ZygoTerif
(sample sketch)
The task of creating a new society out
of the aftermath of Janus Porrima was a daunting but necessary one.
The Tillers had to put away their fear they shared with everyone as
they stood among the survivors surveying their surroundings. As if
all were regaining awareness after being knocked out from a fall,
they began to focus clearly after a time. Many of the survivors took
much longer to awaken, as they were drowning in seas of grief
comprised of their tears.
But some seemed to recover quickly and
began the task of seeking the basic needs of survival. Food and water
being at the top of the list as theses things had been scarce in the
shelters they emerged from. And from these beginnings the most
capable emerged and soon became the ones relied upon by the now
forming new community. From this pool of intrepid souls the community
chose those they trusted to help form the institutions and ethos of
the new world. These were the founders, the Tillers.
It was decided in time that the new
world would strive to form a secular society but at the same time a
world open to all spiritual paths and beliefs. A world unlike the one
they had come from. A world of cooperation and sharing not of
division and greed. A world of equality, not built from layers of
class distinctions. A world with an economy based on trade and
sharing rather than money. A world of true transformation and not of
punishment. Many examinations of the things of the past were
identified as the causes of strife, fear and unhappiness of the world
that led to the Janus Porrima. It was from this tedious process the
structures of the new society were slowly formed and still are 70
years later.
And as the founders worked on this they
continued to work on the delegation of the constant tasks needed to
reestablish sustainable systems to ensure the basic survival needs of
the people were met. In practice this process identified the duties
of a skeleton government and the myriad of institutions that branched
out from those basics needs. What were seen as best practices were
chosen as the bones reintegrated, like an archaeologist may do at the
site of ancient ruins. Indeed this is a true metaphor as we were
building a form from the remains of the dead society we came from.
The Zygo Terif sprang from those beginnings. As a community to
fulfill the emotional, intellectually and spiritual needs of the
survivors, Zygo Terif was formed, not just as a spiritual collective
but as a organizing institution of civilized and efficient
governance. An umbrella under which all aspects of the society were
housed.
It could take volumes to identify and
explain the many cells and sub-cells of Zygo Terif so I will just
outline some of the more important aspects for those who may read
this. Note, I use the word cells here. To begin, the honey bee, was
chosen as a guiding aspect of nature to form the structures of
society and to represent the principles of beauty, necessity,
foresight, cooperation and hard work which are seen as fundamental
goals and desires of the new world. An image of a golden bee with its
wings spread out is seen in most areas under governance of Zygo
Terif. In some places an ant can also be seen displayed as a similar
symbolic inspirational force. All is structured metaphorically as a
honeycomb with its many “cells” joined together with each cell
containing specific varieties of the sustaining honey of knowledge.
And each cell has a “Sacred Text” library containing books and
files directly related to that cell in rooms set aside for their
study.
Knowledge of all forms and freely
dispensing of it is considered one of the main and most important
functions of Zygo Terif. In those beginning times Griffin and Rolo
were well suited to the workings of government. It was Kether, Beth
and Zephyr who were drawn toward more spiritual aspects of life and
the nature of “reality” and they created Zygo Terif, showing the
other Tillers how they could be an organizing principle that the
“government” could merge with. Zephyr and a handful of others
were chosen as the principle administrators of all the cells.
There are so many, each with its
importance. For a start, let me begin with the library formally,
called “Sumer”, which is the main cell of learning and education.
This name was chosen because historians generally agreed that true
writing of language (not only numbers) was invented in Mesopotamia,
specifically in ancient Sumer around 3200 BC. Discussion was mulled
over as some thought Chauvet would be a good name as that was the
site of some of the oldest cave drawings discovered. But in the end a
compromise was reached and Chauvet became the name of the sub-cell of
Sumer for all art studies. At this juncture
I can not neglect to mention the Theatre Mystere
and its cells and how it's institution plays significantly in this
history/tale and in the proper functioning of our society.
Alpha is the cell of beginnings where
the formal education of children takes place. Moving to Beta and
Gamma as children progress. Also was Phronesis
Conservatory, Phronesis meaning “practical wisdom” is where life
skills are taught. Like how to cook a meal, use basic tools and other
skills that are felt every citizen should know. And in this vein
under the guidance of the Connector Guild skills of survival are
taught. It is called Emerson Grove after the essay "Self-Reliance"
written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841 on the need for each
individual to avoid conformity and follow their own instincts and
ideas.
There
is Hippocratic Hall where medicine is taught, and it's sub-cells.
A few more brief
description of cells would be:
Hall of
Memory where history and sub-cells such as mythology is taught.
Temple
of Themis, Themis being the goddess of natural order, morality and
fairness and balanced judgment working for societal peace. So this is
the school where law is taught, with it's sub-cells of philosophy and
sociology and more.
Cell of
Mors, Mors being the personification of death equivalent to the Greek
Thánatos, is very important and it's important cells such as
Ixchel's Womb, Ixchel being the 16th-century name of the jaguar
goddess of midwifery and medicine, which is the center where children
are born and is the site of the community's hospital, as well as the
center for hospice care.
Natura's
Nook, Natura being the Greek goddess of the forest is the main center
for nature studies and ecology and all it's many sub-cells. Very
significant here is the Order of the Blue Dot. This is a scientific,
religious and historical movement. They administer a wall which has a
non-stop solar powered video playing of images of the Earth before
Janus Porrima. Revolving images of natural landscapes, living
creatures and humans living their lives in all its aspects. They
stand vigil to explain these images and are recognized by an inch and
a half diameter dark blue dot tattoo on their neck just below their
chin.
Two
institutions directly administered by the spiritual teachers and
leaders of Zygo Terif are the “Cell of the Sacred” and the
“Hallow”. Much more will be revealed of the workings of these two
entities throughout this manuscript for they are of the most
importance to the overall tale I am relating. Tillers Zephyr,
Griffin, Kether and Beth are/were among the guiding council of these
cells. And as mentioned before identifying tattoos are displayed as
symbols of each cell of the total honeycomb structure of society.
Of
the few taboos of society are the ideas of “Otherness”, “One
Wing” (the belief
that religious or racial intolerance is unacceptable), “Envy” and
the desire of the collection of things and ownership. Teaching ways
of conquering these ideas are at the top of priorities of the
teaching of Zygo Terif.
