{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\uc1 \deff0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0\fprq2{\*\panose 02020603050405020304}Times New Roman;}{\f181\froman\fcharset238\fprq2 Times New Roman CE;}{\f182\froman\fcharset204\fprq2 Times New Roman Cyr;}
{\f184\froman\fcharset161\fprq2 Times New Roman Greek;}{\f185\froman\fcharset162\fprq2 Times New Roman Tur;}{\f186\froman\fcharset177\fprq2 Times New Roman (Hebrew);}{\f187\froman\fcharset178\fprq2 Times New Roman (Arabic);}
{\f188\froman\fcharset186\fprq2 Times New Roman Baltic;}}{\colortbl;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green255\blue255;\red0\green255\blue0;\red255\green0\blue255;\red255\green0\blue0;\red255\green255\blue0;\red255\green255\blue255;
\red0\green0\blue128;\red0\green128\blue128;\red0\green128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue128;\red128\green0\blue0;\red128\green128\blue0;\red128\green128\blue128;\red192\green192\blue192;}{\stylesheet{\ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0 
\fs20\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \snext0 Normal;}{\s1\ql \li0\ri0\keepn\nowidctlpar\faauto\outlinelevel0\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 \sbasedon0 \snext0 heading 1;}{\*\cs10 \additive 
Default Paragraph Font;}}{\info{\author Valued Gateway Client}{\operator Valued Gateway Client}{\creatim\yr2001\mo12\dy7\hr15\min12}{\revtim\yr2001\mo12\dy7\hr15\min24}{\version2}{\edmins12}{\nofpages4}{\nofwords752}{\nofchars4292}{\nofcharsws5270}
{\vern8269}}\margl1440\margr1440 \widowctrl\ftnbj\aenddoc\ftnrestart\aftnnar\noxlattoyen\expshrtn\noultrlspc\dntblnsbdb\nospaceforul\hyphcaps0\horzdoc\dghspace120\dgvspace120\dghorigin1701\dgvorigin1984\dghshow0\dgvshow3
\jcompress\viewkind1\viewscale100\nolnhtadjtbl \fet0\sectd \sbknone\linex0\endnhere\sectdefaultcl {\*\pnseclvl1\pndec\pnstart1 {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl2\pnlcltr\pnstart1 {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl3\pnlcrm\pnstart1 {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl4\pndec\pnstart1 
{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl5\pnlcltr\pnstart1 {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl6\pnlcrm\pnstart1 {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl7\pndec\pnstart1 {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl8\pnlcltr\pnstart1 {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1 }
\pard\plain \s1\ql \li0\ri0\keepn\nowidctlpar\faauto\outlinelevel0\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {Jerry Ferraccio
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs20\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24 
\par HST 149 Joseph Campbell Telecourse
\par Written Assignment #2
\par 
\par Pg. 131, #5   Myth is a symbolic language that comprehends and harmonizes fundamental oppositions 
or dualities in experience: youth/age, past/present, temporal/eternal, and life/death. Show how these dualities are harmonized in the Greek mystery religions. 
\par 
\par Grade on paper=_______/100
\par 
\par Spelling
\par Grammar
\par Answer the question
\par Reading material
\par Video material
\par Other evidence
\par 
\par Instructor Comments
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl480\slmult1\nowidctlpar\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24 \page 
\par \tab When it is said that the Greek mystery religions harmonized the seeming dichotomies of life, we must first entertain the possibility that such dichotomies may not have been evident to the progenitors of the religion
s.  Indeed, the idea of polar opposites, at war with each other, may be a newer idea than we are aware. Evidence shows that this perception of duality may be a recent mind-set, perhaps stemming from the Semitic idea that God is an outside force imposed on
 humanity (Study Guide, p. 131).
