We are pleased to announce a new work dedicated to the Mysteries of Mithras and the Cult of Saturn:
Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras
– The Secret Cult of Saturn in Imperial Rome –
by Peter Mark Adams
Peter Mark Adams challenges current academic conventions by restoring the term ‘mysteries’ to the cult of Mithras, placing it firmly within the esoteric traditions of the ancient world. A thought-provoking and invaluable contribution to Mithraic studies.
Peter Mark Adams’ Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras is a bold and compelling reassessment of Mithraic initiation and cosmology. His work stands out for its profound exploration of Orphic influences and theurgy, breathing new life into long-overlooked aspects of the cult.
A. A., The New Mithraeum | mithraeum.eu
It is a fantastic book. Such a great resource to truly grasp the role of Mithraism in the evolution of western esotericism. Adams manages to pack so much information into his writing and yet retains a certain levity and readability despite the staggering amount of research and thinking that it is based upon.
H. L., Mithraic Researcher
From acclaimed esoteric scholar Peter Mark Adams—author of The Game of Saturn, Mystai, Hagia Sophia / Sanctum of Kronos, Two Esoteric Tarots (with Christophe Poncet), and The Power of the Healing Field—comes a landmark study that redefines our understanding of Western Europe’s most enigmatic mystery cult.
Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras – The Secret Cult of Saturn in Imperial Rome takes readers deep into the heart of the Mithraic mysteries, offering a profound exploration of the cult’s ritual practices and transformative visionary experiences. Blending cutting-edge scholarship with first-hand accounts of initiation and contemporary ethnographies of ritual performance, Adams provides an unparalleled glimpse into this ancient esoteric tradition.
Approaching the material from an emic (insider’s) perspective, the author examines the cult’s hierarchical grade structure, ceremonial roles, and ritual mechanics—revealing how initiates invoked the serpent power and encountered the awe-inspiring epiphany of Saturn-Kronos, the sovereign time-deity.
Through a richly interdisciplinary lens—drawing on Orphic metaphysics, Greco-Roman ritual theory, art history, and comparative ethnographies of initiation—Adams vividly animates Mithraic iconography, frescoes, and reliefs as ritual grammar encoding the lived phenomenology of participation.
Richly illustrated and deeply insightful, this volume revives the Cult of Mithras as Western Europe’s preeminent mystery tradition, offering readers both scholarly rigor and spiritual resonance.
Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras – The Secret Cult of Saturn in Imperial Rome is published in two limited editions.
Bibliographic Details
- 272 pages, measuring 170 x 240 mm.
- Printed on premium 120gsm wood-free paper.
- Features metallic auburn-colored endpapers, gold headbands and a gold ribbon marker.
- Includes numerous color and greyscale illustrations and photographs.
Fine Hardcover Edition (PRE-ORDER)
- Bound in high quality tangerine-colored fine cloth, manufactured in Germany.
- Features a printed and embossed cover, lettering on rounded spine.
- Limited to 888 copies.
- Price: 78,- EUR + shipping (incl. VAT if applicable).
Auric Edition (PRE-ORDER)
- Fully hand-bound in fine auburn leather, crafted in Germany from premium bull hides.
- Features 2-color and blind embossing on the front, gold lettering and raised bands on rounded spine.
- Presented in a custom slipcase.
- Limited to 48 hand-numbered copies.
- 365,- EUR + shipping (incl. VAT if applicable).
Please be aware that this is a pre-order! We expect the Fine Hardcover Edition to ship in late May 2025. The Auric Edition will ship a few weeks later.
Disclaimer: Images of the book are mock-ups of the Auric Edition (not the Fine Hardcover Edition). The actual books may slightly differ in small details and color.
