Mithra
The most popular of the Roman mystery cults, excluding early Christianity, was the Persian cult of Mithra. It was a neo-Platonic all-male cult whose rituals included baptism in bull’s blood. Their redemption story culminated in the slaughter of the divine bull by the hero, Mithra.Depictions of this act were common in the the caves where this cult met. The zodiac was important to the group, and the bull had it’s relation to Taurus and it’s earthy symbolism. From the bull’s slit throat came wheat, and a scorpion, representative of the opposite sign, Scorpio, bit at it’s testicles. Mithra, being compassionate, always looked away from the slaughter.
It is perhaps significant that at the time I did this I, a Taurus, was in a rather severe conflict with my Scorpio girlfriend, and was feeling quite clobbered. I did feel a personal relationship to some of the symbolism here.