Mystery Schools & Initiatic Orders
In ancient traditions and lineages still kept alive today, a Mystery School is not merely a place to study the Mysteries. A Mystery School is an Initiatic Order.
Mystery Schools were known as Orders because they had specific codes of conduct, and there was an “Order” to the way they lived their lives; certain principles that upheld the integrity of the Temple, its teachings, and its impact through the worlds.
An Initiatic Order also meant that there was a specific process of rites of passage that members of the Mystery School would pass through before hidden teachings were revealed. There was an order to the unfolding of the mystery teachings and an order to the organization of the Temple, including its levels of initiation.
The dictionary definition of an Order is “a society of monks, priests, priestesses, nuns, etc., living according to certain religious and social regulations and discipline and at least some of whose members take solemn vows.” This definition is exoteric, and the esoteric meaning goes much deeper.
Upon receiving their initiation, certain vows or pledges were made. For example, a pledge may be to the Creator that the power that channels through the Initiate would only be used for spiritual illumination and for the good of all humanity. Other pledges may be to never tell a lie, and to never reveal the secrets of the Mystery School to the uninitiated.
One function of a Mystery School being an Initatic Order was to keep the mysteries hidden from the uninitiated, which protects the ancient wisdom teachings from being misused and honors the teachings as a living transmission that is meant to be kept alive by those who know how to tend their Eternal Flame.
The “order” of the Temple also allowed for their collective work to be unified and aimed towards a higher intention. Together with their specific practices, codes, and rituals, the Mystery School formed a unified current of energy that was able to operate in the higher spheres. This is often known as an “egregore.”
The ancient mysteries and Mystery School teachings are not mere information, but are connected to lineage streams, guides, and energies that are far beyond the mind. Each teaching, symbol, and lineage that the initiate connects with can result in “gnosis,” a direct experience of spiritual truths.
There is also a reason that the word “initiate” means “to begin.” To become an Initiate in a Mystery School does not mark a completion on the path — it marks the beginning. When one initiates into a Mystery School, they are opening the door into a lifelong study of the Mysteries and understand that there is always more to learn.
Only through time does the Initiate begin to understand what has truly opened through their initiation and affiliation with the Order, and what it means to be a part of a Mystery School (not only in the physical, but in the astral and spiritual worlds as well).
If you feel called to deepen your journey in the Mystery School of Ancestry, we would be honored to walk this journey with you.
Special thanks to my teacher Kai Karrel for some of these teachings. 🙏🏼
