Mystery cults are perhaps the greatest held secrets of the ancient world. The name mystery cult is one that was actually assigned later on, being derived from word “mysterion.” This word was used by the ancient Greeks to describe someone who had been initiated into one of these cults and therefore knew the secrets which no outsider would ever have the privilege of knowing. There are three aspects of these cults: “ta dromena,” “ta deiknymena,” and “ta legomena,” meaning things that were done, things that were shown, and things that were said. Most of the practices of the mystery cults were done secretly. While little detail is known about what actually took place behind closed doors, we do know som

Regardless of which cult a person belonged to, one thing was the same: the incredibly well kept secrecy of the particular details of that cult. While religion was a public display of devotion, never making a difference what you felt inside as long as you behaved properly outside, the mystery cults seemed to be truer to some because of their privacy. It was not just a show. The people were able to become personally involved with the gods and with nature, and they felt needed and important because of that. Mystery cults focused more on individualism and what you could do for yourself as well as the gods. Belonging to a mystery cult also made a person feel important because they were distinctive from the rest of the people. They knew sacred secrets that only few privileged people were entitled to know.

Both the mystery cults and philosophy were attempts to appease the growing uneasiness among the people of the ancient world. Although many people continued to practice traditional religion, many also sought further truths and beliefs. They weren’t satisfied with simple rules and guidelines telling them what to do. The people wanted to know “why?” Mystery cults allowed the people to have a closer, more intertwined relationship with the gods. They were able to take a more active role in their lives. Philosophy took it a step further, emphasizing even more the importance of the individual and going so far as to question the existence of any god. Though the mystery cults and philosophy differed in their beliefs and practices, they shared a common theme. The theme was that of a people growing and expanding outside of the limits of traditional religion and accepting the possibility of something new.

Just about every mystery cult known to modern man has some origin in, or connection with, fertility. The primary god being worshiped is often a god representative of fertility, as in the cults of Demeter, Dionysus, and Cybele. By worshipping fertility gods and/or goddesses, the people were able to feel a direct connection to nature. By reenacting a sacred myth and performing secret rituals, follo

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