Tetroidian Concepts - Four Principles

Four Principles 

(or ways in which in which we see and interpret our way of interacting with the world and that which surrounds and informs our lives.)

It is a Tetroidian World View that there are four principles ways of interpreting the events, actions, or occurrences that shape and inform our impression of Reality and our place within it. These four principles are: the Randomness Principle, the Design Principle, The Attraction Principle, and the Butterfly Principle. These name are elected because people are to some extent familiar with each concept, to some extent either through scholastic studies, or popular culture. 

It is the Tetroidian contention that these principles are primarily choice driven yet have a fundamental impact on our world views and the way in which we perceive and receive the world around us. They also inform and dictate to some extent the mores and codes of behavior or belief that we choose to uphold. It is also the Tetroidian contention that these four principles are not mutually exclusive but form a tetradic multifaceted continuum in which we move mentally thus our views and ways of interpreting the world shift and change from time to time depending on knowledge, experience, events, and/or circumstances.

Thus it is that choice is the number one factor in placing us within this multifaceted continuum, and as we know, Choice can be and active or passive, conscious or subconscious decision process, with many factors of which we are both aware and unaware of influencing the decisions, the choices we make.

1: The Randomness Principle. 

In essence this principle contends that the universe and all that is in it is the product of random interactions, that there are as a consequence downstream, predictable “universal” laws that dictate the reasonable predictableness of further downstream interactions. In other words, nothing is pre-ordained or written to dictate the direction of our lives or the interactions that come into our lives. This Principle may also to some extent be considered the “Skeptic’s” principle but this would be far too limiting in scope as Skeptics have their belief system firmly founded on the fundamentals of Scientific Thought and Methods of inquiry (for simplification, “If it can’t be measured, it doesn’t exist,” alternatively, “One has to ’See It’ in order for one to believe it is so.”)

There is much to this principle that makes it appealing. It implies that our lives are not controlled by some external all knowing, all seeing higher power. It implies that what transpires in our lives is not prewritten and prescript by benevolent or vindictive Gods, Angels, Deities, or other unseen forces that may or may not be amenable to entreatment. It also implies that to seek for meaning or rational explanation for why things happen, is a fundamental waste of time, energy and effort, which are things better expended on just living. In other words, That which cannot be predicted by Nature’s Laws, is Universal Randomness; both are outside our ability to influence or control, however what can be reasonably predicted can be accounted for, and what cannot be reasonably predicted is Universal Randomness at work, just accept it. This acceptance can lead one to some greater sense of freedom: from fear, worry, and stress.

2: The Design Principle.

In essence, this principle contends that the Universe and all that is in it, as well as our interactions within, and in response to, it is the result of “Fate.” That everything happens for a reason, these reasons have been pre-ordained, and we are powerless to change the “Skein of our lives.”  Thus, our lives, and the way in which we interact with others and the Universe  is scripted, that our purpose is to determine what that script is and fulfil to the best of our ability the “Promise” of that script, for there are many challenges put before us to steer us away from that Promise and towards Failure. Spiritual progress or achievement is then measured by how well we fulfil the Promise of each of our own individual Scripts, and from that, our final reward or punishment.

There is much to this principle that makes it appealing. It implies that there is some form of order to the universe and all that transpires within it. It implies that there is relevance and meaning to everything, both good and bad, that transpires within our lives, and that the people in our lives are there to help us grow, that they along with us, are part of an consentually orchestrated plan. It also implies that there are things beyond our knowing and that all we need to do is trust, “Believe,” and in the end, all will be revealed. It lastly, implies an attitude of acceptance of both good and bad, that we are finite beings with a purpose and that the problems, worries and stresses of our lives can be relieved by communing with our higher power through offerings, prayer, meditation, or other form of worship.

3: The Attraction Principle.

In essence this principle contends that the universe and all that is in it is made up of random energy that can be influenced by will or intent. That, “There is no fate but what we make,” or, “Do as thou wilt shall be the entire law,” or, “Your wish is my command.” In other words, what you will, wish or desire can be manifested fully into your life. There is nothing pre-ordained, nothing inherently good or evil, that the Universe will act in a random manner until you command it to act according to your will. Some also say that the Universe manifests our thoughts by trying to be congruent with those thoughts so that what we think is what we experience, see and know.

