This book is an intricately-designed vessel that will transport you on one man’s journey on the Path of Initiation into a vision of the spiritual world that lies behind our familiar material world. It is a true story of seemingly magical human development that will delight both novices and "those in the know"-other initiates-with its abundance of detail about the people and places that has been instrumental in the preservation of the Ancient Mysteries. It is a personal exposition that instructs while it entertains. Mark Hedsel’s range of exploration into the Western Mystery tradition is so encompassing that anyone who has traveled on the spiritual path will find aspects of their experience mirrored within the pages of this amazing book.

Mark Hedsel decided to title this book The Zelator because this is the initiation rank he lived before reaching the higher grade of Master. In hermetic lore, the zelator is one who burns for higher knowledge and insight. The path that Hedsel followed is traditionally known as the Way of the Fool. These travelers study under a variety of Masters, preserve their own identity, and rarely undertake vows of silence that bind them to a particular school or teaching.

From an esoteric bookstore in London, throughout Europe to the United States, from Greece and Egypt, through the Middle East to India and Nepal, Mark Hedsel’s journey carried him through many encounters with initiates and wise men and women. With his special gift for descriptive language and dialogue, the knowledge he gained unfolds like a thousand petal lotus, for all who have eyes to see. This is a magical, deeply personal, and beautifully written book. It is uncompromising in its scholarship, and glittering in the array of spiritual insights that it reveals.