When I was in Middle School, I remember being given an assignment where I had to a write a letter to my future self.  I never kept up with that letter, so I couldn’t tell you at all what Middle School me wanted to tell Adult me.  Though, I imagine it was probably really small things like “don’t be a jerk to others, because you know what it’s like to have gone through abuse” or “keep on smiling, because there is beauty in the world”.

I’m not sure why, but my mind wandered to that letter a couple weeks ago as I started getting more information about the tumor which likely formed over the course of the last 10-15 years in my rectum.  Yeah…I have recal cancer, and it’s at Stage III (regional lymph nodes affected).  Right now, I have this incredible peace around the situation.  I know I’m going to be fine, the only real issue I’m facing at the moment are issues relating to bowel movements.  Other than that, I wouldn’t have known the difference.

However, things may soon change in that regard, because the treatment for this condition includes Chemotherapy, Radiation, and then finally surgery to remove whatever mass is left over.  My 2022 Roller Coaster has me blindfolded.  I don’t have a clue what any of this is going to do to me- and while I can’t find the means to be anxious right now, come Tuesday when I get my first round of Chemo Infusion, things could drastically change.

So I thought to myself “Seta, why not write a letter to your future self now?”. 

The Jedi Compass may have only enter the Jedi Community in 2013, but there have been so many different ways for me to explore it that I thought it best to use it as a model for the letter I wanted to write.  This way, I had actual prompts for what I could tell my future self- rather than trying to come up with small things.  It also gives me an opportunity to consider how the Jedi Path can inform my personal journey.

Some of these things are applicable across the board for any Jedi.  While others are more specific to my circumstances (such as the fact that I work as an Armed Security Guard on the weekends).  Some will make more sense to me, than they will to you.  But none-the-less, I wanted to share with you all how I used the Compass to create a series of reminders as I head into this journey.  If I get a chance, I’ll try to go into them more in-depth during a Jedi Journal episode on KoA.  We’ll see how things pan out. 😊

Interactions with People

Duty to All – You still have something to offer this world, so stick to the plan and be ready to offer your unique gift when you can.

Exterior – You are not the only person going through your cancer journey.  Even those who are around you regularly and do not know all the details are traveling it with you.

Positive-Regard – People have many things they are going through, don’t forget to consider their trauma even whilst you are going through your own.

Responsibility – Your responses have consequences.  When you’re interacting with others make sure you’re not being unfair.  At the same time, it’s okay to be assertive when it matters.

Objectivity – Don’t assume the worst of others’ responses or lack thereof.  They may not know how to respond or are processing through their own emotions.

Compassion – Have compassion for yourself, your medical team and the people around you.  They all have stories, and if they are in your life theirs are intersecting with yours (be it long term or briefly).  Where you can, be a listening ear, as you have tried to be in the past.

 

Work-Related

Respect the Law – Make sure you have your radio and cell phone on you at all times when at work.  If something occurs, you cannot rely on your condition to excuse poor use/escalation of Force.

Defense – Take notes of your surroundings at work.  Your mobility may not be the same, and you’ll need to rely more heavily on cover & concealment now than before.

 

Notes to Self

The Force – Life carries on beyond change or physical death – but that’s not an excuse to give up on who you are or what you strive to be.

Loyalty to the Jedi Code – You still have your oath and if you value who you are now, maintaining your oath to maintain the Jedi Code shouldn’t be too difficult 😉

Interior – Take time to process your emotions.  As you go through your treatment, your emotions are likely to change.  Knowing how you feel each week will inform how you will respond to other things.

Self-Care – Don’t forget to ensure you are taking time for yourself.  Trying to make sure that everyone else is taken care of while you’re on this journey will cause burnout.

Action – Know your limitations. Take steps now for those times you may not be capable of doing something you could normally do.

Self-Discipline – Don’t forget your Jedi training goals.  It may be slower than you’d like, but stick with it and you’ll get there when you get there.

Fortitude – This fight is likely to be difficult, but giving up does you no good.  Whenever you think “I can’t take it anymore”, remember that you are a still a soldier at heart.  Your mission is to overcome this cancer, never accept defeat, never quit, and don’t leave your loved ones behind.

Overcome Emotions – Take inventory of how your emotions are affecting your actions.

Spiritual Art – Meditation can go a long ways in helping to be mindful of all these reminders, but it is important that you do not forget to include the divine on this journey.

 

Health Objectives

Integrity – No shortcuts.  In medicine it just doesn’t work.  And in terms for following the Jedi Code of Conduct, it can have lasting relationship implications if you falter too hard.

