Further Thoughts About Astral Initiations

Once again the issue of astral initiations has become something of a heated discussion theme in the occult and magical blogosphere. I have already discussed this issue quite thoroughly in an article that I posted back in January of 2011. This is not a new discussion and for some reason it seems to gain new life in a cyclic manner, sort of like the plague. I have made my point that astral only initiations performed at long distance are pretty much ridiculous. My friend Scott had a funny story about using a “sock puppet” with the photograph of someone’s face pasted on it, and then putting that construct through a Golden Dawn initiation. Would the person whose photographed face was stuck to the sock be truly initiated?

There is also the problem of some disreputable person scheduling a long distance initiation (to be affected via the astral) for someone, having them pay money for this operation, and then doing nothing at the appointed time. Then, pretending that it had actually happened. You can find my previous article on this topic here, although it was in response to Robert Zink proclaiming his “astral only” methodology for Golden Dawn initiations.

Another issue that I discussed is self-initiation, to which I stated that it was not as effective as being taught and initiated by an individual or group. Self initiation brings to my mind some important questions. If someone is performing an initiation solely by their own hand then where does any kind of objective measurement occur? How is such a person challenged, and if they are not challenged, then is their initiation even valid? These are important questions. At some point even the most isolated or secluded student has to have some kind of outside and objective peer review, not to mention the importance of having his or her experiences and knowledge fully challenged.

In my opinion, there is nothing more sad, ludicrous or pathetic than discovering someone who has been exclusively self-taught and self-initiated for their entire magical and occult career. If you want a clear example of this kind of phenomenon, you need only google the name “Venus Satanas,” to find a perfect example of someone who has been called by her peers the “Forest Gump” of Theistic Satanists. Yes, it would seem that mixing alluring sexuality with simple-mindedness does help individuals to sell their ideas, however badly formed or ignorant they might be. I think that FOX news and Goetia Girls has shown this to be true. Also, it is quite novel, in my opinion, for a priestess to have her very own dancing pole mounted in the middle of her temple. I hadn’t equated pole dancing with sacred ritual dance, but then again, what do I know?

Still, an initiation is not the mechanism by which someone is conferred a specific level of spiritual and magical development. I have made this statement often enough that it should be considered one of the trade marks of my magical tradition. Often, initiations are just in-house accolades and peer group lintel rites that allow someone to have access to the specific ritual lore of that degree. Yet initiations by themselves do little to actually help someone to spiritually evolve or ascend. In order to truly grow and expand, one must do the work on a regular basis, and it is the work alone that causes transformation and spiritual ascension. The work might be aided by intercession of a teacher or mentor, but only if the initiate strives through consistent effort will anything dramatic actually occur. In this manner, initiates are responsible for their own magickal progress and the enrichment of their own spiritual process. 

In the Order of the Gnostic Star, only the first two initiations are rites performed by more than just the candidate and the initiator. Yet even these two rites have an alternate form that is reduced down to just the initiator and the candidate undergoing the initiation. All grades of the Order are associated with extensive ordeals or batteries of workings that must be completed and validated before the initiation rite is to be performed. In a sense, the transformative initiation is often achieved by the work and then just objectively validated by the initiation rite. In the ESSG, there is an important emphasis placed on the student and mentor relationship, and this relationship represents the entire cycle of degrees, from first through ninth. Although the identity of the mentor might change during the life cycle of the student, the relationship is still integral to the structure of the Order.

So, one could say that the Order of the Gnostic Star has both a form of self-initiation as the initiatory ordeals, and a mentor to candidate initiation at each degree threshold. What this does is establish a kind of ladder that runs up the Tree of Life, where each degree has its set of ordeals and workings to be performed (however long it takes), and at the completion and realization of each set, there is an initiation rite and mystery that acts as the threshold to the next level of expertise and magical knowledge.

Elemental Degrees

In order to really and fully document and define the nature of the lower four degrees of the Order of the Gnostic Star, I have decided to pull some associated text from some Order documents that have never been published. I felt that if my readers understand the nature of the first four Elemental Degrees, a greater understanding would be established for realizing the degrees associated with adepthood.

