Divine Zodiac

Divine Zodiac is the religion featured in the Zodiac Chronicles and plays many roles in the events throughout the series. Typically residing in the celestial plane called "The Blessed Vale", some deities have also been known to reincarnate as humans to try and fix things on Earth.

Structure
The Divine Zodiac is an organized polytheistic faith based upon, what is now known as, the western zodiac. Early religions on Earth originally worshiped Divine Zodiac, but eventually evolved into different faiths that still had a basis such as the Greek Olympians or the Norse Æsir. When the Daemons settled in Otherworld, they brought their faith and original practices and integrated it into their lives. The Zodiac Star (also known as Metatron's Cube) is the symbol for the religion and is often used in jewelry and architectural designs as the symbol of the Seven Great Deities who helped to Create the universe.

While the Daemons established Temples and religious communities dedicated to one or two deities, the main Temple and the heart of the Divine Zodiac is the Isle of Avalon, which is dedicated to the entire pantheon. Priest/esses are trained for several years at the Temple of their choosing, then train to become High Priest/esses if they wish. Monarchs, rulers and high government officials may be their country's High Priest/ess, in charge of the most official religious duties. Temples, in addition to training and housing, are places of worship to the followers and sites of religious celebrations such as blessings, marriages and deaths.

Beliefs
Divine Zodiac is centered around worshiping and honoring the Zodiac Pantheon. They emphasize respecting and honoring all life, and seeking to live in harmony with themselves, each other, and the earth itself.

After a person dies, they enter the Blessed Vale and then to Summerland to rest and reincarnate if they wish. The dead are typically cremated and their ashes either scattered or buried, as they believe that once someone is dead their physical bodies are no longer needed.

Polygamy is accepted to the point where, in some societies, it may be considered odd if one doesn't have at least two spouses at some point in their lives. Same-sex marriages are also allowed, and although rare, divorce is not stigmatized.

Practices
Practitioners show their faith with prayers, offerings of food and visiting Temples. Respecting and honoring others, themselves and the earth around them is also basic credences, and as such, they don’t care very much for materialistic pleasures and prefer a more rural existence. Celebrating religious holidays is not a requirement, but may be celebrated in private, in a congregation or at the local Temple.

Rites include Blessings, Coming-of-Ages, Handfastings and Funerals. Though different from each other, each Rite includes the person being introduced to the land and the Pantheon, and passages from the Zodiac Scroll being read. Clothing for each Rite consists of high-quality clothing with jewels and capes. On the first full moon after the birth of a child, the baby is taken to the closest Temple of the parent's choosing in order to receive their Blessing Rite from the High Priest/ess. The Coming-of-Age ceremony occurs when the person is ready to become an adult at the age of sixteen after spending one year in the Temples to learn more about the faith and what it means to be an adult. Handfastings have the couple's hands tied together and rings slipped on their fingers to signify that they're married. For funerals, the deceased is given the rite at their chosen Temple, is cremated and then their ashes put into a box as they believe that the physical body is no longer needed. The box is then buried or the ashes spread, and a plant planted at the end.

Holidays include celebrating the ending and start of the seasons, with the first day of winter being symbolic as how the Universe and the planet were born and also the start of the new year. At the beginning of each month, when the Zodiac Constellation enters its corresponding month, there are also celebrations, where the Temple dedicated to the deity associated with the constellation celebrating with the most grandeur.

If one wishes to become a Priest/ess, they spend a year and a day in the Temple of their choosing to learn of the going-ons of their daily life and rituals. After that, they are given more training for another year and a day, this time for them to be taught more secret things in their Temple. They are fully initiated as a Priest/ess at this time. If they wish to become a High Priest/ess, they must spend another year and a day under the tutelage of the current High Priest/ess above them and then may take over the Temple or establish a new one. They may not marry but can have children unless the Temple specifies that they can’t such as the Sagittarius Temples. They may also choose to leave the clergy at any time in their life, whether they are fully ordained or not, and may also transfer to a different Temple.

The Zodiac Scroll
The Zodiac Scroll is the sacred text of the religion, detailing how Aquarius Created the Universe and the other deities, as well as other stories about gods, heroes, prophets and other important details and events. It’s a large scroll within the Temples, but for individual practitioners is a book which may be added to if given by the gods.

Zodiac Pantheon
The Zodiac Pantheon is the group of deities that are responsible for governing over the universe and also specific attributes. Founded by Aquarius and descended by Chaos, the Zodiac Deities are honored by humans and Daemons alike.

