and a set of instructions (lines 750-834) for the use of the mystery. After
the brief introduction (lines 475- 485), the mystery of ascent presents the
seven liturgical stages for the soul's ecstatic journey: the soul thus encounters
the four elements (lines 485-537), in their generative and regenerative aspects;
the lower powers of the air (lines 537-585), including the winds, bolts of thunder
and lightning, and meteors; Aion and the Aionic powers (lines 585-628) , as
planetary guardians of the heavenly doors; He1ios (lines 628-657), young and
fiery; the seven Fates (lines 657-672) and, next, the seven Pole-Lords
(lines 673-692), both groups from the region of the fixed stars, and both depicted
in Egyptian fashion; and finally the highest God (lines 692-724), portrayed
like Mithras himself. After the conclusion (lines 724-750) to the mystery of
ascent, the instructions for the use of the mystery present a scarab ceremony
of the sun (lines 750-798) provide instructions for the obtaining of the kentritis
herb and the fashioning of amulets (lines 798-830) and append two additional
spells (lines 831-834) The predominant place of magic within the Mithras Liturgy
deserves special mention. The entire text of the Liturgy is permeated with magic,
including breathing techniques (cf. lines 537-538: drawing in breath from the
rays) , special recipes (cf. lines 750-755: preparing the cake for the scarab),
magical rituals (cf. lines 767-769: burying the scarab) amulets (cf. lines 659-660:
kissing the amulets), and magical formulae. The magical formulae themselves
are diverse in character: some seem onomatopoetic (cf. line 488, PPP: making
a popping sound, possibly like thunder), symbolic (cf. line 487, AEEIOYO: using
the seven vowels in a series), or perhaps glossolalic (cf. line 492, EY EIA
EE); some seem derived from or imitative of Greek (cf. line 562, PROPROPHEGGE:
Primal Brightener?) Egyptian (cf. line 672, ARARRACHES: Horus of the two horizons;
and line 717, PHRE: Re, the Sun) , or Semitic