Part the Second, wherein the Structure of Asphodel is further Explained.

Q: What is a noble?

A noble is someone who has made a serious, spiritually-binding, lifetime commitment to the Kingdom of Asphodel and her people, and whom the King and Queen of Asphodel have invested with a patent of nobility for their great service and consistently noble behavior. What is consistently noble behavior? Chivalrousness. Honesty. Integrity. Loyalty. Dependability. Generosity to others, including the frequent opening of one's home to others. Nobles get a coronet and the right to be called Lord or Lady So-and-So within Asphodel. They are sometimes referred to as church elders in our paperwork.

Q: How do I become a noble?

Only the King can make someone a noble, and aside from knighthood, it is done at his discretion. How to start? Act noble, all the time, even when you think no one is paying attention. Suggestions on how to go about this are listed in the article on this site: Noblesse Oblige, Or What's With This Lady Thing Anyway. Volunteer for a job. If you have been actively involved for at least a year and feel called to make a lifetime commitment to Asphodel, chat with one of our nobles and ask if they will sponsor you in a request for nobility.

Q: If the King refuses to give me a title of nobility, even if I think that I deserve it, do I have some recourse?

No.

Q: What's this about making a lifetime commitment? What if someone wants out?

If someone feels the need to be released from their oath of fealty, this is always granted. They only need to come to the King, in person, and request it in front of two witnesses. We have no desire to hold people against their will. However, oaths are very important to us in Asphodel, and we take them seriously. If someone does not fully intend to stay in Asphodel indefinitely it is not appropriate for them to swear fealty, no matter how invested they are in Asphodel for the present moment. On a spiritual level, by taking such an oath you are binding your fate to that of Asphodel by the strength of your sworn word. People have different understandings of what that means, but it isn't something that should be done, or undone, lightly.

Q: What happens if they were to grant me a patent of nobility?

You would be required to do the following things: 1. Swear fealty to the Crown and become a vassal. 2. Behave like nobility as much as possible. 3. Take the class on noble etiquette and manners from the Order of the Reynard Rampant. 4. If the King calls and requires a service of you, you have to show up and do it, unless there is a good reason why you can't. (The King is a reasonable person and has no wish to endanger anyone's job, family, or health. He would never ask anyone do something that was illegal, immoral, or in conflict with the edicts of their gods. If he does, the person is encouraged to tell him to take his crown and stuff it.)

Q: Do I have to swear fealty in order to be a member of Asphodel?

No. Absolutely not. Only nobles are required to swear fealty. Members need only abide by the general rules of Asphodel, like they would abide by the general rules of any other group that they might join. A very small number of members have chosen to swear fealty of their own accord, but this is in no way expected or even encouraged. It does not grant them any special standing in Asphodel, nor does it make them nobility.

Q: Why would anyone want to swear fealty? Isn't that like being a servant, and therefore degrading?

Service does not have to be degrading. In modern America, we often think of service to another person as being a degrading thing, because the only times we usually see it is when someone is being forced into it for economic or social reasons. However, competent service to another can be a wonderfully spiritual thing that can aid instead of damage someone's self-esteem. In actual medieval times, a duke would find it an honor to personally wait on the King who was his liege lord, and he would in turn be waited on by a lord. It wasn't just about nobles who never served anyone and peasants who did all the serving. It was a chain, as it were. That's one of the things we are trying to reclaim - the concept of consensual, honorable service. Of course, the problem with a chain is that it has ends, and one of those ends is the bottom. To make up for this, and to make sure that no one is forced into being at the bottom, we do not require any Folk to serve anyone. (They can, of course, volunteer to do so if they wish, but if they just want to hang out and party, that is fine too.) Service is only for those in liege fealty relationships, where the consent is clear and aboveboard, and the limits are also clear.

Q: I want to design arms for myself. Can I do that?

You can design all the arms you want, but if you want them officially recognized as Asphodel arms, they have to get by Paul, the Herald. Asphodel heraldic rules are a little different from classic heraldry. For example, certain symbols have special meanings from pagan symbolism. Nobles, Knights and Chatelaines can use the shield-shape badge. All others get to use a diamond-shaped, square, round, or oval badge. If you are nice to Nahi, she might even make a patch of your arms with her fancy embroidering sewing machine.

Q: What's all that spiritual about this nobility thing anyway?

Working with the concept of noblesse oblige can be a very empowering spiritual discipline. It's often a bit difficult for folks in this society to get their heads around, but some of us have found it to be a very useful tool for self-improvement.

