Explanation of the Myth of Persephone

How the Dead Rule the Living

Here, we will take a look at the Lesser Mysteries of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Greater will be saved for a different post since it goes in tandem with explaining some other factor of how the ancients view human existence. For those unfamiliar with this myth, here's a crash course:

"...the abduction of the goddess Persephone, the daughter of Ceres, by Pluto, the lord of the underworld, or Hades. While Persephone is picking flowers in a beautiful meadow, the earth suddenly opens and the gloomy lord of death, riding in a magnificent chariot, emerges from its somber depths and, grasping her in his arms, carries the screaming and struggling goddess to his subterranean palace, where he forces her to become his queen." Manly P. Hall

For any person who is somewhat acquainted with how to read esoterically, the huge aspect of the showing of the seasons starts to become apparent, especially if you know the rest of the myth. For those that don't know how to read esoterically, I'll do my best to explain how this is done using this myth.

First, you must identify the players and how this may give ideas as to what they represent. In this myth, we have a goddess picking flowers. Let's take this part first. What does the female aspect of nature most often represent? Usually it has to do with nature and fertility, females being considered to give birth to all that is here, also why the planet has been referred to as female, but that's something else entirely. Here it can be seen as to why that surface level interpretation would be made, and how this would be the bringing of Autumn and Winter, since the goddess who gave life to nature has been taken away by darkness, ie the months where the Sun is father away and the Earth stops producing. This is a way that seasons were taught to people in ancient times, but that is not the only purpose of these myths as they knew back then, and as theosophy shows in our current era. 

For those that are more acquainted with how to decipher further, you may already know where this is going. If not, it's best to give a little information first, something that most don't know unless they study history, specifically the history of the Eleusinian Mystery Schools. In these schools, the soul (or spirit) of man was called Psyche and it was symbolized by the goddess Persephone. That little bit of information should be sufficient to start to see what this myth is telling the initiates. 

When the soul of man descended from its spiritual home, it was covered and immersed in matter, hence the soul being taken to a subterranean palace. This is proof that the ancients of this culture did not view the body or the physical plane of existence as the true form of existence, something very much an eastern idea, which some of the dramas of these mysteries were signed at the end with Sanskrit sayings such as "Knox Om Pax". The physical body was often referred to as a tomb and the source of all  suffering, again in line with many other ancient religions as well.

For the initiates of these schools, the un-awakened soul was dead in the death that surrounded it, ie the body, and it was imperative to awaken this soul to attain any form of real existence. We see here a strong inclination towards the spiritual advancement of mankind rather than purely the material advancement we see dominating our existence today, which is about to explain the meaning of the heading of this post.

"An ancient initiate once said that the living are ruled by the dead. Only those conversant with the Eleusinian concept of life could understand that statement. It means that the majority of people are not ruled by their living spirits but by their senseless (hence dead) animal personalities." Manly P. Hall

This is our existence that should become painfully clear for those who have taken a look at how our world is advancing. Most progress is being made in the areas of industrialization and materialism which is being fed by the consumerism being pushed on us all. For those who are spiritually minded, I'm sure many have already noticed that a long time ago. 

By taking this allegory and seeing how it refers to awakening the spiritual essence that is your Self, you can also see the areas where it is telling you to look at and improve through the use of meditative introspection, which is why these mysteries were portrayed as dramas and plays to cause those feelings to awaken inside of the Self. This is still done in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry to this day, the degrees being allegorical plays like these, albeit not this exact myth in this exact way.

It should also be noted that they taught the doctrine of reincarnation in these schools as well. They were also open to both women and children, which normally wasn't allowed in Mystery Schools. This would have a huge influence on the building of Alexandria, pre-Theodosius. These societies believed that elevating mankind as a whole both spiritually and academically was essential to our progress as a collective whole. Sadly, many of the successors of these ancient schools have forgotten that part and no longer even know the secrets they are supposed to be the keepers of.

I want to leave you with a question: What are you doing to awaken the Self existing in the tomb you call your body? 

Reincarnation and the Universal Cycles

The Transitory State We Call Death

Death, the ultimate initiation, is something that has been the focus of many great thinkers throughout the ages. They have explored through elevated states of being and through the practice of mysticism, oftentimes through the use of mind altering substances or deep meditative states. The great answers to the mysteries of the cosmos are not found without, rather they have existed within since time immemorial. What sort of insight can we gain from those who have traveled the spiritual path so many others of tread?

