Becoming a member of the Church of Light and Shadow means becoming a part of a community, and a part of a spiritual family. On our end, we do our best to ensure that our members have opportunities to get involved, build bonds, seek spiritual growth, and build a thriving practice.  However, these opportunities will only amount to what our members make of them, and the more active and passionate our membership is, the more that we will collectively be able to offer.  Therefore, our expectation is that whether newcomers seek out membership individually as solitary members, or come to us as a part of one of our groups, each new member will take this commitment seriously, and will come prepared to take on an active role in the community we are building together.

Of course, active involvement is something that is expected to come and grow with time.  In the beginning, the best way to demonstrate your commitment to being an active part of the Church is to show up, share your voice, and take part in the activities being planned.  As you establish yourself and your presence, we will always have need of people who wish to help by volunteering their time to help plan events, coordinate with charities, mentor newer members, facilitate new groups within the Church, and so on.  A true community is built by the efforts of those who are invested in it, and this is what we seek in new members.

Catechumenate

After performing the Self-Dedication Rite and submitting the application form, if accepted you will be contacted and notified that you’re now a member of the Church and have taken your first steps upon the Path of Light and Shadow. This period, between the Dedication and your Baptism at First degree, is known as the “catechumenate.”

An organized time of formation and education in preparation for baptism, the catechumenate is a time for training in understandings about the Divine, our Way of the Craft, and the meaning of life. According to Hippolytus’s Apostolic Tradition, a third-century document, adult converts to the Early Christian faith were presented to teachers by those who could vouch for them, and entered into a three-year period of study and preparation in the catechumenate. In the Church of Light and Shadow, you may expect to spend approximately 9 to 12 months in the catechumenate.