My buddy Miguel Conner, aka "Abraxas," is running a fascinating program with Christopher Knowles, author of The Secret History of Rock 'N' Roll, which I reviewed here:
The Secret History of Rock 'N' Roll
Here is Miguel's write-up for the interview on his radio show:
In ancient times, The Mystery Religions quenched the thirst of those tired of extroverted dogmas, those seeking altered states of consciousness, a direct connection with the divine, and an escape from the bondage of ego and death. An individual could be gripped by ecstatic cosmic energies as well as agonize alongside the gods and their celestial sacrifices. The Mystery Religions thrived across the Greco/Roman civilization wearing the clothing of various religious cults, including Christianity, inviting men and women, philosophers and emperors to unlock the secrets of Creation itself. They were both wild celebrations for the greater life and intimate rituals of inner contemplation. Eventually, the Mystery Religions were outlawed and extinguished by Orthodoxy, existing only in fragments within Secret Societies or the lore of hidden faiths in the borderlands. Yet with the rise of Occultism, the birth of a more egalitarian society, and as a reaction to an existentialist world of grim threats, the Mystery Religions returned without the world even knowing they were back. The old gods took on new names and returned to the material world to impart their Gnosis. The arcane rituals were resurrected except for the addition of modern technology. And they thrived in a seemingly popular form of entertainment called Rock 'n' Roll. We take a voyage into the past for the essence of Mystery Religions and how they incarnated themselves into Rock Music.
Astral Guest-- Christopher Knowles, author of The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll and Our Gods Wear Spandex. --An overview of the various Mystery Religions of antiquity such as the cult of Attis, Demeter, Dionysus, Isis and many others.
Topics Discussed:
--Understanding the rise of the Mystery Religions and their various schools, such as the Eleusinian, Samothrace, Mithras and various others.
--How Paul of Tarsus devised a Jewish Mystery Religion, and how it might have been backed by Imperial Rome from the beginning.
--The various theories on the cult of Mithras, including the reality he might have been a rework of Horus or how it was believed he was the father of Jesus Christ by many ancients.
--Understanding the fertile soil that gave rise to the Mystery Religion of Rock Music (the shamanistic vibes brought by black musicians, interest in the Occult in the sixties, a reaction to runaway wars, and much more).
--How Freemasonry and Mithraism might have been a direct influence on the birth of The Beatles.
--Connecting the gods of the Mystery Religions with their Rock incarnations (Jim Morrison was Dionysus, Neil Young was Orpheus, Janis Joplin was the Great Mother, etc.).
--Why the rise of grunge might have been the beginning of the end of Rock Music, and how it can get back to its mystical roots.
--And much more! You'll never see Rock in the same light after this show!
Just go to http://www.thegodabovegod.com/ or http://www.aeonbytegnosticradio.com/. The program is broadcast all weekend long. Listen to it at your convenience and peril.
Continuing with the topic, our rebroadcast is "Aeon Byte #69-- Mystery Religions" with Acharya S., author of Suns of God' & The Christ Conspiracy. Since perhaps mankind began, there have been those who have secretly guarded the esoteric, primordial meaning of religion: direct contact with the Divine. These clandestine cults flourished in ancient times, often franchises of greater unknown faiths, offering a journey into the mystic enigmas of the supernal. Such Godmen as Dionysus, Osiris, Mithra and Jesus became the outer symbols of enlightenment and spiritual resurrection. Eventually many became standard religions like both Gnosticism and Christianity. And many of these Mystery Religions were not benign, but tools for exploitation for the ignorant masses. Little is known about the Mystery Cults since their annihilation by Orthodoxy, but we bore deep into archeology, history and theology to find the true essence of the Mystery Religions.
Next week we deal with new scholarship and archeology reveals that Jesus was never the Messiah for neither the Jews, Christians or Gnostics. More than a Messiah, this mysterious individual was a kabbalist, noble, philosopher, and a creator of esoteric cults. He was widely admired throughout civilization, from Roman Emperors to Jewish revolutionaries. He has been known as Saint Mark, Marcus the Magician, Marcion and many other names. You'll be surprised at the identity of the real and spiritual Messiah that shook the world 2000 years ago. Our guest will be Stephan Hermann Huller, author of 'The Real Messiah: The Throne of Saint Mark & The True Origins of Christianity' and 'Against Polycarp'.
There are over 175 past shows of Aeon Byte available at http://www.aeonbytegnosticradio.com/2010/03/archive-of-past-shows.html. I have interviewed over 60 of the world's greatest scholars, best-selling authors, religious leaders and veteran mystics, screenwriters and directors, and pop culture icons. It's a complete menu that might contain the meal that takes you to the next spiritual or philosophical level. It's the greatest audio resource on the Internet on Gnosticism, the Esoterica, Comparative Religion, the Occult and Freethought.
Each program has a preview you can listen to it before jumping into the abyss of heresy. CD, DVD or USB Port copies in bulk, at less than half the price, can be purchased through our homepage. Bulk digital audio at your resin-stained fingertips can also be purchased at http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1906876. Downloading in bulk digital format is a fraction of the price.
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Welcome to desert of the real!
Abraxas
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|2010-10-24 18:54:39 Bob Benjamin
Thank you for this information. I'm a singer/songwriter who has also be an ordained minister and got more information like this which opened my eyes to move on to find the truth. The whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help me.... more and keep it a'comin'.
cdbaby.com/bobbenjamin
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|2010-10-25 03:29:23 Harry Williams - The rock n roll of life!Hey this is awesome!
About time we can be encouraged to step forward now with music and nanoengineering.
Here is me thinkin we sing ourselves into the light of graviton while dispersing mist into the ionosphere..... Whilst buskin on the streets of Melbourne.... and.... Thank you for your confirmation!
Things are compounding wonderfully in our favour... I love being alive in this stage of our epochs!
Great work Miguel ,Chris and Acharya !
I'm about to venture in to this wealth of brilliance and light....
ThANK you!
See you's around the rim somewhere soon ......ha ha ha ha....
