Initiation, Covenant, and Community
(c) 2002 Christa Landon

In tribal societies which still practice initiation of adolescents into adulthood, neophytes are prepared to take on their responsibility for the welfare of the community by ritual elders. Initiatory processes vary across cultures in their details but share psychodynamics. The new initiates possess new knowledge and responsibilities and so are transformed from children into adults with new identities.

The difference between a child and an initiate is that the child does what s/he "feels like" at the time, unless constrained by the power of others. The child may have a "whim of iron" but has no steadfast WILL. As a result, the child is dependent on parental figures who can be counted on to do what must be done. This is fine when children have parents who can set and enforce boundaries (Saturn) which can protect the children's long-range interests (True Will) from their whims of iron.

Because modern culture doesn't take initiation seriously, we have many puers (eternal boys) and many puellas (eternal girls) who never complete adolescence. They play at being warriors and leaders; they play house; but when they get bored, they play at something else. 

This discloses the connection between initiation and generativity: generativity is the province of adults because generating anything substantial in the material world requires more than mere fantasy. It requires advance planning (AIR), energy undaunted by fear or obstacles (FIRE), sensitive communication with the environment (WATER), and reliable, explicit commitments (EARTH). Initiates understand that discipline is remembering what you want.

Initiation traditionally is intergenerational, the gift of a community's elders to its future. It's ironic that most Pagans think of initiation as part of a radically individualistic religious experience. 

In this era, most people are accustomed to thinking about religious communities in terms of paternalistic and hierarchical Christian organizations. Certainly, there are many valid criticisms to be made of Christian religious organizations grounded in supernatural intimidation, authoR.rianism, and doctrines which support "power-over" others. James Luther Adams pointed out that the decisive forms of power are institutional forms. Scholars exploring the causes for the decline of ancient Paganism say that the Christians' superior organization was decisive.

So why should we abdicate the right and responsibility to create communities, organizations, and other institutions which embody Pagan values and further Pagan purposes? 

Let us NOT resign the field for a failure of imagination! 

I believe that initiation carries vital implications for a magickal or religious communities. Initiation into High Magick is sometimes called "Knowledge and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel," a mystical experience integrating the conscious ego with one's ideal so that one's life is consecrated to service to the Divine. Put another way, the Initiate knows and does his/her True Will. In tribal cultures, the initiation process teaches the knowledge and skills required for responsable adult participation in the community. 

Voluntary associations are shaped by shared purposes and shared experiences. When shared purposes are made conscious, they precipitate into a mission statement, and members are those who freely share that consensus. When a voluntary religious association is created, the conscious, shared purpose is called a covenant. The covenant speaks of shared aspirations and values and purposes which individuals cannot achieved by themselves alone. One might say that the covenant expresses a collective TRUE WILL of the group. 

Whether it is a private coven or an open, public community like CUUPS, a voluntary association is united by shared values and purposes and commitments about how we will empower one another. These shared values and commitments draw the people together; the hopes for a shared future and shared memories of the past weave a community together. When a group shares values, purposes, memories and hopes a mystical synergy is generated which has the power to shape our world as much as to shape all who choose to participate.

Creating an enduring community requires the discipline and focus which is the mark of religious maturity: To coordinate a public event means a lot more planning ahead: arranging for a safe and public place, getting the word out through media or mailings, bringing the magickal and edible goodies together at a preplanned time and place. If any of these efforts are not made in a timely fashion, the other efforts are unproductive. To accomplish our mission, we have to plan ahead.

Typically, the coven consists of 4-6 people worshipping together in a private home. This requires someone to provide the space, someone gathering the magickal and edible goodies and someone finding or developing and performing the ritual. If the High Priest &/or High Priestess took on most of the responsibility, the results were mostly dependent on his/her personal knowledge, skills, and charisma and the participants were their private guests.

When a group puts a high value on participation, public accessibility, and collaborative leadership, more coordinating and pre-planning are required. Generating something together means listening to one another, sharing decision-making and responsibilities, communicating clearly and quickly, and keeping our commitments. It means communicating our decisions. It means empowering and equipping each other to take on each part of the work. It means doing what we promised ourselves. It means forgiving ourselves when we make mistakes, learning from them, and moving on. If we don't do these things, we disempower each other.

If we are children, we will only accomplish whatever each feels like at a given time. An adult will have to take responsibility to fill in the gaps. In covens and small U.U. fellowships, this parental role is filled by a High Priestess/Matriarch or High Priest/Patriarch. In the best cases, the leaders will act like initiating ritual elders, using their power to coach or mentor the other members, helping them to bloom. In the worst case, people will be drawn to these leadership roles in small groups in order to have power over others.

Covenants are sacred and voluntary commitments to shared purposes and values. Covenants adequate to the Aquarian Age  establish cultures of power-sharing, diversity, and mutual respect. 

What covenant would make it possible for Pagans create for ourselves communities of shared memory and hope, extending from generation to generation?

Published in the November 2002 issue of CUUPS Twin Cities Pagan News.  All rights reserved.