Cubism
Background
- Cubism is a series of beliefs which worship The Receda Cube.
- The religion itself, however, predates the discovery of the Receda Cube by several thousand years.
- The diary of Anthony Granier records the observation of The Builder's Celebration in the year 1BC.
- It appears as though the beauty of the logical concept of a perfect cube is seen as the perfect godhead.
- Construction (and reconstruction) is seen as a high act of idolotry.
- Gyvann is believed to be the earliest prophet of Cubism.
- One of the oldest orders, The Brotherhood of the Six, has, since its founding, broken into many subgroups.
- The Ideals of Cubism may vary from sect to sect
- Generally, however, The Receda Cube is seen as an incarnation of the One True Godform, and is worshipped as such.
- This may stem from an early perplexian concept of representing gods without specific forms.
- That is, Early perplexians would embue images and tesselations with godlike properties.
- Thus their gods would not have to be tied to a singular personification, a singular face.
- In this way, The Receda Cube represents that primordial manifestation of God.
Regarding the Receda Cube
Reverence for The Receda Cube is caused in some part by Cube-focused religions, some of which go back many thousands of years. These faiths focus on the works of mankind and co-operative efforts to build a better world; a fundamental tenet is that cubes are works of man, and never to be found in nature. The shape of a cube is representative of the struggle for civilisation to improve itself and provide for its people. The Receda Cube, then, with its undeniably unusual physical properties, holds a special significance for the religious faithful in Perplex City, as a manifestation of the aspirations of mankind. [1]
Commentary
On Earth, our gods are derived either fFrom an image of man, or fFrom an image of man's demise. (for example, a man in the woods starts to worship the jaguar because it is the most powerful thing he sees, in the hopes of allying with it, and avoid being eaten). Even Islam, which uses calligraphic designs to represent Allah, percieves Allah to be vaguely describable in terms of man ("He lives in heaven", that sort of thing.)
Cubism's roots appear to start and end with god as an abstract concept of shapes and designs. It is somewhat unique for a god to be developed in this way. To attain oneness with The Cube is to become the cube itself. And to attain oneness with the cube is to lose all sense of the physical world, reverting to an abstract concept.
On Earth, Psyche has written a lengthy and insightful View From Earth article analyzing Cubism, as it compares to Earthly religions and the Masons.
Dogma
Holy Days
Restitution of the Cube
- Celebrated at the Winter Solstice; 21-DECEMBER
- Three days of prayer & meditation.
- It is traditional to light cube-shaped candles at this time.
The Builder's Celebration
- Celebrated at Spring Equinox; 20-MARCH
- This is a time to lay foundations to new buildings.
Gyvann's Day
- Celebrated at Summer Solstice; 21-JUNE
- A cheerful celbration with burning torches and feasting, honouring Gyvann
The Lighting of the Way
- Celebrated at autumn equinox; 22-SEPTEMBER
- The festival of re-affirming our dedication to the Cube and of witnessing Gyvann's message to the world.
Given the wobble of the planets, exact dates can vary by as much as 2 days from one year to the next. See wikipedia articles on Solstice and Equinox.
| year | The Builder's celebration Equinox March |
Gyvann's Day Solstice June |
The Lighting of the Way Equinox September |
The Restitution of the Cube Solstice December | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| day | time | day | time | day | time | day | time | |
| 2004 | 20 | 06:49 | 21 | 00:57 | 22 | 16:30 | 21 | 12:42 |
| 2005 | 20 | 12:33 | 21 | 06:46 | 22 | 22:23 | 21 | 18:35 |
| 2006 | 20 | 18:26 | 21 | 12:26 | 23 | 04:03 | 22 | 00:22 |
| 2007 | 21 | 00:07 | 21 | 18:06 | 23 | 09:51 | 22 | 06:08 |
| 2008 | 20 | 05:48 | 20 | 23:59 | 22 | 15:44 | 21 | 12:04 |
| 2009 | 20 | 11:44 | 21 | 05:45 | 22 | 21:18 | 21 | 17:47 |
6-fold Beliefs
The sixfold beliefs of The Brotherhood of the Six may represent a path of light for all forms of cubism. It is as follows:
- That the purpose of human life is to achieve a mystical one-ness with the holy object The Cube.
- Although the Cube is presently Incarnated, its true essence is mystical and cannot be understood by humans except by the granting of divine inspiration.
- That one-ness can be achieved by meditation, prayer, good works and acts of construction.
- That the Holy Gyvann The Builder was the first to achieve one-ness. He shows us the way, he leads us to ascend the cube-shaped steps.
- That Gyvann's Book of The Six contains all that is real or true in the universe.
- That the Universe, like the Cube, is unending, complete and stable in its Holy One-ness.
Cubist Groups
The Brotherhood of the Six
Considered one of the more pious Cubist groups, they observe holidays with pensiveness and meditation. Known to eschew the commerciality of the holidays. http://www.brotherhoodofthesix.com/
Reconstructionists
A radical isolationist group, they believe the Cube is being held hostage by The Academy. They preach absolution of modern technology, and a return to simpler, self-sustaining life.
The Brotherhood in the Old Town
This is the largest Cubist group in the city. They are seen as a peaceul group, who have excellent holiday ceremonies full of song and cake. Presumably they operate in Old Town
The Third Power
Secret cult? Ancient shadow government? Activist mafia? Psycopathic den of thieves? All of the above.
Other Groups, and their symbols
According to the book The Third Power, the Archers and the City of Dawn: An investigation into the Power of the Perplex City Cube and those who have guarded it, numerous other groups may have been cubist groups. In particular, The Third Power is mentioned.
References
Specifically references to cubism at large
- article, 14-JUN-05 Holiday Sombre for Pious (link)
- article, 11-JUL-05 "Kohler: Earth Idioms Invading Perplex City" (link)
- article, 08-SEP-05 "View from Earth: Religious Freedom" (link)
- article, 09-JUN-06 "View from Earth: Spirituality, Stigma and Secrecy" (link)
Violet Kiteway's Blog, Quirky Acuity
