I had an interesting experience with a flood at the airport, and this Friday, I experienced a fire there as well. The plan was to fly out the day after my studies ended. However, when I arrived by taxi at the airport, I found that the road was closed, so we headed back to the hotel. The whole Friday was spent writing to the airline, corresponding with the hotel about extending my stay indefinitely, and reading about mystery cults.
Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden. This book provides a good, broad overview of secret cults for anyone looking to dip their toes into the topic. I was particularly interested in understanding the details of the ceremonies and what they involved.
From what I learned in the book, these ceremonies occurred once a year. They included a procession where cult objects were carried (this part was publicly visible), a sacrifice, the ceremony itself, and a feast. These events varied in format and proportions. They took place outside the city in designated locations or sanctuaries.
One had to go through this ceremony twice in their life. The first time as a novice participant, and the second time as someone who helps guide the novices. The first time, your eyes were blindfolded. You were disoriented in space, deafened by loud music, blinded by bright lights, or sometimes in total darkness. You might have experienced physical suffering from beatings or burns. You were deprived of food and water.
The initiation ended when the physical pain stopped and possibly concluded with wild dancing and singing, after which the initiate would fall into a trance-like state. It was believed that in this state, one could meet with the divine light or something considered holy.
The purpose of the initiation, as I understand it, was to bring the initiate face to face with the divine. They believed that by crossing the boundary between life and death, you met with a holy figure or god, who would recognize you, as you had already encountered them during the ceremony.
There’s also an interesting story about golden tablets with very different interpretations. These tablets or instructions were found next to the deceased in various locations, but perhaps these tablets were both an instruction and a kind of ticket received after initiation. Or perhaps, if someone hadn’t undergone initiation, these tablets were needed as a guide or ticket for the afterlife.
By the end of the day, I finished the book and ran to the British Museum to find and examine these golden tickets. I managed to find one. I’m attaching a photo.
Why do I want to know all of this? I want to incorporate logic into my performances, so that the meaning behind them isn’t just aesthetic but also thoughtfully rational. For me, this rationality connects to the past, which means connecting with past meanings and understanding the thinking of those who came before us.
