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Neomazdean Mithraism Neomazdean Mithraism is a framework for what we hope will become a new religion able to compete with existing world religions such as Christianity. It is much inspired by the teachings of Zoroaster who has already had a huge influence on the development of the wisdom traditions of the world. It is also influenced by early Iranian and European polytheism and by the Mithraic brotherhoods of ancient Rome. Culturally it has Greco-Persian foundations - drawing from the philosophy of both ancient Persia and ancient Greece. Greco-Persian wisdom is the foundation of Western Civilisation and Mazdaic Mithraism provides a gateway for us to renew our contact with our intellectual cultural roots. Varieties of the religion We recognise three separate branches of Neomazdean Mithraism: These are the Orthodox, the Popular and the Gnostic. The Orthodox recognise a similarity to Christianity and worship GOD in three aspects, along with three yazads including Mithras and Chrestus. It is also the most interested in the dualistic philosophy of Zoroaster and the teachings of ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. They are now called Christian Mazdeans or Zorochristians. Popular Mithraists are more fully polytheistic and worship many yazata - ten of which have pride of place. They see Mithraism as the Western answer to Hinduism and a modern pan-European successor to the pagan religions of the pre-Christian past. We are currently using the name Mazdaic Mithraism for this school. Gnostic Mithraists are more individualistic and focus on their personal spirituality and mental development. They strive to develop a clear mind that can see things as they really are. They like to develop more complicated and nuanced understandings of how the world works and the nature of good and evil. God and the yazads Popular Mithraists don't recognise a unitary God, but the Orthodox worship the three aspects of God which we consider to be God Fundamental, God Transcendent and God Immanent. This is God who underlies everything, God who is the Ideal Good and God who is the active being in the world producing the Good Existence. Orthodox Mithraists recognise the tensions between the different aspects of God. In particular we believe God Fundamental desires the Good - for own own sense of Good and Bad would have no meaning otherwise. However so that we may be free beings, God Fundamental allows evil to happen, and this may not be fair at all for us as individuals, though it is a consequence of our collective actions. We also worship the yazad (being worthy of worship) Mithras who is the good agent of God in human form. We seek to understand and to become more like Mithras who is the best kind of person, with a good spirit, right understanding and fully adult in his capabilities. We regard Mithras as the potential saviour of the world and its inhabitants, and the current events of the day seem to show that the need for such a saviour is becoming more and more urgent. We regard Mithras as Aristus - the Best. He is Aristus because He is the best and most capable kind of person. We also worship the yazad Chrestus, who is the good and useful servant to all. We also worship the yazad Anhita, who is a goddess of life and a female counterpart to Mithras. She is known especially as a nurturer and protector and as a guardian of purity. Ave Mithra! Ave Chreste! Ave Anhita! Last updated December 2021 CE |
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