The Force: Light Jedi Lightside@forceacademy.

com A Light Jedi is one who manipulates the Force to help others, Light Jedi are inherently good using the force only to, protect and gain knowledge. Light Jedi never use the force for attack, for personal gains of any kind or for motives which could be considered 'questionable'. In essence a Light Jedi is someone who society suggests would should all be like, The Light Jedi is something most Force Adepts strive for but never reach. Unfortunately there is the problem of Human Nature which tends to conflict with the Ideals of a Light Jedi. Human Nature can of course be suppressed, and in the case of many Light Jedi this is done very well, however it is not a path which is easily trod. True Light Jedi are very rare, it takes a special type of character to forgo the urges and desires which drive most people on our small world. You will no doubt know someone worthy of the title of Light Jedi, they are generally those who give all the time never expecting anything in return. A Light Jedi puts others needs above their own, they are helpful all the time even when feeling down. Most people who visit this web-community will not fall into the category of True Light Jedi, however most will strife towards this goal which is a very good thing. If everyone were a little more thoughtful, giving and understanding the world would be that little bit more pleasant for the countless who live in fear and squalor. Light Jedi follow a code of sorts, this code is outlined below and is a very basic guide to the philosophy of The Light Jedi. There is no Emotion There is no Ignorance There is no Passion There is no Death ~ ~ ~ ~ There is Peace There is Knowledge There is Serenity There is the Force

There exists a balance of Light and Dark, without one there is no other, within this code there are perhaps two distinct and defined philosophies. There is that of the Light Jedi in blue, and that of the Dark Jedi in red, however where these two philosophies meet there is an interesting 'region'. This 'Region' is known as the Shadows and we will talk about that in greater detail in the Shadow Jedi section. This Section is broken down into lectures given by various people within our Council, the lectures themselves are as they were initially taught. You can think of some of them as advice/wisdom from one person to another, others are passages about an experience and what the lecturer has gained from this. Reading the lectures carefully you can pick up a great deal of knowledge and wisdom relating to not only the Force and Personal Life Energy but also to the experiences of our lecturing staff.

Light Jedi: Lecture #1 The Meaning of a Jedi Lightside@forceacademy.com Perhaps the subject that holds the most confusion about our position is the definition of a "Light Side" Jedi. A Light Side Jedi is a force user that strives to use only the positive uses of the force to achieve a positive reaction. By doing this, we hope to achieve a unity of cause and effect. By avoiding uses of the force that may be effective (however not fully "light") we promote good acts through good means. This has many relative uses to the modern day Jedi. Being a Jedi means doing your best in all circumstances. It involves being honest in the way that you conduct your affairs, and your life. A Jedi of the modern day can use the force to dramatically impact their life and the lives of others, simply by living by the Jedi code, and looking for a positive solution for all things. It is better to create than to destroy...better to nurture than to damage. The major difference between Light Side Jedi and other Force users is the methods that we apply in order to achieve a goal. Our strict code of conduct makes our use of the force the most limited...but also the most controlled. I encourage my Padawan, as well as I encourage all of you, to use the Light side abilities that you have not only for minor things like settling disputes, etc...but also to make the world a better place. We are brought together by the Light Side doctrine of the Force to make an improvement on the situations we see around us. Sometimes, this involves standing up for what we believe in, and other times, it calls for charity work. Whatever the situation, in order to be a Jedi, you must first follow the codes that are set forth by the Jedi. These include searching for knowledge...keeping control of your emotions...and most of all, helping those in need. May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. Light Jedi: Lecture #2 Cause & Effect Lightside@forceacademy.com As Light Side Jedi, we are especially in tune with the Force moving around us. But even more than we are in tune with the living Force, we must be in tune with the proper practices, uses, and procedures inherent in its utilisation. Perhaps the best way to describe the force in common terms would be the use of the word "chi", the life-essence in Oriental cultures. This, like the Force, is a moving, living energy field, which flows through us. Positive practices have a positive effect, and negative practices have a negative effect. This is much the same as with the Force. The reason that the Light Side Jedi promote peace, harmony, and non-violent means to a solution is that any time you use a negative reaction to a situation, it has an effect on you. The more that you utilise actions that are leaning more to the Dark side, the more you lean towards that Dark Side. That taken into account, if you use actions that are of the Light Side, you become more

of the Light Side. They are relative to one another...the action you take, and the effect it has on you. So the most important thing to work on, as a Light Side Jedi student, is learning to control yourself, and find positive solutions to problems that you may have. Through this method of solving problems, you enhance your own understanding of the force, and enhance your ability to use the Light side of the force. Light Jedi: Lecture #3 Why be light side ? Lightside@forceacademy.com The nature of our position is that of idealism. We, as Light Jedi, cling to the hope that life can, and will be, better. We cling to the belief that we have an effect through our actions, and that by counteracting negative events, we can turn them into positive ones. This leads to the issue of balance. Much has been made of "Balance" in the force, and the existence of Light and Dark...such as the belief that to have a Light Side, you must have a Dark side...to know love, you must also know hate. But this is simply theoretical. The Force, by our definition of it, does not choose sides. Therefore, it has no "Light" Side, and it has no "Dark" Side. It simply exists, and we, as conduits of this force, use it in "Light" and "Dark" ways. In my personal belief, balancing the force is a way of achieving the purest form that the force may be used in. By doing so, you negate the outside influences. My personal feeling is that the purest way the Force may be used in is for good. By that standpoint, negative uses of the force are an abberation. Of course, there are many different standpoints. Shadow users believe that balance means using the force for both positive and negative reasons, without confining it with rules or using it for a particular ideal. Dark Side force users feel that the force should be used in such a way as to bring power to the user. The Force is a very powerful energy, and can be used in whichever way the user wishes it to be used. This is why we adhere such labels to users...Light Side, Shadow Side, Dark Side...it is not an actual facet of the force, as much as it is a reflection of ourselves. It is a way of classifying the different users of the force into tangible ideals and motives. For me, I am a Light Side Jedi because I believe in optimistic ideals, I believe in humanity, and I feel that we all have an energy that we can tap into as a cohesive world...a universal "power outlet" that we can all use to make the world a better place. That's what we, as Light Side Jedi, must use this to do. We must keep our ideals...we must retain our hope...and we have to continue to believe in something better for everyone as a whole. Light Jedi: Lecture #4 Meditation Lightside@forceacademy.com To feel the Force flowing through you, you must be an open conduit through which the Force may

flow. The question is, how are we, as Force users, better able to condition ourselves in this way? Of course, physical conditioning plays a part in this equation, because a strong body is key to a sound mind. But more important is our mental state. Our mentality is key to opening the uses of the Force...studying the force, using the force, and becoming proficient in the ways of the Force. As Jedi, of course, we prefer to use non-violent means to solve our problems. Based on that alone, mental balance is more important than physical prowess. The way to properly condition ourselves is through meditation. You will find that most people with a balanced mind study some form of meditation, or practice it in unorthodox ways. Meditation for me usually involves sitting cross-legged in a dark room, with no sound or light. By doing this, you cleanse the environment of negative influences. From this point, I like to close my eyes and feel the energy radiate from my body and move around me. If you try this, you will find that you can often enter a trance-like state, through which you control your breathing and heartbeat to the point that they slow down significantly. For some people, Focus, rather than clearing the mind, works better as a meditation. I encourage you to try it both ways...try to relax and feel the energy flow through you, or try to concentrate, and focus your energy on either a mental or physical object of your choosing. Not necessarily to move it, but to feel the connection through this object. I will be posting more lectures on more thorough meditation techniques shortly. If you have any meditation techniques that you have found helpful, feel free to Email them to me, and I may include them in the coming lectures. May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. Light Jedi: Lecture #5 Conduct befitting of a Jedi Lightside@forceacademy.com As of late, I have had the opportunity to read through several more messages that have been posted on our message board, and there are two things that I would like to address. The first is in reference mainly to new users. The second is for everyone...even for some Jedi that have been around for quite a while. First, there is a certain code of conduct that is followed in this academy. It is not a written code of conduct, because there has never really been the need to bring this up. This is just a reminder to everyone...keep your posts respectful, intellegent, and serious. You may inject a bit of humor into it, but remember that everyone here is serious about learning. Write posts that are *about* something, so that everyone may benefit. Second is a growing impatience with other trains of thought that I have noticed. I have noted that in some cases, people claiming to follow the Light side of the force wish to "pick a fight" with a Sith, etc. This is not the way of the Jedi. Remember that a fight is the last thing a Jedi wants...they would rather rationally talk things out. One of the examples that I would like to point out as a good working model of respect is the posts on the Shadow Side board between myself and my fellow Master Justin Tallant. Many of you have followed our discussions/debates in that forum, and I believe that it has actually been benificial to the board. One prevalent theme that keeps showing up in our posts is respect. There are many things that I do not agree with Justin on, and I know that there are many things with which he

does not agree, that I believe. We both make sure to be fair and open, however, and always have a strong amount of respect for one another, because we know that through our debates, we both just might learn something. So because of this example, I ask you to ask yourself something. Consider the posts that you have made, and think upon how you have treated members of other beliefs. Is it befitting the way of the Jedi, or do you dishonor yourself by going against the same ideals you believe yourself to have? If you look inside of yourself, and you have any doubts...then this is the time to change the way you treat others. Light Jedi: Lecture #6 Freedom through restraint Lightside@forceacademy.com A Jedi has a particular ally on his or her side...moral value. Some may feel that this has a definite restriction on the different aspects of the Force that a Light Side Jedi may use, and they are correct in their beliefs...to an extent. A Light Side Jedi is restricted in that he or she must always do the morally just thing in a given situation. It is our belief that in every situation, there is a solution with a positive outcome. As Light Side Jedi, that is a strong example of our optimistic point of view. What of situations where there is no truly positive outcome, where the loose ends do not tie up perfectly? It is at this point that a Jedi has two responsibilities. The first responsibility entails finding a strong solution to the problem, using Light Side means. The second responsibility is a "Plan B" sort of action...utilize the most morally just of your options, to obtain the best solution possible. Sometimes, this may not be an incredibly positive solution. But rest well in the knowledge that you have attempted to do your best. This brings up the point of "Do, or do not. There is no try." This does not lock in an absolutely positive solution. This simply means that you are to DO the best you can, not TRY to do the best you can. This means that you are to DO what is right, not TRY to do what is right. And, last but not least, you are to DO what you have set out to accomplish. You are not to TRY for a lesser solution. Once you have set your eyes on a path that you have judged to be the most humane, the most positive, you are to follow that path, wherever it may lead you. Again and again, the point is stressed that we are to use Light Side techniques in the belief that no matter how they are used, any use of Dark Side techniques leads to a Dark end result. A Jedi finds peace in helping others. We are without conflict within ourselves because we believe in our cause. We have no decisions to make regarding which is the right path to choose...the right path is the path that is right. It is through our idealism, through helping others, that we find out roots in the force, and find something to believe in. We exist to improve upon things...and to bring light to an otherwise dark world. Light Jedi: Lecture #7 Meditation II Lightside@forceacademy.com

I have recieved an enormous response to my original "meditation" lecture. I have recieved numerous Emails requesting more posts on meditation techniques, and other posts responding to my call for additional meditation techniques to supplement my lectures. I have chosen one for this lecture because I have heard of it previously, and have actually used it before, and have found it very beneficial: JediKnightG- This is in response to your WebBoard posting regarding meditation. One technique I have found helpful is the Color Healing technique. You sit quietly however is most comfortable, and with each breath in, imagine a ball of light above your head (starting with gold, going through the spectrum, red, orange, yellow, etc...) and with each breath out, imagine that ball of light decending through the top of your head (the seventh chakra) and going to wherever you need the healing. If it is not a specific place, just imagine it spreading throughout your body. Do this for all the colors. When I did this every day, I found it kept away my severe migraines, (from which I have been suffering for all of my 14 years) and help to lessen the severity of my allergies, high blood pressure and asthma attacks. This Email was sent to me by Jamie Darkmoonsinger, who I would like to thank for the contribution. When I first utilized this method several weeks ago, I had some trouble with the coloration part of the sphere. By nature, I have always dreamed in black and white. My daydreams and meditation are also this way, as I feel it is a bit more clear in my mind. However, after a bit of practice, I was eventually able to convince my mind to see in color. For some people, this meditation technique will be extremely benificial, as it is a very active sort of meditation. With the constant movement and color-changing properties of the sphere, it is especially helpful to those who get restless in the midst of meditation. Also, while it is the color-healing technique, it may also be used generally. Instead of just feeling the ball of light go to a specific area, you may wish to do a variation on the exercise, and absorb it fully into your body, or feel it enter your center of gravity. One final tip for using this method of meditation: Try it with the lights out, or by dim candlelight (please make sure you're old enough to use candles.) By doing this, you are more focused and it becomes easier to define the different colors. Please feel free to continue sending me meditation techniques, as I would like to expand on this lecture topic in the future. Light Jedi: Lecture #8 Confrontation and Conflict Lightside@forceacademy.com Much has been made of the conflict between the Light Side of the Force and the Dark Side of the Force. Not only in personal writings, but the movies themselves highlight the Light vs. Dark conflict. This is because human nature is to look at things as Good versus Evil. In reality though, Good versus Evil is a rather broad concept. The idea of Positive versus Negative is a much more accurate concept. The largest difference between the Light Side and the Dark Side is in how we choose to resolve situations. Light Side Jedi, by nature, tend to take a nonconfrontational stance than other Force Users. Because of our peaceful stance, we are the least likely of the Force users to cause "trouble" of any variety. This is why it

is especially important to enhance our communications and reasoning skills. Attack and confrontation are our last resorts...as Light Side Jedi, nothing less is acceptable. Light Jedi: Lecture #9 Mental and Physical Fitness Lightside@forceacademy.com What role do Mental and Physical fitness play in the life of a Jedi? Well, working in unison, they play quite a role. But, as with many aspects of Jedi life, they must both be balanced to be most effective. Especially for younger Jedi who are not yet as strong in the force (And I say younger related to the length of their training, not their physical age) physical training is especially important. You'll notice that in the movie, both young Jedi (Obi-Wan in Phantom Menace, and Luke Skywalker) are both very physically fit. Obi-Wan in particuar is strong in swordplay, as he demonstrated against Darth Maul. The reason that physical fitness is especially important to both of these young Jedi is that neither are yet fully trained in the force, and often must resort to physical prowess to survive. One of the aspects of the force that we Jedi train in is the ability to "foresee" events a split second ahead of time. As you can imagine, this does come in handy...and if you lack that ability, you must make up for it in some way (physical agility and strength). For an older Jedi, physical strength starts to become slightly less important. It is still important to be physically fit, but as you become stronger in the force, you are less likely to even need to use physical force. Mental strength becomes more important as your Jedi training progresses. I loathe to use another movie example, but I will...Yoda is a prime example of this. He had not drawn his lightsaber in many years when he died, because there was no need to do so. As a Jedi Master, his strong connection to the Force was more than enough to protect him...also, it takes such a long time to truly master the force that his body had begun to wear down through time. As a student or Padawan whose connection to the Force is not yet fully developed, it is important to eat a controlled diet, and exercise regularly. For young students who are not yet into their teens, regular play and healthy meals should be enough. But for older students, whatever your age, physical conditioning is imperative. Also, remember that your diet has a direct effect on the way your mind operates. You will not be able to attain your fullest mental strength, if you live an unhealthy life. My personal regimen consists of such: 5 balanced, smaller meals. These are usually made up primarily of grains, such as bread, noodles, rice, etc. I also eat a sampling of fruits and vegetables, and portions of meat, as the iron they contain is vital. I also drink large amounts of water, especially when working out. 2 hours per day of working out. For most students, this is excessive...start small, work your way up. As an athlete, I have a stronger workout routine than you should begin with. I do about 10 minutes of walking, 30 minutes of jogging, then another 10 minutes of cooldown time, in which I return to a walking pace and eventually stop and stretch. After that, I usually have about an hour's worth of weights and power movement. Balance is key: You don't want a huge upper body, and no leg strength. If anything, having strong legs is even more important, because it gives you a strong foundation to

work off of, and gives you agility and movement. As young students, try to follow a similar balanced diet as I do. Anyone, regardless of age, can eat a healthy diet and benefit from it. Start with something minor...cut out sodas or candy bars from your diet, and work from there. The occassional treat is okay (I'm addicted to Iced Mocha Frappucinos). As far as the workout regimen, try to cut it down quite a bit. Maybe a bit of running...until you've worked up a threat. Older Students can accent their workout with small amounts of weights...don't do too much, you can hurt yourself unless you're under professional supervision. Follow these steps, and they will go a long way towards enhancing your training. But remember: Balance, Moderation, and Wisdom! Light Jedi: Lecture #10 Students, Training & Jedi giving Lightside@forceacademy.com I decided to do this lecture because it pertains to so many of you. As students, to best way to begin your training in the force is to train yourselves. I see many students who desperately begin posting, looking for a Master. But this is not the best way to do things. Before you can be taken as a Padawan, you must first be strong in the Force on your own. Showing self-discipline in your training is the best way to advance yourself. Personally, I review potential Padawans constantly. I never answer posts that are on the message board, because many of them say "I wish to be a Padawan...Masters Email me." This shows a base lack of knowledge in the Force, and also shows a lack of respect. I constantly read posts on the message board, and make note of those who make intellegent and thoughtful posts, because down the road, these people will be my first people to look at. The people that I especially take note of are those who train on their own, and train for the sake of learning...not becoming a Padawan or Jedi. So the question remains: What are the best ways to train? Well, that does depend on you. The first thing I encourage a student to do is get in physical shape. A strong body is the foundation of a strong mind...it is only through proper physical training that you will be able to achieve your best. My last lecture, "Mental and Phys. Fitness" addresses Physical training heavily. As far as Mental Fitness, begin with mastering the techniques found on the Force Academy Homepage...they outline some of the basic training techniques. Also, practice your meditation, and be as thoughtful in your postings as you can. These two actually go hand in hand. You will find that through meditation, you will often have a mind that is more clear, and as a result, will make better posts. And integral part of a student's training is bookwork. In the age of movies, videogames, etc., this is especially important. The Homepage has a number of recommended books, and you can find many more sources on the internet to read over. Try to find books on meditation, philosophy, etc. Personally, I'm a big advocate of Tai Chi books...they teach balance, coordination, patience, and mental focus. As well, you may consider reading up on Martial Arts...possibly even enrolling in a class. A true martial arts school will not teach you merely how to

defend yourself...they will teach you WHY you defend yourself, WHEN to defend yourself, and the philosophies related to such actions. As well, they will teach you self-discipline. When looking into the path that you want to pursue, make sure to think about why you wish to pursue this path. For example, when considering Martial Arts, ask yourself if you wish to learn to "beat people up", or if you wish to learn self discipline. This is the best way to enter into something with pure intentions. One other path that I HEAVILY endorse is volunteer work. I often hear "Well in the movies, Obi-Wan never cleaned bedpans!" I would also like to note that you do not have a working lightsaber, either. Jedi in the movies and Jedi in real life are completely different worlds. We hold true to their beliefs. Doing volunteer work is a way of teaching respect, discipline, and love. Cleaning out your Grandmother's Garden, or helping a friend in need is all it takes to swing the odds in our favor. We try to make a better life for everyone...and if you wish to do so, the only way to do it is practice what you preach. Have you ever walked down the street and seen a homeless person crying? I have...and it really makes you stop and think. We lead pretty good lives...we all have internet access and a computer, so obviously we aren't that bad off. Cherish your life...cherish everything that you have, and cherish the opportunity to help those that don't have what you have. Personally, I make it a point to do at least 4 hours of volunteer work every week. I go to college, work about 50 hours a week, sometimes more, and I am able to find the time to do volunteer work. Just about everyone is capable, it's just a matter of truly believing these Jedi philosophies I hope I've given you some good ideas on enhancing your Jedi training. Make sure to truly consider these options, because they are available to everyone, and they can really make a difference. Learn for the sake of learning, and help for the sake of helping, and the force will be with you always. May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. Light Jedi: Lecture # 11 Dealing with Adversity Lightside@forceacademy.com This lecture is about adversity. We all face it sometimes. The way that we handle adversity, and the way we use it to our advantage, is part of what makes us Jedi. So read this post and remember that is DOES relate to you as a student learning to become informed...it relates to us all. Adversity is a part of all of our lives. Of course, this adversity comes in different forms. For some people, it may be not having enough money to pay a phone bill. For others, it may be the constant threat of physical abuse. Everyone deals with adversity in different ways. Some cry...some hide...some get angry...and some even go so far as to attack and kill. What is the right way to deal with your adversity? Well...it's a tricky subject, because of how many different kinds of adversity there are. There are, however, actions that you can take to deal with adversity on a general basis. The first step is always to recognize the problem. It sounds simple, but many people have a difficult time with these. There are two aspects to consider when asking yourself if you recognize the problem. First,

many people know the problem, but they tend to push it back and hide from it, feeling that it will just disappear. Take for example, a lady whose husband abuses her physically...instead of getting help, she simply denies it to her friends, and makes excuses for the bruises. Or she just explains it as "The way he is". This is a prime example of someone hiding from the problem. The other aspect of recognizing the problem is properly pinpointing it. For example...if the dog ate your homework, it is easy to pinpoint the problem as "The dog ate my homework...this is why i do not have it.". However, this would be incorrect. The true problem is that you left your homework is a place that was accessible to the dog. By pinpointing the problem, you eliminate any future occurances of the problem. Instead of yelling at the dog, it would be preferable to keep your papers in a more secure area. The second aspect is dealing with the problem. This is an area that I cannot offer too many words of advice on, because there are so many different solutions to different problems. The one thing that we must do as Light Side Force Users is properly weigh the different solutions, and see which one would have the best end result. For example...the lady who is abused by her husband manages to pinpoint the source of the problem...he is the source of the abuse. Thus, she decides to stab him to death. This is a very bad solution! She has not taken the time to properly weigh her options...it may have been possible to avoid this, by going to counseling...or perhaps a womans' organization that would help her. Remember that whatever solution you choose to make, must have the best possible outcome. Practice thinking of theoretical positions that you could be in...abuse, etc...and consider your different options. This will make you more adept at finding the proper solution to a problem. Remember that fighting is ALWAYS a last resort, only when we are physically attacked. There is no exception to this rule...only when it is completely and totally inevitable. The third action is that of learning and accepting. Once you have solved it in the way that you deemed proper, consider what you have done. Have you learned anything from it? Accept the outcome as something you have made. There are consequences to every action, and this must be accepted as your handiwork. If the lady in my first example recognized the problem, pinpointed the source of the problem, weighed her options, and decided that asking for someone's help was the best solution, she must now accept what course of action she has taken. She can feel good in the fact that she is safe, and she resolved the situation for the time being, without having to resort to violence. As Jedi, we look for a similar solution...a solution to the problem through hurting nobody, or as few people as possible, while having a positive effect. Remember that all of the examples I have given are "cut and dry" examples. Little of the adversity you face in your life will have solutions that are as easy to find as these...and many times, emotion will get in the way. But use your emotion to your advantage, and allow it to be a positive influence on your decision making. Being a Jedi means adhering to Jedi philosophy. And being a Light Side Jedi means adhering to the beliefs of the Light Side. Let these beliefs guide you, and become wise in the way that you resolve your problems, and you will find that life is much easier. Try to balance yourself to a point that you are able to make rational decisions in the most extreme of circumstances. If you manage to achieve this, you have already gone most of the way in solving the problem.

May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. Light Jedi: Lecture #12 Eye of the Storm Lightside@forceacademy.com The part we play in Modern society is a reflection of where we place ourselves. If you keep yourself locked up, afraid to go out and deal with the world you live in, the effect that you have on the world around you will be a direct reflection of that. Therefore, if you take an active role in the world, then your contribution will be a direct dirivative of your interactions. So what does this all boil down to? It boils down to the courage that you have inside of you, and the motivation that you have. It boils down to what you do with what you learn at the Force Academy. Some people will treat this as something to play with, and then discard. And others, those who make this board great, will take the knowledge that they gain from the interactions on this board, and will apply it to their own lives in an effort to change something. Note the word I use...change. I do not speak of revolution, or anything of the sorts, because this is not the Jedi way. We are not to rebel against the system, we are to change the system...we do not bring down the establishment, we better it. There is no reason that we should ever feel so content in the way things are, that we are incapable of doing anything to help. We are in the eye of the storm. Every day, you can walk out of your house into a raging storm. Look around you when you go around town, or conduct your daily business. Things likely seem tranquil. For the majority of people, they see everyday business. They are blind to what we see. But as Jedi, we must observe what is to come when we come out of the eye of the storm. It is our job to quell the storm as much as we can, by offering our wisdom and help whenever possible. There will come a day when things are not peaceful. How this will come about, I cannot say. It may be a massive event, or it may be a private event in your life. Perhaps it will be saving the life of your little cousin who almost drowned. Perhaps natural disaster will strike, and you will be called upon to offer your services. Perhaps this, perhaps that...all that is true is that your Jedi training will have a profound effect on the outcome of your situation. In every circumstance, there is always a positive action to be taken, and we must find this positive action, and utilize it, so that we are able to calm the storm before it ever is able to hit. We are in a unique position now. We are in the eye of the storm...an area which is the heart of the problem...and we all have a duty to do in order to negate the problems we all face. Do not lock yourself up. And I do not mean this in a physical sense, where you lock yourself indoors. I mean in the sense of denial. Do not deny the role you have to play, do not doubt your own strength. You can make a difference and bring a new hope to people who need it. Go forward and always have the knowledge that the beliefs of the Jedi will guide you through, and the Force will protect you. May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. Light Jedi: Lecture #13 How should I learn? Lightside@forceacademy.com

There are various options open to students wishing to learn as much as possible about the ways of the Jedi. Remember that it is better to be an intellegent, wise student who learns much, than a Padawan that learns little. The amount of your own personal learning depends on how much you put into it, and the choices that you make. The first option is to train alone. Personally, I believe that all students should go through this period to begin with for at least a few weeks. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Begin the self-training phase of your learnings by reading all the lectures (You are now, ja?) as well as the other postings around the board. There is much to be learned from others, even if it does not seem so on first glance. This is also a lesson in patience and self control. All too often I see young students who are in a rush to be trained personally...sometimes, however, this is not always the best thing...you must take time on your own to truly decide which branch of the Force you wish to follow...Light, Shadow, or Dark. The second is to be trained without a title. This is the second step, which I am also highly in favor of. I have regular Email and chat communications with a number of students who are not my Padawan or Apprentices...but I do answer their questions, and help to guide them. It is a branch off of the selfteaching phase, because you are still teaching yourself, but you are gaining the help of a Master or Knight. This process does do other things however...in addition to helping you to continue your studies, you will build up a repoire with the Master. When he or she is ready to take a Padawan, they will already know of you, and will likely have kept up to date on your postings, etc. By this, you better your chances at getting a Master...also, you enhance your own personal training. Soon, the Force Academy will institute a training system, where we will appoint trainers to work with students, in an effort to increase the education levels across the board. When this comes into effect, it is heavily recommended...it is a great starting point for students who are looking for a personalized education into the ways of the Force. The third is to become an apprentice. There have been some questions raised about the number of apprentices, what makes an apprentice, etc. Personally, I define "apprentice" as a student that is specially taken to be trained under a high degree of intensity, as one of many. An apprentice is is no way the same as a Padawan. The reason for this is that apprentices get a lower degree of attention from the Master, and is thus less "connected". Personally, I do take apprentices...but only in special cases. My Padawan, Serena, was promoted to Knight, but had her title also changed from Padawan to Apprentice, so that I may continue to teach her, without violating the rules of her training. For me, Apprentices are to be taken with the utmost care, because it is the same as having a child...albeit one of many. When I consider taking an apprentice, I will generally spend a great deal of time studying the student, and gauging their connection with the Force, as well as proficiency in other areas. Apprentices are multidirectional...you may be an apprentice before you are a Padawan, and you may be a Padawan before you are an apprentice. But to those students who are considering becoming an apprentice to a Master, do your research, and make sure that it's what you want. One thing that you may wish to do is ask how many apprentices the Master already has...that way, you can better gauge how much personal attention you will be able to recieve. Personally, I feel that maximum number of apprentices that any Master at the present time should have is 4...there is simply no need for more...but that's an issue open to personal interpretation.

The Fourth area is becoming a Padawan. To be a Padawan is a special thing...it is defined by a student being officially named as a Master's Padawan Learner, and recieving the highest quality of personal instruction available. The steps above are the best way to become a Padawan...learn on your own, then email a Master with any questions you may have, or you may want to introduce yourself. The phrase "The Master will find the student, when the student is ready" is especially true here. Masters do not generally answer to "I wish to be a Padawan" postings. In my case, weeks or Months of research go into finding a proper student. The best advice that I can give is to learn as much as you can from the board, post wisely, and make sure to have a good time with everyone else. Regardless of who your Master is, how much you learn really does depend on you. We're all part of a great board, and it's important that we all gain the most from it! Light Jedi: Lecture #14 Characteristics of Force Adepts Lightside@forceacademy.com The following post is courtesy of one of the Jedi Knights on the Council, Ellen Merritt, and thus I give her credit for it...good lecture, Ellen: To all those who read this, remember that the lecture is made out of general characteristics, never absolutes, because there are exceptions to every rule. This does provide a rough outline for the different kinds of personalities inherent in the different Force Adepts, as well as a guide for new students to study which particular branches of the Force fit them best, at a personal level. So to continue with Ellen's Lecture: JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE The Light path is the most limited, but also the most powerful, available to a Jedi. It is the responsibility of Light Jedi to use their abilities to make their corner of the world a better place, to improve the quality of life for others whenever and wherever possible, and to bring love, compassion, peace and harmony to their environment and to the world. Light Jedi may only use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. Anger, fear and aggression have no place in the heart of a Light Jedi. These lead to the dark side of the Force. Light Jedi develop their abilities through discipline, patience, study and practice of meditation and Light side techniques. The ultimate goal for a Light Jedi is peace. The Light side tends to attract the philosophers, thinkers and teachers, although there are these elements in the other paths as well. SHADOW JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE Shadow Jedi are the pragmatists among Force users. A Shadow Jedi's philosophy can generally be summed up as follows: "The end justifies the means". Balance is the ultimate goal for a Shadow Jedi. They use both dark and light Force techniques to achieve the desired result, whichever proves more effective. To a Shadow Jedi, there is no such thing as Dark side and Light side, as this conflict is seen as an archetypal holdover from various mythologies, and an unnecessarily limiting influence on Force use. Shadow Jedi tend to be atheists, or hold to some philosophy that does not include a deity or deities.

They tend to focus exclusively on the present, dealing with the here and now, and solving present problems, largely regardless of past influences or future consequences. Problem-solving motivates their actions. While immediate gratification may be welcome, it does not serve as the sole guideline for their actions. Shadow Jedi tend to be highly practical, free-spirited, and relatively free of unwanted emotions (such as guilt or anger). Shadow Jedi tend to be the most tolerant of the three groups of Force users, since Dark and Light are equal in their eyes, and indeed, the Shadow Jedi sees elements of both good and evil within each Jedi. Unlike Dark and Light, however, the Shadow seeks to reconcile these elements, not defeat one over the other. Shadow Jedi are primarily people of action, not philosophy, and accept what is. "There is no why." The Shadow side attracts Force users from both sides, as many Force users find Dark and Light to be too confining for their needs, and unsatisfactory paths in their individual journeys. DARK JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE The dark path is the quickest and easiest to master, and hence the most tempting for anyone with Jedi potential. Whereas Light Jedi tend to be philosophers and Shadow Jedi tend to be pragmatists, Dark Jedi tend to be warriors. Anger, fear, aggression and hatred fuel their power and abilities, and are seen to be Dark virtues. Power and dominance is the ultimate goal of the Dark Jedi. Dark Jedi tend to focus on the past, especially focusing on the events in their lives which have led them to feel anger, fear, aggression and hatred. These feelings are rehashed, renewed, refined and amplified in order to fill them with the desired emotions necessary for conquest. They are driven solely by instinct, using their desires and purposes as their only guideline for action. Dark Jedi seek immediate gratification for its own sake. The Dark path, while the quickest to master and perhaps the brightest-burning, is quickest to extinguish. It seeks to consume its user, either from within as dark emotions wither the spirit, or from without, as other Dark Jedi seek to destroy him/her and absorb his/her power for their own. Dark Jedi tend, as a result, to love danger, "live on the edge", and seek action over reason or negotiation. The Dark side tends to be attractive to the angry, bitter, impatient, impulsive, disillusioned, confused and ambitious among Force users. CHANGING PATHS Each Force adept must choose his/her path in the Force as a part of the individual Force journey. While this choice is usually made with much study and forethought, many Jedi trainees find during the course of their training that their chosen path does not entirely fit their needs. Hence, it becomes necessary for them to change paths. While this is possible at any time for any path, it is never easy, and may carry inherent risks. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Dark Jedi who wishes to turn to the Light side. Often, this decision is plagued by guilt, doubt, fear and outright terror, depending upon how deeply this Jedi has delved into the Dark side. His/her life may well be in danger (as if it were not before!), but with the understanding and support of friends and colleagues from either Shadow, Light or a combination of both, a Dark Jedi may be redeemed. Light Jedi: Lecture #15

Auras Lightside@forceacademy.com An aura is an energy field generated by each human being. Anyone can learn to see auras with practice. Auras vary in widths, depending upon the strength of the personality of the individual being viewed, and may or may not be accompanied by a color. To focus on auras, enter a state of light meditation and look past the person's left shoulder or past the back of their head approximately 6-12 inches. Preferably, the person should be in front of a light colored, solid background. Auras can give clues to a person's emotions, and for me, mental development. I have seen the following colors of auras, and here are the emotions I sensed: Clear - undetermined, generally the person is mentally focused on something and not emoting. Many of these people are so balanced and living at such a high spiritual level that it is almost as if they had transcended this aspect of their beings. Blue - generally found on persons of average abilities and mental development. These people generally are content to be passive, letting whatever happens, happen. They are rather apathetic, as a general rule. Yellow (also referred to as Gold) - One of the highest spiritual colors, it is found generally on persons with exceptional gifts and abilities. I sense powerful personalities and exceptional intelligence and talents. These auras are generally accompanied by a sense of peace with self and the world, and a driving sense of purpose underlying all. Green - Called the "color of the heart", this is found generally on persons of action, gifted physically in some manner, but not particularly strong intellectually, i.e. they tend to let their actions speak for them, and do not tend to philosophize. Again, strong personalities and a strong sense of purpose. Also, I sense an underlying sense of affection, though carefully hidden. These people do not wear their hearts on their sleeves. What also might be interesting to mention is how someone's aura is affected by his or her Zodiac sign. For example, Cancers, being one of the most emotional of the twelve signs, commonly have green in their auras. Paralleling the chakra system and Zodiac will probably give a good indication of the relationship between auras and other Zodiac signs. Red - Generally found on persons under some emotional stress or experiencing anger or physical pain. Raw emotion is strong in them, overriding reason in most cases. Purple - Again, this represents one of the higher spiritual colors (along with Gold, white, green, and some blues) and generally appears around the head area (the crown chakra). I have only seen this on one person - she was exceptionally busy at work and looked tired and harassed. I take this to mean that purple is a relatively rare aura color. White - Generally found on persons of exceptional spiritual enlightenment, usually with a strong gift of healing. These persons exude a peace and serenity far stronger than that of any other aura color. My thanks to Lady Redlum for her assistance with this lecture. May the Force be with you.

