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In the ancient world, men and women joined cults known as Mysteries to unite with the deities of the otherworld and achieve eternal life. The most important of the Mysteries existed for two millennia at the village of Eleusis. Its deities were Demeter and Persephone, interchangeable in their roles as mother and daughter. The initiations and other rituals of this goddess-based cult were a profound secret: divulging information was punishable by death. For centuries, scholars have probed the secrets of the Eleusinian Mysteries and "kykeon, its sacramental Eucharist -- a sacred drink containing psychoactive chemicals similar to those in LSD. Their discoveries have been buried in the arcane language of alchemy, the occult sciences, and secret societies. Here, in prose accessible to all readers, Carl Ruck unravels the Mysteries, revealing the awesome powers of the goddesses, as well as the pagan underpinnings of Western culture.
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5 reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Excellent scholarship with a deep understanding of Eleusis
25 Mar 2008
Format:Paperback
Sacred Mushrooms of the Goddess: Secrets of Eleusis, by Carl A. P. Ruck, 2006.
Over the years the information on the secrets of Kykeon in the ancient Eleusinian mysteries has caused quite some debate. Was the drink just some wine, or strong wine with the ancients unable to handle their alcohol? Or was the Kykeon an entheogenic brew, possibly using psychedelic mushrooms, ergot, henbane and/or other secret ingredients?
The truth is with the latter. Today we know from the work of Peter Webster, Ruck and others that Wasson and Hofmann's first proposal was wrong, but that with some careful study and close analysis the proper corrections have been made. But the truth actually lies somewhere in the middle.
This book pulls together various aspects of ancient Greek mythology and the stories surrounding Persephone and Demeter. It argues a clear case for the use of the mushrooms - both primary varieties - Amanita muscaria and Psilocybe, with the primary focus on A. muscaria. So which was it, a concoction made from ergot, menthe, and barley, or was it made from mushrooms? It was certainly made from what was available when and where. Both mushrooms and ergot, Ruck argues, were used interchangeably.
Along with the Eleusinian mysteries and the shrouding of the ancient rites, so too do some people seem unable to grasp the reaches of this book. I'm left flabbergasted at the shallow three star reviews that some have left behind. Certainly this book could use an index and maybe a `justify' alignment, but to say this book is not academic, when it is written by the professor of the Classics Department at Boston University is absurd. It's a sad day when someone's own ignorance is transposed onto another.
Careful reading and study shows this author knows well about that which he writes.
5 stars!
Over the years the information on the secrets of Kykeon in the ancient Eleusinian mysteries has caused quite some debate. Was the drink just some wine, or strong wine with the ancients unable to handle their alcohol? Or was the Kykeon an entheogenic brew, possibly using psychedelic mushrooms, ergot, henbane and/or other secret ingredients?
The truth is with the latter. Today we know from the work of Peter Webster, Ruck and others that Wasson and Hofmann's first proposal was wrong, but that with some careful study and close analysis the proper corrections have been made. But the truth actually lies somewhere in the middle.
This book pulls together various aspects of ancient Greek mythology and the stories surrounding Persephone and Demeter. It argues a clear case for the use of the mushrooms - both primary varieties - Amanita muscaria and Psilocybe, with the primary focus on A. muscaria. So which was it, a concoction made from ergot, menthe, and barley, or was it made from mushrooms? It was certainly made from what was available when and where. Both mushrooms and ergot, Ruck argues, were used interchangeably.
Along with the Eleusinian mysteries and the shrouding of the ancient rites, so too do some people seem unable to grasp the reaches of this book. I'm left flabbergasted at the shallow three star reviews that some have left behind. Certainly this book could use an index and maybe a `justify' alignment, but to say this book is not academic, when it is written by the professor of the Classics Department at Boston University is absurd. It's a sad day when someone's own ignorance is transposed onto another.
Careful reading and study shows this author knows well about that which he writes.
5 stars!
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Primary Religious Experience
3 Aug 2006
Format:Paperback
This book helps educate those who invalidate religious experiences that are generated by sacred plants. Recent research from John Hopkins using psilocybin (psychoactive mushrooms) confirms that a religious experience from these "entheogens" (the god within) are every bit as mystical as those derived from other sources. This book traces what may very well be the longest running psychedelic ceremony The Eleusian Mysteries. This is must reading for any religious scholars who need to consider other modes of religious experience!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Reads Like a Mystery Novel
25 July 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found it propelling and entertaining. Join the search for who these ancients were and find the kykeon.
I used to think Greek mythology was just nonsense authored by ignorant primitives. With the missing key provided by Carl Ruck, mythology opens to new depth. The idea of mushrooms being central to ancient greek culture at first seemed a bit alien but I cracked open an introductory mycology text by C.J Alexopoulos and the first paragraph is about how Perseus founded Mycenae because of the mushrooms he found there. Mushrooms he drank the water from. Ruck has plenty of examples of mushrooms in central and important works of Greek art including the Alexander the Great's daughter's tomb (a mushroom).
Seems classical scholars don't like the idea that sex or hallucinogenic mushrooms need to be discussed to understand the ancient Greeks. To me the history and mythology is nonsense with out it.
This book is obviously ahead of it's time because it has been poorly received. In ten years this will be a classic and the critics will pretend they liked it from the beginning.
I used to think Greek mythology was just nonsense authored by ignorant primitives. With the missing key provided by Carl Ruck, mythology opens to new depth. The idea of mushrooms being central to ancient greek culture at first seemed a bit alien but I cracked open an introductory mycology text by C.J Alexopoulos and the first paragraph is about how Perseus founded Mycenae because of the mushrooms he found there. Mushrooms he drank the water from. Ruck has plenty of examples of mushrooms in central and important works of Greek art including the Alexander the Great's daughter's tomb (a mushroom).
Seems classical scholars don't like the idea that sex or hallucinogenic mushrooms need to be discussed to understand the ancient Greeks. To me the history and mythology is nonsense with out it.
This book is obviously ahead of it's time because it has been poorly received. In ten years this will be a classic and the critics will pretend they liked it from the beginning.
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