Purpose and Meaning of Initiation
There is no set standard on the number of, nor rituals for, Initiatory degrees within Wicca. The most popular standard has become, by default, three degrees. However, there are many valid individuals and groups who adhere to but a single Initiatory degree, some with and some without a prior Dedication ceremony. The lack of standards in recognizing Initiation degree status has become one of the rallying cries behind the effort to unify the Wiccan religious community. Such standards, supporters say, would place us on an easily identifiable level with other major religions practiced today. The profits and losses of such a move are not debated here.
The purpose of any religious initiation is to effect a spiritual awakening within the Initiate. This is reflected in Wicca, although we understand it not so much as a new state, but rather as a "re-linking" of the Initiate with the Divine. Initiation opens doors to an expansion of consciousness and awareness from which flow greater knowledge, understanding, compassion, and empathy - the elements of which our magick is made.
Initiations ideally are performed by those at least one degree higher than the Initiate. Thus, a 1st degree aspirant may be initiated by one holding at least a 1st degree. A 2nd degree aspirant may be initiated by one already holding at least a 2nd degree, and so on. In some Trads, only a male can initiate a female, and only a female can initiate a male. Some Trads see it as necessary that both Priestess and Priest, on an equal and shared balance within the rite, should perform the initiations. Yet other Trads hold that only the Priestess, as representative of the Goddess, can perform initiations, with her Priest assisting her as necessary. Within some of these latter groups, and in others who hold that the only true initiator in this mundane world is the Priestess, the presence of a Priest is not necessary. Other, less hierarchical groups, share the duties of initiation among everyone within the group.
There is also no set time limit on when an aspirant can be initiated, although the traditional time frame is after a year and a day of directed study. This is sometimes waived when the aspirant has previously studied alone or with another, and can pass any written, oral, or hands-on test of his knowledge to the satisfaction of the Elders of the petitioned group.
A student must request Initiation. There are two major factors behind this particular tradition. First and foremost, petitioning for an initiation demonstrates that the aspirant understands that they, alone, are responsible for their own destiny. The request for Initiation is an acknowledgement by the would-be initiate that they understand they control their fate, not anyone or anything outside themselves. Secondly, Wicca is a non-proselytizing religion. We are not looking for converts. Sheer numbers of adherents do not make a religion valid in our way of belief. Much better to have a few sincere Seekers who have recognized the Lady's touch upon their hearts, than a multitude of "plastic pagans." Thus, only those who have demonstrated a firm commitment to the Lady and this path by their words, actions, and initiatives are considered for this important step.
Entry into a group is not a given. Most teaching groups acknowledge two types of Initiation: an Initiation into the Craft of the Wise and a separate coven initiation. If a student of a teaching coven is to also become a member of that coven, both initiations are often blended within one ritual. However, no student should ever assume that he will become a member of the teaching coven simply because he is being taught by one or more within that group.
Acceptance within a coven is a privilege; not a right. An initiation creates a strong emotional bond and tie between coven members, and so an initiation request should not be considered lightly by either the aspirant or the coven; and, as always, the High Priestess has the final word. However, because of the deep bond initiation creates between the coven sibs, tradition dictates that the decision to accept a new person into the coven must be unanimous. If only one person in the coven disagrees, can state good reason, and cannot be persuaded otherwise by coven siblings, then entrance is denied to the Initiate. Again, the High Priestess has the final word in all things coven-related, but group dynamics will usually dictate that she abide by the decision of the coven for the good of the whole, unless she has been shown otherwise by the Lady, Herself.
Initiation is filled with both obvious and subtle symbolism, each according to the degree being initiated. Death and rebirth is the theme of all initiations, and the movements within the initiation reflect this. To those not of this path, an Initiation ritual can look like an exercise in theater at best, and sheer bondage and domination at worst. But each element of the ritual reflects a specific symbol that we recognize as an imperative.
For example, some covens do Initiations skyclad. Other groups are robed, but all jewelry, makeup, and anything extraneous to the individual is forbidden to the Initiate. This symbolizes the Initiate has come to an inner understanding of the phrase "perfect love and perfect trust," for at this point, he is open, vulnerable, and completely at the mercy of those within the Circle. He has looked within and faced the shadow self, recognizing both its merit and demerit, and now trusts those with him now to see and appreciate him for both what he is and what he is not.
Binding an initiate is symbolic of our spiritual and physical state prior to Initiation. It represents the limitations and restrictions the individual placed upon himself prior to this moment, and is a graphic representation to the Initiate that he has, to now, been bound to this mundane world of materialism and egocentricity.
In accepting the blindfold, the Initiate recognizes that he has lived his life to now in darkness; never seeing the true self, the vital integration of shadow and light; never fully recognizing the Lady's light that surrounds and is within everything. It is an acknowledgement of the danger of seeking in the Mundane world; the peril coming in the guise of artifices to which the Seeker may have been blind.
And thus, standing at the outer edge of the Circle both blindfolded and bound, the Initiate is suspended between two worlds, a part of neither and yet, of both; awaiting freedom, yet fearing release from his bonds. He is challenged and, if successful, is granted entrance into the Circle.
The elements of the ritual which occur within the Circle are symbolic of our belief in birth, death, and rebirth. Being giving admittance to the Circle, the initiate is as a newly born child. He sees, but it is his own self he sees through the darkness; he hears, but in muffled and sometimes unintelligible tones. As the ritual progresses, he sees deeper within himself, and hears more strongly the voice of the Lady through Her Representative. Eventually, he symbolically dies and is then reborn; the cords and darkness that once bound him now cast off.
Thus, the Initiation ceremony is a window on our view of life; reflective of our strong belief in the influence of the Wheel of the Year upon our lives, and a catalyst to the re-linking with the Divine in all things. It is a rite of passage that transforms each person in different ways, and forces them to grow beyond their current karma. It is the Initiate's pledge of a deep and personal commitment to the Lady and Her Lord, and is a gift of love and power from Them. Words pale, for it is an experience which must be felt; verbal language alone can never convey the regenerative depths to which the Initiate has travelled, the warmth and love with which the Lady has wrapped him, nor the intense joy he feels upon being accepted into the "family" by his covenmates. He has accepted the challenge that life will never be exactly the same after taking this most important step.