3rd Degree - Fire Initiation - Autumnal Equinox

The Fire Initiation addresses the personality nature and its inherent tendency to be separative and self-aggrandising.

There is a need to bring the ego under control during this cycle and to practise unconditional love toward everyone we come into contact with, even our enemies. Perhaps the most challenging lesson of all.

During this stage it is typical to have a lot of personality conflicts as we are constantly challenged not to meet fire with fire. When people attack us it is natural to want to defend ourselves. However, the insight needed at this stage is that Truth is more important than point scoring.

The healthy need to assert oneself that may have been relevant earlier in our personality development must now give way to being harmless and non-judgemental. This can occur more readily when we recognise that there is no-one to defend, the ego is part of the non-self.

This was brought home to me with great force in my twenties when my Teacher asked me why I was so defensive towards him and I told him that I was afraid of losing my identity. He said, John, you have no identity to lose, you only have your love to give and I guess that sums upthe issue. What are we actually defending when we defend our ego? Smoke and mirrors it seems.

Remember Jesus' recommendation to dealing with such conflicts with strong personalities was to be as gentle as a lamb but as cunning as a serpent. No one is asking us to roll over and play dead. There is clearly the need to protect those around us and our own integrity but not through violence in thought, word or deed.

There are exercises one can learn where you direct rose pink unconditional love towards the person concerned and you can simply work away at it for 5 minutes a day until you discern a shift in the relationship. It may take time but while you are doing so it will help develop your powers of white magic and understanding of how to work with forces and energies. In other words your aura grows in strength and you learn the power of love in a very immediate way.