I am and I am not

On this website, I am dedicating my artistic practice and blog to discussing the faith and culture of Iunism.

But, what is Iunism? Iunism (pronounced ee-you-niz-hm) is originally a faith centered around the concept of the universe fracturing into five pieces– time, life, purpose, death, and destruction respecrtively– and those pieces further breaking apart into everything we are able to observe, as well as that which we cannot. As a faith, it still values and incorporates the sciences and practices related to fact and discovery, but observes rituals, myths, and a dialogue of mysticism in relation to what is considered “true.”

Many aspects of Iunism appear in fives (five is considered a holy number), as this is the number of beings that are regarded as the epitome of creation and destruction, as the most fundamental pieces of everything that is and is not. These five beings are Doesh Pire (time), Doesh Auro (life), Doesh Kihia (purpose), Doesh Iduor (death), and Doesh Kaefel (destruction). These beings are not considered gods, and it is considered blasphemous to even imply that they act upon some semblance of their own desires or considerations. In a sense, the Doesh are considered the building blocks of reality, and while are treated in a spiritual sense as with any faith, can be treated instead from an atheistic viewpoint as nothing more than what they are.

Iunism in practice is treated as a journey of enlightenment, however in breaking from the examples of enlightenment associated with Buddhism, Hinduism, or other faiths or philosophies, it is not a total dissociating from the mortal coil; rather, the five Selves (corresponding to each of the Doesh) must be balanced. This balance [called Kilu] is considered a divine pursuit for the children of Aedoehn (the Iuni name for the reality we exist within on Earth), as we are believed to be recipients of gifts from each of the five Doesh unlike beings in other realities. This balance is a lifelong pursuit, or even spanning multiple lives, and is the one consistent endeavor we are believed to face. To reach this balance, generally, is to follow the five Tenets of the Selves:

1. [To] Follow the banks of the River of Time; [to] always keep the mind’s eye open.
2. [To] Greet the starlight from dawn to dusk; [to] fill the flesh with every color of flame.
3. [To] Find the limits of the storm within; [to] never compromise what has will to be.
4. [To] Never forget the union of the soil and leaf; [to] always reach with an open hand.
5. [To] Cut what cannot be broken; [to] end what cannot be undone.

These tenets are life practices meant to instill an appreciation, or at least acceptance, of all our existence can offer– pleasant and unpleasant alike. While there have been inconsistencies and new discoveries in the mythos and language, these core tenets do not change. While they are left mostly for individual interpretation, broadly speaking, there are a few key methods of fulfilling them: to be willing to learn, grow, and change; to be willing to feel emotions as they present themselves and appreciate the life around and within them; to explore their own identity and creativity, and confidence in themself regardless of other’s opinion; to act with compassion and keep in mind how fragile their own life (and the life of other things) is; and to not shy away from destruction entirely, as destroying something makes space for something new.

Iunism does not have belief in inherent good or evil– these are conditions that are achieved through actions (and actions themselves are believed to be always neutral). In fact, the actions one makes are the sole determiner of how they are viewed, not any physical or spiritual aspects. Many Iuni practitioners wear as much cover over their bodies as possible (in rituals there are full body coverings of long grey shrouds) to deflect prejudice or subjectivity against physical appearance. This is also a kind of dress style that some wear to practice self-reflection and internal dialogue. While some wear this style all the time, others say this may lead to an ignorance of the physical Self, thus causing a bit of debate within the culture.

As this is an overarching post of the basics of Iunism, there will likely be updates in the future. There are some fundamental topics that are covered in other posts, and so this post may not describe everything.