EoE I | Emerald Aspectism

[Amayonnaise 1553]

 

Exploration on Emerald
.I.
Avyndriel of the Sun

 

 

 

“To will change upon the self, is to change the world.

Only through Will can all balance be attained.”

 

- The Axiom of Will, Teachings of Sister Hurricane -

 

 

Emerald Aspectism

 

The Emerald Way values critical thinking and perspective highly, encouraging its followers to not simply accept doctrine and knowledge as it is, but rather to seek out further answers. It is for this very reason that many advancements in Aspectism have occurred; the returning of the Seeds in early Vailor, the splitting of the Circles upon Axios, and now the formation of Mani Priesthoods and Paths of Aspectism. Without the few Mali who have dared to step beyond the bounds of the known, and sought out answers to the past and present, our culture would be forever unchanging and our traditions with their meanings lost upon us.

 

When I began my study of the Paths of Aspectism, I read through the tomes of each to properly assess which path would most benefit me. The Sages appeared most enticing; to remain neutral and calm, unbiased. To have control. I would like to believe that my history within Tahariae’s Order had prepared me for such a path, with the ability to steel my emotions and thought in the midst of even the most emotional conflicts. However, this simply wasn’t true.

 

It wasn’t that I gained control of my Self in those battles. Rather, it was because I understood what needed to be done, and thus drove forth regardless of wound and injury. It was my determination. My Will. Though I admired the Sages’ school of thought, I knew within that it was not the correct path I had to follow. Instead, I delved into the Tomes of Emerald, and felt all that I had known warp around me. 

 

Having been raised by an Archdruid, Renn of the Wheat and Wisteria, I had always felt comfortable in my knowledge of the Aspects and their gifts. Cerridwen, the Mother of Life and Lady of Wheat. Cernunnos, the Father of Death and Lord of the Hunt. The books upon them were relatively identical in their understanding and knowledge. The most variation came from the Aspects and their interpretations; the Lord and Lady existing as energy within all living things, as entities within the Eternal Forest with vessels through which they enacted their Will, or some vague mixture of both.

 

Throughout my three centuries of life, it was not until I studied the Emerald Way that I realised there was so much more within these stories. So much more to be explored and questioned and found. Cernunnos. Not a Lord who brought the mercy of death when the clock eventually chimed, but rather the very embodiment of the courage and fear felt by predator and prey as they raced through the forest. Heightening emotions driving them forth and exhausting themselves, until they are brought upon the brink of death. The shifting from vessels as lifeforce flows, departing a weakening form to greet the surrounding world and revitalise it with an excess of melody. 

 

Cerridwen. Nae a Lady who births life into the realm, but rather the rising, strengthening hum of pure life as it seeps within an expectant mother to bless the growing babe within. The warmth of the sun as it wittles down blankets of snow, nourishing the ground beneath with both water and light. Returning flora as it stretches across the landscape in an endless web; creeping through cracks in stone, and stretching towards the smallest glimpses of light in a dark cave.

 

The Aspects, as I quickly learnt, are not as easily describable as we thought. Their gifts are ever changing, flowing within the river of the Tayna that possesses all of nature. I observed the world around me as my perspective adjusted, understanding finally that this living energy did not simply fade upon death or conjure upon birth, but instead amassed in new forms borrowed from the old. It flows akin to a stream; corroding aging surfaces and whirling around new stones.

 

Aspectism is no longer the mere worship of two deities. It is now a deep and profound understanding of the interconnected natural world that lives all around us. The Emerald Way blessed me with a new vision, and has enabled me to explore new paths of thought rather than simply accepting what is.