The Male Mysteries - King, Warrior, Lover, or Magician?

from http://shamans-cave.com/The_Male_Mysteries.html

Rev. Ronald S. Eppich, PhD.
P.O. Box 8011
Mesa AZ 85214-8011
480-219-2595
[email protected]

From the earliest times, man has looked to the world around him for the answers to life's most difficult questions. His powers of observation and association led him to differentiate the sacred from the mundane. He watched the immense power of nature as storms raged and lightning flashed.

He watched the regenerative powers of Mother Earth as the cycles of the seasons passed. And he watched in awe the mystical powers of woman in her cycles of menstration, pregnancy and childbirth. The sacred was clearly and plainly visible all around him, and in his mind, the Gods and Goddesses took form. The stories of how things came to be, and the stories that explain how and why things are as he saw them now also took form. In myth and in symbol, the world was put in order. At the heart of that myth and symbol lay "The Mysteries", the things that he could observe but not explain, except through the "Divine".

Early humans knew the Great Goddess personally. They walked with Her daily. They revered and worshipped Her as the Great Mother. To this very day, pre-historic statues and petroglyphs still remind us of the ancient people's love and awe for their Mother. But they also knew and revered the God, Her lover and consort. God, in his image of the Great Horned Stag, was wild, virile and powerful. He represented the best and most powerful aspect of the masculine that man had to offer. Together, the Goddess, in all her beauty and diversity, and the God, in all his virility and power, traveled the Wheel of the Year, continuing the endless progression of life. The Wheel of the Year is a mythos surrounding the changing of the seasons, involving the Goddess and the God. She is the Wheel, He is that which travels the Wheel. She is Eternal, He is born, dies, and is resurrected. As Maria Simms puts it: "The Horned God is one with Nature, the very energy of Life. He is a gentle protector, but also the hunter and warrior who faces death in the service of the Life Force. He is the Divine Son, Lover, and Consort, wise Father, Magician and Sage. His virile sexuality is seen as sacred - a deep connecting power with the Goddess.

"She, too, is not apart from Nature. She is nature - the form and manifestation of all Life. She is the Wheel, the cycle; He is that which travels on that cycle. She is Eternal: Creator, Preserver, Destroyer. He is that which comes into being: born, grows to fulfillment, declines, dies, and is born again. Together they are One, two halves of the same whole, essential to each other. Without energy, form is inert and lifeless; without form, energy has no purpose." (The Witch's Circle, Maria Kay Simms)

The Sacred Mysteries of woman speak to that which is unique and divine in her roles as Maiden, Mother and Crone. To the God, The Sacred Mysteries of man spoke to that which was uniquely masculine in his roles as King, Warrior, Lover, and Magician. Conjoined, the Goddess and the God brought the powers of the divine to life, not only within the archetypal realms, but within the mortal realms as well. The mythos of the Goddess and the God established the pattern for all divine, as well as social, interaction. By knowing the archetype and the mythos of the Goddess, women knew their social status, along with its attendant duties and responsibilities. Conversely, by knowing the archetype and the mythos of the God, men knew their social status, along with its attendant duties and responsibilities. But even more, (as everyone has both masculine and feminine aspects within them,) it defined and clarified the masculine aspect of womanhood, and it defined and claried the feminine aspect of manhood. From this early perspective, the archetypes and the mythos defined and clarified the outward social status of the genders, and it defined and balanced the gender roles within the individual psyche.

THE POWER OF THE ARCHETYPE AND THE MYTHOS

The archetypes and the mythos of the masculine and the feminine, and the associated mysteries, have forever been a universal concept within society. The power of these concepts can not be overstated. The archetypes and the mythos may change from one civilization or society to another, but they are ever present. They literally dictate gender roles and responsibilities; and we live our lives, as a man or a woman, by that fixed consensus reality of our gender roles. These gender roles clearly dictate who and what we are, and what we are permitted to do and be within that role. Conscious or not, it is there and it rules. With clearly defined and balanced Archetypes and mythos, the masculine and the feminine roles are balanced, and each aspect's social status and responsibilities are clearly defined. In a civilization where the archetype and the mythos are weak or absent, the masculine and the feminine aspects of society are equally as weak or absent. If the archetype becomes lopsided and out of balance, the masculine and feminine roles do as well. This is clearly the case in America today. We have a sole masculine archetype, without a female consort, who has the creative powers of the feminine, and the absolute dictatorial authority of an out-of-balance male, demanding absolute obedience enforced by fear. It has long been a man's dog-eat-dog world, where "might makes right" and women and children are second class bagage.

