The seeker contemplating embarking on a Western initiatory path is faced with a multitude of communities and organizations that emerge in the tradition of ancient mystery schools. Before making a decision of significant importance, it is advisable for the student to gain an overview and assess the seriousness of the groups, or to conduct a self-assessment of their order afterward. Volume 1, "The Historical Heritage," provides a general introduction to the topic and clarifies important terms such as path of knowledge, initiation, and brotherhood. The main chapter ultimately describes our historical heritage, which is shaped by the Western variant of Christianity and led the brotherhoods with their secret knowledge to go underground. Here, it has endured.