Mystery Practice

Does anyone have a reliable source on how one might practice the Mysteries of Eleusis or the Dionysian Mysteries today? There are many neo-Pagan sources out there, but I want something based on historical fact.

Forget about the Eleusinian Mysteries, they are gone forever, barring a miracle. As for the Dionysian Mysteries: http://www.hellenicgods.org/orphism

AgathonZante wrote:Does anyone have a reliable source on how one might practice the Mysteries of Eleusis or the Dionysian Mysteries today? There are many neo-Pagan sources out there, but I want something based on historical fact.

The Eleusinian Mysteries are at times somewhat misrepresented as being something one could 'practice.' Even in Antiquity, this was not exactly the case. They were a ceremony, not exactly a cult, so to speak.

For one thing, the Eleusinian Mysteries could not be 'practiced' anywhere other than within the sanctuary of Eleusis. For another, initiation was a one-time thing. You went through the Eleusinian initiations, and that was it. For many, if not most people, you probably never returned to Eleusis again after that. You were in once, and in for life.

Of course, what you were taught at Eleusis undoubtedly affected your beliefs and practices, but there was no specific 'Eleusinian mystery cult' outside of Eleusis.

In ancient mysteries is the problem that all mystries was strictly covert. But, interesting is by Apuleius, The golden ass, the end of the book. There is a little about. Or good book is by Iamblichus, Theurgia, or the Egyptian mysteries. It seems that the mysteries was about the direct visions of the gods.