The Pilgrimage [antikvár]

Prologue 'And now, before the sacred countenance of RAM, you must touch with your hands the Word of Life and acquire such power as you need to become a witness to that Word throughout the World'. The master raised high my new sword, still sheathed in its scabbard. The flames on the bonfire crackled - a good omen, indicating that the ritual should continue. I knelt and, with my bare hands, began to dig into the earth. It was the night of January 2, 1986, and we were in Itatiaia, high on one of the peaks in the Serra do Mar, close to the formation known as the Agulhas Negras (Black Needles) in Brazil. My Master and I were accompanied by my wife, one of my disciples, a local guide, and a representative of the great fraternity that is comprised of esoteric orders from all over the world - the fraternity known as 'The Tradition.' The five of us - and the guide, who had been told what was to happen -were participating in my ordination as a Master of the Order of RAM. I finished digging a smooth, elongated hole in the dirt. With great solemnity, I placed my hands on the