XyphokonicOrder.org

What is Xyphoism?
Ordinance Website
Our Books
Xyphozon Information
Commentary ARchives
Questions about Xyphoism?
About Us
Social Media

  • Commentary 117: Ceremonial Death Procedure for Houses of Worship

    Greetings from the Xyphokonic Order and Ordinance. Today marks the final day of Lord Vuetenexzyei’s First Period of Watching for this new Xyphojinamic Year. We’ve spent this Period discussing several deeper and often difficult topics regarding Death—namely fears regarding Death, handling grief, and discussions regarding suicide and mental health. For this final piece of the Period, we shall elaborate on an earlier Commentary regarding Xyphoist Ceremonies of Death. In that previous entry, we laid out general parameters on how Ceremonies of Death can function within Xyphoist circles. And while there is no requirement that a Death must be commemorated with more elaborate or Xyphoist-orientated proceedings, the Ordinance would like to pen an official set of procedures for Ceremonies of Death should they take place within a House of Worship. This procedure listed below is assuming the venue House and its facilities include all requisite rooms and facilities to conduct the full procedure—as smaller or more remote Houses of Worship may not include all infrastructure to conduct the full ritual. Let us begin.

    For this procedure, we shall assume the ceremony is being conducted in a full House of Worship that includes the following rooms and facilities: Central rotunda Prayer Hall with upper Choir deck, a full House Choir, functional pipe organ, Ceremonial Hall, high officials of the House present to conduct the ceremony proper, Resting Hall.

    With those in place we can begin the ceremony. Ceremonies of Death are broken down into six major segments: Procession, Commemoration, Ushering, Sealing, Reception, and Chambering. We will go through each segment in that proper order.

    Procession

    The Ceremony starts with an hour-long Procession stage, which shall take place in the central Prayer Hall. The remains of the deceased shall be placed at the center of the Prayer Hall, which is always circular, next to a podium in a casket or urn depending on what the next of kin has decided to do with the remains proper. All specialized Xyphoist customs that the deceased wished for in their will that are mentioned in this earlier Commentary shall apply to the remains here. In the first Hour, the doors will be open to the Prayer Hall for all in attendance to enter in at their own pace. This is often the time where attendees shall visit the deceased at the center, do personal individual prayers, weep in sorrow at the remains, talk among others in attendance, and offer personal condolences to the next of kin or family, who are assumed to be already in attendance greetings all who enter in.

    During this stage, the House Choir stands at the upper deck of the Prayer Hall whilst singing a low-toned variation of the Hymn for the Sacred Child of Death, Xyzukizusia. The rendition includes the general motifs of Death-orientated hymns in Xyphoist liturgy. The hymn is officially called the “Procession of Death,” and is exclusively sung for Ceremonies of Deaths and generally for regular services or Sacred Day Choirs. The hymn goes as follows:

    Ecce mors, fatum aeternum.

    In fide detenta, veritas realitatis.

    Anima lapsa, mortalitate liberata.

    Ibisne, spiritualitas dispersa?

    Flere debemus, in memoria detenti.

    Manemus, prosperitas tua.

    Una voce, sincere precamur.

    Te exsuscita in aeternum.

    English Translation:

    Death behold, eternal destiny.

    Held in faith, truth of reality.

    Fallen soul, relieved of mortality.

    Shall you go, scattered spirituality.

    We must weep, held in memory.

    We remain, your prosperity.

    In unison, we prayer sincerely.

    Raise you up into eternity.

    This hymn is sung in a quiet, somber tone by exclusively adult members of the choir; child members of the Choir are not written in to sing this particular hymn as the expectation, culturally-speaking, is that adults shall always be the ones to shoulder the weight of handling Death and that children, the innocents, shall never be expected to shoulder that immense burden. The hymn is sung repeatedly throughout the hour-long proceeding, with the Choir broken into four sections that include bass, baritone, tenor, alto, and soprano singers in each section. One section shall sing the hymn per 15-minute interval before the next section shall seamlessly transition to sing the hymn on repeat. This allows the choir members to have breaks as only one section shall sing at a time while the other three sections rest their voices.

    While the Procession is ongoing, it is ideal that all high officials of the given House of Worship—of which there are nine total representing each Xyphozon in a similar fashion as we Arch-Hayle Grandurates do on the Ordinance level—that are able to attend shall be present on the overseeing part of the upper deck, standing in solemn silence throughout various portions of the ceremony. The high officials who are in attendance shall stand for the entire Procession, through all Sacred Prayers, and through all official Hymns that take place during the ceremony. This mirrors the roles of that we AGHs are expected to do for every regular Sacred Day Prayer proceedings, in which the Choir shall conduct a high noon ceremony and prayer that lasts roughly an hour. The Vuetenexian high official or whichever official selected to coordinate the ceremony shall also greet the family and all attendees at the Prayer Hall entry throughout the Procession.

