On Circlism

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This is very much a work in progress as I have not even completed all the gods variable name ideas. I've drawn from what little is mentioned on the religion in the wiki, but I wanted to expand on that with a focus on this as a religion with various rituals, practices, and so forth.

On Circlism

In each of the ten kingdoms, veneration of the Decad of the Circle predominates, but it would be a mistake to think of it as monolithic. The traditions of the Circle are ancient, and with that antiquity comes strange accretions of myth, ritual, and philosophies in each place where it is practiced. The most clear of these variations is in the veneration of the national patron god. There are other differences as well, some of which are considerable, some merely aesthetic.

Each kingdom claims a particular deity as their specific protector and patron, and the primacy of the patron colors and shapes the local modes of worship from the greatest religious festivals down to the private rites carried out in homes. The Mugrobi rituals of the blessing of the waters and of ritual baths and other ablutions are quite foreign to most other kingdoms. The Anaxi rituals of the counting of the hours, of circumambulation in clockwise fashion only, and of the sacred measuring is also quite distinctive. And many a kingdom has found the masked processions of the faithful in Bastia, in all their riotous cheer, to be utterly baffling.

It can therefore be said that Circlism is a single religious tradition which contains multitudes.

On the Divine Forms

Each of the divinities the Decad is worshiped in a variety of forms, representing different aspects of their nature. Alioe may be worshiped as Domina Horalis - The Lady of the Hours - in rituals and hymns venerating her in the role as the keeper of the procession of events and the shaping of the direction of mortal lives. In her role as patroness of Anaxas she is known as Alioe Magna Patrona - The Great Patroness - and in this name she is beseeched to grant blessing to that nation. Bash may appear as the Lord of Boundaries, the god who defines the borders of sacred spaces and polities, as well as the Old Man of the Mountain, where he is venerated as a vessel of hard-earned wisdom.Hulali has forms both generous and kind, as well as fiercely protective.

Each of the divinities is known by many names, each fitted to their role and aspect, but all are aspects of the same god. A single divine being which contains multitudes.

On the Nameless Gods

Outside the sphere of the world and the guardianship of the Dacad there are nameless beings of
chaos, hunger, and madness who gnaw forever at the walls of Vita. Some, it is said, desire to enter
into the sphere of the world, dethrone the Decad, and make themselves masters of the last shards of perfection. Others, according to songs of such antiquity that their origins have been lost, wish only to devour all existence in their infinite hunger. The gods of the Decad act as guardians of the world against these nameless horrors.

However potent the Decad are in their vigil, by their actions alone the perfection of the world cannot be maintained. Active participation of sapient beings is needed in the form of prayers, sacrifices, rituals, and constructive actions. All of these strengthen the world and enable its continuation and preservation.

On the Wrathful Forms

In their roles as guardians of the world, and punishers of wrongs, each of the gods may take on one or more Wrathful Forms. The iconography around these is often terrifying, bloodthirsty, and menacing for they need such visages to drive out the nameless gods from beyond.

On the Monic Will

All things in the world, and perhaps all things beyond the world, are subject to the eternal truth of
the Monic Will. Even the gods themselves are subject to this, and though their understanding of it surpasses any ten times ten thousand mortal minds, they still do not fully comprehend it.

Nevertheless, the flow and desires of the Mona can be partly discerned via divinations, in trances and in dreams, and one may act in accordance with the Monic Will through the proper observance of ritual and practice.

The revelations of the deities, of ecstatic poets, of seers, and of saints and sages over the centuries serve as guides for aligning life with the Monic Will.

On Rituals

For all the variety in Circlist belief and practice, there are a number of rituals and practices which
are quite common. The fine specifics may vary, but the overall forms remain recognizable.

