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Welcome
once again to the Mage's Guide. This is a series of essays
dedicated to guiding the new student of the occult arts along an
often confusing path. Herein, I have attempted to outline some of
the major obstacles the seeker will encounter along his long climb
to the summit of magickal experience. It is vital to understand
the cultural factors that are working for or against one in such
an undertaking. The main factor that plagues the modern student is
simply an overabundance of information. Some of the information is
good, most of it is bad. How can one ever hope to scale the
endless stacks of useless printed and electronic material, and
settle upon a course of action that will lead to magickal success?
That, in fact, is the focus of this series.
At the same time, I have loosely attributed each installment so
far with one of the four virtues of the mythical Sphinx: To Know,
To Dare, To Will, and To Keep Silent. Installment one I called the
Virtue of Silence, as I hoped to impress upon the reader the vital
need to remain silent and solitary in the beginning, learning from
various sources without claims or boasts. It also focused on how
(and how not) to interact with others on the internet and in real
life. Installment two was called the Virtue of Will, where I
discussed the pros and cons of eclecticism, and the need for focus
and dedication. Now we reach installment three:
Part Three: Magickal Initiation (Or, The Virtue
of Daring)
My last two installments have all focused on passive techniques of
safety, information gathering, and the proper mind-set to begin a
serious scholarly study of magick. However, today we are
discussing an important aspect of actual practice- the forces of
initiation.
Hang around the internet occult message areas long enough, and
someone will eventually ask to have the concept of "initiation"
explained to them. Once that happens, the debate that will follow
is predictable enough. Some few will claim that one must have an
initiation ceremony performed by a master in order to use magick
at all. Most will claim you need no such thing. Others will claim
some stance between the two extremes. Yet, it is most unlikely
that anyone will offer an explanation of what initiation is in and
of itself. In this essay, we will explore the significance of
magickal initiation, what it is, how it works, and what you can do
about it.
The word "initiate" literally means "to begin". That is to say, it
means to take the fist steps, or perhaps to switch on a process.
You can initiate a lawsuit, or initiate a trend- or you might
initiate a study of the occult. This, of course, is as simple as
picking up your first book, and following that with your first
practice session. However, when you hear others speaking of their
own initiations, they are obviously speaking about something
slightly different. They are indicating some sort of magickal
process, or ceremony, which served to transform them into
something more than they had been.
However, make no mistake, the word still means the same thing. An
initiation- even a cosmic magical process of transformation- is
still simply a beginning. Take note that this is the case in each
of the definitions I will give below. No initiation in and of
itself can make one an experienced adept with instant access to
celestial power. Instead, it is more akin to the first day in
Karate school, where everyone is handed a brand new white belt.
All it means is that the student showed up, and that they have
taken their first steps (a beginning) in a new discipline. The
little known fact (whether it be Karate, magick, or a college
course) is that one is not considered a master of a degree, belt,
or grade until one leaves that degree behind. One might take the
three degrees of Wicca as an example- an aspirant of the first
degree is merely a student thereof until the second degree
initiation takes place.
(This raises an amusing and useful point. When you encounter
someone who attempts to use their "rank" or grade to impress you,
always remember that you can- by default- subtract one from that
grade for a more realistic idea of his knowledge and experience.)
Therefore, it might be that some of the things you were hoping
about initiation are not true. While an initiation can set you in
the direction of magickal growth, it can not accomplish the task
in and of itself. It is not instant, and it is not even
guaranteed. There are many people who are simply not ready for the
forces stirred up by such a process, and thus are affected little
(or affected badly) by them. Even those who are ready can wait for
weeks, months, or even years before they are ready to move on to
higher work.
Of course, this does not mean that the process is not vital- even
if it were to take years. The fact is that no one who attempts to
utilize the art of magick can escape the force of mystical
initiation. This would be akin to suggesting that one could begin
lifting weights without affecting the muscular system, or jog
without affecting the circulatory system. If you use a part of
your body, it is going to "switch on" and begin to do what comes
natural. And that, in a nut-shell, is what initiation is all
about. It is the switching on, or awakening, of your magickal
self. It is the opening of your astral senses, the expansion of
your awareness, and a general re-ordering of your psychological
and neurological state. Your everyday man on the street can not
perform the arts of magick any more than he can compete in
weight-lifting contests or marathons (and remember that this goes
for you, the new student, as well). It takes one who has developed
all of the correct skills, and who has transformed his physical,
mental, and spiritual self into a form that can accomplish
miracles. Initiation is about becoming a new person- more than
what you were before.