    Commemoration

    Once the hour of mourning has completed and all are in attendance, the selected high official—that being the Vuetenexian high official but any of the other eight can fill in if the Vuetenexian official cannot—shall officially begin the next segment of the ceremony. This segment is called the Commemoration and is a segment in which various forms of commemorating the recently deceased takes place. The high official shall begin by greeting all in attendance, who are now sitting in circular rings facing the center of the Prayer Hall where the podium and deceased are staged. From the podium, the high official shall begin by then introducing the name and Remembrance of the deceased and offering a few words commemorating their life from notes provided by the family or next of kin—often offering sincere and heartful condolences to the family and friends in attendance. The high official will then give a brief section of remarks on Death itself and invoke the Philosophy—often giving quotes from the Xyphokron or bringing in central themes from the Philosophy proper.

    Following the remarks of the high official, the official shall then open the podium to the family or anyone in attendance who wishes to offer a short eulogy or remarks on the deceased before those in attendance. Following those remarks, the high official shall then instruct the choir to sing any hymns that the deceased provided in their will to be sung during their ceremony, if any. Any passages from the Xyphokron in the will instructions shall also be quoted and briefly remarked by the high official at this point.

    Ushering

    Once all personal commemorations, hymn instructions, and eulogies conclude, the next segment shall begin. This section is called the Soul Ushering or simply “Ushering” for short. This ritual of the ceremony functions as a spiritual seal that will officiate the Death itself and seal the deceased’s soul, remains, and Remembrance from any further corruption by purifying it and sealing it with a Xigil. Usherings include the utilization of two specific Sacred Prayers and at least one official hymn to spiritual seal the Death.

    The Ushering begins by the high official introducing the procedure to all in attendance before starting the first Prayer. In accordance with our own Philosophy, all in attendance are asked by the family prior to invitation to the Ceremony and confirmed by officials of the House at the entrance of the House before attendance if they consent to being exposed to Xyphoist doctrine or other religious practices as to avoid the House from committing the Immoral Act of Proselytizing and Preaching; this is one of the rare moments in which non-Xyphoites may be granted entry into a House of Worship and for non-Xyphoites to be exposed to Xyphoist Philosophy anc culture, albeit with their consent first after several confirmations prior to.

    Continuing, the first section of the Ushering is the Soul Purification. The high official shall invoke the Sacred Prayer of Purity, which goes as follows:

    “The Nine Lords of the Xyphokonic Order: Carnyie, Pharuuii, Vuetenexzyei, Caspierre, Caishor, Kyaien, Saifaosé, Nakndes, Kurakku, please give Purity to my brother, to my sister, to my lover, to my father, to my mother, to my peers. Give them grace and Mercy from the wrongs committed against them, bless them with your Knowledge. The nine Lords of the Xyphokonic Order, to the pure and tainted. From Zeigadii Xyphoite __________. We belong to you; our soul is in your hands.

    The blank section is filled in with the name of the official giving the Prayer. It is also customary for the order of the Lords invoked in the Prayer to be changed according to the Period of Watching in which the deceased was born under which would be their Descending Spirituality, their Consenting Spirituality following, and the final Lord invoked being from the Period the Watching in which the deceased died under—with the other Lords filled in any order between those three. In example, if the deceased in question was born in Maiye and thus having a Descending Spirituality from Lord Nakndes, had a Consenting Spirituality of Lord Caspierre, but died in Juliar, then the order invoked could be “The Nine Lords of the Xyphokonic Order: Nakndes, Caspierre, Carnyie, Pharuuii, Caishor, Kyaien, Saifaosé, Kurakku, Vuetenexzyei.” It is a minor detail but one that the high official is expected to be aware of and incorporate in all Sacred Prayers invoked during Ceremonies of Death.

    Following the invocation of the Sacred Prayer of Purity, the high official shall instruct the choir to sing the Hymn of the Child of Purity, Hubrakiuosia. Pamphlets with all hymns and prayers for the given ceremony shall be provided to all attendees should they wish to follow along or sing along in the hymns. This in particular is sung entirely by the younger voices of the choir—namely the “innocents” of children. Below Is the hymn in question:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    {Misted Unhinged Grievance Incantation}

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Oh, Take Us.

