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Wednesday began the Megalesia, rites dedicated to the Phygrian goddess Cybele. These rites were echoes of history from Hellas and her colonies on the coasts of Asia Minor, and then even earlier from the central Anatolian kingdom of Phygria. To Athens, She was a protectress; to other poleis, She was as exotic as the lions which drew Her cart and the transgender and eunuchs which were Her priests. Rome called Her Magna Mater — the Great Mother — and called upon Her to defend Rome from Carthage in the Punic Wars. She was recognised by Rome as an ancestral goddess by way of Aeneas of Troy, an ancestor of Romulus & Remus who are the founders of Troy. Her history may date Her back all the way to the Maternal goddess found in Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic town in Anatolia. From the Phygrian Korybantes and the eunuch Roman Galli, to Her modern depictions such as that at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, the Megalesia marks the arrival of Cybele’s depiction to Rome in a solemn procession from Pessinus in Anatolia. May it mark Her arrival in this State.

XIII Februario MMXI

In the Fire of the Central Hearth, a scale of micronationalism was laid down. For the cause of remembrance, it ranged from hobby micronationalism, a form of micronationalism wherein the intent is for fun and amusement, to progressive secessionist micronationalism, a form of micronationalism wherein the intent is to actively form a sovereign state by whatever means. This scale is capable to be applied to both individuals and the collective nature of micronations. However, this scale shares a common failure. Whilst it measures the intent of a micronation or micronationalist, it does not measure the culture of the micronation. Furthermore, it completely ignores the cultural development a micronation may have had for its benefit. This does not, however, grant hobby micronationalists or hobby micronations the same auctoritas as their more secessionist counter-parts, as their culture tends to mimic their intent in micronationalism. Therefore, just as the intent and policies of a hobby micronation are for their own amusement, so will their culture be for their own amusement. The often ridiculous schemes and plots they author and make for their micronation, then, will only be mimicked in their culture. However, the holistic intent that a serious secessionist micronation or micronationalist may have will be mimicked in a micronation’s culture. Therefore, the intent and policies of a micronation shall influence its culture as it incorporates those policies into its citizens’ micronational lives. Such is the same for our State, as an example, as we have witnessed policies based upon several cultures. The creation of the Collegio Sacerdae, utilising a name in Sancta — a romance constructed-language, is symbolic of this State’s independent approach to Roman history. The utilisation of the title S8gm8, an Abenaki word for Chief, is symbolic of the renaissance of macronational Native Americans, First Nations, and Native Polynesian peoples; a renaissance that is impacting this State, as well as Zealandia and many others.

The Active Micronational Cultural Development Theory

Years ago, as an epithet of an ideology few actually read and looked into, a theory was created that was based upon common observance of micronational culture. Regardless of the broader aspect of the ideology this theory formed, its review in this State as a part of micropatriological research conducted for Realism has affirmed this theory. It has shown itself to be a true statement due to regular fact observed in many micronations these days. This theory begins by declaring that a micronation can not simply be a political or economic entity, that some sort of culture must be affixed to it by its people. Such appears to be the case as, under the Barony of Kremlum Sandus, politics was the sole emphasis of the Barony. Within a fortnight, however, the Barony became inactive and became a Territory in the St.Charlian Commonwealth. However, direct examples of this are rather difficult to find, as they tend to be ignored or fall into history rather quickly. Therefore, the more indirect examples would include a few of the majority of nations who have either politics or an economy and a culture as well. Renasia, for example, has all three with its emphasis on technology and science being incorporated into its political system, its central company of RenTech, and its culture that can be found in its Pecune notes. This remains true even with federations and confederations that continue to exist. The Nemkhav Federation has politics and culture on national and regional levels, as its culture is expressed through national politics as well. However, it appears that if a break-down of cultural diffusion occurs on national levels that overall national inactivity begins to settle in. An example would be present day St.Charlie, which is fighting its way back to activity due to the lack of cultural diffusion aided by a fluid political system under Alvisi’s term as Prime Minister. Whilst Alvisi has defended his term by stating that the political system was in fact there, it would appear that only the political system was there and, therefore, not a cultural system embedded within it. Within this State, culture is indicative of our common philosophy and politics. Therefore, culture and politics are intertwined in Sandus, even amongst the smallest of things. The common greeting on Veritum Sandus is the Latin ave or hail; a Tibetan tsog is conducted at least every month in Sandus; and, our holiday on the 9th of May is an example of the political system merging with the cultural to remember, as from the DPRS’ Remembrance Day posters, “Sandus’ fallen comrades”.