INITIATION AND RITES OF PASSAGE

One of the most important aspects of a person's life is knowing his/her position and status within their own family and society. To this end, it is critical to understand the importance of ritual initiation in imprinting a new aspect of the archetype and the mythos on the initiate, as well as society as a whole. As members of society achieved the prescribed milepost in their lives, the archetypal pattern dictated that their status in society be changed to meet their growth. This initiatory ritual was designed and performed to destroy the initiate's old "illusion of reality", replacing it with a new "illusion of reality" that literally transformed the initiate into a new person. But the ritual was not just for the initiate. Society as a whole was changed. The ritual reinforced the archetype and the mythos within society, re-establishing the masculine and feminine aspects of society once again.

THE FIRST CRITICAL MALE RITE OF PASSAGE

In the first male rite of passage, we are dealing with the process of changing a boyish, immature mentality into a manly, mature mentality. This change literally requires a "death". The ritual must be so profound, so powerful, that it "kills" the child and "awakens" the man. Traditionally, the ritual included the boy/man making his first unassisted kill within a hunt, proving his ability to provide for a family, and thus being ready to take on the responsibilities of a man. It is a devastating process, and deliberately so. Manhood is literally wrought from the child. As surely as death itself, the boy is dead, and a man resurrected. The initiate is given a new name - a man's name, and the boy's name is never spoken again.

Later rites of passage would include such things as marriage, fatherhood, and of course, later roles as a leader or elder.

MALE MYSTERIES

As with the three-fold aspects of the Goddess and womanhood, God and man stand at the junction of a four-fold path. The Male Mysteries are comprised of four distinct functions, duties, and attitudes of the masculine aspect of the God. The individual male may attune to any one of these four aspects of the masculine for his entire adult life, or he may pass through any combination of these four aspects during his lifetime. It is generally hoped that the man, having undergone his "boy to man" initiatory ritual, will eventually arrive at the Man King, which is, in essence, the highest aspect of the combination of all four aspects. In the personna of the "boy" man, or immature man, the male will exhibit the negative qualities of that aspect of the Mystery.

The Male Mysteries are not really mysteries at all. They are everyday aspects of a man's life. The test and the challenge within the Male Mysteries is to be consciously aware of which aspect of the masculine you are accessing and learning to achieve the highest mature quality of that aspect.

The four aspects of the Male Mysteries include: 1.) the Warrior, 2.) the King, 3.) the Lover, and 4.) the Magician.

THE WARRIOR

Above all of the other aspects of the Male Mysteries, the warrior is quite probably the aspect that history has shown the most often. We are familiar with the great warrior traditions of past civilizations. As children, we played soldier and fantasized the great battles we would win. Alexander the Great, William the Conquerer, Richard the Lionhearted, Julius Cesear, and Patton stand out among the world's greatest warriors. The Medal of Honor, the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and countless more worldwide - all symbols of man's determination and valor in battle. That man is the WARRIOR. In some Mysteries, the Warrior/Hunter. In its fullness, The Warrior is a way of life. It is an attitude, a mentality, a code. It embodies many attributes, including discernmment, alertness and aggressiveness. A warrior realizes the impact of his duty, and does it with fine precision. He does not glory in battle or death, for he knows and realizes the constant nearness of his own death. He knows fear as his greatest ally, and uses it to his best advantage. Fear does not stop him, it hones and sharpens his senses and brings him to experience life as no other can. A Warrior knows that, above all, his mental attitude is his life.

