From nloyd@mailer.fsu.edu Sun Aug 10 21:22:15 1997
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 01:29:02 -0400
From: "Nora K. Loyd" <nloyd@mailer.fsu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Subject: Sisters of Zathras [was: Re: JMS on CompuServe (Jul 25, 1997)]

!Fm: RAE AUGENSTEIN
!
!>> Zathras, <<
!
!"Zathras have many sisters, yes. Zathra. And Zathra, Zathra, and Zathra. Zathra
!being very honored to help command Babylon 5 for Army of Light."
!
!<hoo-boy> Could this get funny or what? <g>
!
!        Rae ^^^^
!
!Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
!
!      The Sisters of Zathras...now *there's* a convent worth joining.
!
!                                                                    jms

This was posted a couple of weeks ago, so, who's got the web site up? 
Where do we join? 

I've been doomed to intensive worker-caste activities lately (Sister
of Zathras used to being beast of burden), but if no one else founds
the order soon...hmmm. 

The Canonical Hours would include "The Hour of Scampering"  (which
would be observed with a Vorlonesque liturgical dance) and "The Hour
of the Wolf" (break out the sacramental vodka). 

In the Benedictine tradition of "work and prayer" obviously the
Zathraites' work would involve maintaining the Great Machine, or at
least a website.  The website could have a copy of "The Rule of
Draal."  Here's an excerpt, from Chapter 32: On the Tools and Property
of the Monastery,
	For the care of the monastery's property 
	in tools, clothing and other articles 
	let the Abbess appoint sisters 
	on whose manner of life and character she can rely; 
	and let her, as she shall judge to be expedient, 
	consign the various articles to them, 
	so that they might identify the right tool,
	and distinguish it from the wrong tool,
	and banish the tool of which Zathras has said,
	"never use this."

The Sisters' meditations would involve contemplation of B5 episodes
and daily reading of inspirational material, such as this newsgroup.
They would offer their own insights by posting deep, profound comments
(which might often be mistaken by laypersons as humorous or
nonsensical statements).

If one wants to draw some parallel between the Narn Bat Squad and the
Minbari warrior caste, one could draw a parallel between the Sisters
and the Minbari religious caste.  Thus, a member of the NBS could
borrow a statement of Neroon's and say to us, "THEY post to the
newsgroup, YOU make the silly comments, WE pound you to smithereens." 

Suffering religious persecution at the hands of the NBS would, of
course, be a demonstration of our piety.  Zathras' Sisters have sad
life, probably have sad death, but at least there is symmetry.

Upon induction into the order, the initiate would take on a new name
appropriate to her new life, and could choose from several, such as
Zathra, or Zathra, maybe even Zathra, or, perhaps, Zathra.

Surely membership would be open to males as well as females (and to
members of any sentient species), as long as they don't mind being
called sisters.  ("Brothers of Zathras" should be reserved for
Zathras' actual brothers--after all, we wouldn't want to confuse
anyone by using a similiar name.) 

--Sister Zathra norak, O.S.Z.
(just trying it out)