Perspectives on Initiation

René Guénon (1886-1951) was one of the great luminaries of the twentieth century, whose critique of the modern world has stood fast against the shifting sands of intellectual fashion. His extensive writings, now finally available in English, are a providential treasure-trove for the modern seeker: while pointing ceaselessly to the perennial wisdom found in past cultures ranging from the Shamanistic to the Indian and Chinese, the Hellenic and Judaic, the Christian and Islamic, and including also Alchemy, Hermeticism, and other esoteric currents, they direct the reader also to the deepest level of religious praxis, emphasizing the need for affiliation with a revealed tradition even while acknowledging the final identity of all spiritual paths as they approach the summit of spiritual realization.

Perspectives on Initiation, first published at the close of World War II and based on a series of articles on initiation originally written between 1932 and 1938 for Le Voile d'Isis (later renamed Études Traditionnelles) is unique in giving a comprehensive account both of the conditions of initiation and of the characteristics of organizations qualified to transmit it. Guénon's distinction between the initiatic and the mystical paths-the first requiring a formal relationship with a spiritual master, a set of specific contemplative techniques, and a chain of transmission stretching back to the origin of the tradition in question; the second generally lacking these elements-led to some controversy between those who accept this distinction and others who believe that initiatic and mystical spirituality are one and the same. The book presents such central principles as the dangers and barrenness of syncretism, the often dire consequences of fostering "psychic powers," and the superiority of sacerdotal initiation (into the Greater Mysteries) over royal initiation (into the Lesser Mysteries), although both are necessary parts of the initiatic path. Whoever follows Guénon's argument will realize that a romantic royal or warrior mysticism held no fascination for him, and is in fact explicitly contrary to his principles. But pre-eminently, Perspectives on Initiation provides indispensable points of reference for anyone attempting to distinguish between "initiatic," "pseudo-initiatic," and "counter-initiatic" spiritualities in these profoundly uncertain times. Related articles were later published (1952) in the posthumous collection Initiation and Spiritual Realization.