''The Initiate: Some Impressions of A Great Soul'' is a combined

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

and

parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, w ...

dealing with the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

, written by the British composer

Cyril Scott Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrot ...

in the early 1900s. It was first published (anonymously) in 1920.

Description

The book is divided into two parts: an anthology entitled “ Justin Moreward Haig” and describing a mysterious person identified only by that pseudonym through a series of anecdotal stories, and a parable illustrating certain principles of occult philosophy entitled “The Circuitous Journey.” Virtually all the attention drawn by the book has centered on the person and identity of Haig, who is asserted to be a real person (a “very well known Englishman”) who was living in London at the time the book was written. The author of the book claims to have become friends with Haig and to have found him to be a most remarkable individual—an ''initiate'' or ''adept,'' in occult terms. The anecdotes illustrate the somewhat unconventional philosophy held by Haig through the retelling of various meetings and encounters with him and with others, whom Haig usually tries to advise in spiritual or philosophical terms, with varying results. The second part of the book is a highly symbolic and traditional parable in which an assortment of occult principles and virtues are illustrated. This fictional portion of the book tells the story of Antonius, a wealthy and jaded individual who decides to set aside his life of materialistic pleasures and seek greater occult truths on a journey into the mountains to meet the members of a spiritual Brotherhood, accompanied by a female companion named Cynara.

Controversy

For many years, there was speculation on the identity of the book's author as well as the identity of Justin Moreward Haig. Today, it is known that Cyril Scott wrote the book, but the true identity of Haig, and indeed the question of his actual existence, remain controversial.

Sequels

''The Initiate'' was followed by two sequels, '' The Initiate in the New World'' and '' The Initiate in the Dark Cycle''. The first sequel discusses the adventures of the author and Justin Haig in the United States, and the second discusses the experiences of the pair upon their return to England; both retain the format of an anthology of short anecdotes, although they more closely approach the form of instructive lectures than do those of the first book. The sequels also reference and sometimes critique occult organizations and persons, such as the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

Jiddu Krishnamurti Jiddu Krishnamurti (; 11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected thi ...

, and

Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...

External links

''The Initiate: Some Impressions of a Great Soul'' (1920 edition) , Open Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Initiate Occult books 1920 books