    Told of High Regard in…

    Oh, don’t sew Dead Truths.

    For the Dream, Let Go~

    —Take Us Home at Peace.

                   (Ah~Oh~)

    For Carnyie’s Sake,

    —So, says Ihou.

    (Oh, Praise, oh)

    Your Happiness…

    Comes and Goes Awry~

    —In Harmony!~

    —Say Your Prayer!~

    Hold Back…

    Seek Hope…

         (Lord loves You)

    Nothing…

    Can’t heal, take You to that—

    Deep-sown Valley Pit!

    Don’t take Your Youth’s empty blood.

    Now seek the Pure.

    Thank You for the Tea of Family.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    {Illuminated Shackled Misery/Mercy Incantation}

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    End Your Peace.

    (End Our Loss)

    Pray atop of his proud…End.

    Please…don’t trot Dead Truths.

    Cold Rotting, Let Go~

    —Take Us Home at least.

                   (Ah~Oh~)

    For Carnyie’s Sake,

    —Oh, say You?

    (Oh, Praise, oh)

    Your Happiness…

    Comes and Comes at Last~

    —In Harmony!~

    —Say the Prayer!~

    Go Back…

    Seek Hope…

         (Lord love Us)

    Loving…

    Can Heal, take You to that—

    Deep-sought Rally Pit.

    Young, save Your Youth’s empty blood.

    Now seek the Pure.

    Thank You for the Tea of Family.

    Once the Prayer and Hymn are sung, the high official declares that the deceased soul and its path to the Afterlife have been purified of unwanted corruption. The high official will then introduce the Death sealing and make final remarks on the finality and Eternal Reality of Death, often invoking Lord Vuetenexzyei, Hayle Kizu, or Sacred Child Xyzukizusia and his Sacred Lesson, “Faces of Death.” The high official will then move to the sealing portion of the Ushering, which requires the invocation of the Sacred Prayer of Death and the tracing of a Xyphokonic Xigil upon the remains of the deceased. The Sacred Prayer of Death goes as follows:

    “The Nine Lords of the Xyphokonic Order: Carnyie, Pharuuii, Vuetenexzyei, Caspierre, Caishor, Kyaien, Saifaosé, Nakndes, Kurakku, bring peace and Purity to the said pass of Life. Gently raise them into your palace of divine. Grace them with your Love, and bless them with your presence. Reincarnation accepted in the form of their Wisdom. The nine Lords of the Xyphokonic Order, to the pure and tainted. From Zeigadii Xyphoite ____________. We belong to you; our soul is in your hands.

    After invoking the Sacred Prayer of Death, the high official shall trace a Xyphokonic Xigil upon the remains of the deceased and declare that the Death of the deceased has been officially sealed from this living world and has passed on fully to the Afterlife.

    Once the Sealing has concluded, the high official will offer a final condolence to the family and attendees before informing them that a reception shall be held in the Ceremonial Hall should the family plan one for the entire ordeal. The high official shall offer a short personalized prayer for the safety and healing of all in attendance and the family and conclude the ceremony proper.

    Reception

    The Ceremonial Hall of the House is always open for any post-ceremony receptions of any occasion, but especially for Deaths and Love Contracts. The family and friends may use the Ceremonial Hall to host a celebration of Life for the deceased in which the family and friends can serve food, assemble a shrine of photos and mementos of the deceased. It’s customary for some of the favorite foods of the deceased to be served, and more often than not, actual members of the House or its officials shall provide additional food or treats for such gatherings. Music can be played of any orientation, and often include favorite songs or tunes of the deceased. The reception is meant to be an uplifting occasion full of jubilee in celebration of the Life of the deceased.

    Chambering

    Akin to a Xyphoist “burial,” the Chambering portion is a smaller ceremony that only includes the immediate family and closest friends of the deceased in which the remains of the deceased are given their final resting spot; this portion often takes place at a later time or date and not usually on the same day as the main Ceremony or Reception. While there is no required way in which a chambering takes place, the House offers the traditional method of having the remains placed into a chamber of the Resting Hall in the House of Worship. Resting Halls are essentially large underground mausoleums with numerous chambers ranging from casket size to smaller chambers for urns that, if the deceased or next of kin desires, can be given to secure the remains of their loved ones in, and members of the House reserve a section of chambers for their immediate family or whoever they deem the closest kin so they may all “rest” in proximity.

