Order of Paladins Lesson : 19 The Mastering copyright 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

The Mastery “The choice and master spirits of this age.” Shakespeare, Julius Caesar copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

The Armoring & Arming WWWWhen you were initiated as a Squire in the Armoring, you just needed to complete the lessons that led up to it. WWWWhen you were initiated as a Knight in the Arming, you needed to write a ritual to show that you understood how to use ritual

The Mastering UUUUnlike the previous two initiations, the Mastering is something that you have to be confident enough to ask for. The Masters won’t give you this initiation unless you ask for it.

Know Thyself  “First know yourself, then know others” ( 先づ自己を知れ而して他を知れ - Mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire. This is, of course, the first precept of our Order. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

You, the Weapon  Being a Warrior is not about fighting, its about winning. It’s not about using your hands, it is about using your head. Remember your Sun Tsu. This is especially true of this situation, because in the Mastering ritual you become the Magickal Weapon. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Mind and Spirit  The Mastering is about the fifth pair of Magickal Weapons: Mind and spirit. The Niju Kun tells us: “The mind must be set free” ( 心は放たん事を要す - Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu) copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof PPPPart of the reason for this is that for the Mastering, candidate Knights need to come up with a short demonstration of their mastery for the ritual. TTTThis demonstration, called the Battle of Proof, may involve their Magickal Weapon of choice. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof  The challenge facing those of you approaching this milestone in your Knighthood is what to do when the Seneschal challenges you at the entrance to the Mastering ritual: “How will you demonstrate your Mastery?” copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

A Demonstration  The Battle of Proof is a short demonstration. And this can take the form of an actual demonstration involving your chosen Magickal Weapon, the one that you dedicated yourself to in the Arming ritual that made you a Knight. It could be a bojutsu kata, a display of swordsmanship, or an Arnis siniwali form. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

What To Demonstrate?  But think about this: What does your Magickal Weapon represent? Creativity? Will? Vision? Strength? Spirit? Then consider: What could be a symbol of this path that others can see? An action? A statement? A symbol? copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

A Demonstration… TTTThe Battle of Proof is a short demonstration in which the candidate for initiation may actually use their chosen Magickal Weapon. It could be a bo kata, a display of swordsmanship, or a siniwali form. This option has clearly been one of the first things considered by candidates for the upcoming Mastering. This is not surprising, since this is a Warrior tradition, and since our training is clearly influenced by martial arts. We all dedicated ourselves to Magickal Weapons at the Arming ritual that made us Knights. The candidate for the Mastering knows that they have to bring that Magickal Weapon to the Mastering Ritual to become a Master. If you don’t succeed, you won’t get initiated.

What to do?  It is not surprising to me that so many approaching this milestone seem to struggle trying to come up with ideas for what they will do in the upcoming Battle of Proof.  The problem is that you’re all thinking martial arts as fighting. Let me remind you that in that very first class I taught you:  Soldiers march. Warriors dance. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Confidence  The Battle of Proof is about confidence. Remember the definition of a Warrior?  “A Warrior is a person who makes a fearless and objective inventory of their personal characteristics and then uses this information to take control of their life.” copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

It Could Be Anything… TTTThe Battle of Proof could be a Warrior dance, a demonstration of psychic ability, or a written essay on a related subject. If you’re dedicated to the grail and cauldron it might involve healing or cooking (the cauldron as the cornucopia, remember from Lesson 13?). If you’re dedicated to the stone and shield, it might be something that you forged or made (basic anvil magick - remember Lesson 14?). It just has to be something that demonstrates Mastery, that is to say, understanding of the true meaning and symbolism of the Magickal Weapon that you are dedicated to. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

What are we Proving? PPPPresumably the candidate would not even be here seeking this initiation if they had not already met the requirements by demonstrating the Mastery that they wish to be recognized for. Specifically, before applying to be initiated as Masters they must be able to write and perform Sabbat rituals, teach classes in the subjects that are part of the magickal curriculum of the Order of Paladins, and prove that they have engaged in charitable work of some sort for their community. They also must be able to prove that they’ve attained some level of mastery of the Magickal Weapon to which they dedicated themselves in the Arming initiation.

Keep It Simple  The Battle of Proof needn’t be long or elaborate: In fact it is better that it is short and concise. If an expression of your Mastery takes the form of a physical demonstration involving a Magickal Weapon, like a kata, no problem. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Be Creative…  And this brings us back to the Battle of Proof, because that’s exactly what the Battle of Proof is for.  So be creative. Look closely at what your Magickal Weapon represents and chose wisely. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Warriors Dance Remember Paul Tuitean’s description of a Warrior? He said:  Soldiers march. Warriors dance. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Our Definition of “Warrior”:  A Warrior is a person who makes a fearless and objective inventory of their personal characteristics and then uses this information to take control of their life. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Koans  One way to look at the Battle of Proof is like a Zen Koan. For those of you unfamiliar with that: In Zen Buddhism, Zen Masters give their students riddles called koans to solve. The Japanese word “koan” (the Chinese equivalent being “kung-an”) means “public case”. That’s exactly what this Battle of Proof is, a public case. In answering a koan the Zen student is allowed to do anything. Anything at all. As in this case, the answer can be a gesture, a pantomine, a statement, or a single word. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

An old Zen poem states:  Everywhere I went I met with words,  But I couldn’t understand them.  The ball of doubt within my heart  Was as big as a wicker basket.  The Master, from his mat of felt,  Rose up like a dragon,  And, baring his right arm,  Struck my chest a single blow.  My ball of doubt, fright-shattered,  Fell to the ground with a crash! copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

