For four or more years I had potential students come to me, asking me to teach them, to Initiate them into my sacred path. Some wanted power–for revenge, for money. Some wanted me to arrange my circle to suit their personal needs and no one elses, such that I should cast out any men in the group. Others wanted me make them instant High Priestesses for their resume or for the prestige of it. None of those worked out. For most, if I delayed them a few weeks, they moved on to someone else who was willing to initiate them. The rest? I refused.
Then everything changed–and suddenly my circle is coming together in a very strong and loving way. And I’m hoping to carry some of them with me to the Florida Pagan Gathering in November.
My first Initiate was actually a 17-year-old (with parental permission) with tremendous gifts–more than I think he realizes even now–and he was elevated to Second Degree at Lammas this year shortly after his 18th birthday. Gifted, mature, devout. We joke about his Stevie Nicks mantra: Stand back! Stand back! I have two more Initiates coming up in the next couple of months–one I’m delighted to know is finally ready to take this step and the other, I knew instantly when I met her that I’d be her High Priestess.
I’m very pleased with my newest Initiates! Willow Moonlight (no photos, sorry) has done a vast amount of personal work in the few months I’ve known her, prompting that message from Spirit that yes, she’s ready. I knew when she first sought Initiation that she wasn’t quite ready yet, and that’s a blessing for someone to understand rather than impatiently insist on immediate acceptance into this particular path. To be blunt, it shows a lot of maturity on a seeker’s part to understand that she’s not quite ready yet. Willow Moonlight was Initiated at the New Moon, a perfect time for new beginnings.
WolfFire was Initiated under a Hunter’s Full Moon (appropriately) in a ritual that had me alternately laughing and crying. One hilarious moment, I called the Eastern wind with the intention of using feathers and fans to simulate…but just as I said it, a huge wind rose in the East and blew hard over us. It was just…incredible…how it came out of the stillness at that moment. I said something about “WTF do I need props for?!” and everyone burst out laughing. Poor guy was probably terrified that I was going to call down lightning next! WolfFire, like all my initiates, did an outstanding job of getting through the Initiation process.
I love Initiations. Truly. I love seeing how each person responds, true to their own spiritual needs and desires. I am always touched deeply by being a part of the process, and I’m honored to a degree I could not have fathomed until I helped others over the threshold.
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