The appeal of this principle lies in essence in the concept of personal control. Our past is a record of the choices and wishes and beliefs that we have held, and that our future is whatever we wish it to be. If we can imagine it, visualise it, and hold it purposefully in our mind, "That as it is within, so shall it be without." Our thoughts then are our reality.  So we are able to manage, and change how we feel about our worries, stresses and feelings by taking control of those thoughts and emotions and substituting more desirable thoughts, feelings and emotions.

4: The Butterfly Principle.

In essence this last principle contends that the Universe and all that is in it is interconnected, that the randomness that we see is chaotically interlinked, that every element in the Universe communicates with and has an influence on every other element (butterfly effect) thus, though there are natural Laws to the Universe that are knowable, predictable, we are also able to influence outcomes in subtle ways through our thoughts, actions and intentions. In other words, our lives are a manifestation of “Guided Randomness,” in that our actions and intent create outcomes that are predictable to a certain extent in form but not final actualisation or function. 

The appeal of this last principle lies in essence in the concept of an ordered universe that responds to and manifests our thoughts feelings, emotions and beliefs in a manner that is essentially congruent to those thoughts and feelings. It implies that what we ask for may not be exactly what we receive, however it conforms in some way to our wishes in so far that we are able to use it to achieve our desires, dreams and relief from worries, pressures and stresses. It also implies that our actions have a subtle impact on outcomes, a famous example of this is the experiment with Schrödinger’s Cat. Thus we can live as powerfully as we chose but for every choice there are consequences and how we feel about those consequences will inform our thoughts feelings and emotions, as well as our levels of stress and worry. Lastly, for every chosen action or inaction there may be unknowable knock on effect and impacts that may or may not effect us directly but could perhaps impact something else that also exists in the Universe (butterfly wings and hurricane example.)

From the above, it can be readily seen that these four principles are inter-related.  Thus: 

a) Everything is random and outside our sphere of influence; 

b) everything is pre-ordained and outside our influence; 

c) some things are random but we can influence outcomes to some extent; and, 

d) everything is random and from out of it we can create anything we wish. 

We can visualise this interrelatedness by plotting each principle on the points of a triangular pyramid, a tetroid, and visualizing ourselves as a point somewhere within the pyramid. Depending on how we are currently viewing, responding and interacting with the world, we will see that point as favouring one point over the others. 

The Tetroidian World View contends that through interaction with this continuum of thought, continuum of ways in which to interpret, understand, see and influence the world around us, that part of our struggle to find meaning and self-actualisation is to strive for and attain some semblance of balance, to integrate elements of each principle into our lives so that for us, the tetroidian continuum is balanced, with our ‘selves’  at the center of that continuum. 

This does not however, mean that the specific elements that bring central balance for one person will be the exact same elements for another. This is the beauty of Universal Randomness.

Biograpy Requirement, Universal Ministries DR Submission

Tsc Tempest

a brief autobiography about religion, community and leadership

[A submission requirement for Universal Ministries, Doctor's Degree Submission.]

I am a priest of the Tetroidian Faith, but I haven't always been so. In the next few lines I would like to share with you, briefly, my own religious experiences, how they have influenced my community involvements, and leadership experiences, thus leading me to where I am today.

I was born, in Australia, into an agnostic family, of mixed migrant origins. My grandparents were from Catholic Russian families, and due to support and assistance from the congregation at Holy Name, in Preston, Melbourne, I and my siblings were baptized late in to the Roman Catholic Faith. My first crisis of faith caused me to renounce and abandon,The Church, after which I explored the Presbyterian and Methodist faiths but could find no solace, so I slowly drifted away.

At this early stage in my life, my family was quite poor. We lived on charity, food vouchers, clothes from opportunity shops, my mum even stalked the lanes of Victoria Market scavenging vegetable greens discarded after the market had closed.