The most consistent across all religions is the concept of reincarnation, even in the Judaeo-Christian faiths in their original teachings, some of which are still in the current versions and translations of the Bible. Those will be discussed later in this post with theosophical and philosophical interpretations based in their appropriate texts. This concept is based in the understanding of the cycles reflected throughout nature and the cosmos and is the teachings at the heart of every spiritual teachings of old.

When we look at existence, it is broken down into three points of being when looked at with time. They are past, present. and future, which is nothing new but is being stated to lay the foundation of the sacred expression of the number three. The enigma of the Sphinx was broken down into the number three and referred to the three states of mankind in ages, they being a being that walks by four (child), walks by two (adult), and by three (old age with cane). This also refers to life, death, rebirth, birth being removed since it is implied under the concept of life as was never intended to be a part of the equation since it is also implied under the cause and effect of death, it causing the direction of rebirth. This can be seen in flowers and many other plants that go through these cycles, however, the planet is the most profound with the expressions of its seasons going through life and death in a cyclic fashion. In a previous post, it should be remembered that it was explained the nature of the outside world in proportion to the human being, which should start making sense at the extreme level it takes effect, this just being the tip of the iceberg with what Mother Earth can teach us about ourselves.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (Vishnu) tells Arjuna about the nature of their existence when he says, "Never truly, have I never not existed--nor you, nor these kings who protect the people, and never shall any of us ever cease to be, now or forevermore." The Self is not the body that envelopes it, it is nothing more than a shell, a husk, a sepulcher of sorts that is shed in the same way a seed is shed to give life to the plant. Krishna goes on to explain, "Just as the embodied while in this body passes through childhood, youth, and old age [hint at Sphinx Riddle], so also the embodied attains another body--the wise person is not bewildered by this." Not feeling wise in your bewilderment? Don't feel bad. It is referring to have the individual gnosis of the transitory nature of the cosmos, ie knowing that nothing ever ends but simply transitions into another state of being, which is the occult truth that Einstein was referring to when he say that matter can not be created nor destroyed. To give reference, here's another picture showing the concept expressed symbolically:

Oddly enough, this image actually reveals the seat of the spirit (Self incarnate) in the human body, which is in the heart, not the mind. It also reveals another secret that is not often spoken about even in philosophical and theosophical societies, the secret of consciousness existing before matter, matter being the animated expression of spirit, even the vehicle of it. All is alive, even in "death", throughout the universe as it is always "vibrating".

What about the Bible? Surely the bible which speaks of eternal damnation surely believes that death is in fact the end and that you don't come back, right? Well, no, and the notion of Hell is in fact a modern addition to the Christian and Catholic faiths and was created by the Catholic Church. Even the images of what we think about today when the thought of Hell is brought up aren't in the Bible, rather are from Milton and Dante Alighieri. There is no mention of anything that either of them writ about in the Bible or any of the Gnostic texts which predate and post date it. Sorry to be the one to tell you Santa Clause isn't real with this one, but this is one of the biggest lies perpetuated by a religious organization. That being said, the reality of what it really means would shock most, since if there was an actual Hell, you and I are smack dab in it, which the Cathars believed and is what got them removed from the Catholic Church, amongst other things deemed heresy by the Church.

 

We find in the Zohar (Kabbalistic Text), "The Soul and the Form when descending on Earth put on an earthly garment," This is also a reference to the three fold nature of the Self, it being Atma, Buddhi, and Manas, or Spirit, Soul, and Mind respectively. This confirms that the original understanding of the Semitic Tribes being that spirit existed before the body and that consciousness existed before the material as well, although it still leaves the room for damnation based upon said incarnation, but if you remember, the Bible talks about the fall happening, and guess who was a part of that fall? Mankind as a whole, but not for sin, rather for desire to life, which theosophically speaking means cause and effect of  Karma. In that system, morality is removed in the same way that nature doesnt have a morality; mankind is the one that created morality. This is also where the Cathars get the notion of Hell being here on Earth because they understood the esoteric teachings of Christianity.

Even Jesus was recognized in the book of Joshua as a reincarnated being. That isn't even mentioning what was already explained in another post about Jesus teaching yoga, a spiritual tradition he picked up on his travels to India, which is still debated in some academic circles. Either way, the parallels are unmistakable and the teachings show the existence of reincarnation even with their messiah. Those who know more about the life of the historical Jesus (yes, the is an actual historical Jesus), it should be know that Jesus was taught by the Essenes and initiated into their mysteries. Some of those teachings were centered around reincarnation and the transitory existence of this life. It is also known by reading the Book of John that the God of Jesus was not the same God of the Old Testament, which Jesus makes the distinction with his arguments with the Pharisees. That should be sufficient to understand that even Jesus, and the Semites for that matter, both believed in reincarnation, and taught it to their followers, even if they didn't pray to the same God.