The following is a list of traits of the mature WARRIOR:

1.) You take an aggressive, self-confident stance in life. 2.) You think carefully before you act, using your powers of discernment as your guide. 3.) You use death as your ally, making every thought and act count. 4.) You act as if each moment were your last, experiencing life as no other can. 5.)You know the code of the warrior and would rather die than break it. 6.) You constantly refine your skills, your power, and your mastery of the tools of your trade. 7.)You act decisively and aggressively, having thoroughly considered all posibilities and choosing the best. 8.)You are loyal in your relationships and transpersonal in your commitments and ideals. 9.)You maintain a positive attitude, constantly raising the morale and "esprit de corps" of those around you. 10.)You realize the consequences of your function, and execute it only to the extent the "mission" requires. Unneccessary destruction, accompanied by the resultant pain and suffering of others is unthinkable.

THE LOVER

Those of you who have seen the movie,"Don Juan De Marco", understand the energy and the power of the LOVER. It is an energy that transcends erotic love. It is an infectious zest for life. On one level, it is love, just for love's sake. It is vitality and passion. It is the primal hunger for the pleasures of life, including food, sex, and a connectedness with the divine. It is the heightened sensory perception of your emotions, feelings and desires. It is the world of erotic and sensuous pleasure without inhibition or shame. The LOVER is deeply intuitive and frequently exhibits special powers as an empath, being able to reach beyond his own physical limits, and access the thoughts and feelings of those close by. The Lover understands and can access the the "Sacred Fire Within". The Lover does not experience life on an intellectual level, he wants to touch and feel everything at the depth of his soul. He may be an artist, a writer, or a poet. He can only express himself in terms of feelings and intuitions. The lover may also express himself as a very powerful mystic. Because he is so connected to the subtle and fine energies around him, and has such a powerful intuitive connection to all levels of existence, he can experience and express tremendous spiritual prowess. From the perspective of the other Mysteries, the Lover's single greatest drawback is his defiance of socially created limitations. Laws and morality frequently stand in the way of his experiences, and are seen as artificial limitations on man's ability to access the greatest portions of life's offerings. In the Lover's dictionary, the words "inhibition" and "shame" do not exist. Life is a ripe cherry just waiting to be plucked.

The following is a list of traits of the mature LOVER:

1.) You are not afraid of your own intimate feelings or the intimate feelings of others. 2.) You are not afraid to be open and honest in your relationsips, either with yourself or others. 3.)You experience the world around you intuitively and through your feelings. The intellectual aspect of things holds no value to you. 4.)You enjoy, or even require, time alone to expierence the deeper aspects of the world around you. 5.)You have the ability to "feel" what those around you are experiencing. 6.)You are deeply connected to the spiritual world through your fine attunement to the subtle energies around. 7.)You are frequently more comfortable in the presence of women than men, and women find you company mutually uplifting. 8.) Peace and quiet are essential to your sanity. Noise and distraction virtually disrupt your world. 9.)You see all situations from the standpoint of love, empathy and compassion. Harming another is out of the question. 10.)You are deeply connected to nature and the outdoors. You find it soothing, refreshing and real.

THE MAGICIAN

The Magician is a masculine aspect in a category all its own, in that the magician, in his fullness, transcends the human experience. Through the trials of initiation and training, his perception of "reality" is like no other mortal. The Magician walks a duality. On one hand, he is here on the mortal plane, living a physical life just like everyone else (to a point).

On the otherhand, he has experienced a "death", a destruction of the Ego, that has projected him into a world totally apart and separate from mortality. Moving in and out of these two worlds, the Magician exercises his knowledge and power to influence the fabric of "reality" on both planes. Through difficult initiations, specialized training and his own individual efforts, he has gained special knowledge that enables him to do what others can not. He has learned to understand the mysterious and often hidden aspects of nature, man, the universe and the Gods/Goddesses. He understands the ebb and flow of universal energy patterns and how to work within and around them to achieve a desired result. The Magician, like the Warrior, is constant refining his knowledge, his power and the tools of his trade. Often ascetic, with little regard for the things of this world, he pursues the Great Unknown. He understands human nature and the psyche, and he understands the power of "illusion" and "reality". He is a Master of ritual. The Magician is the ultimate student.

