Order of Paladins Lesson : 12 The Arming copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Warrior’s Admonition Your body is your temple: Care for it! Do not engage in useless activity. Listen to the Goddess. Help thyself. You create your own reality. The Warrior’s path is creativity. A serene path to enlightenment. Know thyself. Master thyself. Create your own reality. Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters. Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. Learn from your mistakes. Teach thyself. Create your own reality. Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters Grace and guilt do not exist: Strive for responsibility. Honor thyself. Create your own reality. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

13 Precepts: 1.Know thyself. 2.Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters. 3.You create your own reality. 4.Develop a sense of Right Action. 5.Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters. 6.Your body is your temple: Care for it! 7.Minimal appearance, maximum content. 8.Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. 9.Power with. 10. Who dares wins. 11.The Gods cannot help those who will not help themselves. 12. Be creative! 13. Do not engage in useless activity. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Code of Chivalry:  All members of the Order of Paladins must live according to the principles of chivalry, which include:  Sincerity.  Courtesy.  Compassion.  Perseverance.  Industriousness.  Justice.  Loyalty.  Courage.  Self-Discipline.  Humility.  Largesse.  Truth.  Honor copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Hint:  Refer to the notes pages in this Power Point presentation for more in-depth information on the subject of each slide. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Arming “Dark Care sits enthroned behind the Knight.” Horace[1][1] [1] Horace, Odes, bk.3, ode i, l.40 copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

End of the 2 nd Cycle  The Arming marks the end of the 2 nd Cycle of training of the Order of Paladins, from lesson 7 to lesson 12. Here the Squires become Knights of the Order in preparation for starting the 3 rd cycle of training, Mastery. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Prerequisite  To take part in this ritual, you have to have gone through the first degree initiation (The Armoring), which makes you a Squire.  You have to have been tested by Masters other than your mentor to confirm your suitability. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Magickal Weapon  As outlined in Lesson 11, prior to this ceremony Squires should carefully chose a weapon from four of the five Magickal Weapon groups (sword/athame, staff/wand, cauldron/grail, shield/stone) to dedicate themselves to in this ceremony. This will be the Magickal Weapon that they have decided to master and specialize in. The fifth Magickal Weapon (spirit/mind) is reserved for the next degree in the Order of Paladins: The Mastering. Note: This choice does not preclude the initiate from mastering other weapons. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Naming your Weapon  As mentioned in the previous lesson, you should come up with a name for your Magickal Weapon. On the night before the working, the candidate sleeps with this Magickal Weapon by their side. In the morning the candidate cleans and polishes the Magickal Weapon, focusing their mind on the power and significance of this Magickal Weapon. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Knighthood Vigil  Initiates must spend time prior to this initiation meditating on the significance of this step. In Western society, squires traditionally spent an all night vigil in prayer and fasting before their initiation. Before the Arming initiation, Squires would bathe to purify themselves. I encourage each initiate to engage in some activity of this sort prior to the Arming. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Processional  Participants form up outside of the ritual area. The Constable invites the intitiates:  “Come forward, you who would become knights.”  The Constable will then lead the participants in a procession to the ritual area, to where the Warriors of the cast have taken up their stations. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Challenge  Candidates form up in front of the cast.  Constable and Sergeant at Arms bar the way. The Seneschal stands to one side of the Constable to challenge the candidates. The Grand Master is waiting in the ritual area by the altar behind the cast. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Challenge  Seneschal: “You cannot enter unless you have made your purpose clear. Why do you wish to become a Knight of the Order of Paladins?”  Candidate answers.  “How will you serve the Order of the Order of Paladins?”  Candidate answers.  If the answers are acceptable, the Seneschal anoints the candidate’s forehead with the sign of the Order of Paladins and then the Seneschal directs the Sergeants to admit the candidate to the Circle. Seneschal deals with each candidate for knighthood one by one. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Consecration  As candidates enter, they file past the Marshall, who holds incense. Candidate breathes some in. Then they file past the Under Marshall, who holds a candle. The candidate holds his hands over the flame for a moment. Then they file past the Standard Bearer, who holds a bowl of water. The candidate dips their fingers in the water. Then they file past the Quartermaster, who holds a stone. The candidates touch the stone. The Grand Master then confronts them and offers them spiritual energy. The Constable then directs the candidates as they enter to deposit their weapons on or around the altar. They then file past the altar, deposit their Magickal Weapons, bow to the altar, then take up a place in the Circle. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Commandery Positions copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Seneschal  “The field of battle is the Warrior’s sacred space. Let us now link land and sky of our field of battle in the mundane world to the Otherworlds. The field of action of the Warrior is the mundane world.” copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Quarter Calls and Circle Casting  This is done in the same fashion as the Armoring Ritual (see Lesson VI) copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Presentation  The candidate for Knighthood is then presented to the Grand Master by their mentor, who describes why their candidate is ready for knighthood. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Vote  Grand Master then announces to the assembled Order of Paladins Knights:  “Brothers and sisters in the Order of Paladins, these candidates seek admission to the Knighthood. What say you?”  Upon hearing this, any Knights and Masters present may show approval of the candidate by extending an open left palm, or disapproval by extending a closed right fist. This is a majority vote. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Arming (see script on Rituals page)  This is where the Knighthood candidate declares that they are taking responsibility for their Magickal Weapon copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Charging the Magickal Weapon  This is where the Knighthood candidate charges their Magickal Weapon with the Power of the four elements (earth, air, fire and water), names their Weapon and brings it to “life” with the fifth element, spirit. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Oath of Knighthood  “By the power of earth, water, air, fire, and spirit, before the Gods, the Sidhe and the Ancestors, I do declare before this assemblage my fealty and allegiance to the Order of Paladins, to its thirteen precepts, and to the rule of law.  “So shall I ever defend the values of Sincerity, Courtesy, Compassion, Perseverance, Industriousness, Justice, Loyalty, Courage, Self-Discipline, Humility, Largesse, Truth, and Honor, which in this modern world are so often neglected. I take these values into my heart and soul that they may manifest themselves in my words and deeds.  “Standing proud and free, radiating my inner truth, exultant in my power, I raise up my voice and proclaim myself to be a knight of the Order of Paladins and to dedicate myself to the mastery and defense of these values. I vow to do my will while harming none. In this I am resolved. This I declare before the Gods, the Sidhe and the Ancestors.  “Biodh Se!” copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