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One very important point is that a transformative initiation should not be a single event, never to be repeated. While there are some pagan and witchcraft traditions that espouse only one initiation, an occurrence of internal, cyclic transformations, expressed or realized through some kind of exterior ritual should be a natural part of anyone’s spiritual and magickal process. The exterior rite should not, in most cases, be one that is performed alone, but shared with others, who act as witnesses and perhaps even facilitators. They assist the candidate in objectifying the internal transformation.

This continuous and periodic transformation and it’s outer expression as an initiation rite characterizes an incremental expansion of consciousness and the evolution of spiritual awareness. For the progressive pagan, witch or occultist, spiritual evolution in this life is a very important virtue, denoting that one is on the “path” to ultimately achieving union with the Godhead. Not every pagan, witch or magickal practitioner has this as their goal, but for the progressive practitioner, growth and personal development is a critical part of one’s spiritual and magickal practice. It is also a natural by-product produced through the search for meaning, greater insight, and the exalted conscious realization of Spirit within the material world.

This is why many magickal lodges and other occult organizations have multiple degrees or grades, but the transformative process doesn’t adhere to fixed degree structures or orchestrated, time-in-grade measurements. Transformative initiations are, if anything, guided by the internal mechanism and the mysteries of the individual initiate, based as they are on his or her soul revelations. Some transformations are greater and far more profound than others, and they may occur at greater or lesser frequencies during the lifetime of the initiate. They can also happen during different time frames, some taking much longer to complete than others. What we can say about transformative initiations is that they are cyclic oscillations of an initiate’s internal spiritual process. That cycle can be compared to the mythic Cycle of the Hero or the twenty-two Trumps of the Tarot. An examination of the symbolic images of the Tarot Trumps, or the occurrence of one in a strategic Tarot reading, can indicate to the initiate their specific point in the ongoing and ever continuous initiation process.

As I have already indicated, cyclic transformations occur at various intervals, and have greater or lesser impact on the one experiencing them. The greater cycles can be symbolically compared to the ten Sephiroth on the Tree of Life (that is, if the Qabalah is an important tool), but other meta-patterns or symbolic structures can be used. Because, for me, the Tree of Life is a very useful tool, I also find it useful to determine the larger transformative patterns.

In the Order of the Gnostic Star, the Qabalah is used to build the required ordeals that an initiate must perform in order to attain to a specific degree, since by performing them, he or she triggers the associated transformation. Using the Tree of Life can also help us to define the differences between an initiate, an adept, and a high adept; a structure that is represented by the three triadic groupings of the nine Sephiroth. It’s assumed that Malkuth, the lowest of the ten Sephiroth, would represent the state of the non-initiate or the one who stands at the threshold of the process of spiritual transformation, but it is also the very first initiation ordeal that one undergoes.

What I am presenting here is something that is very simplified. One would have to incorporate the twenty-two paths as well as the ten sephiroth to produce a comprehensive examination. I will just use the sephiroth to aid this discussion, leaving the more complex analysis for one of my future books.

Initiates who are following a magickal path that uses the Tree of Life as a guide would begin their process at the point of the element of Earth. This is the place where the initiate crosses the first threshold,  revealing the truth that the material world is imbued and suffused with Spirit. This often causes the initiate to see the world as a sacralized phenomenon of nature, where there is no division between matter and spirit because all is one and unified. One can take this experience as indicative of the veritable truth of pagan spiritual perspectives (such as Neoplatonism), but it can also cause one to realize that the product of creation is just as sacred and holy as that which created it (such as the writings of Emerson would indicate).

Once the initiate has passed this threshold of Earth as the manifestation of Spirit, then he or she begins a process of transformation that has many incremental steps, both great and small. Yet the first progression can be compared to a series of ordeals that emulate the internal qualities of the four Elements. These transformations are therefore referred to as the initiation of the Four Elements, and represent a larger and more complex cycle for the initiate who is seeking to master Spirit. Of course, the quest for mastering Spirit is the long sought after achievement that bestows adepthood upon the seeker.

