The idea of initiation into Witchcraft has always fascinated me. Stories and images abound of arcane rites performed in the cloak of darkness lit only by candles flickering in the night… Of ritual observances that have been handed down in a generational succession… Of oaths exacted and secrets passed in a magical circle… Of spirits called and communed with…
A death of the old life, and a birth of a new one.
Whether or not the above descriptions prove accurate, “initiation” is a loaded term in the Craft, to say the least. To some individuals and groups it represents the culmination of one’s training, and the acceptance into a community as a full member. To others it is the acknowledgement of a fundamental shift in one’s life that now marks them as a true Witch or Warlock[1]. To still others it is an external validation in the sense that members of a community are now accepting of (or vouching for) them.
In some groups it is a purely ceremonial experience, marking the entrance of an individual into a community via social construct. Often the candidate is then given signs or tools that enable them to exist harmoniously within that particular social grouping.
In others, it is primarily a spiritual experience providing an opportunity for the candidate to confront the divine in a new or particular way. For still others it is a rite of pure magic, granting the candidate access to a current of magical power or an egregore or group-sustained thought-form to which they previously did not have access. For some it is a combination of some or all of these. But regardless of how we may choose to approach initiation there is an often overlooked quality that they all share; even for those groups that see initiation as a culmination, they are also often understood to be a beginning. And where they are not seen in this way, it is my bold assertion that they probably should be.
Even the very word from which it originates spells this out for us:
Initiate: to begin, set going, or originate.[2]
For in truth initiation is the beginning of our journey. We may have studied prior to this event –perhaps even for years! But it is within this ritual moment in which we are given something more than what we had prior; we now step foot upon a new path, with new tools and (hopefully) a deeper understanding of how we got there.
The ceremony itself can take many forms, but there are certain symbolic elements that are almost always present which can be mapped out in succession on the five points of the Witches’ pentacle to give us a sort of basic ritual formula for an initiatory rite:
Purification or Cleansing
We begin with purification. This is a symbolic and spiritual act in which the candidate is washed clean of any impurities, complexes, energetic blocks, negative energies, unruly spirits, etc. that may be holding them back from the fullness of the experience that is to come.
The importance of purification cannot be overly stressed. It can help us achieve and maintain a healthy spiritual and psychic holism; to transform our complexes and allow our energy and consciousness to flow unencumbered. This demonstrates the importance of purification in general, but in the practice of magic it is essential.
In any magically focused space those things within our shadow can rear up and be our undoing. Fear, shame, doubt – those little voices in our heads that tell us that we are not good enough, or that we are to blame, or whatever it is that we tell ourselves to ensure our powerlessness – those things can severely affect the magic and even become dangerous. An initiation is such a focused space, only exaggerated; the focus being mainly on the candidate, effectively putting a magical magnifying lens over their soul, intensifying every aspect of their personality, including their less desirable traits.
To prevent these complexes from gaining power over the candidate, and creating a disharmonious state (or even a psychotic break!) various cleansing rites are generally enacted. The head washing rites of Haitian Vodou, Christian baptismal, or the ritual scourging of traditional Wicca all represent different methods of purification, commonly found in initiation ceremonies.
Cleansing with water in nature. (Credit: DepositPhotos.)
It is a common practice that prior to the actual ceremony that one first undergoes a period of ritual purification. This could consist of fasting or abstinence, or perhaps as a series of ritual baths, uncrossings, or cleansings. Regardless of whether or not this period of purification is observed, at or near the beginning of the initiation ritual itself is almost always included an element of cleansing the candidate; the aforementioned bath or other purifying experience to “wash them clean” of any impurities that might be present that could otherwise interfere. All this helps the candidate better prepare for the events about to unfold.
Alteration or Invocation
Next we find some element of altering the candidate’s state of consciousness, and perhaps even aligning with particular spirits, deities, angels, demons, djinn, intelligences, or whatever occult powers are being worked with in the particular tradition, coven, or group.
Many Wiccan covens use the technique of sensory deprivation in the form of binding and blindfolding the candidate in order to draw their focus inward, and to heighten their other senses. Other methods for trance induction include the recitation of liturgy, engaging in meditation, drumming, chanting, visualization techniques, engaging in breathing exercises, fire or crystal gazing, sexual stimulation, or even using mind-altering substances (for those rare individuals that actually know what they are doing).
