Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
Teacher/student relationships of any kind are inherently unbalanced, the teacher appears to have authority, and the student is obliged to reveal themselves in ways which are somewhat unnatural in order for assessment to take place. This places great responsibility on the teacher, which is why my supervisor advocates that nobody of lower grade than 5=6 take on students.
In principle, I agree with his opinion. Unfortunately however this seldom works in practice for practical reasons, essentially not enough Adepti to go around. To deal with this issue we select students of at least one grade higher, but the higher the better, than their prospective students, who in theory should be able to take on the responsibility. In some ways this experience is part of the test of their grade, and at the very least is likely to give them a reality check.
These relationships are tricky enough as it is, but when you throw romance and sex into the mix, things can get messy quickly. I have seen more than one promising initiate founder on this particular rock, and so, while we cannot outright forbid such relationships, we in no way condone them. For a start, it's highly unprofessional, as much as, if not more so than if a professor were to sleep with their students, and more than one spiritual group has come apart at the seams due to these sorts of relationships, so this is a known risk and we'd be fools to ignore it.
In the Neophyte grade we hear of the Vampire ordeal. We should be aware that this can take any form and occur at any grade. The 'vampire' may also be as much victim as the vampirised, especially in a Probationer/Neophyte situation where both are relatively new to the system and comparatively untested, their vulnerabilities not fully uncovered. This mutual parasitism may at first appear sweet. Where each is delighted not only that their carnal desires are being satisfied, but that their paramour seems to share so much, even the path itself!
Such couples might last, and may settle into something workable, so are not to be entirely denied. But there is strong potential for real progress to stop right here as the couple direct their energies to one another, the Great Work becomes an afterthought, or little more than a pantomime, with sex as the real object.
The more common situation is eventual breakup. The relationship is inherently unbalanced, and being conducted between two essentially unbalanced individuals (initiation is an unbalancing act, by definition it upsets the status quo). Then, when the rupture comes, it affects not only the romantic, but the professional relationship with which it has become entwined. One or the other, but usually the junior member of a pair, is cast adrift, and both may suffer damage.
This is not just theory, I've seen it on more than one occasion and this lineage nearly fell apart about a decade ago for this exact reason, when a relationship at the heart of things fell apart, so did the lineal secession as the junior member, who happened to be my superior, resigned from the Order and was never heard from again. Therefore I can only recommend that teachers maintain professional integrity, so those who swear an Oath to attain by the methods of the A.'.A.'., and who recognise that their attainment is based on service to their inferiors, should really take this to heart, and think twice before taking a student to the bedroom.
Love is the law, love under will.
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