Jedi Lore
This consists of things I have made up, as well as a few things I have collected from official sources.
Jedi are, with very rare exception, adopted into the Order. An adult ("knighted") Jedi has chosen at several points to spend their life with and as a Jedi.
Usually, a child joins the Jedi by connecting in the Force with another Jedi, and the child's parents or guardians, the "Finder" Jedi, and the child all deciding that the child should become a Jedi. However, the Jedi Order has often been granted permission by the Republic, with the exceptions of certain jurisdictions, to take a willing child into custody without the consent of parents or guardians, if the parents and/or guardians are persecuting or otherwise gravely mistreating the child due to the child's Force-sensitivity. Jedi may also take a Force-sensitive child into custody if there are no parents or guardians - eg, family killed by bounty hunters who took the child to traffic.
Regardless of age in standard years, Jedi life stages are as follows:
When a Jedi dies, their eyes should be open. It is the opposite of closing someone's eyes after death; their eyes should be open to the Force.
Jedi should also take their last breath on the exhale rather than the inhale. If one doesn't manage it and there's another Jedi there, or someone else who happens to be somehow aware of the tradition, they will breathe out on their behalf. It's so that they've given more than they've taken.
A Jedi is also meant to die with a recitation of the Code complete. This is also usually finished on their behalf, so that they get to 'there is no death, there is the 'Force'.
It's meant to not be a big deal when Jedi die without those things, and/or their bodies can't be retrieved, but it inevitably is for their loved ones.
There is a lot of secrecy around what happens with lightsabers especially, but also robes and bodies themselves, to prevent graverobbing (which is just part of how Sith function at this point). Generally, nobody leaves an assembled lightsaber with a body, but often the crystal and parts are left with them (sometimes just the crystal). It's very, very rare for their crystal to be used by someone else or kept for any reason - it's considered akin to necromancy. Necromancy is a huge taboo among the Jedi, because it is using someone else's soul to bind them when they should have been released into the Force.
Anything they had that isn't their kyber crystal and basic robes are redistributed in a systematic way designed to ensure nobody can create relics or hold onto someone's things as unhealthy rather than healthy grieving.
Jedi are burned or buried; the deciding factor is generally what's more practical, including with to their own cultural practices from their homeworld. Both options involve the physical form returning to the Force, just at different speeds.
Jedi mourning periods have no set date, but Jedi are encouraged to come out of self-isolation, if that was part of their mourning, after two weeks and then until it has been a year and/or there is significant concern about them, at which point they are
Jedi carry some reminders, whether it is wearing a small amount of their clothing in a certain colour, or an attitude about a particular topic their loved one cared about, with them for as long as they need to, which can be for the rest of their own life. However, it's very taboo to go "all-in" with mourning, to change everything about yourself to reflect your loved one, because that is also regarded as a form of attachment to them that harms them, you, and the Force spiritually.
See also: Nonattachment.
Jedi have a mandate to treat all life forms with respect. However, from a spiritual and concrete perspective, to Jedi, droids are not - unless they are multiple centuries of age with little change of parts, such as Huyang, they do not have a Force presence like organic beings do. The Jedi sentiment towards droids - though there are always exceptions - can be summarised as "It's not a person, but that's no reason not to treat it with respect".
A significant proportion of Jedi have no gender identity, and/or regard their gender as being 'Jedi'.
Jedi healing centres around acceleration and/or prompting of a body and/or mind's natural healing processes, and guiding these processes.
A Jedi who takes a few ranks in healing, so to speak, only needs to know how things are supposed to work and how to get them working and tell when they're not. Someone who "mains" healing needs additional training in "civilian" medicine to be able to fully understand what's going on and work effectively as part of a team including nonJedi doctors and other medics.
“[They] had a small clan” – slightly euphemistic way of saying a person doesn’t enjoy working with others, esp. with other Jedi.
The phrase, in verbal or written brackets, “(and let it be a lesson to all of us)” denotes the end of a story, indicating for younglings to discuss and ponder the moral. It's also used ironically among and to older Jedi.
From the time of Yoda's era as Grand Master, Jedi reinterpret the idioms 'looking up at' and 'looking down on' in reverse, with 'looking up on' referring to regarding onself as superior, and 'looking down on' referring to regarding the other as superior.
