Zoroastrian Mithraism

European Mithraic Initiative

We wish to develop and promote a new and distinctively European variety of the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism which we call Euromazdaism or Zoroastrian Mithraism.

1. We believe that a good religion is an important support to the righteous behaviour and for the advancement of the good society and the good life.

2. We believe that Zoroastrianism provides the best foundation for a religion for modern Europeans.

3. We believe that a good form of Zoroastrianism for Europeans will reflect the cultural legacy, history and identity of Europeans.

4. We hold in esteem the traditional Zoroastrian legacy of the Iranian Zoroastrians and the Parsees.

5. We hold in esteem the pagan traditions of Europe, and the high cultures of Greece and Rome, and the Christian cultural tradition.

6. We intend to be a broad movement allowing room for a diversity of approaches, practices and organisations.

7. We wish to develop a small set of common understandings and cultural ideas to provide a common foundation for Zoroastrian Mithrites.

8. Basic features of the common foundation as currently proposed include:

i) Acceptance of the basic Zoroastrian ethic to strive for good deeds in order to support the coming into existence of a better world where lives are lived better and happier.

ii) Acceptance of the essential distinction between matter and mental-spirit (or another term) - i.e. acceptance that there is an essential difference between what has mental-spirit and is alive and what does not have mental-spirit and is not alive.

iii) Understanding that there is free-will and that the world is not fully determined. Belief that while the possibility of Dreg (deviation, disorder, suffering) is an inevitable concomitant of freedom, it is not the case that everything bad that happens is for our own good or any benefit to us or deserved by us especially when considered from an individual's point of view. (A partial explanation of bad occurences is that they are caused by deficiency in actions to uphold the good world order (EUTAXIS) combined with the blind and/or selfish actions of those who take advantage of this.)

iv) Acceptance of the Traditional Zoroastrian Scriptures as having status.

The Traditional Zoroastrian Scriptures include the Songs of Zarathustra (Gathas or Zartomantra), the Avesta, other later writings such as the Bundahishn and Denkard, and all other writings (at least those dated to before about 3000ME/1000CE) treated as scripture by traditional Zoroastrians.

As Mithrites we treat the most ancient 'Avestan' scriptures as the 'Old Testament' of Mithraism, and the later 'Middle Persian' scriptures as the 'Middle Testament' of Mithraism. Modern Mithraic writings will form the yet-to-be-completed 'New Testament' of Mithraism.

v) Acceptance of Mitra/Mithras (typically in the form Mitra (neuter), Mithras (male) or Mitrana (female)) as a being that can mediate between us who attend to them and the truth of existence.

9. The following is also currently proposed to be part of the Common Foundation:

a) Use of four important Triads or Trinities as valued vehicles for orientating ourselves to the nature of reality - together called the Tetratria - which are:

i) Mitra - Mazda - Zartus
(which are the trigemmae or three jewels that form the foundation of Zoroastrian Mithraism - where Mitra is Mithras as a gender-neutral power, Mazda is Cosmic Wisdom and Zartus is the prophet Zarathustra)

ii) Zurvan - Ashura - Vaius
(where Zurvan is the ultimate foundation of our world of Space and Time, Ashura is the asha-producing and right-governing power and Vaius is the amoral stimulating power)

iii) Asha - Mazda - Humanah
(where Asha is Rightness, Righteousness and Truth, Mazda is Active Wisdom or Cosmic Wisdom and Humanah is Good Mind)

iv) Solivictor - Mitras - Mitrana
(where Solivictor is the 'Conquering Sun' - the being that brings the light (Lumen) of the cosmic sun (Solara) into the world, and where Mitras and Mitrana are assistants of Solivictor who deal more directly with us human beings to make us better vehicles for the Solivictor)

b) Acceptance of the 'co-substantiality' of the three beings: Ashura, Mazda and Solivictor.

By this we mean to convey the idea that Ashura, Mazda and Solivictor are co-occuring beings - i.e. that the processes referred to by each name cannot be separated and must always occur together.

c) Acceptance of the seven ancient prophets (Heptaprofetes) as a valuable guide to sources of ancient wisdom. The seven prophets are:
i) Zartus Rectus
ii) Socrates Soficus
iii) Gautamus Bodicus
iv) Zeno Stoicus
v) Jesus Chrestus
vi) Manius Gnosticus
vii) Ammonius Platonicus

d) Acceptance of the list of concepts known as the Heptaspenta or seven eternal life-promoters which are:
i) Spentamanus (or Spentaman)
ii) Humanah
iii) Asha (or Artavista)
iv) Huksatra
v) Spentarmitas
vi) Harvertas
vii) Amortas

e) Acceptance of the slogan: 'Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds' as a first guide to Mithraic ethics.

f) Acceptance of 26th March 1001 ME as Zarathustra's (Zartus') official birth date. (i.e. the date that we agree to treat as his birth date for purposes of communal celebration).

This version published May 4016 in the Mithraic Era (ME) and updated August 4016