Go back to KRNL Intro Part 2: The Codex
It’s been referred to a few times in the introduction so far, but what exactly is the KRNL Cycle?
Simply put, it’s a weekly mapping of the 64 Second Order Aspects of KRNL to the modern calendar, beginning in 2022 CE (KC1), structuring a simple practice of personal reflection. For a long time I resisted the creation of formal rituals and ceremonies within KRNL because I didn’t want to contrive them for the sake of being a “real” religion; I’d prefer they emerged organically or in community with others. But the more I appreciated the ancient utility of religious ceremony, calendars, and the societal macro-ritual of timekeeping, I saw I could initiate KRNL from these practical religious first principles and bring some structure to my scrambled life.
Each of the 12 First Order Aspects corresponds to a month of the year, and then within each month are assigned the four related Second Order aspects, with each sub-cycle starting on a Sunday. Adding the four Cardinal Aspects periodically into the months with five Sundays, giving roughly seasonal milestones, brings us to 52 weekly observances, neatly cycling through all 64. Auspiciously, January began with five Sundays, so I chose to begin the cycle where it all starts, with Knowledge.
I admit, I’m still not completely certain about my selection for the recombined aspects. I’ve tried to think deeply, broadly, and in reference to established wisdom to guide my interpretations and combat my own biases. Still, I’ve tried to arrange the current draft into a progression that meaningfully builds on itself in a sort of spiral. The early months focus on individual refinement and growth; proceed through an expansion and flourishing; and then on reflection, community, and interpersonal development, before blending again with the self.
The gist is that if each given week I spend a little bit of time honing that aspect of myself, deepening my understanding of it, allowing it to guide my relations and decisions, then by the time I return to it on the next cycle I will be able to look back and see my progress. As someone who is susceptible to emotional downward spirals, it’s heartening to structure an upward spiral into my calendar. Time doesn’t have to be a flat circle.
I have plenty of ambitious ideas, but my only real goal for this Cycle is to more or less keep up, settle on the core text for all 64 aspects, and have at least a rough selection of the full 256. Anything beyond that is extra credit. The first additional assignment will be catching up on some short blog posts on each aspect to provide some commentary and perspective. Maybe eventually share it more.
Below is a calendar of the monthly assignments for the First Order Aspects in KRNL Cycle 1, which are less likely to change than the upcoming weekly selections. You can also subscribe to the public Google Calendar to receive updates and have access to the running weekly list. As content is created I also intend to fill out past entries for reference.
| Month | First Order Aspect* |
|---|---|
| January | Trust |
| February | Discipline |
| March | Learning |
| April | Conscience |
| May | Creativity |
| June | Understanding |
| July | Joy |
| August | Mindfulness |
| September | Empathy |
| October | Wisdom |
| November | Comity |
| December | Generosity |