The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief That Shaped the Christian World

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 240 pages
• Published by: Inner Traditions June 20, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1594770271
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1594770272
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Weighs: 12.8 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
From page one, Nabarz showers the reader with dense historical information about the origins of Mithras, an ancient Persian protector god whose worship can be traced as far back as the second millennium B.C.E. The Mithras cult is said to pre-date even Zoroastrianism, and made its way west into the pagan traditions of the Roman Empire. Nabarz, a Mithras revivalist, Sufi and practicing dervish, offers a book that is part history-primer, part practical guide "designed to help the spiritual seeker develop a deeper understanding of the Mithraic mysteries," and perform initiation rites and Mirthraic liturgy. Readers unfamiliar with Persian history, Eastern religions, and Roman paganism may find it difficult to wade beyond the background information packed into the first half of the book. Filled with interesting history, solid research and a range of Mithraic myths from around the world, the initial chapters are slow going. For those interested in the contemporary practice of Mithraism, Nabarz's exploration of this tradition picks up when he tells the Mithraic fairytale of Simorgh, which explains the nature of Mithras's partner, the goddess Anahita, and takes the reader step by step through a series of meditations and initiation rites. Luckily, Payam's chapters are organized so that the reader can choose between practical guidance and Mithraic history.
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Product Review
"A refreshing study of an often-neglected subject. From the conventional to the controversial, the broad scope of this book and its valuable contribution to Sufi, Mithraic, and Zoroastrian studies attempts to get to the very heart of the matter."
(Karen Ralls, author of The Templars and the Grail )

“. . . a book that is part history-primer, part practical guide ‘designed to help the spiritual seeker develop a deeper understanding of the Mithraic mysteries,’ and perform initiation rites and Mithraic liturgy.”
(Publishers Weekly, July 2005   )

"For those interested in paganism, Witchcraft, the supernatural, and Wicca, among other topics, this book offers some keen insights into a very old religion that Christianity was able to eventually subdue, absorb, and eliminate as competition. . . . A fine book, one you will enjoy and one you will be talking about with friends."
(Lee Prosser, Ghostvillage.com, Oct 7, 2005 )

"In his breakdown on the Mithraic liturgies Doctor Nabarz has successfully researched the intricate levels of the ritual and also heroically deciphered the language of the aforementioned iconography of Mithras to give us a first class series of ceremonies. . . . Whether the reader is a historian or even a practitioner of esoteric studies, this well presented work is a joy to read. I am delighted it now lives on my shelves."
(

Professor Roland Rotherham, Touchstone Magazine, Nov 2005

  )

". . . brilliant and compelling . . . . A highly entertaining and informative read by a lucid writer. Highly recommended."
(Prediction, Oct 2005 )

Reader Reviews
Nabarz gives an interesting overview of the ancient historical origins of the early Mithra, and he is well suited to the task, given his background and knowledge of the area. Then he takes us through history to the various peoples who worshipped Mithra(s), including the Romans. He, like most modern students, discounts earlier scholars like Franz Cumont, who saw a connection between earlier worshippers in Persia and those in Rome. This skepticism is, I believe, mistaken, and comes from a modernist view and perhaps an agenda, which is quickly revealed in later chapters. That agenda is the "Wiccanizing" of Mithra in a so-called revivalist religion, which he details in the book. Using a dubiously-translated "liturgy" of ooos and ahs (which he tampers with, in the name of his new religion) He then introduces an ancient Female goddess, Anahita, into his non-historical pantheon. It's surprising that he doesn't call Mithras the "horned god" as other Wiccans do. The final blow is a description and photo of an "altar" which mimicks one that might be seen in any Wiccan's home. In short, the attempt to Wiccanize Mithraism is a dubious, spurious and laughable attempt to cash in on the current Earth-centered witch craze (the book is in the "new age" section of bookstores, not in religion or history.) A far better overview of Mithras and His origins would be the Mysteries of Mithra, by Franz Cumont, a scholar who spent his entire life studying Mithras, and one which students of the New Age have been trying to "refute" and reinterpret for a generation. However, Cumont remains the towering figure in the field of Mithraic research.