Where Earth is the revelation of the material world imbued and made sacred with Spirit, the sequence of the next three elements represent a similar progression. Let me briefly note them here for you to examine and ponder. Keep in mind that an actual transformative initiation process might not undergo the next three elements in the order that I am presenting here. Some systems use the progression of Earth, Air, Water and Fire, others might use Earth, Water, Air and Fire, and still others might use Earth, Fire, Water and Air. The order is not important, what is important is that the initiate goes through all four Elements in some manner. In fact, it is usually the case that an initiate will track through all four of them multiple times until they are completely mastered.

Water (Yesod): This transformative degree is characterized by the imagination, the power of dreams, symbols and psychic occurrences. This is where magick seems to become a fully realized phenomenon, where spirits and powers are encountered and realized. Initiates who walk this path also acquire a spiritual sense of themselves, and they discover that they have helpers, guides and spiritual allies who seek to aid them in their spiritual and magickal quest. As you can imagine, divination is important in this sphere, as is the foundation of archetypal symbols that lie at the core of the spiritual domain. 

Air (Hod): The next transformative degree is characterized by the occult intellect and the individual will, the ability to organize diverse spiritual and magickal phenomena using various occult systems, such as the Tarot, Qabbalah, Astrology, Alchemy, Psychology and occult metaphysics, and the desire to use them to will things into manifestation. Science is also used to understand the subtle occult processes that the initiate has personally experienced, and all disciplines and areas of knowledge are culled to assist the initiate in being able to intellectually apprehend the fullness of the spiritual and magickal world and then, to subjugate it. 

Fire (Netzach): The final transformative degree of the four elements is characterized by spiritual love, selfless devotion, spiritual service, and the practices of spiritual alignment. This degree is where the initiate begins the transition of becoming a priest or priestess of Spirit, and it is also where the other three elements begin to blend into a seamless discipline of spiritual and magickal practices and insightful experiences. In some traditions this would be the first element degree experienced beyond Earth, particularly if spiritual love was the pre-eminent foundation that one had to establish before doing anything else (this would be true of the Abramelin ordeal as well as certain monastic Christian traditions and Sufiism).

This degree would also represent the beginning of the manifestation of the higher self, which becomes more materially apparent to the initiate through spiritual love. Initiates walking this path dedicate their lives to building a core of spiritual practices that erect powerful bridges between themselves and their chosen personal Godhead.

The first four degrees have associated magical lore and techniques that must be mastered (and proven to one’s peer group) before one is able to advance to the next degree. The first four degrees have the following magical ritual workings that are a part of the lore of the Order:

1. First Degree - Elemental Magic (using the Enochian Godname Pair and Calls)

2. Second Degree - Talismanic Elemental Magic (using the Enochian Seniors/Kings)

3. Third Degree - Theurgy - Magical Evocation (Archangel Angel/ Demigod Invocations)

4. Fourth Degree - Lesser Archeomancy. (Full Angelic Theurgy & Goetic Evocation)

As you can see, the stipulated ordeals more or less fit the mysteries of the Four Elemental degrees. The progression is to first master Elemental magick, then Planetary magick (in combination for the Talismantic Elementals), then Magical Evocation, and finally Lesser Archeomancy (archeomancy of the 40 Qabalistic domains) and the assumption of the practices of the magician-priest as sacral technician.

I have previously written some articles about the Qabalistic degree cycles as they pertain to the Order of the Gnostic Star, and you can find them here, here and here. Combining what I have written in this article with these other three articles should completely fill out how transformative initiations via degree-based ordeals are established in the Order. For now, I believe that I have exhausted all of arguments that I can make in regards to astral-only initiations and self-initiation. I am sure that you, my readers, get my point and know what I think of these matters.

