Adeptship is a high degree of initiation in the mystery tradition. This level is not attained through meditation or aspiration, but through initiation. There are three levels of adeptship and one level which connects the adeptship with mastery. Just as there are different stages of adeptship, there are different stages of enlightenment.
An adept is a person who is initiated into the higher mysteries. He regards his personality (feelings, thoughts, instincts, body) as an instrument, a tool that he uses to express the divine. The adept embodies the all-embracing will-to-good, our true nature, which manifests the divine through man fully aware. There are female and male adepts. The consciousness of the liberated adept has also become liberated to bind itself to situations or appearances.
Adeptship establishes the connection with self-identity, i.e. with self-knowledge. To be one does not mean to be free of weaknesses or desires, but to look at them differently and not identifying oneself with what one DOES, but with that what one IS. A novice adept explores his abilities through daily experience, which also requires adaptation. There are different levels of adeptship, i.e. the adept is not fully developed at the beginning and continues to grow daily. In alchemy, adeptship is called the “Great Work” (Magnum Opus). The preparation for this is the completion of the lesser work (Opus Minor) – this is the harmonization of the elements of personality. This creates a vehicle in which the divine consciousness can work without restriction.
He looks beyond the surface phenomenon and orients himself according to the truth. He observes himself consciously and honestly and surprises his fellows with the extraordinary flexibility of his actions. He also exercises dominion over elementary nature. Adepts demonstrate their freedom from slavery towards external circumstances.
He is always ready to keep the divine commandments without condition – to serve without condition: Likewise, the adept out of insight fits into the hierarchical structure and obeys instructions just as he obeys the “Inner Master”. He is ready to put his personal needs and desires aside and to serve the Work.
He follows higher values by knowledge and not by compulsion. He does not fight against them or change any commandments according to his own judgement, but understands the essence of these values. He lives by them because he is an adept and has learned the true background of these actions out of conviction. Accordingly, he sees it as a violation of God’s covenant if he disregards the divine commandments and the hierarchy of God.
In the initiatory path of mystery tradition there is the lesser adept, the greater adept and liberated adept. These are different levels of initiation. The lesser adept is connected to the higher consciousness (Messiah). The greater adept has a connection to the divine willpower. The liberated adept is liberated from attachment to personal destiny. Each stage has its challenges and at each stage there are different stages of development. Once the adept has mastered these stages and demonstrated a certain maturity of soul, he receives the grace of the next higher initiation, which is an intermediate stage. This bridge between the higher Mysteries of Adeptship and the highest Mysteries of Mastership is reserved for very few adepts. This is followed by the highest levels of mastery. They are the true guardians of tradition.