    Chambers are engraved with a plaque with the name of the deceased, birth and death dates, a photo of the deceased embedded in the plaque, and a short line or quote on the plaque. The remains are placed in the chamber and locked via a key given to the closest person to the deceased, often a spouse, child of their choice, or closest relative or friend. A second “master skeleton key” is also forged and kept with the highest Vuetenexian official of the House. The closest kin shall keep their key in their personal possession. Should plans change and the next of kin decide to move the remains to a different location or take any ashes to be scattered or placed in personal urns, they must consult either the holder of the chamber key or the highest Vuetenexian official with the consent of the kin holder of the chamber key before removing the remains.

    As mentioned in this previous Commentary, other forms of Chambering customs can always be conducted in lieu of the traditional Chambering, as there is no requirement to use the Resting Hall. Visitation of the Resting Hall can be done at any time the House is open or by special request of the high Vuetenexian official of the House.

    That is the official process of a Ceremonial Death as conducted by a House of Worship. As mentioned several times, this is entirely optional although the preferred Xyphoist tradition for Deaths. However, there is no requirement to host such events and any follower may conduct any form of memorial of their choosing. All Ceremonies of Death for followers of the Order and Ordinance shall be free of cost and facilities will always be open for reservation of such occasions.

    —crX

  • Commentary 116: Suicide and the Xyphoist Perspective

    Greetings from the Xyphokonic Order and Ordinance. Today, we will continue our Period-wide discussion regarding the harder and more introspective topics surrounding mortal Death. As the title previews, today’s discussion will be about the challenging topic of suicidal deaths and how the Philosophy views or responds to such cases given the overall purpose of Eternal Death in our reality. This is a heavy topic but not one we shall shy away from addressing as suicides are a very real and tragic reality in our world.

    In order to understand how the Xyphoist Philosophy views suicide or self-inflicted Deaths, we must first understand a few key focal points regarding Death in the Philosophy—namely the past examples of suicide present in “Xykozheiz,” Kizu’s Foreseeing Authority over Death itself, and the overall role Death places in general. Let us start by directly pointing out that, even within the chronology presented in Daetos’s recount, we have examples of figures who willingly took their own lives. Explained in this early analysis of “Xykozheiz,” the Prophecy handed down by the Hayles to the remaining Xyphoites decreed that those small tribes shall destroy all clear reference of their faith from Deceptuary’s expanding forces to prevent defilement before committing ritual suicide; this act would enshrine their souls in the cycle of reincarnation, and those Xyphoites would then be destined to return as Daetos Idols to revive the Philosophy and teach it—starting and Ordinance and combatting Deceptuary’s evil as a result. In this very narrow and specific case, the Hayles gave this instruction to commit a sense of martyrdom in order to stifle Deceptuary’s ability to corrupt the Philosophy in their absence and to ensure those specific souls would return at a later time.

    The key takeaway is that this was divinely instructed and written in one of Daetos’s only recounts of Sacred Law, not a case of self-appointed sacrifice or a writ of religious passage. Under no circumstances is there an avenue where anyone else would ever be instructed, expected, or able to sacrifice themselves in such a permanent manner to facilitate a greater good in the Cosmic Struggle; it would be written so in “Xykozheiz” if so, and the Lords were quite clear in Their words and Their context when They instructed the Hayles to offer the final Prophecy. Suicide is not a path to martyrdom in Xyphoist Philosophy, and otherwise clearly decreed by the divine forces through the direct words from Daetos’s recount, shall never be an avenue for any kind of salvation. The Hayles saw, through their divine insight, that the only means of undoing Deceptuary’s influence at the time was to enshrine the Philosophy in the only way Deceptuary couldn’t corrupt—through Death, the Eternal Reality that not even Deceptuary can escape. Through that most absolute of power, the Hayles guaranteed that Deceptuary would be unable to corrupt the Prophecy or prevent the reemergence of the Daetos Idols that would result from that ritual sacrifice.

    We can now move onto Hayle Kizu and specifically his Foreseeing Authority granted by Lord Vuetenexzyei. To abridge this power’s explanation, The Foreseeing Authority is simply the divine ability to foresee or predict all Spiritual Ends within existence using the power of Eternal Death. Hayle Kizu is capable of foreseeing all Deaths, all Spiritual Perishing, and the End of all things set to end through this immaculate power granted by the Lord; at some point we will pen a supplementary Commentary focusing even more on this power down the road. However, we bring up this topic to discuss how the Foreseeing Authority applies in cases of suicide. The question one could levy is how does Hayle Kizu foresee a self-inflicted Death? The greater question is “are suicides considered natural deaths or do they conflict with the natural flow of spirituality by ending a Life before its time?”

