5.2.3 |
THE OBSERVANCE OF THE DAYS OF NEUTRALITY |
Prime 14 of
Northern Equinoctial is the Northern Lent
(Day) of Neutrality or Northern Day of
Ananicity; Prime 40
of Southern Equinoctial the Southern Lent (Day) of Neutrality
or Southern Day of Ananicity. On these Equinoctial Days the
Sun is above the equator and the lengths of day and night are
equal. By associating the neutrality of the Sun when it is above
the neutral latitude with the neutrality of
the all-ananic, the observance of these
special days is centered in the supreme being,
altho strictly
speaking, the all-ananic may not have a
neutral latitudinal position with regard to Earth (if only
because this neutrality is no universal neutrality).
Since they demand our attention for supremeness, the two Sundays of
Ananicity are days of rest.
They should be characterized by joy nor sorrow, but by
nanhappiness in the form
of contemplation, meditation or reflection.
Those who keep or remember a Day of Ananicity should not address themselves
or pray to any principal being (let alone, a god or devil) on such an
Equinoctial Sunday.
The metric calendar is to be arranged in such a way that the
Sun passes the southern solstice before midnight on New Year`s
Eve. Primeday 1 of Northern Yule can then be observed as
the Northern Yule (Day) of Neutrality or Northern Day of
Nanaicity.
Similarly, the Sun must pass the northern solstice
before midnight on
Septerday 26 (or Octerday 26 in a leap year).
Primeday 27 can then be observed as the Southern Yule (Day)
of Neutrality or Southern Day of Nanaicity. (This day belongs
to Equatorial Month, but marks the beginning of the quarter of
Southern Yule.) Since it is only important that the Days of
Nanaicity are observed after the Sun`s return to the equator has
set in, both observances may take place a few days later than
mentioned, so that they can adjoin or coincide with other
special days (if any). However, they cannot take place earlier,
that is, on a day before the Sun has started to return to the
equator.
While observance of the
Lent Days of Neutrality is centered
in neutrality proper, the observance of the
Yule Days of Neutrality is centered in the
neutral-directed force which
causes (or has caused) the Sun to return to the neutral
latitude. In accordance herewith, the Yule Days of Neutrality
are feast-days. They should be celebrated, that is,
characterized by happiness or joy. A Day of Nanaicity ought not
only to be a feast-day but a day of nanaic action as well.
The Days of Ananicity and of Nanaicity form part of one and
the same symbolic system, and those who celebrate the Days of
Nanaicity should remember the Days of Ananicity, and vice versa.
For unneutralness without neutralness is no neutralism, and (in
the actual, imperfect world) neutralness without unneutralness
is no relevantism. As both nanhappiness and happiness concern all
happiness-catenals, those who
recognize the Days of Neutrality should eat no meat or fish, wear no
leather or fur, and kill or wound no sentient beings on these days in
particular.
Inclusive respect for life is more than respect for human
beings, more than respect for sentient beings or animal beings,
it is respect for both animal and plant life. Therefore there is
much to be said for the symbolic abstaining from eating any
living being, plant or animal, especially on the Days of
Ananicity. Abstaining from all eating, almost all drinking and
all smoking or all nonmedical drugs is a form of neutralistic
forbearance which may symbolically express ultimate neutrality,
and abstaining from eating any animal or plant food is a form of
symbolic inclusivism which may reflect the ideal of inclusivity
towards all living beings.
Denominational fasting is also a
way of pausing which is particularly appropriate for the Lent
Sundays of Neutrality which are days of rest. Something one is
always permitted to take, however, and against which there can
be no objection, is pure water. This is supposed to contain
neither animal nor plant food, and is a gustatory symbol of
neutrality. Naturally, one should not fast when drinking water
only infringes upon one`s health, or one should not fast longer
than one`s body will allow, because fasting has to be regarded
as a symbol which must not be the cause of a situational
deterioration or of physical weakness. In that case it would
eventually defy the purpose of nanaic action by which neutrality
will have to be established and maintained in the end.