Q: What rank can I have?

If you are made nobility, you can choose your own rank. You can have any rank except King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Knight, Sir, Dame, or Bushi. There are actually only three ranks of nobility. The highest rank is royalty (King, Queen, Prince, or Princess), the lowest is the Knights (Sir, Dame, or Bushi) and everybody else, in the middle, is all equal. That's why they can choose their own rank. It doesn't matter if you decide to be a Countess or a Duke or a Margrave or an Earl or a Lord or a Khan or a Viscount or a Marchioness. We don't care, you're all equal anyway. Really stupid titles, of course, will be vetoed. You cannot be the Grand Poobah. Only Shaka managed to pull off Great Elephant, although we might consider Great Hippo if we are feeling sadistic enough.

Q: What is a Chatelaine? Are they nobility?

A Chatelaine (SHA-tuh-lain) is the head of a major Order or a Guild. They are not nobility, but worthy of respect for their talents, skills, and knowledge. Their titles are Master or Mistress, if you care to address them as that.

Q: How do I get to be royalty?

Either 1) Convince the royal family to adopt you (possible, but extremely unlikely) or 2) Start your own #$%&# kingdom.

Q: How do I get to be a Knight?

Knights belong to the Knightly Order of Blutwasser. To join, you must first be a citizen. Then you must apply to Sir Tannin, Senior Knight of the Order (bonesand@gis.net) and sign up to be a Squire. You will be officially inducted into the Order, and then you will take bread from the Queen General's sword and become a Squire. You will be assigned to one of the Knights to oversee your training, and you will train for a minimum of one year. You must:
  1. Spend a minimum of one year in earnest study of a martial art or magical combat technique.
  2. Dedicate yourself to one or more of the warrior deities.
  3. Build a shrine to your patron or make an offering to an existing one.
  4. Keep an honor altar at home with your ceremonial weapon displayed.
  5. Study the warrior cultures of the past and make a written report on some aspect thereof.
  6. Complete a thorough essay on the spiritual archetype of the warrior and why you wish to become a knight.
  7. Create a personal ordeal of courage and discipline and pit yourself against it.

Q: Do Knights swear fealty?

Absolutely. The Knight is the archetype of the warrior in service to the Kingdom. Since knights are minor nobility, the requirements of fealty are the same as for any noble. However, the Knights also have responsibility for defending the King and Queen. They generally run security at events, function as mid-level bureaucrats, and organize community service projects. Knights wear uniforms when on duty at official events.

Q: What if I like the Warrior archetype, but I don't want to swear fealty to a couple of tin hats?

Consider joining the Order of Masters of Arms. This is the Order for those who wish to study the archetype of the Questing Warrior. Armsmasters (and Armsmistresses) vow themselves to their code of honor, and to a quest for excellence. They provide training for both the Brigantian Order of the Reynard Rampant and the Knightly Order of Blutwasser in the martial arts; aid with the creation of practice and parade arms for the Kingdom, share equally with the KOB in the security positions during events; and study and honor the spiritual archetype of the questing warrior in all its forms, including the warrior's code of honor. They must be proficient in at least one martial art, able to handle at least one non-firearm weapon, able to handle a security position, and able to write a statement describing their personal code of honor. Apprenticeships are for at least a year.

Q: What is the Asphodel Pagan Militia?

The Asphodel Militia is a volunteer group that meets at our major festivals. They engage in competitive martial games (like the sort done by the ancient Celts and Greeks), and have a fourteenth-century-style pike drill. Militia ranks and medals are awarded liberally by the Queen. It's often referred to as the Beer-And-Spear. In the old days, some peasant militia were hired with a flitch of bacon and a keg of beer, and their term lasted until the bacon and beer ran out. The Queen General has reclaimed this practice by personally paying the militia in beer or cider. (Militiamen who do not drink beer or who are under 21 may be issued soda pop, or they may appoint a Designated Drinker.)

Q: Can anyone join the militia?

You have to be present at one of our major festivals (Beltane or Asphodel Weekend); you have to be over 18 or have a parent present to give permission; you have to be able-bodied and sober enough to carry a spear (or agricultural implement), march in a roughly straight line, and shamble to some species of attention. Aside from that, anyone is welcome.

Militiamen may bring their own polearm, if they choose, but it must be approved by the Queen. It should be sturdy enough to jab at a dummy and block a blow from another militiamen's polearm, and should not be much more than a foot taller or shorter than you. Exceptionally snazzy or bizarre polearms are bound to get you a medal. Weapons made of foam, plastic, or rubber are not permitted. For children, a blunt wooden staff (broomstick) may be the most appropriate polearm.

