What Initiation is NOT.

[noonespecial]

The phenomena you experience in life (memories and feelings), it is not the powers you awaken through practice (The Siddhis) not is any sort of dogma, doctrine or faith (anything that tickles your cognitive capabilities whether Christianity, Islam or Thelema), so then, what is it?

[Nungali]

Its a way of making some sense of the phenomena you experience in life , especially socio-cultural relationships , with each other and to environment  .

 

Its basically about individuation within society, learning the give and take ;  in a good society, the individual 'spirit' is  supported and bought forth , it is seen as having something special to offer.  In turn, the  society has many benefits for the individual. The initiate learns about the value of the ' trade off '  between a certain amount of liberty and expression in exchange for not letting his 'Id ' run amok in his society, and the society also benefits him by protecting him against other 'amok Ids' . 

 

Basically they consist of  distinct patterns ;  eg; the child ( a man of nature , an animal is taught to be a cultural person in the first initiation series .  later the cultural person becomes a 'magical person' .  Often they emulate the major stages of life' birth , adolescence, adulthood, death . 

 

 We all go though our levels of initiation   - well, some fail at step 1 , but basically, we go though it our own way, no one has a monopoly on it .   One form that has always been common is dramatic ritual ; in that the candidate learns possible behavioral modes and solutions for events he may yet encounter , or  to help put in context events he has experienced.

 

Such rituals offer learning expereince on multiple levels 'in action' ..... to help it sink in. 

 

Recent experiments have shown a similar dynamic can work ( quickly getting the message and learning in, so it is 'cemented'  )  cam be done with AR learning  , as the artificial reality one is 'in' via the senses,  emulates this type of 'dramatic ritual' which is a stylized emulation of life experience, but often enacted  by a more direct link into the unconscious . 

 

Maybe this is one of our first 'initiation temples' ?   :  

 

(do watch the whole thing when you have time . )

 

[FraterUFA]

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Edited April 20, 2017 by FraterUFA

[roger]

The phenomena you experience in life (memories and feelings), it is not the powers you awaken through practice (The Siddhis) not is any sort of dogma, doctrine or faith (anything that tickles your cognitive capabilities whether Christianity, Islam or Thelema), so then, what is it?

 

Opening your heart to love, your mind to truth, your eyes to beauty.

 

I love your quote, "do not mistake seriousness for sincerity, complexity for truth, variety for freedom." That's awesome.

 

Is that an actual quote? Who said it? I feel that my reading it was a message to me, something I needed to hear.

[Seth Ananda]

I would say it depends on what you are being initiated into.

Also there are inner Initiations and 'formal' initiations, and some groups attempt (to varying degrees of success) to blend the two.

Outer ones confer title or memberships/brother/sisterhood, and the benefits associated with whatever that group or title has. There is a often a challenge or an ordeal as part of it, to symbolize or demonstrate ones worthiness hold the position or to be part of the (real or imagined) prestigious and elite individuals who fill its numbers.   
 

Inner ones usually require going through an inner ordeal or experience like the Tower card,  the breakdown of old structures to make room for whatever new state or energy the initiation will grant.   In the spiritual world Initiation is an ongoing constantly recurring process.

Some groups excel at pushing the initiate to be, towards an inner ordeal and will Initiate the member once this has happened. This can be very powerful.  Lots of others groups try to imitate this with little success, and they probably lack good relationships with the initiatory spirits themselves. I imagine that stems from leadership problems.

If a leader just wants the power of their role as 'head of the group' then they probably will no longer throw themselves upon the alter of Initiation and beg for the dismemberment that would build them anew.    
 

[RiverSnake]

You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet. You gotta break apart your energy body and restructure it for greater gnosis/power. How this is done (or not done) depends on the tradition and Beings involved in the process. 

[noonespecial]

Its a fascinating topic, many streams, one ocean. Especially liked UFAs, a breaking down of the current, base mental constructs of emotion and cognition, to allow the rebirth of a new one, which confers upon the initiate a new understanding of mundane reality which is more than intellectual, and I would imagine that it is an infinite process. 

 

I am weary of 'group initiations' via ritual, seems like that offers more of a peak experience, which if not reinforced will quickly fade. It seems like the inner route is more substantive. 

 

Another sure fire, clear definition imo, is 'something' that cracks within, psychosomaticly speaking, that is encompassing both mind and thought which cannot be turned off, its as if once crossing a certain line, the process cannot be reversed although it may stagnate. 

