6. I will commit only to honorable work.
The work we do in this world, whether a vocation or simply a job to support ourselves, will take up an enormous amount of our lives. Millions of hours will be spent on it, more than anything except perhaps eating and sleeping. To spend all this time doing work that supports injustice or pollution is a sinful waste. Work can also be a sacred thing, even if it is menial and grubby, as long as it is in the service of some decent goal.
Manual labor, such as gardening, farming, carpentry, crafts, cleaning, or maintenance, should be an essential part of life in the House, and not just because it is necessary. It should go without saying that each member will take equal part in chores (with exceptions for the physically disabled, who will be excused from some forms of hard labor), and should agree to learn the skills necessary to work and maintain the House and its property. All tasks will be done as equally as possible, and no one gets to shirk due to seniority, importance, or status as a Root or Branch member. Also, no chore shall be divided up by gender, under the presumption that men or women are likely to be more skilled at its performance. All gender are equal, and get equal share of each chore. There are no gendered chores.
It should also be stressed, however, that manual labor can be done in such a way that it is a moving meditation, a magical practice that centers and cleanses. In fact, most of what might be considered actual practice of magic in the House will be framed in a context of sacred labor. This works especially well when actually working with the earth in some way. Part of one's discipline should be focused on working with labor in a spiritual way, and finding the sacredness in it, whether it is washing the dishes or weeding the garden or doing the laundry or mending the gates.
Some members of the House may be required to work outside in order to bring money in and support the House and its nonworking members. Ideally, a House should be self-supporting, but this is likely to be difficult, especially in the early stages. The kinds of jobs and employers that are acceptable to members of the Order are very limited, and this may make things difficult for them to find optimal employment, but one does not undertake this path because one prefers things to be easy. "Honorable work" can be defined as jobs and employers that take into account the following:
A) No member of the Order may work for an employer whose policies directly cause harm to the Earth. This means that their policies must be closely examined, especially in terms of what is done with their waste products, what companies fund their major raw materials, and the environmental policies of any parent companies.
B) No member of the Order may work for an employer whose policies discriminate against employees for reasons other than their job performance, or against clients or customers for any reason other than rude behavior. Employers must not oppress their workers, and the channels for recourse in the event of problems must not be blocked. They must be fair to everyone who works for them.
C) No member of the Order may work for an employer who requires any kind of dishonesty, be it aimed at the public, customers, other employees, or ignoring abuses perpetrated by members of the company or organization. If they cannot speak plainly and honestly, within the limits of appropriate courtesy, they may not work there. Continual dishonesty eats at the soul and hinders one in one's path.
D) No member of the Order may work for an employer who exploits poor workers in less economically fortunate areas of the world. If such workers are to be utilized, care must be taken to insure that they are fairly paid for their work.
It is true that these restrictions will make it hard to find work, especially high-paying work, but the Gods do take care of their own, and it is always acceptable to ask that the right situation be sent to you. Part of this discipline is the living of a clean and honorable life, and no compromise can be made on these points with Branch or Root members of the Order.
Lay members should strive for this level of non-compromising, but in many cases they may not be able to achieve it. Part of what allows members in a House to manage is that they support each other in a group; lay members who are on their own may not have the resources to be this discriminating about employment without endangering their own survival, and possibly that of their dependents. On the other hand, a lay member should at the very least be continually attempting to find a more acceptable job, if at all possible.