A man lives in a remote area, but wants to learn stone masonry. There are no guilds, or even master craftsmen to which he may apprentice. However, he has a knack for the job and there are uses for this particular craft in his area. He begins looking at solid buildings, and comparing them to shoddy buildings. He acquires a mallet and a chisel, but since he has no guidance, the mallet probably isn't well balanced, or weighted properly. The chisel may be a little dull, and he really doesn't know what kind of stone it works best on. However, he finds chunks of rock on which to practice, and does so with diligence.

He notices how square and fitted the stones are in the sturdy buildings, and wonders how that is accomplished. So, he makes a point of listening carefully to conversations that may concern such techniques, whether it be from pubs and taverns, or the owners of the buildings that were raised.

Soon, he begins experimenting with small projects on his own. There is trial and error, frustration and success, and he eventually sees how the puzzle comes together. Soon, he is trying his newfound skills on small projects for neighbor and kin. After a while, he is laying cornerstones for larger buildings. Eventually, after hard work and dedication, he becomes a master craftsman of great skill. Eventually, he even puts some journeyman masons to shame, without ever joining a guild.

The old Irish word for a mason who hasn't been initiated into a guild is "cowen." There is no derision of the person, as he/she may have exceptional skills in the craft. This person has obviously studied, worked, and successfully practiced, but has self-dedicated (with emphasis on "dedicated",) as opposed to having a formal completion of study and being "initiated." This mason may eventually take on a student, and after a time trust this student with certain tasks, thus now making the "apprentice" an "initiate."

With all the discussion on "initiation," and "self-initiation," and the accompanied war of semantics, one might think the title of "initiate" is more important to some than the actual practice of our craft.

Blessings bright and dark

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