• Offerings and sacrifices - though in ancient days animal sacrifices were common (and sapient sacrifice not unknown), most sacrifices in the present age are considerably less bloodthirsty. Special wheat cakes may be left as offerings to the gods in various shrines, libations poured out, and candles and incense burned.
• Consumption of entheogens - Chan and opium are commonly consumed in divinatory rituals. These practices often contain invocations to Hurte, in her role as the goddess of visions. Other entheogens and stimulants are also used in various rituals
• Recitation of particular hymns and sacred text fragments - Often quite ancient texts, written in old languages and difficult to understand. Certain lines are emphasized and often repeated over and over in precise patterns
• Circumambulation - In temples and in other sacred spaces, it is common for both priests and worshipers to proceed around a divine image in ever-decreasing circular patterns.
• Processions of the Divine Images - During various holidays, divine images are carried out from temples and great processions are made, often accompanied by music, dance, and
• The ten-days mourning - This set of mourning rituals is often carried out by close family and friends of the deceased. Fasting is traditional as is the extinguishing of lamps and the wearing of mourning colors. The most ancient tradition of the chief mourner smearing their face with white clay or with ashes, is rarely observed outside of some very isolated areas. However, some traditions of mourning colors do remain. On the tenth day, final rituals are performed and often the official interment of the body is observed.
• Demarcation of sacred spaces - Rituals and divinations are performed in sacred spaces created by the seer. In ancient times and still among certain priesthoods these spaces are marked by the laying of stones or the pouring out of fine white or black sand. These spaces are almost always circular.
• Ritual Meals - A very ancient tradition, most forms of Circlism have a number of rituals surrounding a communal meal. In the oldest descriptions of the meals involve each guest being welcomed by name and by the sharing of drinks, the passing of particular foods to be consumed by all the guests, the ritual washing of hands ten times, and special dishes set aside for the gods. Bastia maintains the strongest affinity for these meals as a common form of ritual devotion. In most other kingdoms, the ritual meals are associated with specific holidays.

On Ethics

In most forms of Circlism active, ethical participation in the world is considered not just desirable but necessary. Acts of virtue, proper performance of rituals, and active attempts to quash harmful or destructive influences in the world are all required. In general, most Circlist traditions are not particularly acetic or monastic as too much withdrawal from the world and too much deprivation is viewed with suspicion and as an opportunity for evil and disorder to make inroads and upset or even unmake the flow and order of the world.

Much of the ethical structure of Circlism is based on notions of reciprocal, if asymmetric duty. A master has the duty to teach a student, a student a duty to heed the master and to learn. A parent has the duty to prepare a child for ethical life, and to care and provide guidance. A child has the duty to honor the parent and heed their commands. There are many such relations. Between the governed and the governors, between the galdori and the lower races, between allies and enemies, between guests and hosts, and on and on.

It is of the utmost importance that the duties be reciprocally followed, for the dereliction of one party is an invitation for the other party to likewise depart from their duties and obligations. A teacher who does not teach but merely commands, a patron who only demands of clients but gives little or no support, a parent who offers no kind guidance, all of these may, and indeed must be defied, for to act otherwise is to act contrary to the Monic Will. To act otherwise is to invite chaos and destruction.

On Temples, Churches, and Shrines

Circlist traditions generally divide religious and sacred spaces into three types: temples, churches, and shrines. Each has a different religious function though all are considered necessary in the proper exercise of religious life and tradition.

Temples are primarily priestly institutions which hold sacred objects, divine images, and very often archives and repositories. Laypersons are generally not permitted within the inner precincts of a temple and what public rituals are performed in such places are done outside on public altars. Temple priests can be an odd lot, often rather cut off from public life. Senior priests have particular duties they are ritually bound to perform according to ancient custom and tradition. In the modern day, many temple rituals are viewed as bizarre, archaic, and often inscrutable.

In contrast to the temples, churches act as places of lay gatherings where communal worship, the singing of songs, and the performance of public rituals. They are gathering places as well as sanctuaries. Often smaller churches have no resident priest and are instead the province of religiously-inclined teachers and community members. In Anaxas, there is a curious custom for clockmakers to fill this role, or to stand in for priests if none is to be had.

Shrines are the last major form of sacred space and exist as a sort of mid-way point between a temple and a church. Like a temple, a shrine may be tended by a priest but the divine images are not held in sanctuaries but instead visible and accessible to the public at large. Some of the largest shrines rival temples in their size and grandiosity, but they tend more often to gardens and courtyards than grand buildings. By contrast, the smallest of shrines may be little more than a statue set in a niche with a small shelf acting as a place for offerings.

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Circlism in Anaxas

In Anaxas, the veneration of all the forms of Alioe is omnipresent, and it is in that country where she has the greatest variety of forms. But the other gods are not forgotten, for though Alioe sets the rhythm of the cosmic cycle, she allows each god to rise and fall in due season, to offer their blessings and protections. Still, it is by her hands that this process occurs.

