Anonymous Questions : Responses

Hi all,

I left a Sarahah link up for people to ask anonymous questions about Jediism, the Temple etc.

It's been up a little while so I thought I'd start answering them.

Do you tell people that you're a Jedi? If so, how do you go about telling people that?

I don't really.. it's not something I generally feel like I need to bring up. If it comes up in conversation or I think somebody would get something out of being here I mention it too them. Some members find it very difficult because they want to tell their families and friends but are afraid of being ridiculed. There was some discussion when this question was asked in the forum here:

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/open-discussions/117490-what-do-i-tell-my-family#275103

What is the master-apprentice relationship like? I know it must vary widely, but... friendship? Homework assignments and grades? Mentorship?

You're right, it does vary but you're right in thinking it has some base in friendship. When you spend so much time talking to one person it's quite difficult not to become friends with them. In some ways they become your confidant, and you theirs. The terms 'Master' and 'Apprentice' suggest one person learning from another but it's really not like that. The purpose of apprenticeship is to give you one on one time with someone who has had their training, to learn from them and for them to help guide you. But it's impossible to do that as a training master and not find learning yourself and not be challenged also. Just ask Jestor about the 2/3 hour discussion we had on the solemn vow! Someone posted something that wasn't a question but feedback to me which is relevant here actually:

I actually respect my teacher as a Master, nor everyone feels the way u do, but some may just not me

I never called Jestor 'Master'.. I still don't because our relationship always felt like an equal one, on equal terms. I think if I'd called him Master he probably would have told me to stop it I understand that some masters and apprentices prefer a more formal relationship, there are reasons that might be, I won't go into them all here but if you want to know more please PM me. I respect Jestor as my teacher and my friend and I know that he knows that.

Going back to the apprenticeship... the way it usually works is that a master will set their apprentice an assignment.. some might be a master's 'standard' assignments, others will be based on discussions. There are no set lessons though for all apprentices, the knights have free reign to set lessons as they feel right. The responses to these lessons are 'graded' in points, usually between 1-5 depending on length and complexity. These points all add up until the apprentice reaches 100 points within the apprenticeship, at which point the training master can put them up for knighthood if they feel the apprentice is ready.

Having seen some masters and their apprentices in person I can tell you that apprenticeships are rarely 'stiff'.. they are friendly, breathing relationships between two people

This last one isn't a question but I thought I'd address it anyway!

It's not a Knight, that's a rook.

I know When I picked that I wasn't a knight, so having a chess knight as an icon for me would have been odd. Regardless, I chose to pick a symbol of defence and strength without the implication of war and fighting.

Please keep the questions coming, I am all ears EdanE.Sarahah.com

I love it Edan! You got some great questions! And I love your choice of a Rook. I may just have to copy you later if you don't mind

Just had a couple more:

What made you come back and pursue knighthood again after you left last year?

I had been working on returning a while because it just sorta felt right... I'd stepped down because of the vow and because my mental health was suffering due to stress. I've sorted my stress issues out and going to gathering confirmed that I felt like I could come back, if certain conditions became fulfilled. It happened more suddenly than I was expecting, so that I could help out again as YO. I'm quite happy to discuss this further in PM if you'd like.

I suppose the issue is a matter of respect then?

I'm guessing this is from the same person who said about my teacher as a master. I'm not quite sure exactly what you're asking.. if a master/apprentice relationship was not based on any kind of respect I believe it would fail. But respect comes from spending time with someone and seeing how they work and from how they treat you. Jestor helped me out as a friend as well as a teacher. I respect him greatly for all the things he's done for me and for TOTJO. Every person is different so every master/apprentice relationship is different.. some apprentices want different things from their teachers. Just because I do not call my teacher Master, does not mean that I don't consider him one (and that he doesn't know that).


EdanE.Sarahah.com

What are your opinions regarding all the current kerfuffles and what steps do you think will need to be taken to get the temple back to a more functioning and peaceful environment?

It's difficult to answer because some of this started because I returned. Nothing can stay static and so it's inevitable that TOTJO would feel like a change was needed eventually. What worked in the past won't always work for the future. No doubt things could have been done better, people could have talked to each other more, communicated in a different way. The truth is though that it's roused people to action.. people are getting involved which I can only think is a good thing for TOTJO. This will all be worked out.. as I wrote on the wall recently.. through pain comes progress.
I think the steps to get back to a functioning and peaceful environment are happening now.. the Knights and Council are working on the procedures to improve things in future.

EdanE.Sarahah.com

To the OP: "Kerfluffle" is an amazing word. I applaud you on it's use.

Edan wrote: I suppose the issue is a matter of respect then?