Chaos "Parent of All"
The primordial, genderless Void Deity who Created Aquarius. Chaos has no definitive form at first but holds all knowledge within Them. After Aquarius Created the Universe and all the other Deities, Chaos took the form of the Goddess Gems and fused with Aquarius' powers and memories. After Aquarius reincarnated to Madeleine Grace Milović, Chaos took the form of Aquarius' Goddess form, with some of Their memories taken away when Taurus stole some of the Goddess Gems. They continued to guide Aquarius in Her human form until Aradia Grace Magnum took over the Celestial Throne and merged with Aradia's powers and memories. They were inspired by the Spirit Element.

Aquarius "Mother of All" "Bearer of Life"
The first Creation of All, Goddess of Time, Moon and Stars, Created by Chaos from the collective knowledge and the first one with the definitive gender of female and form. She loved Chaos as Her parent, talking to Chaos to learn more. After understanding "loneliness", Aquarius realized that She and Chaos both were "lonely" and Created the Universe, the other Deities and watched over the life on Earth. After being crowned Queen, She received the Goddess Staff of Goddess Gems, which was the physical form of Chaos. Though sad about not being able to talk to Chaos anymore, Aquarius took comfort in knowing that Chaos wasn't lonely anymore. At some point, Aquarius married Taurus and also Created Otherworld to house the Daemons of Earth when they were hunted. During the time of King Arthur, She sent several tens of thousands of humans who still adhered to Pagan religions, including Arthur himself, to Otherworld so that they could be safe. During the Burning Times, Aquarius sent another several tens of thousand of Pagan adherents to the Otherworld. After the rise of Abrahamic religions, Aquarius' powers started to wane because of the human's rejection of Her. Although severely weakened, Aquarius stopped the Coup of Taurus, Gem and Ini, losing most of Her Goddess Gems in the process. After learning that the Blessed Vale was barred from doing anything outside of the celestial plane, Aquarius, along with Her most trusted Goddesses Pisces, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, then reincarnated as humans in order to fight Taurus. Aquarius also secretly wanted to replenish her strength and regain faith in the humans to understand why she kept having faith in them. She eventually abdicated the Celestial Throne to Her daughter, Aradia Grace Magnum when she became the new Aquarius. Her Daemons are Nymphs. Aquarius was inspired by the Mother Goddess of many Pagan religions. She was one of the Seven Great Deities.

See Also: Magdelene Grace Magnum

See Also: Aradia Grace Magnum 

Psyche
Aquarius' attendant. She's a serious young woman who is completely devoted to Aquarius and will stop at nothing to carry out Her wishes. She reincarnated with Aquarius so that she could temporarily give Magdelene Grace Magnum power to fight against Taurus, as Her power was severely weakened. She then became Aradia Grace Magnum's attendant when she became the new Aquarius.

Pisces "Lady of Water"
One of the first Goddesses Created by Aquarius, Goddess of Water, Storms and Winter. To keep the Earth's surface cool enough to sustain life Pisces was Created. At some point, Pisces entered in a romantic and sexual relationship with Leo. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini then reincarnated with Aquarius, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius as humans in order to fight Taurus once again when they learned that the Blessed Vale was barred from doing anything outside of the celestial plane, but eventually took up Her duties again. Her Daemons are Merpeople. Pisces was inspired by the Water Element. She wa s one of the Seven Great Deities.

See Also: Salacia Jordan Sonnen

Aqua
Pisces' attendant. She's much more responsible than Pisces and thus took on a higher role than most other attendants. She reincarnated with Pisces so that she could temporarily give Salacia Jordan Sonnen power to fight against Taurus, then returned to the Blessed Vale.

Aries "Lady of Earth"
One of the first Goddsses Created by Aquarius, Goddess of Earth, Home and Spring. Aquarius Created Aries to help stabilize the Earth in the beginning, then to make sure landmasses were formed for life on land. She was very good friends with Scorpio and are often invoked together. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini then reincarnated with Aquarius, Pisces, Leo and Sagittarius as humans in order to fight Taurus once again when they learned that the Blessed Vale was barred from doing anything outside of the celestial plane, but eventually took up Her duties again. Aries was inspired by the Earth Element. She wa s one of the Seven Great Deities.

