Sorcery in Paxism: Difference between revisions
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=== Ancient History ===
{{Multiple image
| total_width = 350
| image1 = Ruhad the Enchantor.jpeg
| caption1 = Recreation of a depiction of Ruhad the Enchantor performing magic, a mythical god of the Ruhadic cult of the proto-Paxist religion of the Vurtahite people of the ancient Kingdom of Vurhat near modern day Koshwadur, [[Ashura]]
| image2 = Kom Ombo Portal 04.jpg
| caption2 = The Temple of Ebas Yalkadir in Koshwadur, [[Ashura]], was built over 4,000 years ago by the Vurtahite people of Vurhat to honour one of their gods Yalkadir, the god of death, which inspired some of the later depictions and fascinations with sorcery
}}
Around 4,000 years ago, the area of the [[Ufrata River]] basin in modern-day [[Ashura]] was populated by an ancient civilization that depended on planting and harvesting crops and herding animals. The people were semi-nomadic, returning to places regularly based on the change in the weather and the fluctuations in the water in the river. With much of their lives dependent on these natural forces for their survival, they developed a rich tapestry of myths, legends and accompanying practices aimed at alleviating some of the suffering of life or gaining an advantage over competitors. Some of the earliest practices that emerged include using bones and turtle shells etched with symbols to divine future events and diagnose ailments. Others include belief in the presence of supernatural beings that caused illnesses or brought good fortune that through incantations could be willed into intervening for the living.
=== Early Paxism ===
Around 2000 BCE, there existed two Kingdoms in the area of central Yasteria: Akil and Yadra. They were predominantly sedentary societies that practices animal husbandry and crop farming. They were descended from the semi-nomadic tribes that used to live in the area. In the Kingdom of Akil, the spiritual leaders were called Yimam and the spiritual leaders of the Kingdom of Yadra were called Hexaan. The two Kingdoms began to diverge in their beliefs about which practices were good or right. The Kingdom of Akil believed in Nah but the Kingdom of Yadra believed in Burkh as their deity. They also had different ways of worshipping and practicing.
The two came into conflict over resources and control over areas that were considered sacred to their god. These conflicts resulted in wars and enmity against the people of the other Kingdom. Prophet Besmali and his contemporaries grew up and lived in this environment. The Yimams taught that the Yadra people were evil and that Nah would rescue them. They vilified their practices such as divination with bones and praying to Burkh. As such, the Yimams considered the Hexaans who taught these beliefs to be evil. Prophet Besmali travelled to various towns and cities with his friends teaching that worship of Burkh was evil and that the practices of the people of Yadrayeen were wrong.
The two Kingdoms had a war and the Kingdom of Akil won the war. They felt that this vindicated their god, Nah and their beliefs, and the way that the war between Akil and Yadra unfolded is claimed to have aligned with Prophet Besmali's predictions. As such, Prophet Besmali and his compatriots became prominent and their teachings became part of the religion of the Yimams and subsequently part of the religion of Akil. Akil then imposed these teachings upon the people of Yadra. Those people of Yadra who resisted Akil rule were vilified. The foremost people who rebelled against Akil rule were the Hexaan. Thus, Akil saw the Hexaan and the religion of Yadra as evil. They taught that their deities and practices were morally wrong. When the Ichtmar, the first Paxist scripture, was being written and the various mythologies of the Kingdom of Akil were coalescing and being recorded, some artefacts from the religion of Yadra made it into Paxism. For example, Borg, the is believed to be adapted from Burkh and the word Hexaan was used to refer to people who practiced sorcery. It is from their name that the Packilvanian word for witch, sorcerer or magician ''muHexaan'' is derived.
In contrast, the deity Nah of Akil was referred to as Noi in Paxism and Yimams were seen as good teachers and prevailers against evil and thus the Packilvanian word for priest became ''muImam''.
