THE MISSION OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE FOURTH FACE July, 1988 INTRODUCTION The Mission of the Guardians of the Fourth Face is to contain any internal and external threats, and to ensure the harmony and tranquility of the Pagan community when gathered in Festival, Ritual, or Council. The Guardians will attempt to resolve these threats internally, or refer them to the appropriate secular or professional authorities. Internal Threats include: - Social and domestic disorders - Serious illegal activity or actions - Dangerous or irresponsible behavior by persons attending gatherings or rituals Social and Domestic Disorders are defined as: - Violent or abusive behavior - Criminal or inappropriate sexual behavior - Alleged psychic attacks Two of the unique aspects of our community which can complicate any efforts at maintaining tranquility among our people are: [sysop's note: section missing?] CONDUCT Members of the Guardians will conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Information pertaining to any Guardians activities and persons contacted by the Guardians is strictly limited to a need-to-know basis, to protect people's Civil Rights and preserve community tranquility. OTHER SERVICE ACTIVITIES include: - To educate Craft people about the ramifications of activities that are dangerous to themselves, or injurious to the interests of the Craft as a whole. - To create a communications/information network for Guardians Members to keep current with political, religious and legal threats to the Craft. - To develop a safe house and refugee network for persons needing temporary sanctuary, excluding those fleeing secular justice. - To implement a training program for Guardians Members to develop the martial, medical, psychic, and psychological skills needed to conduct our community service activities. - To organize and implement psychic and physical guardian services. - To organize and train selected persons of the Craft community to perform closely supervised, limited first line security duties. The initiated members of the Guardians of the Fourth Face will normally supervise any security activities, personally intervening only when there appears to be a serious threat to community safety. As leaders, we accept the responsibility to ensure that the community gathers in safety, tranquility, and with as little interference as can be arranged. The Guardians, as much as possible, must blend into the community fabric at a gathering, while maintaining the best possible example of mature, responsible, capable, and caring Pagan behavior. When working with any organization, the Guardians' areas of responsibility must be thoroughly understood by the representatives of all the parties involved, with the understanding that we have full authority to discharge all our duties as defined by everyone involved. - - - - - - - - - - THE ORDER OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE FOURTH FACE JULY, 1988 INTRODUCTION The Order of the Guardians of the Fourth Face is designed as a structured, non-paramilitary pagan service organization formed to provide the pagan community with: - a disciplined, coherent nucleus for intra-craft security - a system of safe houses - a communications network and information resource, to keep abreast of security interests pertaining to the Craft and Her people The concerns and reach of the Guardians should ultimately be national in scope. Membership should be open to any qualified, self-professed Pagan. SYMBOLISM The "Fourth Face" is the New Moon phase, the point of both beginning and end; new life and death. This Mood phase is attributed in different traditions to either the "God" or to specific "destructive Goddesses" (eg: Kali). Warriors guard this point of the Wheel of Life, ready to defend and nurture the People with their blood. Child-bearing women also stand there. Consequently, this point on the Wheel can be the place of the most complete understanding and equality between men and women. Because of this, there should be no barriers to joining or advancing in the Order due to gender. Also, no domination or deference should be given to anyone due to their sex. One's abilities and accomplishements should be the only criteria. Because this phase is both God and Goddess, our concerns are both the protection of the Craft and the nuturing of an increased awareness of the realities of Life in Her People. INSIGNIA The Raven, the "Stormcrow", the "Companion of Death" is our mascot. The Raven has been chosen because Ravens sense impending trouble ahead of time, and assemble to meet the threat before it's shadow falls. They are Odin's "Forethought" and "Memory", helping to prepare for what is to come. Additionally, they have an unsavory reputation with the uninitiated. Called the "Harbingers of Death", they are frequently blamed for any trouble, as we are likely to be blamed by those both inside and outside the Craft who may not understand our order and its goals. The Symbol of the Guardians should be an open gate, or archway (the style of this arch is optional to any 2nd degree initiate, though I personally prefer the Japanese Tori style gate), superimposed on a Black Disk, representing the New Moon. It is an open gate because we, the Members of the Guardians, are the gate and we stand between our People and the Fourth Face. A button with the Order Symbol on red should be given to every 1st Degree Order member to wear when appropriate. 