Initiation and Myth

[Jeffrey]

My latest blog post: http://cupofblessing.blogspot.com/2010/ ... -myth.html

[Summerhawk]

Interesting entry...I had people question me as to why I bothered to get ordained, and the honest answer is because I felt that it would "jump start" my spirituality. And I was right. It was just a step in the journey, not the goal line. Admittedly, it did lead me to some more questions as to which direction I really want to go in now, but that's ok because I'm moving again, and that was what I wanted to see happen anyways. I think what it comes down to, for me....there is no goal line. Well, death I guess, but I don't want to take a direct path there. I like the meandering trails the best.

[Jeffrey]

I think I'm going to have a few more posts on this subject . . . eventually. At least one more specifically on myth and initiation and another on the "structure(s)" behind initiatory processes, of which myths make up only a part.

peace
-j

[Summerhawk]

Nice!

Well, basically, the initiate is becoming Christ, or at least Christ-like, making this initiatory scheme a kind of theosis. But this isn't happening in a generic way, but through a specific filter. The candidate, then, is becoming a Rosicrucian Christ. There are, of course, other things going on. In the GD the myth of Osiris, interpreted alchemically, is employed. Different magical orders employ different myths, which means they way their spiritual goals are played out will also be different, even if the goals are the same (which they very well may not be).

This seems very much like "drawing down the moon" - we discussed that in the talisman thread - so can it be said that each time you participate in that, or a similar ritual, that it is an initiation, or would it require the intent of beginning something?

[Jeffrey]

Drawing down the moon is typically used as a one shot deal. You invoke the (or just as frequently _a_ goddess) goddess, you become the goddess for the ritual and at the end you become yourself again. Initiation is a gradual process of becoming, it could involve something like ddtm, but by itself I don't think ddtm is necessarily initiatory in nature. That's largely because in initiation the end product is, for instance in the GD/RR et AC I was talking about, a Rosicrucian Christ-like person whereas in ddtm the end product, ultimately, is you again. Will ddtm change a person? Probably, invocation always does (actually, its sort of necessary in order to invoke properly in the first place), but invocation qua invocation isn't initiation. Now, one could use a process of invocation, and the prayer, meditation, etc. that's a part of all that as an initiatory process (see the post previous to the initiation one for some on invocation), but it would have to be dedicated to a particular process, i.e. a process of invocation that leads the the practitioner absorbing qualities of the deity over a long period of time.

I think I'm repeating myself.

peace
-j

[Summerhawk]

I see the difference now. The point of ddtm is for a spiritual connection, while an initiation is for a spiritual connection that is the beginning of a new life (so to speak).