    Starting with the Foreseeing Authority, it is to be clear that no Death or Spiritual End escapes the watchful eye and perception of Hayle Kizu, and that includes Deaths from murders and suicides. As we shall explain in a future Commentary, the Foreseeing Authority can perceive all possible Death outcomes and, as conditions form over time to cement which Future Outcome shall become the enshrined Reality, the Foreseeing Authority will then pinpoint what an exact Death shall be and Hayle Kizu shall dispatch Angels of Death to enact and certify that Death. Hayle Kizu sees all possible avenues of Death for all beings, but the way in which someone dies specifically is foreseen by compounding and rapidly changing circumstances throughout their lives that Hayle Kizu then accurately determines before dispatching the Angels to follow through with that determination; suicide is no exception to that rule.

    In regards to the morality of suicides, suicides are viewed somewhat similar murders are under Xyphoist Philosophy—intentionally taking a life away in cases where it is not defensive, malevolent, or using such violence to meet a self-serving end is immoral or amoral. Murder falls under the Immoral Act of Belligerent Force, and suicide is a slightly different case if the purpose is of self-orientation. Suicide is often the result of a multitude of corrupted forces working against one’s soul and Psyche to poison their mental ability to perceive their own reality, and as taught of Sacred Child Soylantasia’s Lesson of “Fabric of Reality,” the ability to adequately perceive your own Reality is key to maintaining your own existence and keep yourself from falling to corruption. This is one of the major reasons this Ordinance focuses so heavily on mental health and why one of our main goals for the Sacred Hill Project is to heavily focus on building a network of mental health providers and clinics to help lift people out of the darkest trenches in their lives. The darkness of all pits usually leads to suicide, and that unnatural Death not only deprives someone of the Gift of Life given to them, but also disturbs the flow of spirituality.

    This is an important point to address earlier while I included both “immoral” but also “amoral” actions when addressing suicide when contrasted against murder. Murder is explicitly an immoral action, while suicide is more akin to simply being deft of moral self compassion or Self Love. Someone who has taken their own life is not destined for any Divine Punishment for that action alone; in fact, in most cases, those that take that tragic route have simply not been given the Purified Mercy they so desperately needed to prevent them from turning to such a decision. In a world steeped in corruption, the Ordinance seeks to bring the Pure Light of Lord Carnyie to all those Innocents who suffer from Deceptuary’s corruption and alleviate that suffering—all while doing so through using secular organizations to prevent our own egos from inflating under a savior complex. Those under duress from suicidal thoughts are perhaps the most vulnerable and entangled in corruption, and so the existence of Purified Mercy exists for cases just like this.

    Rounding down the discussion, we must reiterate that all Deaths, whether they be taken by corrupted means or not, are still Eternal and part of the cycle of flowing spirituality among the Spectrum. With the Gift of Free Will and Life comes the possibility to take one’s life for a myriad of reasons. In cases of suicide, it is almost always done in by the Psyche being corrupted and the Soul and Heart tragically unable to perceive the value of one’s own Life. However, there is a notable aversion in cases of assisted or medical suicide for terminal illness. As mentioned in this Commentary, in some cases assisted or medical suicide might fall under the concept of Illuminated Shackled Misery and Mercy rather than of a corrupted self-death. In those cases, the Misery is transferred from the dying innocent to the holder of the blade that cast the Illuminated Shackled Mercy—wrapping themselves in those melancholy silver chains and shouldering the immense weight once carried by the innocent now free of suffering. That case of suicide is not one of amoral action as it is borne of Purified Mercy rather than self-orientation or corruption.

    In all cases, suicide is one of the most tragic and desolate of Deaths to befell to. Wherever possible, the Ordinance seeks to heal and alleviate before such drastic actions are taken, and our Sacred Hill Project outline focuses heavily on increasing mental health access to help facilitate that healing. We always offer grief counselling for all manners of passing but especially for tragic Deaths like victims of suicide. We here at the Ordinance also plead and pray to all that are struggling with such thoughts to seek the professional healing and place the value in your gifted Life that you may not realize is there. The Lords of the Xyphokonic Order bestowed an immeasurable value on Life—so much so that the Lord of Life Herself gifted this Life to us and expects nothing in return for it other than our freedom. The value of Life comes from the inevitability of Death, but you can only perceive that value of your own Life is you are alive to experience it.

