Custom Path of Enlightenment

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Custom Content Category: Path of Enlightenment
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****** THIS PATH OF ENLIGHTMENT MAY NOT BE LEARNED UNLESS THROUGH IC INTERACTION WITH CREATOR *******
 
Nickname​: Hierodules
 
● BASIC BELIEFS
The Sword of Caine bases its origins in the first cities of mankind, through the documents and sacred
texts uncovered and studied by Noddists. This study is highly valued by the sect and provides the
basis for its practices and spirituality. That is however not the only spirituality practiced by the Sword,
although it serves as a guideline for any other. Home to several different religious practices, one of the
most common is the one practiced by those called Ashipu, practitioners of Dur-An-Ki. This old form of
magic pushes its practitioners to Ascend and reach for the Heavens, dealing with pacts brokered with
spirits and other astral entities that were and still are considered deities. If their divine nature is true or
not or what exactly those beings are is a complex theme open to interpretation that have fostered
inumerous debates and is still likely to not have a conclusive resolution any time soon. Such is the
nature of old and powerful spirits.
Innanna/Ishtar/Cybele is one of those. Patron Goddess of the cities of Ur, Niniveh and others, she was
worshipped for more than three millennia throughout the history of mankind, changing as the cultures
that worshipped her also changed, absorbing other local goddesses and originating others. The central
myth of the Goddess, the eternal return, her descent to the Underworld to rescue Tamuz from the
realm of her dark twin sister, Ereshkigal, is a mythological theme central to many religions and that
repeats itself in practically all of them. It is the story of creation, of life in its many aspects, both the
light and darker ones.
After all the old polytheistic religions usually did not see Creation as a finished act. The eternal drama
always reenacted, manifested in the seasons and the time of stars, speaks of a Creation that occurs in
the eternal time of now, with the Mother-Goddess, the Lady of Heaven and Earth, devouring her
creation and remaking it at the same time. It is the unavoidable force of nature that brings life and
destroys it. The death of the white winter and the rebirth of spring.
And embodying and living those myths and philosophy is what the adepts of this path seek. Having
descended to the Underworld once and returned victorious as the Goddess herself once did, in the
condition of immortals, the practitioners seek to be like Inanna on Earth, masters of themselves and
the world around them, seeking not a perfection external to themselves, but being more and more like
their own selves, as the manifested deity they are. The adepts of this path are, therefore, highly
spiritual cainites, often keeping sacred altars to the Goddesses above and the Goddess within.
The first and foremost duty of the follower is to know and accept his own self, including the Beast.
Practitioners of this path seek to understand and commune with their Beasts rather than to oppose it
and to this end, at least once every moon they let it loose and revel in its lack of limits and instinctive
behavior. It is a necessary relationship, as the cainite that denies or controls it is denying part of
 
himself and therefore going against the core of this path. The Beast is the darker, impulsive and
instinctive aspect of the adept and as the Lady of Heaven herself crossed the gates of the Underworld
and gained knowledge about herself, the adept needs to embrace this fundamental part of himself.
As part of a non dualistic world view, there is no moral judgement about the truths of what the adept
really is and what he wishes for. Likewise, the world isn’t seen as something flawed or intrinsically evil,
like Albigensians or Martyrs do, it just is and it’s there to be explored and enjoyed, a true playground
for the adept. Therefore, the follower needs to find a place in the world that best fit his ambitions,
desires and his inner deep self, thus making this a path of conviction. After all, conscience is nothing
but an anchor keeping the adept from seeing the real expression of the world by bounding himself in
guilt and remorse.
The great challenge of this path is the constant necessity of a brutal personal honesty. Both about
oneself and those that surrounds the adepts, pawns, allies and foes. After all the world is ever
changing and so are those in it and its circumstances. As the delicate web of relationships that
sustains the social network changes so must the follower. As Inanna, that brings change and the rains
of spring that shapes the earth, the adept must be truthful to himself and adaptable.
 
● HIERARCHY OF SINS
 
RATING MORAL GUIDELINE RATIONALE
1 - Deny yourself, the deep self,
the true self and its needs.
- Deny an opportunity for self
knowledge
 
There is no way of knowing your place in the world
without knowing who you are. Seeking to understand
yourself, your deepest desires, fears, passions and
personal values is necessary to understand who you
are in the grand scheme of things.
 
2 - Failing to commune with the
Beast within and avoid riding
the wave
- Failing to seek one own’s
pleasures and be restrained by
guilt or remorse in this search.
 
Denying the desires of the Beast is denying your own
desires and communing with its basic instincts is
necessary to create a symbiotic relationship and
better understand the impulses that guides your
actions. Just as well, denying yourself pleasures,
privation or self discipline when not necessary for
personal gain is senseless. Life is not worth without
being enjoyed.
 
3 - Submitting yourself to the
wills of others without it being
part of a previously chosen
cause or commitment.
- Avoiding contact with
civilization and shunning
gatherings
 
Knowing oneself to know one’s place in the world is
useless if the practitioner does not venture in it, being
part of civilization and society. Pledging loyalty to a
worthy cause, following orders to an agreed upon
hierarchy and/or accepting commitments are part of
living in said society and must be must be weighted,
accepted and carried out without losing sight of the
follower’s ambitions and deep self.
 
4 - Failing or refusing to protect
or aid an ally when it doesn't
jeopardize your own goals
- Neglecting an opportunity to
exact vengeance
 
Existence does not happen in a void. Those that are
close, be it for being cherished or important, must be
protected, if the cost aren’t your own goals or
denying your deep self. Enemies must understand
that the practitioner is someone to be feared, a true
force of nature. After all, the follower of this path may
be many things, but ignored should not be one of
them.
5 - Fearing and avoiding
 
changes
- Killing without reason and
failing to kill when necessary.
 
Creation, as the self, is dynamic. The cycle of life
isn’t just about creating, but also destroying and
renewing. Renewing/changing yourself based upon
experiences and self knowledge is necessary to be
part of the cycle and fearing and/or avoiding is to
become static and oppose the inner divine nature.
Destruction is also part of the cycle and showing
mercy to one that deserves to die is to prevent his
rebirth and evolution. Just as well, destructing
without cause is to disrespect the divine creation.
 
● ETHICS
- Know and accept one’s self, including the Beast.
- Honesty to one’s self is fundamental.
- Spirituality and meditation is vital to understand the self and needs to be practiced.
- The world is not a duality, flawed or intrinsically evil, it just is and it’s there to be explored and
enjoyed.
- Live in the moment and explore the pleasures that civilization has to offer.
- Submitting to the will of others outside of personal commitments is losing your self to another’s.
- Interpersonal relationships, both good and bad, are intrinsically part of living in the outside
world and must not be ignored.
- Adaptability is necessary to survival in an ever changing world.
- Death is part of life, but to destroy without purpose is to disturb creation.
● FOLLOWING THE PATH
 
Virtues: Conviction, Instinct, Courage (Convicção, Instinto, Coragem)
Common Abilities: Theology, Cosmology, Meditation, Survival, Social related skills.
Favored Disciplines: Dur-An-Ki, Fortitude, Animalism, Presence, Auspex
Date of Archival: 21-Oct-2017
Sabbat