It has come to my attention that I should probably include among my many notes here on my studies in the "TotJO" (Temple of the Jedi Order), the symbolism of, both, the Order's emblem, and my own personal spin on it, which I use as my graphic moniker (that is, my profile icon) in the Temple, and on this here, my "notebook" blog (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!).
First, I'll place the image of the Order's emblem here, below...
Now, to explain the symbolism...
First off, we have the five-pointed star, in five segments. This is to represent the five parts of the Jedi Code, which is as follows;
Emotion, yet Peace.
Ignorance, yet Knowledge.
Passion, yet Serenity.
Chaos, yet Harmony.
Death, yet the Force.
Next, we have the sixteen-pointed star within, which is to represent the sixteen teachings of the Jedi religion/philosophy/chivalric order. They are as follows;
1. Be in harmonious touch with the Force. This is done by being open to spiritual awareness and in keeping our minds in tune with the beauty of the world. To maintain a state conducive to learning, with our minds open to experiences and knowledge, of ourselves as well as others.
2. Maintain clarity of mind. This may be accomplished through meditation and contemplation. Our minds can become unduly troubled and concerned with the happenings of the world. We must work on overcoming our individual issues through training and diligence.
3. We must be ever aware of the future impacts of our actions, and inactions... and while remaining keenly aware of the influence of the past, strive to live in, and focus upon, the Here and Now. We must allow ourselves to flow, as though like water, through the events which happen around us. We embrace the ever changing and fluid world, adapting and changing along with it.
4. Be wary of attachments, both material and personal. The obsession over possessions and people creates the fear of losing those possessions and relationships which can cause ourselves to be trapped in a state of depression and loss. We need not shun attachments per se, as how can a parent not be emotionally attached to a child? But we must never allow such feelings to rule over us, and rob us of control over situations which require a mind at peace. Possession can lead to obsession, and then we become possessed. Through fear of loss, we can lose our Selves.
5. Understand that wellness needs to be maintained in the physical, emotional, mental, moral, and spiritual - all aspects of yourself. Each aspect must be trained well in order to ensure that we remain capable of performing our duties to the best of our abilities. All of these are interconnected and essential parts of our training in becoming more harmonious with the Force.
6. Use knowledge and skills to the best of your ability. Knowledge by itself is nothing - utilizing it, applying it to one's life, is wisdom. Never use knowledge and/or skill to boast or be prideful. We must remain mindful of the ego and mindful of our actions, exercising wisdom... and humility.
7. We must understand/acknowledge/accept our limitations. We recognise, and take responsibility, for our failures and develop/cultivate a level of modesty about them. We respect the right for others to disagree and understand that they themselves are not perfect, just as we ourselves are not.
8. Always exercise patience. We work on training ourselves not to precipitate events around us. We know that becoming a Knight is a long and difficult process, and requires rigorous dedication, diligence, and commitment. We must train ourselves to act with insightful deliberation, and a conscientious state of calmness.
9. Always maintain integrity. We must be authentic to what we believe, and be open, honest and true to our purpose and our minds. We must take courage to remove all masks in order to reveal our nobleness of heart. We do not hide from fear of damage to our ego, because we know that our hearts cannot truly be blemished from the words and actions of others, but only by our own misdeeds.
10. It must be well striven for, that all of our actions have a positive effect... for no matter the scale of action, whatever we do affects the world. Even if it be as seemingly insignificant as to put a candy wrapper in your pocket until a proper receptacle is reached, as opposed to casting it upon the ground. Nothing done has no effect. In this way, whatever a Knight may do, may have a positive effect on bettering the world with every action, however great or small.
11. We must be ever mindful of our thoughts. Strive to recognize the beauty in all others. Provide help to those who come seeking it. Through our benevolent actions, we may strengthen not only ourselves, but also our communities. A Knight acts without prejudice.
12. We must understand and remember that love and compassion are of central importance to our lives. We must love and care for each other as we must love and care for ourselves; by doing this we envelop all life in the positivity of our actions and thoughts. In this way, we strive to be providers and beacons of hope.
