I have stood more midnight shifts than I will ever again stand. A Pagan initiation should contain all those elements. A genuine initiation should strip away the dross and rebuild the person to be better than they were before. They should train intensely and face the Shadow of their fears and flaws. And they should defeat and integrate that Shadow into their makeup, because the blend of Light and Shadow makes us truly who we are, and whole.
Life presents many initiatory places.
And not all of them are overtly Pagan, nor are they all sweetness and light. Graduation from school is an initiation of sorts, because the student has been through the grind of the academic process, and has hopefully maintained their course and learned something. Marriage and the birth of a child, or a major career change is another. These, for the most part, are considered positive initiations. Saturn governs the lessons learned and the life path of the Seeker.