The goal is to achieve a centered, relaxed, and receptive state to allow the impending encounter with Mystery (and/or the specific powers or beings invoked, if applicable) to truly sink-in to deeper levels of the candidate’s consciousness.
Challenge or Ordeal
A traditional element of most initiatory ceremonies is the ritual test; the “challenge” or “ordeal” that must be faced in order to gain entrance to the Mystery. It’s in British Traditional Witchcraft that we are most familiar with this aspect of initiation: the knife being held to the heart or throat of the candidate as a means to force them into a mind set of facing their fears, and transform their lives. This may be a test used to determine the appropriateness of the candidate for the tradition or rank within it; those who succeed are brought in or elevated while those who fail are not.
Promise, Vow, or Oath
Many (though certainly not all) Witchcraft traditions –both modern and traditional –make use of administering an Oath to the candidate just prior to passing whatever power or secrets they have to impart. Usually it demands secrecy for what is to be experienced in the ritual. This is, in part, to protect whatever lore or secrets they may have surrounding their tradition’s central Mystery from falling into “the public domain.” This is often because it is believed by some that the Mystery must be completely unknown to the candidate before experiencing it during the initiation rite in order for it to be effective. This belief, however, is not universally held and so some groups have shared their material to a wider audience, up to and in some cases including their initiatory scripts[3].
The Mystery or Secrets
Here we have the “meat and potatoes” of our rite in which the candidate is brought into the presence of their tradition’s Mystery and/or given secrets particular to that tradition’s version of the Craft. This could mean a sacred sign or symbol, a name, a myth, a story… or whatever idea or experience is considered central to the particular tradition. There may be many ways in which this Mystery is passed, including but not limited to symbolic or actual sexual intercourse as is often practiced in traditional Neo-Pagan Witchcraft circles. Alternatives may include any of the aforementioned techniques used to alter one’s consciousness.
While the steps outlined here are not universal they can provide us a viable map by which we can navigate through the often murky waters of spirit and find our way toward power, healing, and meaning.
Some lineages of the Craft offer initiation in gradations with each “degree” possessing increasing amounts of power, knowledge, and/or authority. Other groups offer only one, with the initiation being the singular rite of importance within the group. In both we can see how the ceremonies in question ritually mark the beginning of a new journey, or the deepening of an old one; at our first initiation we are formally made a member of a particular order, and with each subsequent rite are we brought into the presence of a particular mystery to deepen our understanding of our Craft or at least formalize our position within the social hierarchy of the particular group.
Initiatory secrets are often at the heart of lineaged witchcraft. (Image credit: DepositPhotos.)
Regardless of whether or not we are experiencing initiation as a singular experience or in varying degrees, initiation plays different roles to different groups. Quite literally, initiation in one group might serve an entirely different purpose then it would for another. Isaac Bonewits detailed three distinct types[4] of initiations:
- “Initiation as recognition of a status already gained.”
Here we experience the rite as being at least mostly ceremonial in that it is primarily the enactment of a social contract. Here is where a student, having studied and attended required meetings or otherwise fulfilled some obligation is now being formally inducted into the group. This is typical of “1st degree” type Craft initiations in which generally no real power or secrets are passed, but instead serves as a sort of community declaration that the candidate is now a formal member of the group.
- “Initiation as an ordeal of transformation.”
For some, initiation focuses squarely on the Ordeal and a traditional or personal challenge may be required of the candidate in order to be accepted as an initiate. A traditional challenge in modern Wicca might be to endure a prescribed number of lashes from the ceremonial scourge – or to face the fear that may arise at the moment the ritual knife is pressed against one’s heart. On a more personal level this could mean anything from completing a task in one’s life that has thus far eluded them (like getting a driver’s license or finishing a long-standing project that has been left undone) or enduring a physical or mental task that pushes them to their limits (like running a marathon, or engaging in public speaking).
Additionally, the ordeal may come in a form not prescribed by the coven or group, but may simply come naturally in the course of one’s life. Whatever deep-seated fears we may harbor are exactly what we will need to face in order to make the ordeal – and the initiation – a viable one. No matter what form the ordeal takes, its usefulness cannot be overstressed.