There is another aura color which I have not as yet seen - grey. This aura is generally found on persons who are extremely ill or depressed, some AIDS patients or those with chronic fatigue syndrome. These people will try very hard to drain your energy...and I have felt this phenomenon in the past without seeing the aura...so be careful. This aura can also be found on persons with astral parasites or who have managed to tear their aura in one way or another. They are leaking energy or having it sucked from them to the extent that they are barely functional. It is possible to channel Force energy into these people, but this is only a temporary fix, and they need to get help from a mental health professional immediately. You cannot, nor should you, seek to be the sole source of healing for this person. You will end up depleted and useless yourself. Light Jedi: Lecture #16 Disharmonic Elements Lightside@forceacademy.com Disharmonic elements invariably attack those persons who are unsure of their beliefs, who are angry, afraid, disillusioned, depressed, confused or any combination of the above. Young teens are a prime target, simply because of the physiological and psychological developmental factors of adolescence, but I have heard of it attacking people of all ages. In every case, there is a crisis of some sort, which attacks the person's set schemata of the world and his/her place in it. These elements are drawn to emotional upheaval as moths to a flame. In order for the disharmonic element to be excised, the person him/herself MUST truly want it to be gone. Even the slightest iota of doubt, resignation, hopelessness or despair will ruin the whole attempt to get rid of it permanently. These emotions are chinks in the armor, and render the person vulnerable to future attacks. It takes at least two powerful minds and wills, in combination with the person's in question, to get rid of the element(s). From a Christian perspective, only the name of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to exorcise demons (disharmonic elements), and it can only be used effectively for this purpose when invoked by two or more Christians ("Wherever two or more are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them"). While I am in no wise affiliated with witchcraft, I believe there are elements and powers beyond the human realm, and I believe by calling on the name of Jesus, we summon angelic forces to our aid. They form a protective perimeter so that no other disharmonic force may enter, and provide breathing space for those who are working and for the possessed. The removal of the disharmonic force is caused by the creative power of the Name in conjunction with the belief that is held in it. In essence, we de-create and transmute the energy of the disharmonic entity ("casting it into the pit", as some would say), and create wholeness and healing by reference to the Name. Of course, in Christian parlance, it is not we ourselves who do the actual casting (exorcism), but the Christ who dwells within us. For those of you who were trained in the "magical arts" (for want of a better term), the abovedescribed technique is a very basic and powerful magical concept...but you may employ the

shamanistic concept of having a lot of "helpers", including angels, coupled with the magical/mystical link to Divinity that provides the power for removing influence or shielding from influence of entities that are not related to a person's highest good. Sounds like Force use to me...In actuality, the two above-mentioned theories are very close in their basic structures. HOWEVER, the person doing the exorcism must have the ability, permission, if you will, to deal with these forces. Anyone going in unprepared, with incomplete knowledge or understanding, or seeking personal power or gain from the exorcism, will be attacked and destroyed. From a Force perspective, I believe that at least one Jedi must be a Master. Any lesser Jedi renders him/herself vulnerable to attack. From a Jedi's perspective, I believe that this conflict is a battle of wills, eventually persuading the person to banish the emotions and thoughts causing upheaval and to attain and maintain a sense of peace. Disharmonic elements cannot penetrate through total peace and serenity. Again, in order for this to work, the Jedi minds and wills working with the person in question must be stronger than the target mind. The above process may be sudden and dramatic, or it may be gradual, subtle and gentle, depending upon the nature and fierceness of the disharmonic element. Further counseling by a mental health professional or a Jedi Master, as well as daily meditation and Jedi exercises by the person, is imperative. Help from friends whom the person trusts is also extremely beneficial. And the whole process is, in the end, contingent upon the strength and will of the person. It takes strength, determination, patience and perseverance to banish the disharmonic elements permanently. From a Jedi perspective, it all boils down to controlling one's impulses. No one and nothing is causing unwanted and undesirable behavior except the person him/herself. It is perfectly acceptable to have unwanted thoughts, feelings and impulses from time to time, just not to act on them - and a Jedi should continue to work on replacing these with desirable thoughts, feelings and impulses, with the final goal being to attain peace and a sense of oneness with the Force. Recalcitrant possession is a relatively rare phenomenon, and one should be very certain that this is the problem before going with "bell, book and candle" to battle these elements. As for myself, I have not encountered a problem of actual possession for many years, just problems that can be alleviated or removed by compassion and counseling. Light Jedi: Lecture #17 The Jedi Code Lightside@forceacademy.com 1. There is no emotion, there is peace. We as Jedi experience the world through our six senses: namely, sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and Force. We are a conduit for the Force, and have no more to do with causing the emotions we sense than an electrical cord does with creating current. Nor is Force sense an emotion, though it may trigger

feelings within us. Our mission as Light Jedi, if one chooses to call it that, is to help our fellow beings via finding positive solutions to problems. Compassion and love are key to this, and are part of a Jedi's nature. However, these are not so much emotions as they are CHOICES. Compassion is the art of putting oneself in the place of another in order to understand that person and his/her situation better. It is easy to mistake this for pity, but the two are very different things. Compassion is active, whereas pity is passive. Likewise, we choose whether or not to feel hatred, fear, anger and/or aggression. And each choice we make has its own set of consequences, for good or ill. The mark of a true Jedi is peace - peace with self and with the world around him/her - peace gained through knowledge, understanding, discipline and self-control. Self-control is perhaps the most difficult skill to master. Yes, we are human beings - by definition driven by emotions and sensory triggers. But we are also Jedi, who are learning to control our emotions and reactions. There is nothing wrong with feelings. However, by allowing those feelings and reactions to get out of control, our effect as Jedi is diminished. By learning balance, moderation and control, we learn and grow in the Force. 2. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. To get to the heart of this statement, we as Jedi are in tune with the living Force all around us, and it will show us the knowledge we need when we need it. Different Jedi have different strengths - some may be prescients, able to predict the future to some extent. Others may have a gift for empathy, others for Force healing, others for telepathy, others for telekinesis, and so on. I myself have found myself able to describe people, given only names, on the basis of Force knowledge obtained during a light state of meditation. I have also read people, and told them things I could not possibly know in any other way but through the Force. I have sent and received thoughts and emotions through the Force. And as you grow, you will discover your own abilities, and learn to develop them. A Jedi does not boast of his/her own abilities, and I certainly do not mean to say the above through boasting, but only as a statement of fact. Suffice it to say that when I have needed the knowledge, it came to me through the Force. Knowledge permeates the Force, waiting only to be heard by ears sensitive to its voice. Since we as Jedi have those ears, we have no excuse for being ignorant...it only requires opening yourself to the Force and searching it for the answers you seek. The answers will be revealed to you. 3. There is no passion, there is serenity. Likewise, this refers to control of emotions and reactions. This also indicates control of behavior stemming from out-of-control emotions. A serene person will not be as apt to obsess, to engage in violent or excessive behavior, nor to become depressed, as his/her thoughts are centered, balanced and controlled. 4. There is no death, there is the Force. As part of the living Force all around us, we follow the cycle destined for all life. We are born, we live, and we die. All power and life comes from the Force, and all power and life eventually goes back to the Force. The goal of a Jedi is to become one with the Force. Some very enlightened persons have been able to live on the worldly and the spiritual plane at one and the same time. For others, the spiritual

existence follows this earthly one. As a Christian, I believe that oneness with the Force means a close association with the Divine, as in complete and total knowledge of the Divine. Other people hold different beliefs, depending upon their faiths and life experiences which form their schemata. Each person has a "death dream" which guides the subconscious on its way into the hereafter at the moment of death, although as Caledvolc has stated, some people (such as many of Turkey's earthquake victims) need a bit of help. There are many different places in the afterlife that people may go, depending upon what their views of the afterlife, or "death dreams" may be. In almost every recorded case of Near Death Experiences, or NDE, people have returned to this plane of existence with moving tales of being completely enfolded in peace, love and understanding, a prolonged moment of cosmic time in which everything in life becomes a shining, perfect whole. For that moment, these people have had complete understanding of life and a clear vision of the big picture. In every case, their lives were changed. They became aware of a whole other plane of existence. They started truly caring for and helping others. They started to value all life, if they had not before. And they started telling others what they had seen and experienced. We as Jedi have a knowledge of that Force already, which is accessible to us for the asking. We know that there is no death, no ending of existence, merely transformation. Life is an eternal cycle, of which nothing is dispensable or valueless. It is our purpose to show others our knowledge of the Force, to live as beacons of the Light, and to foster peace, love and understanding in others. Light Jedi: Lecture #18 Protection from disharmonic elements Lightside@forceacademy.com The following lecture comes courtesy of T. Watson (Caledvolc), and he has my sincere gratitude: The matter of physical self defense has been discussed on these boards, and is fairly straightforward; if a Jedi is attacked and must defend him/herself or another, then there are many widely available methods of self-defense which will work admirably. The methods for protecting oneself from harmful influences (see the lecture on disharmonic entities)are, however, not so straightforward. There is a lot of misleading information in print about this subject, and I hope to provide some clear answers to questions in this wise. This lecture will be of particular interest to the many persons on the Board who are empathetic to one degree or another, but the information herein can be of use to any Jedi who finds him/herself in a situation in which they are being bombarded by negative energy. I have found that the projection of such defenses often calms people who would otherwise be confrontational and assists the Jedi in remaining calm and collected in the face of such a storm. The use of such techniques is not, however, a substitute for adequate self-defense training (which also helps the Jedi stay centered in a confrontation).

First of all, from what exactly is it that we are speaking of defending ourselves? The answer to this question is not simple. A baneful influence may range in magnitude from the negative energy of a person's anger or fear to the "demonic" spirits which have plagued mankind throughout the ages (see the many stories of these creatures in folklore and religion). Obviously, some energies are going to be easier to deflect than others. The empathetic are particularly susceptible to such energies and must learn appropriate shielding techniques in order to prevent themselves from being influenced in a number of ways - some of them below the level of consciousness. The distinction between temporary and permanent protections is one that many writers fail to make, thus leading the reader to the conclusion that temporary techniques, specifically visualizations of varying kinds, will suffice for protection at all times. This is not the case. I know of no visualization technique that will shield the user for more than 24 hours; and this sort of semi-permanent technique requires the user to stay in one place. In order to save space, we will only discuss two ways to protect oneself from disharmonic influences - one temporary and one permanent. The student interested in working with these techniques should have a good ground in meditation and have some sensitivity to disturbances in the Force, as well as to the emotions of others. These disturbances should serve as cues for the student Jedi to activate the protections of which we speak so that the student may deal more easily with the situation at hand. Should you encounter an energy that you cannot easily identify (negative emotions, for example), or one which you perceive as being extremely powerful, GET OUT. It is far better to run and fight another day than it is for one of the Masters to have to disentangle you from the energy of something that you could not handle. In these cases, discernment is imperative, and discretion truly is the better part of valor.

TEMPORARY PROTECTION Temporary protection has the advantage of being available at all times and without any specific preparation. As I have said previously, the disadvantage to such techniques is that they are not permanent, and thus leave the user open to harmful influence should the threat be of a more prolonged nature. To shield yourself on a temporary basis, take the following steps: 1. Visualize yourself in the eye of a storm with the negative energy that you face swirling around you but not touching you. You are in the eye of the storm; and energies that are not of your own making do not affect you. Know this, feel it to your core, and see it happening around you. 2. When you have cleared a space for yourself, psychically and mentally, see yourself surrounded in a sphere of pure light (or, if you prefer, feel the Force in your area begin to congeal and form a sphere of energy all around you). Again, your intent is important. Know that this sphere of light or energy will keep out any disharmonic or dross energy (dross energies are the equivalent of psychic trash). 3. Empower the shield by the power of the spoken word, even if you have to mutter the words to

yourself. If you have a personal deity, this is the time to invoke that spirit's protection. If you believe in angels or other helper spirits, then, again, this is the time to call forth their aid. If you believe in none of these things, then empower the shield by saying something as simple as, "By the power of the Force within me, I am safe from all energies not for my highest good. So be it!" 4. Hold the visualization for as long as you need it, then release the shield into the earth. PERMANENT PROTECTION The big advantage to permanent protection is that, once it is in place, you do not have to think about it. The disadvantage is that it requires some preparation, perhaps a small investment and meditative work on your part. To provide yourself with a more permanent shield, do the following: 1. Look through your personal jewelry and see if you have a crystal pendant (best thing) or metal pendant (next best thing) that you can wear on a regular basis without attracting too much attention. Pure quartz crystal is best because it is nature's computer chip and power amplifier - it holds the energy that is placed into it and helps to amplify that programming for a good effect. Gold and silver also hold a charge well, but be certain that they are fairly pure. Lesser metals, porcelain, wood and so forth will probably not work well for you at this stage of your training. A sign of your faith, if you have one made of the workable materials mentioned, will work well. 2. Take your time with this exercise. It will be time well spent. Sit comfortably in a place where you will not be disturbed and hold the piece in your right hand. As with the empowerment of the temporary shield above, your spoken word will be essential to this work. Tap into the pure energy of the Force and feel it flow through the piece, cleansing it of all disharmonic and dross energies that it may have accumulated. Empower this cleansing by a short prayer or mantra to your Deity, helping spirits, or the Force (as above). Example: "By the power of the Force within me, I clear and cleanse this __________ of all disharmonic and dross energies. I transmute those energies to perfect and beneficial forms, and release them to their proper dimension. So be it!" 3. The piece is now "clean". As with the temporary shield above, visualize yourself encased in a sphere of light or Force energy and safe from all energies not of your making. Take some time to feel this, feel the safety within the shield, touch it, smell it, taste it. Make this shield as real as you possibly can, then link it to the item in your hand by the power of your spoken word (as above). Example: "By the power of the Force within me, I charge this vessel (the piece) with the power and strength of the shield in my inner vision that this vessel may help to preserve me from any disharmonic or dross energy, any energy not of my making, and any energy not for my highest good. So be it!" 4. Remain with the meditation for a while, strengthening the shield, and then put the piece on. Wear it with confidence. If you sense that some negative energy has accumulated due to your own emotions, cleanse the piece in sunlight.

Light Jedi: Lecture #19 Force Healing Lightside@forceacademy.com One topic that has come up numerous times recently here on the message board is the subject of Force Healing. So what exactly is it? Well, in basic terms, it is healing through the use of the Force. Some people beleive this to be an ability that can be mastered...others believe it not to be true. But there are, however, cases in which it is possible. I have mentioned in several of my other lectures about the nature of the Force, where it comes from, etc. Some people see the Force as a dirivative of the Lord...some people see it as an energy field that exists without dependence on anything else...it is all a matter which is open to personal interpretation. One thing that has been proven is how the mind can have a dramatic impact on the body. It has been proven time and time again in hospitials that patients who are kept in a good mood, or encouraged often, show a higher rate of healing, than those who tend to withdraw. Another thing which has been proven to have an effect on the healing process is prayer...patients that are prayed for tend to have a higher rate of healing than those that are not. Why this is, I do not concern myself with...I simply focus on the end result. The mind has a dramatic influence on our bodies...we can, by having a higher level of confidence, hope, or determination, effect the rate at which our own bodies heal. This brings us to the question of whether or not we can heal others, using the same energy. Personally, I believe it to be quite possible, whether through meditation or prayer, or whatever other medium we see fit for our personal use. It is obvious that the Jedi philosophy does draw heavily off of Eastern philosophies and practices...the existence and balance of "chi" among them. One major reason that I bring up this subject is that I would like to ask any Jedi who would like to help someone to meditate on this subject at their earliest convenience. I was recently notified through Email of the plight of a young man who has been recently diagnosed with leukemia. The young man's name is Ryan Baker...for anyone who would wish to help him, all it takes is a positive though, prayer, or meditation for his well being. I appreciate all of your efforts, and for those of you who take a spare second to send him some good wishes and healing, I thank you especially. Light Jedi: Lecture #20 Religion Lightside@forceacademy.com This will possibly be a disputed Lecture. Some of you will cheer and applaud it...others will be against it. But it is one that needs to be addressed...the role religion plays in the Force, how the Force Academy deals with it, and the personal interpretations that go into speaking of the nature of the Force. The Force is, by our definition, an energy field. It is present in everything...a constantly flowing and moving field of energy that flows through us, and joins us. The debate is not in WHAT the force is, but

WHERE it comes from...and the techniques that are best suited for learning a better control of the Force. Unfortunately, many of these techniques that are seen as a way of strengthening use of the force, lead others to look upon what we learn as "cultish". When you look upon the Force, where do you believe it comes from? When I take a student, this is one of the first questions that I ask. If they are of like religion as myself, I tend to integrate their own beliefs into their force training, as a way of truly expanding on their own beliefs. If my religion is not the same as thiers, I avoid the religion topic altogether. The true proving ground comes in respect. Respecting and being true to your own beliefs, while not infringing on others. This is the great challenge. In my own lectures and postings, I make the best attempt to be respectful to all involved...if I ask members to wish well for someone, I ask them to pray or to meditate, whichever or whatever their beliefs ask of them. So what is the best form of study for a Force Adept? Is it the study of the Christian religion? Or perhaps the Eastern Philosophies? Wiccan studies? The Greek gods? The answer is rather straightforward. None of the above. There is no "best". The best form of study, if you even wish to connect religion or belief with your studies of the Force, is the study of how your own beliefs interact with your knowledge of the Force. I have seen many posts of varying natures dealing with religion...some who are wise in the force promote and heavily endorse Eastern, Christian, Wiccan, and many other forms of study for the enhancement of one's force abilities, just as many students of the various religion institutions either support or condemn the study of the Force. Support of your own beliefs is an attribute...but impressing them heavily onto others, or an expression of disrespect towards others of different beliefs shows that you are indeed weak in the Force. So, thus examined, examine yourself and your postings. Are you tolerant in your own religion? There is a great strength in having pride and dedication to your own religion...but also a great weakness in judging others religions. Also, examine whether or not how you phrase your beliefs would be construed as negative...whether it would lead others on the board to believe wrongly of what you feel. The entire purpose of this lecture is to gain a better enlightenment in respecting other's feelings regarding their religion, as well as understanding what certain topics will cause the board to be misunderstood. In the end, the Force is the Force. We discuss it as the Force, and not on a religious term. It is up to the individual student of the Force to define it's uses and origins for themselves. All a Master can do is speak in general, and guide a student to a better understanding of themself. It is up to you, as a student of the Force, to not quarrel over matters of religion with other students. This is a first sign of weakness. Part of our strength comes through understanding and acceptance. So look inside of yourself, and look in what words you have written, and be honest with yourself...as Jedi, this is all you can do...be strong, be tolerant...........and be fair, always and forever. Light Jedi: Lecture #21 Feeling the Force

Lightside@forceacademy.com Many students I talk to, including my own Padawan, are understandably excited when they first feel the Force within them. And it is very common for a Jedi student to feel the Force first in his or her upper body, i.e. arms, hands, head, face, neck, etc. Many students experiencing this phenomenon wonder why it is that they should feel the Force there, as opposed to all over. The answer lies, as my Master taught me, in the Hindu chakra system, or the systems of upper and lower energies in the body. It is quite common for a Jedi's upper, or higher, energy centers (those of love, insight, compassion, self-confidence, etc.) to be stronger than the lower ones (those of baser emotions such as anger, fear, greed, lust, etc.), as Jedi tend to transcend these lower emotions. However, although we Jedi no longer act through those emotions, we must realize that they still exist, and serve as an anchor for our higher energy centers. Hence, attaining a balance between these two energy centers is paramount to a Jedi feeling the Force flow fully through his or her body. To do this, I have found that the most effective method is to enter a light to middling state of meditation, placing the palms of the hands on the thighs, and focusing Force energy through the palms into the thighs. This energy will feed the lower energy centers, and bring the entire body into balance. Once this method is implemented, it will not be long before a Jedi will begin feel the Force flowing fully and freely. In addition, balance is necessary from a psychological standpoint as well as physical. In order to help others, we Jedi must stay in touch with our baser emotions, in order to be able to relate to another's pain, hatred, and so forth. It does not help to counsel or otherwise intervene with a person who knows that you have no idea where he or she is coming from. A person in pain of any sort has a rare gift for spotting pretense, however deeply buried it might be. A Jedi who completely abandons his or her lower emotions in essence ceases to be human, because he or she will no longer be able to relate to humanity in its natural state. I would be happy to answer any further questions on this topic as I am able, or to refer you to another of my colleagues who would be able to help. May the Force be with you. Light Jedi: Lecture #22 Towards Harmonious Living Lightside@forceacademy.com The following lecture comes courtesy of T. Watson (Caledvolc), and as always, he has my sincere gratitude. Harmony, for the purpose of this lecture, may be defined as a sense of balanced energy that leads to feelings of calm, and from which the Jedi can operate without a sense of being rushed or harried. The

Jedi who has great internal harmony is very difficult to put off balance, and thus has a greater possibility of being at one with the Force at all times. Therefore, harmony is a most important aspect of a Jedi's training. Without a certain amount of internal harmony, it is extremely difficult to walk the path of the Light Side. Harmony does not come about simply by wishing it, however - we Jedi must work at its development as much as we work on training Force abilities. Paradoxically of course, the more we strive for it, the more it evades us. It should also be noted that the Jedi who walks in harmony is far less likely to encounter and vastly more able to deal with the disharmonic influences spoken of in prior lectures. Simply put, the harmonious person does not light a beacon in the Other World (usually by means of confusion, unsettlement or arrogance) attracting influences of all types, benign or baneful. Rather, he or she is content to join the flow, accepting what is and subtly manipulating events to serve a set purpose. There are four basic elements of harmonious living. Each must be pursued, and all must be in balance, before harmony can be achieved. 1. It is absolutely essential for any student of the Light Side to develop a daily meditation practice and do some sort of physical training on a regular basis. The practice of meditation is probably one of the most important ways of developing internal harmony because it allows the student time in the "eye of the storm" each day and helps him/her to recognize that place within the self from which harmony generates. As training progresses, physical training can become a time of meditation as well. Martial arts students will already be aware of the concept of "mushin" (no mind) from Zen, a relaxed state of perfect clarity from which an action simply performs itself. This kind of clarity comes as the result of repetitive training that incorporates technique into the body's movement alphabet. At the highest levels of martial arts training (and to a lesser extent, other forms of physical activity) lies a place of harmony from which movement simply flows. In Force terms, this means that we are one with the Force and moving with its flow. 2. Spend as much time in nature as possible. Nothing helps refresh the spirit more than a walk on your favorite hiking trail. If you do not have a favorite trail, then exploring the possibilities in your area would be a good idea. Nature has much to teach us about the Force and its cyclical nature. Nature proves to us that no energy ever really ceases to exist - it simply transmutes to a different form. It is important to realize this because it aids us in dealing with one of the greatest blockages to internal harmony, i.e. fear of death. If we realize that all energy continues in some form or other, or as in the well-known law of Physics, "Matter is neither created nor destroyed", then we can deal effectively with the fear of death by understanding, on a deep level, that nothing ceases to exist - it merely changes form. Or, as the Jedi Code teaches us, "There is no death, there is the Force." Another benefit of the great outdoors is that it is easier to find some peace there, as we are not subjected to the constant pressure of other people's thoughts and emotions, but are free to feel the

flow of the Force around and through us, and to feel and know deep inside our place in it. 3. Do not fear silence, but embrace it. We live in a world where we can be, and are, subjected to sound and stimulation during almost all of our waking hours (and in our sleep, for some). We must break away from the noise and stimulation regularly. Exposure to silence leaves us open to what is really going on in our minds. I have recommended to meditation students in the past that they set up a "monastery" weekend for themselves on occasion - a time when they do not speak, spend extensive time in meditation, go about all their tasks mindfully and observe what is going on in their head as a result. Most find that the mind races frantically for the first few hours or (in extreme cases) days of such a retreat, but eventually the mind shuts down and they can go about their day in peace. Time in nature and silence may be combined by going on a lone retreat in nature. However, if you plan to do this, be certain to take someone with you who can check on your safety. 4. Be aware of the messages that you are sending to your subconscious. I have worked with students who could not understand why they were not experiencing any harmony in their meditations. They would then leave the class, get in their cars, crank the stereo up as loud as it would go, and listen to lyrics which seemed, to me, to be consumed with hatred of others and/or self-hate. To make things worse, those lyrics were often accompanied by music that was designed to drive the message home. It has been well known for many ages, especially in primitive cultures, that the beat of a drum, for example, serves to relax the mind, open the subconscious and ready it to receive the accompanying message - a mild hypnosis technique, if you will. Any percussional element will have the same effect, whether it be acoustic guitar, drums or whatever. Your mind, all of it, is listening constantly to what you are feeding it, and the old computer adage applies - "Garbage in, garbage out". The spoken word and music have deep effects on our consciousness. It can raise our consciousness or lower it, and the decision is totally ours. I ask that you simply be mindful of what you are putting into YOUR system. You will get out of it only what you put into it. Light Jedi: Lecture #23 The use of Massage Lightside@forceacademy.com The following lecture comes courtesy of Hayley Rust, with my thanks. The Use of Massage and the Release of Positive Energy Massage has been used for thousands of years, and has worked its way into every culture around the world in one form or another. It soothes aches and pains, helps reduce tension, and is perfectly suited for most people. Massage is one of the oldest holistic therapies, taking into account a person's whole being - physical,

mental and emotional. It is perhaps not surprising that Hippocrates, the ancient Greek philosopher hailed as the Father of Medicine, wrote in the 5th century B.C. that "The way to health is to have a scented bath and an oiled massage each day." The main aim of massage is to relax both mind and body, and thus relieve the stresses and strains of daily living. It is also successful in treating back pain and neck pain, particularly in people who spend their days hunched over a desk or at the wheel of a car. Success has also been claimed in the treatment of circulatory disorders, heart conditions, high blood pressure, headaches and insomnia. Touch is a very basic natural instinct, and without it, people can become bad-tempered and depressed. We all need to be encouraged to touch each other more; and massage, without any aggressive or sexual connotations, is a perfect way to do this. Even the simplest form of massage can be richly comforting, and have a profound benefit upon health. It improves circulation, relaxes muscles, aids digestion, regulates the nervous system and speeds up waste elimination. In addition, it provides great psychological benefits. Feelings of being pampered and cared for soon produce a general feeling of profound well-being - positive energy. Massage consists of four basic techniques: effleurage, petrissage, percussion and friction. These movements should be gentle, stroking and calming. Massage can either be performed with the person lying on the floor or sitting on a chair with the upper body leaned over the back of the chair. Effleurage generally begins any massage, and is useful for spreading the oil. This should be done in slow, rhythmic, stroking movements covering a large area. Pressure should be firm as you stroke up the body, towards the heart, and be more gentle coming down away from the heart. This will aid in increasing blood return to the heart from the lower extremities. Petrissage consists of grasping and squeezing handfuls of flesh or muscle, which are then kneaded like dough and released. This also stimulates the circulation and helps to relax hard, contracted muscle. Percussion involves short, fast, rhythmical movements, and is used mainly on large or fleshy areas. Friction is a series of small, circular movements made by one or several fingers, the pads of the thumbs or heels of the hands. It stimulates circulation and helps keep the joints mobile. WARNING: Never have a massage if you are suffering from any type of infection, e.g. colds and flu, a high temperature, acute back pain, especially when the pains go down your legs and arms (this indicates possible nerve damage), or if you have a skin infection. Pregnant women should likewise be cautious about undergoing massages. Light Jedi: Lecture #24 Jedi Powers Lightside@forceacademy.com

First off, allow me to apologize for not lecturing in such a long time...things have been a bit hectic lately, so I hope you'll all understand. =) I'd like to lecture for a moment on the particular powers that we gain through the force...what they mean, how we use them, and where they originate. If we speak of a Jedi's powers, the ideas that come to mind most often involve Levitation...heightened reflexes...Force-enhanced running and jumping, etc, ranging all the way to Astral Projection and healing. This begs the question...which are realistic, and which are rooted in the movies, and impossible? Well, all are possible. I myself have seen levitation performed, likewise examples of heightened reflexes, etc. etc. So what are the reasons for these effects? Well, Heightened reflexes and force enhanced physical activity are definitely obtainable. It has been proven for a very long time now that proper mental focus, and "inner drive" lead to stronger athletic performance of any sort. Whether or not this has anything to do with the force is a personal matter...some say it is the connection to the force, and others may believe that it is due simply to a matter of determination. So what of Levitation? Well, it is possible, that much is proven. I prefer to use the Tibetan monks as an example. They are capable of great physical feats, including levitation. One of their more famous exercises is that they will all get into a room together, and drape towels over their backs. These towels have been drenched into chilled water. (Chilled by the water in their local area...Tibet, respectively, which is water so cold that most people don't realize water CAN be that cold.) Within minutes of heavy meditation, the monks are able to raise their body temperature to such a degree that the ice-cold towels are effectively steam-dried. This is a perfect example of how powerful the mind is, and how we are able to "tap into" something deeper, through mental conditioning and focus. Levitation is another skill the monks practice...it has been documented that they are capable of this ability. So what do I feel about levitation? Well, I believe it is possible. Whether or not I am capable of the skill is a moot point...personally, I feel that there are much more important things for me to be studying than how to float objects around the room...such as inner peace, balance, and good lifestyle, mental focus, etc. One other Force power that we can all master is the ability to "Force Heal", which does come in several forms. You can force heal another simply by meditating or praying for their well being...it has been scientifically proven that having such things done for an ill patient does increase their healing rate. Also, Force healing yourself works...mental focus, a proper attitude, and faith in your own recovery do wonders for your body. (By the way...another art that falls under the catagory of Force Healing is Massage...give your loved ones a neck massage!) All of the above techniques are, in my opinion, possible. The methods and sources of such skills are arguable...why they occur, how they are done, and how best to use them. It is up to each student to best decide which area of the Force to focus on. One thing I would like to mention however...the Tibetan Monks never begin their training by levitating themselves, or by doing any other sort of "unearthly" skill...they begin their training simply, in such a way to condition their bodies and minds so as to make these feats possible...I would encourage all young students to do the same...skip the larger skills, until you are skilled in the lesser ones. =)

Light Jedi: Lecture #25 Characteristics of Force Adepts Lightside@forceacademy.com Note that this lecture sets forth general characteristics, never absolutes, because there are exceptions to every rule. This does provide a rough outline for the different kinds of personalities inherent in the different Force Adepts, as well as a guide for new students to study which particular branches of the Force fit them best, at a personal level JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE The Light path is the most limited, but also the most powerful and concentrated, available to a Jedi. It is the responsibility of Light Jedi to use their abilities to make their corner of the world a better place, to improve the quality of life for others whenever and wherever possible, and to bring love, compassion, peace and harmony to their environment and to the world. Light Jedi may only use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. Anger, fear and aggression have no place in the heart of a Light Jedi. These lead to the dark side of the Force. Light Jedi develop their abilities through discipline, patience, study and practice of meditation and Light side techniques. The ultimate goal for a Light Jedi is peace. The Light side tends to attract the philosophers, thinkers and teachers, although there are these elements in the other paths as well. SHADOW JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE Shadow Jedi are the pragmatists among Force users. A Shadow Jedi's philosophy can generally be summed up as follows: "The end justifies the means". Balance is the ultimate goal for a Shadow Jedi. They use both dark and light Force techniques to achieve the desired result, whichever proves more effective. To a Shadow Jedi, there is no such thing as Dark side and Light side, as this conflict is seen as an archetypal holdover from various mythologies, and an unnecessarily limiting influence on Force use. Shadow Jedi tend to be atheists, or hold to some philosophy that does not include a deity or deities. They tend to focus exclusively on the present, dealing with the here and now, and solving present problems, largely regardless of past influences or future consequences. Problem-solving motivates their actions. While immediate gratification may be welcome, it does not serve as the sole guideline for their actions. Shadow Jedi tend to be highly practical, free-spirited, and relatively free of unwanted emotions (such as guilt or anger). Shadow Jedi tend to be the most tolerant of the three groups of Force users, since Dark and Light are equal in their eyes, and indeed, the Shadow Jedi sees elements of both good and evil within each Jedi. Unlike Dark and Light, however, the Shadow seeks to reconcile these elements, not defeat one over the other. Shadow Jedi are primarily people of action, not philosophy, and accept what is. "There is no why." The Shadow side attracts Force users from both sides, as many Force users find Dark and Light to be too confining for their needs, and unsatisfactory

paths in their individual journeys. DARK JEDI CHARACTERISTICS, MISSION AND PURPOSE The dark path is the quickest and easiest to master, and hence the most tempting for anyone with Jedi potential. Whereas Light Jedi tend to be philosophers and Shadow Jedi tend to be pragmatists, Dark Jedi tend to be warriors. Anger, fear, aggression and hatred fuel their power and abilities, and are seen to be Dark virtues. Power and dominance is the ultimate goal of the Dark Jedi. Dark Jedi tend to focus on the past, especially focusing on the events in their lives which have led them to feel anger, fear, aggression and hatred. These feelings are rehashed, renewed, refined and amplified in order to fill them with the desired emotions necessary for conquest. They are driven solely by instinct, using their desires and purposes as their only guideline for action. Dark Jedi seek immediate gratification for its own sake. The Dark path, while the quickest to master and perhaps the brightest-burning, is quickest to extinguish. It seeks to consume its user, either from within as dark emotions wither the spirit, or from without, as other Dark Jedi seek to destroy him/her and absorb his/her power for their own. Dark Jedi tend, as a result, to love danger, "live on the edge", and seek action over reason or negotiation. The Dark side tends to be attractive to the angry, bitter, impatient, impulsive, disillusioned, confused and ambitious among Force users. CHANGING PATHS Each Force adept must choose his/her path in the Force as a part of the individual Force journey. While this choice is usually made with much study and forethought, many Jedi trainees find during the course of their training that their chosen path does not entirely fit their needs. Hence, it becomes necessary for them to change paths. While this is possible at any time for any path, it is never easy, and may carry inherent risks. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Dark Jedi who wishes to turn to the Light side. Often, this decision is plagued by guilt, doubt, fear and outright terror, depending upon how deeply this Jedi has delved into the Dark side. His/her life may well be in danger (as if it were not before!), but with the understanding and support of friends and colleagues from either Shadow, Light or a combination of both, a Dark Jedi may be "redeemed". Light Jedi: Lecture #26 Jedi Etiquette Lightside@forceacademy.com There are lots of questions when you first start out here at the Force Council Conference Boards. It's daunting when you look at twenty-five separate boards with hundreds of posts in each. What is this all about?, you might wonder. I'm here to learn how to become a Jedi. How do I get this point across?

First, the Force Council is not an RPG site. We are learning the ways of the Force, basing it on the Star Wars Universe and making it applicable to life here on Earth. When you are thinking about becoming a Light Jedi (or have already made that decision), you need to consider the Jedi Code when you make posts on the site. The Jedi Code is: There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force. As Jedi, we want to learn and teach and our behavior on the boards should reflect this. Tolerance, empathy and patience are at the root of a Light Jedi's beliefs and these concepts need to show in your posts. People come to the Force Council with varied backgrounds, religious beliefs, etc. Light Jedi need to be open-minded to these other points-of-view. It is fine to disagree with another person but those replies need to be argued intelligently and with compassion. It is also advised to be tolerant of grammatical issues. We are all from different "corners" of the world; not all of us have English for a primary or secondary language. Be considerate of this fact as you interact with others. The content is what matters most; not if the writer has used a semi-colon or perfect spelling. Another issue on the boards are the posts that say: STUDENT SEEKING A MASTER! PLEASE E-MAIL ME! or similar messages. Picture this as a physical, real academy. If you've read the Jedi Apprentice books, use that as your context. Automobile innovator Henry Ford's motto was "learning by doing". That is what you need to do at this site. Arriving as a student at the FA, you begin your training on your own. You read the lectures, make some initial posts and discover how the site works. At the academy, would it do you any good to run up and down the halls, past the Master's rooms, shouting, "Take me as a Padawan! I need help from a Master!" I doubt it. So how do you get noticed by the Jedi Masters? By posting intelligently and as often as possible. Ask questions-reply to others-write down your own observations and experiences relating to the Force and your studies. Posting is what gets you noticed in a positive way. And it does work. Keep in mind however, that one must understand how a Jedi works. The Jedi Council is cautious by nature-potential Padawans are studied before they are taken on. This takes time. For example, I posted regularly for three months before there was an opening for me to begin higher learning. The "New Users Start Here" board will show you who is a recognized Master and Knight on this board. If a person is not on the list, it means that they may be a Jedi by their own standards, but they are not recognized as one on this site. Everyone else falls under categories as a student, apprentice or Padawan. To be trained and recognized as a Jedi Knight on the FA site, a master or knight from those lists needs to train you. The Jedi Council has worked out a training system, or study group. We have a current semester of students and padawans hard at work. If you're interested in being part of a future group, you need to contact Aisha Rust, Jedi Knight.