Do you have uniforms?

No, but as of Beltane 2006 we do have snazzy hats. Hats will be provided to all militiamen, but if you want to keep your hat, you'll have to pay for it. They aren't expensive, and it gives you somewhere to keep all your medals.

Q: Who are we invading, and when?

Sorry. We have no plans to invade anyone right now, or tomorrow either. The official motto of the Apshodel Pagan Militia is:

Our uniforms are motley! Our weapons are obsolete! Our discipline is nil! But we shall never be defeated, for we shall never go to war!

Q: If you aren't ever fighting anyone, why are you doing these drills?

For parades, of course!

Q: What does all this warrior stuff have to do with pagan spirituality? Aren't pagans peaceful? Isn't war wrong?

That's a complex question, and the answer has to have many layers as well. First of all, honoring your warrior spirit doesn't have to mean that you are going to take up arms and kill someone in service to a government. Being a warrior means that you are willing to fight for what you believe is right, whatever that is. It might be for a cause you believe in. It might be about defending those you love. It might be about having courage in the face of the obstacles that Life sends us. It might even be a battle with your inner demons, which is probably the hardest war of all. The KOB and the OMA work with channeling the warrior spirit into useful and honorable outlets. Although they both have a martial focus (the OMA moreso than the KOB), their focus is courage, discipline, and self-improvement rather than blindly following some flag into battle. Insensitive governments prefer the unconscious warrior, because he's easier to control. Conscious, honorable, spiritually aware warriors - which is what we try to encourage - are a force to be reckoned with.

In astrological terms, the force of Mars - action, aggression, the need to make a forceful impact on our world - is naturally a part of us all. Some people have more Mars energy than others. Telling them that this is a wrong way to be is not only incorrect but useless. To date, much of the neo-pagan movement has neglected the Mars force. This may be because they associate the warrior with the oppressor, but it has alienated a lot of Martial types who will never be quiet peaceful people with nary a violent streak. In Asphodel, we seek to reclaim the best of every archetype, while weeding out the parts that can be too destructive. The Spiritual Warrior is important, and we have made a place for her/him in our Kingdom.

The militia, admittedly, is more sport than a serious study. However, it gives people who would not normally have the chance to experience a few minutes of the camaraderie of a military group....and one that is egalitarian, and nonpatriarchal, and doesn't work with shaming or beating people down. It gives people who would never come within twenty feet of any modern military (for ethical, physical or psychological reasons) a chance to indulge their warrior spirit twice a year.

Q: What is the Guild of the Wheel?

The Guild of the Wheel is an umbrella guild that encompasses eight sub guilds, each with a different specialty. The Guilds are for more than just relearning and passing on the ancient craft arts (although that is a large part of their purpose). Each guild works with its own art in a uniquely pagan-spiritual manner, invoking patron deities, doing magic, and seeing and teaching the Mysteries through their craft.

Q: How do I join a Guild?

As of October 2007, many of our guilds are inactive. The Fiber Arts guild meets Friday nights in Worcester, under the leadership of Guildmaster Jess O. FOlks interested in other guilds are encouraged to organize a meeting of likeminded folks. Membership in a Guild gets you a braided cord, with two strands brown (for labor) and one of the color of the guild you join. At official functions, guild masters may wear a brown tabard with the arms of their Guild on it, if they choose to. No one can be the head of more than one Guild.

The Order of the Horae and the Book of Hours

Q: What is the Order of the Horae?

The Order of the Horae is the monastic branch of Asphodel, which will eventually provide a space for pagans to live together in contemplative religious community, following a daily routine of prayer and service.

Almost every world religion has some sort of monastic tradition - Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto, etc. - and some have several. In each of these religions, monasticism is seen as a special calling for a very few people. These individuals are drawn to a life of structure, discipline, contemplation, service to others, immersion in spirituality, and the oneness of religious community. It's not for everyone, or even for every monastic's whole life - for example, in Buddhist countries, young people are often encouraged to spend a month or a year as a monk or nun, but then go back to the outside world. A few stay; most leave. Monasteries and abbeys are places of sanctuary, retreats where one can go for the religious equivalent of a full-body immersion in the waters of the spirit. They are often a source of free service to the larger community as well.

The Order of the Horae seeks to serve this same functions to the pagan community, and by our example, encourage folks of other traditions to do the same.

Q: How can I join?

