Initiation means a new beginning. Initiation is the guiding light of any spiritual journey. Initiation is the means or method by which we are empowered, led and set upon a new quality of life. Initiation is the means by which we express our inner spiritual affinities, longings, needs and aspirations; and realize our divine humanity. Through initiation we form a firm, sacred and abiding connectivity with the divine powers of creations and the protective functions of nature. Through initiation we also form a sacred bond of friendship and trust with our initiator, guide and teacher. The sacred rites, rituals and ceremonies of initiation were instituted originally to give an external form to internal acts of power, and if this internal power to perform such acts is not present and does not exist, then no ceremony, rite or ritual will avail and achieve anything.

A true initiate can only be made by the help of Olodumare, a qualified divine representative-mediator-initiator, and the cooperation of those qualified to assist to the Truth, Light and Power a fellow seeker who from his heart is seeking the Divine Mysteries, and only after admitting within himself that he is [spiritually poor], needy [cogizant of his spiritual need] and humble in mind. Initiation is not only the empowered ceremony of entrance, acceptance and empowerment. Initiation is a life long journey of learning, personal development, self-cultivation, practice and progress. For an initiation to be optimal, efficient and bonafide, the initiate, the initiator and all participants must be empowered and must be living in harmony with the divine powers, mysteries, good conscience and nature’s law.

At all times has consideration been given to the preparation of candidates for spiritual initiation into the sacred and secret mysteries. It is essential that not only the candidates for initiation be fit and proper persons, properly prepared in heart, to receive the influx of certain truths and powers into the soul; but that the ceremonials should be conducted by the initiator(s),and those cooperating with them, in such a solemn manner as to infuse them with spiritual fervor, making every ceremonial a never to be forgotten deep and profound spiritual experience. Ifá, Orisa and Ogboni foundational principes stipulates that untruthful, unrighteousness, lax and disingenuous people who have no genuine spiritual interests should not be initiated. This is where much spiritual power is lost and much disenchantment is born from. If the candidate does not fulfill the requirements and standards for initiation he will not benefit from his initiation.

If the candidate does have the requisite requirements and standards, but is initiated by a fraudulent person or a person who has lost their spiritual authority, morality and power, then the ceremony and transfer of divine power and inner knowledge will be nullified or it will be tainted. In either case the true objective and benefits of the initiation will be lost. A relationship of genuine friendship and trust between the initiator and initiated is an indispensable need. It is sacred, holy; and must be respectful, gentle and pure, because power, virtue and divine knowledge enters the initiate not only through the rite, ceremony and ritual but through the initiator himself!

We live in a culture where people think they can enter into anything by the power of money and without prior developed, cultivated and matured moral-spiritual qualifications. Such people are wrong: they don’t worry about or take into account moral and spiritual qualifications. They come looking for power without an inkling of understanding of what real power is, why and to whom it is given, and how one qualifies to receive it! Initiators who are initiating people for the sake of making money; and unqualified initiates who are being initiated because they have money to give are both wasting their time, and are in danger of divine chastisement, spiritual delusion and punishment. This is why we see such powerless initiators today and morally-spiritually powerless initiates. This is why we see so much moral, emotional, psychological and spiritual decadence and degeneration in many initiates and not few initiators. After all is said and done, the truth of the matter is that nothing happened at the initiation except a nice show that was put on, but there definitely was no transfer of divine power, knowledge and upliftment at all!  At the end of the day is was only a ceremony or rite to communicate vanity, pride and an an imaginary sense of power and non-existent authority!

The power of initiation lies in the spiritual condition, state and qualifications of the initiator and the initiate. The divine power, intelligences and energies will always honor, lead, guide, acknowledge, respond to and empower the sincere, genuine, persevering, honest and qualified candidate! But woe to the initiator who indiscriminately initiates unqualified people only to fill his heart with pride and his pockets with soiled money!!! The secret of initiation also rests upon the assimilating power, spiritual sensitivity, spiritual thirst, hunger, sincerity and interest; and receptivity of the new initiating disciple. It is not only the transfer of energy, knowledge, virtue and power from a qualified empowered initiator that matters, but MORE IMPORTANT is the state, intention, mental-moral-emotional-spiritual state and condition of the new potential initiate or candidate.  What the new initiate brings to the table in respect to inner divine affinity, expectation, interest, determination, commitment, spiritual sensitivity, moral-emotional-intellectual health, receptivity and sincerity all impact his experience, intuitivene connectivity and the unfoldment and success of the initiation.

These qualities and qualifications of inner affinity, sincerity, truthful character, good heartedness, receptivity, sane moral-emotional-psychological constitution and strong sensibility to spiritual energies, powers, intelligences; and the assimilating capacity are routinely overlooked in today’s spiritual arena. Today anybody is accepted for initiation! Today everyone accepts any charlatan, clever talker and fool as a spiritual master and initiator! It’s takes a REAL and AUTHENTIC initiating master and a REAL and AUTHENTIC qualified candidate for initiation for a genuine ceremony, rite and transmission of power, virtue, light, uplifting, spiritual awakening and healing to occurr!! This fact explains why one initiated person experiences great, positive, uplifting, ennobling and extraordinary changes, transformations and benefits immediately after initiation, while others can be seen harassing society at large via aggression, manipulation, deception, chicanery, conceit, theft and fraud; and they remain evil, insincere and unchanged right after initiation! There are many unqualified priests and unqualified initiates. They can be found a dime for a dozen! Some people even experience greater decline and loss after initiation due to the above reasons. You can pay and give your money to another human being but you cannot buy the support, knowledge, divine transmisión and empowerment of the divine powers, intelligences and energies with your money, no matter how fancy and impressive the ceremony you paid for was! Do you know why this sad and disheartening thing occurs? These things occurr because people are not instructed to understand the basic meaning and nature of initiation. There are few real spiritual fathers and few real spiritual mothers today. Few spiritual leaders are really apt, prepared and qualified to lead others!  It is not only the legitimate authority, skillfullness and power of the qualified and bonafide initiator that is important, but the spiritual affinity, receptivity, inner interest and assimilating power and moral qualifications the initiate are of prime importance.

Initiation is an imparting of spiritual power and divine knowledge but the candidate must be able, willing and/or capable to receive and assimilate the power and knowledge! The initiator, priest-sage is a representative of Ifá-Olodumare and the Irunmole-Orisa. But how can someone who lives contrary to Ifá-Olodumare and the Irunmole-Orisa impart virtue, wisdom and power to another!!! Can ceremony, rite and ritual alone give wisdom, virtue, light and power to anyone? Be careful who you select as a guide and initiator, because your spiritual life, destiny, moral-psychologically and spiritual health, and success are at stake! And when you are fortunate enough to find a genuine and qualified guide, mentor and initiator, that does not automatically mean that you are good to go. You are not!