⭐ PRIMER 8 — COVENANT RECONSTRUCTION & THE NEW ATTACHMENT ETHIC

How to Rebuild (or Release) a Relationship with Integrity, Safety & Attunement

(Hunter-Moon 2025 Alignment Edition)

Some covenants heal.
Some covenants end.
All covenants must be reconstructed.

Reconstruction is not about going back.
It is about building forward — with clarity, with safety, with sober compassion, and with a new attachment ethic that honors both people’s nervous systems.

This Primer teaches you how to rebuild a relationship or yourself with integrity.


1. What Reconstruction Actually Means

Reconstruction is the intentional rebuilding of:

Reconstruction is not:

Reconstruction is:

creating a new covenant between two updated identities.

Sometimes you rebuild the partnership.
Sometimes you rebuild you.

Both paths are Reconstruction.


2. The New Attachment Ethic (Five Articles)

The old relationship ethic was:
“Stay, no matter what.”

The New Attachment Ethic is:
“Stay attuned — or be honest — and repair what you can.”

⭐ Article 1 — Attunement Over Ownership

“I will keep noticing you and letting you matter — especially when we disagree.”

⭐ Article 2 — Co-Regulation Before Conversation

Flooded bodies cannot connect.
Regulate first.
Then speak.

⭐ Article 3 — Truth Without Punishment

Honesty is welcomed, not weaponized.

⭐ Article 4 — Repair as a Lifestyle

Rupture is inevitable.
Not repairing is optional.

⭐ Article 5 — Sacred Autonomy

Two whole people choosing each other.
Boundaries protect the love, not threaten it.

This is the covenantal spine of all Reconstruction work.


3. Crisis → Safety Map (The Four-Stage Rebuild)

Reconstruction always follows this sequence.

⭐ Stage A — Stabilize

Stability is the foundation of safety.


⭐ Stage B — Translate

Tools:

Translation prevents misinterpretation.


⭐ Stage C — Repair

Repair is not an event — it’s a rhythm.


⭐ Stage D — Re-Covenant

Create a Living Covenant outlining:

This becomes the container for the new relationship.


4. Eight Common Ruptures + Micro-Repairs

Every couple hits the same rupture types.

Here are a few:

⭐ Dismissal → “You’re overreacting.”

Repair: “I believe you. Tell me more.”

⭐ Stonewalling / Shutdown

Repair: “I’m flooded. I need 20 minutes. I will come back.”

⭐ Abandonment in Crisis

Repair: “Next time, here’s exactly how I will show up…”

⭐ Defensiveness

Repair: “I got protective and stopped listening. What felt worst?”

⭐ Misattunement

Repair: “I interpreted you wrong. Can we try again slower?”

⭐ Weaponized Silence

Repair: “My silence was a wall, not safety. I’m here now.”

⭐ Disorganized Pursuit/Withdrawal

Repair: “Let’s both pause and regulate first.”

Micro-repairs keep small wounds from becoming structural failures.


5. The 5-Step Repair (Within 24–48 Hours)

This is the backbone of Reconstruction.

  1. Story
    Hurt partner tells what happened and how it felt — no interruptions.
  2. Empathy
    Reflect feelings. Validate impact.
    (“You felt ___ because ___.”)
  3. Ownership
    “I did/said ___. The impact was ___. I get why that hurt.”
  4. Amends
    “If I could redo it, I would ___. I can do ___ now.”
  5. Plan
    One concrete behavioral change for next time.

If either body is flooded → pause → regulate → resume.


6. Boundaries & Needs Matrix

Your relationship needs a shared document with two columns:

Non-Negotiables (Safety Standards)

Examples:

These protect the nervous system.


Negotiables (Co-Designed Rhythms)

Examples:

These keep the relationship fair and functional.

Both partners update the Matrix quarterly.


7. The Living Covenant Template

A new relational document with:

⭐ Attunement

Weekly check-in (energy in/out + one request)

⭐ Conflict Rules

No escalation after 9pm
No name-calling
15-minute timeouts
Return policy (“I’ll come back at ___.”)

⭐ Roles & Labor

Divide tasks explicitly, including mental load
Rebalance quarterly

⭐ Money Rhythms

Shared ledger
Check-ins monthly
Purchases > $___ require conversation

⭐ Intimacy

Two scheduled connection windows per week
“Not now → schedule X” allowed without guilt

⭐ Repair Clause

5-Step Repair within 48 hours

⭐ Revision Clause

Review every 90 days
It’s alive. It evolves.

The Living Covenant becomes the “constitutional document” of the relationship.


8. Repair or Release? (The Decision Tree)

Choose Repair when:

Choose Release when:

Release with Honor:

Release is not failure.
Release is a boundary with dignity.


9. The Co-Parenting Covenant (Post-Divorce)

A new covenant for a new relationship structure.

Children First

No adult processing with kids. Ever.

Predictable Rhythm

Stable routines beat “flexibility.”

Unified Communication

One shared communication channel.
No triangulation through children or family.

Rupture → Repair With Kids

“I was short. You didn’t cause it. Next time I’ll do ___.”

New Partners

Intentional introductions
Clear boundaries
No recruiting sides

A peaceful co-parenting covenant heals the next generation.


10. Scripts You Can Steal

These are plug-and-play.

⭐ Repair Opener

“I value us more than being right. Can I try again?”

⭐ Boundary

“I want to stay connected, and I need ___ to stay present.”

⭐ Desire Without Demand

“I’m craving closeness. Would Friday work? If not, what would?”

⭐ Timeout

“I’m flooded. Give me 20 minutes. I will come back.”

⭐ Validation

“That makes sense. I can see why that hurt.”

⭐ Ownership

“I did ___, and the impact was ___. I understand now.”

⭐ Release Line

“I’m ending the romantic covenant and keeping a covenant of respect.”


Final Word

Primer 8 is the culmination of the attachment primers.

It integrates:

Reconstruction is the eighth foundation of the Infinite Game —
the ability to repair or release with maturity, clarity, and attunement,
so the next covenant you build is worthy of the person you’ve become.