Study and learn and May the Force be with You! Light Jedi: Lecture #27 The gift of Feeling Lightside@forceacademy.com The following lecture comes courtesy of Mark M., a newcomer to the site - but there is much wisdom in what he writes. The Gift of Feeling For this discussion, it is important that the reader ask themselves a few revealing questions. 1. When was the last time you were so gripped by a movie, song, or work of art that you felt it to the depths of your being? 2. When was the last time you read a story in which you were so moved that you believed you were one of the characters? 3. When was the last time you saw a floral arrangement that was so beautiful that it moved you to tears? 4. Can you remember the last time you felt as if you wanted everything to just freeze so that you could enjoy what you felt forever? 5. How many of your neighbors can you name by name in 60 seconds? 6. If you could say one nice thing about either the neighbor across the street or next door, what would it be? This essay on feeling is not going to be just another one of those heady lectures, the focus of which is thinking about feeling. There will be no Websters dictionary definition, or ten steps to a healthy, happier you. We will not pursue feeling good, feeling bad, or feeling out of shape. (Something I am particularly pleased about.) No, this is not another essay about raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. It is not the intention of this lecture to sprinkle fairy dust and make everyone fly once they think their happy thought. You will not hear any snake-oil-salesmanlike platitudes about getting rich quick, living life to the fullest or improving your self-esteem. Now, of course there is nothing wrong with a full life or a healthy self-esteem. It is just that we live in a culture in which these very intangible divine given gifts are marketed as if you simply need to run down to the nearest self-esteem dealer, and get this years model. The fact is the truth is just the opposite. Since it is the truth that we are seeking. We must pare away for a moment our indoctrinated selves. It is the truth that will set in motion that which will release us from the bondage of ourselves, our inhibitions and our endless needs to conform to what we refer to as normal. For in the end it is being truthful with ourselves that is all that matters.

Lets talk about when we were children. Young children are normally pretty free spirits. They run and they play. They make friends. They quickly show their emotions of joy and sadness. They say what they are thinking. They use their imagination. It is all right when you are a child to believe in things, even if they do not make sense to anyone else. So, we start out as people who are very able to receive new ideas and concepts but are equally able to feel. As time goes on, and we grow up, we become more and more indoctrinated by our culture which tells us that we need to wear the right clothes, drive the right cars and live in the right neighborhood so that in the end we can be accepted. Of course, accepted not for who we are, but for who the world taught us to be. So what then is the first step to freeing ourselves to be who we are called to be? Learning how to feel is the key that unlocks the door to our souls. Every human being is completely unique. It has often been said we are one in a million. Actually, it is more like one in four billion. Each person has a spark of creativity within him or her. So, what separates those who are highly creative from those who are not? One trait is the gift of feeling. We live in a society that bows down to information as if it were a god. It seems as though all the schools emphasize anymore is Math, Language studies, and Science. We are able to share information at a rate of speed that would have been unthinkable 100 years ago. With all this knowledge, it seems that we have completely forgotten how to feel. Feeling, like breathing is both an involuntary and voluntary thing. We breathe often quite involuntarily. In fact, all day long and all night long as we sleep we breath. We never think about am I breathing or not? We just do it. However, if we get up on the stage at the Lincoln Center to sing an aria, breathing becomes quite a different issue. All of a sudden it is no longer just that involuntary act in which we sustain our lives, it now has meaning and function. It has a purpose other than simply going through a biological motion. It becomes part of the gift. The same can be said of feeling. There are times when we just feel. Certainly if a close friend or loved one died we would feel sadness. That is automatic. But what we need to focus our attention on in order to free ourselves, is voluntary feeling. This can be referred to as the gift of feeling. I asked six questions at the beginning of this essay. I am sure by now you all have probably figured out that question five does not fit. Continuing this train of thought, you were probably quite easily able to name several neighbors in the time given. It was probably a little more difficult but you were also probably able to name something nice about some neighbors. But the deeper questions that required serious feeling were probably quite difficult if not impossible to answer. So here are the two important points. First, if we are not exercising the gift of feeling at the time we experience our deepest feeling; it will probably not have a lasting impact on us. Secondly, the more we allow analytical thinking to distract us, the less we will exercise the gift of feeling. That is not at all to say that analytical thinking is bad, we just should not allow it to distract us from feeling also. Here are some of the characteristics of the gift of feeling. These were found on many web sites with no credit given on any of them as to the source. People with the gift of feeling often associate with the color blue. They tend to be aware of subtle details. Manual dexterity and channeling healing energy are found within this gift. Hugging, touching and warm fuzzies are characteristics. The negative side of this

feeling is that if they become out of balance, they can be defensive, take things personally and be over emotional. It is quite obvious that those who have the gift of healing have some very special powers. So why then do we refuse to use this gift? It is the need for acceptance from others. We judge our feelings based on what we believe other people think. This starts of course with our parents. Note this quote from Dancing the Path of Feeling: Since it was Judgement that put the emotion away in the first place, this tends to be our specie's way of dealing with the activation itself. By judging the feeling, we can create the illusion of "recovering" from the activation, forgetting as soon as possible that it ever occurred. This compacts more Feeling into that which is already stuck. Much of this judgement we learn from our parents, who, of course, learned it from their parents, etc. As babies, we have no conscious judgements about what we are feeling. We just feel. Then when we try and express, we receive cues from our parents that tell us how they feel about expression of our feeling. Sometimes these cues are verbal. Sometimes they may be facial expressions. More often, it is the subtle ways we are touched and the feelings that we perceive from our parents, for infants are far more psychically sensitive than can be easily observed, especially to their own parents. It does not take long to learn which feelings and expressions our parents liked, and which ones they did not. ("Dancing the Path of Feeling", Chapter 2 page 1.) So you see, if we are truly going to accept the gift of feeling, we not only have a lot to learn, We have a lot to unlearn. Here are some suggestions for beginning the journey: 1. Empty your mind of the days events and find a quiet place to let your feeling happen. 2. Begin with meditation or prayer. 3. Do not be afraid if your feelings take you someplace that makes you uncomfortable. Continue to feel, even if what you feel seems to be illogical, stupid or odd. In the end, it may make more sense than you think. 4. Make a diary or journal of what you feel and track it over time. See where your feelings lead you. Peter Shepherd in his Release Techniques essay gives the following list of feelings: Apathy and related feelings such as bored, careless, cold, cut-off, dead, defeated, depressed, discouraged, disillusioned, drained, forgetful, futile, hopeless, humorless, indecisive, indifferent, lazy, lost, negative, numb, overwhelmed, resigned, shocked, stuck, tired, worthless, etc. Grief and related feelings such as abandoned, abused, accused, anguished, ashamed, betrayed, cheated, embarrassed, helpless, hurt, ignored, left out, longing, loss, melancholy, misunderstood, neglected, pity, poor me, regret, rejection, remorse, sad, unhappy. Fear and related feelings such as anxious, apprehensive, cautious, cowardly, doubt, dread, foreboding, inhibited, insecure, nervous, panicky, scared, secretive, shaky, shy, skeptical, stage fright,

suspicious, tense, trapped, worried. Compulsive feelings of anticipation, craving, demanding, desiring, devious, driven, envy, frustrated, greed, impatient, manipulative, lust, need, obsessed, pushy, ruthless, selfish; wanting desperately to have or to hurt; needing security, control, acceptance or approval; need to be right, to make another wrong. Anger and related feelings such as aggressive, annoyed, argumentative, defiant, demanding, disgusted, fierce, frustrated, furious, hatred, impatience, jealous, mad, mean, outraged, rebellious, resentment, rude, spiteful, stern, stubborn, vengeful, vicious, violent. Pride and related feelings such as aloof, arrogant, boastful, clever, contemptuous, cool, critical, judgmental, righteous, rigid, self-satisfied, snobbish, spoiled, superior, unforgiving, vain. Courage and related feelings such as adventurous, alert, aware, competent, confident, creative, daring, decisive, eager, happy, independent, loving, motivated, open, positive, resourceful, selfsufficient, strong, supportive, vigorous. Acceptance and related feelings such as balance, beauty, compassion, delight, empathy, friendly, gentle, joyful, loving, open, receptive, secure, understanding, wonder. Peace and related feelings such as calm, centered, complete, free, fulfilled, perfect, pure, quiet, serene, tranquil, whole.

In a day and age in which we seem to be flooded with violence and hatred, it seems that we as a society need to learn how to deal with our feelings. We also need to learn to feel and to be allowed to feel. Our challenge is not so much to decide if we will feel or not. The true challenge is to remove the box that we are in that prohibits us from feeling. Once we free ourselves from that, the feelings will come naturally.

Light Jedi: Lecture #28 Round the corner I have a friend Lightside@forceacademy.com This poem/lecture comes courtesy of Jedi Knight Aisha Rust. ROUND THE CORNER I HAVE A FRIEND Read this one slowly.... Around the corner I have a friend In this great city that has no end, Yet the days go by and weeks rush on, And before I know it, a year is gone. And I never see my old friend's face,

For life is a swift and terrible race, He knows I like him just as well, As in the days when I rang his bell, And he rang mine. We were much younger then, And now we are busy, tired men. Tired of playing a foolish game, Tired of trying to make a name. "Tomorrow" I say "I will call on Jim, just to show that I'm thinking of him." But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, And distance between us grows and grows. Around the corner!- yet miles away, Here's a telegram sir- "Jim died today." And that's what we get and deserve in the end Around the corner, a vanished friend. If you love someone, tell them. Remember always to say what you mean. Never be afraid to express yourself. Take this opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you. Seize the day and have no regrets. Most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today and are what it's all about anyway. The difference between expressing love and having regrets is that the regrets may stay around forever.

Light Jedi: Lecture #29 Ray of Light Lightside@forceacademy.com

The following poem was written for Jedi Knight Aisha Rust by a dear friend of hers. She has graciously given permission for me to share it here with all of you. Ray of Light We go through life sometimes feeling small, why are we here, what's the point of it all? If we could know how huge we are, how many lives have brought us this far. There is a light so bright it shines, we each have one that travel through time. The light is us in our whole state, perfect and pure all love not hate. But once in a while our light gets faded, as a thought not so pure, maybe bad or jaded, flickers through our being so an education is needed. So a vessel of life and experience is seeded. Through this life's situations and loves, lessons are learnt for our light above. When all is done and our time has come, to return to our flame and review what we've done. We pass back over to the whole of our being, which burns more brightly for what we've been seeing.

The knowledge we've gained and the pain that we've felt, casts off the impurity for which the life was dealt. The only thing left to tarnish our brilliant light, is the loved ones that we left grieving at our flight. If only they knew that when there time comes, to return to their light and burn brighter than the sun, that they'll be reunited with all they've ever loved, and the life that they led seem so small from above. A very short space of time in eternity, To wait for not what you've lost but cannot see. For I guarantee you this, they are still around, In every ray of light by which we are all bound.

Light Jedi: Lecture #30 Empathy Lightside@forceacademy.com I first came across the area of empathyironically enoughwhile working in retail. Part of the companys training in guest service included empathy training. The company wanted its workers to not just understand where shoppers were coming from as they searched for the perfect gift but to know that position as if each worker shared the experience for shopping with the customer. Being able to stand in the customers shoes, you might say. How does this fit into being a Jedi Knight? To serve others or to work toward and for the common good, you must first really know who are you are assisting. Being empathic toward others is a skill that all Jedi must learn. So how do you learn to be empathic? Lets imagine a conversation where youre trying to explain the Jedi Code (for example) to friends. The Code can be difficult enough to discuss among fellow adeptsdoing so to a non-Force-sensitive or skeptic can get really tough. The first step is to step outside yourselfoutside your own frame of perspective. Through meditation, visualization and practice, a Jedi

can learn this first step. Nowyoure no longer looking at the world based on our own knowledge, your own expectations. Consider what your friends think of youhow they see youhow they understand your words. What constraints (road-blocks) will they have while listening to you? What had they been doing prior to that conversation? Are they receptive to philosophical discussions? As far as things to consider, the list could go on and on for a given situation. The point is to understand that person. These are considerations a Jedi must make when he/she speaks and acts. It, naturally, changes depending on the individual situation too. Finallythe biggest step in showing empathy as a Jedi is understanding the effect you have on others. I do not mean by the effect you have by saying youre a Jedi Knight. Rather, the effect you and your actions have on others. A Jedi must be extremely conscious of what he sayshow will it sit with a person if it is bad news or criticism? The truth must be told but showing empathy to the person must be an action you take. Being considerate of others emotions and feelings would be empathy in a phrase if it were possible to make it that simple. Now, for an interesting closing to solidify this point, how am I, Spark Vallen, Jedi Knight, showing my skills with empathy in this lecture? Take a moment to jot down some notes under Empathy Follow-Up in the Light Jedi Audience Chamber.

Light Jedi: Lecture #31 Anger Management Lightside@forceacademy.com As you know.. One of the many things a Jedi is known for is keeping his/her anger in check. They rarely show it, and are able to deal with it. I'll explain in my own words, how this may be possible. I've had experience with it in the past, and I was told to share it with all of you now. First, I'll pull a section from the Jedi Apprentice novels "The Rising Force"; by Dave Wolverton. Here it is: Anger and fear drove him too hard, that if he didn't learn to control them, they would lead him down a path he didn't want to follow. "Befriend them, you should," Yoda had advised. "Look them in the eye without blinking. Use faults as your teachers, you should. Then, rule you, they will not. Rule them, you shall." I use this passage because I think it can easily relate to everyone, especially the younger ones who read the Jedi Apprentice novels.

Anger is very common in our daily lives. We feel it just about everyday. If something goes wrong in our day, we usually get angry about it. Take this for example. You wake up in the morning, alarm clock blaring. You turn off the clock; as the sound echoes through your head. You get up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast etc. You turn on the news, and long behold it says there is a ten car pile up on the road you take to work everyday. So you get dressed and head off to work, sidetracking the accident. You get to work, and realize the side tracking took longer than usual. Your boss calls you in his office, and you basically get a slap on the wrist for being late, if not worse. Now you have piles of things to do... and being late just made it a whole lot busier around your work area. You come home exhausted, eat dinner, and then eventually hit the sack. Now in this specific example, how many things would you get angry or frustrated about if it were you? Most of you would say getting up for one but besides that, you'd probably say that the car accident really got you steamed because it side tracked your whole day. You received a lecture by the boss, had extra work, and disgruntled your co-workers. Working with the section I mentioned earlier, how would we manage this situation? (Specific situation, dealing with the anger, and how to control it) Step 1 admit your anger, and realize what made you angry. In this case, step one would be your anger toward the car accident. Though you did not cause the accident that made you late, side tracking it made you late. You are angry that this happened, and are now one step closer to feeling the boss's footprint on your bottom. Seriously, though, you are angry the accident occurred and made you late for work, which had just offset your day. Now in relation to the section from that book; {Anger and fear drove him too hard, that if he didn't learn to control them, they would lead him down a path he didn't want to follow.} Though you can't control when car accidents happen, you can control when you will get to work. So there was an accident, and you realize this can offset your plans... As in, nearly get you fired because you were late for work, and cause others around you to get a little fired up because they have extra work to do because you weren't there in the first place. The fear of getting fired makes you angry - you don't want to look for another job. You like your job, and want to keep it. Therefore, you are upset you were late and nearly fired. Along with that, your temporary absence caused others to do your work, and they may have taken a negative approach to you because they ended up doing what you were hired for. With that admitted, and realized, you can move to the next step. Now I'll add this in as just a note: You don't want to get caught up in a negative attitude, which would just make the day worse. So

remember that you can take it in either two ways. The option is yours to take of course. There may be others, so this is just a generalization. 1. Be positive, and concentrate on your newly given task to hopefully get it done a lot quicker and make up for that accident. 2. You can take it in a negative manner, and let your anger and fear of getting fired, and fear of not getting all the work done slow your work down with those thoughts running through your mind. "Befriend them, you should" This is basically saying to be 'friends' with your anger. You can't defeat it; it is always there. Try it, and it will only defeat you. You have to live with many types of anger, and once you defeat one, another will always arise. Attempting to defeat it would just make you sink further into it. Youd become angry at your own fault of not being able to defeat your own anger. So work in unison with it. Step 2 See your mistakes, and learn from them. Learning from your mistake is critical. It is your own fault you have the anger. It is ALWAYS your fault, and will always be. We as human being are of course, not perfect. That doesnt mean we should use it as an excuse though. I say this, because you let yourself become angry. So how do you not get angry? Well youll get angry, even the best of Jedi do. The key is control, and this comes through learning your mistake, and finally accept it. In the example I gave you, I explained the mistakes. Now it is up to you to learn from them. In the given case, there was a car accident. So how do you learn from this? You learn from this, by realizing that being late could have been prevented, even though the car accident couldnt have. So how do you prevent this? Well, now seeing that there can be traffic jams, construction, and accidents You can learn to plan alternate routs. Wake up early, and watch the news so you can see ahead of time before waiting until the last minute. Those are just a few examples of what you could do in this particular case. Given in any situation, this is the process though. Step 3 Dealing with it. Now when you have finally learned of what you can do. You also have learned a great deal from the experience. Now to deal with the actual problem. Youre still frustrated. A bit upset at all the events that had taken place in that day. That can usually be overcome, by what you have learned, and can do in the future. You have to accept your anger, but dont drown in it. Remember not to let things like this eat at you. Tell a friend about the situation, write about it in a book etc. Just dont let it eat at you, or it can and will get worse. Anger just doesnt vanish into thin air. In my time, I have always released it. This is

part of dealing with your anger. In this particular case, that would be getting to work on time the next day. Remembering from the experience, to have alternate routes in mind, just in case. Give your co-workers an apology, as well as your boss, and do a good job at work. By the end of the day, the anger would have flushed, and you will find yourself more proud than angry. In final closing, Yodas quote, "Look them in the eye without blinking. Use faults as your teachers, you should. Then, rule you, they will not. Rule them, you shall." Dont take your eyes off the problem for a second. Learn from your faults, and then you can learn how to correct your mistakes. You rule your anger then, and it doesnt rule you. By doing these steps, you can control your anger, decide outcome. Focus on your task. Now to go into deeper complexity, Ill show you how this works into the Jedi Code. In the third line of the Jedi code, it states and I quote There is no passion, there is serenity Ill explain this slowly. The definition of passion (one of them) is strong feeling, or emotions distinguished from reason. Thus being rage or anger in this particular meaning. The definition of serenity, is clear, or quiet and calm tranquil, placid, peaceful. Now looking at that code, you'd think that you are supposed to totally wipe out your anger, hate, fear, or whatever else emotion that you so strongly have. This is not the case. It means that you look into your passion with deep meaning, thus dealing with it, and therefore can come through it with serenity. Remember that I said you'd feel more pride, than anger. That is a good example of what I had said in relation here. The problem does not go away, you must deal with it. That is how that line of code is to be distinguished, and that is its relation to this lecture. One of the many 'unwritten' parts of the code, but easily seen. Now, these steps and process can take seconds, minutes, hours or days depending on the complexity of the problem and the extent of your anger. If it does take a long time, your anger will not always be in check, it will be hard to keep your focus until you arrive at conclusion. Now if it is a simple problem you are angry at, and you know what you did, the process can whip by in seconds as you realize what is going on and start to deal with the situation. Here is a technique to help with this entire process if you do lose your cool. It is the calming breath. First, you must STOP what you are thinking. Just stop it, and go once through the steps I mentioned. Second, take a deep breath, and hold it for about 3 seconds. Exhale slowly counting down from ten to one. Do this a couple of times, depending on how angry you are.

Now, resume what you would normally do, and if anger arises, do it again. This breath is mainly to keep your focus, so you dont do something you shouldnt. Keep this in check when you dont have a lot of time to go through this process slowly. The calming breath does not cure anger, cant solve it, but it greatly helps you focus on what you need to do at the moment. It is also helpful when going through these three steps, focusing on them to realize your anger, and what may solve the situation. Remember that when you go through these steps, that you dont do anything spontaneous or irrational. Really think about what you are doing, so that you dont lead yourself into a deeper pit. A few examples are name calling, which would hurt others and a possible retaliation; temper tantrums, which could lead you to do something you dont want to do; giving into an insult given to you that you know is true, or untrue to make you feel guilty. This last example I just mentioned you have to be very willing on your part, and accept it with an open mind. Dont fall into a deeper pit, move on. It is not of great importance, and you know that. No retaliation is really necessary, even if you know it to be untrue. The only thing you need to defend on is your own emotion; not what you think another is thinking. Let them say what they wish, you know your truths. Stay focused on your Cause - i.e. being a Jedi Knight, and use your energy accordingly. Some things, such as people making fun of you, insulting you and so forth - or attacking your beliefs - just aren't worth getting angry about. If they are unwilling to change their thoughts, you cant make them. Consider the petty source and move on. Defend yourself if necessary, yes, but do not expend too much energy on these problems. You have bigger and better things to do. Light Jedi: Lecture #32 A Passage Lightside@forceacademy.com This was written by an 83 year old women to her friend. "I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good China and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what others would've done had

they known that they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know. It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God." === My thoughts... in Latin, it's carpe diem. Live life to the fullest. As Jedi, this is something I work at doing every single day. Another good way of summarizing this is Leo DiCaprio's line in "Titanic": "Make each day count." The ironic part about being enlightened like this and living each day to the fullest is in this re-printed email I was sent. The woman was 83 years old before she realized these things. I hope we all, as Jedi, understand what this woman was relating and are able to make each day count early on... The Force: Shadow Jedi Shadows@forceacademy.com The Force is traditionally broken down into two unique aspects Dark and Light. Yet the question is often asked, "is the Force really so polarised?". If the Dark and Light sides of the Force are like two sides of one coin then there would be no confusion. However the Force is an energy field, and such cannot be classified in this way. The force in essence is pure energy neither good nor evil, these are sentient concepts and are injected into the force by conduits or wielders of the Force.Therefore we should not consider the Force as Light and Dark sides, for the Force cannot be classified into such opposing categories. "What can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy?" DuneSea If the Force is not black and white, what is in-between? The Shadow Side; Force users on the edge of Dark and Light, using them in harmony and achieving a balance such that they follow neither side fanatically. Moreover Shadow Side Force users adapt their Force ability to the situation they are in. A Shadow user will not use the Light side when what is called

for is the Dark. Most Dark Side users give themselves completely to the Darkside and use their abilities only to commit evil acts of hate, anger, aggression and fear. Whereas a Light Side user only uses the Force for good such as defence and knowledge. Is the Shadow Side a healthy balance? "A student must find balance within their own hearts, whether they follow the Light or Dark paths is not something we can dictate." Force Master This is a decision only the Force User themselves can make, it is not the purpose of this Academy to tell students how they should use and pursue the Force. Guidance and knowledge are what we provide Shadow Jedi: Lecture #1 The Shadows Shadowside@forceacademy.com First when looking to understand the shadow side you must look at the dark and light sides. The dark and light sides are constantly at war with each other over supremacy, there is a reason for this and I will get to it in a moment. The Shadow side has no conflict it is in balance with itself. The reason the dark and light sides are at war is because they both are created by ambition. The ambition causes them to need a counter balance, according to the scientific law for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore the only way they can exist is to balance each other out, some people call this a symbiotic relationship, meaning they benefit from each other, however in this case that is not an exact definition because they not only benefit from one another but are completely dependent on one another. The Shadow side on the other hand is completely independent from the other two sides of the force. It does not need them to survive and in fact they are a hindarance to the shadow side, keeping it from acheiving its full potential. The Shadow side has its own balance of good and evil and therefore does not need a counterpart. The shadow side is where the force flows most freely, because there is no conflict in the force. If you think about it, There are only two ways to exist in the force. The mutual existance of the light and dark side, which consequently is where most people are. The other would be the balanced existance of the shadow side as we call it. People in the shadow side often have the most fulfilling lives because 1: there is no conflict and 2: You fully appreciate both aspects of the force because you live through both of them. Of course there are many trains of thought on the subject. I hope this first lecture was Insightful and helped give all force users a better grasp on the philosophies of the Shadow side. Thank you for your patience and may the force be with you. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #2

The Shadow Side? Shadowside@forceacademy.com The Shadow side is steeped in mystery, some believe it does not exist and still others believe that the shadow side is where those with no commitment and no spirit dwell. As a new Force Adept begins their great and wide reaching journey towards self discovery and spiritual and physical harmony they will be tempted by many outside influences. There are the archetypal Dark and Light side beliefs, there is no emotion ... etc. It is true that at the early stages of development it is very difficult for an Adept to balance between two powerful poles: the Light and Dark sides. Once an Adept has mastered the basic skills which are the foundations of all force use, i.e. meditation and physical training then they are ready to choose a path. There are many paths open to a Force Adept, and contrary to belief it is possible to change from any of these paths to another. This is not to say that any change is not incredibly difficult, and requires an unrelenting commitment however change is indeed possible. To harness the power of the Force, an inner peace and a deep knowledge of your own body and mind is required. This may be reached through meditation or other forms, however it must be attained for a balance of body and mind is essential. The Shadow Side is a balance, it is in the middle of the two polar aspects of Light and Dark. It is a Shadow users belief that there are situations where differing poles can be and are of use. A Shadow Adept is one who is not of the Light and not of the Dark, we use our emotions and our knowledge to achieve our goals. We help others when they need help, however we help ourselves also. A Shadow Adept uses means and resources when they are necessary or required. In essence we are the balance of the Force, we are few and our group is largely unknown. As a Master of at one time Light and at another Dark I have come to see that there is knowledge and truth beyond comprehension in the Shadows, we have no strict rules to bound our faith in ourselves and our beliefs. A Shadow Adept is a very special Force Adept, we use the benefits and the knowledge from both aspects of the force. We hold no allegiances to any faith other than that which our own heart tells us to follow. We are trustworthy and honest, we tell things how they are and see them without tinted glasses. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #3 I have learned... Shadowside@forceacademy.com During my time as a Shadow Master and my time as a human I have learned many things about the Force and life in general. I have never seen these things that we have all experienced in one form or another put so succinctly as you see them below.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do but to the best you can do. I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it. I've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think. I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't. I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you. I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice. I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to. I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do. I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change. I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever. I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process. I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get farther in life. I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

Shadow Jedi: Lecture #4

Control Shadowside@forceacademy.com

"Control defines a master, if you are to be a master than you must obviously have supreme control over the area in which you study."

For a shadow Jedi control means the ability to go from the extremes of both light and dark, at any given moment. A shadow master has complete control over all aspects of the force. This appears to make the master unstable but in fact a shadow master remains at peace at all times. The reason this is possible is that a shadow master has no restrictions on what he believes is moral and right, and what he believes is hateful and powerful. A shadow masters has no ideals, his ideals are that of accepting life in all its aspects. This presents the master with limitless options and limitless control.

A light Jedi has control. He has control on only half of the force though, on only one aspect. He has control over the light side, and is thus a master, However he has no control over the dark side and is thus helpless when dark action is called for.

This is likewise for dark Jedi, however for these Jedi(both dark and light), winning and living in harmony are not always there goals. Light Jedi seek to protect the lives of others rather than better there selves. A light Jedi does not seek out conflict but still has no choice when he or others are threatened, he is in essence a slave of the light side. This does not mean that the light Jedi are wrong in there beliefs, they chose a path were they would not be able to find peace...they did this for the good of others and are therefore to be commended. Dark Jedi seek personal gain, They are masters over the dark side and therefore have control over there dark emotions exactly like the light Jedi. They are meant to attack if they did not attack they would cease to be of a dark nature they simply wait until the time is right, and they can obviously not live a life of peace.

Many people often do not know what peace is, peace does not mean living a life without conflict i.e. never fighting, arguing, etc. it means never having any conflict within yourself, it means that you never have to become frustrated or lose control over your emotions. Control is the essence of peace, Freedom is the essence of control.

For a shadow Jedi there is no conflict, he is at peace with himself and the world around him, he is free to take any action necessary to accomplish his goals.

A shadow Jedi may do light or dark deeds, without ever following a light or dark path. He moves with the flow of the force in any direction it may go. He has control over all aspects of the force and can therefore take any action at any time.

Thank you for your patience and may the force be with you all. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #5 Training Shadowside@forceacademy.com When you train in the force you need to be mindful of the dark and light sides. The ultimate goal of a shadow master is to transcend the limits of physical reality and become one with the force. Do what must be done to accomplish your goals, but also keep in mind at what price is your objective attained. Before one can move with the force and free himself of decisions he must first learn to balance his feelings mechanically, before they become automatic and fluent, thus dictated by the force. During training, Physical, or force excercises You should clear your mind, relax your muscles(do not allow them to be tense or have forced movement), And let go of your spirit. What I mean by letting go of your spirit is to Let go of your ambition, let go of what drives you and just be completely free. Once you have done this you will be moving with the flow of the force, Your actions and the actions of the force will cease to be seperate. You must let go of everyhindarance, stereotype, belief, and self set limit you have and accept the reality of the force. If ever you become overly frustrated sit down relax your muscles, clear your mind and let go of your concscieness. You will enter a deep state of focus, at this point You will be strongest with the force...you may see events from the past, moments of the future or you may be able to manipulate your surroundings. However none of this matters if you can't balance light and dark. You must balance them until the become one, The Shadow Side is balance, It is harmony, It is true peace. Thank you for your patience and may the force be with you all in your quests to become JEDI. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #6 Training Shadowside@forceacademy.com For all force users, Training is important. But before you embark on your training you must first grasp the philosophies of that which you seek to master. I have been posting seperate lectures on philosophy, Lecture #1, #4, #6, all deal with the philosophy of the shadow jedi. Now it is time to focus on the training aspect of a shadow jedi. When you begin you should focus on the physical, then progress to the mental, and then finally the spiritual aspects of the force.

Physical: You must train the body, so that you gain complete control over it. Flexibility is important, as well as strengthening of the heart and muscles. No aspect of the body must be left out. Physical Force training; when you train physically, realize that all of your strength and endurance flow from the same force that drives the universe, this will help you with your excersise. Mental: When you tap into the mental side you must attempt to let go of the way that you think and react, You must strive to let go of all inhibitions. You must strip away all of the unnesscary aspects of your personality. This will make you aware of your surroundings and the living force. At this stage you will feel the force and begin to interpret other peoples thoughts and intentions as if they were your own. Mental Training; You must alter your perception, "What you believe is Reality"... Trevor Robson, You will focus on meditative aspects. During meditations you must become at peace with your self and enter your unconcious mind. Once you are in this deep meditative state you can change what you believe. You do this by releasing the negative aspects within you, you must strive to strip away all the false misconceptions you hold so dear, I.E. I'm no one special, this is impossible, any constraints you may have placed on yourself. This will help you reach a state of oneness with the force. Once you reach that state with the force you can enter the spiritual aspects and learn to control the force and how it affects you. Spiritual: I will only describe this to you, I wish it were easy to describe, I will not make any attempt to instruct anyone in this aspect of the force. You should only learn this from a qualified master, who can train you in person. Attempting such advanced studies over the internet will only dishearten you to the point were you believe it to be impossible. On a spiritual level you have become one with the living force, you move within it and control the world around you. At this level the only way you will get into a fight is if you allow it. You also control, and can alter the minds around you. The difference between mental and spiritual can be best described by obiwan himself, "You can feel the force, Luke, You cannot control it". At this level you begin to control the force around you, this is the level of mastery. If There are any force users here who merely want to learn to control the force, I suggest you re evaluate your intentions. Controling the force without first making yourself a conduit, Is like building the fifth floor of a building without any foundation. Also It should be noted that the use of the word spiritual implies the essence of control over events in your life, It was not intended to be of a religous nature and should not be taken offensively as that was not my intention. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #7 Meditation Shadowside@forceacademy.com Meditation, that will be the focus of this lecture, enhancing the mental capabilities and attuning yourself with the force.

Meditation 1.) Sit still in a quiet room free of distractions, white noise or natural sounds may actually contribute to this meditation and others. Raise your eyes to a forty five degree angle until your eye lids fall over them and your eyes close, keep your eyes at this angle, it helps to get you into a meditative state. Once you are calm, begin to envision a large shaft of white light. The light rises up your spinal cord from your tail bone to the top of your head. When you breath in imagine pulling in positive energy and when you exhale imagine that you are expelling the negative energy within yourself. With every breath that you take in the shaft of light should slowly expand laterally, encircling you. Repeat the breath and envisioning process until the light has completely engulfed your being. Purpose of Meditation 1.) To help you be at peace with yourself and give you better moral judgement and a more positive outlook. Meditation 2.) Repeat the process of the first meditation, calm yourself, raise the eyes. However this time when you begin to meditate envision a fire within your belly. When you inhale the fire loses flames and the coal glows intensely, when you exhale imagine an explosion of flames. Breaths on the inhale should be brisk and deep, breaths on the exhale should be relaxed and drawn out. Repeat this as long as is necessasary. Purpose of meditation 2.) To use the force to regenerate ones energy. Meditation 3.) When you reach a meditative state begin to imagine that all of your self inflicted limitations are being stripped away, Imagine that everything you once believed to be impossible is now not only possible but is second nature. This meditation is the most important. You should do it everyday until you feel completely free from all constraints, Focus on a different limitation everytime you meditate. Purpose of Meditation 3.) This meditation is designed to help you become more attuned with the force, and make you a better conduit. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #8 Morality of the Shadow Side Shadowside@forceacademy.com Myself and a friend of mine JediKnight G have often talked about the differences in philosophy between our two aspects of the force. His views are very clear to most jedi, but if you seek clarification talk to him I will not speak for him, However I wish to clarify the morality of the shadow side. First off I have often stated that the shadow side is a balance between the polar realms of light and dark force aspects. This does not mean that a shadow user must commit himself to dark action in any way, nor does it mean that he must commit himself to light action in any way. The first lesson a shadow jedi must learn is that all aspects of the force light and dark have the potential to have either a negative outcome or a positive. This philosophy means that you can take dark action and have a positive out come. Likewise you can take light action and have a dark outcome. A shadow jedi does not alter his own personal beliefs of what is right and what is wrong but rather accepts the truth that they are one in the

same. I personally am of a rather light nature, my intentions are always light. However my actions are not always light. I can take dark action to fulfill my light intentions. A shadow jedi can be of a dark nature and take light action to preform a dark intention. What a shadow jedi is taught is that the force aspects light in dark can have any potential outcome that is what we are trained to master. I have wrote down many examples of this. However the point that must be remembered is that when you have a light jedi he is committed to light action with light intention, whereas a dark jedi is committed to dark action with dark intention. That is what it means to follow those paths. The path of a shadow jedi is that of a free dark jedi or a free light jedi. We Never change our intentions, however we have the freedom to use any action necessasary to reach our goals. I hope I have clarified At least a little bit, but if you like it simple I will leave you with this passage. "There is room in the universe for all paradox."...Teaching of the Mikkyo Temples. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #9 Shadow Side Powers Shadowside@forceacademy.com It is very clear which force powers are used by Light Jedi and which are used by Dark Jedi, Shadow Jedi have a unique force inventory at their disposal. A Shadow Adept can use both Light and Dark Adept Force powers, however they have their own special techniques separate from both Light and Dark. The techniques are variations of standard Light and Dark powers however they differ in that they are not as polarised as both Light and Dark. Light adepts most potent force magic is arguably the Force Blind, in which opponents are blinded by light. Dark adepts have Force Lightning which is used as a weapon to burn and rupture blood vessels and cells throughout the body. A shadow adept has a combination of these powers at their disposal; the ability to 'darken' their opponents vision whilst sending out tendrils of darkness which taps opponents energy. This is perhaps the most potent of a Shadow adepts powers, the ability to reduce opponents vision whilst taping their energy can tip the balance of any lightfight. However shadow jedi rarely engage in combat, as stated before shadow jedi are a secretive sect of jedi. Shadow adepts have been around for centuries, some say they evolved before Light and Dark, their powers are both similar and unique in comparison to both Dark and Light Jedi. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #10 Virtues of the Shadow Side Shadowside@forceacademy.com First off a persons own views determine what his actions will be when it comes to the shadow Jedi. There is no discrimination on the shadow side, anyone regardless of views has the right to learn to use the force. A shadow Jedi is taught from the beginning to unlearn all of his concepts about life, the value of good and evil mean nothing to a shadow Jedi. He unlearns pain, fear, and all other inhibiting factors. A shadow Jedi is taught that any action can have an infinite number of outcomes, knowing this makes the shadow Jedi limitless.