The Order of the Horae is just beginning to be built. The folks involved (mostly Joshua) are developing it slowly and carefully. Currently, we have laid out the basic structure, but we are many years from getting together a House. Each of us makes our own small steps towards realizing this goal, confident that when the time is right, it will come together.

If you feel moved to live by some part of the structure we have laid out, please do let us know. We encourage interested people to read what we have put together on the Pagan Book of Hours website, and contact us with ideas for future developments.

Q: What is the Book of Hours?

The Book of Hours is our massive ongoing liturgy project. We have written and assembled over 500 short rituals and invocations for deities and holidays from a wide variety of cultures, as a project to put together a full year's calendar of twice-daily rituals on a luni-solar calendar. The weekly/monthly liturgy for Asphodel is drawn from the Book of Hours, and the invocations and prayers find there way into many of our holiday rituals. For more information, please see the Pagan Book of Hours website.

Q: Can I use your invocations in public group ritual?

Yes, please do! We welcome anyone looking for a short ritual or invocation on a specific deity to browse through our files. If you use our rituals routinely, we would love to know about it. If you collect or repost any of the rituals online, please link back to the Book of Hours. If you would like to include one or more of the rituals in a published book, please contact us to ask permission.

Q: Can I get a print copy of the Book of Hours?

Yes! We have made the Breviary available on the Asphodel Press website, in both paperback and hardcover. We also have the Congregational, which is a small book of just the call-and-response portions, to save people from either making photocopies all the time or having ten enormous breviaries.

Q: How do I find out about events in Asphodel?

You can look here on the Asphodel website, the Cauldron Farm website, or get periodic announcements from the asphodelevents list. Small events, organizational activities, and unrelated gossip are discussed on the OurKingdom list, which is reserved for members of Asphodel.

Q: Do you proselytize?

No. It's not ethical to aggressively proselytize, and besides, it seems rude and pointless. If someone is meant to join us, they will. If they aren't meant to be here, they shouldn't be, and we have no business pushing anyone. Each person has their own path to follow. We do outreach in various ways so that people will know that we exist, but we don't actively pursue members. The gods will send us the people we need, and the people who need to be here.

Q: What is the Asphodel Embassy Corps?

The Asphodel Embassy Corps consists of people who volunteer to be ambassadors and liaisons to other groups. If you belong to another religious group or attend its events, and you are also a citizen of Asphodel, you can volunteer to be an official Ambassador. To join, contact the Princess via email.

Q: Does Asphodel have a coinage system?

Yes, but it has long fallen entirely out of use and is described here purely for historical and amusement value. Legally it had about the same standing as the tickets you buy at a carnival. This coinage system does not threaten or replace American money. In fact, it has no equivalent to American money. It used to be that you could get Asphodel coins for your volunteer labor.

The coinages were:

Solii, which are gold, with a phoenix, and very rare. Only for great deeds. Worth 2 lunariis.
Lunarii, which are silver, with a dragon, and also rare. Worth 2 mercuriis.
Mercurii, which are silver-plated, with a bandersnatch. Worth 5 venusiis.
Venusii, which are copper, with a whale. Worth 4 mardis.
Mardis, which are iron or steel, with a wolf. Worth 2 1/2 joviis or 5 saturniis.
Joviis, which are brass, with a rat. Worth 2 saturniis.
Saturniis, which are pot metal, with a snail. Worth 5 uraniis.
Uraniis, which are aluminum, with a fly. Smallest metallic denomination.
Neptuniis, which are made of ice, and only have value on hot summer days.
Plutoniis, which (if they were made, which they aren't) would be radioactive, and have a negative value. You don't want one. Even the Department of Magical Technology has been discouraged from creating them, after that accident with the court jester....

Q: How much is a work-hour worth?

That depends on what you're doing. Digging ditches is worth more than taking money at a registration table. Generally, the harder and nastier the work is, the more it's worth. Who determines? Whoever you're doing the labor for, as in the real world.

Q: What can I buy with my coins?

Outside of Asphodel, nothing. In Asphodel, you could exchange our tokens for event entrance fees, and certain things sold on the property during those events, like coffee or food.

Q: What are Fortuna tokens?

Fortuna tokens are special coins with no specific value, that are still in use. They are passed out like poker chips when we have Fortuna festivals, with lots of games, and betting on the games. We don't like people to bet real money (the Queen has this Thing about not gambling) so we provide Fortuna tokens for people to wager. After the event, they are counted, and people with the most tokens win something. For those who don't wish to gamble or wager, the tokens can be offered to Fortuna as a gift, to ask for her blessing.