Internal Jedi social media has some mix of the functionalities of Slack, Facebook, and Tumblr. It has sort of "wholesome older web" vibes, with charming chunky designs and color blocks. It's quite text-based but it is used for many, many images and videos also. There are probably custom emoji.
Jedi are very diverse, with many different beliefs, practices, and interpretations across time, species, and locations. There are particular groups of Jedi whose practices are different and organised enough to be deemed sects or denominations of the Jedi faith and Order.
The Ansata were a collective of Force-users who used the Force for academic study. They were absorbed into the Jedi Order, forming a group who believe they follow the Force’s will specifically by gathering and protecting knowledge. Many Jedi scholars today bear Ansata motifs on their robes or in other ornamentation (such as hair/head jewelry).
Green Jedi, known colloquially as 'greenies,' are a group of Jedi based on Corellia. Visually distinguishable by their green robes, Green Jedi do not follow the doctrine of the larger Jedi Order not to be personally invested in or sworn to individual political structures. As well as the standard Jedi Oaths, Green Jedi swear to defend their homeworld of Correllia.
Another unusual aspect of the Green Jedi is that they do not discourage the practice of 'blood families,' that is, maintaining a family based around genetics (such as having and raising biological children) in addition to their Jedi family.
The Kyber Jedi are a specific group of Jedi who shape their culture, practice and beliefs around less the Force and more Ilum (which has a core of kyber). They worship Ilum as a concrete deity rather than the Force as an abstract deity, though most agree they're worshipping the Force through Ilum, or at least that they're not mutually exclusive.
Their buildings have ice fractal pattern floor mosaics, and they favour frost and crystal patterns. They prefer to let the environment choose the locations of their dwellings, which are usually in very windy places (including on Zeffo).
The kyber Jedi are very focused on life being a journey where you find what's calling you, and it's always the force, but it's your your specific way of interacting with it and serving it.
They have a few little enclaves here and there, of maybe 1-20 Jedi apiece, one big one of maybe 50 that swells to several hundred (most of them not Full Members of the Ilum splinter group) at Gathering time. It's nothing like the size of, say, the Greenies, who grow their own members, so to speak.
The Kyber Jedi originated with the phrase "this weapon is your life," as well as the crystal mantra:The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. You are one.
However, they do not, themselves, make lightsabers.
It’s rare to see a Kyber Jedi away from Ilum, but if you do, they can be distinguished by their kyber crystal being not carried as part of a lightsaber but carried in a clear case or on its own as jewelry. Their robes are embroidered or cut into fractal patterns, and often have transparent, glowing, or shimmering elements. Cold-weather gear is commonly worn by Kyber Jedi even in warm environments, and many will never appear publicly unhooded.
The Kyber Jedi are thought to have come into contact with the Guardians of the Whills.
The "Sixth Line" were a splinter sect of Jedi during the Old Republic years, who were so called because they added a sixth line into their version of the Jedi Code: "There is no contemplation, there is only duty."
In general, Jedi are strongly discourged against marrying, though exceptions have been granted on a case-by-case basis. It is generally regarded among Jedi that there is little point to a marriage, as they are a dedication of onself to a person, and vice versa, which Jedi cannot solely give, as their primary dedication is to the Force. Because of this, the majority of lasting (not annulled) Jedi marriages are between two (or more) Jedi, who agree that their personal relationship will not come before their duty and religion. There is a strict prohibition against marriage between Jedi and political and/or military figures, as such legally close relationships could endanger Jedi independance from the Senate and military.
Marriages are sometimes permitted for the purposes of a mission, so long as they are annulled afterwards; conflict with the noninterference strictures against marriage must be carefully balanced with mission objectives in any proposed political or diplomatic match.
Jedi Grand Master Fae Coven and Battlemaster Skarch Vaunk were married to each other.
[See also: nonattachment.]
Nonattachment, in the Jedi context, refers simply to the practice of, and belief in, selfless rather than selfish love. This includes believing that people are not possessions, and not treating them as such. Specific interpretations, traditions and doctrines vary across time and different groups of Jedi.
