By Carlos Buby

At Templo Guaracy, initiation happens at three levels: Philosophical, Mediumistic and Ritualistic. Together they promote the development of perception and with it, the expansion of Spiritual Consciousness. The mediumistic communication, also called incorporation, has to occur at the spiritual dimension and not at the mental plane of the medium. This is why it is necessary to follow an initiatic path. Only through such a path, a medium is able during the incorporation, to transcend cultural, psychological and emotional barriers.

As with other processes, the initiatic stages are gradual and can be identified when the previous stages have been fully carried out. However when they are poorly interpreted, the grades can stimulate wrong hierarchical power conflicts between mediums. Wrong interpretations of this kind affect the collective opportunities and limit the participation of the new mediums. These are troublesome problems generally associated with improper initiatic methods.

Because there is no initiatic method that is guaranteed, we need to establish criteria. We cannot mix criteria with discrimination. At Templo Guaracy, the pre-established criteria established as regulations for initiations are based on the compatibility between the principles of the student of initiation and the Templo. This demands a time of philosophical preparation of at least six months before the mediumistic initiation itself. During this period, both the Temple and the student of initiation can identify the real potential for harmonization.

The philosophical principles of Umbanda, are by nature, universal and independent of any culture or tradition. However, each temple of Umbanda has the right to interpret them and practice them according to its own fundamentals. It is good that it is such, otherwise we would have another stagnant religion of dogmas and codes, and not one that is as dynamic, as life. Wrong are those who think that they can make their truth, the truth of other people. Initiation should aim at reaching spiritual Light and not Truth. As we already mentioned, in a relative world, Absolute Truth is utopia. Many religions profess Absolute Truth. But the results are dubious and even conflictive. It is very common for Umbanda to be criticized because it does not have any code. But who dares codify Love, Hope, Rivers, Waterfalls, Pleasure and Pains? Who, with all sanity, would dare classify the dreams of the ones who believe in Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Jehovah, Allah or in the Preto Velhos? Initiations, like life, have to follow their natural course and, above all, respect the sacred values of the student. The religious tradition, the cultural practices are all fundamental pieces which determine the way of the student of seeing and perceiving the world. Without those values, he or she becomes fragile and vulnerable to all kind of influences, including negative ones.