My Initiations

As Plato says, "..there is a hidden meaning in their teaching when it says that whoever arrives uninitiated in Hades will lie in mud, but the purified and initiated when he arrives there will dwell with the gods." (305) In this, Plato only conveys the meaning of ritual, that is to be accepted as initiated to the dwelling of the Gods.


Any person hopelessly meandering through this realm of human "reality" is surely presently experiencing an initiation. It seems that life as a human is merely the trial by Gods in which they deem worthiness to particular spirits. In my life I have undergone many transformations through pain and suffering, along with ritualistic traditions. Each of which bears its own resemblance to mythological rituals and traditions. One ritual in particular is that of my initiation into a Greek Fraternity. These are mostly kept secret from anyone not initiated, but nevertheless involved in tradition that has hundreds of years of installment behind it. One core concept of those rituals is to place and force upon the initiate, doubt and misguidance before the initiation. In that, the initiate feels unworthy, and must strive to gain the title of brother through our processes. The ritual acknowledges the boundaries of brotherhood, importance of its connections, and usefulness beyond our personal dramas. Finally, the ritual instills the importance of the links in the chain of brotherhood coupled with its necessity and application after acceptance into the brotherhood.