Retreat
Description (Late Fall):
The inherent Power of the Spiral to separate itself as a Rock is honored by Retreat. As might be possible, all Rock Body members seclude themselves for the day in silent meditation and fasting. For large families or Clades, this might mean sectioning their dwelling off into small “apartments,” or places in the home that will “belong” to that member for the day. Any member who violates the space of another will be excluded from the ceremony, and barred from participating in the following year’s Retreat. The night before Retreat, one acquires food and fine alcohol. During the first part of Retreat, the member mourns the failures of the previous year. Midday, successes are celebrated. Finally reflecting on their choice of and role in their Clade / Tribe, they make a vow to themselves, and over the next year, this vow guides them to more Power on Earth, while serving as their standard of success / failure for the next year’s Retreat. For families with members (children / adults) who will not participate for any number of reasons, the Rock Body will provide housing and activities for the duration of Retreat. As is practical, the sun guides the day, symbolizing how light, in the Novel Universe Model, is the Host’s mechanism of information collection.
Practices:
Each member may purchase / acquire their bottle of alcohol / any food items throughout the year prior to Retreat as they feel inspired to do so. If the member has not done so, all purchases are made prior to sundown the day before Retreat. At minimum, one item must be acquired between the sun’s zenith (noon) and sundown the evening prior to the ceremony. This act symbolizes the transfer of information from Marketplace (the light-filled world outside the member’s SFS) to Spiral (the member’s mind, symbolized by “retreating” into the dark of their sleep cycle). If the member fails to gather their item(s) or fall asleep, they will skip the ceremony, as members must first separate themselves from reality (sleep), and remain in seclusion for the duration of a successful Retreat. For members whose schedules or sleep habits require, self-exceptions are made in all aspects of the ceremony’s performance, and Sages must only be consulted on the final schedule by the Lunar Quorum prior to Retreat. In other words, Sage-approval is not required for self-exceptions.
The evening prior to Retreat, those homes needing to section their dwelling into personal spaces have ideally done so, such that each member has prepared the space for Retreat, and thus enters this space ready to fall asleep.
When the member wakes in their private space, the vow from the previous year is removed from a special cup, designated for the ceremony that is not used for any other purpose, and read aloud (the only words the member will speak until the end of Retreat). The vow is placed back into the cup, and alcohol set aside from the previous year is opened. After pouring the alcohol in the cup to soak the vow, a generous drink is then taken directly from the bottle. For those who choose to abstain from alcohol, the liquor– symbolizing desirable information– must only touch the lips to complete the step.
Members morn their failures until the sun hits its zenith.
Members celebrate their success until the beginning of sundown.
Members reflect on their place in their Body of Power as they form a new vow.
Only after the last light of day is gone, the new vow is written down, but will not read aloud.
A special meal is prepared for consumption, with some amount of the previous year’s liquor included in the cooking process, and should the member desire animal protein, the previous year’s vow must have been met. Freemen of Clades with limited resources may need to share the space of a kitchen / dining area in order to complete the ritual, during which minimal verbal communication is acceptable.
The old vow is removed from the cup, and the liquor discarded without consumption. If the vow was successful, the liquor is poured directly onto a patch of earth, symbolizing the spreading of Power; if not successful, it’s poured down the drain, preferably a toilet or other waste collection point, symbolizing the contracting of Power.
The old vow is lit on fire in the cup, and once the flame is out, the new one carefully placed inside the cup over the ashes to await the next year’s Retreat. The cup is finally set in a place of honor next to the new bottle of unopened alcohol.
In isolation, members consume the bottle of alcohol set aside the previous year, either in part or whole, along with the special meal to break the fast. For those who abstain, the liquor may be sold for profit the following day (Exchange Day). In honor of the Marketplace’s ability to provide novelty for its users that might otherwise be impossible to acquire, any remaining (unsold) alcohol from this special bottle is discarded at the end of Exchange Day. Members are encouraged to keep their empty bottles from successful years in an honored place. Once the meal has been consumed, Retreat ends, the barriers set up in Clades for the purposes of isolation are removed, and the silence lifted.
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