What is the significance of the candidate's preparation before initiation?

Preparation for initiation begins internally, as a candidate must first be prepared in his heart through his own free will and accord 3. The physical preparation that follows is entirely symbolic, full of esoteric meaning, and essential to the design of the degree 2.

Mackey highlights the historical parallels of this preparation with ancient Talmudic regulations for entering the Temple in Jerusalem, which required worshipers to enter without outer garments, shoes, staves, or money tied in a purse 2. In a similar manner, the divestment of money and metallic substances symbolizes the candidate's detachment from temporal wealth and the grosser attractions of the outward world 1. Material distinctions are superfluous in the search for truth, requiring the candidate to enter in humility and to cultivate purity of character and universal sympathy 131.

Symbolic garments worn during preparation denote a threefold purity of body, soul, and spirit necessary for spiritual advancement 1. Emblems associated with this preparation, such as the cable-tow, emphasize the gravity and solemnity of the undertaking 1. Wilmshurst observes that probing the deeper mysteries of human nature requires proper moral fitness, as an initiate who enters upon this spiritual journey cannot turn back from the light he receives without moral consequence 1.