Frater Barrabbas

Astral Initiations, Self Initiations and the Need for Exterior Challenges

On the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn blog, there has been some recent articles about astral-only initiations, particularly those espoused by Robert Zink, titular head of the EOGD (Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn), a branch of the Golden Dawn. It appears that Robert Zink, referred to by David Griffin as “Sideshow Bob,” has been promoting a kind of astral-only initiation, which takes place on the inner planes and allows individuals from remote geographic locations to receive an initiation in the Golden Dawn while not having to travel to any branch temple or the mother temple. Mr. Zink has gone so far as to say that an astral initiation is just as valid as a real one that takes place in a temple, conferred by real and physical representatives of the Order. Robert Zink in fact says that if long distance healing is possible, then why wouldn’t long distance initiations be possible? You can see the HOGD article here.

Of course, that would mean that healing and initiation are somehow conflated and identical processes. Anyone who has performed psychic healing will tell you that performing it physically on the person and in their presence is much more powerful than performing it long-distance. Healing in-person is optimal, long distance healing is done when no other possible recourse is available. I would also state that long distance healing can be deflected or interfered with to a greater degree than an in-person healing, and there is a stark difference in the rate of success.

Also, it’s much too easy to tell someone that you are going to do something for them magickally at a distance, and then do nothing. If anything good happens, it’s easy to take credit for it, and if nothing happens or the matter gets worse, you can say that at least you tried. If there was an exchange of money for such a transaction, I would find it difficult not to consider it a scam. Anyway, all of this is rather silly, since an initiation isn’t at all like a healing. What we really need to discuss, as far as the possibility of an astral-only initiation is concerned, is the definition of the term “initiation.”

As an aside, in all of the years that I have been a witch, no one I know of has ever claimed to have received an astral-only initiation into witchcraft. If someone did make that claim, even if it was backed up by their High Priestess and High Priest, I would have to reject it. As it is, self initiation is looked upon dubiously for obvious reasons. An astral-only initiation would be considered very peculiar and would be rejected on the grounds that it did not bodily involve the candidate in any obvious manner. To understand initiation, we will need to look at that term and how it’s used, as well as examine another corollary term, which is transformation. I will quote some raw passages from my book “Disciple’s Guide to Ritual Magick” to aid in building these definitions. 

“Our day to day lives are filled with changes, and our challenge is to meet and integrate those changes into our lives. A failure to adjust to those changes is nothing short of a failure to adapt to life itself, which allows for the occurrence of even greater misfortune. Most changes are part of the flux and flow of life; seemingly granting individuals good fortune, luck, as well as trials, misfortune and tragedies. However, some changes are strategic and more significant, meaning that they represent an opportunity for individuals to better themselves, to grow and expand rapidly, making themselves more self-aware and sensitive to the greater world around them.

These changes are perilous and take us outside of ourselves, subjecting us to strange forces, mythic archetypes and processes that seem to have little to do with our daily lives. These strategic changes are called transformations, and they are usually triggered by life events that are more powerful, meaningful and significant than what is normally experienced. It is said that a wise man heeds the warning signs of his own impending transformations, and a fool ignores them.

When we choose an earth based religious tradition, like Wicca, Witchcraft, Neopaganism, or even a Magickal Lodge, often there is an associated rite (initiation) that is performed after we have gained a foothold in that tradition. That rite represents a passage from one state to another; from a state of lacking knowledge (about that tradition), to a state where we have become knowledgeable. Rites of passage like these exist at various strategic moments of our lives, and mark the times where we become knowledgeable about a new aspect of life - such as naming rites for the newly born, rites of puberty and adulthood (getting a driver’s license, getting laid, becoming eligible to vote, etc), marriage, parenthood, retirement or rites of eldership, and rites associated with death, such as wakes or funerals, to mark our passing from this world to the next.

Initiation rites can be social rites of passage, but they can also include a certain amount of personal transformation. Yet rites of passage (initiations) and personal transformations are actually two different things altogether, even though we often use them interchangeably. They should always be used distinctly since they denote different things. It is possible and even likely to experience both an initiation and a transformation, but it is not the rule, and certainly they are two different events and two different experiences. One can receive initiations into various social organizations (such as the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Eagles, Elks, Lions, Liar’s Club, Greek Fraternities and Sororities, etc.), and not be in any kind of spiritually transformed state. That is especially true for exoteric organizations and quasi-religious social cliques.

