@Jim Eshelman said
"By their fruits ye shall know them.
(I think that covers all of your questions.)
Corollary: By their fruits & nuts ye shall know them."
Yes, but that supposes one knows their fruits (or nuts).
One usually one won't find that out unless one affiliates with an organisation.
I mean, as far as I know, if one was trying to judge an occult order or even just sticking with A.'.A.'. lineages, the only information that I'm aware of is: 1. a website (most of which are the same one-page, Syllabus 2. Here say on a forum (which may or may not be helpful) but since the forum participants are anonymous (usually) that confounds it more. 3. Published works by individuals associated with a particular order (provided they tell you).
So, there is really very little information in helping aspirants choose the next step- or perhaps too much information. Like finding a needle in a hay-stack.
My personal conviction regarding this problem has been two-fold:
Rely, trust, accept- solely on Divine Providence to guide me through whatever path I need to be on now. There really is no right or wrong, only cause and effect and our individual Karma dictates what lessons, challenges we face and 2. I have a hypothesis that any mature (i.e. ripe) intitiate worthy of Adepthood may not need any special incarnate guru, teacher or school (although s/he may participate with) but rather uses the published material of the last century and simply does the work and makes contact astrally with the discarnate school, the true A.'.A.'.After all, isn't that what Crowley did after the collapse of the G.'.D.'.?