Overcome Recklessness – Stubbornness can kill.  Don’t leave your doctors out of the loop.  Communicate everything that happens, because they’ll know best how to proceed forward.  And don’t ignore doctor’s orders.

Overcome Attachments – Sugar Cane has got to go.  This list will probably grow as you learn more about foods that are linked to the cancers you’re predisposed to.

Defense Art – Your best defense. right now, is learning and implementing a sustainable diet…and learning how to cook yummy meals.

Physical Art – Watch what you eat, only do exercises approved by your doctor to prevent strain with your port.

Scholarly Art – Work on learning about foods that increase colorectal cancer (and probably others pending your genetics test).  Just make sure you’re confirming with actual scientific studies though.

 

“Jedi respect all life, in any form” - Skywalker Jedi Code
"We respect our connected world" - Armonia Jedi Code

Today marks the Northern Spring Equinox.  Most of the time, we hear about Ostara- the Wiccan holiday honoring the goddess.  However, this year, I’d like to shift the focus towards Hawaii, where this holiday is called Ke Ala`ula a Kane- or “The Dawning of the Path of Kane”.

 

Hawaii is primarily known for their reverence of the goddess Pele, but she was not always the goddess of the land.  The 4 head deities were all male: Kane, Kanaloa, Ku and Lono.  Kane (also called Tane) is what many would consider the chief god of Polynesia, though it may be more accurate to say that Kane is the deity by which humans can attribute to most of it’s ability to flourish.  There is no doubt that Kanaloa, Ku and Lono have all played significant roles in the lives of Polynesia, but they are not ruled by Kane.  In many respects, they are equals having dominion over different aspects of Polynesia’s life.

 

Kanaloa over the oceans, Ku as a teacher in war and resourcefulness, Lono as a teacher of peace.  But Kane is the one who is known for giving life and providing resources for humans.  He is the father of forests, of fresh water, land mammals - including humans - and birds.  To Hawaiian’s whom hold the traditions of their people as sacred, the islands of the Hawaiian chain do not simply have locations which are considered sacred- but rather that the entirety of the land is sacred.  Their land was created by Kane and every aspect of the land and animal kingdom are a part of their family because they are all children of Kane.

 

It is here, that the Hawaiian proverb “He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka” can explain the important link between the Hawaiian people and the land.  The proverb translates as “The land is chief; the human is a servant”.  Ali’i were chiefs of their respective tribes.  They were looked up to as leaders.  In order for them to carry out this role, however, they needed people who would follow their direction so that the community could live in harmony with one another.

 

Although there were certainly ali’i who were corrupt, as humans are fallible, the land acted as a perfect chief- as long as humans listened.  If humans fell away from being servants to the land, then the land would not be able to fulfill it’s role as ali’i.  Not because it doesn’t wish to fulfill it’s role- but rather because it’s leadership is completely ignored.

 

The story here goes so much deeper though.  The land cannot be Ali’i without Kane’s example.  While Hawaii did come before the Maori beliefs, there is something to be said about their history which can trace its origins to their other Polynesian family, which also worshiped Kane as Tane. In these Polynesian traditions, the family of Akua were much more violent towards each other.  The exception was Tane.

 

While his brothers fought, Tane cultivated his own family and provided resources to both his siblings at war with Tāwhirimātea and his own family which stayed upon the land.  When Tangaroa got angry and raged against Tane- Tane stood still and allowed his brother to beat down on him, while providing his children (man) with the resources they needed to survive against Tangaroa. Even as his other brother Tūmatauenga used those same resources to wage war against Tane, Tane did not fight back.

 

This seems strange, almost as though its Tane manifesting the Disney Mulan proverb “No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it.”.  It is when we look at Hawaii that we are able to fully understand the lesson of Kane, completely encapsulated in the Hawaiian proverb “He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka”.

 

Here, we find not one, but multiple stories of family sacrifice to provide food for the people.  The still born son of Kane, Kanaloa and Ku’s father with Ho’ohokulani becomes the Taro plant that later sustains his brother Haloa- and the entirety of the Hawaiian people thereon.  Ku becomes breadfruit to feed his family, and the entire village due to a famine.  The “Woman-of-Fire” sacrifices herself to bring food to her people during a famine.    The eel sacrificing itself to become a coconut tree (the Hawaiian story isn’t exactly the same as Maui’s version in Disney’s Moana). These are manifestations of Kane’s example too- that he allowed his children to be sacrificed for the sustainability of his other children.  Trees for shelter, boats and food, plants of the forests for food and medicine, fresh water, animals to both humans and other animals, etc.  

 

The Hawaiians, in return, honored these sacrifices by not leaving anything to waste.  And this is the truly unique aspect I’ve come to see in the practice of Hawaiian spirituality: offerings to the gods.