At school I was treated as an outcast by many children, shunned, chased to and from school, bullied, was beaten in the head with a shovel during a horticultural class, and frequently accused of being too smart for my height. In later years, my isolation intensified. My tertiary studies were filled with darkness, deep depression, and misery. I was surrounded by people with whom I could share absolutely nothing.

I searched for something, anything that might bring me into the light. I dabbled with New Age philosophies, which brought me some small way forward, became a Reiki Practitioner, and even lead a Harvest Festival as a, kind of,  White Druid. But I stumbled hard into my second spiritual crisis plunging deep into a mental construct of Christian Hell.

But in that pit of dank despair, I discovered something, something stirred deep inside in the depths of my depression and loneliness, a kernel of self-worth. Slowly I came back, progressed, improved and, through a couple of sessions of Regression Therapy I became reacquainted with four deeply personal messages.

Step by tentative step my world began to change. Through my writings, the sharing of my poetry with others, people began to welcome me in, inviting me to join their activities, and I experienced a sense of community I'd not known before. And yet I continued to search, still as yet not quite whole.

I joined a Pentecostal community in Morwell, and one day, they hosted the first national Convention of ministers for that year, to which I and other members of the community were invited to attend. I ran, in tears, from this congregation of a thousand people in rapture, speaking in tongues... I had heard a voice, powerful, concerned, strong, compelling, it was everywhere and nowhere, perhaps it was all in my head, somewhere. It spoke directly to me and asked, "Why are you still here?, You don't belong here..." Spiritual crisis number three.

Loneliness descended and again took its firm grip on me. then I discovered the soothing words of Baha'ullah. Again I hoped, I became part of a community, participating, and even taught sport at a weekend school for Baha'i kids. But my affliction was still with me, crisis of faith number four - I could not reconcile the teachings of the Baha'i faith with my own deeply spiritual experiences and the advice did not require an act of faith but the blind rejection of everything I knew to be, personally, true.

Thus, I found myself washed up on the bank of the River of Life with no way back into the water but, The Guardian within, told me that I knew the way, the Divine Design was known to me and to go forth and share it. not everyone can flow in the river, some must needs find their own path, across the spiritual landscape.

I eventually met a girl, got engaged and dis-engaged. I was shattered and for a number of years spiraled downwards and out of control. I then joined up with The Forum undergoing several of their workshops somewhat mean of spirit and increasingly leader-egocentric. If you were not a leader, your role was to serve, without question, and to ponder what was said, also without question. I left Australia looking for a new beginning and for many years I drifted from one teaching job to another, throughout China.

In that time I was exposed to Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and... Maoism.but what made the biggest impact on me was peoples absolute desire to make money, anyway they could, at any cost. If you were an outsider, there was little recognition or respect. If you were on the inside, obedience and duty were all that mattered. The confucian ethic was intimately ingrained in the lives of the people, but the people could no longer explain why it was so.

however, this time of reflection in a foreign land allowed me to slowly crystalize my own beliefs, thoughts and feelings. To clarify just what resonated in me, clearly and without question, as to The Guardian's Will. To reach a sense of wholeness, self-acceptance and personal understanding that I didn't have before.

My past religious experiences and crises of faith underlie my progressive personal development, and my eventual acceptance into, and of, community.my involvements and interactions have always held an element of nurture, mentoring, coaching, and teaching of others. I found that people began to trust and follow my lead. I slowly became instrumental in starting new community groups and clubs, and my work led me to become an instructor, teacher trainer, and Director of Studies.

The difficulties in my life and my personal religious experiences are marked by four spiritual crises. These have shaped my views of the world and led me to explore and share the Tetroidian Worldview. A view that resonates in and through me. I have become its priest, an advocate of its values, teacher of its principles, and protector of the faith.

November 17, 2004 TT

Organization of the Tetroidian Worldview, A Summary

The Tetroidian Worldview began to take shape in the mid-Nineteen Eighties when, The Herald of Change, was called to reveal the Devine Design of, The Guardian.

