In magick, initiation is a start of a new life of power, having been through a death of the old self, and a rebirth as a spiritual being. Before presenting yourself for initiation, the first step is to discover which aspect of divinity you are going to align yourself to. Each tradition may have a variety of deities, or names of the different aspects of divinity. You may not at first know which one is going to call you, but you must open yourself to be called.

You can get the process started by reading up on the different deities and their myths, and see which ones move you. Once you show you are seeking, the right deity will come to you in dream. This is the deity that will be with you for life. Each tradition recognizes this principle of a single guiding deity. In Vodou it is called the Lwa met tet, or ruler of the head. In Hindu mysticism it is known as your devata. In Egyptian magick it is your personal Neter.

“There are two deaths known to man; the lesser and the greater. The death of the body and the death by initiation; and of the two the death of the body is the lesser. To give yourself to the Goddess is to die, for she takes you.” Chaldean Oracles.

It is important that you accept this being as your closest aspect of divinity, and devote yourself to it.

Initiation

The call to initiation usually comes in one of three ways, firstly through awakening followed by a method of transformation, and then purification, each of which has three possible ways, each step symbolized by the muses. The three muses of awakening are tradition, innocence and humour, and the heroic voice. These are all places in which you wake up to your spiritual path. The three ways of transformation are movement, meaning anything that moves you, tragedy and dignity, and the lyrical voice of legend and ballad.

These usually come to you unbidden, you do not choose them, but whichever happens, it leads to an inner transformation. The three ways of purification are music, sacred sound and the celestial voice. The purification process you embark upon yourself, involves the sacred sounds of divine languages such as Sanskrit or Arabic, and involves an intense period of mantra or prayer. These sacred prayers have the ability to awaken your hidden powers, or Siddhis, provided they are carried out with true devotion and reverence.

In order to develop the proper quality of devotion, a devotional period is recommended, in which you make your own prayers and repeat them twice a day. Seven devotional prayers should be written, expressing the different types of love. The first is as if to a powerful ruler, expressing awe. The second is an oath, expressing life long allegiance. The third is as to a parent, expressing dependence.

The fourth is as to a deity, expressing devotion. The fifth is as to a comrade, expressing friendship. The sixth is as to a sister or brother, expressing trust. The seventh is as to a lover, expressing love. This is usually done for a minimum of nine weeks. During this time, you should act as if the deity is with you all the time, watching your every thought and action, so you act according to your highest integrity.

This period will bring up a challenge, as you will realize that there are things in your life you need to change in order to be true to who you are becoming. It will take courage to do what you know you must. The completion of this challenge is a kind of initiatory test. When you have passed, you will know the deity is pleased with you, and you will get some kind of sign.

Once the devotional period and the test are complete, it is time for some ritual of initiation. This is often carried out by an adept, but you can also self initiate, by creating your own ritual of dedication, where you affirm your life long devotion and declare yourself a priest or priestess, asking for the deities blessing. The mantra or prayer practice is best given by an adept too, as power is passed on to ensure your success. New mantra practices are given now and then to develop extra abilities.

It is possible for these empowerments to be given from a distance, usually through a medium that is sent to you, to use in your self-initiation ritual. For example, the empowerments available from https://www.astralmagick.com can be taken at home, and powers developed through the prayers given with them.

There are many levels of empowerment available, with corresponding levels of prayer or mantra practice, which can develop many occult gifts. When you have finished one empowerment, you can begin others, and constantly build on your occult abilities. The important point to bear in mind is that success depends on two things; proper empowered items from an adept, and your devoted practice. Enter these practices with this proper idea of devotion and you can develop many amazing powers.

Written by: Zahir Karbani

Mani Zone Ltd Copyright © 2009

This article was published on Sunday 01 March, 2009.