The Temple of the Jedi Order is constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of the community and to the world around us. The flow of the Force guides our observances and so we, the Council and Clergy of TOTJO, have been inspired to provide an updated Liturgical Calendar, as detailed below.
These feast days honour aspects of the path of Jediism. As you may notice, some previous feast days have been relinquished and new ones have taken their place. Please feel free to discuss this by posting your comments to this topic. We acknowledge that the Liturgical Calendar is a reflection of our evolution as a Temple and that these events should therefore serve as moments of inspiration for further contemplation that goes beyond these moments.
Mar 21 - Day of Recognition - to honour each other and the bonds between us all (also International Earth Day)
Every one of us is an individual expression of the Force in human form. The same goes for all life and all things. This day is set aside for contemplation of this. We are composed of similar physical elements and yet our consciousness is so complex and unique that even those who are born as identical twins may be radically different in personality. Everyone has a right to life, a right to express themselves as whoever they are. A culture and community of tolerance allows those expressions to take place in an arena that acknowledges the sacredness of each person.
As beings of both matter and spirit, we interact with each other and the world around us on a daily basis. As Jedi we share parallel notions as we walk our paths through life. This day honours those bonds and allows us to focus on the truth that we are joined through our differences and also our similarities.
This is reflected in the energies of one of the days that are honoured as “International Earth Day”: “the original Earth Day, on the March equinox. Earth's global holiday. Drawing together peoples of all nations, cultures, and religions to advance Peace, Justice, and Earth Care”.
May 25 - Jediism Day - to honour Jediism and the path (also International Jedi Day)
There are many paths within the Jedi community. Some, like that prevalent here at TOTJO, follow Jediism as a faith. Others regard it as a spiritual path. Others still profess a more secular approach. No matter what our own personal experience or observance, we are all Jedi. We share a common inspiration and it is this which is honoured on this date: the release date of the first Star Wars movie. Many have taken the lessons embedded in that fiction and have applied them to the experiences and explorations of our own reality. Each and every one of these ways is that of the Jedi and this day honours them all.
Sep 21 - Day of Harmony - to honour peace and our connection with the Force (also World Peace Day)
The first line of the Jedi Code is “emotion yet peace” (or “there is no emotion, there is peace” in the Orthodox version). In the same way that pain is a response to a physical disturbance, emotions are the response to a spiritual one. By reflecting on the impetus behind our emotions, we can learn from this as the guidance of the Force. When we understand the motivations we are more clear to act in a positive and effective way, bringing peace to ourselves.
This process can be applied to each moment of our lives as well as to more macroscopic experiences such as those of war and strife. As Jedi we seek to maintain peace by understanding the reasons for conflict and then acting in a non-violent and productive way to regain a sense of fairness and therefore bringing renewed peace.
Our connection to the Force guides us in these moments and can provide us with the tools and the strength to act in, and for, peace. Such a sense of harmony is honoured on this feast day and reflects the ideals and energies of World Peace Day.
Oct 31 - Memorial Day - to honour those that have passed back into the Force (also Samhein/Halloween)
The ancient Celtic festival of Samhein honoured this day as being one of the two occasions in the year during which the “veil between the worlds” was said to be at its thinnest. Whereas Beltane (in May) reflected new life and potential, Samhein focused on that which had passed into death. It was a time for honouring ancestors as well as the actions and deeds that had resulted in bringing each person to the current point in their lives. So this feast day is for remembering those that have passed into the Force – not just as a token of their death but moreover as a celebration of their lives and all that they had contributed to the rich tapestry of the world.
Samhein is more widely celebrated as Halloween, the last chance for spirits and ghosts to manifest before the cleansing power of All Saints Day that followed. Although the nature of this day has diverged from its origins, the theme of death and its observance still remains. This is reflected in the last line of the Jedi Code: “death, yet the Force” (“there is no death, there is only the Force” in the Orthodox version).
Dec 25 - Anniversary Day - to honour the Temple and its founding (also Christmas Day)
As an occasion relating to TOTJO, this feast day marks the day on which its status as an International Church was declared under law. Although the seeds of the Order were sown before this day and they continue to bear fruit as we progress into our future, this day can be observed as an anniversary of that transcendent moment when intent became reality and the Temple was born.
It is also a time for celebration in many paths, the majority of which honour Jesus as their spiritual founder. The notion of a shining light being born (or re-born) is also reflected in the festivals of Winter Solstice and other observances. This is seen as a time of great potential; the birth of a new paradigm. Whether your inspiration is that of the Saviour of Mankind, of the returning light of the Sun, or of the ideals that we aspire to as Jedi, this is a time to acknowledge the greatness that can spring from a single moment and a reminder to manifest our hopes and aspirations.
Dec 31 - Day of Reflection - to honour our own past and future (also New Year's Eve)
The Roman God Janus, after whom the month of January is named in the English language, was a god of two faces: one looked back at the past and one looked forward to the future. He was a god of beginnings and transitions and is this concept that is honoured on this feast day. As Jedi we are mindful of the lessons that the past has to offer as much as we are aware of the potential that the future may bring. The Teachings remind us that “Jedi are aware of the future impacts of action and inaction and of the influence of the past, but live in and focus on the Now” and this day is a chance to achieve this at a time of transition from one year to the next.
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