I'm guessing this is from the same person who said about my teacher as a master. I'm not quite sure exactly what you're asking.. if a master/apprentice relationship was not based on any kind of respect I believe it would fail. But respect comes from spending time with someone and seeing how they work and from how they treat you. Jestor helped me out as a friend as well as a teacher. I respect him greatly for all the things he's done for me and for TOTJO. Every person is different so every master/apprentice relationship is different.. some apprentices want different things from their teachers. Just because I do not call my teacher Master, does not mean that I don't consider him one (and that he doesn't know that).

I hope you don't mind me temporarily hijacking your thread Edan, but I just wanted to add to this.

I think the relationship between Master and Apprentice is an incredibly personal one. And the structure or format that apprenticeship takes varies massively from relationship to relationship.

Some exist on a level playing ground because that is what works best for the inviduals (and perhaps the apprentice particularly), others are considerably more like a 'student' and 'teacher' relationship because that what works for them.

In my apprenticeship with Alexandre Orion, I call him 'Maitre', but I call him 'Alex' too . I also call him a number of expletives when he's being a pain in the arse .

The format of an apprenticeship and what you call each other has far less to do with respect and a lot more to do with what works for the individuals.

As you alluded to Edan, if there isn't mutual respect there already then the apprenticeship is unlikely to work in the first place

Thanks Brick for your clarification.

It's pretty late for me now. There are new questions but I am way too tired to answer them today so I will continue tomorrow.

Going to answer a couple now quickly...

How would you describe the Jedi path to a stranger?

That's quite hard.. because anything I say would probably sound quite generic and could relate to many different paths.
That might sound like a cop out but that's because Jediism is a cumulation of much learning and knowledge from many sources.
If someone wanted to know what Jediism was I'd probably ask them to ask more specific questions. When I started here I didn't 'get' what Jediism was and it was quite difficult sometimes to participate in Jediism related discussions because I wasn't sure that what I was saying was relevant. It's only through study that I came to understand what it was about. A few generic words won't explain to someone what Jediism is, if that makes sense.

How integral is the teachings of Campbell to being a Jedi?

It is not Campbell's owns words that are important to Jediism, they are just a vehicle for a set of ideas. The 'Hero's Journey', that is, the understanding of the stages of struggle and the ability to overcome them, is timeless and can be found in writings long before Campbell. In the Youth Forum in the past I've used other vehicles to help explain the Hero's journey, such as film and book examples. The ideas themselves are important because they give us a base to understand the path of learning and experience itself, not just for Jedi but for everyone.


More later.
EdanE.Sarahah.com

Next answers...

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on jealousy/envy and the Jedi, please?

To be clear, envy is the desire to have what another person has, jealousy is the fear of losing what you have to another.
Is it Jedi to be jealous or envious? It's human to be.. the Jedi bit is how you react to those feelings. If you want what another has you can react to it in two ways.. you can either sit in that feeling and allow it be a negative experience, or you can recognise the feeling and decide not to let it control you and make it in to a positive learning experience.
With jealousy, you have to overcome your fear.. again you can either sit in those feelings and feel mistrust and afraid, or you can own those feelings and realise there is no reason that you have to let them decide how you react. We are never entirely in control of our feelings, but have the ability to decide what we do with those feelings.

To piggyback my previous kerfufflely question:

Do you feel that some of the changes that need to be made will either be avoided or not made at all?

Such as, do you feel that if it's determined someone needs to be removed from position, that that won't happen? Or do you feel that those who are making these changes will make sure all the changes are made, regardless of any toes that might be stepped on?


You said "the changes that need to be made", not everyone agrees what those changes are, that's clear from the 'study related suggestions' topic.. everyone has a different idea of how to proceed. Generally most of the knights agree on better communication and a requirement that we have to improve the manner in which we conduct Temple business because it has created too much disturbance and upset the way it is. The thing with making decisions together as a group is that someone will always feel they didn't get what they want, that's why we have to learn to make compromises we can all agree on.

As for removing someone from a position... see my comment above. If you feel someone needs removing then speak up to someone who can make that voice heard in the right place... communication works two ways. The knights will discuss things and do what they feel as a group is the right way to move forward.. we'll get there even if it requires a bit of tooth pulling. No one person can force a change through because it results in the mess you've seen here, we have to come to the decision together. Those of us who believe in a change will make our voices heard.


EdanE.Sarahah.com

About Campbell, what I meant to say (which is totally my bad), is how integral is the monomyth idea to Jediism?

Most of what I said is still relevant.. the monomyth idea, the hero's journey.. that existed long before Campbell and we ever came along.

The idea is important, as I said, to both Jedi and everyone else... because it shows us the stages a journey will make.. that we will be discouraged, we will want to give up, but then a challenge will make us push forward and that we can, ultimately, succeed in our goals.

So is it integral to Jediism? Yes.. and for anywhere else where people are travelling on their own 'journeys'.


Those are all the questions I have had, if you've suddenly decided on a question you'd like to ask, link is below

EdanE.Sarahah.com