Charged with, "showing the way," The Herald of Change began to bring forth from the hidden places the order and structure of the Devine Design, as it is exemplified in the Tetroidian Worldview.

Tetroidians believe in a four-fold aspect to life. It is a belief which has its foundation in:

• Family
• Self
• Worthiness, and
• Community

It holds that the individual has a tetradic nature which is composed of four influences:

• one's parents
• the intentions and desire of the mother
• the intentions and desires of the father, and
• the will of The Guardian

Each individual is born into a family unit. within this unit the individual is nurtured and develops their own tetradic nature until they can interact with other individuals, eventually forming work and social units, referred to as Quartets.

The interlinked units form the basis of communities, and the communities are organized, managed and administered according to the Rule of Nine. The Community strives: to develop its Families; to nurture Self-Development,  Fulfillment, and Self-Worth; and to encourage Self-Actualization through involvement in the daily life of the community.

This, in essence, is the Divine Design as taught to us by, The Herald of Change.

19 March 2003. TT

Biography Requirement, Universal Ministries MA Submission

Tsc Tempest

a biography of religious faith

(a submission in accordance with the requirements for the Universal Ministries Masters Degree)

Belief. Religious Belief. Religious belief as taught by the Holy Roman Church and I, did not get along together all that well. It wasn't so much a problem with the tenets that were taught but more an issue with how the congregation, flaunted those tenets when they thought no one was looking.

I fell out with the Roman Catholic Church after seeing people stealing from the donation plate, in the back tallying rom, and when I reported it, I was admonished for not being in my pew and attending to the mass. in other words, I was the one at fault, I was the sinner, and all I did was get, to go to the toilet. This was my first confrontation with questions of blind acceptance, "belief" and an inner understanding, "faith" that most of us refer to as "Religion."

Since that time I have spent a great deal of time trying to understand what it it I do believe, what is my religious faith, and how does it shape my life. quite simply, my faith is not a mainstream belief system, It is the crystallization of experiences, dedicated thought, and meditation on fundamental principles that concern each and every one of us.

After falling out with The Church, I have delved into various Cristian sects; patiently listened to the speakers of the Book of Mormon; studied the way of Science, explored new age thought; philosophized with Forum participants, instructors; and debated students of theology. I've even looked from the outside in at some key Eastern worldviews. All this has led me to develop my own belief system. It works for me and informs they way I choose to interact with other in my community and around the world.

My belief, the Tetroidian Worldview, is based on principles of family, community, self-actualization and worthiness. It has shaped one of my principle philosophies concerning public discourse and the sharing of opinions in public forums, that of being, "Firm, Friendly, Fair and Frank."

My life has been shaped by exclusion and inclusion in various communities, both religious and secular, western and eastern.As such my experiences have informed my thinking on the place of religion in society and its role within society. That is of guiding the values and principles of the people so that they are able to flourish and contribute to the best of their individual abilities to the community's prosperity, and share equally in that prosperity.

I believe we have an all seeing Guardian that watches over us, that The Guardian may intervene at times, in strange, mysterious, and somewhat startling ways, but otherwise leaves us to our own devices. I believe that there are several planes of existence and that we are here on this plane to grow and develop spiritually. As such, my personal life experiences seem to support and reinforce such beliefs enough for me to take it on, "Faith" as being true.

January 18, 2003 TT

Discipline, Integrity & Empowerment, What's it mean to, D.I.E?

Of all the things I've failed to master, why is it that I keep coming back to this struggle, with self-discipline?

From self-imposed Discipline comes Integrity, which is the foundation on which Empowerment stands firm. Without this, Change has no impact, no influence, no power.

The four pillars are inter-dependent, like the points of a triangular pyramid (tetroid) and they are: 

Discipline, Integrity, Empowerment, and Change. 

Like a golden capstone, Change is a beacon of hope - Life is Change, Change is Life, thus we first must D.I.E, in order to Live.

To D.I.E is to exercise deliberately, with purpose, Discipline; to maintain and keep our Integrity; and to seek out opportunities and challenges that lead to Empowerment.