1/2 Degrees can be supplied with a plain red button to wear while performing Order duties as a means of identification. The Leaders of the Guardians in charge of the security at a function should wear a cloth tie-on band bearing the Order Symbol to provide quick recognition. A possible Standard for the Guardians is a plain, simple spear. Unobtrusive and non ostentatious, it should none-the-less be a real working weapon. These Standards and Insignia should be independently acquired by every Guardians Lodge or establishment. FINANCING The only Order dues is the individual members' responsibility to fund and maintain his own equipment. If ritual implements are provided for a member at his initiation, he should reimburse the Guardians as soon as possible for that tool. If money is needed for Order business, the burden is either split up among the Order members or provided by the organization availing itself of the Guardians' expertise. All Guardians members 2nd Degree and above should at least have crash space available for Craft people needing Order assistance. However, the Guardians are not obliged and will not assist anyone fleeing secular justice. RANKING SYSTEM The Guardians' ranking system should be known outside the Order as a system of responsibility. Internally it is organized as follows: HALF DEGREE - Anyone of the Craft, the People, who can be trusted to perform a specific task. The only requirement is the desire and ability to perform said task. The only ordeal is accomplishing what is asked of them. They have the right to any privileges or rituals set up for or by the Guardians during the time they are considered to be 1/2 Degree. FIRST DEGREE - Is ths Candidate Degree. The requirements for this degree are: - The equivalent combat training or experience of a martial arts brown belt rank. - A minimum of first aid or rescue training. - The experiance in some Magickal or Mystical tradition that they may be considered responsible for themselves, for example, a Gardnerian 2nd Degree. In other words, the Candidate must be able to handle and be responsible for themselves in both hostile physical and psychic environments, and be knowledgeable about the ritual and social etiquettes. The prospective Candidate is put up for admission as someone worthy of joining the Guardians by anyone known and respected by the Guardians, though not necessarily a member of the Order themselves. The Candidate is then introduced in ritual to a Guardians Member not previously known to the Candidate, who then becomes the Candidate's Mentor. The Candidate must maintain contact with his Mentor for at least a year and a day, proving to the Mentor by his actions that he, the Candidate, would be a worthwhile addition to the Guardians. The Candidate's Mentor is responsible to the Guardians for the Candidate's behavior during this apprenticeship, and to the Candidate to provide any needed instruction. At the end of this apprenticeship, the Mentor may petition the Guardians Council for the Candidate's elevation to the 2nd degree. Any Order member may then speak either for or against the Candidate's elevation. Only first hand knowledge of a Candidate is acceptable in this or any Council; no rumors or gossip allowed. If no one will speak for the Candidate, his first Degree period may be extended. If unfavorable information is presented, the Candidate's association with the Guardians may be terminated. At his 1st Degree initiation, the Candidate is given: - His staff and basic instruction in its uses. - A copy of the training sections of Franz Bardon's "Initiation Into Hermetics", both for the mental and psychic disciplines, and as a way of checking the Candidate's progress. - Instruction in Guardians Ritual and Field Signs SECOND DEGREE - is the rank of a fully initiated member, responsible to the Guardians for his own behavior and the accomplishment of any task or duty requested of him by the Order. He is authorized byt the Guardians to recruit as many 1/2 Degrees as necessary to accomplish these responsibilities. The 2nd Degree initiation should have a serious, challenge style ordeal incorporated into it as ritual proof of the Member's commitment and as a final test of courage. This ordeal shall be performed fisrt by all the attendant ranking Members of the Guardians, in descending order. A 1st or 1/2 Degree may be invited to witness, but not take part, in this Ordeal if it is considered appropriate for that particular person to do so. During his 2nd Degree ritual, the new initiate is presented with his Horn, and swears his loyalty to the Guardians Order itself, instead of to the Order Member who was his Mentor, as he did at his 1st Degree initiation. Swearing to keep the integrity of the Guardians, and the interests of the entire Pagan community above any other personal Craft affiliations. He is then required to lead the remaining part of his initiation Ritual, after his investiture, to prove his competence at conduction ritual. He is then coached on the signals used by the Guardians (each 2nd Degree should have his own call sign). THIRD DEGREE - is held by an experienced Member who is responsible to the Guardians for the people under him. The 3rd Degree must have enough training or experience in knowing or handling people (eg: psychology or police training), that their judgement of people and their reactions can be relied on. 3rd Degrees run the Council. They are the leaders of the Guardians, responsible for seeing that the most appropriate people are given assignments and missions. They also decide which activities and organizations the Guardians will officially be involved with. A 3rd Degree supervises a Candidate's initiation period, eitehr directly or through the 1st or 2nd Degree who is the Candidate's Mentor. He is the holder of the Warpipe, the Talking Stick, and is invested with one at his initiation as a sign of rank. The 3rd Degrees are the guardians of the Order's Rituals and Honor. FOURTH DEGREE - and higher is the specialist's rank and may only be awarded to people with a recognized superior competence in a specific area. These Higher Degrees are responsible to the Guardians for the planning, execution and training of Guardians personnel in their specialty. Examples of such specialized areas are group security, medical, ritual magic and group psychology. These are elected ranks given by the Guardians Council for superior knowledge and accomplishments in these areas. They may only be awarded by the Council of peers elevating one of their number by inviting him to