"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:" Matthew 13:34

A mystagogue is a person who initiates others into mystic beliefs, an educator or person who has knowledge of the Sacred Mysteries.

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matthew 7:6

Disciplina Arcani or Discipline of the Secret or Discipline of the Arcane, is a theological term used to describe the custom which prevailed in Early Christianity, whereby knowledge of the more intimate mysteries of the Christian religion was carefully kept from non-Christians and even from those who were undergoing instruction in the faith.

"Initiation is like that extra burst of energy which is required to propel you into the infinite space between you and the self!" -Swami Satyananda Saraswati

The Sanskrit word diksha comes from the root diksh, which means 'to dedicate oneself, and is actually derived from a combination of two roots, diks, which means 'to consecrate' or 'dedicate', and daks, which means 'to grow', 'to become strong' or 'to expand'. It could therefore be said to mean 'to expand (one's consciousness) through a process of dedication (to discovering one's own self)'. Diksha involves both giving and receiving - giving of one's self, and receiving from the guru.

"To light a candle one needs another burning candle; in the same way those who are unenlightened need the help of an illumined guru." - Swami Sivananda

The Sanskrit word guru means 'remover of darkness and ignorance.'  It is a negative term in that it does not say that the guru gives you anything, only that he removes something.  He removes the mental blocks and obstacles that prevent the spontaneous effulgence of the light of truth.  The guru's role is to remove the veil, the ignorance, the preconceived ideas and mental conditioning that prevent the already existing light from shining through.  The more this accumulated dross is removed, the greater will be our awareness of ourselves and existence.