Religion

## Animism

There is a diverse range of local religious mythologies and practices in the southern part of the country. These faiths generally tend to share a number of common characteristics.

They are deeply intertwined with the elusive and mysterious beings that permeate the land. These beings are often seen as helpful guardians who deserve respect and appreciation.

A modern addition to these beliefs is that some beings adapted to the industrial age. Some of them evolved into grotesque amalgamations of trash and toxic waste or more ethereal beings made of smog and exhaust. Others evolved into parasites that use technological devices as hosts and cause strange malfunctions. Although nature has been largely restored these changed beings are said to still haunt the land.

There is a spiritual sense of interconnectedness with all living things, the natural world and its mysteries.

Balance is a central concept, both within the natural world and within the individual. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to negative consequences both for the individual and for the community as a whole. Too much of a good thing is a common concern. Instead of thinking that more is better people tend to think that lagom, or the balanced amount, is best.

In some regions communities have totems, households have household deities and individuals have spirit animals.

The religious practices are more hierarchical and beliefs more focused on ancestors in some regions.

## Sun worship

### The original pantheon

The oldest denominations in the northern part of the country are polytheistic. The sky is viewed as the realm of the divine while the land and sea are the domain of both mortals and lesser spirits.

The sun is associated with Sol, the goddess of teaching and justice. The clouds, rainbow and auroras with the passionate but temperamental goddess of farming and fertility. The wind with the restless and adventurous god of sailing and commerce.

Each of the planets that are visible to the naked eye and each comet that appears represents an associate of the reckless trickster god of change and growth.

Each of the 4 moons is also associated with a god or goddess, their domains are:

* Craftsmanship and culture.
* War and hunting, but in modern times mainly competitions and challenges.
* Death and dreams.
* Health and home.

Each constellation that can be seen from this planet is associated with a minor god or goddess. Each star in a constellation represents an associate of that god.

### The monotheistic shift

Over time the mainstream denominations shifted towards only worshipping Sol while viewing the rest of the pantheon as a hierarchy that is ruled by Sol.

The sun is viewed as the source of the life-giving power that fuels the growth and vitality of all good beings. Solar power is viewed as proof that the sun goddess is still just as relevant in the modern day as she was in the past according to tradition.

The mysterious beings of the land are viewed in a more negative and fearful way. There is no distinction between the ancient beings and the rumored changed ones, all of them have always been aberrations. People turn to the sun and to light for protection from their mischievous deeds.

Sun priests have leveraged different teachings to rally support for their side in power struggles throughout history. This has resulted in a varied range of denominations that follow different religious practices and rules. Each denomination believes they are most favored by Sol because they follow the true will of the sun.

The summer solstice is the largest religious holiday.

Holy sites include the ruins of the City of Light.

### Deist restructuring

The discovery that the sun is a star prompted some denominations to add a deistic creator who made all worlds, even those that can be discovered and visited in dreams or imagination, and gave each star the responsibility to watch over their planets. This flattened the hierarchy by promoting the associates of the minor gods all the way to the sun's equals and neighbors.

## Secularity

Many have adopted a more secular approach to life by turning to ethics, rationality and science for guidance. Often in combination with finding new ways to connect to the beauty and mystery of the natural world. The whole spectrum from the physicalist "There are no spirits, everything that exists is just physical." to the panentheistic "Everything is a spiritual and interconnected part of the divine." is represented among these modern takes on religion.