I mostly organise initiations instead of courses. Wherein lies the difference? The word “initiation” comes from the Indo-European root “Ei” meaning “to go” or “way”. It implies movement, the moving forward on a specific path. The word has evolved from the Latin “Initialis” meaning “of the beginning, incipient” and “initium” meaning “an entrance, a going in”. An initiation means that we’re going back to the root of a teaching, to the core or source frequency of ourselves and we enter through multiple gateways on the path of initiation. The term initiation later evolved to specifically mean “to instruct in the mysteries or sacred knowledge”.
When we start to engage in the mysteries, we can no longer approach our quest as an ambition of the mind, for the mysteries cannot be understood by the mind. When entering into a mystery teaching, our whole being is engaged – our body, soul, mind, spirit participate in the path, we leave no part behind. Even when the mysteries are passed on through sacred texts, the language is such that it short circuits the mind intentionally, we are asked to feel the truth hidden underneath the words. An initiation is a return to universal truth. The truth of who we are, stripped bare of the illusions we have been fed and we feed ourselves daily as human beings. Truth cannot really be understood intellectually, it is felt, it is experienced. Just like true gnosis (sacred knowledge) cannot be taught, it can only be awakened. Like a sacred flame that can be rekindled by a teacher in whom the sacred fire is active and alive. Initiation moves the soul, it awakens the spirit. It is a process of deconstructing an ego built on falsehoods and illusion to allow the light of our essence to emerge to the surface. Examples of false ego are not living our truth, not believing in ourselves, trying to please through the persona we project, trying to be someone we are not, allowing ourselves to be defined by external criteria, compartmentalising our reality, etc.
Initiation helps us build the inner strength and stability to deal with existential pressure. We are constantly under pressure in our reality, pressure is applied to alchemise our being and separate the light (truth) from the shadow (untruth). Our primal human response to this pressure is to run away from it, to develop mechanisms that numb our feelings, that allow us to block our feelings of resistance or that give us excuses not to deal with what is happening within. Initiation helps us face this pressure and even let it in as a force to accelerate our transformation.
Initiation is always a process inspired by, gifted by and supported by divine sources. There is no initiation possible without a deep respect and faith in the existence of the divine, the sublime, the transcendental.
