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PANTHEON AION-ZURVAN - The Foundation of Time and Activity which underlies all things. TYCHE - The manager of the activity that happens in Aion-Zurvan SOPHUS & SOPHIA - The creative wisdom power, in feminine form known as Sophia Domina (Lady Wisdom) and in male form as Sophus Magus Magnus (The Wise One the Great Wizard) or Sophus Coeus HEPTAYAZATA - "The Seven Yazads or Beings Worthy of Worship" - all children of Sophus and Sophia 1. MITHRAS is the yazad of right-connection. He connects people to each other to form strong productive co-operating societies, and he connects people in their thoughts and behaviour to the ultimate God - what is real and good. Mithras is regarded as the chief yazad of the Heptayazata. 2. ANHITA is the yazad of nurture, care and protection. She is the most concerned to provide for new life to emerge into the world and to grow strong and healthy. 3. VAIUS is the yazad of stimulation and force. He blows into the world, creating movement, upsetting existing patterns and breaking through barriers. He can act for good, being an agent of challenge that stimulates life to grow, and dissolving structures that restrict or do harm. He can also act for bad, undermining good patterns and bringing death. 4. VENUS is the yazad of love, fertility and prosperity. Like Vaius she has a wild heart and represents the basic desires and drives that animate life. 5. FABER is the yazad of manufacture. He is the maker-god. He is the craftsman who crafts the material of the world into new designs. 6. HESTIA is the yazad of the hearth and home. She is the home-maker goddess. She is responsible for the happy functioning of the individual household and the wider 'homes' of the community , city and nation. She has a maiden daughter Vesta who has the role of tending the home-fire. 7. APOLLO is the yazad who has especial sensitivity and ability to see the underlying workings of things. He is the seer , the priest and healer. He is the bringer of music and dance. The yazads can be considered to be in male/female pairs - i.e Mithras+Anhita, Vaius+Venus, Faber+Hestia with Apollo being unattached. RITUAL FIRES The Fire of Mithras is the Ritual Fire of World Order, tended to by men. The Fire of Hestia is the Ritual Home Fire, tended to by women. OTHER CONCEPTS KOSMOS is the World Order - the good order of things conducive to the best life. KAOS is absence of KOSMOS. GAETA is The living world EXPERIMENTAL MITHRAIC FESTIVALS Festivals that are currently suggested are: OSTARA - Festival of creation and new life - March 21st (Spring Equinox) (the Mithraic Easter) LITHA - Summer Festival - (Summer Solstice) MABON - Festival of harvest and celebration of the produce of life - September 22nd (Autumn Equinox) MITHRAKANA - ('Festival of Mithras') - Celebration of religious life and religious community - 29th September ATARKANA - ('Fire Festival') - Celebration of the free human spirit, the fire within - November 5th. YALDA - Re-birth of the Sun including: BRUMA (18th to 24th Dec) when the Sun is at its weakest and NOVUSSOL (25th Dec to 31st Dec) when we celebrate the growing strength of the Sun Ave Mithra Chreste Ariste! Updated November 4020ME |