Gathering

"You have proved to be the top of your class, and so now is the time of the Gathering. For a Jedi, there is no greater challenge or honor."

The Gathering was a rite of passage within the Jedi Order, designed to teach Jedi Initiates how to overcome their personal fears or failings and find a kyber crystal attuned to their Force presence in the Crystal Caves of Ilum. After retrieving the crystal, the youngling began constructing their lightsaber under the guidance of Professor Huyang.

Overview

Originating at the very dawn of the Jedi Order and handed down over centuries until the Clone Wars, the Gathering took place in the Jedi Temple of Ilum. The ritual called on Jedi Initiates to trust their instincts, overcome inner obstacles, and discover a unique kyber crystal attuned to their Force presence in the Crystal Cave of Ilum.^[2]For a thousand years, participants in the Gathering traveled to and from Ilum aboard the Crucible, a starship dating from the era of the Old Republic.^[3][1]

Accompanied by a Jedi of higher rank, such as a Jedi Master or Padawan, a clan consisting of six to eight younglings would journey to the planet of Ilum according to the world's solar cycle. Because the faint star occupied the correct position only once every seventeen days, the trip was timed to coincide with the solar event. On reaching the Temple, the younglings faced their first test of skill: clearing the Temple entrance, which was frequently obstructed by fallen snow, ice, and other debris. After entering, they assembled at the Temple's heart, where their group leader instructed them about the nature of kyber crystal, lightsabers, and their role in Jedi lore. As the sun rose above the Temple, its light passed through a gap in the ceiling and was focused through a massive kyber crystal, melting the frozen waterfall that covered the gates to the caves. They then descended alone into the catacombs of the Crystal Caves and were urged to hurry, since the waterfall would freeze over within hours. This was deliberately untrue, as the waterfall could be broken open with the Force. The fabrication was intended to instill seriousness and urgency in the younglings and help them penetrate the caves' strange illusory effects.^[4]

Within the labyrinth, the journey became more individual for each youngling. This resulted directly from the powerful vergence in the caves, which permeated the surrounding stone and intensified the Force. The vergence drew upon the entrants' deepest insecurities, bringing their weaknesses and shortcomings to light.^[4]After the test was successfully completed and the individual's fears overcome, a unique kyber crystal would begin to glow, appearing either blue or green, or sometimes another shade, and would retain that hue thereafter.^[5]Failing to overcome the test left the student overwhelmed by self-doubt and fear, potentially preventing them from ever finding a crystal.^[4]