The R+CMO Initiation Process FAQ
A Guide for the Inquirer
Q: My first question is... What it takes to become a member of The R+CMO. What should I do?
A: First, if you’ve read everything at our web site, especially the article on Theurgy, and you’ve read this FAQ, and you're inspired to inquire, then you should fill out the contact form (see link, above). Your initial contact with the R+CMO will be from the Leader of a group of R+CMO Initiates in your local area. By “local,” we generally mean not more than a 45 minutes drive, one way. The R+CMO requires regular attendance, and a long drive makes attendance difficult.
Second, since St-Martin was a Christian and Initiated and taught Christians, The R+CMO is, itself, a Christian Initiatic Order. We accept only baptized Christians as members. If you are a baptized Christian and would like to start the process, you need to indicate this when contacted by the Group Leader; then, you email your USPS (snail mail) address to the CI so he/she can send you the first application.
Q: Does the Leader approve me for membership?
A: The R+CMO process of membership selection is a four-step process conducted by the Leader, but overseen by the R+CMO local group. Approval always comes from the local group. We have a series of three applications to be filled out by you, and your responses are voted on by the local group’s current membership. We handle the first two applications via USPS and email notifications.
Q: If the group approves my first two applications, then what?
A: If the group votes in the unanimous to continue your application process, after your second application is received, you will need to meet face-to-face with the local R+CMO Leader for a friendly chat over lunch or coffee. R+CMO Initiates are Brothers and Sisters, so an important part of R+CMO membership is the sense of “kinship.” The Leader wants to know if you are (on an inner level) already a family member.
Q: That meeting worries me. It seems judgmental.
A: Just relax and be yourself at the meeting. We’ve all undergone this, and this interview process has served us well for decades. Consider, too, that you must evaluate us as well, and you can do so through the group Leader. Do you have a sense of kinship with him/her? The R+CMO is not a mere group to join: Being an R+CMO Martinist is a life-changing, lifelong commitment.
Q: If the meeting goes well, what’s next?
A: Assuming all feels right for both, the Leader would become your sponsor (all R+CMO Initiates require a sponsor) and would ask the group to vote whether or not to send you the third and final application. Initiates will ask the Leader any questions they may have about you, then they vote. After receiving your responses on the final application, the Leader will bring your potential Initiation into the R+CMO to the local group for a final vote. The vote MUST be unanimously positive for you to be Initiated. After the vote, the CI would contact you as to the results of the vote and what comes next, if anything.
Q: Then I’m Initiated?
A: It is not a fast process, so you must be patient.
Q: Are there initiation fees or other requirements?
A: Martinists do not charge initiation fees. The R+CMO has no initiation fees. Each R+CMO Martinist owns his/her own regalia and theurgic tools which are purchased, but not from the Order. We have suppliers. All costs are explained clearly during the application process. The other requirements are your aspiration to The Initiation and your heart's desire to help the world through Martinist Theurgy.
Q: What if I have other questions?
A: If you're not a member, but are considering applying, you can submit questions via the Inquirer's Form (see Contact Us tab, above). Or, if you're already in the application process, feel free to ask your Leader any questions you’d like. They will be answered as allowed.
A Guide for the Inquirer
Q: My first question is... What it takes to become a member of The R+CMO. What should I do?
A: First, if you’ve read everything at our web site, especially the article on Theurgy, and you’ve read this FAQ, and you're inspired to inquire, then you should fill out the contact form (see link, above). Your initial contact with the R+CMO will be from the Leader of a group of R+CMO Initiates in your local area. By “local,” we generally mean not more than a 45 minutes drive, one way. The R+CMO requires regular attendance, and a long drive makes attendance difficult.
Second, since St-Martin was a Christian and Initiated and taught Christians, The R+CMO is, itself, a Christian Initiatic Order. We accept only baptized Christians as members. If you are a baptized Christian and would like to start the process, you need to indicate this when contacted by the Group Leader; then, you email your USPS (snail mail) address to the CI so he/she can send you the first application.
Q: Does the Leader approve me for membership?
A: The R+CMO process of membership selection is a four-step process conducted by the Leader, but overseen by the R+CMO local group. Approval always comes from the local group. We have a series of three applications to be filled out by you, and your responses are voted on by the local group’s current membership. We handle the first two applications via USPS and email notifications.
Q: If the group approves my first two applications, then what?
A: If the group votes in the unanimous to continue your application process, after your second application is received, you will need to meet face-to-face with the local R+CMO Leader for a friendly chat over lunch or coffee. R+CMO Initiates are Brothers and Sisters, so an important part of R+CMO membership is the sense of “kinship.” The Leader wants to know if you are (on an inner level) already a family member.
Q: That meeting worries me. It seems judgmental.
A: Just relax and be yourself at the meeting. We’ve all undergone this, and this interview process has served us well for decades. Consider, too, that you must evaluate us as well, and you can do so through the group Leader. Do you have a sense of kinship with him/her? The R+CMO is not a mere group to join: Being an R+CMO Martinist is a life-changing, lifelong commitment.
Q: If the meeting goes well, what’s next?
A: Assuming all feels right for both, the Leader would become your sponsor (all R+CMO Initiates require a sponsor) and would ask the group to vote whether or not to send you the third and final application. Initiates will ask the Leader any questions they may have about you, then they vote. After receiving your responses on the final application, the Leader will bring your potential Initiation into the R+CMO to the local group for a final vote. The vote MUST be unanimously positive for you to be Initiated. After the vote, the CI would contact you as to the results of the vote and what comes next, if anything.
Q: Then I’m Initiated?
A: It is not a fast process, so you must be patient.
Q: Are there initiation fees or other requirements?
A: Martinists do not charge initiation fees. The R+CMO has no initiation fees. Each R+CMO Martinist owns his/her own regalia and theurgic tools which are purchased, but not from the Order. We have suppliers. All costs are explained clearly during the application process. The other requirements are your aspiration to The Initiation and your heart's desire to help the world through Martinist Theurgy.
Q: What if I have other questions?
A: If you're not a member, but are considering applying, you can submit questions via the Inquirer's Form (see Contact Us tab, above). Or, if you're already in the application process, feel free to ask your Leader any questions you’d like. They will be answered as allowed.