Sith Order Lessons

Lesson Nine; Bringing it all Together

Posted by TheWickedOne on July 6, 2012
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This is it. The final lesson for the Introduction to the Sith Order. It’s a simple question, one that’s been asked before, all the way back in Lesson Two. It’s been a bit of an interesting ride. If anyone was wondering, I’ve posted the last few Lessons with relative frequency because I’ve found more free time for posting. I’ve had them written down for awhile, and then edit them when I post to match any growth or changes in character since the original writing.

So here we are. Back where it all began. The Sith Code. Please interpret the Sith Code, line by line, as a Sith would.

Peace is not a natural state of being for mankind. There is a serenity that can be achieve on an internal and personal level but conflict and passion is the fuel of humanity.

Throught that passion we discover what we want and we must find the inner strength to break the initial link and follow our true path.

With that path we’ll find skill, ability and maybe even unlock inner talents. That willpower shall lead to pure power.

We use those skills and abilities to achieve goals, fulfill our passions and ultimately lead ourselves along that path we walk.

Those victories lead to freedom. The acquisition of skills, tempered by strength and experience remove the outer limits society attempts to place on our inner selves.

In the end we free ourselves, for at the beginning of all things we continue to find passion. The door we walked through when this all began.

 

It’s been an interesting journey but there is so much more to go. I’m going to start work on Lord Draconis’ Sith Assignments soon, but first I may branch out some more. The Gita wants reading and I’ve got some psychology to study.

So until next time, may the gods watch over you, and the Force serve you well.

Lesson Eight; the Role of the Force

Posted by TheWickedOne on July 5, 2012
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Miles states that it would be an error to teach Sith Realism without discussing the role of the Force, despite not being the sort of realist who teaches real-life Force techniques. As I pointed out earlier, the Jedi say ‘may the Force be with you’, but a Sith says ‘May the Force serve you well’.

Why do I think that is?

To the Jedi, the Force has a will of its own. The Force flows through all and a Jedi will allow the force to flow through himself when he uses Force abilities. Sith see the Force as a tool to be used. To be controlled and made to serve. The Jedi serve the Force, but a Sith is served by the Force.

My interpretation, based on Satanic self-deification, allows me to perceive myself as the Force, or an aspect of it. I must serve myself well, as the self is the friend of the self, but it can also be the greatest enemy of the self.

This is a short lesson, but one that provoked a lot of thought. I may not have a lot to say but it took me quite while to get there. Sith is ultimately a philosophy, one that can carry over into the material reality if we only take the time to interpret the ideals.

I should probably start posting about other religions, though. Oh well. It’s all knowledge.

Lesson Six; Stages of Development

Posted by TheWickedOne on July 2, 2012
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Lesson Six: Stages of Exploration.

Another lesson that required a good amount of ‘soul-searching’ and introspection, lesson six takes from ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ by Allison Armstrong. From the excerpts provided by Miles I can see that it would be an interesting read, but I’m currently going through two Psychology books (listed below) and the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture that lays the foundation for the Hindu faith as well as Indian culture. I highly recommend it for anyone involved in the Light Aspect, or people interested in being Good in general. It teaches compassion for all living things and selfless service to all of creation.

At any rate, onto lesson six. Lesson Six takes from the aforementioned ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ book. It identifies six archetypes of a person on their quest through life; Page, Squire, Knight, Prince, King and Elder. Fairy tale analogies are used to make the concepts more universal.

  • The Page describes a child, playing at being a hero and living up to an ideal.
  • The Squire has grown past play and following an unrealistic ideal and has now settled into a form of hero-worship, following a specific individual. Often Squires will be disappointed when that hero fails to live up to their expectations. Regardless, that hero will become the person the Squire models themself on.
  • The Knight is their own person, seeking quests and adventures, killing the dragons and saving the princesses. They will sometimes hold themselves to high standards and lofty ideals.
  • The Prince has slain the dragon, rescued the maiden fair and must now build his kingdom and put himself on the path to becoming a King. This stage in life is often a long one, and involves a lot of developing our careers and lives.
  • The King is a phase that tends to occur in mid-life, after a mid-life crisis. The King has built his kingdom and is now free to live life as he sees fit.
  • The Elder is a place not all will reach. They are wise and experienced. An Elder can be compared to an old retiree, who has finished his quests and is settled down. Sadly, not all make it to this stage.

With the groundwork out of the way, onto  Lesson Six.

What stage do you think you are at?

I’m not an absolutist but I find myself as a Knight but can show some Princely traits. I know my interests and passions and I seek to fulfill them. My quest is to find a career I find mentally, emotionally and economically satisfying, so that I’m able to build my kingdom and support my family.

