MYTHOLOGY

Richard Koepsel

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Lecture Series on Mythology

by Richard Koepsel

Richard Koepsel has been a student of The Rosicrucian Fellowship for just about 50 years (August 1963). His view of it all is "Freely have ye received, now freely give".

CERES, THE PATRON OF THE MYSTERIES.

From a mural painting in Pompeii.

Ceres, or Demeter, was the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, and by Zeus the mother of Persephone. Some believe her to be the goddess of the earth, but more correctly she is the deity protecting agriculture in general and corn in particular. The Poppy is sacred to Ceres and she is often shown carrying or ornamented by a garland of these flowers. In the Mysteries, Ceres represented riding in a chariot drawn by winged serpents.

Myths of Mystery Schools

Mysteries Myths Audio Series

There is a tool sometimes used in psychotherapy that is called psychodrama. One variety of psychodrama is called cosmic drama. In cosmic drama a patient acts out a myth, or a passage of scripture, with a cast of others. The myth and role are chosen pertinent to the condition troubling the patient. In acting out his role the patient sees himself in cosmic terms which is much different from the way he normally sees himself. Sometimes the scene is enacted several times with the patient playing different roles to gain objectivity as though seeing himself from without. The insights garnered in this process can then be applied to solving the problem of patient. This technique is not new. Actually, it is very old, thousands of years old. It is a technique that was used in the ancient mystery schools for initiation. It is still used today in Masonic initiations. Initiation is therapy for the soul but it is also much more than that. In a mystery myth the candidate sees himself in a divine light and relates his life to the most important points in the grand cosmic life in a way that is life changing and inspiring to reverence. The acting is impersonal and it takes the candidate out of the personality and into the divine individuality. The acting in a mystery drama is not professional either. However, it is deep and intense. The myths chosen by the ancient mystery schools were chosen to relate the candidate to a new life, a cosmic life. These eighth talks are an introductory study into some ancient mysteries in relation to the modern mysteries which also initiate the candidate into the cosmic life but without the mythical enactment. More thorough studies are done in later talks.