The Mystical Initiations Author:Orpheus General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1824 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: THE TO MUSJ3US1. Learn, O Musaeus, from my sacred song What rites most fit to sacrifice 2 belong. Jove I invoke, the earth, and solar light, The moon's pure splendour, and the stars of night. 1 The Greek Scholiast on Aristophanes (in Ranis) observes, that Musams was the offspring of the Moon and Eumolpus; that according to Sophocles he uttered oracles; and that he composed irapavattf, Tttrai and Kd- .3wi/. Of these works, which are unfortunately lost, the irapavauf or saraXixreic, taught both individuals and cities how by religious ceremonies they might be liberated from the punishment attendant on the crimes which they had committed. His Tttrai, or Mysteries, are mentioned by Plato, Lucian, and others. And the Ka3ap/ioi contained the means of expiating and becoming purified from guilt. 2 For a copious developement of sacrifices, and of the utility or power they possess in the universe, and also on what account they were anciently performed, see Book the Second of my translation of Porphyry's excellent Treatise on Abstinence from Animal Food; and Sect. V. of my translation of lamblichus on the Mysteries. Likewise, for an account of Theurgy, or the art pertaining to divine operations, see the latter of the abovementioned works, and the accompanying notes. Thee, Neptune, ruler of the sea profound, Dark-hair'd, whose power can shake the solid ground; Ceres abundant, and of lovely mien, And thee, chaste Proserpine, great Pluto's queen; The huntress Dian, and bright Phoebus' rays, Far darting God, the theme of Delphic praise; And Bacchus, honour'd by the heav'nly choir, Impetuous Mars, and Vu...« less