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl480\slmult1\nowidctlpar\tx0\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\fs24 \tab 
One can see Greek Mystery religions rooted in the Goddess worship of Paleolithic humanity- roughly130,000- 40,000 B.C.E. (Study Guide, p. 16).  As such, they would be in a direct line from ancient beliefs regarding birth an
d death, sun and moon, and the cycles of the year.  Their school of thought probably saw no white or black (no "evil"), but shades of gray. The deeper Greek mysteries harken back to the initiation processes of Les Trois Fr\'e8res (VIDEO: }{\i\fs24 
In the Beginning}{\fs24 
). Goddess worship, with a central Female (Demeter) as Earth Mother and a central male (Dionysus) as the sacrificial God (much in the manner of Osiris), shows these archetypes have roots far into prehistory, a thread traceable through Ancient Egypt (Study
 Guide, pp.57-62). The Eleusian mysteries are deeper and older than the religion of the Greeks of the same time period.  Strangely, the "common religion" of the Greeks was strongly patriarchal, Zeus being the head of a dysfunctional family (Study 
Guide p.127).
\par \tab However, for sake of analysis, let's look with our post-Middle Eastern influenced eyes on the idea that these religious mysterious accomplished (even if not intentionally) a harmonization of opposite cultural, anthropological, and natural elements.

\par \tab Youth/age in the mysteries was seen as a balanced phenomenon.  One could not be old without first being young; nor could youth ignore that, with luck, it would some day be old.  Indeed, many Gods could manifest in either their young or old forms (P
luto as \'93puer eternis\'94\endash VIDEO: }{\i\fs24 From Darkness Into Light}{\fs24 ).  In Bullfinch\rquote s }{\i\fs24 Mythology}{\fs24 
, Hermes was seen as being a competent adult at one day old, stealing Apollo's sheep!  And Hermes later took the role of \'93psychopompous\'94, leading the recently dead to final tribu
nal before the judges in Hades. Ages were seen as points on a continuum, not as opposed ideas.
\par \tab Temporal/eternal facets are presented by the personifications of the Gods worshiped.  Every one of the mysteries contains an eternal God (usually Goddess) and a temporal God (
usually, but not always, male).  Demeter/ Aphrodite/Cybele lives, while Persephone/Adonis/ Attis dies to be reborn.  This is Campbell\rquote s pouring of \'93inexhaustible nature . . .into the field of time. . . .\'94
 where the Eternal remains eternal and is yet influenced and altered by being \'93in Time\'94 (Video: }{\i\fs24 From Darkness Into Light, others}{\fs24 ).
\par \tab Light and dark imagery is replete- the basis of most mystery religions being the descent into the dark Chthonic underworld to retrieve the brightest of lights: spiritual i
llumination.  However, where the Semitic influenced religions marked the boundary between light and dark as the boundary between \'93good\'94 and \'93evil\'94, the m
ystery religions viewed it as a necessary membrane to penetrate (a male act, if you will) to retrieve Truth (a female value-as evinced by the Gnostic Goddess Sophia, whose name means \'93knowledge\'94).  Indeed, the effect of this belief is culminated 
in the concept of the \'93Happy Fall\'94: if we had not fallen into darkness, we could not have been raised higher than before through the actions of the (inner or outer) Savior of Light (Video:}{\i\fs24  From Darkness Into Light}{\fs24 ).
\par \tab Life and death were seen as the same force: without death, life would not renew itself.  For agriculturally based societies, this is the planting of the seed into the ground for next year\rquote s harvest.  This is the planting of Dionysus in 
the thigh of Zeus or, as seen sometimes, Dionysus \'93planted\'94 into Persephone-standing for the Underworld- who later bears Dionysus either by vomiting him back up or giving birth in the normal way (Burke and Green: }{\i\fs24 The Mythic Tarot Workbook}
{\fs24 ). Indeed, some believe that the whole point of the mysteries was that the }{\i\fs24 mystes}{\fs24 , or initiate, would lose his/her fear of death (Anthology,  p.345)
\par }{\fs24 \tab In summation, the Greek Mystery religions were descendants of the earlier Goddess based worship; if not directly, then as an archetypal spirit continuing despite the outward show of patriarchal religions.  
The Mystery religions harmonized life and death and other dualities to fully initiate the mystes/initiate into the secrets behind Existence itself: that }{\b\fs24 everything}{\fs24  : \'93good/bad,\'94 young/old, male/female, dark/light;
 is part of the Divine (Study Guide, p 129). 
\par }}