One can also undergo a powerful spiritual transformation and not be a zealous member of any particular creed. However, for esoteric organizations and true spiritual paths, an initiation and a transformation should occur nearly simultaneously. Our potential conscious growth is far greater than we have been led to believe, so we may grow far beyond the boundaries of normal adult ego-consciousness. In fact, that is the expectation in earth-base spiritual traditions, whether it is stated as such in the lore or just implicit in its practices. 

Magick is the method and the means through which an initiation and a transformation occur simultaneously. Those esoteric organizations who support the practice of some form of magick, are the very same organizations that have developed the means of continual personal transformation, which is also the obvious path to personal enlightenment and self-illumination.

Those esoteric organizations who eschew the practice of any form of magick or mysticism are very likely fraudulent and should be avoided by one and all. Without magick or mysticism there can be no growth, no spiritual evolution, and no hope of self-realization. The definition of magick is included in the broadest of practices and beliefs. Yet the focus of magick is always upon the transformation of the individual, so he or she may directly and periodically experience the Deity in all its mystery and manifested glory. Magick is the mirror that reflects the macrocosm into the microcosm, and back again, thus developing the greater depth of the individual soul. Magickal rituals are the sacred practices of individuals who seek to experience the world of Spirit, for magick is defined as the use of sacred symbols and rites for private instead of public purposes, and the goal is always a form of gnosis, which is the knowledge that one is a true being of Spirit.”

I would also like to include a few other quotes from that same book as well, to further define the terms of initiation and transformation. The definitions that are used were pulled from the Meriam Webster online dictionary.

“When we examine the definition for initiation we find the following entries.

‘INITIATION: the rites, ceremonies, ordeals or instructions with which one is made a member of a sect or society or is invested with a particular function or status.’

This seems to fit what we have said in previous paragraphs.

‘Initiate: to induct, facilitate the beginning of - to induct into membership by, or as if by special rites. Synonym: to begin. The condition of being initiated into some experience or sphere of activity - knowledgeableness.’

Aha! The word knowledgeableness is used in the definition above, a point that we stressed previously. The knowledge that is spoken of can be exoteric, as that found in a fraternal order, or it can be esoteric, as that found in a mystical or magickal order. Esoteric knowledge is synonymous with gnosis,  so initiatory knowledge within an occult organization represents intuitive knowledge of the Deity.
 
As we can see in the above lines from the dictionary, an initiation represents a rite of passage, a gateway or lintel-crossing from one station in life to the next. One who is initiated possesses a kind of special knowledge, granted as a privilege and responsibility by an organization or hierarchy. When this rite is performed in an esoteric organization, then the conferees of initiation are part of a spiritual hierarchy. However, in most cases, initiation is used to bring a candidate for membership formally into that organization.

The purpose of such an initiation, in an exoteric organization, is to grant membership and not to profoundly alter one’s consciousness. Anthropologists have traced the antecedent to these social organizations in the tribal Moiety, representing the precursor to all later secret societies. The Moiety, which is a social phenomenon where a tribe is divided into two parts, and where each group practices their rites in secrecy from the other half of the tribe, represents a basic human organizational behavior, and might even be traced backed to some precursor hominid instinctive behavior.

A social organization, or lodge, which conducts secret rites, with signs, passwords, and grips, can be conducted in a fashion that is no more spiritual or magickal than any other semi public activity. Thus it is not unusual to find individuals who are high initiates in various social orders, but who have not experienced any kind of psychological transformation. We must examine the nature and definition of transformation in order to realize the true source of spiritual evolution; for obviously it is not through initiation alone that we are changed.

So let us look at the definition for the word transformation and see how it is defined.   

‘TRANSFORMATION: act or process or instance of transforming or being transformed. To change in composition or structure, to change the outward form or appearance of - to change in character or condition. Convert, change, to make radically different.’

The part of the definition of Transformation that seems to be most relevant is the expression, to make radically different. And also - to change in character or condition. Transformation is defined as a radical or profound change, but such a change could be either progressive and evolving or regressive and debilitating. However, within the context of the occult, we refer to transformation as the means to achieving positive spiritual change within one’s self.