This can also be an aspect of a 1st degree rite, while it is just as common to see this at the 2nd and even 3rd degrees, depending on the specific group.
- “Initiation as a method for transferring spiritual knowledge and power from the initiator(s) to the initiatee(s).”
In those systems that present a model of hierarchical ascension this type of initiation is usually reserved for the 2nd and 3rd degree rites. It is also often the core mystery of those traditions that possess only a single initiation. Beyond the ceremonial forms that may be used, the core of this type of initiation involves the passing of power from teacher to student. Depending on the tradition involved this can vary greatly. In a tradition like Reiki, for example, we have this occurring in what are commonly referred to as the “attunements” which open the candidate to greater amounts of power. In Faerie Witchcraft the initiate is brought into the full presence of “the Faery power” and is then permanently changed by it. Whatever the method or practice, this type of initiation is seen as a spiritual or magical transformation; a spell cast upon the candidate that causes deep change on a soul level.
In traditional sects of Witchcraft, a common tenant is that one must be initiated into the Craft by someone who has likewise been initiated in a lineaged succession, usually to a founder or respected elder in an unbroken line of initiatory descent. Gardnerians trace their lineage back to Gerald Gardner, Alexandrians to Alex Sanders, Faerie Witches to Victor Anderson, and so on. Generally speaking, only a full member of a group can induct new members. This basic framework tends to be followed by most groups that practice initiation, whether they are of the Craft or not.
But what of those who do not have access to a group or perhaps simply prefer to work on their own? Is the Craft only for those who can operate within a traditional social group?
One controversial practice is that of self-initiation. Traditional Witches often claim that there is no such thing as self-initiation and if we are looking at initiation as a formal entrance into a particular social group (such as a tradition of the Craft) then this definition holds true. One cannot simply initiate themselves into Gardnerian Wicca or Faerie Witchcraft, for example; you would need to be initiated by someone who is already an initiate of those traditions. But as we have seen, initiation takes on many different forms and can be many things to many people.
The practice of self-initiation – while doing nothing to validate the individual in the eyes of others – is a very personal, practical, and perhaps even necessary step in the spiritual and magical development of any Witch or Warlock. It is that moment that we have decided – in the presence of those powers and deities that we are close to – to formally walk the path of the Craft.
I have been initiated into several different Craft and spiritual traditions and each has offered me something powerful to explore and to ponder. My Faerie initiation was among the most powerful for me. I have also received initiations in various forms of traditional and eclectic Wicca, as well as in some traditions of Reiki. Each of them shared certain elements while still being unique. In each of these initiations I received power and instruction at the hands of another; I had to “let go” of my ego’s pre-conditioning so that I could lower my shields and become vulnerable enough to receive the messages and powers being offered.
Certainly I gained power and knowledge by allowing myself to be guided by another, but there is also great value in being able to take pride in one’s abilities and claim one’s power. And we can do just that through self-dedication and even self-initiation.
There are certain key differences between dedication and initiation. I see dedication as the more preliminary of the two rites, and one that formally marks one’s desire to study in a particular coven or tradition, or even just the Craft in more general terms. Self-dedication is a kind of spell cast on oneself that can assist in the pursuit of magical and spiritual knowledge. It speaks to core parts of our being and can help us move faster and farther than we might have done otherwise. It formalizes the intention and makes it into a powerful promise to your own soul. In BlueRose Faerie, one performs a self-dedication before ever being offered a dedication rite at the hands of an initiate. And both of these dedication rites would be necessary before being potentially offered initiation.
Initiation is different from the above in two key areas. First, if the dedication was a spell cast on the self, then initiation takes that spell and raises it to the power of divinity. Whereas dedication is the formalization of a choice to study a particular path, initiation is to take on the responsibilities involved with being a priest[5] of that path.
Another key aspect is that an initiation changes a person; one cannot simply turn their back and walk away from what they have become. One could abandon their practice or their beliefs, or even live a life of denial, but once an initiate, always an initiate. At its core it is much, much more than the ability to feel justified in calling oneself a Gardnerian, a Faerie initiate, or even simply “a Witch.”