Anaxi religion has both congregational and non-congregational aspects. Public celebrations and processions are often accompanied by visits to temples or gatherings in the churches to recite sacred verses in common, to receive public blessings, or listen to religious instruction. In all cases, the laity are considered to be essential participants in the rituals.

Attending rituals and sacrifices at the temples is permitted to laity at times and such public rituals are often well attended, but they require no observers save the priests and the gods. Many of these rituals are of great antiquity and their precise purpose and meaning has become somewhat obscured over the years. Still, they can be very dramatic to watch, and fill spectators with a powerful sense of the divine presence.

The practice of private devotion or home ritual is as essential to Anaxi religious custom as the public matters. In many houses small shrines to the gods might be set upon a table near a doorway, mandalas of Decad hung, or other divine images stored in small cabinets. At these household shrines, blessings are asked for, the dead are offered prayers to help them through the afterlife and attain a favorable rebirth. Small offerings of dry wheat cakes may be offered, small tots of wine or spirits poured out into cups or bowls, candles or lamps lit, or incense burned.

A common household ritual is to write a series of prayers, often a canonical set, on thin paper and then burn them in the fire of candle or lamp, the smoke carrying the words up to the gods. This offering is often accompanies by the recitation of archaic incantations, usually short, in repeated fashion.

The observance of the ritual meal, an ancient feature of Circlism, is much reduced in most Anaxi practice, appearing most often on specific holidays. One peculiar vestige of the ritual meal that is more or less unique to Anaxas is the concept of the toast. According to several leading scholars, the toast has its origins in the sharing of wine that formed the first part of ancient communal meals. Now, it has evolved into a custom whereby guests at dinners drink to each other, to significant political figures (a toast ‘To the Headmaster’ or ‘To the Queen’ is quite common), or invoke stock blessings. These stock toasts have developed their own ritual responses. The great classic being “To wives and sweethearts” with the ritual rejoinder of “and may they never meet”.

On the Gods

The Decad, as worshiped in Anaxas is a diverse, multifaceted pantheon wherein each of the gods has many aspects, names, customs, rituals, and practices. Each deity has their feasts and festivals, their prayers and rituals, and their place in the larger theology. The patron goddess Alioe is venerated more often than others, but she is understood to the ‘the first among equals’.

Alioe

In most Anaxi theology, Alioe is believed to be the goddess who sets the rhythm of the world, the rising and setting of the sun, the effect of the moons upon the tides, the one who apportions the span of years to each living being, and presides over the shape of events.

She is also the goddess of measurement, of skillful arts, and of beginnings and endings. Rituals and prayers to her are done and spoken to bless the start of journeying forth and upon coming home. One of her aspects, in this capacity is Alioe the First and Last, and The Lady of Doors.

As Domina Rituala she is the creator and patron of rituals, their proper performance, and keeper of their secrets. In hymns and myth, she is the ritual master of the Decad, Invocations to her in this form are often made before the performance of rituals, sacrifices, and divinations

In her wrathful form, in which she meets out punishments or defends Vita from the Nameless Gods beyond, she is Alioe Arcus, Alioe of the Bow. In this form she wields the Arrow of Time as her great weapon, striking her foes from afar with the inevitability of their defeat.

Aspects of Alioe

• Alioe Magna Patrona - Alioe The Great Patroness
• Domina Temporis - The Lady of Time
• Domina Horalis - The Lady of the Hours
• Alioe Metrica - The Lady of Measures
• Alioe Prima Novissima - Alioe First and Last
• Domina Portas - The Lady of Portals
• Alioe Arcus - Alioe of the Bow, Alioe the Archer
• Domina Ritualia - Lady of Rituals

Depictions

• Alioe Magna Patrona - In the mantle of the Anaxi Patroness, Alioe is depicted seated upon an chair of ancient style, her left hand outstretched and
• Domina Temporis - Stern and serene lady carrying a compass, with a pendulum suspended from an outstretched hand
• Alioe Metrica - A ten armed lady with calibrated proportions to encode weights and measures.
• Alioe Arcus - As the Archer, Alioe is often depicted as a four-faced female being with many arms, each pair holding a bow and an incarnation of the Arrow of Time. It is thought that this iconography may represent the speed at which the Archer looses her deadly arrows, or her eternal vigilance against threats.