This theory also argues that a culture should not be too dependent upon macronational cultures. Many micronations within our community, in fact, follow this rule quite well. A few have completely ignored macronational cultures and have focused on items which unite them, such as Renasia with science. Sandus and Zealandia, as well, would be two examples of an independent approach to utilising several macronational cultures. Both of these micronations actively take from two or more macronational cultures — French, Ancient, Native American, Socialist cultures for Sandus and Maori, Scandinavian, Socialist cultures for Zealandia — and create an independent culture from their blend. Though the wording of the article may be definitive, it should be noted that micronations that have culture synonymous with macronations wholly are only at harm for inactivity. For example, a few of M. Sammut’s former micronations wavered over time due to their dependence on a few cultures or a single culture. This is especially tedious and takes the cultural independence out of a micronation, thereby undermining its sovereignty by affecting its activity. So whilst the article defining this theory is rather definitive, it should be noted that independent ways of macronational culture or cultures tend to result in perfectly active micronations.

Importance of Politics

Though the Active Micronational Cultural Development theory argues that a micronation should not be a solely political entity for the sake of its activity, it does not address the importance of politics for that culture. In the Fire of the Central Hearth, a specific emphasis was placed on the politics of a micronation, and rightfully so. Micronations are intrinsically political organisations. They require a system or form of governance and politics as a basic and elementary necessity, a basic form of politics in the micronational expression. Other micronations, then, typically add on a state ideology or belief to follow with that form of governance; others may then add on other roles for the political system, such as historical or cultural emphases. It is by these political systems, then, that culture can form from politics. Perhaps this explains the reason why there are few noticeable or non-existent examples of micronations that became inactive due to a lack of culture; as culture can form out of politics, micronations can save themselves from inactivity due to forming a culture from their political systems. Ignoring the Sandum-centric examples used in the previous paragraphs, all micronations — of what ever politics — can form culture from their political systems. Sirocco and the Zonian Confederacy are two examples of how the admiration for a capitalist system of economy, and its importance on their national political systems, transpired into a similar culture; and, due to their similarities, attracted them both most recently as Zona has become a constituency of Sirocco. St.Charlie is another example of this culture-producing political system, as St.Charlie would otherwise largely lack its national-level culture due to its emphasis on Federal Republic politics. This example, however, introduces a point mentioned before that politics can also facilitate cultural diffusion. Such would largely be the case for federations and confederations, as St.Charlie has little in terms of national culture; however, its national culture could be defined as being based upon its individual federations that is diffused nation-wide by its political system under the Federal Republic. The same goes for the Nemkhav Federation, whose national culture — besides its history under the Republic and the Empire — is dependent upon its constituent countries, including Nemkhavia proper. The individual cultures of the Federation, which share very little similarities, would not be so easily diffused amongst the entirety of the Federation if it was not for her political system, including the Federation’s specific and special emphasis on the constituent nations’ individuality due to the House of Territories.

Therefore, in sum, a political can not only lead to the rise of a national culture from artificial roots, but can also be used in the diffusion of cultures. This diffusion is also the basis for some of the community’s historic and present intermicronational organisations, as advancement — including cultural advancement — is a major emphasis of the Grand Unified Micronational with her Advancement Council and national reports.

Epilogue

Culture in micronationalism can be founded upon many functions of a micronation, many more than those discussed in this treatise. Whilst politics and macronational precedents play specific importances in micronational culture, macronational and micronational history are other bases for micronational culture, as well as economy, current events, religion, et cetera. Though documenting these specific factors may allow micronationalists to better understand micronationalism through micropatriology, these factors may not be universal for all micronations. Just because a certain micronation may have emphasis on its economy, such as Renasia or Egtavia, does not mean that those emphases may remain static or may carry over to another micronation. A micronation such as Erephisia’s emphasis on technology is not translated in Sandus’ emphasis on macronational history. However, it is with this dedication to the further study of micropatriology and Realism in this State, done in part for the anniversary of the Founding of the State and its Realist policies on the 13th of April 2011, that we hope to continue to study the factors of micronationalism that are applicable to the most serious and decorum-bound micronations.

May Cybele, the Magna Mater, guide our studies in another year of Sandum Realist politics, for the benefit of our State and all beings.

— Sôgmô Sörgel.