World Axis

Tag: Mithras

  • The Mithraic Tauroctony

    The Mithraic Tauroctony

    Mithraism was a Roman mystery religion, dating to the first few centuries CE. The central image of Mithraism was the so-called ‘tauroctony’ (bull-slaying) scene in which the god Mithras stabs a bull in the shoulder. The tauroctony scene was often depicted at the centre of a zodiacal wheel, and it’s long been thought that the…

  • Ritual Heavenly Ascents

    Ritual Heavenly Ascents

    Some priests, initiates and believers in the ancient world had visions and practiced ritual ascents to their gods. These ritual ascents were made by pagans, Christians and Jews alike. By the Roman era, they usually involved complex rituals and magical glyphs and passwords that had to be presented to the archons (a Greek word for…

  • The Sacred Numbers Seven and Twelve

    The Sacred Numbers Seven and Twelve

    The numbers seven and twelve played a central part in ancient religion, particularly those from the first millennium BCE. In Greek mythology, Pan had seven reeds in his pipe, Zeus had seven consorts, and there were originally seven Titans. In Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq), the Babylonian goddess Ishtar removed seven items of clothing in her descent…