At least four levels of strictness with respect to fasting on
the Days of Neutrality can be distinguished:
- (strictest:) one fasts and refrains from smoking or
taking other nonmedical drugs the whole day on all four
Days of Neutrality
- one fasts and refrains from smoking or taking
other nonmedical drugs on the Lent Days of Neutrality,
and one abstains from eating meat or fish on
the Yule Days of Neutrality
- one fasts and refrains from smoking or taking other
nonmedical drugs before dawn or after sunset on the Lent Days
of Neutrality, and one abstains from eating meat or fish on
both the Lent and Yule Days of Neutrality
- (least strict:) one abstains from eating meat or fish
on both the Lent and Yule Days of Neutrality
Those more forbearing, or more willing to express their
neutral-inclusive feelings in a
symbolic manner, may want to fast from sundown on the day before until
sunrise the day after a Day of Ananicity, or even longer.
The equivalent on a Day of Nanaicity is a period of (at least) 36 hours
which should begin and end at the same hour throughout the world
(since the times of sundown and sunrise then vary for each latitude,
or are absent altogether).
The nonfundamental symbolism of the neutralistic observance of
days of rest and feast-days is centered around the all-ananic or
neutrality proper and the all-nanaic or neutral-directedness. So
it combines the neutral and the
nanapolar-unneutral and
reflects the dual character of the fundamental symbolism of the all-ananic
and the all-nanaic. But it is not only in this respect
that the neutralistic observance of special days is inclusive. It
is also inclusive in the ways in which this symbolism may be
adhered to, which range from not at all to formal and strict.
If one does recognize the Days of Neutrality, the
observance of the Days of Ananicity has to be formal and strict,
whereas that of the Days of Nanaicity may be much more informal
and flexible.
Examples of the strictness of Lent Day symbolism are:
- the Sundays of Ananicity are fixed and cannot be observed
earlier or later
- for the same level of strictness with respect to
eating and drinking the observance of a Day of Ananicity
will usually be more demanding
- notwithstanding the special connection between Lent Day
symbolism and supreme fundamental symbolism, no material
object shall ever depict or represent the supreme being
- the participants or audience shall not applaud or cheer,
nor show approval or disapproval in any similar way
Examples of the flexibility of Yule Day symbolism are:
- the Days of Nanaicity may be observed later than normal
- with respect to eating and drinking the observance
of a Day of Nanaicity is least demanding
- material objects may be used (in a sensible way) to represent a
nanan or a particular type of nanaicity
(but never to represent the all-nanaic as this would be exclusivistic)
- the participants or audience may show approval (and if
appropriate disapproval) by clapping, stamping, cheering
or in any other adequate way
The Northern Yule of Neutrality coincides in the northern
hemisphere with the time of the longest nights and the ancient
midwinter festivals; the Southern Yule of Neutrality coincides
with the time of the longest days and the ancient midsummer
festivals. In this respect the celebration of these
suprapersonal, special days is therefore the continuation or
renaissance of an old tradition. The introduction of our
weltanschauung has put these
ancient festivals and humanity's dependence on nature, on the land and on
the seasons, in a new perspective.
But the Northern Day of Nanaicity also falls in a period
which is traditionally a time of private Xism parties and of
official Xism celebrations in certain parts of the world.
The DNI's alternative does then
mean that the turkey table and sucking pig conception of (Northern) Yule,
and the hollow, ceremonial phraseology of peace and justice
around this time of the year, will be replaced by substantive,
Ananormative thought and action.
Neutral-inclusivists shall not argue that they cannot like their food or
enjoy themselves when not being allowed to eat meat or fish on a feast-day.
Hence, even tho people may still dine and wine, and decorate a Yule tree,
to celebrate the return of the light in the northern hemisphere, the advent
of the new Northern Yule, and of the observance of the four Sundays in
general, should open people's eyes to the content of the new
Norm.