This can be one of the most harrowing and frightening periods for
any aspirant, as he must watch his life shift and change in
accordance with his new awakening and greater awareness. He is, in
essence, embarking on a journey into a new universe; where the
rules are different, and which may take him far from friends and
loved ones of his past. This is why I have associated the Virtue
of Daring to this installment. Having decided upon your course, it
is time to begin considering the actual steps forward, and to
accept all that comes with it. This is daring, indeed!
Formal Initiation
A formal initiation ceremony, performed by experienced adepts upon
trusted students, is always the best case scenario. This option
involves at least an aspirant and a master- if not an entire hall
of officers- and the application of a formal ceremonial
initiation.
It is common today to see these initiations downplayed as mere
Magickal Order "red-tape". The idea is that these initiations are
unnecessary for magickal growth, and exist only as formalized
"swearing-in" ceremonies; such as the US President undergoes, or
the highly involved Rites of the Masonic orders. It is true that
this is a very large aspect of the initiations performed by
magickal orders and covens. However, those who claim that this is
"all" there is to the ceremonies are those who have not
experienced them. In fact, these rites are highly magickal, and
affect real change within the aspirant.
When you have chosen your magickal path, you have to keep in mind
that you are going forth to personally meet with the Gods, Angels,
and spirits of that particular path. In this sense, the various
paths are referred to as "magickal currents". This suggests a more
proper imagery- as if the astral plane were a great sea filled
with currents criss-crossing throughout time and space. The
ancient Egyptians had their own magickal current- a form of
religion and mysticism that was distinctly their own. Meanwhile,
the Sumer-Babylonians had their own magickal current, with it's
own specific flavors.
Even within one land, or time, various currents can be discerned.
Using Egypt as an example again, we can see that a Temple to
Osiris would have had it's own personal current, different from a
Temple to Thoth. In this sense, we have yet another term for the
same force: an "egregore". Traditionally, this word referred to an
artificial astral being created by a wizard as a kind of spirit
helper. Today, the word has come to indicate a magickal current.
However, as opposed to the imagery of rivers or seas, it gives one
the impression of a conscious entity with it's own distinct
personality. The egregore of a magickal group is the consciousness
of the entire group. More than being its patron deity, the
egregore is the combined efforts of various deities and spirits
associated with the group, as well as the actions and energies of
its human members.
What this knowledge creates is a very important dynamic between a
human aspirant, and the astral current he is approaching. It makes
it clear that each existing egregore has it's own ways of going
about things. Each has it's own entities (or pantheon), and it's
own set of Keys for entrance. Words and gestures that are vital to
the entrance of one will mean nothing to another. If one attempts
to gain the attention of the Babylonian God of the Sun using
prayers written in Gaelic, one can only expect to work harder for
results.
This is where the initiation ceremony comes into play. Just as it
is a formal indoctrination to the group, so too is it a formal
introduction to the egregore of that current. Only the adepts of
that current know all of its keys, and how to get the attention of
all of the right spiritual entities who must be present. Just as
importantly, the magical force raised during these rites actually
imprints your psyche and your aura. It is literally plugging you
into the egregore, with all of the connections in the right place.
For examples of this, simply find any book which contains
initiation ceremonies. A Witches' Bible by the Farrars, or The
Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie are great examples. Simply read
through the ceremonies and take note of the various symbols that
are presented, and those that are actually projected at, inscribed
upon, or otherwise brought into physical contact with the
aspirant. They are different for each magickal group and egregore.
Of course, this does not mean that undergoing such an initiation
will forever imprison you within one current. Refer back to my
last installment on eclecticism, and the fact that it is
completely possible to engage in various currents at once. It is
also possible to leave a current behind- to either return to it or
not at your own will. In a functioning group, it is even possible
to expel a member- after which said member would have no further
access to the group's current at all.
Also keep in mind that any worthy initiation ceremony will be good
for you in the long run. Even if you decide to leave that current
later on, the spiritual growth and awakening that you gained from
the experience are yours forever. If you are a Wiccan, there is no
harm in your taking a Golden Dawn Initiation. The effects would
reflect upon your practices of witchcraft, or any other form of
magick.
