"Great progress in truth is difficult in the midst of the world and under the favor of fortune; duplicity and double seeming are needed in dealing with the one and anxiety for preserving the other. Our rest is not therefore in God."

Initiation...it is a deeply misunderstood word in today's western, ego centric society. For many the word brings visions of College fraternity hazing and youthful hedonistic partying. Yet this word in ancient times symbolized a deeply personal and spiritual process though which one separated themselves from the mundane world and worked towards a deeper understanding of the Self. Remember the words of the Greek Oracle at Delphi.."Know Thyself, and thou shall know all the mysteries of the Gods and the Universe." But where does initiation enter into the equation? Life itself is a process of constant struggles and initiations. We are initiated into adulthood through rites of passage and celebrations. Is not the Bah Mitzvah or sweet sixteen coming out party a form of initiation. Are we not initiated into a new level of Self when we graduate from grammer school into high school or even college. Each of life's little struggles or initiations brings with it some personal insights. Thus if I am constantly gaining personal insights from life's little initiations why do I need to join an Order that requires a "formal" initiation.

For me it is a matter of intent and pace. Rather than let life randomly and haphazardly initiate you, by taking on some spiritual work or order you are taking responsibility for your level of growth and development. What matters to me is not the Order or organization you choose to join but that you approach the initiatic path with an open mind. The often dramatic rituals and ceremonies are meant to take you outside of your everyday mundane ego centic self. Once you get past that part of yourself that reacts to the outside world and is a reflection of the material world around you, that is when you find the first steps towards the center of your being...your true self.

That to me is the true meaning of the Initiatic Path. Is it a waste of time..that is up to the individual and the amount of effort they put into the process.

Just the humble opinion of this unknown philosopher...Unus Multorum