The modern esoteric market presents itself as a disturbing mess of  paths. But it is possible to make a rough distinction between five paths, which correspond to the energy level or the level of their ultimate goal:

1. The divine spiritual path of complete self-renunciation
2. The spiritual path of self-redemption (also: Samtan - path)
3. The path of  white magic
4. The black path with the ultimate goal of merging into the MAYA - with (ab-)usage of the spiritual forces 
5. The path of the lower black magic

1. The first and from  the divine hierarchies wanted direction gives later the higher spiritual EGO up. It is mostly bound to a tradition like the White Brothership of the Sanat Kumara or the hierarchy of the planetary ONE.

These masters can after their very high initiations (ie, initiation 6 and 7 or step 21 and 22) only work for the Divine, insofar as they are allowed to develop so high.  They have no freedom of action, but are a prolonged arm of a high divine being  or a logos like the Sanat Kumara, or the planetary or sirian One, who surpasses and domionates them.

For these masters enlightenment or mastery was the complete self-renunciation and possibly even the absorption in the forces of a cosmic deity or a much higher master. This can go so far that the master can only observe what happens from above with him.

The higher giving up of the Ego into an all-Ego is in anyway a prerequisite for later steps 21 and 22 of the universal path because of it its characteristics.  A similar earlier give up was also a theme in  christianity when St. Paul said: "I must abate, Christ in me must increase".

Sri Aurobindo, for example, said, "In my first time, I still worked with my powers for mankind, now I work only for the Divine," and he continued: "I can not be your Guru." - and thats similar with most real masters.

2. The other side of the spiritual path, the so-called SAMTAN path of self-resolving (Adepts), leads through enlightenment to mastership of the highest spiritual heavens of the fifth plane.  Few of these masters get even higher up to step 20 with the fifth initiation in Satyaloka or Parabrahman.

This path reaches mostly not up to the divine-gnostic planes of the highest Sat-Chit-Ananda, but "only" to the highest spiritual heavens or to certain high Buddha-countries (Tapo-Loka, 4th initiation, step 19). These masters work as far as is permitted for mankind and not for the interests of a cosmic brothership or a much higher god.

The very highest divine hierarchies do not want their potentially helpful activity for the souls, which the hierarchies  still try to limit ("intervention in karma" and positive correction of the controversial worldplan), and they do not allow their rise into the highest planes. Our existence is associated with a multi-dimensional KARMA or better Adi-Dharma, which has its ultimate cause in a very supreme Divine, and therefore things must be as they are, even if there is a certain illusionary sense of freedom !

This category also includes the different directions of Buddhism as well as the higher Taoism and large parts of indian Yoga and also the Kabbalah.  Many masters are on the outs with  today's Buddhism, which recognizes only an impersonal supreme spirit - often even out of ignorance of much higher worlds than Sunyata and Samantabhadra.

Sri Aurobindo held  against the  Buddha a superfluous rear up of the Ego (which is only partial true).  Rudolf Steiner, who glorified Christ, held  Buddhism world curse before.

Taoism says similar : "Heaven and earth use man as straw-dogs (sacrifice-animals)" and goes up to step 18.

Many Hindu schools are upset that Buddhism does not recognize the "supreme ruler" (Ishvara, Narayana) as "God".  But even Sri Krishna is as an overcosmic deity of the Ananda is only part of the Divine and not even a part of the SAT, what many Vishnuists will negate.
However, today's Buddhism also ends with the double enlightenment (step 19) of the Parinirvana, thus not attaining mastery (step 20).  However, the interplanetary solar Buddhism goes beyond it. Higher Buddhas of step 22 exist only in the hierarchy of the sun.

Mrs. H. Blavatsky, who is inspired by the White Brotherhood, mentions in her writings further stages of development up to the Parasamvit.

• 1.st ray : The path of the will or of activity (the small ego becomes a tool, a selfless worker : Shiva)
• 2.nd ray : The path of the heart or of spiritual love (the spiritual man is borne and develops to a holy person; bhakti and Japa; Vishnu )
• 3.rd ray : The path of the intellect (the thinking becomes the thinking of the spiritual wise man; Brahma)

The simultaneous treading of all three ways leads to the light and to the spiritual self (Jivatma), and therefore to a higher perfection.  However a highest spiritual transformation has finally to come to the spiritual transformation.  This is finally replaced by a divine-spiritual phase which transforms the foundations of the nature of ignorance within us.

3. Under the above two is the path of the occult "white magic", eg. which is systematically described in the books of the late adept Franz Bardon, but there under  ethical control or introspection  and  as a servant of divine providence. Otherwise a black magus or at least an occultist arises, who lives only for the desires of his little Ego, who uses his abilities accordingly and possibly abuses them.

This path develops the natural soul (astral body, mental body, causal body), which is present in the worlds of the Maya through nature-evolution, and he works with the four elements of the four lower planes, with the prana or chi, the polar forces, the universal light and the various ethers etc... 

The path of pure white magic ends similar to the step 14 of universal path. Then he branches on the same level, as into the small middle chamber of initiation of the Cheops pyramid, and leads a broad development with a goal in the Akasha. (In addition "A. A. Bailey: A treatise on white magic").

The development in the Akasha resembles something of enlightenment, the Moksha, liberation from the three lower worlds, here into the Akasha instead of the Paramatma-Purusha. The white magician may even be connected with a non-permanent cosmic consciousness by the Maharloka, but he is not in a permanent union with the Paramatma-Purusha.  Therefore, even the highest adepts are not true masters.