There are no rules placed on the shadow Jedi, the reason behind this is that there is no reason for the rules, shadow Jedi live at peace with themselves whether they be dark or light, therefore they have no use for rules. The way they obtain this level of peace is to realize that there is no difference between good and evil, right and wrong, these are just perceptions of reality and not reality itself. Reality is limitless and moral less, reality in itself has room for all actions good or negative. Another interesting point is that a good action in one persons eyes can be a negative in another, and vice versa. There are an infinite number of possible outcomes and interpretations for any action, a shadow Jedi realizes this and knows that if he takes a negative action it may just have a light effect. A master can manipulate the outcome in many ways to achieve his goals, he can control whether or not a negative action has a light effect. The first step to learning how to use the force is finding reality. Reality is every impression you sense, it is everything and nothing is to be excluded as false, the skeptic is blind to the ways of the force, accept that nothing is impossible. Once you have done this you will be opened up to a whole new world, a world with direction and purpose. You must accept the fact that there are no rules to life. Once you have done this your mind will be free from constraints. A perfect example of this would be a woman whose child becomes trapped under a car and she temporally forgets that she can not lift the car. The mind is limitless, the only limits on the mind are those we are taught to put on them, the mind controls the body, therefore the constraints placed on the mind directly affect the abilities inherent in your own physical being. Once you have freed your mind you will be ready to be instructed in the ways to control the force. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #11 What defines Balance? Shadowside@forceacademy.com I have noticed that many things in life depend on your perception of them. For a shadow jedi you must realize that for every good there is a bad. For every right there is a wrong. If someone spills grape juice on your brief case don't become angry just realize that in the end something good has to come from it. The point here is that it doesn't mean anything, life is only what you make it. When you were a child you were hyptmotized by your surroundings, you learned to value material pocessions, you learned that you cannot achieved your dreams...Likewise you could have been hyptmotized by a positive enviroment, you could have learned success and you could have learned that the person that dies with the most toys...still dies. If you were not lucky enough to be raised in a nurturing enviroment than that doesn't mean that you have to live with the imprints of the past...You can change them, Life is what you believe...choose to believe in something fulfilling. A shadow jedi is not heartless, nor is he/she blinded by his need for fairness...there is a point where you are forced to put yourself above others, if you have not experienced it than you are either a liar or have never trully lived. A shadow jedi doesn't live for ideals...He lives for life, he accepts as it is, and loves it as it is, and hates it as it is. This doesn't mean that he/she is confused about life, what it means is that he/she knows that life doesn't always favor one side or the other...No one can always be right so instead of trying to be right or just a shadow jedi just moves with it, that is

the only way not to fail, if life turns sour do not become discontent, know that eventually it will come back to balance and back to peace...likewise do not over indulge in the light aspects of life to do so is to invite downfall. Know this life is a balance...Sometimes there is a violent disturbance but eventually it all comes back to harmony...instead of fighting the consequences of life move with them...Life is what you make of it, if you fight life you will lose if you move with the force and accept it than you will be invincible. Control...It is what we all seek, we seek the ability to control our lives and destiny's, but how many of you out there think that you can make the force bend to your will's at all times, I feel sorry for those of you who do. The path to control is not the path of resistance it is the path of balance and peace. Control is realized through living a life of peace and balance, it can not be attained in any other sense. For those of you who think you can fight the force, I suggest you seriously reconsider your approach to life. I am considered by many to be a master but I will tell you this right now, I am but a learner in the ways of the force...I have awakened in a world of infinite possibilities and am learning for the first time in my life what it is to be alive. I hope you can follow this path as well and live the life you deserve. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #12 Meditation/Self Hypnosis Shadowside@forceacademy.com Through Meditation one can reach a level where he/she can control ones own inner perceptions...this is very important because this is the gateway to the force. Only after one eliminates all of the inhibiting factors of the conscious mind can one feel the force. I will explain it like this: We were all created by A force, whatever name you choose to give it is irrelevant. We are inherently connected to the force that created the universe, we see this force working in all things around us. It is also true that in being created by this force and being connected to this force we can influence this force...IF we couldn't than we would cease to be alive. However as intellectual minds we have chosen to rule this out as impossible, because our current laws of physics deem it so. However physics cannot measure spirit, and to deny the existence of spirit is to deny the existence of the universe. In placing these blocks we simply limit our force connection by believing that the force doesn't exist, if you don't believe in something than you will not acknowledge its presence even when it stares you in the face. So in order to feel, use, and learn from the force we must lift these mental blocks. This is not as easy as it may sound, you have been beating these beliefs into your head since you were born. So to accomplish this I have decided to copy down and post a section from a book entitled The Mystic Arts Of The Ninja. The section is on the art of self hypnosis called Saiminjutsu. This self hypnosis will allow you to change your sub conscious beliefs and allow you to "Feel, and Use" the force, whatever you believe it to be...be warned that this is not for the ignorant or close minded. Saiminjutsu: In contrast to classical zen-style meditation, hypnotism works with similar mechanics but in different applications and dynamics. In meditation, the practitioner attains the relaxed and aware inner-directed state and then shuts down the active mind in order to listen behind the subconscious. In hypnotism, the practitioner attains the relaxed and inner-directed state and then switches on the

active mind in order to talk into the subconscious. Move to a comfortable room free from distractions and begin to stretch. You want to be wearing loose fitting clothing so as not to have it become a distraction. Sit in a relaxed and comfortable position while maintaining a firm foundation. Focus your eyes on a point 45 degrees above normal...as if you were looking at the point were the wall meets the roof. Now begin to relax your mind and just enjoy the feeling of relaxing your mind...begin to notice the strain in having your eyes open, begin to count from 9 to 0. With each number increasing awareness and slowly closing the eyes. By the time you reach zero your eyes should close almost on there own accord. You should be completely aware of the energies in your body and the impressions of your environment on your physical being. Once you have in essence left behind your body and are completely relaxed begin to focus on the aspect that you wish to change about your personality, note this will work, with every breath in concentrate more on changing that aspect...this should produce a near immediate affect. Notice that this is not a "Thought", thinking it will not work, that will bring you back into the conscious mind, while you are meditating allow an intention to arise in your mind. The intention should be the goal you wish to fulfill. Allow the intention to merge into your subconscious. After a while of meditating it will feel as though this "Change" has always been there. The goal will be fulfilled and your personality altered. That is the way to the force, anyone who claims to be a master of the force without knowing how to first be in touch with it is just a waste of valuable space. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #13 Guidance Shadowside@forceacademy.com There are many adepts who approach the Knights and Masters of the Shadow side asking for guidance. "I wish to learn the way of the force, yet the light and dark confuse me. Which should I follow." In reply we tell them; the force does not control your destiny, you do. To follow one aspect of the force is to only try one flavour of ice cream, or to spend your whole life in one town. You cannot condemn something you have not tried, and you cannot possibly understand the Force from one perspective. A shadow adept is trained to use the force as it should be used, we feel the ebb and flow, calling upon the vast energy when it is required. Many shadow adepts begin life as a light Jedi, training to see good in all. A light Jedi is selfless, thinking of others before themselves. This is a difficult task, light Jedi walk on a thin wire, to give in to their hate is to be all that is Dark. To devote themselves to the light is to deny all that they are. A Light Jedi Master has no life to themself, devoted to the light they cannot fall in love, or become angry when they are mistreated for these are selfish emotions. Shadow adepts are 'not quite' fallen Light Jedi, they are Jedi who find a balance between their own needs and those of others. A shadow Jedi has the option of weighing up any situation they are in, using the force to achieve the best possible conclusion. If you have devoted yourself to the light think carefully about your choice. Do you want to give up all of your selfish emotions? Love, hate, anger, jealousy, pride, these are all selfish emotions which as a true follower of the light you would give up.

I remain in the shadows, helping others when I can, when I feel it necessary, when I want to. I help myself, and those I care about following an aspect of the force which allows me a choice over my actions. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #14 Ideals of the Shadow Side Shadowside@forceacademy.com The shadow sides ideals are quite simple: Life is as it is and needs not be altered, but rather accepted. The more you fight your place in nature and strive for superficial goals the more pain you subject yourself to. Purpose of the Shadow Side: it is as it is in nature, balanced, perfect there is no need to alter a thing, only move with the flow of the force. We find enlightenment in the knowledge that we need nothing that we were not born with, and that we do not need to struggle for a better life, Life is how it is and it is a gift. Cherish it and nurture it, develop it, never subject it to conflict. Goals of Shadow Jedi: we are here to help others, we have learned that true happiness and peace is in ourselves, in the knowledge that we need nothing and need to change nothing, Life is always in balance...When the Light side has more numbers the darkside gains potency. Our goal is to help keep the disturbances between the two small, if that means that we need to occasionally stop some of the lightsides actions because they will cause great disturbance than that is what needs be. When the lightside kills in self defense, and stops dark intentions it creates the opportunity for more evil to arise, and that creates further disturbance. Our Job is to neutralize the conflict all together. We are seekers of balance and peace, it is not our place to fight, but merely neutralize to put everything in a position of balance and peace. We our not concerned over what our actions are, light or dark, we know that on a universal perspective there is no light and dark Only balance, and balance is beneficial for all life. Ideals such as Just and compassion mean nothing, they are empty, to truly benefit man kind one must end petty conflict and like it or not those virtues create conflict. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #15 Force Healing: Ability and Understanding Shadowside@forceacademy.com First of all, I would like to recommend JediKnight G's excellent lecture on Force Healing in the Light side lecture hall. While these two lectures are of the same subject, I anticipate they will be very different, as this lecture will go into the actual art and science of healing. My thanks to JediKnight G for posting his views.

Force (or energy) healing has been around for millennia. The actual practice varies, however, and it goes by many names: Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, light work, etc. for the purposes of this lecture, it will be

referred to as energy or force healing. One of the most important (and sometimes shocking) things to realize about healing is that it is more of a skill to be learned than a gift. True, it helps to have a natural aptitude towards the force. But like a musical instrument, some are born with the ability and others learn it - either way, music is played. To understand healing and how it works, looking to science can provide some much needed insight. The energy field or aura that surrounds the body has been scientifically proven, modern technology now allows us to photograph it, read it and measure it. This energy, at its base atomic level, vibrates at different rates. Heat up the molecules, they begin to move faster and the matter expands - cool them down and they return to their original speed and size. The atomic vibrational level of the energy of an inanimate object vibrates at a much lower level than a living being. They are made up of the same base molecules (as is the entire universe), but because of the different vibrational rates - one breaths and the other doesn't. It is these varying vibrational rates that is the key to force healing. The first step in healing is to understand how the force flows through the body. The Kundalini line (from the Hindu tradition) is probably the strongest current in the body - it flows between the top (or crown) of the head, down the spine to its base. From there, it branches out through the hands and feet working to ground the individual and connecting them to the living force of the earth. It is this strong out pouring at the hands that is most commonly used with force healing. The actual act of healing is fairly simple. Placing the hands one to three inches above or directly on the body - this puts the "healer" in direct contact with that person's prana or life force energy. As the force flows through the healer's hands and into the other person, on an energy/atomic level that person's living force is being raised to a higher vibrational level. It is at this new level that the actual healing takes place. As more energy is drawn into the hurt area and the energy level raised, the body will begin to heal itself. At this point it is very important to note that the healer is acting as a conduit for the universal living force. Ironically, is *not* the healer that is actually doing the healing - instead, they are merely allowing the force to flow through them to the other person. It is not the energy that physically makes up the healer that is being given, but rather, it is the energy of the entire cosmos. If the healer "wills" the energy flow too much or is too intent - simply by the natural flow of how our energy works, the healer will be incorrectly using their own energy. This can leave them feeling drained, tired or in a bad mood their energy has been given away and there is little left. It is interesting to note that some Light Jedi (due to their protective and generous nature) could possibly have a problem here, naturally giving their energy to those in need. While Shadow Jedi, because of their natural balance with the force, might have an easier time. But for everyone, this area of healing develops in time - the novice healer will sometimes walk away with a head ache from an incorrect healing session while a master could easily carry on a conversation with another person, watch tv, listen to music or read. For in reality, proper healing requires only a small amount of intention -- remember, the healer is only a conduit for the universal force. So, in placing the hands in the correct position (fingers closed and together, just above or directly

on the body), the healer simply lets the energy flow out of their palms to the other person. Again, little thought is needed, this is simply happens naturally on an energy level. With practice, and this goes for any type of use of the force, the jedi will begin to physically feel the force flowing through and around them. To give those who haven't experienced this (yet) a good idea of this sensation: place your palms together and slowly spread them apart to no more than 2-3 inches. Concentrate on sensing the energy flow between your palms - if at first you feel nothing, close the distance between your hands. Slowly, you will begin to sense an almost magnetic feeling between them - experiment with this. How far can you hold your hands apart before you can no longer feel it? Is it stronger at some distances than at others? Can you feel the energy move? Knowing and recognizing this part of working within the force is a very important beneficial step. This form of healing can be used for most anything - people or animals with physical or psychic wounds, yourself (*very* beneficial), plants, even machinery! The possibilities are endless and I've only given you a very small portion in this lecture. As with most serious arts, learning advanced healing is not something you can learn over the internet or from books. What you've read today is very basic and can be practiced (correctly, of course) by anyone. If anyone is interested in formal healing training, please feel free to contact me - there are books that are very helpful that can get you started and there are ways of finding masters in your area. I'd be happy to give recommendations for any of these. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #16 Contradiction of Light Jedi Shadowside@forceacademy.com This 'lecture' was sent to me by a Light Jedi, and although it has no direct relevance to the Shadow side I thought it would be interesting to analyse it from a Shadow perspective. In essence a Dark Jedi uses the force to create for themselves a god like presence. "If you do as god does enough times, you become as god is." Dark Jedi destroy what gives them their power, however there is a contradiction in the passage which was sent to me. How are the Jedi to prevent this "mutilation of life and of the force" without destroying dark Jedi. And if they do this do they not become as Dark Jedi are? Destroyers of life .... The Light side shows stark contradictions within itself, whereas at least the Dark side is true to itself and its purposes. Even if that purpose is self destructive. Take what you will from the following passage: "The Force (to a Jedi) is a unifying essence that radiates from all living things, binding the galaxy together. As with everything the Force has a dark side. The dark side of the Force is fed by hate, fear and aggression, domination and greed are what its followers hope for. To get it though they kill innocent beings, they destroy life. They want power but destroy the source of their power before they achieve it. As Jedi we must stop this senseless mutilation of life and of the Force. Remember this always for this is the greatest lesson a Jedi must learn to become fully one with the Force."

Jedi Master Pargan Rroo Shadow Jedi: Lecture #17 Zen and the Shadows Shadowside@forceacademy.com If someone were to ask me to sum up the shadow side in a word, "Zen" would be my answer. That state of simply being in and of the force. The ultimate state of pure paradox, it is nothing yet it is absolutely everything. Such is the way of the force and the shadow side itself. As I sat reading last night I came across this passage in a book and thought how perfectly it explains the shadow side.

What is Zen? Try if you wish. But Zen comes of itself. True Zen shows in everyday living, consciousness in action. More than any limited awareness, it opens every inner door to our infinite nature. Instantly mind frees. How it frees! False Zen wracks brains as a fiction concocted by priests and salesmen to peddle their own wares. Look at it this way, inside out and outside in: consciousness everywhere, inclusive, through you. Then you can't help living humbly, in wonder. "What is Zen?" One answer: Inaya Khan tells a Hindu story of a fish who went to a queen fish and asked: "I have always heard about the sea, but what is this sea? Where is it?" The queen fish explained: "You live, move, and have your being in the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being." Shadow Jedi: Lecture #18 Your eyes can decieve you Shadowside@forceacademy.com This lecture comes courtesy of Kerian el Dunnes (kerian_el_dunnes@hotmail.com)...

I have heard a lot of people saying the quote; "You eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." (Myself included) However I feel that there is a need to explain this a little bit better.

One day I walked into a music store looking for some classical music. And when I say "classical" I don't mean out of the 60's, I'm talking about Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and all the other great composers of that era. Shortly after I entered a young salesman tried to sell me a new stereo system. At this point I must add that I was wearing a tie dye shirt and a pair of fairly old jeans and had my haircut at about shoulder length. I was personally interested in buying a new stereo so I listened to his little speech. He rattled off about how this was the best stereo system to listen to heavy metal rock so you could really feel the base drumming though you bones like it would really feel like you where at a live concert. After he stopped talking I asked, "How does it work with Beethoven?" He looked puzzled at me like he had no clue who Beethoven was, which I am pretty sure he didn't. I explained to him politely who Beethoven was and he still had no clue what I was talking about so I simply did a general tour around the store, found the classical section (which I might add was extremely lacking in both quality and quantity), found the CD I was looking for and paid for it. On my way out I passed the young salesman and showed him the CD and explained who Beethoven was again and suggested that he at least check out something from Beethoven's wide works from the local library and listen too it. (Which I would encourage anyone who has never really heard Beethoven before to do.) This is a prime example of how your eyes can deceive you at first. The second I walked in the door he stereotyped me as your typical teenager that listens to hard rock (which personally hurts my ears.) because of the way that I dress. And while I may look like your average teenager (what can I say, I wear what is comfortable, not exactly what fashion dictates and if that happens to be tie dye shirts and jeans then so be it) there is a lot more to me than meets the eye. In fact I wouldn't have to hazard too much of a guess to say that there is more than meets the eye with most if not all of the people who are reading this right now. Another way to look at it is to see how easily the eyes can be fooled into thinking that something that is not really there is there. Look at any optical illusion for example. Also look at how much one misses during a day, when you sneeze, bend over to pick up a shiny coin or miss that special someone as they slip behind a pillar or into a store at the mall as you round the corner. Which is something that leads to the nature of invisibility but that is another thing all together. The other thing that is mentioned is that we as human are overly dependant on our sense of site over the other four and in the case of smell it has almost diminished down to nothing. One can gather a fair amount of information from the other senses: the footsteps silently shuffling down the hallway, the slight breeze when you know someone has past, or the faint scent of perfume that you know only one person wears. Lastly when one is in tune with the Force you can sense things not through any of the five senses, like that strange tingly feeling when you know something is about to happen but you just don't know what. The information gathered from the Force is usually a lot more accurate than any of the five senses, a Jedi must learn to trust the Force and the information and insights that the Force gives you. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #19

What is Enlightenment Shadowside@forceacademy.com What is enlightenment? Probably one of the most simple and yet misunderstood states of being. When we think of enlightenment what comes to mind? Jesus? Buddha? An ancient little man in long robes meditating up on a mountain in Tibet? Sure, those are some of many faces of this state. However, the smart money is on the sole fact that we rarely look at ourselves. I'd like to share a story that I heard from an amazing teacher I met this past weekend. This story comes from the great mystic, Anthony de Mello. De Mello was asked, "what is enlightenment? How do you reach it?" in reply he told this story. (Note: I'm paraphrasing this, as I don't have the actual text that the original story came from.) In England, a poor homeless beggar was walking the streets looking for warmth and a place to sleep. Finally he decided to curl up on the banks of the river Thames. Not long after he fell asleep a wealthy woman in her limo passed by and upon seeing him said to herself, "Oh, this won't do." So she stopped and walked up to the beggar, "Tell me, have you no other place to go?" "No ma'am," the beggar replied. "Tonight, this is my home." So the wealthy woman offered him a meal and a warm bed for the night at her mansion. Naturally, the beggar accepted. Upon arriving at her home, she showed him to the kitchen and spoke to one of her servants, "This man is to have clean clothes, as much food as he can eat and carry, and a comfortable bed in one of the servant quarters." And with that she retired to her bedroom. Hours later she awoke thinking about the beggar - had he gotten his bed? Was he well feed? So she goes down to servant rooms and notices the light on under his door, she knocks and enters. There, sitting on the bed is the beggar, well feed and clean. "Is the room alright, are you warm enough?" "Oh, yes ma'am - everything is wonderful. Thank you." "You received enough food?" "Oh, yes ma'am - I haven't eaten like that in years." Then knowing that perhaps the man just needed company she walked to the bed and sat down beside him. The beggar moved over to make room for her ...and fell into the Thames river.

Take a second and think about that, close your eyes and process the story. Don't be two dimensional when thinking about enlightenment. Don't fool yourself into thinking it's something that can never be

attained or something that you gain two minutes before you die. Enlightenment is to be lived, to be recognized NOW. Like the beggar that fell into the river - he never moved, not really. He went on a journey, yes, but in reality - he was where he always had been. Here. Now. Look around you - inhale the living force with every breath and exhale it a hundred fold through every pore of your being. Live in the ultimate balance. You are the embodiment of this enlightenment, you *are* the force as is every thing around you. Never allow the word "separate" to enter your mind - separateness is an illusion, don't buy into it. "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." Live that. Fall into the Thames river - awake to the present moment and see yourself as the very answer to any question you seek. FEEL the living force. FEEL the moment. LIVE the force. LIVE your enlightenment. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #20 Mind Tricks Shadowside@forceacademy.com Jedi Mind Tricks............. real or not........ yes!!!!! Yes sir real all the way, in the form of Kiai-jutsu. I think it is safe to say that you all know or have heard a keeyaaa in a karate movie right! Anyone have a deeper insight as to what it is for, well for the most part a kiai is something you do to stop your opponent for a brief period or to channel more energy, but this is not complete. First you must use your mind, body and spirit all for this to have a full kiai. In the body part this is the strike or throw, kick or punch if it is not done right then it will do you no good. The mind is the focus of the technique, when you do this you mind is in total attention of you goal or target. The spirit is the emotion or energy the force or power if you will. But all of the above are nothing with out the other. you must use them together as one here is a guide as to how. Sound of a kiai: when you are punching, kicking, attacking you want to use a vowel like sound A, E, I, O, or U. we breath out when doing this from your Hara ( belly or center ) some of the best sounds are like Kiyaa! or Daaiiii! also Eeesaaii! notice you breath as you say the mentioned kiai. Blocking or grappling: We use a P, T, M, or S. sound and limit your breath not stop it. This channels the body's internal force and causes the energy created to flood the torso and limbs and reinforce the body as a whole. examples are Hott!,. Yatt! and. Toup! The mind tricks come in to play by other things like a foot stomp maybe, example I have a sword so do you, you want to attack, but can't find a opening, then I let a small one open you begin to go for it then I stomp the ground, it stops you in your tracks can't move for a second and guess what I win. You can also do this like when some one has there mind else were and lets say, is about to take a sip of a drink, then kiai and it may cause them to freeze or drop their cup. You can also watch some one walk and do this and they will stop there train of thought and again freeze. Also you need not even make a sound, like one night me and another person was grappling with weapons I had a Boken ( wood sword ) on my hip and he had a Tanto ( knife ) I also had a Hojo ( a 6ft

rope ) wound up in my hand, I dropped it he looked and as he looked I drawed my sword and cut again I won. So I used the nose of the rope as a kiai a total mind trick well I will leave you with this and I hope it helps you in your study of the force, by the way you can also do a kiai with your eyes as well but I will let the Force teach you that one. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #21 The Shadow Jedi Shadowside@forceacademy.com Many people know what the Shadow side is. They know that the Shadow side itself is not limited to either of the two aspects of the force, but rather extends from extreme to extreme. This fact that all aspects of the Force does NOT mean that all force users are Shadow Jedi. Shadow Jedi, are force users who strive to unlearn all concepts of good and evil. They learn to see things in more natural terms. There is no good or evil...only oneness. Shadow Jedi as such strive to live in the balance of the moment. Each moment has its own energy balance and when an energy balance becomes to extreme to the point where it is unhealthy for life, it is the job of the Shadow jedi to step in and restore balance. Shadow Jedi Progression: Level One; Actualizing the Force. This is the stage in which Shadow Adepts realize the existance and prescence of a force around them at all times and in all places. This is a stage of awakening and can take much time. Level Two; Finding Inner balance through Realization. During this stage of development Shadow Adepts must learn to see the world through a different lens. They must learn to no longer see the world as chaos and random events. They must learn to see the intricasies and connections of all things around them. Than they must understand that all things are in balance, where one thing is stronger another is weaker...and as such it will shift back and forth until equilibrium is reestablished. We see this in the world around us, we note how all things in nature bend to this rule as it is a supreme concept. Through this realization we begin to understand that as such our personality has such balances...where one aspect is stronger its opposite is weaker. We must also understand that this give and take relationship is not beneficial and that it is only beneficial when in equilibrium...when all aspects are equal and none is favored...at this stage progression is only natural. Training at this stage includes self hyptnotism and restructuring of the personality. First we recognize the parts of the personality that are favored...than we must restructure our personality so that it too is in equilibrium. Once we have accieved inner balance we have made our first great step into the world of the Force.

Level Three; Freedom of Balance. After the attainment of inner balance we form a connection with the balance of energies around us. With our own personalities balanced we now have the freedom to undertake any action the force dictates without it corrupting or affecting our personality make-up. At this stage we become operational Jedi...We now use our abilities to balance those around us, as well as nature and the enviroment as well. However this is a task that is only undertaken every once in a great while (When all things can no longer balance themselves for the benefit of life). This opportunity only arises once in every few generations. As of these most recent years we will be moving into this era of turmoil. The job of a Shadow Jedi is never clear...sometimes it can be the most insignificant of tasks. While at other times it can be the most daunting. Only your closesness with the force can dictate this to you. To be a Shadow Jedi is to be one with the force, the process of becoming a Shadow Jedi is a process of unlearning all that seperates us from the force... Shadow Jedi: Lecture #22 Walking the Path Shadowside@forceacademy.com The path of the Shadow Jedi... We all have a different path in the force, for all things diverse have their own places...However how we walk those paths is up to us. The same path for one person can be heaven or hell at one time or another. We recognize this as perception, as our minds interpreting life around us to the specifications that have been built into us by the circumstances and experiences of our lives. The mind is our conduit between the pure energy of life/spirit/force and our Physical being or vehicle...How the energy travels from the physical to the spiritual and vice versa depends on the condition of the conduit... If the conduit is completely clear than energy will flow naturally back and forth between realms like water creating an equilibrium. However if the conduit is blocked the energy will not be allowed to pass naturally and will create problems and defeciencies between the two realms...However life will balance itself out and the force will balance itself out in the form of luck and unguided power, but that energy will never be used for the potential and the power it was intended...It will play out and we will walk away from the experience

once again the victims of fate or circumstance. To clear the conduit we must allign all of our perceptions so that they allow the energy of pure potential to flow in and out of the material or "Matrix" realm, "Matrix" meaning mother or womb, where the laws of physics apply directly to the amount and direction of energy in our universe. The process of alligning perceptions is known as unlearning...We must find the perceptions in our lives that allow us to block the energy...they can be simple things such as "That is impossible" or they can be much more complicated and can be linked to the base perceptions of our personality, similar to the person who believes that some people are capable of doing amazing things however they themselves are not, all of these perceptions are intertwined to one root perception that is often instilled by insecurity with their world...The reason people go on quests of knowledge is not for understanding itself, but because of fear and insecurity with their places in the world...rather than accept where they are (and at the same time accept their inherent power as sentient beings with a spirit) they choose to instead quest for understanding that cannot be obtained...The force is not meant to be understood it is meant to be accepted and used for guidance. However getting someone to change these perceptions will be difficult because they are caused by fear...often times fear is the greatest defense mechanism there is on the planet and it is not something to be taken lightly when teaching your students...Fear can destroy them. I have seen it many times and those who are destroyed by their fear often times wish to pull others along with them, "Misery loves company". When approaching the process of unlearning if you discover that your student has deep seeded fear you must approach the situation like you would if you were talking someone down off a ledge while they are suicidal...One of the key principles to stick to when doing this is the simple realization that life is not meant to be theorized about it is meant to be lived... Doubt, Hesitation, Fear of Failure, these are all defense mechanisms created by the intellect...They are designed to make our world rational... Human beings have developed rational minds and as a side affect of that they have developed the defense mechanisms nessasary to keep it a rational world...I.E. the mind tries to reject anything that cannot be explained rationally...therefore it creates blocks that will not allow that irrationality to seep into life. People have difficult times accepting the irrational, and they have near impossible times accepting the fact that they have that same irrational and unscientific power. So what we have done is create a "Rats wheel" to keep ourselves from realizing that we have that power, we run in a circle. We never realize that we are in the wheel because we always seem to be gaining ground and going forward...but in actuality the wheel is just spinning. That is akin to us creating blocks and limitations that keep us from being able to use irrational power...much like the illusion that the rat is going forward.

The rat needs to move off of the wheel to go forward...much the same we need to move off of our wheel to go forward...our wheel is our doubt, hesitation, disbelief. Our very need to look before we leap. Using the force can be looked at as a leap of faith. If you let go of your fear, your hesitancy and your disbelief than your mind will no longer be blocked...it will be open and free and energy will flow through it in desperately needed equilibrium and balance...Now you have the power that makes a Jedi, the force is with you... There is energy in all life and all situations, sometimes it is not our purpose to put out energy, either for physical technique or for radiance of emotion...Sometimes it is the job of Jedi to siphon energy out of a situtation and back into the spirit realm. When energy amasses and gathers at a focal point and than intensifies it naturally expands and when energy violently expands it destroys that which is around it. This is similar to a Riot, many energies gather and rapidly expand in ever widening violence until they have expanded enough for the energy to have dissapated... That is when it is our job as Jedi to let the energy flow from the physical realm back into the spirit realm where it is naturally dispersed into the living force. Our job as Jedi will be ever changing and will always depend on our place with the force...do not become upset if you cannot achieve something you believed to be vital...always remember that in the eyes of the force all is right and nothing can be the "End of the World" that is important to hold on to...whenever all seems out of control pull back and focus on the big picture of the force...we all have our places in it and we must accept that...Our job is to let the light shine into the darkened material realm...To allow life to flourish. I apologize for the time it took me to get another lecture posted...however I believe that at this time this was the proper thing to write.. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #23 Meditation: Introduction Shadowside@forceacademy.com What makes one decide to meditate? Everyone has their reasons: mental, physical, spiritual meditation aids in all of these on multiple levels and is the driving force of bringing all of them together. When first sitting down to meditate it is important to keep one thing in mind: let it flow naturally. Never force yourself to meditate longer than you are able. For many just starting out, if they can pull off ten

minutes of meditative stillness, this is a great accomplishment. Start slow and try and leave all preconceived notions of snap insights and instant enlightenment behind. Keep it simple and expect nothing. This is, after all, a life long journey and isn't something you can get the 'cliff notes' on. Patience is key. Realistically speaking, when first starting out it's possible to not take to meditation right away. There are some who are so thirsty for the calm it brings, they will slip into the practice without a second thought ...but, in fact, most have problems of some sort. In a way, it asks a lot - those who aren't raised on meditation almost have to alter their thought processes. Let's be honest, quieting your thoughts and going to the state of simply "being" not exactly something anyone can fully grasp in a single sitting or two. You'll quiet your mind, sink into meditation and suddenly you're thinking about a test that you have the next day or what to fix for dinner or what needs to be done at the office. Practically everyone goes through this and above all, never let it be a source of frustration. Again, patience and let it flow naturally. If you find yourself in that situation, simply let the thoughts go and return to your centering method. (be that breathing, mantra, etc) Now, you've heard it practically everywhere: meditation is the key; meditation is the foundation. So, what does meditating accomplish? Meditation is the art of quieting the mind, allowing you to listen totally and completely to yourself. Any answers that you seek are already within you, waiting you need only still your mind and listen. As time goes on and your meditation deepens so does your understanding of yourself and with this a door is opened into a totally new world. Your journey in meditation is a journey to the depths of yourself and, as it goes without saying, therein lies ultimate awareness of the force. The coming lectures will cover a wide range of meditative techniques and practices. For the most part, the basic set up stays the same for any meditative exercise: sitting normally in a chair or on a flat surface (floor, bed, etc) with your legs comfortably folded or flat on the floor, back straight, eyes closed, in as quiet of an area as possible. Again, always remember to let the meditation process flow naturally, with time you'll find that it seems to take on a life of its own. Patience is key and frustration is the opposite of what you are wanting to accomplish. If you find yourself unable to quiet your mind, try not to let it bother you. Use a different centering technique, get up and do something, go to sleep any thing but get frustrated with yourself and your meditation. And above all, enjoy the practice meditation opens countless doors and will help usher in deeply esoteric states of awareness ...it's a long journey but truly a vital one. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #24 Meditation: Breathing Shadowside@forceacademy.com Breathing is one of the most basic as well as important aspects of meditation. Whatever technique you

decide to use, breathing will most likely play a large part in it. For the most part, the average person breathes very shallow - drawing in air from the throat area as opposed to taking it in deeply from the chest. There is a difference to be aware of. In meditation, deep breathing is very important - to inhale, slowly expand your chest, aware of the air as it moves through you - exhale slowly and just as deliberately. Be sure that your breath is even and that you follow it with your focus. Just sit in the silence with that intention, simple and deliberate breathing. Starting with just a basic breathing meditation, be aware of your breath. For that moment in time that is the only thing that your mind should focus on -- the gentle inhale and exhale of your own breath. You'll come across many excellent breathing techniques, go with what you are comfortable with and stick with it. To give you a good starting place, I've found this breathing method to be very, very beneficial and recommend it for anyone no matter what stage you are at in your meditative learning. It is as follows... Place your tongue just behind the ridge behind your upper teeth, this works on an energy level, completing a main circuit where in energy flows through out the body (similar to the kundalini line) hold that position through out this exercise. Next, inhale through your nose, counting slowly to four. Hold it, counting slowly to seven; then exhale slowly through your mouth, this time counting to eight. Note the operative word here is "slowly" - always be deliberate in any meditative exercise, it helps control and deepen your focus. This is a very simple but very powerful exercise - just remember: 4, 7, 8. Inhale 4, hold 7, and exhale 8. It acts on many physical and mental levels, it steadies the mind and centers the energies of the physical body. Try it several times in succession and you can automatically feel its effects. Proper use of meditative breathing can begin to surface in the various aspects of your life. When you are comfortable with your breath (i.e., it has gone from its normal shallow to a much deeper state) you can call on it at different points in your day to day life. Various relationships, anxiety, stress, five o'clock traffic - you name it, through the use of this breath you can bring yourself back to your meditative center at any moment. *Highly* beneficial, especially if you're like most people and don't live in a peaceful monastery in the mountains. Just stop and breathe during your regular day - take two minutes and go through the basic exercise. Remember that meditation is not something that you do once or twice a day in special place in your home - it is to be integrated fully into your life as a whole. Whether you're at work or school - it's vitally important to take a few minutes just to center yourself and regroup. It's very easy just to get into the hectic flow of the day, but by bringing your meditation with you, you're able to transform that everyday life. Which is what many people strive for, transforming the day to day it doesn't take a great awareness to do that, just a few minutes here and there to quiet yourself, be aware of where you are and simply breathe. Shadow Jedi: Lecture #25 Meditation: The Mantra Shadowside@forceacademy.com

Probably one of the most common means of centering is the mantra or a simple word or short phrase that holds a deep meaning for you. It acts as direct link to that sacred, calming space within you that is the goal of meditation correctly chosen, the mantra should resonate that state. In choosing a mantra, go with your gut reaction the one that really sings to you. Like many of the answers we seek, when we are open to it it presents itself immediately, selecting a mantra is no different. Depending on your religious background (if any) a mantra can relate back to that, for example: "Abba" is a common Christian mantra (its widely considered that it was used by Jesus) but then, it was also used by Ghandi as well (his mantra was his dying words). "OM" is probably the most common (and very sadly, the most stereotyped) example of a mantra. Found practically everywhere, this literally timeless mantra is the resonating tone of the third eye or 6th chakra. Personally speaking, Ive found it to be probably the most powerful and harmonic mantra for use in meditation. Basically, a mantra can be anything - as long as it is sacred to you. Generally speaking, it should be very short, no more than handful of words (example: "Om mani padme hum" which translates loosely from sanskrit as "lotus at the center of the garden"). Again, choose one that you feel comfortable with, look in your favorite sacred text, go into a few minutes of quiet meditation and see what comes to you whatever you choose, let it be your own. When meditating with a mantra, simply sit in the quiet in the meditative position you are comfortable with, letting the mantra flow with your breath within your mind. As you inhale, the only thought that you let through your mind is your mantra, nothing more. Using "OM" as an example breathe in, "ooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmm" a slight pause, holding it briefly, then exhale - again, the mantra is carried the length of your breath. And from there the cycle begins again: inhale with the mantra, hold for a moment of silence, exhale with the mantra. With each in and exhale you are drawn deeper inside your meditation, towards the center of yourself where there is true calm and nothing more. If random thoughts start to drift through your mind (and they always do!) don't get frustrated, smoothly bring back your mantra, clearing those other thoughts away and continue on. Very simple and it will help deepen your meditation immensely. When first starting out in meditation, it's a common misconception that you should jump immediately into sitting in the pure silence with nothing else while this probably works well for some and generally leads to frustration at not being able to focus. In this regard, using a mantra is excellent it's widely regarded as one of the very best methods of centering yourself not only in meditation but within your "normal" day to day life as well (as is discussed in the previous lecture on breathing). Shadow Jedi: Lecture #26 Warrior ways of Enlightenment Shadowside@forceacademy.com

The warrior's way of enlightenment is a process of releasing all restraints on the three level's of being. The first level of being would happen to be the most obvious, the physical. In the process of releasing the physical form we will do a lot of excersizes that will encompass principles such as Natural movement, and the honing of the reflexes so that they do not react in undesired ways. When training in the physical form it is important to remember that even though it is a physical body we travel in, the force still creates it and indeed is it...even walking is a force power. Without the force providing energy to life, no such movement or existance could be possible...so from now on the question isn't how do I find my abilities...but how do I expand them...they are already present on ALL LEVELS...however we simply neglect those abilities as run of the mill or something less than worth our attention. This is not the case, quite to the contrary, if you do indeed wish to be successful on the warrior path than you must first learn that value of the most mundane of existance. So from now on, when you do your excersizes, whatever they may be, go through them with an awareness towards them. Watch how you move, and if something is uncomfortable, DO NOT TRY TO FIGHT IT, accept it. The way of the force is not the way of struggle but the way of acceptance. Stretching, when doing this keep in mind that it is a process of letting go, and not of forcing a stretch...all things in your life should be accomplished with a few considerations in mind. 1) Keep it natural, do not force anything, accept everything. 2) Do not hesitate, despite all of the nature films Hesitation and indeed fear are not natural to human beings. They linger from our evolution from animals...animals pocess fear for the simple reason that there core ambition and indeed only ambition is the survival of their species...for a warrior this is not the case. We must realize that life is a gift to all beings, but that gift like any other should not be held over others head's or be overly protective of...Fear in itself is a Defense Mechanism. We as Force adepts do not need fear, because one of the very first things we learn is that our existance is simply within the force, and if it is the will of the force that we be injured or indeed killed than there is no need to fear that. If it is the will of the force that we fight back, we do so. Never Fear, Never hesitate. 3) Never be reckless, never pursue your goal when it is against the will of the force. 4) Live, do not worry about walking the path, or if your doing something right, Just live. Once you pass the plane of Physical existance and allow yourself to expand, we move into the realm of the mind, The mind in essence is the ultimate Conduit/Computer. It is an interpretor and a reciever of Data. The data comes from the force, and that is indeed how we decern the will of the force, through our minds...However the mind like all "Lenses" can become smudged and the image Muddled. So to make sure our mind is interpreting the will of the force correctly we must know how to properly clean it. The process of cleaning the mind is Called Unlearning.

In Unlearning we will discover how our perceptions determine our reality. Reality, and the world around us can only exist, TO US, when our mind interprets the data. HOW our mind interprets that data directly determines our reality, and indeed the will of the force, I.E. Someone sitting next to you breaks a bottle over the edge of a bar and threatens you with it, If this is a total stranger and he does it out of the blue for no Reason our perceptions determine how we view this as a threat. Our perceptions from an earth level of existance would determine that you have done nothing to bring it on and it is an unprovoked attack that you do not feel the need to respond to or back away from. From a water level we would become defensive, and wonder what we did to upset this person in such a way. From a Fire stance we would see someone threatening our lives and the the feelings of all of those who love you, thus induce a blinding rage against the attacker and summarily enter the fight. From a Wind stand point we would evaluate the attack in such a way as to consider outside causes for this person's distress and why he feels the need to be aggressive, our mood would be one of sorrow for the man's situation. All of those perceptions of life are in order of progression, we all start on the earth level and progress our way up...our perceptions from birth our molded into one of those categories. Some people never develop beyond Earth level. For those people their lives are often filled with a feeling of impotency and loss. However Like I have said, we as Force users strive to find the perception that will allow us to interpret the force properly. This perception is beyond the other four perception and is called the Void Perception. The void represents sub atomic particles, the infiniteness of the force, the basic building blocks for the universe, infinite creativity. From a Void stance the you would be able to look upon the person and see not a man menacing you with a beer bottle, but you would see the hurt and pain and sorrow of a man who feels he has hit the absolute point of no return, you would literally see a "Disturbance in the Force" where the force has over ridden itself and has moved into the process of evolving itself...Much like a fire burns down a forest so that new life can grow...in such situations the disturbance in the force will actually "Repel" you into the right action, your movements and intentions will flow from this disturbance, the energy given off will allow you to move with his every whim, until the burning of evolution in the force is complete and the disturbance is no more. This is the perception we desire in order to interpret the will of the force.

How do we attain this perception. Like all things we must progress naturally through the four other perceptions in order to reach the fifth...Each perception comes with a Revelation that allows you to spring board yourself to the next... For the sake and fact that I have not trained everyone of you out there I will not tell you the revelation that allows you to move from wind to void...simply because without understanding all of the others you will not understand the last...and also like all things it will not become a revelation if it is simply TOLD to you, it must become a part of you...something that you discover on your own. Once we open the pathway's of the mind and clean the "Lense" that allows us to view the will of the force, our mind has been surpassed and now we move to the final level of the spirit, at this point you have earned the rank of Master, your mind has seen beyond the Supposed reality it creates and has viewed the infinite potential of the force. From here on your journey is that of an artist, painting with the vast power that is the force. The spirit level is essentially the energy that drives the universe, once you have opened the gateway of the mind, this energy will flow freely between spirit and physical realms...Being guided by your will this energy will play itself in whatever means you desire...With this gift and accomplishment comes great responsibility one that is recognized through discipline and the stamina it takes to question your own existance and beliefs and push yourself beyond anything imagined... Shadow Jedi: Training #1 Combat Shadowside@forceacademy.com I would like to take this time to discuss a very important topic to all Jedi Knight and that is the use of weapons in this case the sword but the same principles apply to all weapons, so be mindful of this. The basic sword technique is the same for all but your path will influence the use as well. Lets start with a description of the size of a blade and handle first. The Samurai of old would sometimes use this method, the handle is the length of your forearm from wrist to elbow. The blade size is found by your height, stand strait up with your hands down by your side, make a fist from your fist to the top of the ground is your blade length, a master sword smith would then take your measurements and apply his knowledge to find the perfect balance of the blade and handle. Now on to the good stuff, using it! First you must learn to hold the sword, the lead hand is up next to the guard of the sword DO NOT hold it tight it should be held diagonally across from the index finger back in the palm. Your rear hand is placed at the bottom of the handle also diagonal across the rear hand. The lead hand is the power of the cut and the rear hand is the control and direction maker. Next is the posture of sword play for a Jedi this a reflection of your path and your emotions at the time you are in combat. There are many and each will be a little different according to your path and the make up of your body. First is Daijodan and the sword is held above the head completely leaving your body open to attack or it would look to be open this is a look here is your chance to kill me posture,

they think you are open but you are not. Moving on down you have Hasso you are turn to your side the blade is pointing strait up and you are holding the handle about chest high and you are looking at your opponent. This is very none aggressive posture more like waiting to defend yourself or maybe a are you sure you are ready for this feeling. Then we move to Seigan, you face your opponent one leg back one forward and hold the handle about waist level and the blade is pointed at their eyes, this is a very strong feeling of I am going to waste you just make a move. And the last for now is Gedan you start off in seigan then move the blade to point down and to the side just a little at a angle. This is more of I do not wish to harm you feeling but I am still ready for you. You should learn to cut from each and move from one to the other with the flow of the Force let it guide you. First learn the postures then begin to flow and cut from them a cut should be natural not forced the body knows how to move just let it. Blocking is a very important thing, try not to block it is better to simply move and use body movement but if you need to you should block at a 45 degree angle from their attack and turn the blade to its side as not to chip the sharp edge, also block close to the guard and keep your legs in alignment with the sword. This is all for now on the basics of the sword for the Jedi Knight, remember stay calm and let the Force guide you. I will latter discuss more on the sword and other weapons if enough fellow Knights are interested. Torashin May the Force be with you and you all find Balance in life................ This Lecture was brought to me by a good Friend and his wisdom in combat and in strategy is apparent. May the force be with you all... Shadow Jedi: Training #2 Combat Continued.... Shadowside@forceacademy.com Training safe in jedi ways Another topic I wish to discuss is safety. I have read post on things like 'How to build a light saber' and other equipment. This is another way which I feel is safe and fun and you will still learn allot from. Material needed: 1. 4 ft PVC pipe 1/2 inch 2. 5 ft of foam pipe inculation for 1/2 inch pipe

3. Duct tape Black or Gray 4. any one of these color tapes Red, Blue, or Green First cover the PVC pipe with the foam, cut off the extra foam. Next use the duct tape and tape the foam in a spiral not to tight but firm all the way up. Cut the extra foam in two and cover the ends of the pipe and tape over them. Now it should all be covered Measure off 3' feet and tape with colored tape this will be the saber or blade. Again do not tape tight. The last 12" inches will be your handle design or duct tape this again as you wish. There you have it one light saber ready for a duel now all you need is a training partner. Rules for dueling: 1. Hit to the head or body is a full kill. 2. Hit to arms or legs is a half kill 3. To win you must have a full kill This is real simple but lots of fun and you will learn allot about yourself and your ability. Remember train hard or don't train. Shadow Jedi: Training #3 Knife Combat Shadowside@forceacademy.com Disclaimer: This Lecture is for informational purposes only, we do not condone the use of any weapons here at the academy, this lecture is intended to give students information on defence from knife attacks. If you are under the age of 18 you SHOULD NOT attempt any practical reconstruction of this lecture without supervision. Force Master

The truth about .......... Knife Fighting Well I have decided to lecture on Knife fighting as it came up one day in the chat room. And to be honest some of the things and misconceptions people have on knife fighting really shock me. If you want to know how to defend against a knife then first you must know how to use a knife. Here are some key points to remember when using a knife. 1. Hide the knife, you will never see a true knife fighter coming.... 2. Holding the knife, hold it blade ( sharp side ) up, this in case they try to block the knife with the sharp

side up you have better chance of cutting them. 3. Never, never throw the knife from hand to hand, keep it in your hand tie the thing if you need to but don't let it go. That is some basic stuff on using the knife and that is all I will share openly as there are a lot of well.... you know. O.K. knife defense first and most important don't train to fight a fool, train as though you are up against the best this will only make you better, and if you train against a fool guess who is the fool.........hehe. Here are a few tips. 1. Never try to kick a knife out of the attackers hand, as a good knife fighter is just weighting for someone to try, just so he/she can leave their hand there as a good target and just turn the blade into your foot as you kick ..... ouch! use your mind. 2. Always grab something, anything look around the room what do you see that would work, I see coke can, fan, books, video tapes, phone, curtains on the window and lots more. you can throw it at them to get away or use it like a book, open it ( pages out ) and as they stab close the book on the blade an trap it then its yours, use your mind. 3. Stay away !!! you should be at least 8 to 10 feet away and even then its not really enough, I once saw in a police a training a bad guy ( fake bad guy ) had a knife and he was 20 feet away, by the time the cop could draw his gun and start to aim the guy was there and had stabbed him dead ( fake again ) things happen fast so stay calm, use your mind. 4. Don't put your hands out in front of you, they will be the first to get cut. Keep them up and to the side, like stick 'em up. You see then you have your hands up close to your head and elbows by your ribs its all to protect you. 5. Don't try to grab the knife go for the forearm its bigger easier to grab, then punch the hand with the knife or do a arm lock, but ONLY after you have got the forearm in control. Those are a few tips and basics on knife fighting, remember its not a game I have been ( in my past ) in about three knife fights, the first my friends came and the guy ran off, my second I was fighting two brothers and a third guy came up from behind with a knife a my then best friend saw an before he stabbed me, hit him from behind with a broken 2x4 board. My third was a eye opener, no one else there just me and him, I was playing the big shot saying come on you #@%!& well he did I moved ( turned at the hips ) and the knife went through my shirt and as it was a cheap flea market knife with little things on the side ( hook like designs ) it got stuck and the hooks scratched me ( I thought it was the blade and that I was cut ) then someone stopped their car and screamed at us the guy ran off with his knife still in my shirt, I could not believe how close I came that time. Well the most important thing I want to get across is, to use your head stay calm and don't go hollywood stick to the basics and use your mind, its NO game.

Shadow Jedi: Training #4 Shadow approach to Combat Shadowside@forceacademy.com Combat lectures have been appearing more and more often. Combat is a part of life, but for Shadow Jedi, falling into a conflict should be viewed as a small failure, unless of course you are doing it in the defense of another. Shadow Jedi Combat is not like any other form of combat, simply because it is not guided by the same laws and rules that guide other systems of combat. For the Shadow Jedi, defeat is only a result of failure to your teachings...What I mean by that is the Shadow Jedi do not actually try to defeat their opponents. Instead they become one with the intentions of their opponents, thus making their own intentions work against them.. For a Jedi every piece of matter in existance, and on every vibrational wave length is potentionally a tool of your will. That in itself is not enough to always win in a combat situation, or rather, always preserve life...What is needed along with the basic acceptance of all things being at your disposal is also the ability to let the attackers intentions bring them to the point they want for you... In this process you must empty yourself...every thought, desire, ambition, fear, and most important, hesitancy. Once you have emptied your mind, feel the world around you, feel the anger of your opponent, feel their ambition to harm you...Now take on their conciousness...Let their intentions reflect on them, let your actions be guided by theirs...Let go of everything and become like water moving with the flow of your opponent... Weaponry is something that also needs to be addressed...when approached by an attacker wielding a weapon you must alway recognize that even though they posess the weapon, they and their weapon are potentially your tools...as is everything around you from a phone cord to a sharpened pencil...The constructing of weapons, such as swords, and lightsabers in the star wars universe is used more for the cultivation of discipline rather than for the need of the actual weapon...In reality if you let the force guide you the appropriate weapon will appear at the appropriate time...there is no need for conflict within yourself, even if there is a gun bearing attacker confronting you... Most important of all things is to let go of yourself, and move with the winds of the force, if you do this there is no need for fear or hesitancy...and as such they must be let go. The Force: Dark Jedi Darkside@forceacademy.com The Sith and the dark side are often confused as one of the same thing. Many Jedi believing that knowledge of the Sith was knowledge of the dark side. Trained and advised against learning of the Sith

way, Jedi associated the two together. But have the two merged into one, the question is one which has been asked of the Academy before. Ancient Sith teachings, written before the Sith were corrupted by dark Jedi, are not as one would suspect. The writings and scriptures tell of sorcery not of a truly evil nature. Yet latter Sith writings seem bent with evil and plagued with anger against enemies of their race. This is not to say that Sith magic was of a truly good nature to start with. It can be unquestionably said that it is wholly possible to turn a true heart to one of evil, but to turn a whole race seems improbable. Evidence then that the Sith were corrupted and bent to the will of a dark Jedi? Or are the writings just a natural progression from early dark side philosophy to that of a true dark nature. Did the dark side and Sith ideals meet to achieve a common goal? These answers are difficult to find, much of the Sith empire has been lost, either through an attempt to purge the evil records by the Jedi, or hidden by dark siders to secure following generations chance to learn knowledge of the ancient Sith. To reach an answer one must go back to a time before the Dark Sith Lord Naga Sadow reigned. Sith as a race still existed at this time, but not as a large group. Sith philosophy at this time dictated that they live in small tribal groups, rarely interacting with those outside of their tribe. They performed magic rituals and spells, at the command of a tribal sorcerers. But can we say that this sorcerer was tapping into the dark side? This would seem the logical answer, however, could it be that the sorcerers were tapping into the light side. The rituals performed would have to be of a truly evil nature for the magic to be of dark side origin. So could it be that the Sith were using the light side to begin with? This is entirely possible, the progression of the Sith is somewhat similar, yet in the opposite direction to that of the Jedi. Yet any speculation on this fact is entirely unfounded, for when Naga Sadow discovered the Sith they were tapping into the dark side power and controlling it in ever increasing complexity. So what turned this progression in the opposite direction, if indeed it was heading towards that of the Jedi in the first place? The answer lies during the lifetime of the fallen Jedi Naga Sadow. It would seem that Sadow found the Sith after falling to the dark side. Recognizing the vast power the Sith commanded Sadow became determined to learn how to use it to his advantage. Sadow had learned the subtle connections between the Siths magic and the dark side, and how to use them. In the most despicable act of treachery he turned their hard won knowledge against them and turned them into slaves. In this way the Sith became servants of the dark side, and thus the question is answered. The Sith, in loosing their identity as a race and their individual use of the force fell to the dark side. The distinction between the two became so clouded that it was intangible. Dark Jedi: Introduction Darkside@forceacademy.com

Introduction In this section you will find the first lecture concerning the aspects of the dark side of the force on behalf of the Sith Council of the Force Academy. While I have experience in teaching the ways of the dark side within a personal, face-to-face relationship, this is my debut of our oral tradition on the grounds of written lectures for an internet audience. I am from Germany, and as such, English is merely a second language to me. While I continuously strive to improve my rhetoric, I am far from completion. With this is mind, I request of you to have patience concerning a grammar that might lead to you reading a sentence twice. Terminology: In the years of explaining the interactions of all living things and their connection to the dark side, I have leaned towards designing new words where old ones lack precision. The Terminology will define all word-inventions that I see myself drawn to use. If you should recognize an authentic english term for such a phrase I would be glad if you could mail me under my email address as stated at the top of the post with your suggestion. Without further delay, I welcome you to the dark side. Dark Jedi: Introduction Darkside@forceacademy.com Exams Public exams will be presented between November and December. This postponement is specifically aimed for. It is assumed that every student has access to the dark side lessons. The exams for the dark side will therefore show a high percentage of essay questioning. It is recommended that you act according to the lessons stated as some questions will require personal experience with the usage of the dark side and its powers. The exam will have a very high level of quality, with a success resulting in a promotion to Sith Knight. The test can be retaken after a period of 2-3 months, still to be decided by the Sith Council. The Sith Council wishes to follow a policy of unquestionable quality concerning its knights and lords. The exam will be a first step. Dark Jedi: Introduction Darkside@forceacademy.com Terminology Relative truth: A relative truth results from a personal point of view, f. eg. The Vietnam conflict was a good/bad decision. Absolute truth: An absolute truth is independent from the personal point of view, f. eg. A bullet at short range will kill you.

The gifted: Humans born with a potential allowing them to interact with the force. The dark knight: 1. Sith Knight, 2. Theory of dark apprenticeship. Contains the aspects of : knight, armor, sword, shield. The armor: Aspect of the dark knight theory. Components: outward mask, mundane power. The Sword: Aspect of the dark knight theory. The actual usage of force powers. The mask: Psychological filter. Used to protect the consciousness of the self or others. The inside mask: Psychological filter. Used to protect the self from unwanted information. The outside mask: Psychological filter. Used to hide information from others. The second heart: Spiritual point in the body at stomach height. Sesoric point of intuition and instinct. Meditation: When meditating a knight stands feeling his hatred flowing through him. It is a technique to strengthen the dark emotions flowing through him. Goal of this technique is to feel your dark emotions and draw them through your body upwards, until they surpass your head, engulfing you in an aura of darkness. Note, that this aura should be felt, as if you would be caring a dark fog or smoke of constant movement around you. Unlike asian meditation where you try to free yourself from emotion, this form of meditation is used to strengthen the emotional part of your consciousness. Dark Jedi: Introduction Darkside@forceacademy.com A thought towards Destiny Greetings, I have read many posts concerning the correct behavior to catch the attention of a master. While all the possible answer have been given for the aspects of the shadow and the light side, I sense a necessity to explain what the Sith Council expects of the younger sith. You have decided to join the dark side. And in doing this you have chosen a path of the strong. Many fear this path and quiver at the thought of it consuming their souls. Yet those true to their goal shall

harvest the fruits of immortality. You have chosen your path. Yet, you have proven nothing. You may demand the knowledge and power of the dark side and be assured that we always receive what we deserve. Those wishing to be of the sith, but children in their minds shall harvest nothing, for the dark side demands perfection and in this goal lies your path. If you wish for a master on this council, then be assured that we enact as the dark side teaches us. We can only laugh when we read 'I would like a master, pretty-please'. Who are you to demand a teaching? What have you written to show your merit? If you truly assume that we are prepared to support the sloth than you would be better off following a more promising illusion. I will state some suggestions on achieving the attention of a master. Be assured that you should feel shame if you read anything that you did not know before. For all I write on this subject should be known by all who are mindful: 1.) Behavior Of course you do not like the jedi. Of course you wish to destroy them. Yet how would you go about your goal? Your mind and heart should tell you to further the dark side in our world and in the individual human. Yet be aware of your possibilities. This is the internet. Users from around the world, behind the protective mask of a false identity gather here to study and discuss the force. There is no way for you to meet them personally. No way to look into their eyes and see their soul. No way to feel the correct instrument of corruption. You may only speculate and in this you should tread lightly, for no individual is more protected from your seduction than one communicating over the net. You will have to gain their trust. You will have to aid them in enslaving their desires to your possibility of feeding them. And as such, it is expected that you show the patients of eternity when waiting for the right moment of seduction, if need be. To appear, to show open aggression feeds your desire for confrontation. Yet what strategic advantage stems from this? None. Even if you anger them, and they might shortly be tempted by darker emotions, you have no chance of truly turning a soul of merit by your petty threats. For they know that they are quite safe from your primitive behavior and as such you will never instill true fear into them. You gaze to the dark side as your eternal master and expect a reward for your petty groveling? If so, you understand nothing of the dark side. You merely can see the plate you are eating from but do not even realize the size of the table it is set upon. As such you destroy your chances of befriending them. For they category you as the enemy and are free from the danger of your wrath. How quick were you to destroy your chance of manipulation? And the force will never reward you for such a basic failure. The only true path is to encounter your enemies with politeness. For this is the path as where they eventually drop their guard. You then have the chance of understanding who they are and how they think. And with obtaining the key to their personality lies the power over their thoughts, mind and soul, if you demonstrate the cold of space in your behavior. Patience is the hardest lesson for a dark jedi. Yet it is the greatest of mundane weapons. 2.) Posting Now you have attained a basic respect from your surroundings. This will solely achieve a short nod of support from the Sith Council. As it is what us expected of a true apprentice of the dark side.

You may gaze around you and expect all the rewards of the universe for this simple task, and if so, you have solely understood the first lesson. There are many who wish to be trained. You must prove your worth above all others to be assured that the Sith Council will recognize you. As you have no chance of proving your worth in battle at this time, you must prove your worth through the weight of your intellect. You should post on the Force Council and post in wisdom. Demonstrate the depth of your mind and the evil that lies behind it. Show us your ability to discuss with others and therefore your skill in finding that key to their minds. Beware to remain polite, as if they provocate you, as by chance or desire, you shall only lose your control over the image you represent and therefore over your surroundings. Speak of philosophy, speak of your emotions, show us the stage of your evolution. Do not believe that you can allude us, for even with the net protecting your mind from us, as the net protects the minds of others before you, we are the experienced of sith. We are the manipulators that wander through time and have spent years of study to perfectionize our tools. There is no way to allude us and the attempt is punishable. When you post intelligently, regardless of your given knowledge, I will know where you stand on the path of your training. And I will aid you if you show merit and humbleness, towards your own insignificance when compared to the dark side of the force. If you show the ignorance of the child we will treat you as the child. If you show the courage and mindfullness of the warrior, then we will treat you as such. Make suggestions showing your resourcefulness. Show us philosophy as we are to understand the structure of your mind. Speak of your emotions as we see the flow of the dark side within you. When a candidate has shown merit through his posts, he is watched by the masters in secret. Sometimes such candidates are tested without there knowing. Sometimes it is arranged for them to meet a member of the other side in verbal conflict to see how their argumentation is. If it is proven that the candidate has a talent for discussion, not necessarily rhetorical talent, but true to what he believes, then he is noted as a possible padawan or apprentice. After that, patients are tested. It is eyed, how long they continue to post in an interesting style. Many people decide to solely read or post once in a while after they don't get a master right away. This is because, padawans/apprentices are expected to aid their masters in a form of doing chores for them. it is the typical price for apprenticeship as we all know well from most stories of the middle ages. An apprentice must be able to make good suggestions and be able to complete projects. Masters want to see the independence and competence within this person. When it is proven that an apprentice is capable of making smart decisions without overstepping his boundaries, then he is ready for personal training. As a summary. I have seldomly seen the behavior expected of the mindful. You're only comfort is, that the correct behavior is generally missed on all aspects of the force. But be assured, that what others do or fail to do, is not comparable to what is expected of you from the dark side. What suffices for others is unacceptable to us. When others are admired, we see you doing what you are expected to. And thus might you rise to dark glory as the strongest of your kind, for one dark jedi should always be worth one hundred of the light. This is what we demand and no less. And if this seems to much for you to demand of yourself, then we suggest that you carry your weakness

somewhere else and make room for the warriors of darkness. Dark Jedi: Sith History #1 Darkside@forceacademy.com History of the Sith Greetings, There have been several inquiries from the sides of our users as to the known history of the Sith. While the contents of these posts are seen as fictional, every story bears its own wisdom to be learned by the mindful reader. I would especially like to the thank the authors and staff of: http://www.method.org/sith/index2.html for making the appearance of these additional lectures possible.

Timeline -25,000: Hyperdrive invented Republic and Jedi order formed -7,000? Dark Jedi exiled Sith discovered First Dark Lord of the Sith rises to power -5,000 Death of Marka Ragnos The Great Hyperspace War Naga Sadow exiled to Yavin IV -4,400 Freedon Nadd rules on Onderon -4,350? The Beast Wars of Onderon begin -4,000

The Beast Wars of Onderon end -3,988 The Freedon Nadd Uprising -3,996 Krath rebellion in the Empress Teta system Exar Kun rules on Yavin IV -3,995 Ulic Qel-Droma turns to the dark side Exar Kun named Dark Lord of the Sith -3,993 The Sith War Extinction of the Sith Exar Kun trapped on Yavin IV -3,975? Death of Ulic Qel-Droma -2,030 The new Sith order formed by Darth Bane -80? Palpatine born on Naboo -63? Khameir Sarin born on Iridonia -51? Khameir Sarin becomes Darth Maul -44? Anakin Skywalker born on Tatooine -35? Palpatine elected chancellor of the Republic -25? The Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker marries Queen Amidala of Naboo Rise of the Empire

-18 Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader Birth of Leia and Luke Skywalker Great Jedi purge begins -6? Rebel Alliance formed Galactic Civil War begins 0 The Battle of Yavin +3 The Battle of Hoth +4 The Battle of Endor Death of Palpatine and Darth Vader Galactic Civil War ends +10 The resurrected Emperor leads the Empire Luke Skywalker turns to the dark side +11 Death of Exar Kun Dark Jedi: Sith History #2 Darkside@forceacademy.com Rise of the Sith No one knows exactly what happened in those ancient times before the rise of the Sith Empire. The fledgling Old Republic had established the new order of Jedi Knights as a police force to protect and nourish its growth. The Jedi were the guardians of peace, a beacon of pure flame to the galaxy. But somehow, things turned. A band of Jedi, discovering the power of the dark side of the Force, forsook the Jedi Code and sought to destroy all the Jedi had worked so hard to build. Seeing its strength crumbling under the teachings of these rogue Jedi, the Republic took action. With the help of the light-side Jedi, it rounded up these renegades and exiled them, giving them a spacecraft and sending them into the unknown. The idea was that out in the vast undiscovered galaxy, with no place to call home, the dark Jedi would die but the Republic would not be held responsible for their deaths.

Except that it didn't happen quite like the Republic wanted it to. The exiled Jedi emerged on the other side of the galaxy to a system previously unknown to the Republic. This system was inhabited by a race called the Sith, aliens with red skin, cranial horns, bony chins, and insectile features. The Sith were black magicians, practicing magic arts but without the aid of the dark side of the Force. Their society was divided into three classes or castes: slaves, warriors, and nobles, and the different nobles of Sith clans often engaged in feuds and wars to show their power. It was a violent society, ripe for conquest. Here the dark Jedi saw their chance. As they landed in their spacecraft, the Sith saw them as having fallen from the sky and worshipped them as gods. The dark Jedi then proceeded to enslave all the Sith, from nobles on down to slaves. Seeing that the Sith were so powerful in the black arts, the Jedi then interbred with the most powerful of them, forming a new breed of magicians both strong in the Sith arts and in the dark side of the Force. Out of this new breed of Sith came the Dark Lords of the Sith, men who claimed the right to rule over all of the Sith and dark Jedi. Only one could rule at a time, and this led to more feuds and wars as the Sith lords struggled to gain the high position. The world of the Sith lords was Korriban. Here, on this barren world, the Sith built temples carved out of the stone of the cliffs and entombed their dead. Vermin and other unnatural beasts populated the crevices and crannies and the essence of the dark side filled the tombs. Thousands of generations of Sith lords were buried here, and, later, the Dark Lords of the Sith were also entombed. The Sith built a far-flung empire on their side of the galaxy and the Republic became memory, story, and then legend. And, strange as it was, the Republic never knew that the Sith existed. Dark Jedi: Sith History #3 Darkside@forceacademy.com The Great Hyperspace War Millenia after the dark Jedi conquered the Sith, the Republic was rising to its full power. Exploration was being conducted into the unknown reaches of the galaxy and hyperspace explorers, men and women who mapped new hyperspace routes, abounded. Hyperspace exploring was dangerous and many times suicidal, as the explorers would spin random coordinates onto the navicomputer and then follow the path, hoping to end up lucky. Most of the time, they wound up dead, flying their ships through a star or planet or black hole. This, however, did not deter the young and adventurous from following the same example, for the luckiest explorers became wealthy. In that time, two young teenagers, Gav and Jori Daragon, stumbled upon the Sith Empire in an alarming series of coincidences. The seven worlds of the Empress Teta system had just been united in a series of wars, in which the parents of Gav and Jori were killed while smuggling supplies to the soldiers. The two decided to set out on their own and become hyperspace explorers. However, it did

not work out quite as they had planned. After selling a disastrous route to a merchant who vowed revenge, Gav and Jori fled from the Teta system. With nowhere to go, they entered random coordinates and came out in the far side of the galaxy, where no Republic ship had flown for millenia: in orbit above Korriban. Of all the times to arrive in the heart of the Sith empire, this was the worst. Down on the planet's surface, the funeral of the ninth Dark Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos, had just ended, and two powerful Sith lords, Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, were facing off in a duel to the death to decide the next Dark Lord of the Sith. Ragnos' spirit tried to intervene, but nothing caught the lords' attention until Gav and Jori appeared, asking cheerfully if the Sith wanted to establish a trade bargain with them. Instead, the Sith took Gav and Jori hostage and then called a council of the Sith lords, asking what should be done. Kressh suggested that it was an invasion from the Republic and that the two should be destroyed immediately. But Sadow disagreed, saying it was instead a time of expansion and conquest for the Sith Empire. He was unable to convince Kressh, however, and the Sith lord and his followers left in a rage. In the days that followed, Sadow carried out his devious plans. Obtaining strange Republic weapons such as a blaster from the Daragon's ship, Starbreaker 12, he staged attacks on the prison where Gav and Jori were being held. In the process, he killed his old ally Simus and hid Gav and Jori in his secret fortress while pretending that it was a Republic attack. The Sith empire erupted into chaos, and, as expected, Sadow's followers elected him tenth Dark Lord of the Sith, pleading with him to protect them from the Republic invasion they thought was coming. However, Kressh found out about Sadow's deception and launched an attack on the Sith lord's fortress. Little did Kressh know that Sadow had been waiting for this moment, and that the Dark Lord of the Sith actually had two fortresses and the one that Kressh was attacking was a decoy, a fake. Separating Gav and Jori, Sadow convinced Jori to flee back to the Republic before Kressh destroyed them. Jori left in the Starbreaker 12 without knowing that Sadow had attached a homing beacon to it, thus letting him find out the location of the Republic. After she was safely past Kressh's force, Sadow then launched an attack from his real fortress on the dark side of Khar Shian and used his Sith magic to turn the slaves of Kressh's followers against them, thus destroying most of Kressh's reinforcements. After defeating Kressh's force, Sadow began teaching dark Jedi skills to Gav and made the boy head of his fleet. He then made plans to attack the Republic, using Sith magic to project images of ships to make his fleet seem larger than it really was. The Sith invasion fleet set out for the Republic and met the Republic ships at the world of Primus Goluud. Sadow's plan would have gone without a hitch if it were not for Gav and Jori Daragon. Jori, escaping

back to the Republic, had risked her life to warn the Republic forces about the Sith empire. The Republic navy met the Sith ships in battle, but for a while it seemed the Sith would triumph. But Sadow had underestimated Gav Daragon. Seeing through Sadow's lies, the boy attacked his master and damaged his meditation sphere from which Sadow sent the illusions. With the illusions gone, the Republic forces began crushing the Sith. Sadow, in an attempt to escape, caused the star of Primus Goluud to explode and fled back to the Sith empire. But more trouble awaited him there. He found that Kressh had declared himself the Dark Lord of the Sith in Sadow's absence and had exiled Sadow from the empire. As the two Sith fleets met in battle, the Republic ships arrived. Jori Daragon, true to her word, had returned to destroy the Sith with the help of Empress Teta and her Jedi advisors. Sadow knew he was beaten, but as a last parting gift, he again made the Sith slaves turn on their masters, killing Kressh and all his followers. He then destroyed pursuing Republic forces by exploding the double star of Denarii Nova. But Sadow still had other plans in defeat. He and his followers fled to the moon of Yavin IV and there he built a grand civilization, thus ensuring the survival of the Sith throughout the centuries. Dark Jedi: Sith History #4 Darkside@forceacademy.com The Beast Wars of Onderon It was a time of peace and prosperity for the Republic. The ranks of the Jedi Knights had swelled, numbering thousands, and promising Jedi were being trained in greater and greater numbers. Among these brightest and most powerful Jedi were Ulic Qel-Droma, his brother Cay, and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta. Their master, Arca Jeth, realized that to become truly great Jedi, his students must face danger and learn to use the Force without fear. He therefore dispatched the three to Onderon, a beautiful world with a dark history. On the planet's surface, a civil war had been raging for centuries between city dwellers and the barbaric Beast Riders, named for their talent in riding the great flying beasts native to the planet. Arriving at the capital city of Iziz, they were received by the royal family of Onderon: the queen Amanoa and her daughter Galia. The Beast Riders attacked, but the Jedi were able to drive them off. However, in the process, the enemy captured Princess Galia. Ulic, Cay, and Tott made their way to the fortress of the Beast Riders, vowing to save the princess from the king of the Riders, Lord Modon Kira. When they arrived, however, they discovered that it was the city dwellers, not the Beast Riders, who were provoking war. Galia also confessed that she wanted to marry the son of the beast lord, Oron and told the Jedi that her parents were dark side users, heirs of the powers of an ancient Sith Lord, Freedon Nadd. In the face of this shocking discovery, the Jedi revised their battle plans. Ulic traveled back to Iziz to speak to Queen Amanoa, but she refused to give in to his demands and then attacked him with the dark

side. Ulic then gave the signal for his Beast Rider allies to attack, seeing battle as the only way to end this conflict and bring peace to Onderon. However, the Beast Riders were hard pressed by the power of the dark side present in the capital and Cay Qel-Droma was wounded, his left arm cut completely off. As the battle raged on, the Jedi began to lose hope of victory. Victory, however, arrived in the form of Master Arca Jeth, who, with the light side of the Force, pushed back the enroaching darkness. Arca as well was surprised by the power of the dark side here on Onderon and was determined to discover its source. He found it in the form of the crypt of Freedon Nadd himself. As he and his students opened the crypt, Queen Amanoa was killed by the dark side power emanating from it. The death of the queen ended the civil war and Galia married Lord Oron. The Jedi had kept the peace once again. Dark Jedi: Sith History #5 Darkside@forceacademy.com The Freedon Nadd Uprising At the end of the Beast Wars of Onderon, Jedi Master Arca Jeth and his students left the planet of Onderon, their mission at an end. Peace had been restored on the planet in the form of a marriage alliance between the heir of the royal family, Galia, and the prince of the Beast Riders of Onderon, Lord Oron. This peace quickly proved to be an illusion. The resentment and dark side influence that had ruled the planet for centuries could not be quelled by one simple act. Hearing rumors of unrest from Onderon, Jeth and his students returned to find that there was indeed something wrong. Though his student Queen Amanoa had been killed, the Sith Lord Freedon Nadd still wielded formidable influence on Onderon. In spirit form, he had attracted followers and was now planning to end Queen Galia's rule. Master Arca quickly took action, transporting the coffins of Freedon Nadd and the newly dead Queen Amanoa to the fourth moon of Onderon, Dxun. Nadd's followers, however, had different plans. They attacked the ships carrying the coffins and made off with the bodies. Galia then took the Jedi to her father, King Ommin, an ailing, withered old man kept alive only by machinery and the dark side of the Force. Showing them Nadd's spirit, Ommin attacked Arca with force lightning. Nadd's minions then attacked the Jedi while Ommin made off with Arca. Ulic and the others realized that this insurrection was more serious than they had previously thought. He sent distress calls to the planets of Ossus and Coruscant, requesting help. The help quickly arrived in the form of Republic warships and a team of young Jedi knights, among them Nomi Sunrider. As the Republic attacked Iziz and the Naddists, the Jedi made their way to Ulic's distress signal from the fortress of the Beast Riders. That battle won, they then pursued King Ommin, who was trying to keep the Jedi

from following him by using his dark side powers. However, Nomi realized this and used the light side to combat the dark. Ommin defeated her with overwhelming amounts of dark power, but by then it was too late. The Jedi stormed his hidden citadel and demanded Master Arca. The old man lashed out at them with force lightning, but Ulic Qel-Droma slashed through the machinery that held Ommin upright, effectively killing him. As Ommin died, Nadd appeared, threatening them with dark prophecies. The Jedi rescued Arca and Republic had won once again. But they would find that peace was not so easily kept on the world of Onderon. Nadd's promises of vengeance remained in their memories, and though the battle was over, they would soon find that the war was not. Dark Jedi: Sith History #6 Darkside@forceacademy.com The Sith War The rise of Exar Kun to the position of Dark Lord of the Sith shook the Republic to its core, but the turning of Ulic Qel-Droma to the dark side to become Kun's Sith apprentice presented a far more serious problem. For now, Kun had an ally who had once been in the inner ranks of the Republic. An ally who knew many of the Republic's secrets and weaknesses. And the Republic had lost a loyal Jedi. The Sith base was on Yavin IV, where Kun ruled over his tribe of Massassi. Though Ulic had killed Satal Keto, leader of the Krath, a spinoff branch of the Sith, Keto's cousin Aleema was still alive and well. A powerful Sith magician, Aleema helped unite the Krath under her lover, Ulic. Another ally of the Sith was the mysterious warrior Mandalore. Building a fleet to rival the fleet of the Republic, Kun waged an all-out war against the galactic government, calling for an overthrow of the old Jedi order and the establishment of a new Golden Age of the Sith. He attacked various strategic points in Republic defense and at the same time seduced many budding young Jedi to the dark side, persuading them to kill their masters and join him. Among the Jedi Kun seduced was Crado, his fellow student under Master Vodo-Siosk Baas. The Sith then launched their greatest offensive: an attack on the capital of the Republic itself-Coruscant. The Coruscant attack, however, did not go as planned. Ulic Qel-Droma, betrayed by Aleema, was captured by Republic forces and tried for war crimes and treason. As Ulic sneered at the assembled audience, Kun and Mandalore broke into the courtroom and rescued him, using a Sith spell that rendered all those in the room immobile except for the Sith. Kun's old master, Vodo Siosk-Baas, attempted to detain his student, trying to make Kun realize how far he had fallen to the dark side. In a rage, Kun struck his master down. After the rescue, Kun decided it was time for more drastic measures. Underneath the ruins of the Yavin temples, Kun had found Naga Sadow's ship, still intact for over a thousand years. Aboard this ship was a superweapon designed by Sadow to destroy worlds. As revenge for what she had done to Ulic, Ulic and Kun sent Aleema to ambush Republic forces using the weapon. When she activated it, the weapon

caused the sun of the Cron Cluster to supernova, destroying most of the system and Sadow's ship, which Aleema had been aboard. One of the worlds in the system was Ossus, on which the Jedi Library had been housed for millenia. By this point many of the Republic Jedi had despaired of ever stopping the Sith. But Nomi Sunrider, one of the strongest Jedi and formerly in love with Ulic Qel-Droma, still believed that he could be redeemed. She launched a rescue mission, composed of herself, Ulic's brother Cay, and many of Ulic's former friends, to save the man she had once loved. But Ulic would not listen. Finally, Cay, desperate to turn his brother back, forced Ulic into a duel with him. But Cay's skill was no match for Ulic's anger and his Sith arts, and he was killed. The death of his brother shocked Ulic and he knelt by Cay's body, weeping. Grief-stricken at the tragic death of her friend, Nomi gathered her Force powers and, using a Jedi trick taught to her by Odan-Urr, former keeper of the Jedi Library on Ossus, blocked Ulic from the Force. The realization that he could no longer feel the Force forced Ulic to accept that he had been wrong all this time. Gathering what little strength he had left, he led Republic forces to Yavin IV to destroy the Sith and Exar Kun. Republic forces incinerated the Yavin jungle and destroyed many of the Sith temples that Sadow and Kun had built. But Kun, discovering Ulic's treachery, had drained the life force from a massive gathering of his Massassi warriors to keep himself alive as the Jedi tried to destroy him. He succeeded, to a degree, becoming a spirit trapped within the walls of the Yavin temples. The rest of the Massassi were burned along with the forest and the Sith race passed into history. Dark Jedi: Sith History #7 Darkside@forceacademy.com The New Order The extinction of the Sith race after the destruction of Yavin IV by the Republic brought peace to the galaxy. The forces of evil had been vanquished, and with the Sith gone, the Jedi knew that the dark side would never again challenge the light. They were wrong. The Sith had vanished, but they had not been forgotten. It was only a matter of time. About two thousand years before the beginning of the Galactic Civil War, these ancient Sith teachings were discovered by a powerful Jedi Knight. Like Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma and others before him, he thought he was strong enough to withstand the temptation of the dark side. Delving into the mysteries of the ancient Sith empire, he was sucked into the trap. And as he grew more and more powerful in the use of the black arts and dark side of the Force, he grew restless. Why should the Sith not rise again? Not as a race, but as a dark side cult, dedicated to studying these ancient mysteries? He had visions of a new golden age of the Sith, dominated by dark side Jedi and ruled by him alone.

This dark Jedi then began to act out his vision. Recruiting Jedi and apprentices and swaying them to his views, he built the beginnings of his secret empire. One day, he told them, the Sith would appear to the light side Jedi and conquer the galaxy. But that day was not to come. In his haste, the dark Jedi overlooked the fact that every one of the Jedi that he had swayed also had their own visions of a grand empire with themselves as supreme ruler. As in the Sith Empire of old, this destroyed them. Feuds and warring broke out and in a great holocaust of dark Jedi against dark Jedi, every one of the new Sith were destroyed. Except for one. One Jedi, whether by trickery or by his control of the dark side of the Force, had survived. As he surveyed the wreckage around him, he vowed that never again would this happen. He would continue the Sith legacy, as the first dark Jedi had hoped, but in a different manner. From now on, there would be no huge band of followers ruled by one lord. From now on, there would only be two: a master and an apprentice. The master would teach the apprentice and when the master died, the apprentice would become the master and seek out a new apprentice. Thus, the Sith would live on, shadowy, unseen but everpresent, ever watchful, a phantom menace for the Republic and Jedi to reckon with. This dark Jedi took on a new name, calling himself Darth Bane, the first of the Sith. Decreeing that every Sith should take the title "Darth," he began training his first apprentice. After his death, that apprentice then took the title of Sith Master and continued his legacy. And for two thousand years, the Sith flourished unknown. Dark Jedi: Sith History #8 Darkside@forceacademy.com The Galactic Civil War The galaxy's fragile peace crumbled when Senator Palpatine declared the republic inept and outdated, naming himself as the Emperor of a new Galactic order. Coruscant, the previous capital of the old Republic, was transformed into Imperial City, the Emperor's palace rising as its focal point. Thus the Empire was born, shattering the peace of the old Republic. The Jedi Knights, defenders of the Republic, struggled against Imperial forces but were eventually nearly all wiped out by The Emperor's servant and Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, in what would come to be known as the Great Jedi Purge. Those who would not seek the Dark Side or join the Empire either died in battle or vanished without a trace. However despite death and destruction, or perhaps because of it, brave men and women retaining their loyalty to the old Republic vowed to destroy the empire and restore peace. A Rebel group ,the Alliance, intending to rise against Imperial forces, was formed by Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and

Bail Organa in the Treaty of Corellia. The first blow to the Empire came at the destruction of their super weapon, the Death Star. A group of Rebel spies stole the blueprints to the Death Star and spirited them away aboard the Corellian Corvette the Tantive IV under the care of Alderaanian princess Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Bail Organa. Lord Darth Vader captured the princess and tortured her to make her hand over both the plans and the location of the secret Rebel base, but she refused. Unbeknownst to Vader, the plans were no longer in her possession, having been stored in an astromech unit and jettisoned to the surface of the planet Tatooine in a daring move before the Empire captured the Corvette. And here a new chapter in the galactic story was about to unfold. The droids became the property of a young farmer named Luke Skywalker, who discovered the princess's frantic message to a certain ObiWan Kenobi. Through a strange series of circumstances, Skywalker arrived at the dwelling of Ben Kenobi, a desert hermit, to find that he was indeed the Obi-Wan Kenobi of Leia Organa's message, the same Obi-Wan who had fought with Anakin Skywalker, Queen Amidala, and Qui-Gon Jinn so many years ago. Kenobi and Skywalker hurried to Alderaan with the droids, hiring a smuggler named Han Solo to take them there, but it was too late. Grand Moff Tarkin, commander of the Death Star, and Vader decided that the princess's recalcitrance deserved a lesson and thus destroyed the planet of Alderaan, killing Bail Organa in the process. Through the sacrifice of Kenobi's life in a duel with Vader, Skywalker and Solo were able to rescue the princess from the Death Star's detention center and escape to the Rebel base on the moon of Yavin IV. They knew it was only a matter of time before the Empire found them, and thus analysed the plans of the Death Star, hoping to find a weakness. The weakness was finally discovered in the form of a small thermal exhaust port. In the battle against the Death Star, many brave Rebel pilots were killed, but Wedge Antilles, ace pilot, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo managed what many had thought impossible and destroyed the Death Star, and in the process became heroes. After this, the Rebellion transferred from base to base, in fear that they would be discovered by Vader and the Empire and that all would be over. Meanwhile, Vader discovered that Luke Skywalker was his son, born of his wife Amidala before he renounced the name Anakin Skywalker to turn to the dark side. Vader was determined to win Luke to the dark side, overthrow the Emperor, and take control of the galaxy. He confronted the young Jedi Padawan on the planet of Bespin by capturing his friends as bait, but Luke refused to acknowledge the truth and escaped Vader. The Empire, determined to rid the galaxy of the Rebellion once and for all, began construction on a new, more powerful Death Star over the moon of Endor. But this proved their undoing. Though Palpatine tried to trap the Rebels by using false information about the Death Star's plans to lure them to Endor, his plan was thwarted by Luke Skywalker. Vader had brought Skywalker to the Emperor's throne room on the Death Star in hopes that Luke would turn there and they could destroy the Emperor together. But instead, the Emperor used the dark side to turn Luke against Vader and almost

destroy him; then when that failed, Palpatine began to torture Luke with dark-side electrical lightning. It was then that Anakin Skywalker re-emerged from the dark scarred shell that was Darth Vader and slew his master, not for his own selfish ends as he had once imagined, but in order that his son might live. This act caused Vader's death, but it also effectively destroyed the leadership and unity of the Empire. Remnants of the Empire remained for years to come but the war came to an end and the New Republic brought hope back to the war torn Galaxy. Anakin Skywalker's sacrifice had brought ultimate balance to the Force. Dark Jedi: Lecture #1 Darkside@forceacademy.com Dark Jedi Man has seen a millennium of religion and belief, decorating civilization during his evolution throughout the halls of time. What is true? What is false? What exists within the universe and what is merely an illusion constructed by our own fears of insignificance? Gods have appeared and faded throughout the balance of mystical belief and the epoch of physics. Yet when we are alone and when we gaze towards the sky we feel a slight breeze chill our soul at the indescribable premonition of there being more to the universe as can simply be described by the cold vacuum of mathematics and geometry. And while we know of the attempt of mans logical tools to describe a past of phenomena, we all realize as an absolute truth, that these tools lack the dimension needed to truly grasp the rules behind the mist. Today we gaze towards a large number of magic's, presented to man on a numerous scale of world views. Yet, engraved with numerous names for the different sources of power, we have come together on this site in the belief that all powers in the last stance, originate from the same source of power; the mystical secret of the universe to enlighten those on the path of knowledge in denial to the logical tools of man: that which we have come to describe as the force. As our ancestors, so do we strive towards the mystical heritage of man and search the depth of our souls for the answers that will lead us to understanding, power and enlightenment. We have come to recognize that different paths can lead to the same goal. Each of these paths shows advantages and disadvantages, but none is greater than the other on an objective scale of thought. What allows us to decide for one of the three defined paths of light, darkness and the shadows, lies in the substance of our ghost and soul. It is the aspect of self that decides on a subjective scale of view, which path to choose. We are all the same, yet we are different. And thus the first step to hearing the whispers of the universe lies within our capability to hear the whispering of our own souls. We are born as children. Children are given a set of moral and ethical views with which they are to view their surrounding. These views are the sum of experiences of our race and are given to use to be able to interact with our society. The important detail, is to see these views as a guideline but not as an absolute truth. Many of our parents have taught us views towards society and religion that they no longer believe on account of their personal experience. And yet they teach us what is commonly

appreciated as to assure our integration with humanity. The process of life allows us to gather new experiences and thus our views are changed. Yet, the question is to what degree can these views that were given to us be wrong? Assuming that there would be a general right and wrong to a view or truth. As for an example, I am sure that there are many people who would easily describe our force community as flawed by misconception. Yet if the person working at your local bank sees your views as wrong, would you be inclined to regret and refocus your perspective? Probably not. Yet man has taken a course of logic and neglected his focus on the mystical. He has turned away from intuition and instincts and decided to use his mathematical tools to understand his environment. Thus alone our presence on this site shows us to have strayed away from a common view of the universe. And this is the first obstacle on the path of self balance. The bank employee does not impress you to reconsider your path, yet what if it were a friend? What if it was your partner? What if most of your friends cling to their predefined view of reality? What if almost all mankind does so? We have all made the experience that we lack the ability to broadly communicate with our surroundings on this matter. Most people dont believe in an alternative view, since it is much easier for them to cope with their fears when they believe to have a maximum of control over their environment. To belief in the mystical means to add new variables. It means to admit, in the end, I know less than I dreamed to know. And this frightens man. And thus they will not consider this aspect of possibility, since it would make them feel more insecure than before. This is the reason they will explain to you why you should see things the way they do, for it will reassure their views to be stated as correct, while you were simply wrong. A wanderer on the path of enlightenment, determined to go an uncertain path bearing an uncertain reward must decide in favor of his courage and serenity when following his path. Lest he only follow the desire for additional knowledge, but decline the price to be paid. Most people who hesitate in the moment of mystical consideration stop at this point. They decide that the price of spiritual loneliness, of misunderstanding when interacting with their surroundings is too much to bear. It allows their fear and insecurity to rise and at this point, the person unconsciously decides if he is of the sheep or of the wolf. The sheep have an easy life. They exist on a field of grass and live together in herds. They might wander a mile in one direction or the other, yet they are contempt at having one another and only secondarily discovering their surroundings. Thus being the price for the security of a community. On the other side we recognize the wolf in this example. I will speak of the first wolf to understand his own existence as to befit my example. The wolf is born and of a different substance. The wolf feels his urge to wander and so he passes through the land, discovering his environment and searching for others of his kind. The wolf wanders to the top of a hill and sees a herd of sheep in the valley. He gazes towards the sheep, noticing how they live in herds and watches them move. He sees how they wander a mile in one direction or the other and how they eat the grass, always looking down and only seldomnly gazing towards each other and thus understands their nature. He decides that they are something different and wanders closer to investigate them further. After slowly moving closer, he hesitates once more. For he sees the heard near a pond. He is unsure if it was merely a light reflection, yet he believes to have seen something strange. He recognizes another wolf within the depth of the heard. Slightly confused, yet glad to see a member of his kind he wanders over to the wolf. The sheep grow restless as the wolf comes closer and the heard opens to reveal the second wolf. The first wolf walks up to the second and watches the second with his tail between his legs eat the grass as do the sheep. "Greetings, brother, speaks the first of wolves.

The second gazes up, slightly confused and takes a step back, noticing that a wolf has neared him. "Why do you step back from me, brother?, asks the first of wolves. The second wolf looks slightly confused and speaks, "Why do you call me brother, wolf? I am not like you, I am a sheep like the others. The first of wolves, with his tail high grows further in his confusion, "What do you mean, brother? You are a wolf. How can you think to be of the sheep? "I was born within the heard, wolf. I have always been a sheep, as my parents before me. , speaks the cowardly wolf. The first of wolves ponders the situation and his gaze wanders towards the pond, "Look into the water, brother. Then you will see that you are of my kind and not of the sheep. The second lowers his head again to continue his meal of grass, "I do not need to look into the water, for I would only see my reflection. The same face I see in the sheep around me. I do not need to look. I am of the sheep. "And what of the grass you eat, brother? Wouldnt a sheep be more to your liking?, says the first wolf in vain. The second gazes towards him in fear and speaks with a quavering voice "No., he lied, "I have always eaten grass and I know no other. To desire a sheep is against the law. The first of wolves watches the second as he nervously looks around. The other sheep are seemingly oblivious to what matters are being discussed here. "Yet you have considered eating one of the sheep, havent you?, spoke the first. The second dropped his tail further with a look of great guilt on his soul,No, I would never think such a thing. And it would be appreciated if you leave us, for you are making the heard nervous. The first of wolves is engulfed by a silent moment of loneliness. Knowing that he is not of the sheep and has no heard. And knowing that his brother is also not of his kind. The first of wolves slowly turns, leaving his brother behind, hearing the second of wolves trying himself in a accord of bah. The other sheep acknowledge this sound, yet the first of wolves knows, that the second can not communicate with them, no matter how hard he tries. Only the wolf that acknowledges his existence can understand the self. Lest he be blinded by his surroundings. To use the powers of the force means to be of the wolf, or rather, to be born with a magical gift allowing this interaction. A man without this gift can study the force, as he can study any human knowledge. He can argument within the boundaries of logic, but he is excluded from the true depth of understanding. Some statistics I have raised, on the grounds of a given character similarity and other mystical and psychological studies has shown me a gifted person of the force to exist in a ratio of 1:50.000 to humankind. Yet, those of the wolf that have the courage and serenity to face the truth of their existence reduce this ratio to 1:5.000.000. Those between are born with a gift allowing them to feel different; to view differently towards their surroundings, and to know within the depth of their person that there is a truth behind the view of mystics. Yet they lack the courage to pay the price of serenity and therefore live with the sheep. These loses can be traced to the given moral and ethical views of our surroundings during childhood from our parents and given to us by our surroundings themselves. Thus a seeker must

battle victorious against his own fear to follow the path of the force, regardless of the personal force aspect. When this first step has been taken and the gifted user has cut the thread between himself and others, can the gifted commence to study themselves as the greatest potential for understanding they have at that time. They must now start to remove all the clamps chaining their body and must rediscover what they truly and personally believe. Some views will be kept, for the view they were taught and the view they believe are identical. Yet many people will discover that what they are truly inclined to believe differs greatly from what society expects them to see, to believe and to feel. Many people, while discovering their souls, instincts and emotions, come to realize that they are darker than they had admitted towards themselves up this point. There is a desire to enjoy. There is an enjoyment in things shunned by society and unmoral behavior. There is a desire to raise the self before others. There is a lust for revenge. A hatred towards those of the sheep who trap our brothers and sisters and who rule our world, in which they state there is no place for us. There is the wish for conflict. To prove those who are weak and commend those who are strong. And then we ponder over these inner desires, if this is what we are, in a viewed moment of truth. Is this not the path we should follow? Granted, that we must control our desires for every society has its ways of punishing those who think differently. We must be mindful, for the farther we wander off from what this society would consider normal, the greater the chance of being discovered will be. To be discovered might only mean to lose your influence over your surrounding. To be discovered might also mean to be corrected under the usage of government power. At the beginning of this path should an apprentice of the dark side or dark knight, as I would call any gifted user to embrace his darker half and stand up for it in serenity before the self, learn to hide this mental morphosis behind a mask of normality. You may feel free to test otherwise, but you will quickly note that you only harvest disadvantages from it. Try to be as you were before you made your first step towards others. Yet your thoughts are free and your own. With no one given any right to punish you for them. Thus, the dark apprentice turns away from society. He no longer cares if he is wearing the correct clothing or likes the same things as his friends or as he is pressured to. While discovering the self , the dark knight notices the growing desire for power and knowledge. And based on these reasons for revenge, lust for power or on account of what he sees when he gazes into his soul, he turns to the dark side. His desire for knowledge draws him towards his path and his willingness to crush those who try to stand in his way details him. First we will gaze towards the knight, the heart and the soul of this divine will. The knight must face every truth, must gaze into the depth of the self and discover who he is. He must do this to achieve a balance of self. If there is no balance there is no knowledge and no power. Do not try to be what you are not, be what you are and be it gladly. Stand before humanity and proclaim your might before them. Proclaim your serenity and dive into the dark waters of emotion. Scan the depth of your darkness and allow it to flow through you. But be a perfectionist. Demand the most you can give, allowing your hate and rage to flow freely together with your lust and your demand for power, yet always be mindful. Never underestimate an opponent, no matter how simple he appears. To underestimate an opponent is a strategic failure and can not be tolerated. See yourself as your central weapon. Sharpen your mind and fill it with knowledge to aid you in your battle. Study strategy and tactics. Ponder over the phrases of Sun Tzu and elaborate on the

scriptures of Machiavelli. Consider what they say you should do and what you do in everyday life. Find your mistakes and correct your views. Only when your mind achieves fundamental perfection can the knight reign supreme. Be ruthless towards yourself. This is the first of enemies: the mortal flesh and spirit. Mortals are weak, they quickly suffice when they have done half the job. Throw off the chains of imperfection and demand the ultimate functionality of every theory and construct; of every idea and strategy. Work on yourself until you have done all that you can at this time and then turn towards the world. Dark Jedi: Lecture #2 Darkside@forceacademy.com Dark Jedi Knights "The knight is born with his goals and strategy to achieve those goals." Now he must study his surroundings. On the one hand he wishes to understand the rules of society that have appeared to him as laws for so long. To understand this, you must first realize that social interaction is a game and not a reality. We were or are all young, we know that every school class has the greatest boy and the prettiest girl. We notice the hierarchy of this. We are forced to take our place as dictated by the group, depending on how well we befit their demands of a certain physical appearance and a certain social behavior concerning a striving towards given goals. We watched the hierarchy of girls, ruled by looks, by being with the cheerleaders, by being the girl friend of a certain guy with a certain rank in the social subculture. How much money she has, what kind of clothing she wares. But when you listen to what they speak of you will notice that they talk about all kinds of topics, but never does anyone ask: Who are we? What is there to know? What exists behind that which we perceive as reality? Not only to achieve power to control our surroundings and to change our stand in this subculture, but especially to search for knowledge in the plain desire of wishing to know and to understand. When we look at the boys, usually the one with the strongest muscles or the best looks rules. Usually they make rank by behaving stupid in class, by playing football, by having a good looking girl friend, buy telling how many women they have fictionally slept with, by carrying on how they are going to get someone for something. But do they ever speak of true values? Of honor, of having real principles that dont change as soon as someone decides that something new is now cool? Do they ever appear as if they would die for something they truly believe...We all know the answer. And this is the reality we are caught in. Where the mass suffers on account of pseudo rule making. We see no way to change these things for we perceive it as reality. Yet that is a mistake. A dark knight must look into the face of truth. He must look at himself and decide why he has the ranking he does. He must decide what he wants and he must find out how to achieve this with the subtlety of a mastermind. And here begins the study of our society. What rules exist, what happens if I do this? Which reaction will result from it? What interactions exist? What rules? And then you begin to construct your theories on this subculture. Be hard to yourself, be ruthless towards yourself, be mindful and always seek the face of truth no matter how uncomfortable it is. For this is the path of the strong. When the knight has built and tested his theories, when he has reconstructed and tuned them, he will have an instrument of mundane power. And with this power he can achieve the social peace he needs to turn towards other studies. But

always keep in mind, that mundane power is the first of armor. It is the offensive part of the mask you carry towards the countenance of the world. And all weapons are to be collected, sharpened and used when it helps you to achieve your goal. When examining a certain sheep, you will notice the mask that they carry around with them. The mask is what a human wishes another human to see. It is to secure our privacy and to make sure that no one comes closer to you than you would prefer at any moment. It is to hide the fear of the sheep. And the sheep carry these masks towards the inside, meaning that they hardly ever have knowledge of it. Granted, they know to a slight degree if they are making small talk or if they are talking about something truly important to them. Yet, the mask is also what protects them from thinking about mystical aspects, what protects them against feeling afraid. It is what would make them not believe you if you told them you had mystical power or knowledge. And it is what holds them a spiritual prisoner. It is what allows or forces them to live their little lives and to never think of anything truly greater than themselves. The dark knight, by aiming towards self recognition and balance destroys this inner mask. He frees himself from it allowing him to perceive reality on a broader scale. Yet there is one aspect of the mask that shows value. The aspect of hiding that which is behind it. A warrior caries an outward mask, meaning that he, in full recognition of the functionality of a mask, tunes his behavior towards outsiders that have no right to his personal thoughts. It is the acting in everyday life to allow the sheep to believe that you are one of them, for the truth would make the heard nervous and cause aggression against you. And while the sheep are weak, there are many of them. The greater your understanding of society the better your acting will be. The more perfect your mask is the easier can you implement your will under the usage of your understanding of society. Until you easily fit into any subculture, leading the sheep to fulfill your desires. Together they meld to the armor of the warrior. To hold off all that is unappreciated and to help shield him from his opponents. Dark Jedi: Lecture #3 Darkside@forceacademy.com Armour "The process of the armour is a steady process that evolves throughout the life of a knight. It is a weapon and therefore it must be kept and cared for. Yet that which the knight desires is the point of self balance and understanding when first his force powers appear." As with the process of tuning the self to balance and further tuning ones understanding to rule over his mundane surroundings, such is the process of discovering the powers that lie within. As mentioned, the dark knight is an emotional being. He attains balance to then further his dark side to engulf his soul and therefore nurture it with darkness to grow in strength and insight. When meditating (cross check Terminology) a knight stands feeling his hatred within him. It is a technique to strengthen the dark emotions flowing through him. Goal of this technique is to feel your dark emotions and draw them through your body upwards, until they surpass your head, engulfing you in an aura of darkness. Note, that this aura should be felt, as if you would be carrying a dark fog or

smoke of constant movement around you. When you have reached this state and can feel your dark emotions radiating from your body, you slowly draw an emotion of pure evil from the second heart upwards. The second heart is a term invented by our order. It is placed around stomach height, sometimes it can be felt in the region of the lower stomach. This is the spot where you feel your intuition, when trying to ponder on a subject on the ground of intuition you will recognise the spot. The darkness is traditionally drawn from below, since the ground is often the strongest source of nature in the vicinity. This meditating practice should be done every day to attune your body and mind to it. As with all things using your gift can be seen as using any other muscle in your body. The more you use it the better you become. If you tend to use it only once in a while, or with long breaks containing several weeks, you will notice how it becomes more difficult again. This technique is the basic step before using any force power. It should be taken very seriously. It should be practised every day, about 15 minutes is sufficient. The principle of discovering new force powers, when not personally taught to you by some one else, is to initiate the meditation. You will notice many different emotions flowing through you. The mixture of dark emotions and intuition breeds a soft wind, allowing your thoughts to circle around you.. A knight must first decide which power he wishes to learn. An important formula here is: Power + Technique = Force Result. You can achieve any imaginable result if you have enough power. Yet power is most often limited. When using a high technique or skill, you will only have to add a minimum of power. Of course, there are many results that can not be achieved for a lack in the additional sum. A second rule is common sense. The more subtle or invisible a force power is, the lower the additional sum. An example: feeling the emotions of another sentient being is easier than shooting lightning at someone. While both are possible, feeling emotions can be learned quicker than shooting lightning and should be preferred at the beginning. By all acknowledgement for our desire of absolute power, every force power learned shows you more insight towards the force. When the knight has decided on a certain force power he wishes to achieve, he must stay with it. When inventing new powers it can take up to one year to master them. If you try different things during the same period you will be slower than if you did them after one another. With the power you wish to achieve, you must now commence understanding its principle. While in meditation, consider what you wish to achieve. Allow the dark wind to circle your thoughts, emotions and intuition until they become a form of premonition, being slowly carried into place in the mental construct of your theory. You will have to feel your way and slowly discover how different aspects interact. Interaction is the key of understanding. And this is where a further rule grasps: Understanding and power come hand in hand. There is none without the other. While this rule might seem simple, you will realise the depth to it as you continue down your path of darkness. The explained process will allow you to slowly adapt new powers. Yet realise this, we all know when we face our inner truths, that we wish for it to work. And this desire for a power to function can lead us into alluding ourselves if we are weak enough to allow it. Therefore it is always important to remain humble before the countenance of the dark side. If you do not worthy this relationship to the dark side of the force it will destroy you. If you remember your place and insignificance before the countenance then it will be a powerful master and ally. With some force powers it will be possible to

statistically support the outcome, showing you if you are advancing towards a true and reliable power, or if you have followed a thread that requires too much power for your momentary situation, noting that your power will continuously grow from the point of your quest. When following the threads of powers you can not support in this manner, you will have to rely on your intelligence, humbleness and caution. If you fail, the dark side will crush you, making your existence more miserable than even that of the sheep. Always bear this in mind. Yet, you must also be prepared to believe that you have this gift and that you can succeed. For if you doubt yourself you will live as a wolf trapped among the sheep. It is a difficult path. Yet the reward is more than I could describe in words. Dark Jedi: Lecture #4 Darkside@forceacademy.com Your Emotions Betray You Now the time has come to interact with the manifold powers of the force. We will begin with the 'reading of emotions'. Read the following slowly and thoroughly. Try to realize the meaning of each step. Reread the text if you are unsure as to the procedure. To control man, means to understand his desires. While logic and observation shows you basic behavior patterns of an individual, they lack perfection, for they are assumptions in the end. While a mindful assumption can suffice to control a weaker victim, there are those enemies that are too powerful or wise to be simply manipulated by a transfer of personal experience. The path of intrigue and manipulation is a path most highly underestimated by the light side. Yet many of those who see themselves as pure in heart, have only come to hide their darker sides. Perhaps they have buried them in a grave of principle, yet if they are there, then they can be found and exploited. And even if you should meet with an enemy truly pure in heart and mind with no desires to exploit, such individuals are often surrounded by loved ones that lack this complete control over their darker sides. I have fought some battles in the past. Some of them were against foes superior in their strength towards the force. But a powerful body is nothing when it lacks the mind to understand the infinite combinations of movement. Intrigue and patience can allow the strongest guardian of light to sink on his knees, if his beliefs of the good in all men blinds his capabilities to protect them. For while he may be able to protect them from you, he can not protect them from themselves.

We begin with the meditation technique as described in lesson three. Our stage will be a cafe or bar, a place where many people are, where you can sit down and have the possibility of studying others around you. In the beginning it is best to see the eyes of your victim. Later, when you have gained some mastery over this power, it will no longer be necessary. Initiating the meditation technique in a public surrounding requires a practised hand. This is why one should practice the meditation every day, as that this new 'muscle' can be applied at your command. A will have to apply a victim example. We will invent two girls, around 16-18 years of age, Sherry and

Melissa. Will will state them to both have an acceptable, physical appearance. From what we can see in a glance is that Melissa is rambling on, speaking of some experience or idea, while Sherry silently stirs her coffee, without looking up. We further state that you have a good view from a different table, several feet away. It is a quiet day, so there are not many people walking through your view, yet enough as to be inconspicuous while watching them. Now we commence. We close our eyes, perhaps with a hand on our forehead, to allow the assumption that we have a head ache. Or we gaze towards a wall, yet not really seeing it. We allow our anger to rise, our hate. Be it of it's own nature or be it while we deepen our anger to a certain fact, something that has made us angry in the past to help us build up our anger. The anger grows and leads to hate of a certain person or thing. The hate strengthens, further and further, perhaps with pictures of what you would do to that thing or person if it was now next to you. Deeper, and deeper, we induldge into our hate. Slowly we generalize our hate. Not only that certain person is despicable, but all who share his opinion. We think of another fraction we hate for similar reasons, the hate growing in strength but also in generalization, loosening its grip towards a certain target and leading us into a pure state of existence. Now, we slowly allow evil to creep into our bodies. From down below, the ground, or the second heart it rises, stronger and stronger, pure and eternal, does it slowly rise through our body. Our sentient presence moves beyond the limits of our physical bodies. The fog or smoke engulfing our bodies. The evil rises slowly through our stomach to our chests. The surge of dark winds moving around our body. There are no barriers, the flesh can not limit your existence. Evil rises on the back of the dark winds containing your power, your hatred, the truth to your existence, the key to your soul. It rises past the chest expanding to the sides and the above. The fog grows denser. It surpasses the head up to about two feet above your body. You no longer feel your surroundings. You are the fog. The fog is you. The constant movement of the fog states your emotions, your desire to destroy, the demanding of limitless evil. And then you look at Sherry, stirring her coffee. You hate her. You despise her with your very existence. You despise her because of her very existence. You passively note the presence of others around you, but you are no longer part of them. You are not of the same existence and you see them as insects behind glass. You allow your emotions to flow towards Sherry, demanding to move through her. You allow the fog, as part of your sentience to move towards her and engulf her from all sides. You strengthen your hatred and let go of your consciousness, being a sentience without an own body. The fog covers her entire body, every inch. At this time you might begin to feel every small movement she makes as if it were your own, yet strangely distant. The fog moves into her body, entering it through her eyes, mouth and nose. Concentrate on her head. And then the fog frictions from all sides, moving about half an inch into her body, as if you were tightening your clasp around her until there is no more room other than to move a bit into her. We hold this position, feeling her movement passively and we strengthen the evil within us. A second rising of evil from below, to strengthen the first flow is suggested. And then we let go, still, a bit further, and with a movement of eternal patience we feel for our second heart. At first we feel a movement, a pattern unlike the hatred and evil of the rest of your sentience. We feel every movement she makes when she makes it. We feel the slow current of her

emotions leading to her every movement. We strengthen our hatred further, always feeling for the second heart. We demand that her secret be shown to us. And then we feel an emotion. At first, we feel several emotions. Different currents with different 'tastes' to them, moving in different directions with different speeds. Some of them are stronger than others, yet together they devise a pattern. We dive past the surface and into the depth of her feelings, searching for the key emotion. The emotion stronger than all others. We search and feel and we find...a sadness. A sadness, we try to place this emotion and feel it might be sadness in the sense of a loss. Yet, it seems not to be a complete loss that is irrevocable. It is a sadness connected with fear. An uneasy feeling of a loss to come. Sherry glances around and looks at you, but you must not hesitate at this moment. Ignore it and you see that she looks away again. Not having obviously noticed that you are looking at her. She sighs and frowns slightly. We feel that her sadness deepens. We feel it is a sadness combined with fear and...pain. We feel the loss, the object of her sadness coming closer to the surface. It is love. Neglected love. Yet not in the tone of futility. She must partially have the subject of her love. A man, a man she has met, that she knows. A man that she has fallen in love with. A man that seemed to love her until...something. Something is not the way it should be with this man. He has neglected her. Offended her. He has given her doubt to their relationship. We search further. She has not lost him, yet she is unsure if she still 'has' him. A doubt. Another women? The possibility of another women. The possibility that his feelings have changed. Her fear of losing him. Her pain of losing her love. We see as her emotions move around. We feel how she considers her position. Her possibilities. But we feel that she is pessimistic. She feels herself incapable of changing the events to come. We feel no hatred. We understand that Sherry does not know her female competition. We feel her pain. How very deep that pain is. She thinks of him. We feel the emotions appearing, understanding what she loves in him and what not. We understand what she seeks in him. What she perhaps seeks in a man in general. We understand what type of man he might be. We can assume through our armor how this type of man probably thinks and feels. We understand the category he belongs to and have additional details. We understand Sherry. We understand what she seeks in a man. We understand what she would do for the man she loves. We understand how much control the man she loves has over her. We understand one of the keys to controlling her. We allow the fog to pass towards Melissa, still rambling on about something not heard by Sherry. We dive into Melissa as described above. We see her interest in what she is telling Sherry. We feel that she knows that Sherry does not hear her, but Melissa does not mind. We feel sympathy and sorrow from Melissa towards Sherry's situation. We feel the same fear in Melissa, that the man is lost. The fear is not as great as in Sherry, but it has the same subject. We understand that Sherry is not feeling sorry for herself and that the situation with this man seems to be serious. We feel how Melissa feels helpless to help Sherry. We understand what Melissa would do for a friend. We understand how strong Melissa sympathizes with the ones that are dear to her. We understand one of Melissa's weaknesses. We understand the man to soon be lost and we know what type of man he probably is. We would have to see the man and read his emotions to be sure, but we have a first idea. The winds howl victorious. Their existence, so pathetic and trivial. Their desires unprotected towards our grasp. A surge of evil touches your predatory soul. You feel the power you have over the sheep. And thus, we release the two. We stand up and move towards them....

Perhaps we walk over to them and say, "You shouldn't allow him to bring such sorrow to your soul. The loss is great. Yet you will see the lack of his worth. For if he truly understands your heart, and would be worth that which you are prepared to give him, could he never impale your affection with such indifference." And then we leave... To meet her again. To repair her relationship and allow her to owe you a favor. To allow her to be your best friend. To allow her to fall in love with you. To take the man for yourself. To be visited by her or Melissa. Wondering and wishing to know how you knew... Feeling the emotions of others will allow you to perfectionize your armor. To use abstract constructs when evaluating behavior with a higher degree of detail. It will allow you to exploit those around you and bind those of your choice to seek your protection or friendship. This is the scalpel of carving your closer environment. This is the key to acquiring the women or man of your choice. This is the key of understanding hidden desires, when scanning an individual on several occasions. And that, will lead you to the key of corrupting their souls. Practice this technique once a day. You will soon be able to induct it quite fluently in all possible situations. The Force: its origin, present and future From the depths of the universe it came, Life, and with life there came beauty. As Life grew, it diversified becoming more than just crude, skin and bones or leaves and branches. Vast energy grew with life, fed by both beauty and ugliness of life, thriving, growing and evolving. As life blossomed and grew ever more sophisticated, so the energy grew, becoming more defined and distinct. With the growth of life there came the desire to seek knowledge, to understand the origins of and meaning of life. Beings thirst for knowledge fell upon the more tangible workings of the universe, and so

the Force was forgotten. Technology became the wonder of philosophers and the research of scientists. So the galaxy stood, cruel, baron and heartless for time unknown. Then came the Jedi, a group of sentients, forsaking the technology on which their societies were based, for knowledge of the Force. The Jedi studied the Force, discovering its depths and secrets in an attempt to bridge the gap between nature and technology. The Jedi tried to bring tranquillity and peace to the galaxy, until they were betrayed. Not all of those who researched the depths of the force were good. The Force is created by life and is neither good nor evil, but can be made to serve the evil. And so it was, just as the Jedi began to heal the Galaxies wounds after a thousand generations of neglect, that they were destroyed. Just as the Jedi had studied the Force for Good, others had studied the Force to discover if it could serve their evil intentions. It could. The dark side of the Force was far more seductive and quick to master. Soon the evil ones had hunted and killed the ancient Jedi order to extinction. Or so they thought. Quotations from SW Obi-Wan Kenobi

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." "For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire."

Yoda

"Concentrate. Feel the Force flow. Not outside or inside, but part of all it is. Through the Force, things you will see. Reaches across time and space it does. Other places. The future... the past. Old friends long gone. Always in motion is the future." "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we... not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... the tree... the rock... everywhere!" "In balance is the Force. The Dark and the Light. With out one, there is no other. The Dark Side, tempting it is. Quick, easy at first, but a trap is the Dark Side. Corrupting, evil. Once you start down the Dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. For the Light Side, patience you need. Control. Peace and harmony it is."

A Jedi's Ally

A Jedi's greatest ally is the force. A Jedi's use and control of the Force is a hard won skill and complex achievement. The Force is an ever changing and powerful energy field which is nurtured by all living things; it surrounds and penetrates the entire galaxy. Yet the force does not serve good nor evil, for these are qualities only associated with sentient's. The force is neutral, it is the user who controls the force and makes it serve them. A Jedi from their earliest of beginnings must strive to something greater than most are capable. The force although present in all life can only be harnessed by those in tune with its flow. A Jedi must feel the force, it is like a river which flows past every being, yet only those with a cup can drink from its waters. Being in touch with the force is an indescribable feeling, and to loose it is to loose a sense such as sight. When at peace and at one with the force a Jedi can feel live all around, the intentions, dreams, aspirations, feelings of every living thing. This stage is when a Jedi can truly claim to be at one with the force. At a point in a Jedi's life, one which only they will know, a Jedi learns to reduce his reliance on logical thought, a true Jedi is one who can balance logic with feeling. As Jedi train they become aware of the universe and its expanse, loosing the idea that they are only part of a planet or a system. Trained Jedi feel force flow through the galaxy and beyond, to touch the force is to be aware of everything, this knowledge comes with a price though. A Jedi who reaches the point where he is part of the flow, a conductor of the force, and is not ready for the burden. The awareness of every beings thoughts is susceptible to evil.

Aspects and origins of Force Use

Since the beggining of time the ancient oricles have studied the limitless nature of the Force. Philosophers and Scholars discovered that the Force was the very essance of life, a conduit in the complex cycle of life. Life and death were not finite points, merely resting points on the flowing river of the Force. All things in existance are part of the flow, living entities even more so. The 'life force' of a sapient being burns brightest in the chamber of light that is life. The ancients further discovered that the Force could be manipulated, through years of patient study in a way that defied all rational explanations. Due to the very nature of the Force itself adepts discovered the vast expanse of space no longer hindered communication. As these so called 'Force Adepts' explored the mysteries of the Force they discovered that through the force they could see past the veils of time.

As more beings sought to harness this mysterious power the ancients established places of learning in which their knowledge and traditions could be preserved and enhanced for their desendants. As with all knowledge it came to pass that these traditions of enlightenment flourished across the galaxy. Not all adepts embraced the early traditions in the same way, many focusing on one aspect of the Force. Most Force adepts studied the Force for knowledge and defence, but a few studied the Force to facilitate evil.

To better understand the complexities of the Force scholars came to desribe these two distinct aspects in their most fundamental form: The Light Side and the Dark Side.

The Light is a pure form of the Force intimately bound with the essence of life itself. The lights is peace, harmony and knowledge and those who follow the Light use it for only these things. The Light is nurtured and draws strength from the diversity of life, thriving where there is serenity and accord. Those emotions which enhance its flow and tap into its vast reserves of strength and peace. Patience, humility and self sacrifice are paths to enlightenment.

The Dark Side, in contrast, is a twisted form of the Light Side thriving on hate and destruction. Chaos and rage feed and nurture it. The Dark Side is a part of the natural ballance of things; it is not inherently evil, but evil lurks in its irrationality, its intolerance, and its lack of control. Bestial and predatory, domination is its goal. Unyieldingly hostile and unforgiving, its disciples are blinded by greed and lust for power over those weaker than themselves.

The Light and Dark Side exist in the universe as nature intended and manifest themselves in the way they are used. In ballance with the universe and each other, they exist only in our interpretation.

Anger and hate summon the Dark Side, Jedi must condition themselves to separate from these emotions. By releasing the grip on their concious self a Jedi can free their enotion and desire, and thereby grow powerful in the Light Side. Lightsaber: Fact/Fiction? According to astrophysicist Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, a rapidly spinning conductor will cause the creation of virtual particle radiation at its surface. Particle production is controlled by the charge, angular velocity (of rotation) and radius of this charged conductor. If we imagine a rod shaped charged field of atomic-scale cross-section, which is superconducting and rotating at near-lightspeed, then charge regulation becomes the control for the particle emission type and quantity. Such charged fields would tend to repel one-another (if they are of like polarity), which means the blades would BLOCK one another. NOTE: a sabre would have to be built carefully and tuned correctly! A badly adjusted sabre would subject its user (and everyone in range) with considerable amounts of gamma radiation!. The glow of the sabre blade consists of virtual-photons energised by the rotating field into real photons ... virtual light make real! The opaque 'thumb-thick' blade shape may be a swirl of ionised atmospheric particles (the AIR) drawn in and swirling about the core. When you IONISE a gas, you actually have a

PLASMA (as it is meant by terrestrial physics) ... and this would glow JUST LIKE A FLUORESCENT TUBE (which is ALSO a plasma!) ... BUT this thumb-thick plasma zone is merely a by-product ... the REAL cutting is performed by minuscule core of the true blade ... leaving almost microscopically thin cuts. (The blade would STILL glow fiercely in even in a vacuum, as it throws off 'virtual photons - made real' ... but the thumb-thick core may not be visible.) Such a tight rapidly spinning charged superconducting field would rend (tear) through most matter by stripping off electrons which bind atoms together. The ionized matter about the 'cut', as well as fieldexcited atomic movement in the localized area of the 'cut', would mimic great point-of-contact heat. A wound to a soft-tissue organic being would appear to be a microscopically thin BURN - and such a wound would usually tend to be cauterized (depending on how slowly the blade passed through - a large blood vessel cut too quickly may not be sufficiently 'burned' to cauterize). Dense metals which have loosely bound electrons (which are free to wander about their lattice structure) would be more resistant to cutting. The 'atom stripping' effect would take a little longer to cut through, because such materials have more electrons 'to spare' before their lattice structure becomes 'torn'. Metals are also more highly conductive, and the localized 'heat' effects are minimized because the heat is carried away and dispersed through the material more quickly. This means that even though with varying amounts of effort, a lightsabre could cut through virtually anything, some materials would offer more resistance to a sabre blade, and therefore we can now understand how Lord Vader's armour was able to ward off most of Luke's glancing blow, saving his life. Mr Albert Forge has gone further, and has postulated a mechanism for the generation of the spinning field which creates the blade described above. Imagine a tiny sphere of unknown composition (perhaps some of the 'hypermatter' referred to in the SWICS & SWVD books by LFL's Dr Reynolds). Rapidly spin this into a disk by the effect of inducing fields (probably EM). The disk deformed and elongated into a tube, or rod (imagine the sleeve of a shirt being turned inside out) by an axially mounted and powerful electron gun (like the tube of your TV). Field extension/retraction would be controlled by altering the output of the electron gun (which incidentally also controlled the charge of the conducting field ... the spin rate is determined by the inducing EM fields that created the disk from the sphere in the first place). 'Focussing' in this case may then be the very-rapid application of 'tuning' precession forces upon the extended field in order to 'follow' the orientation of the hilt, as left to itself it would tend to gyroscopically resist orientation changes. [NOTE: Mr Forge would like to say that all the above, which having its roots in 'real' physics, is speculative, and must be taken with "several solar masses of sodium chloride" *grin* ... IMHO however, it is a VASTLY more consistent and believable model than any other. It just 'could' possibly work! *AND* it matches ALL the observed and ascribed conditions!] ADVANTAGES it SPINS - matching my 'gyroscopic angular inertia' ideas (independently supported by the SWVD) no 'plasma' or 'fuel' required other than raw power the blade is PURE energy the blade is opaque there is a sensible 'focussing' (tuning) role for crystals which COULD see them able to adjust the colour!

the blades would block one another AND blaster bolts! it hums it glows, even in a vacuum! the cuts are microscopically thin it cuts by 'shearing away' the electrons in the substance, leaving a locally 'induced' heat-like reaction in other words: .. leaving burns & cauterized wounds! dense metallic surfaces with many stray electrons in their matrix would provide higher resistance to the 'electron stripping' cutting action ... thus Vader's armour stops the glancing blow from killing him! Mr Forge has built upon the 'sabre/blaster relationship' idea (presented in Model Three above) using his 'virtual-light' model ... A question from Mr Doran Skalak about gravitic effects prompted me to ask an astrophysicist (Curtis Saxton) questions about high-speed rotations and relativistic effects: the following comments are my own attempts to explain what he told me, and I may have made any number of scientific errors ... In Model#6 there is a 'virtual' object ROTATING at the core of the blade .. a forcefield of almost zero mass (I assume) which has a NON-MECAHNICAL induced spin applied at near lightspeed [c] to achieve the Zeldovich effect as described above. Apparently, objects moving at near 'c' WILL undergo the mass-effects predicted by Eientstein even if they have near zero mass ... because the equations effect ENERGY, and mass is merely one form of energy. As a result, the spinning blade will NOT ONLY undergo gyrospcopic resistance to changes in angular orientation (being waved around), but will ALSO suffer SOME DEGREE (unknown) of relativistic gravitic effects. In effect, the blade may acquire some 'virtual mass' - FROM the relative standpoint of the user. Further, these effects will produce a form of 'event horizon' effect at the boundary (not incompatable with Zeldovich's 'virtual light' predictions I assume) which you would expect could account for the noise, the glow and the terrible destructive capabilities of the 'light' blade. Sabres and Blasters related? Now comes the REAL speculation! It was postulated in Model Three (Field contained plasmoids) that the Sabre beam may be related to the Blaster Bolt - as though the sabre were a 'static' gunshot, or more correctly, that the blaster bolt is a 'mobile sabre blade'. This is a fascinating idea, but it has a serious drawback ... there are instances in the films where damage is done BEFORE the visible part of the bolt arrives. the 'contained' model CANNOT explain this... BUT the 'virtual light' model CAN. *IF* Blasters and sabres originate from the same principle technology, then blasters MAY be such 'spinning fields' which can exist for a time on their own, and can be projected along a vector (ie: fired!). Such a 'bolt' would indeed leave a TRAIL OF LIGHT in its wake! The 'damage' may well be done BEFORE the visible part of the bolt arrives! Since a blaster is like a sabre, and since sabres block one-another, a sabre can block a blaster bolt! BUT this would be VERY VERY difficult to do because the sabre blade is so thin, and the blaster bolt so very fast! A Turbolaser may be a rotating field of larger diameter. Perhaps such larger fields would retain their coherence for longer (after leaving the emitter) and thus have greater range. If the field integrity decays beyond a certain point, its rapid rotation may cause it to 'explode' beyond a certain distance from the emitter. This would explain the 'flak bursts' observed in the film when some shots miss their targets. The asteroid hit by the Star Destroyer in TESB would first be 'drilled into' by the bolt, then exploded (vaporized in fact!) from within when the bolt's rotation collapsed - it would essentially have had its constituent atoms ripped apart from the inside out!

Lightsaber: Training #1 One important skill in Lightsaber combat that should be learnt is how to deal with multiple opponents. Situations like this may emerge when all else has failed, and people may be hesitant to fight you alone, so several of them attack at once. First things first, know your limits. It is okay to retreat or surrender rather than engage in a suicidal battle. The only time fighting is the only option is when the well being of other is at stake. Just remember, no one person can defeat an attack from several hundred armed men. When the battle itself begins, face a direction which gives you sight of the most possible opponents. Remember usually they will surround you, not line up in front of you. Do not worry about the unsighted ones, use the Force to discover their locations, and to track their movements. Wait for them to attack you, but when they do you must not hesitate, use the Force to judge the closest attacker, strike a this one quickly, then the next closest. Use long, sweeping, horizontal strikes, as they can take out more than one at a time. Avoid vertical strikes, thrusts, and other such "precision" strikes, they are restricted to hitting only small areas. Often a simple Force push can knock a row of attackers down, but do not strike them while they are down. Such a thing is cowardly, and not the conduct of a light Jedi. Often after the initial shock of being knocked over by an invisible presence, they will turn and run anyway. Mastering a double-bladed sabre requires physical upper body strength, unlike other types of sabres. As when your blade makes contact with another you must be careful not to get butt-ended (have the other end strike you, chances are severing a leg). Your safest attacking moves are diagonal strikes, as they have the least chance of striking yourself. Horizontal strokes should always finish with the hilt against the side of your body. This way the blade won't end up in the side of your body. As for vertical strikes, don't even think about it, it is not worth the risk. Lightsaber: Training #2 Greetings My name is Jedi Knight Ki Maul Adi and I will try and post new Saber Lesson every few weeks or so. Now first lesson is to be able to use and handle the Lightsaber, your hands should be placed were you feel comfortable, but always Right hand over top the Left hand. Doing this will let you use your Right hand to guide the saber in any direction you want the blade to go, and the Left hand should be used as the power of the strike this is where left handers have the advantage seeing how they may use that hand more, but that doesn't mean you will lose the battle, it only gives your opponent a slight advantage. Now, when you hold it, you want to hold it so when you connect with the other person(s) blade it won't fly out of your hand and you don't want to hold it to where your hands go numb from holding the Handle so tight. You want to hold it with enough pressure to keep it in your hands and be able to move it in any direction. Ok..Now that you know how to hold the saber here are a few exercise to do.

1. Most important, Meditate for at lest 15-20min. before doing these exercises and after, make sure you are totally at peace and are able to hear and sense things you haven't been able to before. 2. Do a couple of Over Head Strikes, and Side Strikes to lower body and upper body, for now. Practice these over and over again so you can do them on instinct. 2. Advanced, Try the Over Head Strikes, and Side Strikes to lower body and upper body with spins and practice these over and over again to you can do them on instinct. 3. 2nd most important is to be able to roll with your saber in your hand(blade not extended at first then do it with it extended for all of these) Doing this may keep you from getting a limb chopped off, also cartwheels and roundoffs are a good way to avoid a blade of a lightsaber. Practice this over and over again. Practice this as long as you can and as many times a day as you can. This is not all I have but for now DO these. (I will also post a Topic on how to train for Force Jumping, Running, and Pushing. These may take a few years to master but if you train hard and long you will be able to Jump, and Run even Better). Lightsaber: Training #3 Principles of movement: In this section we will be reviewing the principles of movement. The principles of movement are the correct ways of action during an engagement. These you know of, advance, retreat, etc.... We will explain them one at a time so as not to confuse you. You should devote at least 30 min. of your training time to these movements alone. ADVANCE The Advance is the first movement we will review. To perform an advance simply stand with your feet in a 'T' . This being the basic ready. Back foot going from left to right and front foot going from front to back. Creating a 'T'. Now shift all of your weight to the front of your feet, this makes you light and agile. Now slide your front foot out away from your back foot about 2 feet. Shifting your wait to your front leg you now slide your back leg up to meet your front one. Finishing this movement in the same position you started at. RETREAT The Retreat is done exactly the way the advance is done but in a reverse order. Stepping first with your back foot and trailing with your front. ANGLE STEP The Angle step is done by moving toward your opponents hip. You are facing your opponent, with your right foot forward. To do a right angle step you perform a basic advance towards his left hip.To do a left angle step, you bring your back foot around you, and step towards his right hip. Using this principle you can figure it is just opposite for left foot forward stance's. This is actually a very important stepping movement , seen as how it usually get you around your opponents blade.

WALKOVER The walkover is a very good movement used to close a lot of ground quickly, without having to perform a technique. To perform a walkover from a right foot forward basic stance, you take your back leg, and bring it up in front of your right leg, keeping the left foot facing right to left. You then bring your right leg back to the forward most position and regaining your basic stance. When fighting against a double bladed saber do not perform this stepping movement, for the amount of force that the double saber distributes upon impact is to much for you to handle if caught in the middle of a walkover, it will send you directly to the ground. SPIN / CURL The spin/ curl is a very effective move if attacked with a lunge or a pass. These are both techniques in which you devote all of your force of movement into an attack, missing your target are leave you vulnerable and off balance. The Spin or Curl is a sure way to make your opponent miss his objective. To perform this movement, again you are in the basic stance, right foot forward. You will step forward towards your opponents incoming attack, angle stepping towards his right hip, then with your right leg you make a circle pattern on the ground, bringing your body all the way around into a 360, only stopping once you have sight of your opponent once more. When starting your spin, after performing the angle step, turn your head as far to the right as possible. This is done so that once your body has quarter turned you already have sight of your opponent, giving you advance warning on a miss, counter, etc..... This is a very difficult technique to use in actual combat and requires A LOT of practice. ROLLING Rolling is probably one of the most successful forms of defence and evasion. An opponent swings low, you aerial roll over it, he swings high, you roll under it, he knocks you off balance, you roll backwards to get distance between the two of you. In my experience in actual duels, there is no better form of defence then solid rolls and basic blocks. We will learn this one left foot forward basic stance, this means you will be rolling on your left side. When practising this always alternate sides, to build up flexibility. During the entire roll you should always keep your body round and curved. Step 1) you bend down to begin your roll and you must make sure that you bend straight over so that your roll will be straight and not on your side. Place your feet shoulder width apart, aim your eyes to your back toes, or stare at your right hip. Place your hand directly in front of you, finger tips pointing at each other, palms slightly raised of the ground. Both arms curved into semi circle, this insures no one single point of contact. Shift your wait forward letting gravity send you rolling. Do not break your form. Do it like this for a while, once you get comfortable doing it like this you can move on to performing the roll from a walk, then run, then jump.......once you have gotten to the jumping part you have successfully completed the rolling section of training. The back roll is done the same way as described above just in reverse order.........I strongly recommend finding a qualified instructor to teach you these rolls though. EVADING Evading is one of the best forms of defence, both in saber combat, and in Martial Arts. If you can get proficient at it you can defeat anyone. This is probably my favourite way of fighting seen as how you do nothing but move flowingly, and your opponents is running after you swinging frantically. After a few moments the attacker will not have the energy to go on.....you can end it there and pummel him( not

cool at all) or you can just walk away( which is what your here to learn to do). So this concludes the section on Principles of Movement. Lightsaber: Training #4 have decided that I should share the knowledge that I have, and that I will do first through sabre fighting. Take this information in, study it well, cause in an actual fight it will help. We will start these lesson's of with the three principles of sabre combat. The three principles are time ,distance , and guard. The masters of old derived that if you could master these three things that no man on earth could beat you. TIME: This being the First principle of duelling. It's function is to reduce the motions of a weapon and body to those strictly necessary, both in number and in extent, so as to employ the least possible time in attack or parry. Secondly to balance those motions carefully , with that of your opponents, in order to seize at once the least possible opportunity and to reduce the number of chance hits to a minimum. . DISTANCE: This being the second principle of duelling. To keep out of easy reach when on the defensive and conversely never to attack, or fake, without being within striking distance. Now we must split these into two category's, the short measure ,and the long measure. The short measure being possible to deliver an attack with just a step foreword, and the long measure being required to lunge to hit your target. GUARD: This being the third principle of duelling. This applies to the preliminary action of an attack. It is therefore a position with intention to assault. It also refers to the position in witch a defence can be launched with minimal movement. Now you have a greater understanding of what on guard means. What is the Force? There are many diverse opinions on what the force is. What started out as a vision of George Lucas has developed into a multi-cultural and in-depth philosophy emphasizing a multitude of aspects and theories based on the portfolio of mankinds spiritual legacy. Meeting different people pledged to studying the force, we also encounter many different core considerations. Some believe eastern teachings, reflecting the spirituality and lore of philosophies such as Zen, Tao, and Chi, represent the best road map to explain the force. Others take a more western approach, looking at Christianity and Paganism for the right answers.

Within the force again, the practicing majority agree that different aspects exist, defining the moral values any student should follow. Some believe the force should be studied to do good in the world, others believe it is solely a personal path to mainly benefit their own individual goals. While the communities agree and consolidate all such initiatives under a joint brand, acknowledging equal value for each concept presented, there is little information provided on theories trying to encompass a holistic view, describing the force in its entirety. This lecture is devoted to that goal. The force represents the universe in its entirety. Including all living beings as well as the energies existing between all matter, living beings and the universe itself. In its core, the force is a polar trinity of energies. Imagine a diagram of a point in three dimensional space. You have three axes determining its position. One axis represents Good and Evil. The second axis represents Order and Chaos. The third, Creation and Destruction. In the middle, the center point and intersection of all three axes, you find your average human being. For the first step, I would like to outline more around the axis and the forces they represent. Attachment:

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Many people believe that physical beings, e.g. human beings, are not the only form of sentient beings in existence. They believe there are powers, deities and other forms of sentience that are accessible to us, representing certain moral or ethical values and intentions. Regarding terminology, I would like to distinguish between Sentient Entities and Energies. The Sentient Entities being non physical forms of cognitive Creation that exist within the universe. Energies being a form of power that can provide and fuel, but that also represent a direct or indirect part of these Entities: An extension of their will, but one that also connects with other living beings and the universe itself. If I try and summarize the historic development of the universe, to further outline the above, I would see it as follows. First there was the universe. It was there, but it was empty. And I will leave the question of whom or what put it there aside for now. What did exist within the universe at that time was raw energy without direction or purpose, this perhaps being by definition the origin of Chaos. As the energy further stabilized, it began to separate, distinguishing different forms of energy with their own first patterns and behaviors. This again, potentially marking the birth of Order. As these first Energies grew in age and diversity, contributing further to their complexity and purpose, first matter came into existence. Gases developed creating stars and matter. Some things came into being and some again became unstable and dissolved. This again potentially marking the birth of Creation and Destruction in terms of life and death. While it is tempting to argue that Destruction is nothing but Chaos, the opposite is true. Creation is also a matter of Chaos. Out of given energies, a change must occur. A pattern needs to emerge and redefine itself to create. It can be argued that a form of Order is developing out of Chaos, but Creation is movement and thus, not Order by definition. Therefore I have considered it separate, valuing Creation and Destruction with its own axis. So at this point we have Energies with a purpose: A program that they follow, interacting with each other, whereas the dominant manifestation of one source of Energy began to dictate physical occurrence in the universe. With age, the sum of each Energy, expanded in an ever-complex pattern throughout the universe, eventually developing its own sentience. This is a point that can be obviously argued and is certainly a point of controversy. In my personal beliefs and theories, anything that exists for long enough will develop sentience. Lets say you would throw a piece of toast on your front lawn. It will grow moldy, it will decompose and become a part of the soil. At the same time, the soil will offer by-products: grass will grow out of it; maybe bushes and trees. but also bacteria, which is nothing other than Life (Creation). Bacteria will develop eventually into more sophisticated life forms. Water creatures, later land animals and eventually human beings. Somewhere along that line sentience developed out of our piece of toast. If you take a stone, the same thing will happen. Granted we need maybe some more time. Some wind to turn it into sand. Some rain to turn sand into mud. Inevitably you are granted soil again, or at least algae growing on the side of our original piece of rock. I concur that this is not a comprehensive answer, but explains the gist of what I am getting at. Everything eventually becomes alive with its own energies that it encompasses but also adheres to. If this is true for physical matter, which is just a reflection of energy,

why should it not be equally true for energy itself? Coming back to our Energies: our existing Energies at this point, with their own program and intent as well as a growing sentience. Not all energy is always applied in full utilization. There are always remaining energies, a by-product that disperses and is recycled back into the whole. If we allow for existing Energies to have achieved sentience then in the end we must allow for the same potential regarding their by-products. The Energies continued to diversify and develop into more and more forms. Each form weaker than the parent it came from (principal of dividing energy). At some point there was a mesh of energies indirectly supporting the overall expansion of the universal program and process. From Chaos would come Creation that would continue to expand in its manifestations. A pattern and Order of its own. These new energies, this mesh, focused on the preservation of these activities, and given enough age, developed a sentience of their own. And thus what was considered good and right to occur in the universe became defined. As each energy must have its opposite in equal measure, a different mesh of by-product focused on the destructive aspect of the universal programming. The more action occurred in terms of productive expansion and Order, the stronger opposing forces would need to develop to support an equilibrium and balance. From this nature of opposing Good Energies, came in simplified terms, the Energy of Evil. As the universe continued to unfold and Energies continued to produce their own offspring of sorts through a mix of mentioned by-products, first independent sentient beings developed. Made of incorporeal energies, and with a far more diverse pattern in terms of programming and behaviors, beings developed that we would refer to as deities. And this assumption rings true as well if we revisit our own historic religions. Almost each religion and god or pantheon offers a story of creation, where the gods were born by the parents of Creation, Order, Good and other defined energies. The deities existed in the same framework of polar trinity. Depending on the underlying energies of their birth, and what they chose to associate themselves with, they can be profiled in our three dimensional diagram. Each deity known in history can be mapped out. Did he or she stand more for Good or Evil? Each one had a closer affiliation with Creation or Destruction as well as Order or Chaos. Were they preservers or destroyers for mankind? And here I make also a clear distinction that their birth pattern played as important a role as their conscious actions. I align with something I read from JediknightG the other day. The more we do Good and think Good, the more we become aligned with that power, force or Energy. The same goes for Evil. The same goes for any other alignment within the trinity. The same goes for human beings as it does for deities. Some deities were more distinct in their alignment towards the trinity. The Midgard-Serpent will one day devour the world (Destruction). He has little else to add or which he seeks. Zeus on the other hand was more sophisticated in his alignment. He created man (Creation), but also didnt hesitate to

punish his foes (Destruction, Order). The Christian God in the Old Testament seems to be more harsh, apparently focusing more around Order than around Good, which would later become his dominant role in the New Testament. Again, this part of the theory makes further assumptions: That the deities allied and battled each other, and eventually turned their attention to mankind as an extension of their battleground. Which is where the ever forming creation of lesser Energies inevitably lead to: the first cognitive sentience that did not have enough energy to sustain itself without a physical shell, i.e. human beings. Looking at the above assumption that opposed Energies would try and hinder each other, it is logical to assume that deities would do the same based on their alignments. With that humanity came into the picture. Our own as well as potentially that of other worlds and their version of a corporal sentience. And as perhaps the older Energies did to the deities, so did they try and do to us. Approach us and explain what they stand for and seek that we align our own behaviors and core with the values (pattern of the alignment) they stand for. But no matter how the deities aligned themselves according to our diagram, they would have one dominant axis of alignment which is usually what they became famous for, and that is the dominant Energy they project. A valid question here is: why serve? What is the purpose or benefit for a deity to have a human align himself to a specific Energy? I believe this has to do with trying to further and nurture the strength of that Energy. If we simplify again: A Good deity approaches you and wants you to do Good. Your actions, behaviors and thoughts continue to align yourself with the Energies of Good. It strengthens your link to it, over which you receive more and more guidance from your deity and the guiding principle, as well as your energies and by-products flowing, recycling back to the Energy you are aligned to most. This is probably valid in life as much as in any form of afterlife. Although logically, and regarding the big picture, no Energy can supersede the other without potentially putting the universe as we know it at risk, it doesnt mean they wouldnt try. We all know we are going to die one day, but still we try and do something meaningful with our lives, in accordance with our personal values, to support certain things and oppose others. We are fundamentally the same as deities in terms of our basic programming (if on a lesser scale). Which brings me back to our diagram. What are the aspects of the Force? Regarding the aspects, we distinguish between the Light, Dark and Shadow side within the force. In our diagram, I would consider the light side an area, including the area from the center to the end of the poles for Creation, Good and Order. This is based on both the original information provided by the star wars universe, as much as it is based on how we see the Light Side practiced among its followers today.

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In the Star Wars universe, we encounter the Jedi as protectors of peace; as warriors, scholars, diplomats and advisors. They follow a belief in a natural Order, accessing the force to seek guidance and insight. The Jedi believe in peace and prosperity, in love and kinship as key values. They strive to protect and support what is Good in the universe, encouraging others to seek the same. They believe in the power and beauty of life as the unique Creation of the force. The people following this path mutually follow the path as scholars. They study the force and offer advice and teachings to those seeking them out. But then we begin to see the differences in terms of which areas within the Light Side they take the most interest in. Many come from a Christian background. They believe in the prevalence of Good, the importance to distinguish between right and wrong and nurture right in both own behavior as in the advice given unto others. Some come from a more esoteric background, from Pagan belief systems, bringing with them ideas and concepts supporting the importance of Creation and preservation of life. Again many turn to the east, embracing traditional philosophies around Zen, Tao and Chi. Mind over matter, karma as the pathway to follow. From my own experience with eastern philosophies, I consider them most closely affiliated to Order. There is a destiny, a path that we all follow. Karma is the reflection

of how we deal with that path. And while the path, as a reflection of life will include its highs and lows, importance is given to maintaining inner peace. It is most important to maintain an inner balance, following a higher direction and Order. While events happen and emotions are incurred, it is about preserving balance within the inner self. We grow by the Good we encounter and make a part of ourselves. Change (Chaos) is often an important part of this. But we are also to let go of that which is negative and undesirable. The path is one of change, but the goal is to maintain Order despite the storm around us. In many regards, with time, these cornerstones have become a weave of fabric which we all graze with our fingers and clothe ourselves in as we travel on our path through life. The Dark Side accordingly covers the area from the center to the end of the poles for Evil, Destruction and Chaos. Again, we find support of this both in the original Star Wars characters as well as the followers of the path today. Attachment:

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In the movies, we find quite obviously the theme of supporting Evil for its own sake. Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side as a result of his experienced pain and his inability to process it successfully. He brings terror and fear to others, so that they shall feel as he did. Bringing pain and suffering for its own

sake is the very root description of Evil. We find Destruction, in terms of what the Sith bring to their enemies (death) as much as in their own philosophy. They take on every risk and challenge to further develop their own strength (Chaos) and maintain Destruction as a close companion. Any equilibrium they encounter, they try to disrupt. The only balance they achieve is within the Empire, but that only with two of them left and directing their order and will unto others. Among the followers of the Dark Side, we find similar concepts. Many, I believe, focus actually on Chaos. They enjoy challenging the status quo, playing the devils advocate to test boundaries and gain a glimpse and insight of what lies beyond. Some do this for their own benefit, some to disadvantage their victims. You will find more esoteric practitioners in these ranks, many studying power and methods of achieving it. They tend to dissect human kind both physically and emotionally, detached and callous towards those they experiment on. They do this to fuel their own skills and powers, to sharpen the blade with which they bring destruction to any opposition. The relationship they entertain with Destruction and Chaos, as per our definition, is a classical mark of their handwriting, both in terms of their goals and actions. And then there are those who serve the Dark Side, either in return for benefits acquired or for servitudes sake. And with that, Evil grows within them and among them and is what they bring unto others and mankind. The majority of current day followers of this path touch upon all three fields, again showing that there are original roots, as well as a joint culture which has developed from them. The Shadow Side is not an aspect originally supported by the movies and the Star Wars universe. And this is the aspect most difficult to pinpoint and define in terms of their culture. In our diagram, I have concluded that they are themselves in the center, equally exposed to all poles. The difference to our average human being that has no (conscious) knowledge or relationship with the force is the way they experience and practice within their specific area. They create their own perimeter around the center point, equally seeking involvement and distance from each of the energies they are exposed to. They will embrace Chaos, considering change a way of life. They will focus on maintaining Order, despite the storm around them. They will act in accordance with Good and Evil, believing there is justification in neither and both. They will look at life (Creation) as the path they travel on, but welcome Destruction and death as an inevitable step and encounter in their journey. From death comes rebirth and the path continues. Attachment:

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Again the above focuses on what we predominantly expose ourselves to in terms of the Energies around us. These are our main focal points. But the diagram is more, giving us opportunity to also map out our own nature and thus understand our relationship towards others. As with the deities, so do we have our own profile within the diagram. Any active student of the Light or Dark aspect will have at least one Energy (trait) which stands out in his personal diagram. This dominant Energy will be from his related aspect. The remaining characteristics can be a random weave of the remaining poles, although certain combinations are more likely than others. For example, an active Jedi will demonstrate a dominant trait in the areas of Good, Order or Creation. This is what characterizes him or her as a light Jedi. These three traits usually go hand in hand, but there are exceptions: A freedom fighter may have a dominant trait in Good, relating to his or her cause. But at the same time, he or she may be strong in Chaos and perhaps even Destruction. I refer to Chaos in terms of being focused on changing an existing framework, social or governmental, without having a clear idea on what the aftermath should look like. If this freedom fighter uses violence to promote his or her goals, he or she may represent the Energies of Destruction more than those of Creation (helping to create a new beginning, but needing to destroy the Order that exists to bring about change).

Similarly, a follower of the Dark aspect will present a dominant Energy in Chaos, Destruction or Evil. Again, the pattern of the remaining weave can be random, although again certain patterns are more likely than others. Most practicing darksiders show a strong presence in Chaos, in terms of their desire to challenge. But again from challenge comes growth, whereas they may score strongly in Creation as well. The wide-spread consensus on moral relativism between darksiders further indicates that many would indeed by neutral on the Good and Evil pole, showing little concern for the question of absolute right and wrong. How to use the model The intention of the above presented model is to supply you with a map and compass. By profiling yourself and your Energies in the model, you can understand where you are now. By spending time and reflecting on the nature of the Energies and your preferences, you can determine where it is you want to go. And between the both, plot your course and take action. Some of what you discover may come as a surprise: Perhaps your personal weave is very different from the Energies / Deities you have been studying. Perhaps they are different from the weave of those within your aspect, or even the definition of the aspect itself. What you discover will help you better understand your environment and it will help you understand what is right for you, in terms of which areas you may want to develop. It may lead to personal change for you or affirmation of your current path. In both cases it will support your confidence and growth. Once you have ascertained your desired path, begin studying the Energies related to it. Your major focus should be on aligning your own values, thoughts and actions with that of your dominant trait or Energy. If we take here the example of Good, then spend your time thinking about this. Think about what Good means to you. What are Good thoughts and actions? What does Good in the world mean to you? What does Good in your life mean personally? What can you do to promote Good and how would you go about it? An important point here is intention over action. We can never truly foresee the outcome of our actions in their entirety. What we can foresee depends on our intelligence and experience. Accordingly, the better way to align yourself with Good is to focus on your intentions when taking action. If your intention is sincere and youve made a decision based on a best estimate of outcome, then that is good enough and entirely what you should be doing. Dont be discouraged if everything doesnt right away go as planned. The target is to align your Energies in a first step. As you progress on this path, you will begin to feel the presence of that Energy within you. It will comfort you and guide you in your decisions and actions. The more time you spend consciously with it, making it a part of you, the more the Energy will become a part of you and the larger your success will become in practice. Different people will go about certain things differently, even if they have the same intentions. That does not mean anyone is wrong. You are only acting based on your experience and maturity within the related Energy. Accordingly, be careful to judge others in their actions. Spend time on understanding

their intentions and motives and you will not only learn, but on occasion be able to give guidance as well. All will lead to a stronger relationship with your Energy. And if it is the right thing for you and aligns with your values, you will discover not only purpose and fulfillment, but happiness as well.

The Jedi Code by Zigga There is no emotion, there is peace. This is the first line of the Jedi code. There are other versions of the Jedi code, and probably you are thinking why I have chosen the original, when others seem more accurate. Let me explain, we all know that is impossible to live in this world without emotions; and if you say otherwise, probably you are not human. Saying that there is no emotions, is somehow living in denial of your inner self. To fully understand the meaning of the first line of the Jedi code, you have to reach to a whole new level, a level beyond words. Let's have an example, let's use anger. I sometimes get angry, when I perceive something to be wrong, or unfair. This is something stronger than us, and we should accept it, instead of fighting it. Now, comes the tricky part, let me ask you some questions: Is it Anger your Natural state? What is your Natural state? How can I find my natural state? If you use meditation frequently, this is going to be easier to understand, because when you are able to observe your mind and body without judgments, and your mind is silent, or in a second plane of importance, you are closer to your natural state, so what do you feel in those times? I feel peace, and in that state everything seems a lot easier, then I am able to look at the problem without the emotion to cloud my judgments. This does not mean i should neglect the emotion, but instead, use it as a challenge to surpass it. So, in my opinion, what the code says is: when you are beyond emotions, you will feel at peace. Once again this is not for you to try to neglect emotions, but instead to be aware of them, so that your judgments will be an action instead of a reaction to your emotion.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. This line is a tricky one. I always had issues with this line of the code. First i thought, "this is too obvious", but lately i started to think differently... My whole life I have been searching, thinking that there must be something more, feeling that I'm on the edge of a major discovery that will finally bring peace to my mind and heart, but lately I started to ask myself, what am i searching for? and why am i searching? The thing is, most of us keep searching for knowledge, because in our hearts we fear ignorance. We try to learn everything we can, so that we can be prepared for whatever will happen. Truth is this search never ends. We try to find the perfect knowledge, the one that will make everything crystal clear, but that knowledge seems always a baby step away. Why? Because we are searching where it can't be found...outside ourselves. I believe we all have the perfect knowledge inside, standing there, just waiting, and to find it we have to stop being afraid. Even if you don't realize it, the fear of ignorance is always present in your search. The simple act of search means you don't have, there is something missing. So in my opinion the code states something like this: "Don't fear ignorance, because you are the true knowledge." Ignorance is just a distorted point of view. Forget your quest for knowledge, and you will have it.

There is no passion, there is serenity. Once again, like when talking about emotions, this line does not mean we should neglect passion. Passion can be an amazing tool, since it gives us strength in our daily life. What the code says is to not be driven by passion. All these emotions are limited, and sooner or later they will fade. If you base your life on passion you will fade too, and you will have ups and downs all the time. Accept things as they are, live your passion too, but always remember the things that are longlasting like the serenity that lives inside of you. Because in the end passion is just a glimpse. Passion is like a wave on the ocean. It is there, but if you go deeper, you will see it is just water. Waves come and go, they have a beginning and sooner or later, they will have an end. We have to focus on the water, not on the wave, and the water is our

inner state of serenity. We can feel it between waves, in the silence...when we just observe without judgments. I believe this line of the code is an amazing teaching, mostly about meditation, and our inner self. When we try to fight our emotions, they seem to gain an extra strength, it's almost like we are feeding them. Passion is like fire. It can make us warm when there is cold, and sometimes can even give us some light. But most of the time passion cannot be controlled, and we end up burning ourselves. Where there is passion, you cannot have serenity. Passion is not patient, it urges you to act, to move. It can be used as a boost, but never as the fuel that moves you all the time. Serenity is like the river that flows. It sometimes is slow, but always gets to the sea. There is no death, there is the Force. In our daily life most people try to not think about death, and some of them even get their fingers crossed whenever they are confronted with something that reminds them the end of life as we know it. Death brings fear... fear of losing, not just our lives, but also the the lives of the ones we love, and what do we do? We fight death. Since we were little, we learned that everything dies; and death is one of the most certain things we have in this world, but still we fight it. We react against it: every day thousands of people die, but it is ok with me if I don't know them. When I do know them, I feel like I am the only one losing someone in the world, and that nobody can understand my grief. Ok, maybe I am overreacting, but this was just an example of how some people take death to extremes, and this always brings emotions, most of the time destructive, not just to the self, but also to those around us. Like Master Yoda says "death is a natural part of life". We all know this, but to internalize this is a lot easier said than done. So what can we do? In my opinion, we have to do the same thing we do with emotions, feel our grief, mourn what we think is necessary, then move on. The ones we love, wouldn't like to know that we stopped living since they were gone. Everyone will lose someone sooner or later, there is no escape, no other way, so we can only live moment by moment the best way we can. Now i have another question for you: If you lived near a spring of fresh water, would you fear to be thirsty? You probably wouldn't, because you knew the spring was just a step away. The same thing happens with this line of the code. The force is everything, it is present in everything and even when we die, we still live through the force. Nothing ceases to exist, we simply change, but we continue to be part of the force, and we always will be, because the force cannot be destroyed. Knowing this, how can we fear death? This line of the code is a reminder to use in moments where we face death.

Don't fear death or loss, because we are part of the force, So mourn the ones you lose, but always keep this line in mind. May the force be with you What is the force? Quote: "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." - Obi Wan Kenobi, A New Hope It was a good enough explanation for Luke Skywalker, and for each of member of the audience listening back in 1977. But we do live in a different world now - a world in which doors really can open automatically, and in which information can be accessed, downloaded and transmitted continuously from every corner of the world. With all of us so familiar to concepts such as "chi" and "god", it is so easy to cram the Force into any one of these concepts, wrap it up, and say: There you go. This is the Force. Quote: "Without the midi-chlorians life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force." - Qui-Gon Jinn, The Phantom Menace. Fans were not impressed with the 1999 release of the Phantom Menace - and it's half-hearted attempt to explain the Force a little further to the ever-curious crowds. Overnight, this great source of energy went from being something accessible, something tangible, to something almost entirely fictional. In today's Jedi Community, it is considered almost exclusively that - pure fiction. But what if it isn't? Let's skip the opening line of Obi-Wan's original quote, and concentrate on the second. "An energy field, created by all living things." All life produces energy. When the sun shines upon a leaf on a tree, the chemical reaction that takes place (photosynthesis) converts the sun's warmth to an energy that enables the plant to sustain life. A human being moving to open a door produces kinetic (movement) energy. The warmth generated by the blood in their veins, their pressure on the handle - it all produces energy. Simply breathing, we are generating energy. The very process of cell division creates energy. So how far fetched is Obi-Wan's theory? All life produces energy. The concept that, collectively, it might become an actual "field" is more

than possible. Nowadays, we take it as scientific fact that every piece of solid furniture around is made up of millions of molecules, all of which are held in place by magnetic fields, generated by the opposite and like polarities of the individual atoms. Densely packed molecules form such things as rock, and concrete - less densely packed molecules form liquids, and some even float around in the air that we breathe. Imagine, for a moment, the concept of many tiny oxygen bubbles being "breathed out" of the pores on a tree's leaf, floating around in the air. Now just imagine that the energy that was used in the photosynthesis process also being "breathed out" to float around with it. Imagine every living creature, giving off that same respiratory energy. Suddenly we find ourselves surrounded in it, swimming in these bubbles, breathing them in and out - and that's just from the energy generated by breathing. Think again of all the energy a human being produces -the electrical energy of impulses in your brain, of messages being passed along your nervous system every time you make contact with anything. "It surrounds us and penetrates us". One who is in tune with these subtle energies could certainly be seen as possessing certain powers, such as "sensing" a physical presence, or sensing a death that happens miles away. A deep, profound understanding of these energies could certainly lead to their full manipulation - including such things as using it to open doors and pull out seats. This concept is simple enough to understand. The main question most people have, once understanding the basic structure of how the Force might exist, is then: What about the will of the Force? "Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him." "You mean it controls your actions?" "Partially. But it also obeys your commands." Obi-Wan and Luke, A New Hope The Jedi, as depicted in the prequels, spent their entire lives training to reach an understanding of the Force. From early childhood, throughout their adolescent years, it was the focal point of all their studies. When it comes to "control", we must remember Obi-Wan's reply: "Partially". But let's think on that logically for a second. Imagine a mind so open to the intrinsic energies floating in the air, that you can "see" them. Imagine being able to see the Force, seeing it penetrating you and everything around you. Now imagine that an entity came out of nowhere - say, to attack. Deeply entrenched in the energies of the universe around you, of course you would see it coming, long before anyone else. Of course you would respond with an impossibly quick reflex - and if it was asked of you, what would you say? "I saw it in the Force", or - "The Force told me". This goes a long way to explaining Qui-Gon's answer to Anakin, in the Phantom Menace. "They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force." Bear in mind that Qui-Gon is attempting to explain molecular energy fields to a nine year old. Although Anakin at this point has proven himself an extraordinarily capable engineer, and extremely talented in the Force itself, at this point in his young life

it is safe to assume no one has spoken to him about invisible energies binding the universe together. He is unaware of the Force - he knows that his reflexes are good, but he doesn't know why. Explaining to him that the Force "tells" him what is going to happen before it does, is a child-friendly way to ease a new person into a world in which they are not alone. "Master, sir... I've been wondering... what are midi-chlorians?" "Midi-chlorians are a microcopic lifeform that reside within all living cells and communicates with the Force." "They live inside of me?" "In your cells. We are symbionts with the midi-chlorians." The fiction does stumble here. Of course there is no such thing as midi-chlorians, basic cellular structure of living organisms is something taught in pre-school nowadays. However, we do know of the nucleus let's examine that for a moment. The nucleus is described very often as being the "center" of a cell - or even it's "brain". It is the nucleus that contains our DNA - the very molecules that built us - and it is the nucleus that enables the cell multiplication process. If the nucleus itself is where our molecular life is stored, where our cellular lives consistently die and begin - could it perhaps be the nuclei of our cells that produce that connection to the Force? We have already established that all life produces the energy that makes up the Force. Looking at life in it's microscopic terms, here we have the center of it. It may not be a microscopic life form that lives in our skin and whispers in our ear - but it is certainly alive, and present in each and every one of our cells. Is it feasible to assume that the Force itself is generated within the nucleus of each cell? And to then say, "The Force speaks to us through our own cells, through our own bodies."? Of course, to look at it from the point of view that Qui-Gon states we are "symbiots" with these lifeforms, one could also examine the fact that our skin, our air, our kitchen surfaces are all covered in millions of microscopic life-forms. It has been estimated that approximately 95% of cells existing within the human body may actually be bacteria cells. These bacteria are what make our digestive system work well, or protect us from certain diseases - they would die without us, and we would die without them. Thus we fulfil our symbiont cycle. Now, as to whether or not millions of microscopic bacteria are "talking" to us - well, it does sound far-fetched. Let us return again to the concept that being aware of the Force, and all the energies of life, is akin to being "told" things by the Force. Now contemplate exactly how much life you are walking around with inside your intestines alone. I imagine, if one could learn so deep an understanding of this life, and our symbiotic existence with it, that eventually you would feel it "in your cells" - or as we more commonly say, "in our bones". It would be as if your body itself was telling you all you needed to know. "They continually speak to you, telling you the will of the Force". The Phantom Menace also introduced this novel idea - that the Force had a will and agenda of it's own, implying a new sentience to this energy that had not been brought up previously. The most common

analogies were instantly drawn up, comparing "God" to the Force, and stating that they were one and the same - however, Lucas himself admits that he drew inspiration for the Force from an ideal beyond God, an ideal that humans are, as of yet, unable to comprehend. "Many people... become aware of some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask which we see in front of us, and they call it God." - 21-87 "Calling" it God suggests a definite implication that we have no better word for it, so what better than one we have been using for thousands of years to describe the "higher being", or the "greater purpose" of things? To stop at God seems a little shortsighted, however. God is a definitive thought-form - and if nothing else, he is, in his own religious texts, the Creator. Based off thr fiction, the Force is renewed and recreated every day - that it is created by life, while sustaining it. Therefore, it is a scientific phenomenon, before it is a religious one. But to speak of the will of the Force - well, there is just some ground that science has not covered, and questions of fate and destiny are among them. I would wager that almost every person reading this right now has felt that "tug" at one point or another to interrupt their daily lives for no good reason - only to later find out that had they not, they may have missed an opportunity, or worse, been seriously harmed. It is for each of them find their own explanation as to "why" or "how" they heard that tug. Are our lives mapped out for us? Does the Force guide us where it wants us to go? Or is it simply that heightened state of awareness we covered earlier - that being so entrenched in the energies around us that we can sense things before they even happen - even if we are unaware of it on anything but the most subconscious of levels? Those are questions best left up to the philosophers - in the meantime, it is important to realise that we can choose not to listen at any point. Thus we are not controlled, nor are we dictated to. The Force does not provide us with a list of laws for behavior - once understanding of it's power is attained, it can be used for all purposes. Again - the concept of the Force being any deity does not mesh well with this. And so, we have simply the Force - the energy field created and sustained by life itself, all life, down to it's tiniest, microscopic entities. An energy field that we can become aware of, like any other - perhaps even containing all others within itself. And once aware of the energy surrounding us, we can become aware of the web of life that we sit so delicately upon, waiting as the spider does for the slightest tremor to indicate a new event, a new opportunity. In time, we can learn to distinguish one tremor for another - in time, who knows what may be possible? They key is first to understand. The Force is something very real, generated from inside each of us, a science that is waiting to be discovered and proven. It is not a religious deity, residing in the clouds and watching over us - nor is it some puppet master pulling our strings from an unseen alcove. The understanding of life's intricate energies must be examined and understood - this, I believe, is our first step into that larger world. Learning that we are, in fact, such a tiny piece of the puzzle. Learning how we contribute. Learning that we are the Force, that we create it ourselves. Creatures so small, so insignificant, and yet the complexities within even our physical matter alone confound the most brilliant of scientists.

The Calming Breath 1st Breathing Exercise The first step in most Jedi's training is Breath Control. Learning how to breath properly is one of the most underrated, overlooked aspects of training. The reason for this is that breathing exercises are not flashy or exciting. They have no mystique about them. In truth, that is exactly why breathing exercises are so important. For many beginning students, it is tempting to work on the more advanced aspects of Force use. This leads to the student being overwhelmed, and incapable of advancing in the learning process. Breathing exercises are intended for two purposes. The first purpose is to "ground" the student. While the ultimate purpose of breath control is to control the body, it is important first to recognize the power of the body. By doing so, most students find that their focus is heightened on the moment, exactly where it needs to be. The second purpose of breath control exercises is to place the body into a more willing state for other exercises. Personally, I always do breathing exercises before my own meditation exercises, because of the added focus it grants. The technique that follows is the standard breathing technique for the Force Academy. It is the same breathing technique that is found on the main website. The calming breath This is a simple breathing exercise to be practiced every day. It is useful in stressful situations, when you require focus and calm. Many Jedi masters use this technique to regain focus or to help concentrate their thoughts and actions. There are three stages to the calming breath technique, progress only onto subsequent steps after mastering step 1. 1. Wear loose fitting attire, so that you are comfortable. 2. Ensure you can breathe through your nose and that your airways are not restricted in any way. 3. If you have a cold do not practice this technique until you can breathe clearly. Stage 1 Lie flat on your back with one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest. Inhale so that the hand on your stomach rises, while the hand on your chest is still. Exhale so that the hand on your stomach falls and the hand on your chest is still. Repeat for 10 breaths Now Inhale so that the hand on your chest rises and the hand on your stomach is still. Exhale so that the hand on your chest falls and the hand on your stomach is still. Repeat for 10 breaths Practice both breathing techniques until you have mastered them before moving on. Stage 2 This stage combines the two breathing techniques learned in Stage 1. Lie flat on your back with one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest.

Begin by stomach breathing, when you feel you cannot inhale any more in this manner switch to chest breathing until the upper part of your lungs are filled. Exhale by chest breathing first, progressing to stomach breathing so that you empty the lungs fully. Repeat this process for 5 minutes. Breath slowly, if you feel dizzy, slow down you are breathing too fast. If you are out of breath then you are breathing too slowly. Listen to your body, if you have difficulty in distinguishing between chest and stomach breathing then return to Stage 1 Stage 3: Stand or sit with your back straight. Use the Calming Breath and follow this pattern: You will have to count the following 4-4-4 rhythm in your head. Count to 4 while inhaling, hold your breath and count to 4, then count to 4 while exhaling. Once you have mastered this then you may use a 4-4-4-4 rhythm if you prefer. This adds an extra step of holding your breath after exhaling to the count of 4. Take care not to hold your breath too long, again listen to your body. Repeat for 5 minutes, or until you are calm. Practice so that the Calming Breath becomes effortless, and inaudible. You should breathe no louder than regular breathing, once mastered this technique should be invisible to the naked eye making it invaluable in almost any situation. The technique above can be adapted any number of ways. It is an invaluable tool to the novice student, and the experienced Jedi Master as well. Use it when under stress, when your temper flares, before meditation, or simply if you wish to use it for the sake of using it. =) May the force be with you, and may you use it wisely. The Gift of Feeling: For this discussion, it is important that the reader ask themselves a few revealing questions. 1. When was the last time you were so gripped by a movie, song, or work of art that you felt it to the depths of your being? 2. When was the last time you read a story in which you were so moved that you believed you were one of the characters? 3. When was the last time you saw a floral arrangement that was so beautiful that it moved you to tears? 4. Can you remember the last time you felt as if you wanted everything to just freeze so that you could enjoy what you felt forever? 5. How many of your neighbors can you name by name in 60 seconds?

6. If you could say one nice thing about either the neighbor across the street or next door, what would it be? This essay on feeling is not going to be just another one of those heady lectures, the focus of which is thinking about feeling. There will be no Websters dictionary definition, or ten steps to a healthy, happier you. We will not pursue feeling good, feeling bad, or feeling out of shape. (Something I am particularly pleased about.) No, this is not another essay about raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens. It is not the intention of this lecture to sprinkle fairy dust and make everyone fly once they think their happy thought. You will not hear any snake-oil-salesmanlike platitudes about getting rich quick, living life to the fullest or improving your self-esteem. Now, of course there is nothing wrong with a full life or a healthy self-esteem. It is just that we live in a culture in which these very intangible divine given gifts are marketed as if you simply need to run down to the nearest self-esteem dealer, and get this years model. The fact is the truth is just the opposite. Since it is the truth that we are seeking. We must pare away for a moment our indoctrinated selves. It is the truth that will set in motion that which will release us from the bondage of ourselves, our inhibitions and our endless needs to conform to what we refer to as normal. For in the end it is being truthful with ourselves that is all that matters. Lets talk about when we were children. Young children are normally pretty free spirits. They run and they play. They make friends. They quickly show their emotions of joy and sadness. They say what they are thinking. They use their imagination. It is all right when you are a child to believe in things, even if they do not make sense to anyone else. So, we start out as people who are very able to receive new ideas and concepts but are equally able to feel. As time goes on, and we grow up, we become more and more indoctrinated by our culture which tells us that we need to wear the right clothes, drive the right cars and live in the right neighborhood so that in the end we can be accepted. Of course, accepted not for who we are, but for who the world taught us to be. So what then is the first step to freeing ourselves to be who we are called to be? Learning how to feel is the key that unlocks the door to our souls. Every human being is completely unique. It has often been said we are one in a million. Actually, it is more like one in four billion. Each person has a spark of creativity within him or her. So, what separates those who are highly creative from those who are not? One trait is the gift of feeling. We live in a society that bows down to information as if it were a god. It seems as though all the schools emphasize anymore is Math, Language studies, and Science. We are able to share information at a rate of speed that would have been unthinkable 100 years ago. With all this knowledge, it seems that we have completely forgotten how to feel. Feeling, like breathing is both an involuntary and voluntary thing. We breathe often quite involuntarily. In fact, all day long and all night long as we sleep we breath. We never think about am I breathing or not? We just do it. However, if we get up on the stage at the Lincoln Center to sing an aria, breathing becomes quite a different issue. All of a sudden it is no longer just that involuntary act in which we

sustain our lives, it now has meaning and function. It has a purpose other than simply going through a biological motion. It becomes part of the gift. The same can be said of feeling. There are times when we just feel. Certainly if a close friend or loved one died we would feel sadness. That is automatic. But what we need to focus our attention on in order to free ourselves, is voluntary feeling. This can be referred to as the gift of feeling. I asked six questions at the beginning of this essay. I am sure by now you all have probably figured out that question five does not fit. Continuing this train of thought, you were probably quite easily able to name several neighbors in the time given. It was probably a little more difficult but you were also probably able to name something nice about some neighbors. But the deeper questions that required serious feeling were probably quite difficult if not impossible to answer. So here are the two important points. First, if we are not exercising the gift of feeling at the time we experience our deepest feeling; it will probably not have a lasting impact on us. Secondly, the more we allow analytical thinking to distract us, the less we will exercise the gift of feeling. That is not at all to say that analytical thinking is bad, we just should not allow it to distract us from feeling also. Here are some of the characteristics of the gift of feeling. These were found on many web sites with no credit given on any of them as to the source. People with the gift of feeling often associate with the color blue. They tend to be aware of subtle details. Manual dexterity and channeling healing energy are found within this gift. Hugging, touching and warm fuzzies are characteristics. The negative side of this feeling is that if they become out of balance, they can be defensive, take things personally and be over emotional. It is quite obvious that those who have the gift of healing have some very special powers. So why then do we refuse to use this gift? It is the need for acceptance from others. We judge our feelings based on what we believe other people think. This starts of course with our parents. Note this quote from Dancing the Path of Feeling: Since it was Judgement that put the emotion away in the first place, this tends to be our specie's way of dealing with the activation itself. By judging the feeling, we can create the illusion of "recovering" from the activation, forgetting as soon as possible that it ever occurred. This compacts more Feeling into that which is already stuck. Much of this judgement we learn from our parents, who, of course, learned it from their parents, etc. As babies, we have no conscious judgements about what we are feeling. We just feel. Then when we try and express, we receive cues from our parents that tell us how they feel about expression of our feeling. Sometimes these cues are verbal. Sometimes they may be facial expressions. More often, it is the subtle ways we are touched and the feelings that we perceive from our parents, for infants are far more psychically sensitive than can be easily observed, especially to their own parents. It does not take long to learn which feelings and expressions our parents liked, and which ones they did not. ("Dancing the Path of Feeling", Chapter 2 page 1.)

So you see, if we are truly going to accept the gift of feeling, we not only have a lot to learn, We have a lot to unlearn. Here are some suggestions for beginning the journey: 1. Empty your mind of the days events and find a quiet place to let your feeling happen. 2. Begin with meditation or prayer. 3. Do not be afraid if your feelings take you someplace that makes you uncomfortable. Continue to feel, even if what you feel seems to be illogical, stupid or odd. In the end, it may make more sense than you think. 4. Make a diary or journal of what you feel and track it over time. See where your feelings lead you. Peter Shepherd in his Release Techniques essay gives the following list of feelings: Apathy and related feelings such as bored, careless, cold, cut-off, dead, defeated, depressed, discouraged, disillusioned, drained, forgetful, futile, hopeless, humorless, indecisive, indifferent, lazy, lost, negative, numb, overwhelmed, resigned, shocked, stuck, tired, worthless, etc. Grief and related feelings such as abandoned, abused, accused, anguished, ashamed, betrayed, cheated, embarrassed, helpless, hurt, ignored, left out, longing, loss, melancholy, misunderstood, neglected, pity, poor me, regret, rejection, remorse, sad, unhappy. Fear and related feelings such as anxious, apprehensive, cautious, cowardly, doubt, dread, foreboding, inhibited, insecure, nervous, panicky, scared, secretive, shaky, shy, skeptical, stage fright, suspicious, tense, trapped, worried. Compulsive feelings of anticipation, craving, demanding, desiring, devious, driven, envy, frustrated, greed, impatient, manipulative, lust, need, obsessed, pushy, ruthless, selfish; wanting desperately to have or to hurt; needing security, control, acceptance or approval; need to be right, to make another wrong. Anger and related feelings such as aggressive, annoyed, argumentative, defiant, demanding, disgusted, fierce, frustrated, furious, hatred, impatience, jealous, mad, mean, outraged, rebellious, resentment, rude, spiteful, stern, stubborn, vengeful, vicious, violent. Pride and related feelings such as aloof, arrogant, boastful, clever, contemptuous, cool, critical, judgmental, righteous, rigid, self-satisfied, snobbish, spoiled, superior, unforgiving, vain. Courage and related feelings such as adventurous, alert, aware, competent, confident, creative, daring, decisive, eager, happy, independent, loving, motivated, open, positive, resourceful, self-sufficient, strong, supportive, vigorous. Acceptance and related feelings such as balance, beauty, compassion, delight, empathy, friendly, gentle, joyful, loving, open, receptive, secure, understanding, wonder.

Peace and related feelings such as calm, centered, complete, free, fulfilled, perfect, pure, quiet, serene, tranquil, whole. In a day and age in which we seem to be flooded with violence and hatred, it seems that we as a society need to learn how to deal with our feelings. We also need to learn to feel and to be allowed to feel. Our challenge is not so much to decide if we will feel or not. The true challenge is to remove the box that we are in that prohibits us from feeling. Once we free ourselves from that, the feelings will come naturally. Abiding peace and harmony, The Force Welcome to the Academy that breaks down, analyzes, debates about, actualizes and has unlimited fun with the Force. We all have our own perceptions about what this force is, but it can be summed up in one word: Reality. Completely unbiased and indiscriminate, the Force/Tao/God (there are countless names) is Everything. Every material object, every organism, every process, thought, emotion, feeling, perspective and experience. The Force is the infinite string of pearls that threads, binds and connects all living things with an invisible illumination of Being. The Tao Te-Ching, a poem by Lao Tzu concerning the use of the Force (or Tao), says: The Tao is called the Great Mother: empty yet inexhaustible, it gives birth to infinite worlds. It is always present within you. You can use it any way you want. -chapter six As shadows, we realize that we are living conduits of this life force,and can harness its power anytime we choose to let it pervade and surround us. This primal Essence, by definition, is us, but it is because of our perceptions that many people dont see that they are one with infinity. Meditation is perhaps one of the most profound and effective ways that Shadows can strip away the layers of self-doubt, finding an eternal Light within everything, and using that Force to guide and help ourselves and others. When meditation centers us, we return to what the Zen Buddhists call our Primal Self: we assume our fundamental nature of things. In this state, there is no forcing, no ahead and no behind. There simply Is. This concept may seem foreign at first, but try it now! By simply straightening yourself out and breathing from your center (Hara in Japanese), you can assume the same natural state as a tree, frog, or deer; an unaltered communion with nature, aware of everything around you. Once the shadow adept has grounded themselves in meditation and striping themselves of limiting

perceptions, the adept then beings to realize the simplicity of the Force: everything we need is right here in front of us all the time. All thoughts of the future and past are mere phantoms: there is only the eternal present. The Tao is everywhere and in everything, therefore the shadow adept unties all knots wherever they are and harmonizes all the lights no matter what the situation. Master Raven is fond of the realization and practice of unreasonable happiness. What this means is that no matter what situation you think your in, you are always one with the eternal Force, and can never be separated from it. In Zen Buddhism, for instance, one may be in the midst of imperfection, but can see the backdrop of perfection everywhere. The Tao is like a massive waterfall, and all manifestations are droplets of water falling down the falls. We, the droplets, fret and move about, feeling disconnected and imperfect, separated from the Force. But as shadows we realize the one simple Truth: we are the waterfall, just in different parts. Once your actualization of the Force begins to guide you instinctively, you can guide your droplet into the merging eternity of the Tao. One thing my Master, Crying Phoenix (Ait), taught me by example: teachers and masters are here to help and guide, but it is up to the individual student to seek the reality in their everyday life, and take personal responsibility for their actions. If you let it, the Force will guide you. Balance Balance is what keeps us alive and what infuses all life with the potential for change and adaptation. In its most primal sense, it is the internal and external communion organisms share with their environment, and vice versa. As shadows, however, we take this natural definition and extend it to all aspects of our mind, body and spirit, to every level of our being. For a shadow, Balance is knowing when and why we take action and move in the Flow of the Force. Due to self-actualization of the Force (where we come to acknowledge its existence), the shadow adept realizes that everything is the same in Essence: from the tree on your block to a man riding a bicycle in Singapore, to the pebble on a highway: each and every object flows forth and returns to the Tao, the supreme Force. It is this realization that the shadow adept beings to practice balance. So what is Balance? A quote from Lao Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching: Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. As the stanza above suggests, its not that there is a high or a low, or that something is difficult or easy. Rather, the shadow in Balance sees the utter unity of all things, so he or she sees things as high and low,

difficult and easy. One with the Tao, the shadow can act with the knowledge and internal acceptance that everything is in a constant state of flux, and we should act accordingly to this state of being. See the unity in everything! Extending this concept to our body and mind, a shadow adept uses Balance to penetrate the works of their nervous, muscular, digestive, skeletal, and spiritual systems. An example would be eating: when you eat more grains, fruits and lean meats, then consume three cupcakes, you can feel the difference in how your body takes in and uses the fuel. Shadow adepts want to follow the natural way of the Force, therefore they become natural people (especially in eating habits). Balance is also not many things: Balance is not walking a tightrope between two extremes, hoping that you wont fall down. Balance is not constructing artificial barriers and saying, Well, as long as I stay within these limits, Im balanced and OK (in fact, this would disperse your spirit more because artificial constructs tend to limit your expression and outlook on life.) Most importantly, Balance cannot be stagnation: letting your own rules and code freeze your progress and appreciation of our place with the Tao because you think it is balanced enough. Having a personal code can be a great thing, but as shadows we need to always keep out mindfulness on the use of our codes and beliefs. Remember, you are in control of your own path, and if you bathe in the shadows, you must also wash yourself with the Balance of the Tao that is in all things. Be well, and may you allow the Force to be with you, and bathe you in eternity every second. Conflict is Habitat If the world was a perfect utopia and everybody was correct and knowledgable, we would be left with little reason to challenge it. Our hearts wouldnt scream at us to discover more, and urge us to fulfil any self perceived potential. It would be left in harmony, and we would no doubt resonate with contentment. Maybe the utopia is not possible, but it certainly does not exist, and so we are not resonating in harmony, but placed in the face of opposition if we wish to make a change and better ourselves or the world around us. Conflict is our habitat, and whether we simply learn to deal with it, or drive ourselves to excel at it relates solely to what change and discovery the self obligates us to make. When ones challenge is to master your world, it is in that domain your struggles and conflict shall arise like friction. As you engage forward, you will no doubt illicit a response that would aim to drive you back. If the domain of the day is truth, then you need a greater truth. Decide what your requirements for truth are, and if you prove greater within these requirements, you shall prosper. Another step completed towards the end goal. Another battle won. Conflict embraced and overcome.

In your battles you may confront others opinion, you may confront the phenomenal reality contrasting with your prior ill conceived perception, but you can surely not win unless you offer yourself a marker for success, a goal to reach, and a vector to attain it by. Anyone can fight, but without clear purpose, aim and direction, it achieves no progress towards your desired state of being. So first question what you wish to achieve, be it knowledge, accountability, ability, self control, and then fight until you reach it. Otherwise you clearly do not have the power to control your life. Conflict in the Dark Aspect As an academy we must offer practise of this quintessent skill of being, but how? Little help will be gained in our halls from those who fear their egos have been slapped and their dignity impeded. Its a webboard, and if such is going to hurt you, you're probably fucked in the real world. Simple lessons in existing shielded from that which cannot harm you unless you let it seem akin to spoonfeeding, but prove themselves worthy time and time again. The ability to admit failure to oneself is the only way you can look to gain feedback to improve, and again the forums are set up to aid that as much as possible. Where failure is deemed to be observed, critique will be offered. We cannot make you accept it or learn from it, and hiding behind a computer screen you can shield yourself with a wall of denial that will bastion you against the majority of the planet. But at least you are offered the opportunity, as if we were to pander to your every move unquestionably, you would be rudely deprived. Knowledge is a tricky topic, and means many things. Yet through a method of thesis and antithesis, critique rebuttal and counter critique, we can attempt to walk the path onwards. Consider and contemplate the critique, give it time to breath and exist. You need not fear it if it is incorrect, as it will die by its lack of support in justification and reasoning, and in the face of your greater justification and reasoning. You need not fear it if it hits the mark, as it has helped you grow your thoughts. Your skills in the combat of debate and rhetoric, as well as your tenacity. Fine tune your communication skills to improve your efficiency, and utilise and show naked others attempts at rhetoric against you. These skills will not only help here, but can be taken into the real world so the wool may not be pulled over your eyes.