Rituals

• Invocations to Alioe as Domina Rituala often encapsulate other rituals. These short prayers often contain mnemonics concerning the encapsulated ritual
• The recitation of particular verses, often quite ancient ones whose meaning is obscure, in precise time so that they begin and end at precise moments is common
• When moving into a new household, it is not uncommon for the doorways, especially any doors leading to the outside, to be blessed through the anointing with the same oil used to keep clocks working
• The particularly devout may keep a shrine to Domina Portas by their doors and offer her wheaten cakes, scented oil, and pour out libations into a small offering bowl. Often a bronze or brass statue of Alioe is anointed with scented oils.

Hulali

The Hulali of Anaxas is regarded as the kindest and most generous of the gods, and many of his forms depict him in roles as benefactor, giver of gifts, or as a kind of guiding avuncular figure. In his wrathful forms he is terrible and fierce, protective of the world and merciless towards malefactors and the Nameless. He, along with Hurte, are the most commonly celebrated gods after Alioe. This is likely due to long-standing relations with Mugroba where Hulali is patron and protector.

• Arovan Hulali - depicted as a large jovial man with legs made of the tails of great fish. There are many statues to him in shrines along the Arova, depicted as a large, jovial man with twin fish-tails in place of legs.
• Hulali Donatoris - Hulali the Giver of Gifts
• Hulali Dominus Profundis - Lord of the Deeps

Bash

Bash is often depicted as a stern and powerfully built man of considerable age, or as a kind of sage and hermit. Like Hulali, he is often regarded as a protector though of a more practical and harsh nature. Like Vulker, who in some myths is his brother, In his role as Magister Terminus (the Lord of Boundaries) he watches over both physical and metaphorical boundaries, upholds proper custom and right action, and keeps peoples in their proper sphere. As the Lord of Sacred Spaces, Bash often is depicted in various forms as statues around the perimeter of temples and of graveyards, marking the space within as sacred and protected from malign forces.

• Bash Lapis Magister - Bash the Lord of Stones
• Magister Terminus - Lord of Boundaries
• Bash Senex Montis - Bash the Old Man of the Mountain
• Dominus Templum - Lord of Sacred Spaces
• Muruian Bash - Bash of the Walls

Hurte

The Hurte of Anaxas is less boisterous, fearsome, and libidinous than her counterpart in Bastia though not entirely bereft of a dashing character. As Hurte Vina she is the patron of wine, and more importantly of the symposium and the discussion salon. The old phrase, in vino veritas, fits this form of Hurte perfectly, for her wine loosens tongues, encourages frank and open discussion, and provides the medium of inspiration and creativity.

In many of her forms, Hurte is associated with heightened states of consciousness, visions, and dreams.

As Hurte Patrona Artium she provides artistic inspiration, guidance, good fortune, and imbues her supplicants with the ecstatic state of Many an art studio, artisan’s shop or music conservatory contains images of Hurte in this guise.

As Mantia, the Seer, she lounges elegantly upon couches or sits in a languorous trance upon a bronze tripod. She is attended to by fierce guardian spirits who resemble fearful tibers who keep an ever-vigilant watch over her. She is not, however, thought to be indulging in sloth, but rather existing in a kind of ecstatic state of perpetual divinatory rapture. Her murmurs are recorded by scribes and prophets as she lays half-dreaming in her seer’s trance.

• Hurte Vina - Hurte of the Wine
• Patrona Artium - Patroness of the Arts
• Patrona Theatrum - Patroness of Theaters
• Domina Personarum - Lady of Masks
• Alba Venena Regina - The Pallid and Poisonous Queen
• Dea Florum - The Goddess in Flowers
• Kyría Oramáton - Lady of Visions (Bastian name)
• Mantia - the Seer

Vulker

Vulker has a number of aspects which seem to be contradictory. On the one hand, he is the patron and master of wild places, but he is also a god invoked by craftsmen and artisans to bless their works.

