An incredible exploration into the initiatory mystery cults of the ancient world.

As an avid and enthusiastic Witch, my usual reading list tends to focus primarily on books related to the magical arts, witchcraft, paganism, and other similar esoteric and occult topics. Anyone who knows me knows that my shelves are packed full of books on spellwork, herbalism, old grimoires, and books written specifically on Witchcraft’s history, and for the most part I find comfort in these topics. However, on a recent work trip, I found myself with a bit of spare time and used that opportunity to wander into a local bookstore, as I usually do when I visit new places. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to find anything outside of my usual niche until this particular title caught my eye: Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden. At first glance, this book didn’t seem like something I’d usually pick up for causal reading. It’s a bit more academic than mystical, and even though my job operates within the magical world, it can, at times, feel downright mundane. For this reason, I tend to be very selective about my leisure reading choices.

While this book certainly isn’t ‘witchy’ in the traditional sense of the world, just casually reading through it at the bookstore left me wanting more. As someone who has always been interested in initiatory Witchcraft traditions, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity in his words. Anyone who has read a book on Witchcraft by any of the bigger name authors from the turn of the century has undoubtedly come across the topic of initiation, but to read about this subject through a purely academic and historical lens without any bias was so refreshing. Bowden’s goal, after all, was not to prove or disprove the validity of these ancient religions, only explore them.

Why would a person want to be initiated into one of these ancient mystery religions? According to Bowden, the reason was likely driven by a desire to meet and commune with the gods. Consider this passage from his book:

“It is this idea, that mystery cults offered those who took part in them the opportunity to experience direct, unmediated contact with the divine, that makes the best sense of what we know about them.¹“

Back then, much like today, it was often taken for granted that the gods were present in our world, and for those who were interested in the pursuit of a life that was more intimately connected to the divine, initiation into one of these mystery religions was just the way to do that.

In reading Mystery Cults in the Ancient World, it became clear just how deep the roots of initiatory practice go. While initiatory Witchcraft seems to occupy a large part of the magical community², this book made me realize that we as Witches were certainly not the first walk the seeker’s path, and we certainly won’t be the last. Some of the mystery cults you’ll learn about in this book include the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Cult of Dionysus, the Cult of Mithras, the Cult of Isis, and the Orphic Mysteries, among others.

Overall, I think this book is a fascinating exploration into ancient initiatory cults, and it should be required reading for those who are actively seeking initiation into any of the mystery traditions, Witchcraft or otherwise.

Book Information

• Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Publication Date: September 19, 2023
• Dimensions: 5X8
• Page Count: 320
• Purchase link.

1. Bowden, page 27. ↩︎
2. I am of course referring to Gardnerian Witchcraft, Alexandrian Witchcraft, Feri, and even Traditional Craft practices, to name a few. ↩︎