 

In many pagan groups I’ve been a part of, the gods are given their portion of food- and when everything is done, the offering food is thrown or given to the earth.  This makes sense ecologically, because left out food invites unwanted critters that can carry with them sickness and disease.  But what this does, is introduce a problem of waste.  While scavengers may have the ability to pick at what we toss, we actually negate this by throwing it into a landfill where scavengers have to…well scavenge.  In the wild, it’s different, because a variety of animals have an opportunity to benefit from the left overs….

 

But man presents a very different situation, and Hawaii’s proverb recognizes that there is something different about us.  Humans are servants to the land. It doesn’t say “life are servants to the land”, it says “Kanaka”.  That means we have a unique role in our environment, we are uniquely in a position to cause destruction to it, and nuture it.  One of the many stories of Tane’s search to have a child that was his equal in terms of intellect is that every child he had couldn’t meet his expectations.  Eventually, he was able to have (or in some renditions create) a human child- a woman.  It’s not that the Polynesians are saying humans are better than the other plants and animals- but rather that we are closer to the gods, and therefore have a responsibility to the world as they do.

 

It is because we share this role that we uniquely have to take responsibility for what we remove from our environment.  I feel, that this is reflected in the way that traditional Hawaiian’s have historically treated offerings to the gods.  So how is it different from our western counterpart?

 

It’s simple, after the god(s) whom have been given the offering have had a chance to eat and drink the essence of the food, the person offering eats what remains- so that there is nothing left to waste.  It is in something so very simple, that the Hawaiian people honor the land, honor Kane, and honor the sacrifices of their ancestors (such as Kalo [Haloa’s brother], Ku, the eel, and others) to give them life.

 

A lot of wisdom can be gained from Kane, if one is willing to listen.  As Jedi, I feel that the meditations upon this wisdom can also bring us closer to manifesting the Jedi’s respect for life, in any form.

Ladies, Gentlemen, those who identify as neither, and those ruffians that do not identify as having the decorum of a Gentle-Person. The Inner-Council has decided it is time to conclude the mothballing of the Dark Aspect. The former head of the Aspect, Satelle, intended to close it in its entirety when she stepped down. However, it was felt by the Inner-Council that an opportunity for a new leadership to arise should be given. Yet, in the interim no suitable leader has arisen. There have also been concerns raised that the Dark Aspect has, historically, attracted those of political and ideological leanings which pose a danger to the intent of the Force Academy. The Force Academy is a place of learning with clear rules to protect its members. In recent years the Dark Aspect has served largely as a disruptive presence with leadership conflicts, and a shark-tank mentality which has driven away potential members of the Force Academy. It has also been a place which was used to entertain ideologies including, but not limited to, Social-Darwinism and Fascism. It has been seen as a space for discussing contrarian and controversial philosophies and ideas, several of which, would be unwelcome by the Terms of the Service of the current Force Academy. With the above said it is thus felt that it is best to close the Dark Aspect. The strength of the Force Academy is the disparity and variety of the philosophies represented. Present at the Force Academy are Jedi of different orders, the Shadows, and guests and independent thinkers. We do not require the Dark Aspect to keep this strength of the Force Academy. The Inner-Council understands that this announcement will be a cause of disappointment for several. We apologise for any disappointment caused; however, this decision has been made in the best interests of the Force Academy as a whole. The extant and historical Dark Aspect material will be preserved and left available to members and guests to view. Now to the matter of what this means for the future. The Shadow Aspect was not an original aspect of the Force Academy. It evolved from the work of several members, until a coherent foundation was formed, and the aspect came together. It is always possible for an new aspect to emerge. All the inner council would ask is that the foundation be coherent, that it has people working on it and living it, and that it operates according to the Terms of Service and exists in a conducive manner with the rest of the Academy. With regards to a leader, and why we felt no satisfying leader emerged to take the Dark Aspect forward, we feel a leader must lead by example. A leader has a responsibility to their aspect, yes, but they are also the ambassador to the rest of the Force Academy. They must show a sense of duty to the Force Academy by adhering to its rules. We also expect a leader to be able to act professionally in their conduct to others, and most especially, their potential fellow leaders. We also expect honesty in conduct and presentation of information and premises. We also expect leaders to be able to defend their philosophy in a balanced and coherent manner with appeals to logic and rationality. Though several individuals made an effort to seek leadership of the Dark Aspect none of them satisfied the criteria that the Inner Council would welcome them to the Inner Council, or would be confident in their stewardship of the Dark Aspect. We present this information so anyone seeking to lead a new, emerging aspect, will understand what would be desired of them.