Counter-Initiation: The Dark Side of the Force
Today in the Western occult world, initiations can be defined as private (or secret) ceremonies that are performed in a sacred temple. These rituals can be purely symbolic, magical, or theurgic. The goals can be diverse, but most of the time the ritual officers try to illustrate moral principles or to create a deep reaction in the psyche of the candidate. This goal is increased with the use of magical laws and invocations.
When a theurgic perspective is involved, the previous goal constitutes the foundation of another purpose, the elevation of the soul of the initiate. When we are performing such theurgic initiations in the Aurum Solis, the ceremony is limited to one initiate at a time. The ritual Officers are working simultaneously on the visible and invisible level helping the soul of the candidate to ascend to the divine. This movement is, in the next weeks, associated with individual rituals in order to seal this movement of spiritual ascent.