To round out the definition of transformation, we have to include two other terms - Transcendence and Teleology. We include them because progressive transformation seems to cause one to sense  the deeper structures of reality and beingness, and to perceive that there is a final end or purpose to life.

‘TRANSCENDENCE: exceeding usual limits, surpassing - extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience - in Kantian philosophy: being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge. Being beyond comprehension - Exceed. Transcend: to rise above or go beyond the limits of, to triumph over the negative or restrictive aspects of, overcome, to outstrip or outdo in some attribute, quality, or power.’

Those who choose the purely scientific view (of reality) have sided with Emanuel Kant in accepting that the transcendental quality of consciousness is beyond all possible rational knowledge, beyond comprehension, and therefore must be irrelevant to the acquisition of real objective knowledge. Of course, those who have been trained as occultists know this to be a fallacy, for we who are seekers often experience higher states of consciousness while immersed in the domain of Spirit. We are also able to explain it and even teach the practice of obtaining these states of consciousness to others, thus also making them quite objective in a subjective manner.

The transcendental realm of Spirit is inexplicable, so it is represented as a kind of meta-logic or metaphysics that defies quantitative or qualitative analysis. It is also a domain of human experience that is universal in its potential, experienced by all, but seldom realized except by a small minority of people. The word transcendence is used together with transformation to denote the kind of personal change that triumphs over all adversity and suppression, releasing the self to the greater and higher states of being.

‘TELEOLOGY: Telos (end) + logia (purpose). The study of evidence of design in nature,  a doctrine that states that ends are immanent in nature, a doctrine explaining phenomena by final causes. The fact or character attributed to nature or natural processes of being directed toward an end or shaped by a purpose. The use of design or purpose as an explanation of natural phenomena.’

Teleology could mean that through a spiritual perspective, everything in the world has a purpose, a vocation and a destiny. However, teleology has also digressed into such formulations as Intelligent Design, which is a stealthy re-packaging of Creationism. I think that by purpose or ultimate design, we must conclude that the subjective human process of creating meaning is taking place, and that it is not to be confused with objective physical reality. The meaning of life is not something that makes much sense when examined with the ruthless empirical eye of science.

The terms transcendence and teleology seem to refer directly to that domain of human activity called the Sacred. It seems obvious, then,  that to experience transcendence is to experience the world of Spirit, for it is Spirit that transcends all that we might mentally conceive, and it is also the beginning and the end of all manifestation - the true source and destiny of all spiritual seekers. Thus we also choose to examine the word sacred, since it seems to be at the core of the terms that we have examined so far. 

‘SACRED: the power, being, or realm understood by religious persons to be at the core of existence and to have a transformative effect on their lives and destinies. Other terms, such as holy, divine, transcendent, ultimate being (or reality), mystery, and perfection (or purity) have been used for this domain. Sacred is also an important technical term in the scholarly study and interpretation of religions.’

The word sacred represents the ground or basis for the domain of transcendental transformation, and as such, it requires that all actions within that space be godlike and archetypal. All of the above words, initiation, transformation, transcendence, teleology, and sacred symbolize the process and the path of individual ascension, but throughout them runs the theme of the experience of Spirit. The world that is without time and space, that is trans-logical, trans-personal, non-dual, and myriad dimensional is the true Multi-verse of the Unity of All Being.

It is this place of Spirit from which all manifestation came forth, imprinted with the synergistic potential to become conscious; and it is that which all conscious individuals seek. They seek their ultimate union with the being-ness of Spirit, who is called a God, for lack of a better name. Thus through the magickal artifice of emanation, involution, evolution, and union, the material universe, filled with dead inchoate matter, becomes imbued with life, consciousness, and then, ultimately, Spirit.

