The Order of the Eighth Day

The Order of the Eighth Day was founded in 402 HE by Octavia Isidore (born Alexis Anderson), originally a follower of the Catholic Church who lived in Dikaia, Messembria. She was a scholar with multiple PHDs, studying the arts, sciences, and philosophy. Her exploration of other theologies led her to incorporate a number of principles from Universalism and Buddhism into her personal religious beliefs, and she began to teach her ideas to others, spreading her unique brand of Catholicism. Eventually she took the name Octavia Isidore and founded her own religious order, believing God had called her to spread and preserve knowledge and to share her religious principles with others, in the hopes of leading them to a richer, more rewarding, and more spiritual life. This order, which she called the Order of the Eighth Day, was not officially recognized by the Catholic Church due to its many unorthodox beliefs. However, while it is an independent order, much traditional Catholic teaching is revered, including the traditional organization of Catholic monastic orders, although there is some influence from Buddhist monasticism as well.

Members of the Order of the Eighth Day are also called Octavians by many. There are a number of Octavian churches throughout Messembria, most connected with a monastery or convent. There is a great deal of overlap between the clergy and monastics, and not a lot of practical difference between the two; most clergy study in a monastery and return to monastery life from time to time. The order includes both men and women; the largest monastery for Octavian monks is in Aravon, and the largest convent for Octavian women is the Altan Abbey. Not all are called to the monastic life, but according to Octavian beliefs, those who are do so as a service to their fellow humans, by living their life according to selfless and pure principles.

Octavians follow a set of eight core principles:

• • health of body, mind, and spirit

  • spirituality and mysticism, connecting with the divine

  • purity of mind, body, and intent

  • discipline, comprising structure, obedience, and self-control

  • service to others through teaching, healing, counsel, work, activism, and prayer

  • purpose, contributing to the world through meaningful work

  • beauty, creating and reveling in art, music, and nature

  • learning through intellectual study and teaching, acquiring wisdom

There are a number of ways to follow these principles, and laity and clergy follow them in different ways. All are encouraged to observe good health through physical exercise, a healthy diet, and practices that promote mental well-being. This extends to personal relationships and emotional health as well. In a monastery, all members contribute to meal preparation and attend regular exercise sessions, as well as periodically meeting with those of their cloister to discuss their emotional and spiritual lives.

Spirituality is considered to vary a great deal by the individual, but the ideal is to make oneself into a vessel and conduit of divine will, expressed through visions, prophecies, ecstacy, and possibly divine possession. The order does not consider itself qualified to determine whether such experiences are real or in the mind of the one who claims to have had the experience; the important thing for the church is what effect it had on the individual. Whether “real” or not, such experiences form a connection with the divine, and understanding the nature that connection is not required for it to have an impact. Sometimes spirituality can be expressed simply as a profound emotion or a moment of clarity and inspiration.

Purity is connected to mental and physical health, but this extends to others rather than simply oneself – purity shows a respect and concern for how one's actions affect others. One must discipline one's thoughts, because negativity and hateful thoughts can spread to outward actions and can affect how one sees others. Purity of the body contributes to good health, but can also show a healthy attitude and respect for one's body and the bodies of others. This includes healthy eating, clean living, avoiding harmful and addictive substances, and sexual purity – for laity, this means having a healthy and respectful attitude toward sexuality and a respect for others, rather than simply abstaining from sexual activity. Members of the monastery are expected to remain sexually chaste, largely because their devotion must be to God and their order first, rather than a physical or romantic relationship. Purity of intent involves confirming that one is not just doing the right thing, but doing it for the right reasons, and thinking of others in a positive way and practicing humility.

Discipline is required for developing self-control and the ability to focus on the important things in life, resisting the urge to succumb to temptation or frivolous pursuits. The sometimes rigid structure of monastic life and the practice of obedience to superiors is one way of developing this discipline, but adherents are also taught to answer to themselves and to learn self-control. Obedience is important, but blind obedience is never a good idea, and members of the church are taught to examine closely their actions and the intent behind them, rather than simply following orders.

Members of the church perform service to others in a variety of ways. Joining a monastery can be considered a service, as one is devoting oneself to a particularly disciplined life as an example to others, or to pray for others and create a better world for them through spiritual works. Service can also involve religious or secular teaching, healing the sick, giving aid and counsel, defending others through words and actions, or even simply doing physical labor that contributes to the community. Service to the monastery involves contributing to chores and other duties necessary to monastic life, as well as praying for one's fellows at prescribed times. Some may even go out into the community to labor for others in mission projects, such as volunteering at soup kitchens, providing child care, or building homes.

Purpose is similar to service, but where service focuses on helping others according to their needs and contributing to menial labor, purpose involves finding ones own gifts and determining how best to use them. God has given each person a talent. Few find themselves especially skilled at cleaning toilets or peeling potatoes, but these jobs still need doing; hence the requirement for selfless service. However, wasting one's talents does no one any good either, and if one is particularly good at teaching or public speaking, for example, the church encourages an individual to find a way to use these talents to contribute to the community and the world at large. Sometimes members of the monastery may be given leave to travel out into the world and follow a specific path for a time; Octavians have been known to speak in Parliament on various topics, to travel Messembria displaying artwork or performing music, or studying medicine and other important subjects in order to better use these gifts. Such missions outside the monastery are usually for a set period of time, after which the individual will return to the monastery to contemplate and reflect on the journey, and how best to use what was learned to further the will of God and the good of the order.