The first koan of the Inzan School of Zen is:  “In clapping both hands a sound is heard: What is the sound of one hand clapping?” copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Answer to the First Koan:  The student faces his Master, takes a correct posture, and without a word, thrusts one hand forward… As simple and as elegant as that. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof  The Battle of Proof is my koan to you. Like the Zen monk, you can do anything within reason to answer it. So be creative. Look closely at what your Magickal Weapon represents and chose wisely. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof  The Battle of Proof can be a recital, a poem or haiku, or a song you wrote to honor your Warrior path. It could be a Warrior dance, a demonstration of psychic ability, or a written essay on a related subject. Or it could be as simple as a gesture, a symbol, that represents your achievement. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

The Zendo copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Zendo TTTThe Zendo is a place where the earth energies and air energies merge, creating a suitable place to do meditation to focus will. AAAAs mentioned in Lesson 14, this is a good place to meditate to discover what you should do for your Battle of Proof. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Challenge formation copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof 2  Seneschal: “You cannot enter the Mastery unless you have made your purpose clear. Why do you believe yourself ready to be recognized as a Master of the Order of Paladins?”  Candidate answers.  Seneschal: “How will you demonstrate your Mastery?”  Candidate answers as best they can, doing a demonstration of whatever skill they have chosen. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Battle of Proof 3  Seneschal: “How will you serve the Order of Paladins as a Master Knight?”  Candidate answers as best they can.  If the responses are acceptable, the Seneschal anoints the candidate’s forehead with the sign of Scáthach (circle, vertical line through middle, one dot to left of line, two to the right) and then the Seneschal directs the Sergeants to admit the Mastery candidate to the Circle. Seneschal deals with each candidate for Mastery one by one. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Magickal Weapons IIIIn the Arming ritual which made you a Knight, you dedicated yourself to one of the pairs of Magickal Weapons: SSSSword/Athame SSSStaff/Wand CCCCauldron/Grail SSSShield/Stone

Prerequisite CCCCandidates for the Mastering ritual should bring the Magickal Weapons that they were dedicated to in the Arming ritual that made them Knights.

5 th Pair of Magickal Weapons  In the Mastering ritual, you dedicate yourself to Mind and Spirit, the 5 th pair of Magickal Weapons, which masters the other 4 copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Empty Hand RRRRemember what the Japanese word “karate” means? It means: “empty hand”.

Empty Hand Think of hands and feet as swords 人の手足を剣と思へ Hi to no te-ashi wa ken to omoe

The Mastering  In the Arming ritual, the candidate becomes the master of their chosen Magickal Weapon.  In the Mastering Ceremony, the candidate becomes a Magickal Weapon themselves. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Mirror Magick  “The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.” copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Mirror Magick FFFFollowing the Battle of Proof the initiate is confronted by Knights representing the five elements (air, fire, water, earth, and spirit) who show the initiate their reflection in a hand mirror. This is a form of mirror magick

Mirror Magick ““““Mirror working” is something that Dion Fortune talked about in her book Moon Magick. Mirrors are curious things. You’d think that what they are showing you is reality. In actual fact, because your eyeballs are connected to your brain, your mind is interpreting what you see. This means that what you actually see may be what you hope to see or what you fear to see. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Mirror Magick IIIInstead of just sitting back and letting this happen, you can actually focus your mind on the image and “steer it” to take you places on the astral or in the world that you need to see. You can also use this vision in the mirror to steer yourself away from your fears and towards your hopes and goals. Many people find it easier to see “psychically” in a mirror.

Ceremony of Mastery  The Grand Master hands the candidate each of the four Magickal Weapons and the candidate must demonstrate their mastery of each.  It concludes with the Grand Master telling the candidate to “Wear the crown of spirit. Carry the weight of responsibility,” having them take on the responsibility for the mastery that they have just demonstrated. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Laurel Wreath FFFFollowing the oath of Mastery, the Grand Master crowns the successful candidate with a Laurel Wreath.

Homer, in his Homeric Hymns, speaks of the laurel wreath in "Hymn to Dionysis": """"...I begin to sing of ivy-crowned Dionysus, the loud- crying god, splendid son of Zeus and glorious Semele. The rich- haired Nymphs received him in their bosoms from the lord his father, and fostered and nurtured him carefully in the dells of Nyssa, where by the will of his father he grew up in a sweet- smelling cave, being reckoned among the immortals. But when the goddesses had brought him up, a god oft hymned, then began he to wander continually through the woody coombes, thickly wreathed with ivy and laurel. And the Nymphs followed in his train with him for their leader; and the boundless forest was filled with their outcry..."

Laurel Wreath  The ancient Greek name for the Laurel is "dhafni", (named for the myth of the nymph Daphne).  Laurel wreaths were given to graduates and poets in recognition of their scholarship. Newly qualified Doctors received a laurel crown because it was considered a cure-all plant.  This is why the term “bacca-laureate” (literally “Laurel berries”) refers to the completion of a bachelor degree. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Pythian Games, Delphi OOOOriginally the prize for Olympic athletes in the ancient Hellada was an olive wreath. A laurel wreath was the award for another of the Pan- Hellenic games, the Pythian games at Delphi. Delphi was a renowned center of divination, and since psychic abilities are so important to us, it is appropriate that we should use the laurel wreath in recognition of Mastery.

Mastering Credo ““““He that would govern others, first should be the master of himself. Master yourself and you can master anything. Master yourself and be master of your fate and the captain of your soul. With mastery comes responsibility. Be wise; Soar not too high to fall; but stoop to rise.”

The Quest  Your task before beginning the next phase of training is to give some thought to choosing a quest: A project, a great work, a service you can engage in to assist the community. copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain

Order of Paladins Be Glorious! copyright 2014 Kerr Cuhulain