ABSTRACT
In the course of preparing his seminal, 1967 book Thresholds of Initiation for republication Dr Joseph Henderson wrote that “each generation needs to discover the archetype of initiation for itself. Although the archetype of initiation is as old as human experience, it is always experienced as something ‘new’ ” (Henderson 2005: xv). The purpose of this collection is to help a new generation explore the archetype of initiation in depth by presenting the work of several analysts who have been influenced by Dr Henderson and have discovered for themselves the living reality of the archetype. There are many different voices in this next generation of analysts who have picked up the diverse threads of Dr Henderson’s work by investigating different aspects of the archetype, including: how the archetype of initiation expresses itself in women; how modern initiations can be patterned on old traditions; how themes of sacrifice and surrender play a central role in the initiatory journey; how initiation can evolve into the process of individuation; how the initiate experiences being in the presence of an initiatory master; how the archetype of initiation is reflected in contemporary cultural forms, such as movies and literature.