Initiation reaches in and touches your soul; it is that moment when you really do let the powers work their magic on you, when you give up your ego and realize that you are so much more than all of that, that you are connected to something so much bigger.
While it is understood that for established traditions the possibility for self-initiation does not exist, outside the framework of these traditions it can be a very real and potent experience. Initiations in those traditions serve multiple purposes: magically, metaphysically, and spiritually as an event or catalyst for deep change of the individual, but also socially as a formal recognition by others in the group. Where it is impossible to enter into these types social groups uninvited, it is entirely possible to self-initiate as a Witch or Warlock outside of an established tradition, maintaining the aspects of deep change for the individual if not the facet of social recognition. After all, who initiated the first Witch?
One obvious answer is, “the spirits”. Whether we approach them as gods, goddesses, ancestors, or simply “forces of nature”, a relationship with powers outside the scope of one’s normal awareness is paramount to the practice and magic of the Witch, and is a primary aspect of traditional initiation into the Craft. In a traditional setting this relationship might begin with instruction at the hands of their teacher or coven – or it might very well begin in the rite of initiation where the candidate is presented to the powers that be. Whatever the original context of this relationship, the most important factor is the openness of the candidate, and so for those who are unable (or simply not interested) in studying an established tradition and undergoing an initiatory rite at the hands of another, we can construct a ceremony to enable this sense of genuine openness and invoke the spirits ourselves.
What follows is a short initiation ritual that you can use to self-initiate into a personal path of witchcraft. It is written here with ‘generic’ witchcraft symbolism. Feel free to adapt it to suit your own style and needs.
A Personal Self-Initiation Ritual into the Craft
For this rite we will follow the aforementioned Initiatory Pentacle formula: Purification, Alternation/Invocation, Challenge/Ordeal, Oath, and Mystery.
Items needed:
- A white candle
- A red candle
- A black candle
- Some sea salt
- Some incense
- Some anointing oil
- A parchment paper on which you have written an Oath
- A cauldron
- An apple
- A knife
This should be performed on the Full Moon.
Begin by anointing the white candle with oil and saying a prayer for your own cleansing. Take this to your bath area and light it with a prayer as you fill the tub with water. (Alternatively you may adapt this rite to use in the shower if no tub is available.) Pray to the element of Water that you will be cleansed in body, mind, and spirit to make you ready for the transformation that is to come. Add some sea salt to the bath and pray over it, asking the element of Earth to cleanse you of all that holds you back. Light the incense and wave it over the tub, asking the element of Air to likewise lend to your cleansing. Take some oil and pour it into the water, asking the element of Aether to cleanse you. Light the red candle from the white and say a prayer to the element of Fire to cleanse and transform you, and then plunge the flame into the water, feeling the bath take on the “charge” of the fire. Say another silent prayer for your cleansing and transformation, feeling all five elements present and playing their roles. Enter the bath.
While you soak, meditate on what has brought you here to this moment. Think about your previous studies, your challenges and your strengths. Contemplate why you wish to become a witch or warlock; how will this affect your life on all levels?
When you feel that you are ready to move on, exit the tub and put on a robe. For safety you may wish to now place the burning white candle into the (empty) tub to allow it to burn down for the remainder of the rite.
Preferably you will want to go outside, but at least move to someplace where you can see the full moon overhead. Strip naked. You will be “skyclad” for the remainder of the rite.
Using any method, perform some act for altering your consciousness. This could be drumming, meditating, chanting, etc… whatever method you feel works best for you. When you have achieved a trance-state, you may move on to the next step.
On the black candle carve both an upright and a reversed pentacle then anoint with oil. Make a heart-felt prayer to the hidden powers of the universe to be present with you on this most potent of occasions. If you have an established relationship with Gods, Goddesses, or other spirits you may wish to invoke them now. Light the candle and imagine its light as a beacon to draw toward you those powers with whom you now wish to align. Carrying the candle with you, face and gesture toward the directions as you say:
“I <your name> do summon forth
From east, from west, from south, from north,
From above and from below
The ancient powers I would know,
Into the central candle’s flame
Whisper now Her secret name!”