All that is well and good, but how is it reflected in the cosmos? This is best explained with the Days and Nights of Brahma, since they refer to cosmic life, death, and rebirth. When Brahma breathes out, this is considered a day and is shown in science with the expansion of the universe; when Brahma breathes in (night), the universe is reabsorbed into a point of singularity. This is the Macro to the Micro being shown from the universal point all the way down to life here on Earth. Why would humans be so egotistical to assume they are the exception to a cosmic law? In short, we're not and we are bond under the same laws.

Since it seems fitting, I'll post the Theosophical motto: Satyan Nasti paro dharmah!

 

The 47th Problem of Euclid

Divine Unity of All

This enigmatic problem has fascinated some of the greatest minds throughout the history of mankind. People such as Pythagoras (a person one of its formulas bears the name of to this day), Plato, Aristotle, and the list goes on and on. What is so fascinating about this seemingly simple equation? That’s exactly why this was written, to give a brief understanding of what the implications of this problem are. 

          

Oftentimes when looking at ancient spiritual concepts and applications, rarely is the issue of mathematics a center of focus, or some may think. Using the Pythagorean Theorem as an example, it can be seen that there was always a strong inclination towards mathematics in ancient philosophical and esoteric circles, albeit not in the way it is normally thought of. Its origins are often shrouded in myth and legend since there is mainly well researched theories regarding the historical roots of this particular theorem, also referred to as the 47^th Problem of Euclid in some other circles such as the Freemasons in our current date.

             

According to some ancient sources and speculation, Pythagoras obtained this information through his travels to Egypt where he was initiated into the rites of the temples of Isis, Osiris, and even Serapis.[1] Upon his return to Greece, he began his own philosophical schools where the mysteries of the universe were philosophized among some of the brightest minds of the time. He believed that the mysteries of the universe were understandable through the use of mathematics and the relations of numbers upon each other.[2] He believed in the importance of understanding mathematics (especially geometry) so much that it was required of all of his pupils to have a great understanding of it before they would be admitted into his school.[3] One of his contemporaries would be Plato who would take his version of deductive reasoning and apply it to many of the mathematical concepts taught by Pythagoras, but that is something else entirely.

            

 The theorem that still bears his name was exoterically (average public understanding) taught for the purpose of architecture, which can be seen with many of the buildings in Greece. Esoterically it was taught that it described the relation between the Primordial Spirit, Primordial Matter, and, most importantly, the Logos.[4] One of the legs of the triangle (the shorter leg) represented Primordial Matter while the other (the longer leg) represented Primordial Spirit.[5] When these two forces intersected, they produced a cosmic vibration and created the creative force in the cosmos known as the Logos in many circles. Logos simply translates to “word” but that is only surface level understanding of what it meant to those who were in the school. For example, what is a word? Put simply, it is the vibrational expression of a thought which formed into an expressed idea, hence Logos. It essentially explains the trinity (or even Trimurti) in mathematical terms.

            

After the death of Pythagoras, the theorem was still taught in the same way as previously mentioned in the Eleusinian Mysteries up until around 170 BCE. This where things get interesting. With the spreading of Christianity, many of the secrets that were taught in these schools began to take on a Christian garment of sorts, since their religion was considered monotheistic and all other deities were considered devils. This can be seen when Theodosius destroys Alexandria and deprives the world of 2/3 of its knowledge. Fortunately, it was saved through people who were initiates in some of the ancient schools of thought that escaped and learned how to hide in plain sight amongst the despotic rule which early Christianity consistently displayed.

            

Approaching our present era, the esoteric teachings are still held in the hands of some of the contemporary schools of thought, the Freemasons being one of them. In Freemasonry, it is still described as it was during the times of the Eleusinian Mysteries, although not in the initial three degrees of the Blue Lodge. It is discussed in great depth in the teaching of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. To give some context as to why this is significant, many of the world’s greatest minds and greatest influencers were (and still are for that matter) Scottish Rite Freemasons, where the undoubtedly went through some of the teaching the author of this work has as well, the author being a member of said fraternity.[6]

           

It’s interesting to speculate on the repercussions of what may have happened if Pythagoras never went to those Temples in Egypt. Nonetheless, we are fortunate that he did and that he passed this knowledge to the people who would pass it down to us.

