2 hours ago
Seraphis stood behind Nora, hovering. It was driving Nora crazy, that silent pressure of a presence, but no number of awkward glances over her shoulder sent the signal. Seraphis hovered anyway.
"The Three Thresholds are not merely concepts, Nora," Seraphis said, her voice echoing softly against the rows of leather-bound volumes. "They are the geometry of the soul’s journey. To move forward, one must understand where they stand. Pick up the charcoal."
Nora picked up the charcoal. It was whittled down into a shape that was kind of easy to hold, but as soon as she touched it, black dust plumed.
"The first Threshold is Separation," Seraphis instructed. "Draw the broken circle. It represents the moment a soul realizes the mundane world is a shell that must be cracked. You stepped away from your old life to come here. That was your first act of separation.”
Nora traced a curve on a blank sheet of paper, leaving a jagged gap at the top. Separation? she thought. More like isolation.
Couldn’t a pencil have accomplished the same thing?
She thought of her family, of the distance she had put between his traditionalism and her current path. It wasn't a "spiritual" choice; it was a desperate one. Yet, as the charcoal hissed against the paper, she felt a strange, cooling sensation in her mind.
The act of defining that distance and of putting a border between "then" and "now" made it feel a little less like betrayal and more about what was needed here and now. It was, she grudgingly admitted, almost peaceful.
"Now, the second threshold is Initiation," Seraphis continued. "Inside the circle, draw the upward triangle. This is the forge. It is where the Ember is tested, where the unknown becomes the understood. It is uncomfortable because it is growth."
Pinching the charcoal to hold it steady, Nora drew the lines. They were sharp, intersecting at a point that seemed to pierce the gap in her circle. She thought of the "bull in a china shop" power Claude had described. Initiation was supposed to be about control, about learning the mechanics of the veil without letting it consume her.
"And the final threshold?" Nora asked, her voice steady. Why did Seraphis have to stand right behind her
"Return," Seraphis said. "A horizontal line at the base of the triangle, extending beyond the circle. It is the manifestation. A soul that has been initiated cannot stay in the dark forever. It must return to the world, not as it was, but as a beacon. Spiritual growth is useless if it does not result in action."
Nora drew the final stroke. The symbol, the Triad of the Veil, sat on the page: some symbolic, stark, geometric representation of a life dismantled and rebuilt (in the Brotherhood’s image no doubt).
"You feel the weight of it, don't you?" Seraphis asked, laying a hand on Nora’s shoulder and leaning down. Her eyes were fixed on the sketch. "The symbols aren't just art, Nora. They are anchors. When the world feels too loud, you return to these lines. You remember that you are in the forge. You drew them. You’re in control.”
Nora looked at the symbol. It was nonsensical, really. A bit of ink and geometry meant to justify a life spent in shadows. But as she stared at the intersection of the triangle and the broken circle, she felt that acceptance that was beginning to feel less bothersome than it had before. It was steady. The "architecture," as Seraphis called it, gave her a way to categorize the noise in her head.
"I understand," Nora said, wondering how long it will take to wash the dust off her fingers.
Journal Entry: The Geometry of the Path
Today I studied the Three Thresholds: Separation, Initiation, and Return. I spent an hour sketching the Triad of the Veil.
I realized that Separation is the most painful part of the journey, not because of what we leave behind, but because of the void it creates. My 'Separation' from the mundane world felt like a cold wind until I began my 'Initiation' here. The forge of the Brotherhood is hot, and the lessons are demanding, but I am beginning to see the shape of the person I am becoming. The triangle of Initiation gives direction to what is within me. I am no longer just reacting; I am being shaped.
I find myself looking forward to the 'Return.' Not because I miss the mundane world, but because I want to see how this new light changes the shadows I used to walk in. The symbols aren't just sketches on paper; they are the map of my new self.
"The Three Thresholds are not merely concepts, Nora," Seraphis said, her voice echoing softly against the rows of leather-bound volumes. "They are the geometry of the soul’s journey. To move forward, one must understand where they stand. Pick up the charcoal."
Nora picked up the charcoal. It was whittled down into a shape that was kind of easy to hold, but as soon as she touched it, black dust plumed.
"The first Threshold is Separation," Seraphis instructed. "Draw the broken circle. It represents the moment a soul realizes the mundane world is a shell that must be cracked. You stepped away from your old life to come here. That was your first act of separation.”
Nora traced a curve on a blank sheet of paper, leaving a jagged gap at the top. Separation? she thought. More like isolation.
Couldn’t a pencil have accomplished the same thing?
She thought of her family, of the distance she had put between his traditionalism and her current path. It wasn't a "spiritual" choice; it was a desperate one. Yet, as the charcoal hissed against the paper, she felt a strange, cooling sensation in her mind.
The act of defining that distance and of putting a border between "then" and "now" made it feel a little less like betrayal and more about what was needed here and now. It was, she grudgingly admitted, almost peaceful.
"Now, the second threshold is Initiation," Seraphis continued. "Inside the circle, draw the upward triangle. This is the forge. It is where the Ember is tested, where the unknown becomes the understood. It is uncomfortable because it is growth."
Pinching the charcoal to hold it steady, Nora drew the lines. They were sharp, intersecting at a point that seemed to pierce the gap in her circle. She thought of the "bull in a china shop" power Claude had described. Initiation was supposed to be about control, about learning the mechanics of the veil without letting it consume her.
"And the final threshold?" Nora asked, her voice steady. Why did Seraphis have to stand right behind her
"Return," Seraphis said. "A horizontal line at the base of the triangle, extending beyond the circle. It is the manifestation. A soul that has been initiated cannot stay in the dark forever. It must return to the world, not as it was, but as a beacon. Spiritual growth is useless if it does not result in action."
Nora drew the final stroke. The symbol, the Triad of the Veil, sat on the page: some symbolic, stark, geometric representation of a life dismantled and rebuilt (in the Brotherhood’s image no doubt).
"You feel the weight of it, don't you?" Seraphis asked, laying a hand on Nora’s shoulder and leaning down. Her eyes were fixed on the sketch. "The symbols aren't just art, Nora. They are anchors. When the world feels too loud, you return to these lines. You remember that you are in the forge. You drew them. You’re in control.”
Nora looked at the symbol. It was nonsensical, really. A bit of ink and geometry meant to justify a life spent in shadows. But as she stared at the intersection of the triangle and the broken circle, she felt that acceptance that was beginning to feel less bothersome than it had before. It was steady. The "architecture," as Seraphis called it, gave her a way to categorize the noise in her head.
"I understand," Nora said, wondering how long it will take to wash the dust off her fingers.
Journal Entry: The Geometry of the Path
Today I studied the Three Thresholds: Separation, Initiation, and Return. I spent an hour sketching the Triad of the Veil.
I realized that Separation is the most painful part of the journey, not because of what we leave behind, but because of the void it creates. My 'Separation' from the mundane world felt like a cold wind until I began my 'Initiation' here. The forge of the Brotherhood is hot, and the lessons are demanding, but I am beginning to see the shape of the person I am becoming. The triangle of Initiation gives direction to what is within me. I am no longer just reacting; I am being shaped.
I find myself looking forward to the 'Return.' Not because I miss the mundane world, but because I want to see how this new light changes the shadows I used to walk in. The symbols aren't just sketches on paper; they are the map of my new self.
![[Image: Shield-removebg-preview.png]](https://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Shield-removebg-preview.png)