the power of Jupiter, striking down falsehood as Jupiter struck the Titans. Purified by fire, united with Mithras and Sol, the Leo stands as a powerful figure within the community, a sanctified being prepared for deeper immersion in the divine mysteries.