Initiation is your own life. If you want initiation, write it upon a staff. Whosoever has understanding let him understand, because there is wisdom within.

Initiation is neither bought nor sold. Avoid those schools that give initiations by correspondence. Avoid all those who sell initiations.

Initiation is something very intimate to the Soul. The "I" does not receive initiations. Therefore, those who say, "I have so many initiations," "I have such and such degrees," are liars and fakes, because the "I" does not receive initiations or degrees.

There are nine Initiations of Minor Mysteries and five important Initiations of Major Mysteries. The Soul is the one who receives the initiations. This is a very intimate matter; something that one must not go about speaking of, nor something that must be told to anyone.

Indeed, all the initiations and degrees that many schools of the physical world confer have no value whatsoever in the superior worlds, because the Masters of the White Lodge only recognise as genuine the legitimate initiations of the Soul. These are completely internal.

Clarifications

Initiation cannot be bought with money or sent by mail. Initiation is neither bought nor sold. Initiation is your own life accompanied by the festivals of the temples.

It is necessary to avoid all those impostors who sell initiations. It is urgent to keep away from all those who give initiation by mail. Initiation is something very intimate, very secret, very divine. Avoid all those who say, "I have so many initiations, so many degrees." Avoid all those who say, "I am a Master of the Major Mysteries; I have received so many initiations." Remember, dear reader, that the "I," that the personality does not receive initiations.

Initiation is a matter for the Innermost, it has to do with the Consciousness, with the very delicate things of the Soul. One must not go about speaking of these things. No true Adept would ever use phrases like, "I am a Master of the White Lodge," "I have such and such a degree," "I have so many initiations," "I have these powers," etc., etc.

Patience and Tenacity

Powers are not obtained by playing around. This is a question of much patience. The inconsistent people, those who go about looking for results, those who after a few months of practices are already demanding signs,indeed are not ready for occultism. Such people are no good for these studies. Such people are not mature. We advise these people to become members of some religion and to wait a little until they mature.

To tread the Path of the Razors Edge, one needs the patience of Saint Job. To tread the Path of the Razors Edge, we need the tenacity of very well tempered steel.

Conscious Faith

People full of doubt who enter practical occultism, fail totally. Whosoever doubts our teachings is not prepared for the Path of the Razors Edge. For people like this it is best that they join some religion and beg to the Great Reality for the solar power of Conscious Faith. Thus, when they have gained Conscious Faith, then they are ready to enter this strait, narrow and difficult path. Whosoever doubts occultism must not walk this difficult path, but until that moment when he receives the power of Conscious Faith. The Occultist who doubts can easily become demented. Faith is a marvelous Solar power.

Religions and Schools

All the religions and spiritual schools in the world are very necessary and serve as an antechamber to entry into the Vestibule of Wisdom. Therefore, we must never speak against these schools and religions because all are necessary for the world. In these schools and religions we receive the first light of spirituality. The worst would be a people without religion, a people who persecute those dedicated to spiritual studies. In fact, a people without religion is monstrous. Each human group needs its school, its religion, its sect, its instructors etc. Each human group is different, and therefore the different schools and religions are necessary. Whosoever treads the path of Initiation must know how to respect the beliefs of others.

Excerpted from The Perfect Matrimony - or the Door to Enter into Initiation (1950) by Samael Aun Weor.

For more information, read The Revolution of Beelzebub.