[noonespecial]

 

I love your quote, "do not mistake seriousness for sincerity, complexity for truth, variety for freedom." That's awesome.

 

Is that an actual quote? Who said it? I feel that my reading it was a message to me, something I needed to hear.

 

Ah gee wiz, thank you, the variety for freedom bit I picked up from somewhere or someone although worded differently, the rest is my doing :-)

[Seth Ananda]

I am weary of 'group initiations' via ritual, seems like that offers more of a peak experience, which if not reinforced will quickly fade. It seems like the inner route is more substantive. 

I know how you feel. Very few groups can do this well.

[RiverSnake]

Its a fascinating topic, many streams, one ocean. 

 

Removing blockages and breaking down the energy body is the basics, but there are other aspects. Certain deities may confer powers or abilities upon the initiate based on the nature of the deity....or perhaps give knowledge of specific mysteries to that aspect of reality that the deity represents. 

 

Some initiations may involve you having an NDE or going into a forest. It depends on your nature and the contacts you are involved with, but of course it usually always means something transformative. 

[noonespecial]

Removing blockages and breaking down the energy body is the basics, but there are other aspects. Certain deities may confer powers or abilities upon the initiate based on the nature of the deity....or perhaps give knowledge of specific mysteries to that aspect of reality that the deity represents. 

 

 

I think this is an important subject to bring up, I would imagine part of being a true initiate, would be the ability to properly follow the protocol of the inner worlds and ensure you are dealing with the highest form of the specified inner contact possible, this would involve the ability to properly question and scan the intelligence one is dealing with, that is thinking like an initiate with the energy of intiate - which is not possible without a conscious link to the Supenal Triad, Godhead, HGA, whatever term one may choose - so the first line of business for the intelligent initiate would be to establish and solidify this contact before soliciting ones soul to god knows what , and as far as I can tell most youtube teachers and so-called 'magick' training course seem to not have the slightest clue of how to do neither do they have the what or why of doing so. 

[RiverSnake]

If you have a nondual approach to spirituality (which i tend towards) then much of what your talking about is not absolutely relevant. The plants, trees and rocks in your garden can be your sifu and initiator just as much as some form of cosmic godhead. 

[noonespecial]

If you have a nondual approach to spirituality (which i tend towards) then much of what your talking about is not absolutely relevant. The plants, trees and rocks in your garden can be your sifu and initiator just as much as some form of cosmic godhead. 

 

Thats interesting. 

[Nungali]

Its a fascinating topic, many streams, one ocean. Especially liked UFAs, a breaking down of the current, base mental constructs of emotion and cognition, to allow the rebirth of a new one, which confers upon the initiate a new understanding of mundane reality which is more than intellectual, and I would imagine that it is an infinite process. 

 

I am weary of 'group initiations' via ritual, seems like that offers more of a peak experience, which if not reinforced will quickly fade. It seems like the inner route is more substantive. 

 

Another sure fire, clear definition imo, is 'something' that cracks within, psychosomaticly speaking, that is encompassing both mind and thought which cannot be turned off, its as if once crossing a certain line, the process cannot be reversed although it may stagnate. 

 

 

"Group Initiations"  ?  

[noonespecial]

"Group Initiations"  ?  

 

Edited October 1, 2016 by noonespecial

[noonespecial]

If you have a nondual approach to spirituality (which i tend towards) then much of what your talking about is not absolutely relevant. The plants, trees and rocks in your garden can be your sifu and initiator just as much as some form of cosmic godhead. 

 

I think its worth mentioning when I speak of contacting godhead or supernal, I am really speaking about a particular depth and quality of mind (after-all, where else would we find Godhead?) which is by nature; a Unity - so practically speaking, it like establishing a repertoire with this quality/depth of mind and consciously re-integrating this state into our waking conscious (and vice-versa). 

[RiverSnake]

I think its worth mentioning when I speak of contacting godhead or supernal, I am really speaking about a particular depth and quality of mind (after-all, where else would we find Godhead?) which is by nature; a Unity - so practically speaking, it like establishing a repertoire with this quality/depth of mind and consciously re-integrating this state into our waking conscious (and vice-versa). 

 

 

The Universes are a big place. Re-integrating levels of gnosis is a constant process....it doesn't end with a single initiation. Initiation is just the beginning, as the word implies.

Edited December 4, 2016 by OldWolf