Some Choristers take up a brief **of Note** I L I P stint as Anchorites (“40 days and 40 nights of privaprojections and self-proclaimed Exemplars at the drop tion”) in hopes of inducing prophetic visions or of a hat, in hopes of moving in harmony with the spirit Epiphanies. A “true” Anchorite, though, takes up the world - doubt of the spiritual is, after all, simply a lack mantle and the staff and sets out for a life of hardship. of faith brought on by the imperfections of physical It’s thought that the rejection of human society is a existence. In this age, the Albigensians don’t really fit rejection of the temptations of man, and so the Anchointo magely society very well; they have few supporters rites can live apart untainted by the vices of society. and most of their energy is bent toward introspection Children of Albi: The declining Children of Albi that does little to improve the world at large. follow in the footsteps of the Albigensians. In brief, the Nashimites: Cousins to the Children of Albi, the Albigensian heresy followed the gnostic view of the Nashimites believe that the spirit world is the true universe: All that is pure is spirit, and so all that is battlefield of virtue, but that it reflects the minds, material is base and wicked. Thus, the human body, the emotions and bodies of all humanity. Since every physical world and all of their accoutrements are merely individual is a piece of creation, the sum of these imperfect tools by which corruption entices the spirit. individuals makes up the whole of creation - and, The Albigensians lost much of their number during thus, every single person has an influence, however the Albigensian Crusade - the gnostic view never small, on the final outcome of the Tellurian. AS the entertained much popularity with the church hierarmaterial world becomes more degraded and banal, SO chy, probably because it rejected any sort of worldly or too does the spiritual world decay. Mass who study mortal authority in favor of spiritual insight. For this spirit magic recognize the truth of this, at least in some same reason, the few remaining Albigensians look degree, since the Umbra typically reflects the emotions askance at Chorus leadership, claiming that anyone too and states here it borders the world. tied to the material world is perforce shackled to the Unlike the Children of Albi, the Nashimites take corrupt materia that is the antithesis of divinity. Ultia very active stance in worldly affairs. It’s hoped that by mately, the Children of Albi reject any sort of mortal purifying the physical world and bringing hope and authority and instead follow divine strictures as handed faith back to the people, the spiritual world will also down scripturally, in hopes of purging their bodily taint come to reflect this improved state. Nashimites devote and eventually raising their consciousness to a level of their time equally to their own spiritual development pure spirit. To the Albigensians, this is Ascension - - so that they can discern right from wrong - and to the transcendence of the material world in favor of an improvement of the material world based upon these unfettered ex is tence . personal observations. While the Nashimites remain a While the Albigensians are nominally accepted in rather small group, and one that’s still considered a the Chorus, they’re something of a loose cannon faclittle odd, they do have strong support from the (XXU~ tion. Their rejection of physical authority means that because of their constant efforts to imtxove the world. they’re liable to follow the advice of spirits, visiting TASKS, SACRED PATHS While the greatest number of Choristers come from Christian churches and the various branches of Judaism, these Choristers do not represent the full range or breadth of the Tradition. Since the first Grand Council, the Celestial Chorus has welcomed numerous other groups. The justice and compassion of the One are not confined by geography, after all. Gnostics: The Gnostic sects arose in and around numerous religious group during the Roman era, but they are most often associated with Christianity. Most Gnostic sects reject the material world as illusion, the creation of a lesser divine being who is often described as evil. Some practice strict asceticism and attempt to escape the confines of the mortal body, while others are decadent libertines who believe that since the body in unimportant, indulgence is inconsequential. The Gnostics reject dogma and institutions in favor of reclusive mystical experiences. However, some Choristers fear that their rejection of the material world leaves them insensitive to the sufferings and injustices others face. The oldest Gnostic sects associated with the Chorus are the Children of Albi and the Nashimites, both described previously. Hare Krishnas: Although these worshippers of the Hindu god Krishna are relatively new to the West, their order was founded in India shortly after the first Grand Council came together. The Hare Krishnas rejected the Hindu caste system, polytheism and pantheism, and they taught that Krishna was the manifestation of the one true God. They believe that adoration and prayer are the chief purposes of the life, and they take their name from their most well-known prayer: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare.” They are strict vegetarians, and they are dedicated to non-violence. Their numbers are growing in the Chorus, which concerns more traditional Hindus, many of whom see the Hare Krishnas as a breakaway sect. Although they tend to form their own separate communities, most Chorus Chantries routinely receive heralds and pilgrims who follow Krishna, and Western Choristers often call on them to serve as outside mediators in minor disputes. They focus their studies on the Sphere of Prime. Hindus: One of the earliest non-Judeo-Christian groups to approach Valoran, the Brahmin priests, all members of the most elite caste of Indian society, represent one of the Earth’s largest religions and the Chorus’s oldest continuing faith tradition. The priests are among the most conservative members of the Tra48 C € L ~ C H @ R U S dition, and they are often strict advocates of a return to the old ways. Many of them also propose strict separation from the other Traditions, especially their estranged neighbors of the Akashic Brotherhood, the Cult of