            

The mathematics of the 47^th Problem of Euclid can become very complex in its understandings, and it should be noted that it did not originate for the practical purpose we think of today. Initially it was intended to share what the philosopher Pythagoras taught about the Universe, in a spiritual and divine sense. For Pythagoras, mathematics was a way of understanding the divine and was essential for all other understandings with regards to the operations and understandings of it as well.

           

The initial mathematics are thus: a² + b² = c². For its practical purpose in the material sense, it allows for the proof of the existence of a 90 degree angle, great for showing a building is structurally sound and perpendicular to the surface. With this simple formula, man could begin to build higher and stronger structures. Oddly enough, Pythagoras received this information from the Egyptians who taught their mathematical secrets in their Rites.[7]

            

This formula is also effective in showing the lengths of any of the sides of those types of triangles. Simply by substituting the variable with its appropriate number and solving the equation with algebra, you can discover the length. This is also very effective for the use of architecture and can also be seen in some works of art to this day.

            

Now the intended esoteric purpose of this formula shines its true colors with the metaphysical mathematical explanation, which should allow for a deeper understanding of their views of matter and spirit. “The Pythagorean and other schools of philosophy conceived the one divine nature of God to manifest itself in the threefold aspect of Father, Mother, Child.”[8] In mathematical terms this simply means that the hypotenuse is directly contingent upon the other two legs or sides, they giving life/birth to the hypotenuse. Now, there is debate in some philosophical circles as to which of the legs represents the spirit and which is matter, those two expressions being their intended meaning. If one takes into account that the majority of esoteric explanations show a superior spiritual existence as opposed to a material one would assign the longer side to the spiritual source of existence, the smaller being matter, and of course it would be opposite for those that believe otherwise. Speculation is capable for as long as there is no discovery of some MS explain which correlates to which.

            

The metaphysical mathematics are explained as thus: “These three [the three sides of the triangle] constitute the Divine Family, whose dwelling place is creation and whose natural peculiar symbol is the 47^th Problem of Euclid. God the Father is spirit, God the Mother is matter, and God the Child—the product of the two—represents the sum of living things born out of and constituting nature. The seed of spirit is sown in the womb of matter, and by an immaculate (pure) conception the progeny is brought into being.”[9]

            

As is shown, the physical numbers that most associate with its mathematics were not its only mathematical representation, nor was it its initial purpose. The ancients were more concerned with expanding consciousness and advancing in their spiritual nature, but they understood that existence was a reflection of the divine (as above so below) and these formulas served a purpose in their everyday lives. This can be seen as top how they viewed mathematical understanding as an expression of divine thought.

            

The real-world applications of the 47^th Problem of Euclid are many and all of them bring some better understanding of the world around us. Whether it be in the physical understanding or the metaphysical understanding; this problem has fascinated and helped some of the greatest minds that have ever walked this Earth.

Another more metaphysical use of it, especially when conducting philosophical thought experiments, is to use the two legs to represent time and space. This allows the mind to somewhat grasp the concept of potentiality being proportionate to a time and space ratio. By adjusting the lengths of either leg, the change in direction of its potential and how it correlates to existence as a whole can be seen to alter. What gets really interesting is when the application of nonlinear time and space being malleable are added to the thought experiment. This creates different perspectives and understandings (or lack thereof) of the effects this has on the universe. This, of course, is purely theoretical and is some of the thought experiments the author of this work does while conducting meditative thought experiments.

           

These sorts of thought experiments that can be explained with the use of mathematics are the foundation of some of our greatest discoveries as human beings. Einstein was notorious for the sue of thought experiments and credits them for his discoveries.[10] They change the structure of thought from concrete to abstract and allow the mind to formulate a different perspective of the universe. The world is no longer viewed in the dead letter formulas, rather it becomes alive in a completely different manner.

           

Finally, it can be used to identify with one’s self on a deeper level of understanding.[11] This is in philosophical and theosophical level. When the application of the Divine Expression that was previously explained, the inner Self can be seen for what it really is. It shows an interconnectedness of not only all humans, but of all life in the cosmos. If the current scientific narrative of the universe originating from a solitary point is still accepted, this formula shows the proportions and existence of what we call life being one in form, polar in expression, much like a magnet.[12]

           

This allows for one to see that the Divine is not “out there” but rather is and always has been part of the very essence of your being. It also shows that matter is dead without an animating force to move it (occultists call this simply spirit but is also named Fohat).[13] The interesting implications this adds to everything in existence can leave the mind spinning. Needless to say, it gives a metaphysical explanation of the existence of an intelligent animating force that not only exists but is essential for the existence of everything else. This isn’t to be confused with the notion of a personal deity like that of many religions. Philosophy has many names for this force ranging from Plato’s Intelligencers, Leibniz’s Monadology, and Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover. The change in understanding at a fundamental level of humans that this can bring is by far one of the greatest real-world applications.