Place the candle upon your altar or working area and open up your awareness to the moon overhead. Imagine its silver light shining down upon your crown, entering into you and illuminating you from within. Feel this as the power of the Goddess; the divine feminine force that is the soul of all nature. Take as much time as you need.
Now, be aware of the surrounding darkness. Feel how within the darkness is the unknown; the hidden powers of the world. Feel this as the God; the wild, untamed powers of the divine masculine. Feel how this darkness exists within you; in the empty space in between your molecules that comprises the bulk of who you are. Feel this as a type of “polarity” the light and the darkness within you and everything outside of you. Feel how these forces are not “opposites” but are in fact aspects of the androgynous divine source from which all things proceed and unto which all things return.
For our Ordeal, we will ask the God to challenge us by revealing something that we must sacrifice. I’m not talking about the act of killing or harming an animal or person, but instead about giving up something that we enjoy, but could perhaps actually be holding us back. This will be something very personal and can take many forms; perhaps this will manifest as giving up alcohol or drugs… or perhaps giving up on a relationship that is no longer serving you… or maybe even a particular possession. Usually we will get a sense pretty quickly of what this sacrifice should be, and in fact you may already know what it is going into the rite. If it is an object or possession (and you know about it beforehand) you will want to bring it with you for this part of the ceremony and then put it in a box or envelope (if your ‘sacrifice’ involves giving it to another person) or even ritually damaging or destroying it. If your sacrifice involves personal behavior, speak out loud now that which you are willing to give up in exchange for a deepened relationship with the Old Powers.
In those established traditions that use an Oath it is customary to have someone administer it. For this rite we will need to write our own. Hold your parchment paper to your heart and either read it or (preferably) just speak from the heart or have it memorized. Anoint the paper with some of your blood or sexual fluid. Alternatively you may wish to use the traditional substitute of red wine but the power of one’s own personal concerns cannot be overstated. When you are ready, light the paper from the candle flame and toss it into your cauldron.
Apples. (Credit: DepositPhotos)
Now, for the Mystery… still feeling the presences of Light and Dark within and around you, take hold of the apple and ask to be given a vision in order to guide you further on your journey. You may wish to drum, or to chant, or to simply sit quietly allowing the powers to commune with you in this space you have created. Imagine this vision merging with the physical apple, and ask the Old Powers to infuse it with the witch flame. Imagine this as a black fire that transforms the apple; enchants it into a catalyst of your change. When you are ready slice it in half horizontally to reveal the pentacle of seeds within.
Reverently eat one half of the apple, saving the core pentacle which you will then dry and keep as a talisman. When you are done, bury the other half as an offering. Give heartfelt thanks to the powers that you have invoked. Extinguish the candle. It is done.
*
The above rite is based on one that I wrote and performed when I was 14. While I cherish the other initiations that I have since experienced and received at the hands of others, it is this rite that I look back to that marked my formal entrance to the Craft and officially made me a witch. Whether we approach initiation as something that is given to us by someone else, or as a significant catalyst or event that takes place in our lives it is truly another beginning on our journey. May yours be ever blessed.
NOTES
[1] I proudly claim and use the term ‘warlock’ to mean a male witch in alignment with both traditional Scottish and modern popular usage. For more, see my article “Crafting the Warlock: A Conjuring of the Male Mysteries in Modern Witchcraft” https://faerywolf.com/crafting-the-warlock/
[2] Initiate. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/initiate (accessed: May 15, 2025).
[3] See “Circle of Cerridwen: Open Source Alexandrian Witchcraft: FAQ, 3 Why are your initiation rituals made public? Doesn’t that ruin the mystery and surprise?” http://tinyurl.com/public-initiation (Originally accessed: June 06, 2012). Sadly, this resource is no longer on the web and seems to have not been captured by the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.
[4]Bonewits, Isaac. “Some Notes on Initiation.” http://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/initnote.html (accessed: May 15, 2025). I have reprinted his classifications and provided my own interpretations. (Editor’s note: Bonewits was formally repudiated by the organization he created, Ár nDraíocht Féin, in 2019. This reference acknowledges the contributions he made to the theory of modern Pagan practice without excusing any of the allegations made against him.)
[5] I use the term priest here to refer to people of both sexes, as a non-gendered noun. All genders can function as priests.
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