The following is a list of traits of the mature MAGICIAN:

1.)You can not accept things at face value, you are compelled "to get to the bottom of things", especially things pertaining to the "OtherWorld". 2.)You innately have unusual spiritual gifts, such as the ability to see, hear or sense things others cannot. 3.)You feel little or no connection to this world and people have a difficult time relating to you. 4.)You have had a traumatic experience that has left you disassociated from this world, followed by an unusual or miraculous recovery. 5.)You have the ability to visualize something that you want and within a short time, it comes to pass, when it otherwise should not have. 6.)You tend to trust your intuition over common sense and good reason. 7.)You feel an almost irresistable drive to become involved in the Occult. 8.)You come from a family that has an history of Occult experiences or abilities. 9.)you innately understand that all matter and energy are intelligent and you know that you can communicate. 10.)You innately know or can feel that this world is not quite real.

THE KING

The King is the highest aspect of all the Male Mysteries. The mature King a positive balance of all of the other aspects. He is a loyal and dedicated Warrior, a positive Magician, and a great Lover. He was the military commander, in whose hands rested the defense and expansion of the realm, a man endowed with the mystical powers of the divine, the emissary between man and the Goddesses/Gods, and he was the great Lover, whose virility not only produced an heir to the throne, but whose strength and virility ensured the prosperity of the land and the people. Because of the King's special position in society, he has always been associated with the "Divine". Not that the man, himself, was divine, but rather, that mortal man was endowed with the energy and power of the sacred "Kingship". There has long been an association between the well-being of the King and the well-being of his stewardship. When the King was strong and virile, the land and the people prospered. When the King was weak and impotent, the crops and herds failed and the people suffered. The mature King, as the God archetype, sat at the center of the world. His throne was the central place from which all creation radiated. The length and the breadth of creation were determined by the area of control under the influence of the King. Throughout the bounds of that creation, it was the function of the King to bring order out of chaos, to define and establish "creation" from that which was perceived as chaotic, hostile and demonic. This concept of the King as the God archetype parallels the creation of a new "Grid Existence" as it is brought out of formless chaos into a clearly defined reality. In his role as Law-giver, the king established the social order.

The power to create and enact laws was not an arbitrary privilege, but a required duty. It was his divine responsibility to ensure the prosperity and tranquility of the realm. Should, under the leadership of a particular King, the realm fall into disarray, it was the responsibility of the mature King to realize his time had passed, and pass the mantle to another of sufficient strength and virility to restore the realm.

The following is a list of traits of the mature KING:

1.) You exemplify the highest ideals of all of the archetypes, able to assume any required role maturely. 2.) You are willing and able to assume vast responsibility without fear of being overwhelmed or becoming carried away by ego. 3.) You understand the balance between strength and compassion, and know the appropriate use of both. 4.) You work well under intense pressure when required, but can enjoy life to the fullest when opportunities allow. 5.) You understand the fine balance between maintaining personal contact with the masses and maintaining your distance so that your power and authority are nor undermined. 6.) You have learned the fine balance between listening to others and listening to yourself. 7.) You are willing to sacrifice yourself on the altar of public opinion as an example of "divine", mature leadership. 8.) You are not bound by the past or afraid of the future. 9.) You are willing to rise to any occasion, even at the risk of your own life, for the good of all. 10.) You are wise enough and responsible enough to know when it is time to step down and let someone else take the lead.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the "mature archetypes" of the Male Mysteries represent the highest and loftiest qualities possible within mortal man. It is highly unlikely that any of us will ever reach such a pinnacle. The goal is that we recognize that such an ideal exists and that we are consciously striving to achieve it.

 

    ~ Now that you've read it, friends, for the males of the Coven... What are you?~