---There will be more on this over time as I wrestle with these thoughts but at this time, as I sit and type away, it seems that my struggle with discipline (self-discipline) is THE missing element I've needed to effect real and lasting personal change, self-growth and development. 

While I've stood for the possibility of Integrity and Empowerment, I've never really got beyond "Possibility" i.e. to step it up to a reality. I've been missing something, never quite "got it" until now. So now the question is, do I really stand for such possibility,and what am I willing to do to make it a reality?

I AM The Herald of Change.

Random thoughts of mind

I woke up today, after some feverish dreaming, wrestling with the following thoughts trying to find a connection between that makes sense to me. For now, I just wish to record them:


A man's most troubling questions - "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What's it all mean?" "What's my purpose in life?"


There is magic in names: the power to control; and, the power to call into being.


Fear = False Evidence Appearing Real


Fear profits man nothing.


We live in fear: fear of dying; fear of aging; fear of pain; fear of suffering; fear of violence done against us; fear of change; fear of success; fear of recognition; fear of starting; fear of finishing; fear of failure; the list goes on... We fear to live.


The Kingdom of Heaven is within.


We are all gods.


We use barely 10% of our brains; it is in the other 90% that the power of the divine resides.


Nirvana is a state of mind.


Silence is golden.


From out of the void (the silence) came the Word.


The child within must die so that the man within may live.


The manner in which we die, dictates how well our deeds in life, are remembered.


I stand for the possibility of Integrity and Empowerment.


The aim of close order drill is to develop in the individual soldier a sense of instinctive obedience which will assist him at all times in the carrying out of his orders.


Strength, Guts, Determination.


What does it mean, "to suffer?"


What is discipline?

Biography Requirement, Universal Ministries BA Submission

Tsc Tempest

a biography of religious faith

(a submission in accordance with the requirements for the Universal Ministries Bachelors Degree)

I have never found it easy to begin talking about myself and my personal feelings and deeper held beliefs, especially such beliefs that might be considered something of a religious nature. Yet, at some point the burning need to share, one’s beliefs in a safe space needs to be expressed.

Without a doubt I have found that religious beliefs can be a source of conflict and confusion, personal and interpersonally. My own relationship with my own beliefs was complicated by my experience with the Holy Roman Church. While I did not have an issue with the tenets taught by the Church, I found myself frustrated by the way in which the congregation flaunted those tenets when they thought no one was looking.

My disillusionment with the Church was cemented when I witnessed people stealing from the donation plate during Mass. When I reported the theft, I was admonished for not being in my pew and attending to the Mass. In other words, I was the one chastised, for the sins of others. They were told to, next time, make sure the door was closed. This experience pushed me to question the blind acceptance of religious beliefs and to explore my own faith in a more personal way.

Since that time, I have interloped in various Christian sects, perused the Book of Mormon, delved deep into New Age thought, and philosophized with Graduates and Professors various Universities. I have even made passing inquiry into key Eastern worldviews, as an outsider looking in. Through this process of exploration and reflection, I have consolidated and tentatively developed my own belief system.

My personal beliefs, which I call the, “Tetroidian Worldview,” are based on principles of family, community, self-actualization, and worthiness. It has fundamentally shaped my approach to public discourse, which I believe should be conducted in a manner of openness and mutual respect. 

My experiences in both religious and secular communities have informed my thinking on the role of religion in society. I believe that religion should guide the values and principles of people so that they can contribute to the community's prosperity and share in that prosperity equally.

My belief in an all-seeing Guardian who watches over us is strengthened by my personal experiences. While I believe that this Guardian may intervene in mysterious ways, I also believe that we are here on this plane to grow and develop spiritually. I contend that there are several planes of existence, and that our spiritual growth continues even after we leave this world.

My personal journey of exploration into faith, and reflection on it, has led me to a personal belief system that guides my interactions with others and with myself. While my experiences have been shaped by heart rending exclusion from, and and open armed inclusion in, various communities, I believe that my personal World View to be a positive force that helps me to explain, understand, and constructively contribute to the world around me. This view is not controversial, but it is a Tetroidian World View.

October 10, 2001 TT