“Dubbing”  Each candidate then comes up and stands before the Grand Master, who knights him/her by dubbing them on the shoulders with the sword (left, right, left) while intoning:  “By the power of the Gods, of the Sidhe, of the Ancestors and of the elements, I make you a Knight of the Order of Paladins. Carry your weapons forward in defense of the weak and be glorious.”  Grand Master ties brown belt around the new Knight. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Credo  Once all of the candidates have been Knighted, the Grand Master addresses the new Knights with the Order of Paladins credo:  “Soldiers march. Warriors dance. Both fight, but only a Warrior fights with honor. Soldiers act. Warriors choose. An it harm none, do what thou wilt. Be vigilant. Beware of the foe in your shadow. Who dares, wins. Injustice is what gives you the right to mete justice.”  Participants clash weapons or slap thighs and cry: “Biodh Se!” copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Psychic Exercise: To go through the upcoming Arming ritual of Wiccan Knighthood, you have to choose one of four Magickal Weapons copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Focussing Tool  The Sword or Athame can be used as a focusing tool in a similar fashion to the Wand. The same techniques apply. Try the Pushing the Sky exercise with the sword. Try sending chi out and drawing chi in. Record your impressions in your Book of Shadows. If you have trouble visualizing the flow of energy through your Sword, try the hand squeezing exercise that I mention later in relation to Wands. Let the chi flow down your arm as the tension in it dissolves. As this wave of energy reaches your hand it will stream through the Athame or Sword. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Greater Magickal Weapons  For the next few lessons we’ll be working with the Greater Magickal Weapons: Sword, Staff, Cauldron, and Shield. These larger versions of the Lesser Magickal Weapons (athame, wand, grail, and stone) teach us that with greater power comes greater responsibility copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Eilean a' Cheo Caer Paladin Isle of Scathach copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Eilean a' Cheo copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Eilean a' Cheo Exercise  By now you should have attempted to go to the Island north of the Caer.  You should have submitted a “report” on what you’ve found and experienced there. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Lesson 12 homework reminder  Chose 2 subjects that you’d like to teach in the coming year and prepare a lesson plan. Your lesson can eventually be posted on the Order of Paladins blog. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Order of Paladins Be Glorious! copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain