Everything has its Season.

Overview

The Children of the Cycle believe in two fundamental truths: everything happens in cycles, and time flows ever onward. These two beliefs may seem at odds with each other at first glance, but in practice, cycles in linear time can be observed throughout the universe: the seasons of a planet ebb and flow with time, spring following winter following autumn following summer following spring, but no two springtimes are ever exactly the same. Some have described this as the concept of “Spiral Time.” Children of the Cycle believe that the double-helical genetic structure of most organic life reinforces the sacred nature of the spiral: a cycle that nevertheless changes and evolves as it progresses.

Although the faith originated on Etheriet and thus draws significant symbolism from the seasons as they occur there, the Children of the Cycle call many different planets, each with their own seasons and their own cycles, home.

Tenets

• The Cycle is proof that the universe will continue, and that there exist forces outside the suffering of this world that we cannot understand.
• Each season in its time, and a time for each season. It is never always Spring, nor is it never Winter.
• Mark the turning of the seasons with natural rites, and never turn another away from your ceremonies.
• The seasons rule in every place a cycle exists, whether forest, city, or starship. Stay strong in your faith and find the seasons wherever they are.
• Mark the turning of the Cycle, and let it guide you in your words and deeds.

The Cycle

Everything happens in cycles, and there is a time for each season. Children of the Cycle seek to maintain their connection to planetary existence by adhering to a seasonal cycle even in the depths of space.

Most Children of the Cycle focus on embodying one or two seasons in themselves, but there are some who “walk the cycle” and accept each season in turn. Each Season lasts for roughly a quarter of whatever the local community defines as a year or its equivalent, though the exact lengths may vary depending on the individual follower. There are four primary Seasons:

Spring

“Every seed you plant within yourself during Springtime grows within yourself; the seasons change and with them, so do you.”

Springtime is the time of new beginnings, and is the first season of a cycle. It is marked as a time of action, making plans, starting new projects, and a focus on growth. Spring is associated with the color green and the water of the springtime rains of Etheriet.

Summer

“The growth we nurture during Summertime shapes us; the seasons change, and with them, so do you.”

Summer is the time of labor, and is the second season of a cycle. It is marked as a time for working to implement the plans laid down in Spring, developing and deepening relationships, and a focus on building, making, or improving. Summer is associated with the color yellow and the sun of an Etheriet summer.

Autumn

“We reap the harvest of our labors in the Autumntime; the seasons change, and with them, so do you.”

Autumn is the time of harvest, and is the third season of a cycle. It is marked as a time for reaping the fruits of the labor done during Summer, and as a time for community and sharing the harvest. It is a time for community but also a time for separating the harvest from the chaff, and it is a time for removing what no longer suits us. Some sects view Autumn as the time of the Hunt and to discard that which no longer serves their community. Autumn is associated with the golden brown of dying leaves and the fallen leaves of the trees on Etheriet.

Winter

“We reflect, survive, and endure during the Wintertime; the seasons change, and with them, so do you.”

Winter is the time of stillness and coldness, and is the fourth season of a cycle. It is marked as a time for quiet reflection and wisdom. Winters on Etheriet are harsh, so some instead see Winter as a time of harsh survival and a time to fight for what is necessary to survive. Winter is associated with blue and the snowflake of a cold Etheriet winter.

The River

“Rivers have strong currents, and the current of Time is the strongest of them all. We will either adapt to its flow or be torn asunder.”

Time is a river that flows ever onward. Every action we take, every decision we make, is simply “another stone in the river.” Put another way, the Children of the Cycle believe that what is in the past is in the past, and there’s no point in dwelling on it. We focus on now, and we make the best decisions we can with what we have. Additionally, according to some interpretations, a single “stone” can’t change the course of a river, but many stones together can enact great change. This is sometimes viewed as a call to collectivism and group effort towards common goals by those of the faith.

“The Cycle is greater than any of us though we all have our part to play, and we find that comforting.”

The Children of the Cycle acknowledge that each individual is, for better or worse, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Fenris’s grav-ring, the individual planets, even the galaxy itself, all will keep turning regardless of the will or wishes of any particular individual.

Practicing the Faith

Planetside, Children of the Cycle typically organize themselves into tribes, or local groups that are responsible for a particular area with their own particular rites and interpretations of the faith. Spacebound Children of the Cycle may claim a certain region of space, a ship, or in the case of those on Fenris, a ring-pod as their territory. Most Children choose one or two seasons as the seasons that they follow, focusing primarily on the tenets of those seasons.

Leadership of a tribe typically changes from season to season, with a Speaker being selected by the tribe from those who step forward during a ritual to mark the changing of the season. The exact rites to select a Speaker differ from tribe to tribe and sometimes even from season to season. Some selections may be a trial by combat while others may be a direct vote by the tribe; these rituals can vary wildly between tribes. A Speaker has final say on all decisions made by the tribe for the duration of their tenure, including the ritual to select the next Speaker.

A tribe will typically maintain a shrine that harmonizes with the natural surroundings, if available (e.g. for planetside tribes) or otherwise decorated with signs of life and other iconography of a cycle, such as potted plants, skulls and bone charms, etc. (e.g. for shipside tribes). The main shrine serves as the meeting point and central location of sacred ground for the tribe, though “travel shrines” are also common so that Children can practice their faith wherever they happen to be.

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