Breath of Tiki
Purpose
In Hawai’i, belief is power. Belief is the source of everything, really. And when the Awakened tap into that belief, they can manipulate reality itself. Western mages want to explore and learn about the beliefs of Hawai’i and what lore and treasures they bore into the islands. Native mages, known as the Kopa Loei, want only to protect and conserve those secrets.
At the Chantry of Minute Meditation, Western and Far Eastern mages join. Some sympathize with the native mysticks and help preserve the islands’ mysteries. Others want to discover those secrets, with the wisdom to keep such wonders to themselves. The Kopa Loei can be found throughout Hawai’i, but their greatest temple is the Blood of Lono. Here they form their most important plans, plans that involve maintaining their hidden Nodes and caches of magical yore, and even plan counter-attacks against their ha’ole enemies, namely the Technocracy.
And speaking of the Technocracy: few places on earth today are bereft of these Enlightened Scientists. While their loose cannon superstitionist counterparts do not approve of the Union’s goals, Symposium #PO0012 could care less. It pursues its ideals in Hawai’i earnestly, which largely involves the development of real estate, Westernization of the indigenous culture to put down superstitious nonsense, and exploration of the surrounding Pacific Ocean, as well as the volcanic archipelago itself.
Protocols & Policies
The Chantry of Minute Meditation maintains all standard rules of the Council of Traditions. Furthermore, any mage who would join must swear to keep regional secrets to him or herself: a testament of the Dreamspeakers’ influence over the chantry. The Temple of the Blood of Lono is for the Kopa Loei only, and as such they observe all traditional kapu (rules and taboos), which includes some fundamentals like keeping Hawai’ian lore secret from ha’ole, not abusing the centers of the temples (Nodes) and taking too much mana (Quintessence), and using too much vulgar magick. Punishments are typically severe, and even nowadays include death (sometimes as human sacrifice).
Symposium #PO0012 claims to observe all standard protocols and Precepts of Damian. But in general, the Union is at a disadvantage in many parts of Hawai’i. There are areas where even the most innocuous gadgets are considered vulgar science. So the Pogrom is not practical to pursue with vigor in Hawai’i. Instead, the local Union works to subtly influence the population and gain financial and political control. Even that is an uphill battle! So only the protocols that do not hinder these non-confrontational operations are observed. Of course, the Symposium maintains its legions of soldiers “just in case”.
Special Events
Special events are annual (or more frequent) holidays or special ritual days that the main group or groups observe as a whole community. Attendance and participation is often expected of all members, and sometimes required.
Sacred Fire
Upon the Summer Solstice, the mages of the Chantry of Minute Meditation gather on the western beach of Lana’i. There they erect a grand bonfire that blazes all night long. The mysticks dance, chant, relax, chat, and reconnect. Even though the event is midyear, it has become a sort of New Year’s celebration for the perennial summer land of Hawai’i. There is also hope (vain though it may be) that the relaxed and non-appropriated event will draw the Kopa Loei into the chantry, or at least as allies.
Feasts of Lono (Makahiki)
In traditional Hawai’ian culture, the subsistence lifestyle enabled the peoples to spend half the year at work, and the other half relaxing and reflecting. Those months of reflection are known as Makahiki, or the Feasts of Lono. They come in phases, and the Kopa Loei honor all those traditions. But for these Craft mysticks, the most important phase is the last phase, the supplication to Lono and the testing of the chantry elder (currently, Keaweaheulu). Makahiki takes place from approximately November 17th to the first new moon of the next year’s February or March. The third phase runs up only the last week to that new moon date; it is the shortest phase.
“Hawai’i is a land of opportunity: the opportunity to honor the source of all life. Of course, some people might honor the source better with their lives.”
-- Keaweahelu (Kupuna Mana of the Manalonohe’iau)
