Rites of Iambe
The Reader’s Book
Rite VII — The Reader’s Book
Installation as Reader
| Purpose | Ordinary leader | Typical length | Core symbols |
| To authorize a qualified Covenant Member to give sacred readings, assist worship, and represent the text accurately. | Celebrant, Senior Celebrant, or Board-authorized founding leader | 10–15 minutes | Book of Iambe or Academy text, Laughing Lamp |
Preparation
Confirm IAM-101 and IAM-110 completion.
Confirm Covenant Membership in good standing.
Confirm at least four live Gatherings attended unless a founding-period exception is documented.
Order of the Rite
Opening
A text may guide, but never hide the source;
The Reader keeps the boundary of the word.
Speak ancient witness with an honest force;
Name modern myth as modern when it’s heard.
The Reader keeps the boundary of the word.
Speak ancient witness with an honest force;
Name modern myth as modern when it’s heard.
Charge of Accuracy
Leader: “Will you distinguish Ancient Witness, New Cycle, Doctrine, and Metaphor, and correct yourself when you overstate what the record shows?” Candidate: “I will.”
Receiving the Book
The candidate places a hand on or receives the Book of Iambe, physically or symbolically.
Authorization
Leader: “You are installed as a Reader of Iambe. You may give readings and assist worship within the authority assigned by the Church.”
Charge
Read clearly; never make the source pretend.
The truth survives the joke that has to bend.
The truth survives the joke that has to bend.
Online Adaptation
For online installation, the candidate may hold their own copy of the Canon while the leader commissions them live.