Initiation

(The following is an excerpt from my Path of the Garter materials... its not oath bound and I thought I would share.-SM)

Initiation is several things; it is the beginning upon the path into the beyond, it is the act of formally becoming apart of a group, and it is the inner process of understanding the mysteries.

As you read this you have started yourself upon a journey, one that will take you from the point where you are at now into the unknowable. This is a turning point, an initiation of sorts. Sometimes we make the choice for change and sometimes we find ourselves at the doorstep of a new beginning without ever seeking it. Initiation in this manner takes many forms, moving to a new place shifts our lives in a new direction, starting a new school or career, becoming a mother or father, all of these are examples of initiatory beginnings. You have taken the first step along the path.

“The longest journey begins with the first step.” - Traditional proverb

Formally becoming a member of a group or organization in some form is another form of initiation. Some groups or traditions mark this point with a formal ceremony or ritual. This is an integral part of Witchcraft and the Western Mystery tradition as a whole. Initiation traditionally is made after and only with the completion of a year and a day’s time and when the seeker (non-initiate seeking full membership) has a full foundational understanding of the tradition as a whole (requirements for initiation vary from group to group and tradition to tradition). It must be said that initiation is not for everyone and choosing not to undergo this rite does not make your craft any less.

The third form of initiation is that of inner initiation. This is the process of understanding, of personal enlightenment of the mysteries. This is not an initiation that can be given; it can not be planned or timed. This is the “ah ha” moments of life. Sometimes they can be small or life shaking and altering, there can be many or just a few. Initiation into the mysteries is what is said to take place when we understand them on an inner instinctual level, it just happens.

Boidh se!
-Spanish Moss

"Lost in a thicket bare-footed upon a thorned path."