Guidelines of the Order

A monastic Order has certain rules expected of those within it. The Order of Eclipse is no different. Our rules are really more like guidelines, and we feel they are fairly easy to follow. 

• Honour the Gods.
  We honour and serve the deities we follow, and respect those deities that we do not. We understand that the gods are distinct beings worthy of this respect. They are not ours to "use" in a spell or ritual.
  
  
• Respect Culture and Religion
  We respect the cultures and pantheons of the gods we worship, and of those that we do not. We understand the concept of cultural misappropriation and strive to avoid it when possible.
  
  
• Respect the Earth
  Pagan religions aren't necessarily earth-based, but nor are they separated from the earth. Likely enough, there is an earth-deity of some kind in your pantheon. Many of us actively honour the earth in some way. Those who do not nevertheless respect and care for the earth, nature, and the environment.
  
  
• Use Common Sense
  We can be sceptical, but we strive to not let our scepticism cause us to miss out on something magical. On the other hand, we don't let our desire to believe something completely blind us to reality, be that scientific, historical, or lore-based.
  
  
• Question
  We question and explore. We try not to take things at face value. We know that questioning may lead to understanding.
  
  
• Respect UPG and Lore
  We understand that one's experience with deities is personal and moving. Experiences or understanding of deities not supported by lore is known as Unverified Personal Gnosis, or UPG. Sometimes different people independently have the same sort of experience; we call this "Shared Personal Gnosis" (SPG). We respect the UPGs of others, but we don't expect others to accept our UPGs as lore. Objectively, Lore is more valued than SPG which is more valued than UPG.
  
  
• Lore has Limits
  We understand that the Lore is a window to the worlds of the gods; it is not the world of the gods in itself. We base our religious understandings on Lore... but they are not the be-all and end-all of our religions
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• Live Your Religion
  We know that there's more to Paganism than books. We practise our religions and work towards incorporating aspects of them into our daily lives, through ways such as rite, prayer and meditation.
  
  
• Enjoy Yourself
  Religion shouldn't become dull, constricting or boring. We try to retain our passion and enthusiasm. While some things are certainly formal and serious, we can't be serious all the time.
  
  
• Use Magic Responsibly
  Those of us who are witches, magicians or similar use our craft responsibly and with wisdom.
  
  
• Be Kind to Beginners
  We understand that each person must begin their Pagan path at some point. We strive to be patient and understanding with those who wish to learn. We are under no obligation to be pleasant to those who are wilfully ignorant. We are wise enough to understand the difference between these two groups.