Initiation vs Dedication
There is a lot of talk in Pagan books and communities about initiations, self-initiations, and dedications: what's right, what's wrong, what's better, etc. Definitions have been argued endlessly from just about all sides, and I just don't understand the big controversies.
Let's start with a few definitions. An initiation is a ceremony or rite that formally brings one into a group. It marks your "birth" into the group as a full-fledged member. The key idea here is that groups do initiations. One does not hang out around the sorority and start calling herself a member; you must pledge with them and pass their entrance screenings before you're allowed to go through initiation. A Wiccan coven, in that respect, is no different.
I placed "self-initiate" in quotes because I don't believe the term really should exist. What I've seen described in books and by other Pagans as a "self-initiation" should properly be termed a dedication. You're dedicating yourself to a study and practice of Wicca. You're dedicating yourself to certain gods, perhaps. Initiations are done to you, while dedications are done by you.
All this seems fairly obvious and controversy-free. Problems arise, however, on several fronts. Some people will insist that a "self-initiation" is just as "valid" as a coven initiation. In one respect, that's true. Of course, they're also misusing the term "valid" to mean "equal in value to", which isn't always correct. Anyone can dedicate themselves to Wicca at any point in their studies, whether that's the day after they buy their first Wicca 101 book or 5 years down the road. A coven initiate, on the other hand, has to study with the group and pass some screening tests before they'll be considered for initiation. Some covens have more stringent requirements than others, but the point is that they've trained at some level.
These two types of initiation, therefore, are different, but one isn't inherently better than the other. If you're studying with a group, you will probably at some point be initiated. Depending on what type of Wicca or Witchcraft you're studying, you may have to be initiated if you wish to continue working with the group. If you're a solitary, then you have no need for initiation because there's no group. Dedications are all a solitary needs if he or she would like to mark a formal transition into Wicca. This is the most basic, fundamental difference between the two ceremonies.
There are other, more subtle differences that may or may not hold true for all initiations and all dedications. Initiation ceremonies are usually structured around the Wiccan Mystery of death and rebirth. A dedication may or may not do this, and it's a lot easier to re-enact a symbolic death and rebirth with other people participating. Initiations will involve things that bind you to the group and the group's energies (the egregore of the group), such as the Traditional Wiccan practice of taking an initiate's measure with cords. Dedications have no need for this.
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