What activities and actions do you see in your life that leads you to believe that?

I am currently seeking knowledge and skills for use in my quest. The Knight is a Sith on his quest for power, and I am on mine. It’s not that I believe I’m at the Knight stage, I know I’m there. My actions speak for themselves. Reading and networking, searching for what I crave.

I have found that the archetypes can be loosely compared to the Sith code.

The Page identifies peace as a lie.

The Squire finds his passion.

The Knight finds that strength.

That strength seeds the Prince’s power.

The power grants victory and the prince becomes King.

When that victory breaks the chains and he is freed by the force he becomes the Elder.

P.S. The two psychology books I mentioned are collections of papers written on psychology in pop culture. They’re a great introduction to the field as they provide an available example, for instance the paper written that diagnoses Dexter Morgan as having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder rather than being a psychopath, as he doesn’t have many typical traits of psychopathy.  I’ve already read Bella DePaulo’s The Psychology of Dexter and The Psychology of Superheroes by Robin S. Rosenberg and Jennifer Canzoneri. Currently I’m reading The Psychology of Joss Whedon by Leah Wilson and The Psychology of the Simpsons: Doh! from Alan Brown.

Lesson 5; The Gold Hidden in Darkness

Posted by TheWickedOne on June 21, 2012
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In this exercise, we look back to lesson 4 and are asked to pick three of the darknesses we listed. I chose one from each portion; darkness from my upbringing, my culture and myself. Next we name what could be positive about embracing those darknesses. Embracing selfishness, even partially, or only for a moment, could yield personal rewards where a moment of selflessness could’ve come at great cost. Open-minded thinking is a Sith virtue, and identifying gold hidden in darkness is part of that thinking. To again quote Miles..

“In the end, the point of it all is to learn about and embrace the self, all that you are, good and bad, and find the gold hidden within. This is often done in stages, but the end result is to continually embrace the darkness until there is no darkness left to embrace. I refer to this condition as the Sith Paradox of Darkness.”

 Quick Judgement: Embracing quicker judgements would lead to quicker decision making, resulting in a more decisive and most likely more resolute me. If I embraced this with the Initiative Darkness I could be a very different sort of person. Quicker judgements would cause me to be more certain of myself and confident, rather than contemplative and self-doubting.

Initiative is a positive trait in the real world. It’s often received well and is considered a mark of leadership talent. Without it being suppressed in me at an early age, I’d be a far more confident and able person. I am currently working on overcoming this flaw within myself, however. I have taught myself to identify what I should do, and then do it, by following an instinct that once made me stop in my tracks. Why the modern school systems attempts to drill it out of students is beyond me, save for an Orwellian theory…

Forgiveness: If I was a forgiving sort, I’d probably have better peace of mind (peace is a lie!) and far less resentful of some of the people who surround me. I’d be more sociable and less judgemental. I’d like to clarify that the aspect of forgiveness I perceive as darkness is the forgiving of intended insults, slights, and attacks on me or those around me. Minor inconveniences and annoyance I simply dismiss.

And now, onto the second part of this lesson. What would the negative results of embracing these darknesses be? By identifying the good and the bad we can make more informed decisions.

Quick Judgement was discouraged during my childhood for good reason; because it doesn’t give you time to consider the different sides of a story or the many possibilities of a situation. Embracing quick judgements may make me a quicker thinker but it would also lead to irrational or unfair decisions. It could also lead to me taking unnecessary risks in a situation that someone who gave it proper thought would avoid.

Initiative is a virtue, let’s face it. It’s a great trait to have. But without correct knowledge or application, it could bring about mistakes, or even disaster, in a teamworking environment. You can get something wrong or just be a hindrance to the team. In a schoolroom setting, initiative could lead you down an incorrect path of study, particularly if you’re working with an inflexible syllabus. But all in all, it’s a fine characteristic and would serve anyone well who had it.

Forgiveness: Why don’t I forgive? Simple. The emotional investment of forgiveness is far greater than the feelings of the person who has wronged you, unless they desperately seek it. If forgiveness is given without justice, the offender will not have learned their lesson and could even be the sort to do it again, particularly if the offence was pleasurable or profitable to them. Forgiving someone you shouldn’t will hurt you far more than them should they betray the trust of that forgiveness.

Now for the third part. This is a pretty long exercise that could’ve actually been made into two… A fairly Sith question here; what would be the benefits of embracing your passions? What strengths can be found there?

