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Welcome
to the Kala-vi website
Tradition
 page
HER~STORY
The
Kairosean Kithen tradition was originally developed
as a inter-faith/Universalist group, to support
people from various Pagan and other faiths, re-exploring
how they understood the Divine and the practice
of religion. Over
time, it became more focused on a Universalist
Pagan/Wiccan approach.Much
of its standards are revisions of the WCC/Odyssean
tradition, because our Elder, Pashta, was an ordained
priestess for the WCC
Ottawa Temple in the 1980s (which
no longer exists).However,
the Kairosean Kithen approach is significantly
different: and therefore, many of the standards
have been altered to reflect that.The
Kairosean Kithen tradition developed throughout
the 1980s, and eventually became a teaching tradition
over time, serving over 200 students across North
America.
Kala-vi
is the primary coven, located in Victoria, B.C.
(Kala-vi is an acronym for KAirosean
LAbyrinth
Vancouver Island).It
is a small group of committed people, who provide
regular public Sabbat rituals (although
not all 8 each year), support to the University
of Victoria Pagan group, and various forms of
pastoral care (via our Elder, who
is also the co-director of Pagan
Pastoral Outreach).At
times, Wicca 101 classes are also sponsored by
Kala-vi.Presently,
it is ponsoring a ritual chant-learning group,
and producing a MP3 version of the 150+ chants
and a corresponding booklet which divides the
chants into their primary use in ritual.Please
check our Public
Events page, for the Ritual Chant-learning
group, and any upcoming public Sabbat rituals.
OPERATIVE
PRINCIPLES/TENETS OF THE KAIROSEAN KITHEN TRADITION
The Operative Principles or Tenets of the Kairosean
traditions are not rigid dogmas or creeds.Rather,
they are commonly held tenets (within
the tradition), describing the nature of
Nature, the Universe, and the Divine to the best
of our present understanding, and held as constantly
subject to new insight and re-evaluation.
1.
UNIFIED DIVINE
We
affirm (#1) that there is
a Unified Presence/Power within and embracing
the Universe
a Wholism of all potential attributes of ex-IS-tense
in all its manifested and un-manifested states:
A) therefore, this Unified Presence/Power is immanent
in all Creation
B) therefore, all Creation is Its Expression,
and therefore, sacred and holy
C) therefore, this Unified Presence/Power can
not be defined or described as a distinct BE-ing
(Goddess, God, deity)
D) therefore, while this Unified Presence/Power
is beyond humyn (and genderized)
definition and description, it is best understood
as Primal Womb
2.
POLARITY
We affirm that the basic operative mode of the
Divine (as expressed in Gaia and
to Gaian humyns) is Polarity:
A) therefore, the Divine can be described as a
polarity of femel-like and male-like qualities
the
Goddess and the God, as well as other Polarities,
such as yang/yin, or soul/spirit
B) therefore, Polarity is always an equality of
'both extents'; but operates by stressing or expressing
one more than the other (more 'apparent'
and less 'apparent') at any one moment,
in a constant process of re-balancing
C) therefore, the truest expression of the Divine
and attitude towards the Divine
for Gaians, is that which is 'both/and' or polaric.
3.
EVOLUTION
We
affirm that an aspect of the essential nature
of the Divine is to Express Itself in an infinite
evolution of creativity:
A) therefore, all forms and developments of Creation
are part of an evolutionary Expression of the
Divine
B) therefore, all forms and developments of Gaian
consciousness are also part of an evolutionary
Expression of the Divine
C) therefore, all Gaian religions and cultures
are also an evolutionary Expression of the Divine,
and represent a singular Gaian evolutionary heritage
4.
UNIVERSALISM
We
affirm that the Expression of the Divine is in
an eternal state of evolution, in all Time and
all Space, and through all Creation:
A) therefore, all aspects of Consciousness are
Expressions of the Divine, whether they are what
Gaian humyns would call 'animated' or not
B) therefore, Gaia Herself is consider an Expression
of the Divine, as is any star or planet
C) therefore, all Gaian religions and cultures
have wisdoms and warnings to offer all of us
(as our Gaian heritage) and are worthy
of our study and consideration
D) therefore, all Star Kin, should we encounter
them, are also part of the an evolutionary Expression
of the Divine, and are considered equally children
of the Divine
E) therefore, all aspects of Creation/ex~IS~tense
are aspects of the Expression of the Divine, and
therefore, all areas of scientific study/theory
are equally valid as 'myth and symbol' in understanding
the Expressions of the Divine
5.