            

As should be clear, the 47^th Problem of Euclid is not just some simple formula and easily explained with just mathematical terms. It carries with it a great and deep philosophical understanding of man and his relation to the cosmos. It shows how matter itself is animated and caused to be the way it is. It is even in line with many scientific and mathematical understandings of the universe, and to think of how ancient its understanding is puts so much more into perspective. Its history dates back to the pyramids of Egypt and its application can be seen in all ancient monuments. It is still used in the construction of our homes and buildings, and it is still used with philosophizing on the nature of existence. The 47^th Problem of Euclid is one of the most enigmatic, beautiful, and practical mathematical understandings of our human history.

Bibliography

§  Edward Abdill, Masters of Wisdom, (New York, New York, 2015)

§  HP Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, (New York, New York, 2016)

§  Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York, New York, 2003)

§  Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, (Washington DC, DC, 1906)

---

[1] Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York, New York, 2003), 191-221

[2] Ibid

[3] HP Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, (New York, New York, 2016), 480

[4] Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, (Washington DC, DC, 1906), *

[5] Ibid

[6] Some of the information given is the author’s personal work which is unpublished as of this current moment in time. Also, some page numbers of these books change with different publishers which can cause confusion for some who are unfamiliar as to why this happens with some of these particular works such as Morals and Dogma.

[7] Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York, New York, 2003), 191-221, p. 191

[8] Ibid

[9] Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York, New York, 2003), 191-221, p. 291

[10] Edward Abdill, Masters of Wisdom, (New York, New York, 2015)

[11] Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York, New York, 2003), 191-221

[12] HP Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, (New York, New York, 2016)

[13] Ibid

Inner Reflections

I was having a conversation with dear friend of mine and the conversation went towards the direction of how the world is a reflection of you. This concept, both philosophically and theosophically, is often difficult to fully appreciate because it isn't often pursued in the areas it can fully manifest. So, this is what we're going to do; we're going explore some of the teachings from the past to see what can be learned.

In occultism philosophies, mankind is often referred to as the microcosm, but what does that actually mean? Put simply, it is saying that you are a reflection of the universe, but even that is oversimplified because it actually goes against the oneness of the universe in its totality. A theosophical interpretation would reveal that you are not separated from the universe in the sense it exist beyond or outside of it, rather that it is you in the same way you are you in your reflection while you stare at a mirror, or rather you are a reflection of it. It only appears that it exist outside of you because our physical perception gives the illusion that we are behind our eyes, when in fact you are not and the outside world is in fact a part of the very fabric that is you. Feel like you're being force fed a red pill yet?

This is where it can get more within the realms of easier understanding. Whether or not you know this, you are in fact constantly hallucinating, and what we all call "reality" is in fact an agreed upon hallucination, which some of the latest studies in neuroscience have shown. An example of how powerful this can be, your brain can even make things seem to "disappear" and this can be seen with your nose, or rather that you don't see it unless you consciously choose to. Whether or not you choose to, it is always within the field of view of your eyesight, yet the brain sees it as unnecessary information so it makes it disappear. So what else can the brain do with "reality" if we can train it? Well, that has been told by sages and adepts throughout history, and they say you become aware of the illusion before your eyes and cease to see the illusion as reality in its truest form. But how?

The easiest way is through introspection since it changes how the illusion is viewed; the inner world will always reflect on the outer, for it is in fact you. When the mind is at ease, the world becomes a peaceful existence; when it is chaotic, the world appears to be chaotic. All this and not to mention you attract what you put out, but if you don't even have control on what you put out then how will you ever have control on what you attract? In short, you won't, and the world will constantly appear to be happening to you rather than you are living in the world as an active participant. Calm the waters within and you will calm the storm without.

Now, there are many ways that lead to introspection, and I am not a person to tell someone how to pursue their spirituality. If asked my opinion based on experience, I would say through the use of yoga, meditation, rigorous study of your actions and behaviors, and shadow work. That being said, you will find what works for you should you choose to. Want to change the world? Start within yourself and the world will change by itself.

The real question is: How far down the rabbit hole of your Self are you willing to go?