Funny you should mention Zoroastrianism, as for the last couple of days I’ve been reading a book called “In Search of Zarathustra – The First Prophet and the Ideas that Changed the World.†– by Paul Kriwaczek. While not a definitive read, it covers a lot of the things you’re talking about, Zoroastrianism, Cathars / Albigensian, “Mani†of Manichaeism, Mithras (the Roman Cult, which has only been linked by name to Zoroastrianism, though little is known about the cult, it was a Male only and its doctrines where secret. And the fact that there are no written accounts of what it was about, must say something, as it was a secret and it’s stayed secret. It’s reckoned that it was more like freemasons then a religion). Then of course it goes all the way back to Zarathustra of Persia. A good library should have a copy of this book, as this is where I’ve picked up the copy I’m reading.
— I almost bought that book! I did leaf through it in any event; it seems very interesting although a lot of it is necessarily conjecture.
— I don’t know that Mithraism is connected in name only to Zoroastrianism, after all Mithra was a deity in Zoroastrianism, and we do know a little about mithraism with it’s seven hierarchial levels and the slaying of the bulls and all. For information on how Zoroastrianism and Mithraism influenced Christianity, go to:
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/religion/zoro.html
— Your identification of Mithraism with freemasonry is right on target, they are both male and secretive.
— By the way, Mithra goes back to the Hindu Mitra-Varuna which predates zarathustra and Zoroastrianism.