The tradition of Padawan braids and Padawan beads (the traditions for Padawans with and without hair or longer fur, respectively) began between 50-100 years ATC. It represents a student's respect and devotion to learning from their Master, and is severed upon their Knighting in a representation of the ability to let go of them as they must go their separate ways, the new Knight finding their own path in the universe and the Order. The braid or beads are traditionally given to the former Padawan's Master, and declination to do so may be regarded as a criticism of the Master; however, it is not mandated, and the common guidance given is that the braid or beads are to be assigned, as are all material goods among the Order, where they would be of most benefit. What this means is up to, ultimately, the individual Padawan; some Jedi even keep their own.
Jedk do not and are not permitted to possess material wealth outside of the neccessities of life (that is, clothing and cultural jewelry are permissable; expensive necklaces and rings are not. A communnal temple with some hermitages is permissable; a private house or apartment is not). Anything other than these neccessities - and, indeed, in dire circumstances, the neccessities themselves - are to be pooled and distributed to where and with whom they are most needed.
Note that, as with real life, the vow of poverty does not mandate misery or a lack of comfort, merely a lack of unneccessary material goods or money.
[See also: nonattachment.]
The Jedi Service Corps are the equivalent to a 'lay order' - these individuals are Force-sensitive, and were Jedi Initiates. They choose to remain under the umbrella of the wider Jedi Order in duties such as agriculture and medicine, while not pursuing the General Order pathway of Padawanhood and eventual Knighting. To be a member of the Service Corps is in no way the mark of an 'inferior' member of the Order, and without the Service Corps, the Jedi Order would not function.
The Jedi Service Corps are an honourable pathway open to all Jedi Initiates, and to Padawans after a period of reflection - and to older Jedi in the General Order who may also wish to spend time in the Service Corps (and many do).
Members of the Service Corps do not construct or use lightsabers.
suits are: crystals (pentacles), sabers (swords), bowls (cups), starbirds (wands)
suit cards are: i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x, youngling, guardian, ambassador, master
major arcana:
0 the fool - the padawan
1 the magician - the consular
2 the high priestess - the seer
3 the empress - the grand master
4 the emperor - the chancellor
5 the heirophant - the master of order
6 the lovers - the bonded
7 the chariot - the starfighter
8 strength - control
9 the hermit - the sentinel
10 wheel of fortune - holocron
11 justice - balance
12 the hanged man - the martyr
13 death - time
14 temperance - humility
15 the devil - the sith
16 the tower - the temple
17 the star - victory
18 the moon - defeat
19 the sun - rallying
20 judgement - wisdom
21 the world - the galaxy
[a chronology from the Rediscovery (around 0ATC)]: The Jedi rediscover their ancient sacred homeworld! There are Daarokata [name thanks to Io on the Discords/@sith-shenanegins on Tumblr; the 'canon' name and worldbuilding are quite racist] there now, with not much habitat overlap, but some is where the Ancient Jedi Ruins are. There are Successful Negotiations and the Jedi get to move back into the areas with the Jedi ruins, and the Daarokata only hunt on the edges of them. This is not really in exchange for anything except some teamwork, the Daarokata just respect that these people belong to the old stones, and are giving them to the stones.
The Kalikori pilgrims show up soon after the Jedi start repopulating and rebuilding on Tython. The Jedi say, essentially, "We really wanted to get away from the galaxy for a bit but, sure, whatever, just please leave these specific three valleys alone." The Kalikori agree.
Unfortunately, the Kalikori and the Daarokata do not have successful negotiations with each other. To the Kalikori way of thinking, the Daarokata are attacking them for no reason. To the Daarokata way of thinking, the Kalikori do not belong to the ruins, so what are they doing where they live? Both the Kalikori and Daarokata become frustrated with the Jedi, because the Jedi refuse to take a side.
Eventually, a three-way peace is negotiated.
Some Jedi veil because it's not them that does all these things, it's the Force through them. The most proper Jedi ceremonial formalwear includes light veils as well as hoods. There are a few incidences of Jedi using the veiling tradition for safety reasons - for example, a seventeen-year-old Padawan veiling on Nar Shaddaa to deter comments on their appearance. Jedi sometimes also go to planets with a lot of tension between species veiled thoroughly, so members of the species with tension can't prove the Jedi isn't of a species they're about to badmouth.