A Redefinition ov Initiation
Coyote12

	One ov thee goals ov thee Temple ov Psychick Youth is to re-evaluate traditional occult systems and to attempt to strip these processes down to their most effective, primal and non-dogmatic forms. We have a special interest in initiation - this ritual, in whatever form, seems to be a common denominator ov all religion, regardless how primitive or sophisticated said religion otherwise is said to be.
	It could be argued that so-called rites ov passage are ov central importance to thee human being, for in many ways, these ceremonies empower us to close thee door on past behavior patterns, and give us thee "sanction" ov thee tribe to move forward towards a new chapter in our lives.
	Because we live in a secular society, these rituals, when performed at all, generally ring hollow and fall short ov their purpose. They become rote, thee words and formuli have lost their power. If we are to regain our spiritual power as Individuals, then we must make thee initiations as potent as they once were - to do this, we must make them OUR OWN again.
	Thee campfire burned out long ago, thee storyteller got into radio. Thee temples are empty; thee priests convicted on sodomy and tax-evasion charges. Thee tribe ov thee past is scattered, thee extended family bickers on thee phone. WE CAN NOW CREATE THEE TRIBE OV WHICH WE ARE PART. We crate thsi tribe on thee basis ov shared philosophies and goals. Each tribe must have its own ceremonies, or else it lapses into thee very vacuity it seeks to escape.
	Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth is one such tribe, one ov many. This is an attempt to give an account ov thee philosophy and tone ov our primary tribal ceremony, without giving away any ov thee factors which make it such a unique, and intense ritual.
	There are several factors which seem to contribute towards a successful initiation. By successful, i mean one which creates a new frame ov mind for a candidate, triggers altered states ov consciousness and gives thee candidate a feeling ov a new physical or emotional threshold delineated - and successfully crossed. Individual initiations in a given tribe must be similar enough to one another to form a shared experience between those who have undergone them. Then, and only then, can thee initiation function as a form ov tribal bonding.

1. THEE SECRET - If thee Candidate knows what is going to happen to her, it's going to be that much harder to cross a threshold without risking physical or emotional injury.

2. THEE INEVITABILITY - It must be made clear to thee Candidate that, once she has made thee decision to undergo thee Initiation, there is no turning back - if thee ceremony is not completed successfully this time, it will not be ovfered again.

3. THEE BINDING - It needs to be clear to thee Candidate that she will have no personal control over what happens to her during thee Ceremony. This MUST be made clear BEFORE she agrees to it. Thee concept ov "Perfect LovE, Perfect TRusT" is implicit here. It also dramatizes how little control thee Candidate has in her "daily" life.

4. THEE PAIN - Very few thresholds have ever been crossed in situations ov extreme comfort! In thee same way, thee Candidate needs to be made physically uncomfortable, so that she can transcend pure physical consciousness and rise above. Thee Initiatrix MUST have thee empathy to distinguish between PAIN and INJURY. A Candidate must never be injured by thee tribe.

5. THEE BLISS - Thee pain/pleasure dichotomy should be played with as much as possible in order to narrow thee distinction between thee two. This also turbocharges thee consciousness out ov thee body and into a more spiritual state.

6. THEE SURRENDER - At some point, thee Candidate must surrender all emotions in regard to thee rite - must give in to thee sensations - and rise above them, into thee Neither - Neither State where one feels as though all this is happening to some other self - not thee "I".

7. THEE MARK - A permanent mark must be made on thee body to match thee mark made on thee mind. This can take thee form ov a tattoo, a scar, or a piercing. It is crucial that this experience be documented, commemorated in such a way that it can NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

8. THEE WELCOME - Thee Candidate is then welcomed back into thee Tribe as a Sister, who has proven her commitment and strength to all.