Virtues of Seren
As Reflected by Nyssarra, Child of Taranwen, Walker of the Wild Paths
I have often wondered what it truly means to follow a goddess whose voice sounds like music through crystal and whose will is written not in commandments, but in connection. Seren speaks not as one who commands from above, but as one who lives within—the breath in stone, the warmth in starlight, the ache we feel when harmony breaks.
These are the virtues I have come to know not only by her teaching, but by living—by stumbling, enduring, listening. They are not laws. They are companions. They walk with me.
Integrity — The Root Beneath All Things
To maintain one's courage, one's principles, despite all opposition and influence. This is a foundation stronger than any stone.
Integrity is the virtue that has most often cost me blood. It is also the one that has brought me closest to myself.
To live with integrity is not to be inflexible, but to be centered. There is a world of difference between stubbornness and truthfulness. I have stood with those I did not agree with, simply because turning away would have dishonored something deeper than doctrine: my promise to listen, to protect, to walk with open eyes.
Seren does not demand perfection. She asks only that we remain true—to ourselves, to what we know to be just, even when others would twist that knowing into something more convenient.
Integrity is not loud. It does not scream righteousness. It holds fast in silence, in small choices, in the refusal to betray one’s soul for momentary comfort.
Harmony — The Thread Between All Things
This is the virtue that binds all others together. We are all bound by the Anima Mundi, the energy that flows between all creation. From the greatest gods to the smallest insects, all are linked together. Worlds are the heart in which the Anima rests. When we are in harmony with the world around us, we strengthen the Anima and we strengthen ourselves and each other.
There are times when I’ve felt alone in the world—cut adrift by loss, by difference, by the endless tides of war and ideology. But Harmony reminds me that solitude is not separation. The world breathes with me, around me, through me.
Harmony is not about pleasing everyone. It is about remembering we are not apart. Even the ones we fight, we are bound to. Even the ones we lose, we are never truly without. The Anima Mundi—this sacred flow Seren speaks of—it is not only the source of life, but the reminder that no life is meaningless.
In Harmony, I have learned to speak to beasts, to hear the pulse of the earth beneath my steps, to understand even my enemies. Not to excuse them—but to remember they, too, are woven into the world’s great design.
Prudence — The Watchful Hand
This is the virtue that protects the others. Too often life presents us with a curse disguised as a gift. Be cautious and be prepared for all things: there are snakes in the grass, be watchful of their movement.
I have been offered many things. Power. Allies. Easy answers. I have also seen what such gifts have done to others.
Prudence does not ask us to distrust the world. It asks us to see it clearly. There are snakes in the grass, yes—but sometimes they are the kind that whisper flattery instead of hissing threats. Seren’s light is not blinding. It is discerning. It helps us see, and through seeing, choose with care.
There is no shame in hesitating. No shame in saying, “I am not yet sure.” Those who rush forward often fall hardest. Prudence walks beside me like a quiet guardian—reminding me that timing, truth, and caution are all threads of the same weave.
Wisdom — The Flame Within the Mind
This is the virtue that allows all other virtues to work. It is not enough to know or have something, but to be aware of how and when to use it. Gold is worthless if simply hoarded. It is only when it is spent that it can enact change. Be mindful of the changes you would make to the world and know how to make them happen.
I have read books older than kingdoms. I have walked in ancient groves, heard the songs of trees that no longer grow, spoken with spirits who no longer take form. None of that made me wise—not on its own.
Wisdom is not accumulation. It is application. The ability to know when silence is a weapon, or when a word might save a life. The ability to hold power and not let it poison. The humility to say, “I don’t know,” and the strength to find out anyway.
Seren’s teaching on Wisdom is not about being clever—it is about being present. About understanding the ripples our actions create. About knowing when to act, and why.
Gold hoarded is nothing. Power unused is rot. But when offered with care, these things change lives. Wisdom gives shape to all the other virtues. Without it, even good intent can lead us astray.
Closing Words
These are not ideals I claim to have mastered. I fail them often. But they are the compass by which I walk.
I carry these thoughts with me—etched in the pages of my journal, whispered in meditation beneath open skies, reflected upon after bloodshed or reunion. Sometimes I share them with others. Sometimes I keep them close.
But always, they are mine—not because they were given to me, but because I chose to make them so.
—Nyssarra
