Initiation
by Foxglove

I have had many conversations regarding the subject of initiation, mostly with Non-initiates and it seems to me that there is a whole lot of confusion about it.  Many pagans believe that initiation is not needed as part of a mystery religion, nor will it ever be.

I disagree with these ideas!  A study of resource books on Ancient religions as well as contemporary histories and anecdotes will show you that initiations were the only way to gain access to the mysteries of specific traditions. For example, a priestess of Demeter would have undergone many years of study, hardship and even pain before she was accepted into the Demetrian/ Eleusinian Mysteries as a priestess, and that would not be the end of the hardships. See “Ancient religion in the Greek city” by Zaidman and Schmid Pantell for more information.  

Our Pagan ancestors (regardless of their path) have always had initiatory practices and rituals of some kind or another. Of course someone would have had to create the first rites (everything has to start somewhere), but I speculate that these rites would have morphed and grown from their original concepts as religion became more formalised or conquering cultures brought their own changes with them. This brings us to the modern debate of ‘who initiated the first Wiccan?’  The answer to this is easy, Gerald Gardner!! I will explain why I think this to be so later in this article, but for now let us concentrate on initiation.
  
What is initiation?  Initiation is a rite of passage that changes a person’s perception of the world. In the context of pagan practice it enacts a magical transformation, which permeates the spiritual, mental and physical being of the initiate. It brings all of these aspects into balance in the form of self-examination and rebirth. A rite of passage requires movement from one state of being into another, e.g from youth to adulthood. In an initiation this transformation occurs in the movement from neophyte to Priest(ess) but it also allows the initiate entry and acceptance into a spiritual and magical tradition or group. By passing an initiation the initiate has proved themselves capable of a certain level of dedication, a willingness to undergo magical and spiritual trials and training, as well as an acceptance of self, their peers and their acceptance by their Gods. After this acceptance has occurred then the initiate is able to access knowledge and wisdom in their tradition, from those who have experienced it before. By undergoing this trial and opening doors with the keys given upon initiation, the initiate will also find the mysteries unfolding for them much easier and faster than if they had waited for them to do so in a solitary situation.

Of course mysteries can and have been accessed by non-initiates, however the specific mysteries will be different in each case. What I am saying is; that unless you are willing to undergo the ordeal that is initiation, then you will never understand initiation as it truly is.

Is there such a thing as “self initiation”?  In my view; No.  There is however self-dedication to the Gods and Goddesses, which is the best and sometimes only step a solitary practitioner, can take.  As initiation is used in some part to allow admittance into a group (but not as a clique) with a shared experience and an access to the essence, history and astral thought forms used in that tradition then the experience of a solitary and an initiate will of course be different. Many initiates work solitarily and will only ever come together for rituals and festivities held for that group. Others will only work in that group. All initiates have made some kind of gesture/self dedication to the Old Ones long before they have been initiated.  This is their first step.

Of course initiation may not be important to you, as it has been for me, but rest assured the Gods and Goddesses have selected you as their priest/ess and you can only go by what they say to you, just as they said to me I needed initiation as the next step in my spiritual progress.

Anyone of you reading this who calls themselves Wiccan, a self initiated witch/Wiccan (that is to say if you disagree with me and you believe self-initiation to be possible), a first generation Hereditary witch or even an eclectic solitary, then you too have created a new tradition just as Old Gerald did back in the 1950’s. Gardner was the one who actually created modern Wicca as we know it to be, by taking from many resources such as the masons, knights Templars, The Key of Solomon, Charles Leland, just to name a few.  He developed a whole system of magic and worship that works.  He did the same things that other people who create or make necessary adjustments to old practices would do today (but without, perhaps, 50 year’s hindsight). By creating an eclectic mix he allowed the rites to move into the modern era and kept the essence of older traditions alive, rejuvenated and understandable to modern ways of thinking.  A good example of present changes is in the craft of the Northern hemisphere being altered to work within the climates and seasons of the Southern Hemisphere. 

I guess you can say that I am proud to be an initiate and that I do care about the “Hype” that has become apart of an initiates life (good and bad).  However, I don’t think that initiation gives me a right to think I am better than anyone who is not an initiate nor do I feel that it is for everyone, I am merely on a different course that the Gods themselves set for me, which I have accepted.

The Gods are there for all of us who are willing to put in the time and effort to acknowledge and understand them, they teach all of us, whether we have been initiated or not.  And they will continue to do so until the end of time.