Initiate Training: Why Neophyte?

[sabrinamari]

So why does Blue Star require people to go through such an onerous, self-reflective Neophyte process in order to emerge an Initiate?

And why is it so difficult, both on Neophytes and on the people who love them?

I believe the answer is here, in an insight voiced by a facilitator I know and respect:

"[My experiences have] taught me how important it is for a leader to know themselves. Without that self-knowledge, the leader can be easily stressed, confused, etc., and take it out on the group, [or] think it’s the group’s fault."

There is no replacement for self-knowledge, and most of the time, it is very hard-won. But there is nothing more crucial in preparing someone to be a teacher and a leader.

The process never stops. You never "get there". You get cooked enough to teach, cooked enough to start leading, and then for the rest of your life, you re-enter the process periodically and you know what? It's just as hard as it was the first time.

But this time, you recognize what's happening and you have some tools to help you. You see it coming, you know what it is, and you still fear it.

But you also know, deep in your gut, that you have the tools you need to get you through the process and you remember what an immense gift it turned out to be when you last emerged on the other side.

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I've heard that in a lot of other Wiccan traditions, the Really Tough Shit happens just after one is initiated, and I've heard some B* elders say that the reason we have a Neophyte period is to get some of that stuff out of the way BEFORE initiation.

Honestly, my Neophyte was not very difficult. It was fast and pretty smooth. It was kind of like I'd already been through a whole long period of labor, and just had one final push before I would give birth. My Really Tough Shit period happened before I ever took Neophyte. I had so much crap to deal with as a Dedicant. It all really started less than a week after I was Dedicated, and continued for a few years. By comparison to my Dedicant phase, Neophyte was a piece of cake for me.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I've known a few others who have experienced this also. I think it's hard to generalize about transformation and growth in a way that fits everyone---there's just too much variation among people.

But I do think that the Neophyte period evokes/coaxes out some really hard internal work for a whole lot of us. I also think this is a real blessing. Whatever you have not yet done that you really need to do before guiding someone else tends to come up and kick you in the face---and that's good.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I do prefer models that push people to grow BEFORE initiation, precisely because teaching usually happens AFTER initiation.

And I think it's just cruel to ask people to teach others to run---and run hard---before they've have to do it themselves. How can you be expected to teach what you haven't yet experienced?

And how can you be judged for not providing what you've never been given? It makes no sense to me...

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Still, the traditions that don't have a neophyte period before initiation also do not expect the first degree initiate to teach - they do that at second degree. I like getting the painful start of growth out of the way, too, though. It makes it so much easier after initiation because you start to recognize what it is that you are avoiding or doing or not doing.

[disownedheidi.livejournal.com]

Me too. In fact, the biggest source of stress was worrying about what might happen during neophyte, I'd heard so many horror stories.

[brock-tn.livejournal.com]

Well it helps a great deal if you have already dealt with a lot of your shit beforehand. At least, it felt that way to me.

[disownedheidi.livejournal.com]

That was it, of course, most of my shit was dealt with.

[hypanebliss.livejournal.com]

to know
to will
to dare
and to keep yer trap shut

:)

[brock-tn.livejournal.com]

The way my odd little trad sees it is this: if initiation is TRULY an ineffable Mystery, something that can only be experienced, not explained, then the primary function of any teaching or training that takes place prior to the initiation is to place the candidate into a state of mind where he or she will derive the maximum benefit from the initation experience.

We follow a similar patteern to Blue Star: there's a longish period of study, training, and practice that leads up to initiation at First Degree. And one of the things the initated members of the coven are doing while all this is going on is looking at the candidate and deciding wheter this person is someone they really ought to be initiating. Because it's not guaranteed. I've looked at students I've invested eight or nine months of work in and said, "I'm sorry, you're a technically competent witch, but you have not the slightest clue about the nature of essential things like integrity and ethics. I cannot recommend you for initiation, and I decline to waste any more of my time on you. Go away, and do not darken my doorway again."

Because, as I've noted before, when you're teaching the Craft, the single most important word in your vocabulary is 'No.'

[shades-of-nyx.livejournal.com]

The time period surrounding my Neophyte was drama filled and trauma filled. There was a brief moment around my Initiation where a ray of sunshine appeared. Then there was a tornado the likes of which I've never seen before. I don't think, in my case, that these events are directly related to the RoPs. I think that my life cycles this way, and the RoPs happened to fall where they fell. I also believe that the Powers that Be were and are meddling. These particular PTB aren't necessarily Blue Star related.
So, yes, the Neophyte Work is critical! Especially for those of us who go on to do Invocation work. The self knowledge that comes out of the intense crucible period, and the deep knowledge of the OC material is a much needed solid base for the rest of the Work. I'm a big fan of that part.
I don't, however, believe that there are starting and stopping points at the RoPs themselves.