Translucero: Rituals and Rites of Passage

Though highly evolved, the transluceros do participate in rituals and rites of passage much like we do today. They’ve created rituals for the institutions of religion, marriage, family/kinship, and government. Symbolism and rites of passage are important representatives of their beliefs and are commonly seen practiced during the life cycles of birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. Religion: The Self-Empowerment Altar Since there are no churches and transluceros do not participate in mainstream religion as we do today, their self-empowerment and spiritual inner growth is nonetheless very important. When a translucero is ready to organize, take responsibility, and empower their lives, they self- ritualize through the creation of an altar. This happens any time after puberty. Some create it at an early age of 12, or as late as 20-30’s. The first altar is very important and is much celebrated among the family. The translucero picks a certain area within their home to place the altar in which there will be privacy. Here they display their affirmations and short and/or long-term life goals. Various herbs, plants, precious stones, metals, candles, and other items are arranged on the altar and each item represents a different intention. A Wise One, a person who is an expert on Empowerment Altars, is often consulted for proper arrangement and practice. The translucero’s first altar is often celebrated by their family and friends with a party. Here they are given gifts that the translucero can place on the altar. While altars are common but unnecessary for spiritual growth, the first altar is the only one celebrated with a party and gifts. Marriage: Sexuality Since there is no marriage in translucero society, there is also no divorce. However, they do engage in relationships which are homo, hetero, bisexual, monogamous or polygamous. Sexual engagement is not animalistic as in today’s society, nor is it just a reason to procreate. It is much more serious and is considered to be a synergistic energetic exchange (sex). They believe that in sexual intimacy there is actual energy being exchanged at the same time, taking in one’s energy into yourself can assist your evolvement, but can also deter or decrease it, therefore this practice is much more sacred than early humans have regarded it. Sex is believed to bring in higher intelligence and advanced states of consciousness, therefore, the loss of virginity for males and females is often celebrated by their same-sex family members and friends with a small party or night out. Loss of virginity is indicated when the translucero feels they are personally ready and is not frowned upon by society as a dirty act. This can happen as early as 13 years of age, depending on the maturity level of the individual. The way sexual energy is used is an ongoing life journey and may happen with as few with or as many partners as desired. Family and Kinship: The Family Tree When a family forms as a unit together, as signified by living under a single household dwelling place, there is a ritual used to symbolize their unity. A large tree is planted near their home. For every new family member that joins the household, a smaller type tree is planted around the main larger tree. The tree symbolizes long term growth, solidity, nature, and its branches signify new family potentials. The higher toward the sky the tree reaches, the stronger the family unit becomes. It is not uncommon for some older homes to be surrounded by forest like vegetation previously planted by the many family lineages that have lived in that home. When a home has a newly planted tree outside it, it lets the community know that the family is a fairly new unit and may require some assistance or direction from older more solid families. This is how community signals to each other whether their family is young or old. On the other hand, a diseased tree can become an omen to the family predicting undesirable futures or ill health. This may cause the family to move to a new location or seek a Wise One, an expert on such matters, for advice. Government: Voting Ritual A wise, highly evolved translucero is voted as President for each land mass nation. The voting is not done under an individual basis, but each one vote is per family. Times of election are every 3 years, 3 chosen for mind/body/spirit trinity in which the elected official is thought to have enhanced his own trinity in 3 years as well as his nations’ trinity. During election, the family gathers together and spends 3 days discussing who they believe should be the next representative of their land mass. Of course, more things are discussed during the 3 days and it is often seen as a holiday for the people to gather with family and enjoy themselves. The family comes to an agreement together. The family then lights a torch in front of their home to let the community know that they have made a decision. The torch represents family enlightenment and cohesion. A government representative then comes to the home to pick up the official paper vote to submit. If the family does not come to a vote by a particular deadline or fails to light the torch, their vote is not submitted. Often, if there is dysfunction in the family, they may not be wise enough to share in the vote anyway. Birth: For the transluceros, birth is not celebrated when the newborn leaves the womb, but when the life enters it. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant, this is birth. It is the birth of the new life force into the earthly physical plane. As soon as there is a confirmation of heart rate and movement, this is the translucero’s date of birth. This can be as early as 3 to 6 weeks gestation. There is an immediate celebration for the mother and father. Similar to what we know as a baby shower today, it is actually a birth shower. Gifts received are not for the new child, but they are gifts for the new parents, mainly as advice or wisdom passed down on how to be the best parent and best example for the newly emerging translucero. There is also still a celebration for those parents that choose artificial gestation and genetic modification in the lab as well. Coming of Age: Transluceros have much belief in numerology and view the number 7 to be very auspicious marking the way to greater enlightenment and expanded consciousness. For those who are able to afford this coming of age ritual, or for those who have received scholarship for it, once the child turns 7, they are removed from their homes (separation) and sent to the House of Wisdom. Here they learn about translucero history and partake in esoteric lessons. Prior to graduating, which must be done within their 7th year and prior to their 8th birthday, they must be fluent in 7 languages, learn 7 major philosophies, 7 major old world religions, as well as prove achievement in one of the arts. The learning is intense (liminality) and may include fasting, vows of silence, and periods of seclusion (separation within separation) from others for writing and self-reflection. They are often bonded with other 7 year olds undergoing the same education (communitas). Graduation during the 7th year is important and much celebrated since it also a reflection of parental teaching and parental preparation up to the age of 7. Once they graduate, they return to their families, all the wiser, with much respect and celebration (reincorporation). Marriage: Relationship Union Though transluceros do not believe in what we know as marriage, they do hold high honor for all relationships. A Ceremony of Union within relationships is common. These union ceremonies are officiated by a Wise One per each person. For example, if 2 best friends want to strengthen their relationship or give public gratitude sharing each other’s life, then they may request this type of ceremony. They each consult a Wise One to discuss their future relationship goals, usually longevity, peace and harmony with each other. They then first must live together for 7 days to learn more about each other (separation and liminality), unless they already do. Once the 7 days is complete, they choose whether to proceed with the ceremony. The ceremony includes the drawing of a triangle, on the ground of nature, which is large enough to include all those participating. Sometimes large families, people and their pets, best friends, or even business partners can go through this ritual. Once in the triangle (communitas), which represents the entering of promises through the trinity of body/mind/spirit, each being confesses its gratitude for the others and expresses its individual promises of honesty, unconditional love, and other chosen virtues to each other. The Wise Ones then officiate and bless the triangle and its habitants as they are undergoing spiritual union. A song or music is played ending the ceremony. Then the inhabitants begin to dissolve or smear the triangle outline together until it disappears. To make it more sacred, it may include flowers, plants, candles for night, background music for daytime, or even fireworks after. Then all participants return to their everyday lives (reincorporation) with a sense of sacred union and trust with those. Death: Back to Nature Transluceros believe that they are one with nature. They believe that their physical bodies are supported by the earth, borrowed from and in fact belong to the earth. For this reason, death of the physical body is to be returned to earthly soil or water. Releasing your body back to earth signifies that your immaterial body can continue to its next incarnation or evolution. There is not a funeral, but a Celebration of Life gathering or dinner. Usually an elaborate, or in some cases simple, party is held in honor of the deceased. Pictures are displayed, videos or film are shown, speeches or talks are given by loved ones explaining their gratitude toward the departed. The Celebration is also a celebration for the entrance into the non-physical spiritual dimension. Participants may also include mediums or psychics which try to contact the departed for affirmation that they are well. Then, the immediate family or close relatives, and a Wise One, relinquish the body back to nature by releasing into the deep ocean, or burying the naked body deep in the ground. The Wise One or family elder may say a poem or a small speech thanking mother earth for supporting the departed and accepting him/her back into her embrace. Ritualizing: Transluceros trust in nature and often perform self-empowerment rituals using various flowers, plants, seeds, dirt, sand, stones, etc. As a ritual for restoring youth, some transluceros will eat baby produce and plants as a way of bringing in the young into their bodies. They eat foods like baby carrots, baby bananas, baby spinach, etc. Another form of ritualizing is keeping a dream diary. Transluceros believe that all dreams are important and provide additional meaning to their lives or may even be prophetic messages. They often keep a diary to learn to decipher these messages in order to improve their lives. Transluceros also believe that messages from deceased loved ones can come through a visit in their dream. Dreams are rarely dismissed as imagination or meaningless sleep. Dream journals are often kept in a private place or ritualized on their altar.