Astral Initiation
This is a subject that comes up much too often, I'm afraid. There
are two main questions surrounding this subject, which I will
cover here in brief. First of all, a student may wish to know if
such a thing as astral initiation (where the aspirant is initiated
by adepts who are actually miles away) is even possible. The
answer is that, yes, this is possible. You will find out through
your studies that a large portion of magickal procedure is based
upon the principals of initiations. You simply initiate the spell
using methods very similar to they way you would initiate a
person. There is no question among practical mages or witches that
one can affect a subject at another location with magick. Of
course, if one is wanting an initiation for themselves, this is
not the best way to go about it. However, it is possible to some
lesser degree.
The second question, then, must come on the heels of the first:
should you agree to allow others to perform this procedure upon
you? Very simply put- No. I have never once heard of a group
offering astral initiation (especially those asking for money, or
selling correspondence courses along with the service) that did
not turn out to be fraudulent. I am not saying that there are no
honest attempts at astral initiation out there, but I do wish to
stress to the reader that the odds are high against finding one.
Even if such a service were real, you must also consider the fact
that you would be allowing complete strangers to invade your
astral space, and imprint your aura with whatever they choose- all
without you having the slightest knowledge or involvement.
Passive Initiation
Overall, the greatest majority of occultists do not have access to
experienced groups. Even if one joins a Coven or Order later in
their path, chances are still greatest that they will begin that
path alone. It is likely that, for many students, no formal
initiation ceremony will ever be enacted for the student by a
master.
In the above, I mentioned that those who claim formal initiations
are needless are those who have not experienced them. Here,
however, I'm going to have to turn the tables. It is also common
enough for those who have experienced a formal initiation to
insist that one must follow suit or fail. During the 1980s and
early 90s, it was quite usual to hear Wiccans telling others that
one could only be a witch if one underwent an initiation by
another witch. In such cases as this, I must say that only those
who have not experienced the opposite would claim such a thing. In
truth, it is possible- if difficult- to make your own way into the
realm of the occult.
This series, of course, has been designed for just this kind of
situation. By studying and practicing on your own, you will
eventually make the same transformation that an initiation
ceremony would grant. I personally made it alone for quite some
time- reading everything I could get my hands onto. As I learned
more and more about magick, and became more astute at putting it
into practice, I found myself changing and re-shaping on all
levels. As I read books about initiations and spiritual evolution,
I found that my own experiences mirrored what their ceremonies
symbolized. My initiations, as they say, were strictly between
myself and the Gods. In the end, of course, this is true no matter
which of these techniques one chooses.
Seeking out a group and undergoing their techniques and training
is definitely a short-cut, and eliminates any number of pitfalls
and obstacles you would meet along the way as a solitary. The only
one who can gage your progress as a solitary is yourself- and that
is an extremely difficult thing to do. Those silent few who become
masters via this route concentrate mainly on practical work, and
the guidance of the small number of texts that have useful
information. They make their way largely by trial and error.
Although, there is one final option open to this kind of person
(which is likely to be what you are yourself), and we will cover
that now:
Self Initiation
This option is a cross between the formal initiation by group, and
the passive initiation of the solitary practitioner. It also
happens to be one of the hottest occult debates of our modern
time. Can a beginner, who has little to no experience, perform an
initiation upon himself? Would this not be somewhat like
performing surgery on oneself?
The answer is both yes and no- depending on the situation. If you
attempted to perform the established initiatory rite of a group
(such as the Golden Dawn Neophyte Initiation, or the First Degree
Wiccan Rite) upon yourself, there is no chance that you will then
be a member of that group. This is a big issue among the current
neo-pagan and Wiccan communities. Before the 1970s and 80s, one
could only become Wiccan if one found a coven with proper
initiatory lineage and underwent their ceremonies. Today, Wicca
has gained many sects that have no initiatory ties with the
original groups; this meaning that the new sects arose on their
own, without the involvement of any traditionally initiated
Wiccan. I personally believe that it is acceptable to refer to
oneself as Wiccan if that is the religion one chooses to adopt.
