If we cannot determine what is sacred to us, then everything is profane by default. I believe that many men today feel lost and are looking for some sense of what is sacred to give their lives meaning, order, and direction.
— Fire in the Dark
The Holy Positives
So many men want to tell you what they are against. But what what are they for?
These holy positives would have been self-evident to the majority of men throughout history, but must be re-stated in times of confusion.
– Order is better than chaos
– Integrity is better than corruption
– Health and Vitality is better than sickness
– Beauty is better than ugliness
– Strength is better than weakness
– Courage is better than fear
– Competence Is better than incompetence
– Fortitude is better than fragility
– Emotional Control is better than hysteria
– Self-Determination is better than servility
The Origin of Solar Idealism
Our “Stay Solar” motto was coined by Jack Donovan in 2019 and formalized in a 2020 essay. Solar Idealism was introduced in Donovan’s 2021 book, Fire in the Dark. The Order of Fire was founded in the fall of 2022. In the video “I Started a Religion,” (below) he offers his rationale and some members of the Order explain what our Fire Ritual means to them.
The First Men
Anyone can consider himself a Solar Idealist, but if you want to become an active part of the movement, have an opportunity to connect in-person at events and particpate in rituals, and pursue the best version of yourself in alignment with like-minded men who share your values, consider applying to join our fraternal order, The First Men.
We also accept and have many aligned members who don’t have time to participate, but who simply support our important work. However, we would prefer to have you be a part of this with us.
Drive to a distance, oh ye Bulls, the darkness!
— Rig Veda
An Introduction to Solar Idealism
The Archetypes
We live in a time when we have access to more information about different cultures than any men at any time. We can see the way that one religion morphed into another.
Rather than pretending that the god or gods worshipped by any one people at one time are somehow the only right, real, and true gods — we look for patterns in the way that men have idealized themselves into gods. These patterns tell us about men and about ourselves.
What is your most perfect idea of a king or a warrior or a hero?
Who would you be if you were a better husband or father, businessman or craftsman?
THE FATHER
The Father creates and oversees Order
The Father is the ideal father — the father beyond fathers.
“The primary function of The Father is to contend with conceptual chaos. Characterized by logos, he uses reason to put the world in order, and to maintain that order. The Father orients the world around the fire. He is not the fire, but conceptually, he is closest to it. He creates the point of reference and defines the perimeter. Within that perimeter, he is the final authority, although the earthbound father defers to the cosmic father to his own highest ideal of what it means to be a father. He acts as a representative of the sun, or of all that the sun represents to men.”
— Fire in the Dark: Men and Gods (p. 81)
In dealing with conceptual chaos, The Father must deal with darkness and disorientation, and overcome it to create his order from the raw materials offered by the void. When The Father is moving through chaos, as the sun moves through the night, he is The Father in Darkness. When he emerges from the void to create order, he is The Father in Light.
For more about The Father, read Fire in the Dark.
THE STRIKER
The Striker champions Order
The Striker is the archetypal hero and warrior — the idealized hero, the hero beyond heroes. His virtues are the first virtues associated with the role of every man, the virtues that make survival and security possible — Strength, Courage, Mastery, and Honor.
“The primary function of The Striker is to contend with physical chaos. Characterized by thumos, he uses physical force to put the world in order, and to maintain that order. To become what he is, The Striker must take and remain on a path of areté. But what characterizes him emotionally is the spur of thumos.
— Fire in the Dark: Men and Gods (p. 122).
The Striker fights monsters — forces of chaos and disorder — and to become what he is, he must become a force that creates chaos. In some sense, he must become a monster himself. He must become terrifying, and in this state, he can be seen as The Striker in Darkness. His challenge is to avoid becoming darkness permanently. He transforms himself in the service of light and the Father’s order.
For more, read Fire in the Dark.
THE LORD OF THE EARTH
The Lord of the Earth perpetuates Order
“The Lord of the Earth manages and shapes the material and social chaos of everyday life to perpetuate life and order and promote prosperity. He is an intermediary between earth and sky who brings natural and human resources into the harmonious service of The Father’s cosmic order and human flourishing. The Lord of the Earth is a patron of the tribe and the people, representing the spirit of the working man from shepherds and stock-breeders to farmers, artisans, and merchants. He represents all of the work that must be done to satisfy our basic animal needs and wants and, in exceeding them, bring joy into the world around us.”
— Fire in the Dark
For more about The Lord of the Earth, read Fire in the Dark.
Solar Culture
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