Initiation is our very life intensely lived with Rectitude, Wisdom, and Love; it is something very intimate of the soul.
Samael Aun Weor
Initiation and the Tests
Initiation
Initiation is our very life intensely lived with Rectitude, Wisdom, and Love; it is something very intimate of the soul.
The I does not receive initiations nor degrees. The Innermost is the one who receives the initiations, and they must not be told to anyone.
There exist five important initiations of Major Mysteries. These initiations cannot be attained without sexual magic and the Kundalini. All the initiations and degrees that many Schools of the Physical World confer really have no value in the Superior Worlds.
The masters of the White Lodge recognize as true and legitimate initiations only those of the Soul. They are totally internal, and are related to the completion of each of the solar bodies in the First Mountain.
The Masters of the White Lodge are not interested in the degrees and hierarchies of the physical world. To them, only the Kundalini interests them. They examine and measure the spinal medulla. If the candidate has not raised the serpent, to them this is a simple profane like any other — even though in the physical world he occupies some elevated position.
The Five Initiations of the First Mountain
First Initiation
The First Initiation is related to the rising of the first serpent, which corresponds to the Solar Physical Body. When the Fire reaches the magnetic field of the root of the nose, this initiation is completed. It confers power over the elementals of the earth — the Gnomes and Pygmies.
Second Initiation
The Second Initiation is related to the second serpent, which corresponds to the Solar Vital Body. When the Fire reaches the magnetic field of the root of the nose, this initiation is completed. It confers power over the elementals of water — the Undines and Nereids of the water.
Third Initiation
The Third Initiation is related to the creation of the Solar Astral Body. When the Fire reaches the magnetic field of the root of the nose, it must descend to the heart by a secret path.
When the Initiation is completed, the astral of fire is born. The neophyte must pass in Astral Body through the entire drama of the Passion of the Christ. He must be crucified, dead, and buried; he must rise again, and also must descend into the abyss and remain there for 40 days before the ascension.
It is necessary to know how to love the woman in order to attain this initiation. The sexual union must be full of immense love; each kiss, each word, each caress must be totally free of desire.
On completing this Initiation, the initiate receives power over the Salamanders of the fire.
Fourth Initiation
The Fourth Initiation of Major Mysteries is related to the creation of the Solar Mental Body. The Fire ascends to the eyebrow center and descends to the heart. The mind must be crucified and stigmatized in the Initiation; in the World of the Mind, the universal Fire sparkles; each of the thirty-three chambers teaches terrible truths.
On completing this initiation, power is received over the elementals of the air — the Sylphs and Sylphides of the air — likewise the voluntary management of the Solar Astral and Mental Body.
Fifth Initiation
The Fifth Initiation of Major Mysteries is related to the creation of the Body of the Solar Will. The Fire ascends to the eyebrow center and descends to the heart. Whoever completes this Initiation becomes a true Man with Soul. We learn to do the Will of the Father.
In the Fifth Initiation we must decide for one of the two paths: the path of Nirvana or the Direct path. In the Fifth Initiation, the body of the Conscious Will is born.
The Tests
Tests of the Details
When one enters the Initiatic Path, when one is already beginning to work, a series of terrible tests come upon one — for they have to test the initiate in every sense, to see whether or not he deserves to keep ascending. There are months, and even years, in which they test him by throwing tests at him daily.
It is a rigorous discipline. To come out well in these tests, the psychological work of death-in-motion is fundamental. Because the large tests, anyone can pass; but the minute little tests, no. And that is where the greater part of the initiates remain, because they do not believe that to be a test — like, for example, picking up 10 cents from the ground. And what is 10 cents worth? With that, a test is lost.
They test one in every sense — in the economic, with the family, with honesty, ambition, pride, lust, anger, etc.
For males, the Second Initiation of Major Mysteries brings prison, accusing them of a crime they have not committed.
What each one earns, they pay him in degrees or initiations; it is sweaty work — no one is given anything as a gift; everything has to be earned.
These tests are thrown both physically and internally.
Tests of the Guardians
Guardian of the Astral World
One finds oneself before a horrible monster, and one faces him by hurling oneself upon him to conquer him. He who flees does not serve for an initiate, because he remains a slave of the I. This test is thrown once, and if one loses it, they throw it up to two more times. If he does not pass it, he leaves the Knowledge.
Guardian of the Mental World
We must know that the mind of man is not human; it is found in the animal stage. Each one has, in the mental plane, the physiognomy that corresponds to him in accordance with his character. The cunning one is there a true fox; the passionate one seems a dog or a male goat.
The encounter with the guardian of the threshold of the plane of the mind is more frightful. This is the great guardian of the world threshold. In this larva are personified our mental crimes. Those who fail remain enslaved by the horrible monster.
Guardian of the World of the Will or Guardian of the Paths
In the encounter with this guardian, we must decide for the Direct path, narrow and difficult, or for the wide and easy path of Nirvana.
The guardian says to the initiate: “You have done a good work up to here, but now you must choose one of these two paths: that narrow and difficult path which leads to the Absolute, or this wide and paved path which leads to Nirvana.”
He who is not disposed to do the Will of the Father chooses the path of Nirvana — the easy path. Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand initiates choose this path.
Whoever is disposed to do the Will of the Father puts Him to choose the path.
Only one out of every thousand initiates chooses this path.
Tests of the Four Elements
The tests of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air are set upon one from moment to moment, because in those tests of the four elements, the Hierarchies know how the initiate is doing spiritually — whether he is or is not practicing. These tests serve us to temper ourselves.
Earth
They are related to poverty; the person finds himself caught between two rocks that close upon him threateningly; one feels trapped. If the candidate shouts horrified, he inevitably loses it. We have to learn to draw profit from the worst adversities. The worst adversities offer us the best opportunities. We must learn to smile before adversities. That is the Law.
Those who succumb to pain before the adversities of existence cannot pass the tests of earth victorious.
Water
The candidate is hurled into the ocean and believes he is drowning.
Those who do not know how to adapt themselves to all the varied social conditions of life; those who do not know how to live among the poor; those who, after shipwrecking in the Self-Knowledge — ocean of life — reject the struggle and prefer to die — those weak ones fail inevitably.
Fire
This test is to know the serenity and sweetness of the candidate. The irascible and choleric fail in this test inevitably. The candidate is persecuted, insulted, injured, etc. Many are those who react violently and return to the physical body defeated. The flames horrify the weak.
Air
Those who despair over the loss of something or of someone, those who fear poverty, those who are not disposed to lose what is most loved, fail in the test of air. The candidate is thrown to the bottom of the precipice. The weak one shouts and returns to the physical body horrified.
Initiation and the Tests Initiation Initiation is our very life intensely lived with Rectitude, Wisdom, and Love; it is something very intimate of the soul.