Mytheism is one of the oldest spiritual movements. Mytheists trace their roots beyond the conception of mdju netjer, the “words of the gods”, and the formation of the world’s great faith traditions. Over centuries, this movement became a tradition that continues to command loyalty by its devotees with prevailing Mytheists holding true to this sacred society.
As a tradition, Mytheists derive their understanding of the Most High from direct experience that stems from a foundation of love. Then, they look to conventional religions – Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. - as well as alternative religious – Baha’i, Gnosticism, Shamanism, Unitarian Universalism, etc. - for wisdom regarding their experiences. Mytheists are not content on drawing sustenance from one source alone for they revere other traditions deeply.
Mytheism is about living a successful, glorious and peaceful life. Mytheists believe the purpose of their existence is to develop their Spiritual Selves in ways that give full expression of the Most High within creation through the integration and harmonization of their relationships within the world. The goal of the Mytheist is to co-create “As Above; So Below”, meaning that the Objective (material world) is a reflection of the Subjective (inner world). They believe that the miracles (or magic) we experience within the Objective World are expressions of the connection and proper utilization of the Spiritual Power manifested within the Subjective World. When this power is misused, meaning that the power is not wielded within the idea of creating "Unity within Diversity", that is when disease, war and discord occur within the Objective World.
Mytheists believe that their purpose of spiritual cultivation, or to co-create, is to reveal the unity within diversity on all levels, thus creating peace within the individual and within the world. Their key concepts of creating balance, harmony, justice, righteousness, reciprocity and order are conceptions that can be found within any ethical system as well as within the Mytheism Tradition.
The pluralistic outlook within Mytheism derives in large measure from their central tenet: that the mysteries of creation are so overwhelming that every human attempt to capture them in a single channel of religious faith is infantile. Mytheists believe that the primary source of authority regarding spiritual matters is within each individual in conversation with tradition and in community with others. To join one of their coteries requires no assent to creed but a loyalty to the source of their faith presented in their statement of Principles and Purposes.
The term Mytheism was derived from the combination of the words Mysticism and Theism. Mysticism is derived from the Greek word μυω, meaning “to conceal” and its derivative word μυστικός, (mystikos), meaning “an initiate”. In the Hellenistic world, "mystikos" was an initiate of “secret” religious rituals. In early Christianity the term "mystikos" referred to "hidden" allegorical interpretations of Scriptures and to “hidden” presences, such as that of Jesus at the Eucharist. The modern meaning of the term mysticism arose via Platonism and Neo-Platonism, which referred to the “initiation” of spiritual truths and experiences.
Theism is derived from the Greek word theos meaning "god", which commonly refers to a wide variety of religious or philosophical belief systems that assert that all finite things are dependent, in some way, upon one or more personal deities. Theism, in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists. In a more specific sense, it is a doctrine concerning the nature of that God or gods and their relationship to the universe. Theism, in this specific sense, conceives of God as personal, present and active in the governance and organization of the world and the universe.
The term Mytheism eventually became referred to as the “initiation” towards the “hidden” spiritual truths and experiences as well as the pursuit of communion with, identity with or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth or the Most High through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mytheists usually center their practices intended to nurture those experiences.
Mytheism can be distinguished from other belief systems by its emphasis on the distinct personal experiences with a timeless, transcendental reality which supplies knowledge beyond the world of appearances. Consequently, throughout centuries, Mytheists’ personal experiences have been construed as a threat to strong institutional structures of formal hierarchies and mandated sacred texts and/or creeds. However, devotees have continued to keep the tradition alive in spite of historical repressive attempts.
If you would like to learn more about the Mytheism tradition, you can email your questions to me at viasacra@mytheism.com.
To Your Success
Comments