Our passions drive us from within. Whether we embrace or reject them, they’re in there, talking to us and they hunger. When we indulge in them we feel damn good. The rejection of one’s passion is a suppression of the self and is definitely not healthy for your emotional and mental wellbeing. By accepting and embracing our passion, we can connect with a deeper, fundamental part of ourselves and achieve greater understanding of ourself in so many ways.

We can find inner strengths and reveal hidden talents within us. Our passions are there, craving fulfillment, exploration, and attention. What would be so wrong about doing something completely honest for our core self?

And the fourth part answers my question there. It’s an obvious lead-on, see? What are some of the drawbacks of embracing your passions? What would be the price of the strength?

Embracing passion can be an exercise of inward thinking. The price of that strength could very well be a social one. Some activities just aren’t acceptable in some social groups or cultures. This passion I have found in theology would definitely be frowned on by some in my life, especially the smaller minded ones. There are always people opposed to our interests, and by exploring them we tend to open ourselves to their notice.

In my case, reading alternative theological texts in a public setting could cause severe backlash from the religiously minded. Perhaps reading Anton LaVey’s Satanic Bible on the train isn’t that good of an idea?

In the end, you have to be true to yourself to even begin to explore the darkness, let alone find the gold. Self-deception is self-destruction and that is completely counter-productive. After all, the singers say it best; Embracing the truth will change your fate.

Lesson 4; An Introduction to Darkness

Posted by TheWickedOne on June 11, 2012
Posted in: Force Realism, Sith Order Lessons. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

For the Sith Lessons we use a simple interpretation of darkness; a thing that represents what we repress or discourage in our lives. Darkness may be a characteristic that your society or culture deems ‘wrong’ or ‘taboo’. It may also merely be the wrong tool for the situation, such as using a bucket to fill a bath instead of using a tea cup.

This lesson has me identifying three pieces of darkness from three aspects of our lives; our upbringing, the society around us, and ourselves. So let’s begin then.

Darkness from our Upbringing;

Quick judgement. Growing up I was taught to not make a decision without considering the good sides and the bad. Never to take sides in an argument without considering both sides of the story. To shop around for a better price, rather than jumping for an impulse buy.

It’s made me more balanced and rational, but I am slower to judge. Some people misunderstand when I attempt to rationalise other points of view beyond their own, taking it for a challenge of their argument or ideal. It frustrates them, and then I have to explain how I try to view things. The darkness of quick judgement has made me a clearer, more decisive thinker who will often look for and find better alternatives to a situation.

Selfishness: Many people around me in my childhood went out of their way to help those around them. Without being ‘taught’, I picked up that trait for my own, and have attempted to reject meaningless self-service. I have helped others at cost to my own wants and needs, though I would not change that given the option. Though waning in recent years, rejecting selfishness (and embracing selflessness in part) has definitely served me well, gifting me with strong friendships.

Ignorance isn’t something I dislike, it’s a characteristic I’ve come to loathe. I’ve gone to zealous lengths to avoid ignorance and it is probably my deepest insecurity. Going hand in hand with quick judgement, I wasn’t raised to hate ignorance the way I do, but it displays of ignorance frustrated me and those around me to such a degree that I eventually identified it as a darkness held by all those around me.

Social Darkness

Initiative was drilled out of me through eight solid years of school. A ‘sit down, shut up’ environment that would punish initiative and stifle creativity. It’s a darkness forced upon me that affects me still; I lack initiative in teamwork situations. I am working constantly to correct it, but it’s so ingrained it comes as an instinct to sit back and wait to be told what to do, or for someone to lead the way.

Freedom of expression comes at one hell of a cost. Society pretends to be open-minded and accepting but if you want to deviate from social norms you will pay. Overcoming this darkness is an exercise I call ‘breaking the initial link’. In breaking the initial link we prepare ourselves to become part of an alternative subculture or do something that isn’t socially acceptable. Socially acceptable ‘rebellion’ is sold en masse in the form of pop rock t-shirts and black jeans. To quote Bill Hicks; “You are free to do what we tell you!” 

The search for knowledge was largely abandoned by my so-called ‘peers’ during school. Reading and learning are considered ‘unsociable’ and ‘unnecessary’. Granted I do live in a country where a meathead with a shovel easily commands half again as much as a police officer, nurse, ambulance paramedic or social worker. I’ve had to hide interests (or my intellect) in the past for the sake of my own safety, or to merely ease my day.

Personal Darkness

Disloyalty: Loyalty has always been a strong character trait, so it comes naturally that disloyalty has become one of my strongest hates. I detest letting people down and breaking promises. My loyalty, I feel, has been the key to making and keeping the friends I have. I don’t play inter-personal political games. Disloyalty is a personal darkness because it is a trait I see in others and despise it, and fear the day circumstances force it upon me.

