Releasing and Refining
The Manifesto 🌗 20 February 2025
The third quarter moon is a quieter moment, a time for pruning and letting go. Its light is waning, guiding us inward, asking us to evaluate what’s working and what’s not. This phase reminds us that progress isn’t just about what we build but what we release to make room for something better.
As I reflect on this cycle, I’m struck by how much of the creative process, like the lunar phases, is about balance. The intentions set at the new moon and nurtured through the first quarter and full moon are now ready for a hard look. What has grown strong? What has fallen short? This is the time to refine, to trim away the unnecessary and focus on what truly matters.
For me, this means revisiting the values that guide my work. Empathy, compassion, literacy, and non-violence remain at the heart of everything, but the way they take shape isn’t always straightforward. Some ideas shine brighter than expected, while others feel forced or disconnected. The third quarter moon invites me to pare down, to let go of what isn’t serving those values, and trust that the essentials will remain.
This isn’t always easy. Letting go can feel like failure, especially when we’re attached to what we’ve created or the way we thought things would unfold. But it’s not failure, it’s growth. Refinement is a necessary part of the cycle, and it takes as much courage as starting something new. It’s in these moments of release that clarity emerges, making space for what’s next.
For you, this phase might be a time to reflect on your own journey. What habits, ideas, or expectations have you outgrown? What’s weighing you down that could be set aside? Whether in your stories, your creative work, or your life, this is an opportunity to lighten your load and focus on what truly resonates.
The third quarter moon reminds us that progress isn’t linear. It’s cyclical, full of ebbs and flows, gains and losses. Each phase has its purpose, and this one is about distilling the best of what we’ve built while releasing the rest.
So, as the moon continues to wane, let’s take this time to refine. Let’s honor what we’ve learned, celebrate what’s worked, and let go of what hasn’t. The darkness ahead isn’t an ending, it’s the space where new ideas and intentions will take root.
What will you carry forward into the next cycle? What will you leave behind? The answers don’t have to come all at once. The moon’s cycle will guide us there, one phase at a time.
I hope you’re doing well today.
Berin
Did You Know?
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Make It Yours
Not every roleplaying book hands you a finished experience. Ours don’t. Instead of pre-written content or rigid structures, they give you the tools to create something of your own.
A toolkit isn’t a collection of blanks to fill. It’s a set of resources that help you build from the ground up. The best tools don’t dictate what to create. They offer guidance, spark ideas, and support the creative process. These books don’t provide generic material to drop into a session. They encourage unique storytelling, built around your group, your ideas, and your approach.
For decades, roleplaying books have followed the same formula. Lightspress takes a different path. The focus isn’t on producing another catalog of mechanics or another pre-assembled world. It’s on providing something practical and adaptable, something that enhances creative freedom.
These books don’t give you a menu of pre-made choices. They introduce questions, present ideas, and offer ways to develop structure, pacing, and collaboration. They’re written with the belief that readers have ideas worth developing. They assume you want more than something to follow step by step.
A roleplaying toolkit is an active process. It’s about shaping ideas, making decisions that matter, and creating something that evolves. It’s about crafting material that suits this group, this session, and this moment.
You don’t need permission to create something original. You need tools that support the process. That’s what these books provide.
Latest Releases
Nothing new, on the surface. But behind the scenes, everything is shifting. Right now, all focus is on the definitive version of the Lightspress Handbook, the foundation for everything ahead. This isn’t a soft reboot, a quick revision, or a fresh coat of paint. It’s a complete rebuild, designed to be sharper, clearer, and more useful than ever.
Like the third-quarter moon, this is a time of refinement and preparation, cutting away what no longer fits to make room for something stronger. When the Lightspress Handbook is ready, it won’t just be another book, it’ll be the framework that helps you build something of your own.
Nothing to announce yet. But what’s coming next? That’s worth the wait.
Action Plan Update
The last few weeks have been clarifying. Not easy, not pleasant, but necessary. Once again, I was reminded that some people will never understand what I’m trying to do with The Simple Approach, and that’s fine. Their approval isn’t required. What matters is the work itself.
Instead of wasting energy explaining or defending, I’m putting that energy where it belongs: refining, rebuilding, and moving forward with absolute focus. The Lightspress Handbook isn’t just another book, it’s the foundation for everything ahead. This isn’t a minor revision. It’s a deliberate, methodical overhaul, making every system clearer, every example stronger, and every tool more useful. Nothing that doesn’t fit will be forced in. Nothing unnecessary will remain.
That means letting go of some things. Not everything I’ve written belongs in this new framework, and I’m not going to waste time trying to salvage material that no longer serves the bigger picture. Some books will quietly disappear. Others will be reworked to meet the new standard. No big announcements, no drawn-out explanations, just a sharper, more cohesive body of work.
It also means focusing my energy. No more scattershot projects or trying to juggle too many things at once. The plan is simple: one line at a time, brought up to standard, completed, and put into print before moving on. That’s the only way forward. It’s the way I’ve always worked at the small scale, outline, structure, execute, and now it’s time to apply it at the larger level.
No wasted motion. No spinning wheels. Just clear direction and steady progress.
To be continued.
Thank You
Your support makes this work possible. Every step forward, every refined idea, and every new book exists because of the people who believe in this approach. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just found your way to The Manifesto, I appreciate you.
This process isn’t about following trends or meeting expectations. It’s about building something that matters, something that gives roleplayers the freedom to create on their own terms. That kind of work doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens with a community of people who value creativity, who see the potential in something different, and who choose to be part of it.
Thank you for being here. The next issue will arrive with the full moon. Until then, I hope you’re doing well today.
About The Manifesto
The Manifesto is where you’ll find updates on upcoming releases, insights into our philosophy of roleplaying, and the occasional tangent about the creative process. It goes out four times a month, aligned with the lunar cycle—new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter—with additional issues for the equinoxes and solstices. If you want to stay connected, subscribe and be part of the conversation.
Lightspress is built on a simple approach to roleplaying. The focus is on substance over spectacle, utility over excess. Every book is designed to be powerful, practical, and affordable, using visual elements only where they serve the text. Roleplaying isn’t about what’s on the page. It’s about the ideas that take shape around the table, the stories you build, and the collaboration that makes them real.