Even the highest Adepts of the Akasha lack the transformation process of the synthesis of the Sephiroth ("The appearance of the Sephiroth is like a lightning without an end," Kabbalah).

Also, Master D.K. (A.A. Bailey) warned that on our planet the astral plane, which many occultist erroneously visit and whose delusions succumb, is dominated by the black lodge. The path of the white magician goes over the mental plane and not over the astral plane, which is only the positive pole of the negative, while matter is the negative pole of the negative.

Fr. Bardon points out in his magic book in a picture on a kind of Vajrasattwa or Yab-Yum of Shiva-Shakti as a high-level achievement.

The well-known gnostic writing "Pistis Sophia" counts these powers as aeons. They try to hinder the development of Pistis Sophia, but without success. In the end, she unites with "Jesus".

The adept Franz Bardon also points out that the positive genii (Indian: Suras) of the mental sun-sphere stand in bright golden light. The negative suns genii differ only in a slightly darker light radiation. In Hinduism many Daitya-Kings have a golden robe. Also the shivaist destroyer Rudra is such an etheric light-beeing (Ru means "light"). LIGHT alone is therefore not a criterion! It is only one form of energy of many.  The same applies to the black masters or rudra-masters.  

The biggest Asuras are the biggest light beings, ( The Mother (Aurobindo), conversations, 17.2.1951 ). Therefore, my warning to advanced seekers to examine the light of "masters".

Even the black masters (with all the possibilities of man) are on earth light beings with portions of the buddhic and the atmischen plain as well of the tapoloka - Jivatma-body!) 

The "mother" (in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram) spoke about the pressure of the gods (Devas) and the onslaught of the demons (Asuras), which the student can meet on the path.
Sri Aurobindo spoke of about 20% of the Yogis who get problems with such and also with negative powers, which originate from the dangerous interrelationship between matter and spirit (Sri Aurobindo: On yoga I-II).

Alice Bailey wrote: "A master has no aura".

* The black path also has also two main directions:

4. The upward direction of the black path leads across the buddhic plane into the "material" Akashas of the Maya. It is the broad black path of personality and personal fulfillment without morality - the "black master" (Rudra-master, Chi Ru - master of Daoism, master of the KAL, the "masters with the black face"). 

In Hinduism, this path is known as 'Black Tantra', which aims at occult forces and control of others. An indian example is the black Maya (Kala-) Kali in contrast to the light blue Kali and also the shivaistic Rudra. The dark and angry Buddhas serve in contrast  as a yidam for the mastery of such forces.

The black masters have a long experience with mankind and know exactly whith which promises they can lure people to their path.

The black path develops the personality ..... the black masters can not overcome their own self..... even the black masters strive for purity ...... even the black masters are powerful beings ...... The black masters work with the polarity ...... the black master works with deception (Maya) ... The work of the black masters always serves an evil purpose .... First on the fourth initiation separate the white and the black path completely - at the end of a cosmic cycle the black masters dissolve together with the Maya. (Quotes from A. A. Bailey's books)

Further, her master D.K. speaks of a center of the cosmic evil, known only to certain masters, to which the planetary black lodge is connected. He also warns of the dangers of the path. Further study : A.A.Bailey : Letters on occult meditation , page 90, 131, 133, 142, 192, 201

This upward striving direction of the black path also uses the Shabda-Pranava and the Atman with their possibilities, the sacred OM, which ends as  a vibration of the Maya on the buddhic plane as Prana-Pranava. But these enlightened masters cannot reach Sahaj-Samadi of Ishvara-Consciousness.

This division also includes more or less those groups, which use yoga and meditation only to "live better" or "to draw the greatest benefit from all", and then later try to set up the crown of enlightenment for the small expanded ego. Their  own selfishness becomes finally a snair.

* An unconscious modern example of the development of the personality and the small Ego are already the "gentleman" or the "lady", who are skillful and winning, knowing their needs and rights - our culture has its roots in the samsara of the Maya energies. This is not my personal prejudice. A. A. Bailey (Master D.K.) also opposes the spreading of OM-breathing techniques to fine ladies and gentlemen, so that they can make it themselves even more comfortable.

Such self-referred groups find today sometimes acclaim despite the widespread practical oppression of the spiritual movements, because they conform with the selfish time spirit and the individual soul mood. It is a big difference, whether a pupil exploits the knowledge only for himself or also internally submits to the divine (Sadhana), and also translates it externally as far as possible.

Some black masters spread a mixture of "good and evil" techniques and specific  mantras and try to pervert the pure doctrine.  In addition, the black masters let the students often  circle  unconsciously with their etheric forces (Siddhis) like satellites.

This brings us to another sort of black adepts, namely those who gained their "mastership" by the adumbration of another black adept, or by the negative geniuses of a higher plane, and who made their lower bodies available to these.

In the fifties of the last century, some evil tibetan Bön - Lamas (Tibet had split up into two camps until the destruction of the monasteries by the Chinese) were filmed during their adumbration by their demons.

The black path develops the fourfolded personality and thus the causal body, while the white path subjugates it to the spiritual soul. The black path also  (ab)uses the higher spiritual bodies. He is walking especially in the material Akashas with their Siddhis.

It is practically impossible for a beginner to unmask a  camouflaged black master, who especially uses and masters the forces of the buddhic and atmic plane, and so also the buddhic Pranava and the power and the lower aspects of the Nada-Brahman, and he disposes of a material-etheric development. He stands in Maya and has a true spiritual  enlightenment within the Trimurti.

Here  the polar effects of the first ray of the Shabda of Ishvara reveal. Also the dark unpure Maya is a product of the Trimurti and did not create itself.