(This) Timeline S.U.X. by Just John. 2026 Burning Man.
The main challenge in building a replica Xylopyli from ancient depictions is the source material itself: low-resolution Roman mosaics and coins, likely copied from lost Greek works, which were themselves drawn from secondhand accounts and oral histories. Examples are shown below.
Another challenge is structural. Bending layers of wood — ply, not Pyli — into a loop with a half-twist limited the strip width to 3″, so wing segments had to be cut and attached along the edges. The finished piece, sanded and painted to match the Sentium mosaic, is surprisingly strong, though whether it will survive Black Rock City remains to be seen.
Lastly, there is the ethical and moral weight of building a replica time portal. What if the Xylopyli works? In the block universe theory, or the multiverse, it already does — in some instances, in some branches, this object is doing exactly what it was built to do. Which raises the question: should this power belong to the general public rather than a self-appointed few? The Illuminati assumed the answer was no. (This) Timeline S.U.X. exists on a timeline where the replica Xylopyli is an art piece at an outlandish art and music festival held in the desert. In another, it is a functional wormhole, a gateway to a different path through the block universe, operated by The Temporal Agency: a crowd-sourced, Illuminati-like organization built on the radical premise that time should belong to everyone.
Which timeline is better? And do both exist simultaneously? In a true block universe, every possibility is already written — but that raises its own uncomfortable question: is there such a thing as free will when all paths already exist? Our consciousness navigates only one timeline, and our passage through time moves in a single direction, always forward. We are, at every moment, faced with choices. Pass through the Xylopyli, or go around.
The universe does not bend toward moral good on its own. It doesn’t care. But we do, and that is precisely the point. As individuals, we bend the universe toward our will, and with every positive choice we increase the probability of a morally good outcome. The best choice has always been the moral one. That hasn’t changed, regardless of which timeline you’re standing in.
Get in the game. Always try to do the right thing — you’ll miss every shot you never take. Sometimes the long shot lands. Failure isn’t losing; it’s accepting defeat without ever stepping onto the field. Trying dramatically increases the number of timelines with a positive outcome. Not participating puts the onus of success on blind luck and the uncertain efforts of others.
The Roman coin depicts three interlocking symbols of rebirth and eternity: Aion, God of Time, holds an orb with a phoenix perched atop it. The phoenix represents rebirth — perpetual return, the cycle that never ends. The orb is something older: the universe before time existed, the singularity before the Big Bang, oneness itself.
The Sentium mosaic depicts two trees — one identified as a date palm, the other an olive tree. Both meet the criteria of the Axis Mundi: each carries profound religious significance and life-sustaining properties that span cultures and millennia. The olive branch is a symbol of peace; the palm leaf, a symbol of faith. One offers its oil and fruit as sustenance for the table, the other sweetness and shade to the traveler in the desert. Which tree or timeline is better? The olive drove commerce and culture across the Mediterranean, binding the Greek world together through trade and diplomacy. The date palm anchored the Arabian caravan routes, spreading civilization beyond the uninhabitable.
The Aion relief from Modena is a particularly interesting depiction and is a syncretistic mash up of icons. Aion is shown with wings, entwined by a serpent, holding a staff and a thunderbolt in each hand and emerging from a cone of flame. In each corner of the relief, the four winds are personified—Zephyrus, Notus, Boreas, and Eurus. An inscription dedicates the sculpture to Felix and Euphrosyne, the Greek goddess of mirth and good cheer. Mobius strips are often depicted as Ouroboros, the serpent eating its tail, but the figure also invokes Phanes, deity of light and goodness who emerged from a cosmic egg entwined with a serpent. There is always truth in every myth, but this 2nd century sculpture is particularly complex. More on Aion here.