Beauty is of very high value to the Octavians. Seeing and appreciating the beauty in everyday objects, in art and music, in modern society, in technology, and even in oneself is encouraged and valued. The connection between the aesthetics of something and how it connects to the spiritual world is of great importance, of course. Even seeing the beauty in oneself is encouraged, though one is not to develop an inflated opinion of oneself and must remain humble at all times. Time for aesthetic pursuits is built into the schedule of every day, and Octavians frequently write poetry, paint, compose music, and simply meditate on the beauty of an afternoon in the gardens.

One of the most important tenets of the Octavian order is that of learning and teaching. Knowledge is valued for its own sake as well as for its power to change the world for the better; it is seen as a powerful tool that can do much in the right hands. The Octavians believe in preserving and sharing knowledge, and members of the order frequently travel from one city to another, participating in intellectual discussions and teaching others. One of the most famous acts of the Octavians was their participation in the Global War of 458 HE, in which members of the order went into fierce battles in order to save books, archives, and technology. They would not fight themselves under any circumstances, but they would push through heavy fire in order to save computer records. Much of what they saved was hidden deep in the Rhipaion Mountains until the end of the war, and the technology and knowledge that were preserved helped make Messembria into the technological superpower that it is today.

While the Order of the Eighth Day is a particularly Messembrian institution, branches have spread into the other nations of Hemera. They are not a sect given to heavy proselytizing, but many find their peaceful, positive, and intellectual values appealing, and small congregations can be found in each of the nations. There is even said to be one in the Andalus Isles, although only the leadership of the Order, located in Aravon, can confirm this. Members of the laity and monastic orders consist of both genders, though there does seem to be a greater balance of women adherents overall - perhaps because the order was founded by a woman, and because its theology and principles are very appealing to women and address issues they value.

Both men and women of the Order wear similar clothing. The traditional habit consists of either a long, ankle-length robe belted at the waist, or loose pants and a tunic-length shirt; either gender may choose the clothing they feel most comfortable in. All forms of dress also include a knee-length, sleeveless robe, open in front and worn over the rest of the habit. The under layer is usually a neutral color such as black, white, cream, beige, brown, or navy, while the robe, or surcoat, is a brighter color representing one of the eight principle tenets of the Order (red for health, yellow for spirituality, royal blue for purity, orange for discipline, purple for service, green for purpose, turquoise for beauty, and fuchsia for learning). The color of one's surcoat is chosen by one's superior, designating the particular path the adherent is choosing to focus on or needs to progress in; the goal is to achieve a balance of all eight. Clothing is usually made from natural fibers and is often hand-made by members of the monastery. All habits include a set of prayer beads, which are worn around the neck or hanging from the belt.

A typical day at a monastery will include communal meals, prayer and meditation, group worship, chores (laundry, cooking, gardening, mending, cleaning, etc.) and physical labor, study of theology and academic subjects, time to pursue the arts and meditate on the beauty of nature, and meeting time with one's cloister (a group of eight adherents) during which the group discusses their emotional and social status. At least once a week, an adherent, especially a novice, will meet with his or her superior to discuss areas the superior feels he or she must work on. Special tasks, penance, subjects of study, or other assignments may be given out at this time.

In addition to monastery life, members of the Order will periodically leave the monastery and travel the countryside. This travel may be part of a mission or a pilgrimage, and members of the Order are encouraged to live in the monastery for a period of no longer than five years at a time - to do otherwise is believed to produce a limited and sheltered world view and separate the adherent too much from the rest of humanity. This is one way in which the Order of the Eighth Day differs greatly from many other monastic orders, which often believe that separation from the rest of the world is vital to a spiritual life. Octavians believe in separation and contemplation for a limited time, combined with periodic renewal of ties to the outside world. On the other hand, of course, Octavians are expected to conclude their pilgrimages or missions after a few years and return to the monastery, to renew one's spiritual life with contemplation and solitude. It is the balance that is important.

Pilgrims wear yellow robes with fuchsia surcoats, representing their commitment to spirituality through knowledge and study. They visit other monasteries and places of learning in order to gather and share knowledge, teaching what they know and participating in religious discussion and debate. While open proselytizing is not really a part of a pilgrimage, part of its purpose is to connect with the larger community and with believers of other faiths, to learn about them and at the same time show the world what the Order of the Eighth Day believes and demonstrate how it contributes and connects to the rest of the world. A typical pilgrimage lasts no more than one or two years, but it usually lasts at least six months.

A mission involves providing a specific service to the community; thus, missionaries wear green robes with purple surcoats, representing their commitment to purpose through service. A mission can take on a variety of forms, and may be assigned by one's superior; the adherent may also choose his or her own mission, with a superior's approval. Missions may involve healing the sick, intense study in a particular field, teaching, building homes, working with the poor, promoting the welfare of a particular disenfranchised community, or even speaking in a politically activist role about issues that pertain to church teachings, such as the importance of preserving the environment or the value of social welfare and public charities. Missionaries are not always required to wear the habit of the Order, as some missions may require specialized clothing; however, when possible one is encouraged to wear the surcoat over one's street clothes, or at the very least the prayer beads. A mission may last a maximum of five years, and the term of service is agreed upon before the adherent obtains approval from a superior; after the initial term of service is over, the mission may be reevaluated, or the adherent may be required to return to the monastery. Missions involve a much greater degree of involvement in the secular community than any other form of monastic life, and as such, missionaries are expected to exhibit a great deal of discipline and self-control, remaining obedient to church teachings and individually practicing regular prayer, meditation, worship, and focus on the eight tenets of the Order. Periodic reports to the monastery detail the adherent's progress both in the mission and in remaining faithful to the Octavian way of life while out in the field.