accept reater responsibility. They represent the highest level of responsibility and authority in their specialty, but only their specialty. BREVET DEGREES - Additional 1/2 Degrees may be awarded to any 1st Degree and above in recognition of a person with the responsibilies of a higher rank while, for whatever reason, it has not been appropriate for that person to have been initiated into that Degree. For example, a 1st Degree performing the duties of a 2nd or 3rd Degree would be known as a 1 - 1/2 Degree, giving them seniority over the other 1st Degrees, but not a fully initiated 2nd Degree. MEETINGS Unless previously invited, Guardians Rituals are closed to anyone below the Order's 1st Degree, though the 1/2 Degrees can be invited as appropriate. Unless invited, only the Order's 2nd Degrees and above are welcome at a Guardians Open Council. Only the Guardians 3rd Degrees should be permitted at a Closed Council. Except on a need-to-know basis, all knowledge of the Guardians of the Fourth Face functions or activities is privileged information, strictly limited to Guardians Members only. - - - - - - - - - - A few points from Paul D's July 16 letter to Zhahai Stewart, in response to his letter to Dierdre White Eagle: The Guardians of the Fourth Face is quite new, really it doesn't yet exist, and Paul emphasized the flexible stage they are at, and welcomed criticism or suggestions of any kind (with a preference for constructive). He said that the concept of the Guardians has been developing over 2 years as he and Joe [who was in charge of security at PSG] discussed problems in the Pagan community, including seeing real or potential [security?] problems at festivals, and a tendency for Wiccan groups to fall apart because of stupid internal arguments that could be prevented by a peer arbitrator. "At this point, everyone is an apprentice. Joe and I are each other's" He says that ideally, all the Guardians are going to do is help Pagan groups organize their own security systems and provide the heavy backup that is sometimes needed. And that they have already provided for some organizations an argument free environment with a neutral authority which serves as a focus for any hostility, enabling the groups to resolve their disputes. He expressed a willingness to converse with the "security" folks who handle Rainbow Gatherings. He says that sometimes, unfortunately, violence of some kind may be neccessary; and gives the example of a clinically dangerous manic depressive who came to PSG 1987 without his Lithium, freaked, was dosed with tranquilizers by the med tent, but might have been dangerous if he had woken. [aside by Zhahai - Tzipora reported a very similar problem at 1988 PSG; is this tendency to not take such medicine to a Pagan gathering a trend or what? Also note that this case was apparently handled without informing security, or Paul had reasons not to use it or got the two mixed up] He says that the long apprenticeship period is so that the Guardians can be sure that the candidates will handle situations as non violently as possible. They intend for only a few high visibility Guardians to play the "heavy", while the others stay in the background; there were seven security people at PSG, but attendees noticed only about 3. The heavies wear swords. At PSG I heard them say that they were planning to switch from swords to staffs only. I think this may be changing; he reports that "We received so much more positive feedback about how safe some people felt with the security being armed than anything negative we've heard, that it just isn't comparable. For example, I had four women come to me, independently, and tell me they felt more secure knowing that the security had swords... Because we always wore the swords, most people seemed to not have had a problem with them." I gather they are also thinking of starting a "sword bearers society" to prevent abuses by sword carrying fools (presumably non Guardians). He acknowledges my concerns (in the letter to Dierdre) about the Guardians turning into a Praetorian Guard or Samurai Class, but feels that this will be prevented by careful selection of the persons involved. Their model is the Amerindian Dog Soldiers warrior societies; another quote "Our authority doesn't come directly from the Community itself, but from the tribes' peace chiefs (ie: the organizers or leaders who are responsible to the Community to get things done)... Also, at any conceivable time in the future, initiated Guardians will be only so small a proportion of the available warriors that it would only be possible for us to develop a Praetorian Guard mindset (in self defense) if the Community makes us do all the work." "Anyone we find who truly enjoys fighting or likes powertrips won't be associated with the Guardians for very long!" He see few scenarios in which a decision could be put in front of a community meeting (responding to one of my suggestions, for some non-time critical problems or policy issues). Regarding my concerns about good communications with the community, he says that their plans are to work thru "the community leaders who are the ones responsible for communication with the masses." Given the excitable, paranoid, rumor mongering nature of Pagan society, almost all information about security incidents must be limited to just the Guardians, otherwise wild rumors will disturb the community. He mentions that the community is in many ways very good about resolving its own problems, and security only has to be called in for more difficult cases (such as people who refused to extinguish ground based candles at this PSG, despite the requests of their neighbors). Given that I had mentioned to Dierdre that already there has been talk about the Pagan Spirit Gestapo, he responsed that he would have been surprised if no one had cried "Nazis", "being as that is a favorite soapbox for some Pagans who can't handle the idea that someone else might have any authority". He invited more comments and criticisms.