Ancient Mysteries and Modern Masonry by Vail C. H

Author:Vail, C. H [Vail, C. H]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Global Grey
Published: 2015-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

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Lecture 7. The Meaning Of True Initiation, Concluded

We have seen in the preceding lecture that the Christ of the Mysteries has two aspects— the Mystic and the Mythic. In the Mystic, the Microcosm, Man, the Christ of the Mysteries, represents the second aspect of the divine spirit in humanity, called the Christ; in the Mythic, the Macrocosm, the Cosmos, the Christ of the Mysteries, represents the Logos in His manifestation through His Second Aspect.

In the preceding lecture we have studied the Mystic Christ; now we are to consider the Mythic Christ.

The great facts of the spiritual life were carefully guarded in the Mysteries, and given out to the world only in symbolic language. The Solar or Sun-Myth is the popular teaching concerning the Cosmic Mythic Christ—the Christ of the Solar Myths or legends. A Myth we must remember is not mere fiction; it may be truer than written history; it is a great truth embodied in a pictorial form. All symbols were employed by Initiates with a definite meaning; we need, therefore, to know the true meaning of the symbols in order to read the true meaning of the Myth.

The Solar-Myth sets forth, primarily, the activity of the Logos (the Mythic Christ) in the universe; secondarily, the mystic life of the In date. This story of the Sun-God, then, is of utmost importance. It begins with his birth at the winter solstice, after the shortest day of the year, in the early morning hours of Dec. 25th, as the sign Virgo is rising above the horizon. He is thus born of a Virgin who remains such after giving birth to her Sun-Child, for the celestial Virgo is still unchanged. In the ancient drawings Virgo of the Zodiac is represented as a woman suckling a child; here we find the origin of the symbol of the Madonna.

The Sun-God is weak and feeble in his infancy— born at the period when the days are shortest and the nights longest, as with us on this side of the equatorial line. He is beset by perils in his early youth, but he outlives the threatening dangers of darkness and storm, and grows to manhood. However, he is rapidly approaching his crucifixion, and the glorious days preceding the spring equinox are soon to be clouded by the solar disturbances incident upon his crossing the line. This crossing was called the crucifixion, the date varying with each year. But like all so-called death it is an illusion— merely a transition to a higher life. The Sun-God soon rises triumphantly and ascends into heaven—the storms are dissipated and darkness gives way to all-conquering light. Jupiter, Osiris, Ormuzd, Apollo, are victorious over all their foes. All nature rejoices, celebrating their conquest, and order is re-established in place of the dire confusion that reigned while gloomy Typhon or Ahriman was dominant. Thus everywhere we find the fable that typifies the triumph of Light over darkness. The Sun could not be kept entombed by the elements. He rose

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