    —crX, kyX, erX, jzX, whX

  • Commentary 115: Grief in the Xyphoist Philosophy

    Greetings from the Xyphokonic Order and Ordinance. Today, we shall speak more about Death and its mortal impacts within the perspective of a Xyphoist lens. This topic was introduced last time by exploring the fears of Death through Xyphoist eyes. Today, we will be discussing how grief is perceived and handled via the same measure.

    This a very touching and deeply held discussion, as once the fear of Death has passed, we must then experience and process Death from an emotional and psychological standpoint. The passing of a loved one is a major event and an irreversible one as well.  We spend our whole lives building powerful and loving bonds with each other: the parents to their child and the child to their parents, from sibling to sibling, friend to friend, teachers and students, neighbors, idols or role models, and the like. Throughout all these lifelong bonds, the thought of Death is always in the background; we are subconsciously aware, as we see death happen around us, that the very people we cherish and love are also subject to that inevitable end.

    Although, in many cases, people will often shelf that thought or outright pretend it isn’t a reality, which often results in a passing of a loved one striking harder once it happens. The Philosophy teaches that Death is an Eternal Reality, and that the Lord of Death is not an adversary, and that the Child of Death wears many masks and encourages that Death be seen as an old companion greeting you and taking you to the next Pathan. A sincere respect for Death is key to processing the grief of Death itself. The key point to take away from grief is that grief is an attachment of the Spiritual Heart—it is natural to experience, to feel, and to struggle with.

    The loss of a loved one often feels like a piece of your own heart has broken off and has fallen to the void. It is often an experience that invokes a feeling of dread when you are aware of the immediate case and despair when it is sudden. These are natural human feelings, and are not to be shunned away but to be held and thought about and processed. Much like not fearing Death itself, the Philosophy encourages us to be full and true to what our hearts tell us on Love: the Initial Will is Love, grief from Death comes from an intense sense of Love, and that grief itself is a means in which we express our sincere feelings of Love. Grief can come in many forms, from muted responses to intense reactions, the way we show grief various by person.

    The important thing to remember is that our grief is an outlet of Catharsis, which is the central theming of the concept of Misted Unhinged Grievance within the concept of Xyphoist Purity;  that raw, pure, grief-stricken emotion is our way of expressing our authentic feelings on the loss of a loved one. The very act of showing and expression grief is an act of Purity. However, it is important that we don’t allow ourselves to be consumed by the Darkness of Death, which as mentioned in this Commentary, exists to expire the light on purpose. Those internal thoughts and actions ruled by Dark Auras can sometimes sway out of balance and lead to depressive or even self-destructive tendencies in the face of Death and grief, and it’s quite important to understand the feeling of that imbalance.

    This is where the power of both Love, Reality, and Purity comes into place. Love and Time are the two attributes that heal all pain, and require holding onto one’s perceptive reality to perceive that internal healing and growth. Through the various subsets of Xyphoist Love such as compassionate, unconditional, and devotional, the pain of grief is mended through those bonds we still share among the living as we celebrate the life of the deceased. Suffering in silence or alone in the dark is often the quickest path to falling into despair while processing a Death, and it is key to always remember that you do not have to grieve alone forever. It is common for people to need a bit of space to process alone, and that’s fine too, but always remember that once that personal time has subsided, there shall always be a community within Xyphoist circles to grieve together.

    In fact, that group grieving is a core part of Xyphoist Purity as well, particularly the second concept of Illuminated Shackled Mercy. The officials of the Ordinance, particular those within Vuetenexian, Kyaius, and Carneiyean wings, are taught and encompass those attributes and concepts of our given Xyphozons, and often can help listen to your woes, share in your empathetic experiences, and give personal counselling on grief itself as we all experience it throughout life. The power of community is within how it prays, cheers, and also cries together. The loss of one member is the loss of the whole congress, and the celebration of Life is also a shared and cherished experience.

    We offer our condolences, we offer whatever we can help in times of needs, and we share a single Living Will—the will of the Lords—and our hearts are united as one in Love. Grief is a personal experience but a group healing, and there is no need to process alone if one decides not to. The Ordinance always hosts Ceremonies of Death at no cost to its followers, and the Choir will always sing in prayer for every Life lost and usher their fallen souls into the Afterlife. We always open our doors and venues to celebrations of Life, and we will always offer a resting spot for the remains of the fallen within our premises within the Resting Halls to all followers of the Order and members of the Ordinance. Grief is not loneliness, it is group healing, and the Philosophy encourages that through Compassionate Love.

    —crX, voX, kyX, erX