Apathy is a common trait in my culture, one I noticed quite often during a stage in my life where I was a political protester. Apathy murders progress, hinders society and inhibits individuals. Apathy strikes insidiously when you least expect it, or when you’re at your most vulnerable. Striving to keep to progressive goals, I attempt to reject and suppress apathy whenever I find it internally.

Forgiveness is considered a largely positive trait by many. It is among my weakest of characteristics. I pay no mind to small things and annoyances, but personal slights, attacks or threats towards myself or people close to me, or outright betrayal are things I refuse to forgive or forget. I’ve seen too many people forgive the wrong person who just goes and hurts them again. With me, forgiveness, when it comes, can only come after justice.

Lesson 3; Defining a Sith Realist.

Posted by TheWickedOne on June 8, 2012
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To start with I’d like to say that this blog is not specifically for my walking of the Sith Path, but a lot of my present studies are of myself and of Dark Aspect philosophy. I’ll be doing posts on other subjects as they come. Now, to begin, I’d like to quote Miles, the present leader of the Sith Order.

To begin, I feel I must define an idea, not so much to illustrate anything about the Sith, but more to define one group as being different than the Sith: that is, the Dark or Fallen Jedi (Jen’jidai as I refer to them). The Jen’jidai are not Sith Realists. The Jen’jidai are Jedi who reject the Light aspect of the force and embrace the Dark aspect. These are not Sith ideals, as darkness has a different meaning to the Sith than to the Jedi. If you are looking for those who embrace the Dark side of the Force, you want the Jen’jidai. The Sith are not Jedi, though they share many of the same beliefs and ideals. Jen’jidai are Jedi who actively reject the Light Side and embrace the Dark Side.

This lesson has the Sith student identifying what makes a Sith Realist different from another variety of Dark Aspect realist, as well as posing questions on the core nature of Sith Realism. For the first question…

What do you think is the difference between a Jen’jidai and a Sith?

A Sith will say ‘may the Force serve you well’. A Jedi would say ‘may the Force be with you’. Where the Sith use the Force as a tool, the Jedi serve it and allow it to control their actions. A Jen’jidai is just a fallen Jedi. A slave to their perception of the dark side. They lack the control, resolve and passions which ultimately make a Sith. They may even attempt to reject the dark side out of fear, fear for true darkness. Without embracing the dark as a Sith does, they’ll never be Sith, merely fallen Jedi, forsaken of the light and rejected by the dark.

What is Darkness to a Sith?

Darkness is a tool. Darkness is that which inspires fear in others. Darkness is change. Darkness is strange. Darkness is decidedly unorthodox, definitely alien and in the end, different. It’s a tool that few use, and that fewer understand.

What do you think ‘enlightenment’ or the highest state of being would be for a Sith?

The highest state of being for a Sith would be true mastery of the self, the knowing of the self which brings power. To be able to overcome all obstacles put before us. To forge order from chaos and vice versa. The ideal Sith whose chains have been shattered by victory wrought by his power.

What could our passions teach us about ourselves?

Close your eyes. Imagine a simple object. We’ll use a blue square. Hold it in your mind. Hold it as firmly as you can until your mind inevitably wanders. When it does, make a note of what it wandered to and how quickly. Meditate on the deviation. This is a Buddhist exercise used in discovering what is causing inner conflict.

Much in the same way, our passions can teach us about who we are and how we do things. We have to identify our passion and then introspect. By thinking inward we can discover aspects of ourselves. By meditating on our passions we can learn a great deal about who we are inside.

When I have introspected upon my passions I have learned about values of mine I’d struggled to identify. It led to a self-realisation about how and why I react to the world around me. I discovered an aspect of my true nature and have utilised that knowledge since then. Since that discovery, I’ve been able to grow on a more personal level.

You can actually see some of my other learning coming out in the last part of the lesson. That Buddhist exercise is worth giving a try if you can’t tell what’s plagueing you, but you have to be ready to introspect and interpret your own thoughts. Be honest with yourself, because self-deception is an exercise in futility. Embracing the truth will change your fate.

Sith Order, Lesson 2; the Sith Code.

Posted by TheWickedOne on June 7, 2012
Posted in: Force Realism, Sith Order Lessons. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 3 comments

In the second lesson for the Sith Order, we identify the Sith Code. The Order uses it to evaluate progress and changes in the mental state. The Sith Code was created by Bioware for their video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, which was the first step in establishing a great setting for expanding on the Jedi and Sith Orders, as well as the Force. Let’s quickly go over the Sith Code.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Through passion I gain strength,

Through strength I gain power,

Through power I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.