RESPONSIBILITY
We affirm that, as children Expressions of the
Divine, we are responsible and committed to actively
and faithfully expressing the Divine and participating
in Its evolution, within our own lives, to the
best of our ability:
A) therefore, this responsibility is addressed
to our own selves, our fellow humyns, all cultures
and religions, all Gaian life forms, Gaia Herself,
and any encounter with the rest of the Universe
and other Star Kin
#1 - the word 'affirm' is
intended to mean 'to the best of our present understanding
and intuition'
#2 - the word 'Gaian' refers to our particular
planet, as a living Expression of the Universe,
and all Her particular attributes and creatures
The Kairosean tradition
though essentially based on Wiccan principles
is open to practicing members of all faiths, who
are committed to upholding the above tenets within
their own spiritual praxis.
SUPPORTING
PRINCIPLES
Although not part of the tenets, the following
are standards principles of the Kairosean tradition:
1.
UNIFIED DIVINE
1) the Divine can be understood as the wholistic
collective psyche of all Its manifested/expressed
and potential attributes.Some
folks are against the psychologizing of religions,
but spirituality is an activity of the psyche.The
term 'psycheology' can be used to describe the
workings of the interface between the microcosmic
psyche of the individual and the macrocosmic psyche
of the Divine
2) the term "unified" is used specifically
to infer a wholism of attributes/aggregates, rather
than a singular BE-ing
otherwise,
referred to, in other faiths, as 'the Godhead
behind the God', 'the bright darkness holding
all light', and the 'emptiness from which all
things come', etc.
3) the Divine is a Wholism beyond our capacity
to define, describe, know or even really intuit:
however, humyns need terms and descriptions to
be able to conceive mentally, think/analyze and
communicate.In
all honest humility, we acknowledge that our descriptions
and terms are mere metaphoric attempts to 'grasp
the ungraspable' and are always subject to re-evaluation.The
term 'Godde' is used as a synonym for 'the Divine',
but focuses on the 'unit of all possible Goddess/God
archetypes and images', rather than the 'oneness'.
4) in the present scientific world, the Primal
Womb might also be consider the original Black
Hole of the Big Bang, and/or Dark Matter of the
Universe (note that the term 'Dark
Matter' has the same roots as 'Dark Mother')
2.
POLARITY
1) although anthropomorphic figures may be used
(as archetypal images), we do not understand
either the Goddess or the God as Beings, but rather
as the collective attributes/aggregates/qualities
of the two polaric extents of the Divine Wholism.We
consider these attributes more in a metaphysical
context, than a deific context.
2) we recognize that it is possible that other
living worlds may operate on a basic principle
other than Polarity (Gaian humyns
are biased towards the principle of polarity because
of their polaric genderization); but as
ours is, we continue to explore what the Universe,
based on Polarity, means
scientifically, psychologically, spiritually,
etc.
3) some of the basic divisions (biases)
within Polarity are i) gatheredness and separateness;
ii) space and time;
iii) context and focus; iv) content and directed
activity.
In general, the Goddess primarily represents the
principle of all aspects of gathered-ness, space,
context and content: the God, all aspects of separateness,
time, focus and directed activity.However,
within Polarity, neither is passive or negative,
in the usual sense.Both
are 'active' at all times
for
example, gatheredness is active 'drawing into
a gatheredness' (i.e. if the force
of 'drawing in' weren't constant active, all gathered
would separate): context is the action
of maintaining a particular set of qualities or
circumstances, which moulds and influences any
focus
because
humyns focus their attention on 'focus', they
tend to not acknowledge the 'activity' of context.
Neither is 'separateness' considered negative
(as is often the case in our culture)
separateness
is a necessary attribute by which 'things' come
into 'be-ing' as specific things.One
could only BE some-thing if one was not being
'some-thing else'.
This
is a basic principle of ex-pression (pressing
out
from
something
therefore,
separating)
and ex~IS~tense (taken as 'metaphorically
literally', means 'out from the wholistic IS into
tension' which allows it to move, act, be, become).Furthermore,
we recognize that the two are totally interdependent
no thing or act is one or the other, but a particular
balance of both.
4) Polarity operates via the whole 'stretching
itself' into an operative (though
not always actual) separation, thereby
causing a tension.
If
that tension were static, no thing would ever
BE or DO: to BE or DO: the tension must be constantly
moving towards a bias or one extent or the other,
within an overall balance
literally,
a zig-zagging (one reason why the
serpent is such a strong and positive image in
Wicca: its movement is an archetypal symbol of
the nature of Polarity in its movement).