13. We must cultivate empathy. To achieve this, we need to view things from another’s perspective, making us more sensitive listeners. We must provide the confidence people need while they express/discuss their difficulties, and we share our learning with those who would welcome the benefit of such. In doing this, we strive to help create a more harmonious society.
14. We are, foremost, guardians of peace. We must never shrink from helping all those that are in need, in whatever form, to the best of our ability. We recognise that sometimes providing help requires courage in the face of adversity, but we also understand that conflict is resolved through peace, understanding, and harmony. However much we may fancy ourselves "Warriors of the Light", however true that may be in Heart, for one or another or all, we are *FIRSTLY* Guardians of Peace.
15. We understand the concept of eternal life through the Force. We do not become overly obsessed in mourning those who pass, becoming sickened with grief and dying of loss. We may grieve at their passing, yes, even perhaps much... but we do for a time, and it ends... and we find contentment and rest in the knowledge that they will forever be a part of the Force, and thus indeed, always ever a part of us. Science teaches that neither matter nor energy is ever truly destroyed - "everything goes somewhere".
16. We are to make a commitment to our cause, and to Humanity. Our ideals, philosophies, and practices define the belief of Jediism, and we take action on this path for self-improvement, as well as to help others. We are both the witnesses and protectors of the Jedi way, by the practice of our convictions, and the sincerity of our actions.
There now - that was a lovely bit of reading, wasn't it? ^_~
Now on to the final bit, the white-on-black colour scheme. This is primarily to signify a light in darkness, a beacon in the shadow, and the coexistence of Light and Darkness.
And now, for my personal spin on it all, which does include all that is represented above, plus a small bit more. First, I'll place the image here, below...
First off, just as I have mentioned above, this holds the very same original sybolisms in the original emblem itself (the colours I've put together in it are all part of light), but also include those of an alchemical meaning;
If we go in evoking fashion around the points (to draw a unicursal five-pointed star, in a clockwise direction), starting and ending with white, we get;
Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, White.
These correspond to the philosophical elements, in order, from the most "solid" to the most "rarified";
Green-Earth,
Blue-Water,
Yellow-Air,
Red-Fire,
White-Spirit.
These, in turn, represent states of matter - again, from the more "solid" to the more "rarified";
Green-Earth-Solid,
Blue-Water-Liquid,
Yellow-Air-Gas,
Red-Fire-Plasma,
White-Spirit-Aether (Akasha/Qi/etc.).
These, in turn, correspond to the Four Forces and the "Superforce" from which they are all said to spring forth from, in Grand Unified Theory taught in particle physics. From the "weaker", lower frequency forces to the "stronger", higher frequency forces, we have;
Green-Earth-Solid-Gravitational Force,
Blue-Water-Liquid-Electromagnetic Force,
Yellow-Air-Gas-Weak Nuclear Force,
Red-Fire-Plasma-Strong Nuclear Force,
White-Spirit-Aether-Superforce (GUT - Grand Unified Theory).
Being Native American from Plains (Siksika-Blackfoot) and Woodland (Mohawk/Oji-Cree) tribal groups, I'd also found it interesting that, if you remove the green, you have the four colours of the Plains tribes' medicine wheel;
White - North, from where the cold winter winds come,
Yellow - East, from where the Sun rises every morning,
Red - South, the direction the dead are said to begin their journey towards,
Blue (interchangeable with Black) - West, where the Thunder Beings live.
But if you take away the blue instead, then you have the four colours of the Woodland tribes' medicine wheel;
White - Winter,
Yellow - Spring,
Green - Summer,
Red - Autumn.
(Depending on tribe, different colour/season correspondences may be used.)
But yes, the circle even in this here is very important, too - and in this case, even the extended background;
The Black is the darkness which we may find surrounding our lights, but that it doesn't totally consume the Brown, representing the Good Earth we walk upon, shows that much of the darkness, we bring with ourselves - after all, we all cast our own shadows ^_~
There - I think that'll all do rather nicely... I think that's the end of this post!
May the Force be with you, always <3
- Tarran ^_^
