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Mithraic worshippers believed that the human soul descended into the world at birth. The goal of their religious quest was to achieve the soul's ascent out of the world again by gaining passage through seven heavenly gates, corresponding to seven grades of initiation. Therefore, being promoted to a higher rank in the religion was believed to correspond to a heavenly journey of the soul. Promotion was obtained through submission to religious authority (kneeling), casting off the old life (nakedness), and liberation from bondage through the mysteries.
The process of Mithraic initiation required the symbolic climbing of a ceremonial ladder with seven rungs, each made of a different metal to symbolize the seven known celestial bodies. By symbolically ascending this ceremonial ladder through successive initiations, the neophyte could proceed through the seven levels of heaven. The seven grades of Mithraism, were: Corax (Raven), Nymphus (Male Bride), Miles (Soldier), Leo (Lion), Peres (Persian), Heliodromus (Sun-Runner), and Pater (Father); each respective grade protected by Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, the Moon, the Sun, and Saturn.
The lowest degree of initiation into the grade of Corax symbolized the death of a new member, from which he would arise reborn as a new man. This represented the end of his life as an unbeliever, and cancelled previous allegiances to the other unacceptable beliefs. The title Corax (Raven) originated with the Zoroastrian custom of exposing the dead on funeral towers to be eaten by carrion birds, a custom continued today by the Parsis of India, the descendants of the Persian followers of Zarathustra.
Further initiation involved the clashing of cymbals, beating of drums, and the unveiling of a statue of Mithras. The initiate drank wine from the cymbal to recognize it as the source of ritual ecstasy. Next, he ate a small morsel of bread placed on a drum, to signify his acceptance of Mithras as the source of his food. This bread had been exposed to the rays of the sun, so by eating the bread the worshipper was partaking of the divine essence of the sun itself. The initiate would also offer a loaf of bread and cup of water to the statue of Mithras.
When a neophyte reached the degree of Miles (soldier), he was offered a crown, which he had to reject with the saying "Only Mithras is my crown". The indelible mark of a cross, symbol of the sun, was then branded on his forehead with a hot iron to symbolize his ownership by the deity, and he would renounce the social custom of wearing a wreath. From then on, the neophyte belonged to the sacred militia of 'The Invincible God Mithras'. All family ties were severed and only fellow initiates were to be considered brothers.
Worshippers used caves and grottos as temples wherever possible, or at least gave temples the internal appearance of caves or of being subterranean by building steps leading down to the entrance. They took part in masquerading as animals, such as ravens and lions, and inserted passages into their ritual chants that were devoid of any literal meaning. All of these rites that characterized Roman Mithraism originated in ancient prehistoric ceremonies.
During the rituals, the evolution of the universe and the destiny of mankind was explained. The service consisted chiefly of contemplating the Mithraic symbolism, praying while knelt before benches, and chanting hymns to the accompaniment of flutes. Hymns were sung describing the voyage of Mithras' horse-drawn chariot across the sky. Invokers and worshippers of Mithras prayed, "Abide with me in my soul. Leave me not [so] that I may be initiated and that the Holy Spirit may breathe within me." Animal sacrifices, mostly of birds, were also conducted in the Mithraeums.
The Mithraic clergy's duty was to maintain the perpetual holy fire on the altar, invoke the planet of the day, offer the sacrifices for the disciples, and preside at initiations. The Mithraic priests were known as Patres Sacrorum, or Fathers of the Sacred Mysteries. They were mystically designated with the titles Leo and Hierocorax, and presided over the priestly festivals of Leontica (the festival of lions), Coracica (the festival of ravens), and Hierocoracica (the festival of sacred ravens).

يؤمن أتباع ميثرا أن الأرواح البشرية تنزل على الأرض عند الولادة و لكي ترجع
إلى السماوات العليا مرة أخرى يجب أن تجتاز سبع سماوات و كل ما زادت طاعة و التزام
المؤمن يجتاز إحدى هذه السماوات و لذلك فمن أهم طقوس المعتنقين لديانة ميثرا
هو تسلق سلم رمزي عدد درجاته سبعة كل درجة من معدن مختلف كرمز للصعود للسماوات العليا .
من طقوس العبادة للمؤمن الجديد بديانة مثرا أنه يقرع الطبول ثم يتم رفع الستار
عن تمثال لمثرا و في نهاية السلم الذي يصعده المؤمن الجديد يعطى تاج فيرفضه و يقول أن مثرا
هو تاجه ثم يتم رسم علامة بالنار على جبهته على شكل X داخل قرص رمز لقرص
الشمس لأن مثرا آله الشمس .
بعد هذا يأكل المؤمن الجديد رغيف من الخبز يتم وضعه على إحدى الطبول في الشمس
لكي يستلهم قوته من الشمس و يشرب الخمر علامة على الفرحة , بعد هذا يتعهد المؤمن
بقطع كافة الروابط العائلية مع أسرته و يرتبط بالمؤمنين بمثرا مثله فقط , ثم يقدم رغيف من الخبز
و كوب من الماء لتمثال مثرا .
أثناء هذه الطقوس يصلى الحاضرين مجموعة صلوات تتحدث عن رحلة ميثرا التي أخترق
فيها السماوات السبع راكبا على جواده و هي مشابهة لقصة الإسراء و المعراج عند
أصدقائنا المسلمين .

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