Magic 101: Role and Responsibility
This does get written about a fair bit, but bears repetition: the kind of initiate you are is the kind of responsibility the spirits expect of you. It is also the responsibility your soul is intended to bear in this life. Your consciousness might have various expectations, but if you ended up in a role, the consciousness’ expectations or ideals have no bearing on the responsibilities associated with the role.
In other words, whatever you’re thinking or feeling or expect, it does not change what you’re responsible for.
The responsibilities of an initiate are given to them by the spirit or via their priest/s, but extend past specific ritual or obligation. One of the most frequently ignored responsibilities is a commitment to a lifetime of spiritual growth—it is easy enough to remember, for instance, to set out an offering and attend events. To build an actual relationship with a spirit appears to be harder to remember, and the idea that initiation is a lifetime commitment to the discomfort and even pain of growth, healing, and elevation falls out of memory so quickly that within a year of initiation, it is at best lip service.
There is no such thing as “I’ve done enough” for healing, growth, and elevation. As the spirit brings an opportunity for these things to you, you have committed to do them, to finish the work that comes up not to just try. There will be times of rest, but you will either fulfill your responsibilities or you will accumulate the consequences of not fulfilling your responsibilities.
The responsibilities of a priest are all those of an initiate and more, reflecting the commitment to care for others and the greater opportunity for relationship with the spirit. Because of this, the consequences of not fulfilling your responsibilities are much more serious. You have committed and you will meet that commitment in every way, from the example of showing up to serve the spirit despite being ill or injured to every bit of the spiritual work given to you to do for your own growth, healing, and elevation.
Ultimately, it is all a mercy. The invitation to rapidly grow, change, and elevate that comes with initiation is an easy mercy to see, but the consequences often strike people as being unnecessary or unkind, as if mercy relies on the conditions or decisions that make someone feel comfortable where they are. It is somewhat easier to see why consequences are a mercy by comparison: a lifetime of decay and pain or a lifetime of hard earned achievement.
Doing the work of growth, elevation, and healing is easier. Much, much easier and much, much less painful.
Either way, it is the job of the head of your society and those priests who have been given the privilege to provide a reminder of consequence.