At
times, then, what we refer to as the Goddess nature
within ourselves or the workings of the world
will be stronger; at other times, the God nature
but
always interdependent.
5) 'both/and' is a term to describe a state or
position taken that incorporates a polaric understandings
of any situation, rather than the dualistic 'either-or'.While
the zig-zag movement of polaric tension ensures
that the balance keeps changing (by
which time/space and we change), a 'both/and'
position/attitude attempts to integrate as much
of both polaric extents as is possible.
For example, we understand all humyns as being
representatives/Expressions of both the Goddesses
and the God (despite gender biasing),
or that each of us is both 'a daughter of the
Goddess and a son of the God' in our own way,
or as having both soul and spirit.
3.
EVOLUTION
1) Evolution (similar to Teilhard
de Chardin's 'Omega Force') can be suggested
as the primary 'face of the God' in the following
attempt at metaphysically describing primordial
creation
Primal
Womb embracing principles of
gatheredness
and separateness
who
conceive the principles of
space
and time
who
conceive
universe
and evolution
2) humyn Gaian evolution can be considered as
consistent with the evolution of a single individual
-
fetal:
proto-humynoid, first awareness of self and cycles
of the world
infant:
Totemistic, sympathetic magic
total dependence on environment (as
a semi-unidentified mother figure), but
with 'dawning' awareness of their role within
it
childhood:
Goddess worship
growing
awareness of humyn influence on the world, but
still primarily dependent on Mother
adolescence:
Patriarchy
growing
attempt to control nature, with little awareness
of consequences, rebelling against home/Mother
necessary to develop individual identify and self-individuation
youth/young adulthood:
present stage
growing
recognition of responsibility on a global level
and integration of past heritage (all
world cultures
globalization);
reconciliation with Mother (or
both parents)
adulthood:
future stage
leaving
home (the planet
not
necessarily that we leave the planet, but we begin
thinking in terms of the wider Universe)
and learning to live responsibly as an individual
in the greater environment (ie.
child becomes not only adult, but parent)
A goal of the Kairosean tradition is to
a) integrate the past heritage of our species
(which
includes recognizing the wisdoms and warnings
implicit in all world religions and cultures
b) take responsibility within our own lives for
being in the present 'youth' stage of our species'
evolution, and evolving through it
c) consider, by re-evaluating our species' past,
how we can participate in
or
'midwife'
the
evolution of our species towards the realized
adult stage (of becoming parent
to our world and our own evolution)
We acknowledge that no one person can do this
on their own, but that each one of us will participate,
as we best can, in certain aspects of this goal
- even just within our own lives.The
Kairosean Kithen tradition exists to support individuals
and groups to participate in this goal.
4.
UNIVERSALISM
1) the Kairosean Kithen tradition holds, as does
quantum science, that even electrons have something
akin to consciousness.Since
all manifested things - whether animate or not
have
electrons, all things participate in something
akin to consciousness and psyche.
It
also holds that there are volumer and volumer
wholisms/'fields'/'spheres' of consciousness (similar
to Rupert Sheldrake's 'morphogenetic fields' and
Jung's 'collective unconscious')
that
all things in the Universe are connected via these
'collective fields/spheres of consciousness',
and therefore, we can and should learn to attune
to them, resonate with them, and equally influence
them as they influence us
that
that, in fact, is what 'responsible magic' is.
2) Gaia is a living being, with all the inherent
rights of a living being.She
has been our Mother, and while She continues to
be, we (at this 'youth' stage)
have responsibilities towards Her well-being as
well.
3) the likelihood is that we are not alone in
the Universe.All
Star Kin, as children of the Divine, also have
all the inherent rights of a living being
to
be honoured and respected once we encounter them.
4) science is equally 'a description of the Expression
of the Divine' as myth and symbol; and in this
day and age, offers significant images of the
Expression of the Divine for spiritual development
and practice
in
fact, often more significant than older mythic
images, or at least, complimentary to them.
5.
RESPONSIBILITY
1) no one person can determine how/where another
should be responsible.However,
we hold that a specific and major quality of the
'youth' stage is taking personal/individual responsibility
for our lives (i.e. not just following
the leader, or doing what Mom/Dad/Big Brother
say or merely 'rebelling against them'; finding
your own path, etc.).We
support any path that truly leads a member to
deeper awareness of, and responsibility for, their
own life and psychic reality; and that of their
family, friends, culture and the volumer world.
Please
check out our other pages, as they develop, for
further information.
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