Although more than fifty years old, this book possesses the rare attribute of being as youthful and actual today as it was when first written. This is because INITIATIONS offers something to the sincere and earnest seeker, which is so hard to find in the enormous quantity of literature about human spiritual and occult endeavors, in the striving for the solution to the burning problems of inner life.
It has been possible only because the author of INITIATIONS really lived through everything he describes in such a fascinating way. This urges the reader to attempt the Path for himself, which is by no means impossible, for that Path is utterly independent of any outer conditions, such as race, age, worldly position, family ties, and so on. It remains open to everyone who has the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
The book explains in the simplest way, but one which reaches into the ultimate depths of the human soul, all the problems dealing with modern and ancient occult philosophy and spiritual searching, as well as social and political conundrums of this and probably also future periods.
In the original French version of INITIATIONS, the fact, that in our own epoch, these exist Beings, who, while towering immensely over all of us, are, at the same time, accessible to every son of man who seeks his eternal inner Light, has always had a strong impact on readers.
If P. Sedir's book has undoubtedly changed the live of very many men, other readers will be forever unable to forget it.
That is why the Translator, himself a world-renowned writer, felt it was his duty and privilege to offer INITIATIONS to the English-speaking world, especially in this critical period in which we now live.
Since 1926 the voice of Sédir has ceased to be heard. His was the voice of a
precursor, the voice of an annunciator crying out in the wilderness of the crowds.
Sédir consecrated his life to the diffusion of the Gospel. His thought, his teachings
and his activity can be condensed into one word: Christ. Here we can only mention
his public life, but those who have had the privilege of being among his intimate
friends know that his life was dedicated to, in and for Christ. His mind had probed
and encompassed all of human knowledge. There was not a domain within men's
activity that he had not explored thoroughly: religion, arts, literature, history,
agronomy, therapeutics, sociology, etc. He could discourse expertly upon any
subject in full cognizance; but his humility was such that he never spoke except to
answer queries or to prevent errors.
And when he had solved distressing problems or rectified hazardous opinions, he
never failed to show the provisional character of intellectual structures and to
warn against adhering to rigid systems. He liked to say that life must first of all be
lived, and that the greatest homage man can render to Truth is not to limit it to a
formula but to live it.
Yvon Le Loup (Sédir) was born on January 2, 1871 in Dinan, Brittany. However, he
spent most of his life in Paris, where he passed away on February 3, 1926.
Sédir made a profound study of the religions of the orient, and of the ensemble of
speculations which constitute esotericism. Eminent occultists admired his mastery
of these sciences. Between 1894 and 1900 he published a series of works, now out
of print and difficult to find, where he expounded some of the results of his
scholarly research. Meanwhile, from 1890 on he had collaborated with various
magazines and periodicals, among which was L'Initiation (founded by Papus in
1888) in order to bring to the public at large these venerable syntheses which are
inaccessible to the layman. It was in the October 1891 issue of L'Initiation that the
name of SEDIR appeared for the first time. It is then that, having reached the
summit of knowledge and powers, he suddenly cut himself off from most of his
fellow craftsmen, to consecrate himself solely to the Gospel. In his life, a decisive
and solemn event took place, (in July 1897) which made him aware of the
Nothingness and vanity of secret sciences and societies.
While we are not at liberty to say anymore, we can quote an excerpt from a letter
of his published in 1910 in the Echo du Merveilleux:
"I have delved into many subjects since 1887, a time when these studies began to
attract me passionately.... I never had much material means, but destiny
compensated me by placing on my path the representatives of the highest esoteric
traditions .... Rabbis have communicated their secret manuscripts to me;
alchemists admitted me to their laboratories; Sufis, Buddhists and Taoists, many a
night have taken me along to the abode of their gods. A Brahman permitted my
copying his Mantramic tables and a Yogi gave me the secrets of contemplation. But
one evening after meeting a certain person, all that these admirable men had
taught me became as naught, as ethereal as the light vapor which rises at dusk
from the overheated earth."
Sédir had but one ambition –to lead to Christ those with whom he came in contact.
In this book which we are presenting to the English-speaking public, he tells the
story, we should say the drama, of the sublime meeting which decidedapostolic destiny. This story is presented in novel form, but Sédir certified topersonally, that every detail in this book is factual.
In fact, during this skeptical, frivolous and scientific century, proud ofconquests and powers, it has been Heaven's plan that one of the true FriendsGod has lived among us, passing as a "Nobody" among the crowds, hidingdisconcerting, multitudinous powers "under the mantle of an average bourgeois
life, dissimulating his virtues and superiorities as we dissimulate our vices."
There is a Prince of this Earth –delegate of Lucifer; and there is also the Lordthis Earth –delegate of Christ. All the servants of Christ are such only by virtuetheir union with Christ. This union is more or less profound; but no matter how
profound, the individuality of the servant, his "I" remains all distinct from the "I"Christ. There never is any identity between Him and the servant, but only
resemblance, concordance, and harmony. The identity as taught by the Orientals
between Atma and Parabrahm, is but a metaphysical illusion.
Hence, the Lord of the Earth is the one among the servants, soldiers or friendsChrist who possesses the qualities and the right quantity of Lights most suitedlink our terrestrial life to the Word directly. He receives the orders of Christ,
executes them, then transmits the hopeful aspirations of the earth's inhabitantsHim. He is not Christ. He only represents Christ. No being will ever receive the
Word totally. He is all that the Earth is capable of perceiving and of receiving from
Christ. Earthly creatures mistake him for Christ. They are not wrong because heChrist, I repeat, within the measure where the total Christ can show Himselfour planet without dazzling it nor reducing it to ashes.
his us, its of his of of of of to to is on
In this book, Theophane represents an inner part of Andréas –the pure Light of the
eternal soul; Andréas being the immortal spirit. The Doctor represents the
conscious, reasoning mind, and Stella is the intuition. objectively these figures or
persons represent levels and functions in the Army of Light.
Just as the great poet, Théophile Briant, a friend of Sédir and one of the few who
understood him thoroughly, wrote:
"Even in the crux of the deepest sorrows one must never despair. The promise of
our Saviour is formal. God is and always will be among us until the end of the
world. But one must not seek Him either on stages, in palaces, nor in the places
where the trumpets of renown or fame are blasting. He is the "Unknown," the
"Nobody" of Sédir, lost anonymously in the crowd. He shuns the "curiosity of the
wicked."
"Let us love our brothers as ourselves and we shall find Him. He may be working
alongside of us, in one of those phalansteries or crushing-mills of human
personalities. He may be that man at the subway entrance who lets himself be
pushed aside by an impatient commuter. He may be that passerby who leans over
the parapets of the Seine, or the one who walks along the dams.
"He is Humble and has only meager means, perforce, because he does not care to
amass wealth beyond that which the invisible Archangel who walks by his side
awards him each day. He lives among us. He watches us and awaits us. He carries,
just like Tarcisius, the Eucharist of his Heart among men; he is the depository of
the tongues of Fire. Under his nondescript clothing he hides the splendour of Mt.
Tabor and perhaps the salvation of the World."
EMILE BESSON 1957
MsSVig