This philosophy directly counters the Jedi Code, which I won’t go into, but you will find it at that link. Anyway, the second lesson for the Sith Order involves interpreting the Code as you see it.

LESSON TWO

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
The human condition thrives on emotion and passion of all kinds. Anger, love, hate, ecstasy. To pretend otherwise is to deny a great deal of your self, and denial is unhealthy. Peace is a self-deception. We may be in a calmed state, or find some aspect of serenity for a time, but inevitably return to passion. Passion is the fuel of life.
Peace is a lie, I seek only passion.

Through passion I gain strength.
Willpower is strength. Our passion gives us desire to begin a task, and our willpower is what carries it through if we’re strong enough. Willpower, determination, faith. These are all aspects of strength. My passion fuels my will, and my will is strength.

Through strength I gain power.
Knowledge is power. Ability is power. Our passions provide a desire and our strength allows us to follow through on that desire. The result is power. If you want something, you gather the price and then earn it. Power never came to those without the willingness to use it. Knowledge is power and I have always and will always seek power.

Through power I gain victory.
Our abilities, given to us by our willpower and desire, allow us to forge ahead in life in fulfillment of goals, from the mundane tasks in our day-to-day lives, to career choices, and life-altering dreams and decisions. Victory is what we achieve when the tasks laid in front of us are overcome. Victory is accomplishment, and I seek victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.
Fulfilling our goals opens the world up to us, removing past limits the world had placed on us. Our power allowed us to achieve victory and overcome the obstacles in our lives. By breaking our chains, we use what we gained in our victory to remove the restrictions placed on us by the various forces the universe pits against us.

Though, I do believe that we break two sets of chains in our quest for freedom. The first set of chains is broken when we make the conscious decision to walk the Dark path. The rejection of social and cultural orthodoxy is not a step many are willing to make.

The Force shall free me.
I am the Force. I am the guiding force behind my life. It is my passion that gives me strength, my strength that that leads to power and my power that grants me victory. I am the breaker of my own chains, and that realisation was a profound one for me. My interpretation of  Sith Code is about self-acknowledgement, but is one among many.

Sith Order, Lesson 1

Posted by TheWickedOne on May 30, 2012
Posted in: Force Realism, Sith Order Lessons. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 comments

As mentioned in my post introducing Force Realism, the Sith Order have a series of lessons based around meditation, contemplation and self-exploration. So here we have lesson one, a series of introductory questions, and my answers to them.

Who am I? Loaded question. I was once commonly known as William Kaede, or Will for short. I’m an aspiring writer, constantly getting bogged down by new ideas and concepts. I’ve always enjoyed fantasy and science fiction, ever since seeing films like Star Wars and Dragonheart at a young age. I’ve always been a big reader, so much so it’s been a slight flaw when I have to get to work. I am nigh upon twenty-one years old and it’s only in the past few years that I’ve connected with people my own age, because I always preferred the company of select friends and adults growing up.

What inspired me to take the training? Since discovering Force Realism, I’ve read more books on psychology and the inner self than I ever have. I’ve already developed a better understanding of myself and those around me. I have a growing collection of books and several bookmarked threads on the Force Academy. I have shown myself what I could accomplish if I continue to read and learn what there is to be read and learnt. As one who hopes to be a published writer, the knowing of the self, the knowing of others, and of the dark side could be a great asset in writing characters. In all, I hope to gain knowledge, for knowledge is power. Confidence, knowledge, awareness and the improvement of the self? One would have to be a fool to pass up this opportunity.

The Sith are an Order, a sect of dark siders, not a collective term for anyone who walks a darker path. The Sith use the dark side as a tool because the dark side is what we tap into when we embrace our passions. We use the Force. It serves us. I would distinguish it from Dark Jediism, for the Dark Jedi serve the dark side of the force the same way a Jedi serves the Light. A Sith will use the Force as a tool, but a Dark Jedi will be used by the Force as a tool. A dark-aligned Jedi does not have to be a Sith. As for fears of the dark side? I worry about arrogance and imbalanced attitudes. I do not fear what the dark side may do to me, only what I may do to myself.

I have undergone no other studies of Sith Realism to date. Since discovering the Order, I have read from the Dark Aspect of the Force Academy. I have meditated on the lessons and myself to some length. I have read Star Wars novels, and that is all. This is the beginning of my study of Sith Realism.

I’ve a long way to go, but as I keep saying, I feel the changes inside my mind, and this is only the beginning.