Agree; and I hadn't considered the need to repeat information later - or a Covener's ability to fully understand it.
I think this is also about the Leader's moral management, however. "Novices are not ready to know; but in time they will accept the vital call to have sex with the great leader" - with the preceding months a gradual grooming and breaking-down process until the Novice genuinely does "decide" this is a good idea. Is the kind of thing I want to stave off.
As ever, not a problem if you're a good dude. BUT I think there's a middle way, where someone might not understand that "gradually building people up to initiatory secrets/experience" can be a bad thing.
We do have so many ideas like - the initiation destroys your old self, it's a kind of spiritual death, it's a submission and loss to the higher power, it's supposed to be difficult/dangerous/challenging etc.
So I do think there should be some check present. So Coveners don't mistake spiritually enlightening danger for the wiles of a canny manipulator; and so a well-intentioned Leader, gets a chance to reflect on how their initiation program might be experienced by a Novice. If a Leader is reluctant to put something upfront - it could be a clue that it has the potential for abuse. And similarly, if our subcultural norm is that most Covens provide such an outline - when encountering one that doesn't, you're a bit more awake, and primed to assess the group's behaviour a little more closely before joining.
Re: When is info relevant
I think this is also about the Leader's moral management, however. "Novices are not ready to know; but in time they will accept the vital call to have sex with the great leader" - with the preceding months a gradual grooming and breaking-down process until the Novice genuinely does "decide" this is a good idea. Is the kind of thing I want to stave off.
As ever, not a problem if you're a good dude. BUT I think there's a middle way, where someone might not understand that "gradually building people up to initiatory secrets/experience" can be a bad thing.
We do have so many ideas like - the initiation destroys your old self, it's a kind of spiritual death, it's a submission and loss to the higher power, it's supposed to be difficult/dangerous/challenging etc.
So I do think there should be some check present. So Coveners don't mistake spiritually enlightening danger for the wiles of a canny manipulator; and so a well-intentioned Leader, gets a chance to reflect on how their initiation program might be experienced by a Novice. If a Leader is reluctant to put something upfront - it could be a clue that it has the potential for abuse. And similarly, if our subcultural norm is that most Covens provide such an outline - when encountering one that doesn't, you're a bit more awake, and primed to assess the group's behaviour a little more closely before joining.