• Senex Quercus - The Old Man of the Oak
• Magister Ferox - The Fierce Master
• Vulker Viator - Vulker the Wanderer
• Vulker Artifex - Vulker the Artisan

Roa

Roa is commonly depicted as a mother goddess, a font of life, and as an agricultural god. Grains and fruits are among her most common symbols, and she is commonly depicted as a protective, maternal figure, cradling the world in her arms.

Her her wrathful form as the Mother of Snakes, she is variously depicted as a fearsome woman with the body of a snake, as a many-headed snake, or as a hugely pregnant woman in the act of giving birth to vast numbers of snakes. Snakes, in general, are considered to be fearsome protectors, the scourges of chaos and the guardians of farmers and grains.

• Roa Cerealis - Roa of the Grain
• Bonae Mater - The Good Mother
• Mater Serpensis - Mother of Snakes
• Magna Mater - The Great Mother

Vespe

Vespe has an uncomfortable role in Anaxas as many of her aspects overlap with the patron deity Alioe. The two goddesses are often depicted in conflict, with Vespe representing secret and esoteric knowledge, suddenly enlightenment, and revelation, while Alioe represents empirical methods, careful research, and an orderly method to the acquisition of knowledge.

Still, her blessings are commonly sought by scholars and by those who wish to travel the steep and dangerous road to knowledge, unhindered by the obstacles of order, method, and simple reason.

Writers suffering from writer’s block are often quite fond of Vespe.

Aspects of Vespe

• Domina Sapientia - The Lady of Wisdom
• Perditrix Ignorantia - Destroyer of Ignorance
• Vespe Rerevelantis - Vespe of the Revealer
• Domia Fulminum or Fulmina - Lady of the Thunderbolts
• Domina Adamantis or Adamanta - The Diamond Lady
• Vespe Arcanum - Vespe of the Hidden Knowledge

Naulas

• Naulas the Aportioner
• Naulas Judicator - Naulas the Judge

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Circlism in Bastia

Bastian and Anaxi practice have a closer common origin than the traditions of the other kingdoms. This accounts for at least some of the similarities in the names and natures of the aspects of the divinities, some specifics of ritual practice, and a body of sacred texts that overlap.

Despite the closer origin, Bastian and Anaxi religious practice and philosophy diverge considerably. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the traditions of the sodalities and the mysteries.

The Sodalities

The Sodalities are small, somewhat fluid groups who meet in private homes or at shrines to perform particular rituals, engage in communal prayer, or in the various rites of divination. Sodalities are largely open groups, often composed of families, colleagues, or neighbors who meet together in part because of their common social bonds. Membership is not exclusive and one may belong to a number of sodalities without issue. The host of a sodality gathering is usually put in the position of educator and chief ritual officiant. In a divinitory ceremony, it will be the host who takes the strongest chan and enters the oracular state. The rest of the sodality will be gathered to assist, to pose questions, and to receive the divine wisdom channeled through the host.

There is a good deal of social bonding at sodality gatherings, and communal meals are often the centerpiece of both ritual and social practice. Indeed, after the initial ritual phases of the meal are complete (the wine has been mixed and blessed, the guests adorned with wreaths of greenery and flowers, hands washed in scented water, and so forth) the rest of matter generally follows the format of a dinner party. This blending of the sacred and social has been considered by some to be a sign of frivolity or a lack of devotion (certain Anaxi religious groups are fond of this view), but this is largely false. In the most ancient of Bastian traditions, the formation of strong and enduring social bonds is among the most sacred of duties, and the maintenance of the same a from of necessary ritual.


The individual traditions of each sodality, their formality, the frequency of their meetings, and the degree of ritual observance vary greatly. There is no formal organization that governs these groups, no specific priests or orthodoxy, instead, they arise out of natural social bonds and are either as enduring or as fragile as those bonds.

The Mysteries

If the Sodalities represent the common, open aspects of Bastian religious practice, then the Mysteries are their obscure mirror. Mysteries are closed groups in which membership require initiation and subsequent secrecy as to ritual and practice. Membership in one or more of the various Mysteries can confer great social prestige, and many vie for the few openings in the Mystery Cults that open every year.

Members of the Mystery Cults often perform strange and ill-understood public rituals as well as officiate particular sacrifices and offerings at temples. Most of the Mysteries are dedicated to the veneration of aspects of the goddesses Hurte, Roa, or Vespe.