However, one should stay away from referring to oneself as any
specific type of Wiccan (i.e.- Gardnerian, Alexandrian, etc). The
same goes for any other path you may choose. One can be a Golden
Dawn magickian without claiming any grades or associations with a
Temple. One can be a Thelemite without joining the O.T.O. By
claiming to utilize a specific form of magick, you are merely
illustrating how you go about things, and possibly the
philosophies to which you adhere. It does not have to indicate or
imply anything further.
Yet, there is a danger here. These rites were not written for the
solitary practitioner, and it is quite impossible to do them
correctly alone. This means altering the ceremony- and the student
is just not in a position to make those kinds of decisions. Nor is
the student experienced enough to perform all of the astral work
that goes along with the physical movements of the ceremony.
Beyond all of this, however, there do exist further options. The
most common is known as the "Self-Dedication". Space is too short
here to grant full examples, but they can be found in many
beginners' courses (a great one is included in Don Kraig's Modern
Magick). Put simply, a self-dedication is a self-initiation. It is
designed to formally gain the attention of- at the very least-
your own personal guardians, and to state your dedication to the
occult path. It works, and it works well. An aspirant who does
this with his heart in the right place will soon find his life
transforming at a rapid pace.
There is another method of self-initiation which extends back some
way through history- and is even outlined in such magickal
grimoires as the Key of Solomon the King. The process is summed up
in a term you may have heard before: "Invoke Often". In fact, this
method is closely allied with passive initiation- depending on the
fact that simply using the forces will tend to initiate you into
them. The only difference here is that one purposefully invokes a
specific sequence of magickal forces with the intention of
becoming an initiate of the higher spheres.
In the Key of Solomon the King, the aspirant is instructed to
fashion a set of 49 magickal talismans- seven talismans for each
of the seven planets. They follow in the order of Luna, Mercury,
Venus, Sol, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Students of the Qabalah
will know that this follows the ordering of the planets on the
Tree of Life from lowest to highest, and astrology students will
recognize this as the order of the planets by their speed across
the sky- with Luna moving fastest, and Saturn (furthest away)
moving the slowest. They represent the Seven Heavens of the Hebrew
and Babylonian peoples, which must be passed through in order to
reach the "Throne of God". The Key of Solomon has one use these 49
talismans in succession to summon and command spirits related to
each sphere. When these spirits arrive, the text tells us that the
aspirant "�will see wonderful things, which it is impossible to
relate, touching worldly matters and all sciences."
It seems apparent that all mages will eventually follow this
course, regardless of their first initiatory experiences. Of
course, one does not need to attempt something so drastic as
summoning spirits for this purpose. One could just as well find or
create invocations based upon the various spheres (or Sephiroth of
the Tree of Light, if the Qabalah is your focus). This, in fact,
adds Self-dedication into the mix; allowing one to invoke and
dedicate oneself to each force in turn- from the most earthly to
the highest.
Yet another option is to undertake formal ceremonies of initiation
that have been re-written by adepts for the use of solitary
aspirants. This is actually a completely modern option, and the
majority of currently living wizards and witches had no access to
such resources when they began. Today, you can run down to your
local bookstore and pick up works such as Self Initiation Into the
Golden Dawn Tradition by Chic and Tabatha Cicero. For those of a
Wiccan bent, there is a self-initiation ceremony contained in A
Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar. Of course, here the
solitary still must face trial and error and the fact that he has
only himself and his silent guardians to guide him. However, a
heart-felt dedication to the path will take one a long way;
especially if it is accompanied with a self-dedication rite. Doing
this will ensure that one is well aquatinted with the Mystery of
Daring.
And this brings us to the end of this installment of the Mage's
Guide. In the next issue, I will focus upon the final Virtue of
the Sphinx: Knowledge. I will offer a list of books that you can
easily purchase, and which I have personally found to be the best
of the best. Even more, I will be discussing what is contained in
each book, and how to use them all together to form a complete
course of self-dedication, initiation, and awakening into the
realm of magick. It will, I admit, focus largely on texts of
ceremonial magick. However, I again must stress that your personal
path does not have to figure into your decision to use these
books. They will, after all, teach you how to use magick-
regardless of your personal orientations. Plus, all of them are
extremely "pagan-friendly", and should not be a cause of ethical
concerns. Not everyone will wish to use them, of course, but
anyone can gain useful information from them. Until then, Blessed
Be.
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