There are two cycles identified in this pattern, and they are the cycles of Transformation and Emanation - the intersecting paths of Light and Darkness, the realms of the Macrocosm and the Microcosm intertwined. The primary mystery that a magician faces, then, is the mystery of his own being, and its revelation as the god-as-self within the World of Spirit. A wise magician must ever work magick that promotes and transforms himself, so that the realization of the divinity within himself becomes an objective reality.  And the name for this kind of magick is the Great Work, the Magnum Opus of magicians and alchemists, the obtainment of perfect spiritual illumination.     

The process of spiritual growth is principally aided by a synthesis of transformation, transcendence and teleology to cause strategic changes at important moments of our lives, so the progression of spiritual awakening and growth is personally significant and meaningful. Transformative initiations are a means whereby certain levels of transformation are objectified, but they can also facilitate the transformation process itself.”

So, hopefully, the above quotations from the Disciple’s Guide to Ritual Magick have adequately defined the nature of initiation and transformation. However, I think that we need to make a few additional points in order to fully explain the necessity of receiving a transformative initiation at the hands of another and more experienced initiate, and through the acceptance and agreement of a peer group. I believe that the importance of both of these criteria would show that an astral-only initiation or a self-initiation, however legitimate they may be attested to by an individual or a group, can never replace a physical teacher, elder and a peer group. The key to this whole idea is the need for one to be challenged, tested and then affirmed by a superior and one’s peers.

Without this key concept, anyone could claim to be an initiate, adept or even a master, stating that such a high honor was conferred through some astral process or by one’s own hand. Declaring such a status without the backing of a peer group, a qualified mentor or without some kind of exterior and measurable achievement would make it wholly unsubstantiated and therefore, unearned. It would be like claiming to be a Master Mason without having undergone any of the initiations or the massive amount of required memorization. Such a claim would be unbelievable if the one making it didn’t know the passwords, signs and grips that act, in a small measure, as proof of such status. Making claims about one’s spiritual level of development and achievement without any proof is just as ridiculous as making it about being a member of a fraternal order that hasn’t any spiritual or magickal pretensions.

Additionally, there are some other considerations about receiving an initiation from a teacher, elder or peer group. A powerful soul changing transformative initiation requires a high degree of objectification in order for the transformation to be properly resolved. Additionally, there is a transmission of knowledge, both subtle and essential, that passes between initiator and candidate, which can’t be either faked or simulated. Finally, receiving an initiation from a teacher or elder places one into a line of initiates, past, present and future, and this line is called a lineage. 

 

Some linages are not particularly important or even necessary, yet some may represent a powerful continuity that goes beyond space and time. Receiving such an initiation may literally open doors, make inner plane contacts possible, powerfully influence people and events, and even determine one’s ultimate destiny. The important components of such an initiation are the teacher, the organization of peers and the challenging difficulty of the initiation ordeal rite. 

 

None of this can be simulated through a self-initiation or some kind of astral-only initiation rite. It must be physical, tangible and fully realized. One must be thoroughly challenged by some ordeal external to the self, and correspondingly, one must achieve a resolution to this challenge that is satisfactory to the individual and the group who is sponsoring the teaching. This can only be accomplished through a traditional initiation ceremony, particularly one that triggers or accompanies a personal transformation.

An astral-only initiation or a self-initiation can’t replace a traditional initiation, and in some cases, they can even be counter productive. There is only so much that one person can do by themselves, even with a lifetime of personal study and experience. At certain times everyone needs to have a teacher or elder to assist and guide them, and at all times, everyone needs a peer group to help them objectify their experiences. There are no substitutes or alternatives, regardless of what anyone may say. If someone ever tells you that you can acquire a high initiation or a personal transformation without any outside challenge, group or teacher, then you should avoid that person who so advises you as a fraud and a cheat, especially if they offer to do it for a fee.

That’s my opinion on this controversial subject. I know that some will not agree with me, but I believe that most will see the reason and the importance in what I am communicating. If someone ever came up to me and told me that they had paid someone to give them an astral-only initiation into witchcraft, I think that I would try very hard not to laugh at them. As a matter of fact, I would probably feel really sorry for them, and I would say so. To me, it just doesn’t make any sense and it can’t in any way replace what I have received directly from my various human teachers and guides.

Frater Barrabbas