Taking time to calmly meditate on the values of Aretéanism can reinforce our resolve and creates mental habits of self-discipline.
By establishing a ritualized habit of meditating in calmness, Aretéans can trigger some of the mental state of that calmness by replicating their meditation patterns, even when in times of great distress and chaos. While there is no single “right” way to meditate, and the methods of meditation vary from member to member, Aretéans typically set aside regular time in their day to religiously meditate, ending their meditations with a script called “The Assertion”.
When to meditate
Aretéans are encouraged to briefly meditate a number of times per day corresponding to their level of membership: fire members are encouraged to meditate at least once per day, water members twice per day, air members thrice, and earth members are encouraged to meditate at least four times per day. The exact timing of the meditation is up to each member’s interpretation in alignment with the Third Tenet of Aretéanism (“The Intent of the Law, Is the Law”) but some possible options include: rising from sleep to begin the day, lunchtime, dinnertime, and preparing for bed to end the day.
what it looks like
Meditation usually takes at least one minute to perform, but may frequently take longer, depending on the disposition of the meditator. Aretéans are encouraged to use tools and techniques to assist their meditation and make the experience more useful. This can include techniques such as: wearing of beaded necklaces to help remember the Six Qualities of Areté and Thirty Aims of Areté, using a special rug to create a meditation space, deep breathing exercises, calming music or sounds in the background, or settling into a specific meditative pose for each meditation (such as kneeling, or standing in “parade rest”). Making the meditation ritualistic improves the efficacy of the meditation, and help members make a habit of meditation. The important physical consideration is to try to free oneself from as many distractions as possible, including the distractions of one’s own body!
How to think during meditation
When Aretéans meditate they might begin by engaging in a number of meditative experiences to enhance their meditation, such as: exercises to clear one’s mind of all thoughts, focusing carefully on one’s experience of breathing, visualizing success at personal goals, or the relaxing of muscles in a controlled manner. After any initial meditative exercises, Aretéan meditation ideally includes spending some time focusing one’s thoughts on Aretéan values and their intersection with one’s life.
The doctrinal focus can be chosen at the discretion of the meditator, or they can use a tool in advance to select a focus for them, like using a beaded necklace to rotate through all of the doctrines one at a time in a consistent manner. Another possible tool is to use a bowl of the doctrinal precepts, each written on a different lottery slip, to be drawn at random. Other similar tools are also welcome, or the meditator may choose to skip this moment of focus in order to move directly to reciting The Assertion.
using the assertion
The Assertion has the meditator asserting that they will pursue a life of Areté, touching upon all of the core symbolic touchstones of our religion. To begin the recitation of The Assertion, members begin by asserting their adjectival title of membership in The Assemblage of Areté. For example, a fire member would start the assertion by stating “I am a Courageous Hero of Areté” while an earth member would instead state “I am an Epic Hero of Areté”. If you’re not yet an official member of The Assemblage of Areté but you’d like to begin practicing meditation in the Aretéan style, you can say “I will be a Hero of Areté” for the first line. Occasionally, we recite The Assertion as a whole group, or sometimes good friends or romantic partners will recite it together. When reciting it as a group, everyone can say “We are Heroes of Areté” as the first line.
It might take some practice to memorize these words, but don’t stress out about it. Remember that the Third Tenet of Aretéanism is: “The Intent of the Law, Is the Law”. So instead of focusing on getting every word exactly right on your first try, just focus on having a good meditation session where you remind yourself of whom you’d like to become!
The Assertion
I am a (Courageous/Mighty/Triumphant/Epic) Hero of Areté.
I will seek an enlightened world,
I will clean my life of my wrongdoings,
I will raise our flag for others to follow,
and I will tend the world as the garden it is.
I will follow the intent of the law, using my human capacity for reason;
I will seek greater understanding through the scientific method;
and I will be a person filled with Areté:
I will be practical, thoughtful, loving, virtuous, visionary, and great.
I will be excellent to others, and I will party on!