Oc.

There are three distinct types of initiation — symbolic or outer, intellectual (outer of inner), and vital (inner). In the symbolic initiations, which reinforce the will and therefore lead to Magic as attainment, the candidate does not pass through stages of understanding, but through stages of intuition, so to speak; he is continually on the surface and appearance of things, and, though he attains the highest degree in whatever order or orders he goes through, that highest degree need not correspond (generally does not correspond) to anything like a parallel degree in any of the inner initiations. In the intellectual initiations, which reinforce the intellect and therefore lead to Mysticism as attainment, the candidate passes through stages of understanding, but not through stages of life; he may know much, but he need not live that which he knows on the same level as he knows it. In the vital initiations, which reinforce the emotion and therefore lead to Alchemy as an attainment, the candidate lives that which he feels and knows.

(Is this right? Do not rather these initiations differ on another score, whereas the difference between Magic, Mysticism and Alchemy (what of Gnosis?) lies on another plane of interpretation? Are not these initiations rather physical, etheric and astral? (or, perhaps, etheric, astral and spiritual, or astral, mental and spiritual?)

 — Possibly there are three modes in which initiations can be interpreted: (l) the three ways of attainment, magical, mystical and gnostic, (2) the three stages of attainment, Neophyte, Adept and Master, (3) the three degrees of attainment, astral, mental and spiritual.