Luminism

**Luminism** is one of the major religions of the Galaxy, with around three trillion believers. The seat of the religion is based on the moon known as the Maiden.

## Beliefs

Luminism believes in a triple goddess. They believe that the goddesses were once a single entity, Surah. When Surah collided with Dol, it split the goddesses apart, creating the three moons: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.

The central themes of Luminism are cycles, nature seeking completion, and rebirth. Reincarnation is fundamental, and is the source of the split between those who invoke the Primary Octavo and the New Octavo. To followers such as Halima, a clone is less holy than other humans, as the reincarnation cycle has been prolonged, and a soul that was once holy centuries ago cannot be considered holy in the present.

## Structure

The head of Luminism is a woman known as the Proxima. Below the proxima are the Ring of Zephyrs, the highest ranking ministers of the faith. When the Proxima passes away, the next Proxima is usually chosen from the Zephyrs.

The seat of Luminism is the Salt Palace on the Maiden, the only habitable moon of Dol, and the physical manifestation of one of the incarnations of the goddess.

## History

Luminism is one of the largest religions in the Galaxy, and predates the Empire, originating fifteen thousand years before the establishment of the Foundation. Before the Empire, Luminists invoked the Primary Octavo, but the New Octavo has since always been invoked.

Emperor Cleon XII helped to install Proxima Opal as the leader of Luminism during his rule. During the later years of Opal's leadership, it was expected that Zephyr Gilat would be her successor, and continue to invoke the New Octavo. However, a charismatic and popular figure arose in Luminism in the form of Zephyr Halima, who advocated for a return to the Primary Octavo.

Fearing the ramifications of a return to the Primary Octavo, especially with the growing belief of the empire's inevitable decline and fall, Emperor Cleon XIII travelled to the Maiden to attend the funeral of the Proxima. Although Halima appeared to still be the more popular candidate, the Emperor attempted to tip the scales in Gilat's favor by promising to sponsor a moon-wide desalination system if she was raised. In spite of this promise, Halima proceeded to give a rousing speech in honor of Opal's life in which she subtly showed her disdain for the Empire, and a wish to return to the teachings in the Primary Octavo.

## Denominations and scripts

### Primary Octavo

The Primary Octavo is a pre-imperial script, followed by Luminism before the rise of the Genetic Dynasty of Cleon I. It holds that the soul only cleaves to one body, subsequently implying that clones are non-equal beings, or somehow 'lesser than' other humans.

### New Octavo

The New Octavo was the script adopted after the Primary Octavo. Most notably for the Empire, it does not state that the soul only cleaves to one body, thus Luminists who invoke the New Octavo do not challenge the rule of the Genetic Dynasty of Cleon I.

## Notable followers

* Demerzel
* Proxima Opal
* Zephyr Gilat
* Zephyr Halima

## Appearances

* Season One
	+ "Barbarians at the Gate" (First appearance)

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Barbarians at the Gate"
2. ↑ "Death and the Maiden"