=== Middle Paxism ===
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=== Melkezedekism ===
[[File: Melkezedek the Great by Ishan Dumeed.jpeg|thumb|Portrait of Melkezedek the Great by Ishan Dumeed from 1745 at the Belaquis Museum of Fine Art in Belaquis, [[Ashura]], that depicts the founder of the [[Magisterium of Paxism]] and the [[Writings of Paxism|Bas Magdamar]] whose wars against the Dominions of the East shaped perceptions of sorcery]]
Nevertheless, where the Packilvanians could not reach such as the south eastern Kingdoms coextensive with modern day [[Fidakar]] and [[Jumhurikesh]], the term ''muHaxaan'' was reclaimed by leaders and spiritualists there to show resistance and a distinct understanding of Paxism. They seemed to have been tolerated for the most part with their rulers called Dominators and their lands called Dominions (as distinct but substantially indistinguishable from Kings and Kingdoms in the centre and east) seemed to maintain largely cordial relations. But with the rise of the Dominion of [[Halaler]] and its advocacy of practices and institutions outside of the control of the United Kingdom of Packilvania, and conflict over control of resources and strategic outposts such as the Jumhur River (that passed through [[Iganar]], one of the core realms of Packilvania) and the Meked River which passed through [[Mekedesh]] (a core realm of Packilvania), there increasing enmity and a propensity to villify their beliefs including their attempted reclamation of the term ''muHaxaan''.
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=== Divination and Prophecy ===
[[File: Sorceress Balis Nafiyam.jpeg|thumb|Balis Nafiyam is the Chief Sorceress of the New Yehudite Movement, a cult drawing from the Paxist tradition of the pre-Iktanite ''meHaxaan'' in central Yasterian and operates outside of Packilvania]]
Divination (''luNazrakhuwaj'') is the process and practice of predicting the future and diagnosis ailments. Prophecy (''luNawaabishme'') attempts to achieve similar goals. Divination is used to refer to forms of prediction that fall outside of formal Paxist recognition. This includes using bones and shells of animals, astrology, tarot cards, inducing a trance-like state through meditation or the consumption of intoxicants, palm and tea bag readings to receive information about people. The source of this knowledge is believed to be communicated either by the soul or spirit of the subject of the reading or by spiritual beings. These beings are believed to be [[Esma]] in some cases or even spiritual beings that inhabit physical objects or exist in nature but are invisible to mortal perception.
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=== Icons, Effigies and Amulets ===
[[File:Imam Yuhad Usmira.jpeg|thumb|Yuhad Usmira, an Imam of the Thawalite Society of the Companions of [[Prophet Sohadek]], a cult that uses icons in worship such as the depiction in this picture of the second coming of Pax as a human]]
The Magisterium is iconoclastic and it teaches against idolatry which is the teaching that icons, images and effigies used from religious purposes are evil and forbidden. So Paxists are forbidden from creating images of Noi, Pax, or prophets. No images or depictions are permitted in [[Majhid|Majhids]] or Shrines. They also teach against using effigies such as a doll of a person, or a statue of a being or anything meant to stand in the place of one like an amulet. Thus the worship of objects of any kind or the belief that objects have supernatural powers is expressly forbidden by the Magisterium and is seen as sorcery.
=== Potions ===
Potions are seen as elixirs, concoctions, and other brews that are seen to induce supernatural outcomes such as bringing a curse or misfortune onto someone or mind-control or making someone love you etc. Potions are seen as distinct from hallucinogens and medicines. Medicines are accepted as scientifically and medically valid and used to heal and alleviate ailments. Hallucinogens are simply substances that cause trances, visions and hallucinations. These are seen as natural by the Magisterium although the Magisterium does not condone the use of hallucinogens but they treat is as the sin of gluttony and debauchery rather than the sin of sorcery. Potions are often characterised by the use of materials that are disgusting to the Magisterium or used in was that the Magisterium finds disgusting or harmful. The thinking around potions has evolved significantly through the evolution of modern medicine that has often debunked many myths around certain substances and their use. There are some medical practices such as stem cell research, intravenous treatment, organ and blood donation that while permissible are contested in more orthodox and conservative circles and remaining ongoing areas of discussion.
[[Category:Paxism]]
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