I had some fun with folk&myth in my Agent of Exiles books. Here in book 2, my monotheistic heroes (the granddaughter of Zoroaster and rogue secret agent of the Judean court in exile) do the mystery rites at Eleusis and tour the afterlife (with the help of some hallucinogens)–they weren’t doing it for the big secret (and still unknown) revelation, but…:

[Mehrnaz said,] “Wait, one other thing.”

“Yes?” said Demeter, as if she were addressing a child before bedtime.

“Well, there’s supposed to be some higher revelation with this initiation, right?” said Mehrnaz. “As long as I’m here, what is it? Please tell me.”

The great mother smiled. “Before you descended, they were telling you the story about how I lost a child I loved to the land of death, and how I moved heaven and earth to bring her back to me.”

“And?” Mehrnaz had heard similar stories before.

Demeter shone with the brightness of the lifegiving sun. “The revelation is that you are all my children, that I love you all, and that when you die I will move heaven and earth to bring each of you back to me.”

“Oh,” said Mehrnaz. “That’s a good one.”

“But remember, don’t tell anyone,” said Demeter, conspiratorially. “I like to tell people myself. Coming from you it won’t mean as much.”

“My lips are sealed,” said Mehrnaz.

“Mine too,” said Samuel, surprised that this revelation moved him.