Astrianism

Astrianism (Vaktrian: Ⲁϣⲧⲁⲓⲣⲁⲋⲧⲓⲁ, Aštaırastıa) is a Vaktrian religion and one of the worlds oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the prophet Astera (Ⲁϣⲧⲁⲓⲣⲁ, Aštaıra). Much of its theology is based around the infinite, eternal being called Nav from which all things in existence originate and are a part of. There are multiple schools of thought with varying beliefs on the details of Nav's nature, cosmology, and ethics. Astrians thus may consider themselves pantheists, monotheists, or atheists, depending on their particular denomination.

Astera is estimated to have lived in southern Vaktria sometime between 1200 and 1000 BCE. His teaching spread throughout the region and with the Kingdom of Vaktria being predominantly and officially Astrian. The principle texts of Astrianism, the Aftar, were compiled around 400 BCE. Following the Christian and Muslim conquests of Terranihil, about half of Vaktrians had converted to either of the two Abrahamic religions. Astrianism would however have a revival with the rise of the Terranilian Empire. Following secular and democratic reforms in the Republic of Terranihil and then atheist communist governance from 1936 to 1952, religiosity had declined among Astrians; however, another revival was facilitated by national progressives in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in support of the Hadrianist branch of Astrianism.

Astrian practices often involve fire. Many practices are performed in temples.

In modern times, about half the population of Terranihil and more than ninety percent of Vaktrians practice Astrianism in some form. Astrianism has more than 60 million adherents, most of whom live in Terranihil.

Beliefs

Astrianism's beliefs are based on the teachings of Astera, a Vaktrian prophet who lived sometime from 1200 to 1000 BCE in southern Vaktria. These beliefs are said to have been revealed to Astera through a vision. The accounts of the nature of this vision vary. Texts expanding upon these beliefs were also later written.

Pantheism

The core belief of Astrianism is in Nav, which is considered God, the universe, being, and truth. Nav is a singular being, which is absolutely infinite, causa sui, and eternal. Nav is a being that encompasses everything in existence. It contains the entirity of the past, present, and future of what exists in both the natural and supernatural world.

Nav causes and contains an infinite number of Faus (Vaktrian: vaus) or modes of different Ferna (Vaktrian: frna) or properties, as in all singular things emerge from the essense of Nav and exist within it. Nav caused the existence of matter and soul and caused individual things consisting of these properties. The modes can be understood temporally, as an infinite chain of events determined by previous events leading back to infinity (Nav). However, Nav transcends time as it contains within it all temporal things.

Beliefs about the nature of mind, matter, and their potential relation vary from denomination to denomination. One view is neutral monism, which says Nav is neither mind nor matter but the being that underlies and brings rise to these two properties; mind and matter are expressions of Nav and their events occur in parallel and without interaction. Another more recent and materialist view interprets Nav as synonymous with the physical universe. Yet another perspective is idealistic, and claims Nav and everything in existence consists of soul, while physical reality is illusory.

The idea of a personal relationship with Nav comes from the view that one is part of an infinite interdependent organism. Evrything is connected and derivative of Nav. Most denominations believe in determinism, and some go as far as necessitarianism.

Supernatural world

The existince of the natural world and its details is also a contentious issue in Astrianism. Astrian denominations are often divided into naturalistic and supernatural denominations, though many do not fit neatly into one or another. Naturalistic schools reject the existence of a supernatural world and/or hold that Nav acts in clearly understandable patterns. Supernaturalistic schools believe in worlds other than the natural one, such as heavens or hells, supernatural beings like spirits, and/or direct intervention by Nav in human affairs.

The supernatural world in

Cosmology

Since Nav is infinite and eternal, it has no beginning and no end. Writings may often explain Nav as the beginning or origin of everything, but it is not so in a temporal sense. Everything is determined by Nav's nature and is encompassed as a mode or propetty of it, but it all exists at once as a whole. Denominations may still describe the development of the world contained in Nav.

Naturalistic denominations hold that the world, whether physical or spiritual, have always existed and will always exist. Ancient interpretation usually took this to mean the Earth, the heavens, and organismal life have and always will exist. However, modern interpretations generally accept the scientific consensus about the formation of the solar system and development of life, but consider the universe as a whole to be eternal. This can mean disagreement with the Big Bang theory, though not necessarily, as some schools posit an infinitely cyclical and repeating universe. The eschatology of this latter branch decribes the decline of human life through warfare, disease, starvation, and drought, and the destruction of the heaven and earth via fire.

The supernatural world...

Texts

Page from a 19th century edition of the Aftar written in the Vaktrian script

The teachings of Astrianism was spread by word of mouth because the Vaktrian people had yet to adopt a formalized writing system until 400 BCE, when the Vaktrian alphabet was first used to record the teachings and sayings of Astera. The compilation of these often poetic and metaphorical passages is called the Aftar. Aftıarp in Vaktrian means "first writing". These are the principles texts that all denominations refer to. Denominations also developed additional texts to expand upon and interpret the Aftar.

Practices

The basis of Astrian practice is reading, memorizing, and reciting the Aftar. This may be done individually or as a group. Rituals vary significantly among demoninations. They may involve burning or consuming herbs, some of which are psychoactive, festivals, and prayer. Fire is an important symbol of Astrianism, symbolizing the flux of the world, so fires are common at ceremonies and festivals and eternal fires have burned for more than two thousand years at some temples. Astrian temples exist are common places of gathering for worship, and several ancient temples are considered inportant holy sites. There are multiple annual, triannual, and novannual festivals and holidays. Priests of Astrianism generally lead ascetic life and devote their lives to learning, understanding, and teaching about Nav, as Astera did.

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  Astrian festival

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  Astrian priests conducting a ceremony

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  Eternal flame at X temple

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  Fire temple at X

Denominations and branches

Paitestanism

Paitestan Astrianism is based on the interpretations of the Aftar by Paitest, an Astrian priest who assisted in compiling the first Aftar. He wrote his interpretation as an appendix to the Aftar.

Diagram showing the differences between dualism and the types of monism

Paitestanism is the oldest denomination. It has a neutral monist perspective on Nav, holding that fundamental reality is neither physical nor soul (mental), but rather a neutral being underlies both the mental and physical worlds. Mind and matter are frnaŧ, properties or expressions, of Nav, and their vausaŧ or modes act in parallel. In relation, Aftaris believe soul or mind is uniquitous and is a property of all things in Nav, just as physicality is. This means Aftaris believe everything in existence has a mental attribute, "from the river to the grass to the hawks to the stars." Aftarism is necessitarian, as in it says all events are strictly determined and could not have occured any other way.

History

Origin

Anthropologists and archeologists believe pantheistic religious traditions were common among nomads of south western Vaktria for hundreds of years before the formation of the Vaktrian kingdom. Astera is thought to have been from one of these tribes, who gained a significant following beyond his tribe for his religious teachings. Astrianism spread to settled cities shortly after. Dastivus likely widely adopted Atrianism by 850 BCE. Temples were established in Dastivus and other southern Vaktrian cities. Many of Astrianisms beliefs and practices were a synthesis of Astera' teachings and local Vaktrian cultures.

Kingdoms of Vaktria

Astrianism was the official religion of the Kingdom of Vaktria. As the kingdom grew in size and population, so did Astrianism, eventually becoming the dominant religion in all of Vaktria. A significant milestone of the religion was the writing of the Aftar around 400 BCE. Priests used the Vaktrin alphabet, derived from the Greek alphabet and influenced by Vaktrian hieroglyphs, to inscribe Astera's teachings.