See Also: Mara Jennifer Dzib

Tellus
Aries attendant. She was more fun-loving than Aries, and helped to add a little more beauty and color to her mistress' works. She reincarnated with Aries so that she could temporarily give Māra Jennifer Xuluc power to fight against Taurus, then returned to the Blessed Vale.

Taurus "King of Heavens"
One of the first Gods Created by Aquarius, God of Soul, Sun and Reincarnation. He was Created by Aquarius to help watch over the life that grew on Earth and to help them reincarnate if they decide to do so through the Cauldron of Birth and Rebirth. At some point, he started courting Aquarius and they fell in love, eventually marrying. When the Abrahamic religions rose, He saw how Aquarius' powers grew weaker as humans lost faith in Her, but at the same time felt Himself grow stronger with people monopolizing faith in a male deity. When He saw how Aquarius was still very powerful, Taurus grew embittered and wished to be the sole deity, staging the Coup with Gem and Ini. Though the Coup failed, Taurus was able to steal most of Aquarius' Goddess Gems and cut off all of the Blessed Vale except for His and the Twins own Palaces from doing anything outside. When Aquarius and Her closest Goddesses reincarnated, Taurus recruited Anendis Uther Pendragon and Lyra Viviane du Lac and employed them to kill the Apostles, claiming that doing so would win the war they were fighting. During the final fight with the Apostles, He killed Himself after Aquarius stripped Him of His powers. He wa s one of the Seven Great Deities.

Anima
Taurus' attendant. Although loyal to Him, Anima chose to abandon Taurus in His coup to overthrow Aquarius and ran away. Anima was in a self-received exile to the Cauldron of Death and Rebirth because of his shame for leaving the fight and to try to help others reincarnate when he could but came back when Aradia Grace Magnum became Queen of the Celestial Throne and became the new Taurus and became one of the Seven Great Deities.



Gem & Ini ""
Twin deities of Balance, Earthquakes and Children, Gem being a Goddess and Ini a God. They were Created to keep the Earth's environment in check and were fanatically loyal to Taurus, thinking that He was greater than Aquarius. After staging the Coup and being fended off by everyone else, they reincarnated as humans with all their memories intact to kill the Apostles. After failing, they lived out their lives as humans as both a friar and a nun while in denial of Taurus' death. They came back, however, to Otherworld to cause mayhem and try to kill Aradia Grace Pendragon before she became the new Aquarius.

See Also: Evita Viera Marcucci and Andrew Darius Marcucci

Castor & Pollux
Twin attendants to Gem and Ini. Although disapproving of their masters' decision to overthrow Aquarius, they were still loyal to Them and still give Gem and Ini the power they want in order to try and kill the Apostles. After Gem and Ini's defeat, they went back to the Blessed Vale to repair broken bonds between them and the rest of the Pantheon. They became the new Gem and Ini after Aradia became the new Aquarius.



Cancer ""
Goddess of Mind, Emotions and Magick. Cancer was Created to help balance the inner powers of the humans and acts as a mediator between the Zodiac Deities. She was also considered the de-facto guardian of Gem and Ini, making sure neither got into too much trouble. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini.

Arc
Cancer's attendant.

Leo "Lady of Fire"
One of the first Goddsses Created by Aquarius, Goddess of Fire, Prophecy and Summer. Aquarius Created Leo so that the infant Earth's crust could be stabilized and the temperature of the planet could be warm enough to help support life. At some point, Leo entered in a romantic and sexual relationship with Pisces and is the Pantheon's Prophet. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini then reincarnated with Aquarius, Aries, Pisces and Sagittarius as humans in order to fight Taurus once again when they learned that the Blessed Vale was barred from doing anything outside of the celestial plane. She was inspired by the Fire Element. Her Daemons were Dragons. She wa s one of the Seven Great Deities.

See Also: Aine Freesia Daher

Ignis
Leo's attendant. She has taken a vow of silence and is rather introvert compared to everyone else. Ignis is usually found in Leo's Palace, attending to the flame that always burns in the sanctuary. She reincarnated with Leo so that she could temporarily give Áine Freesia Daher power to fight against Taurus, then returned to the Blessed Vale.



Virgo "Maid of Protection"
Goddess of Paths, Women and Childbirth. She was Created to help guide those who call on Her and to protect women. Virgo’s other duties include comforting the dead and introducing them to the Blessed Vale. She’s often depicted together with Sagittarius and Capricorn. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini.

Iter
Virgo's attendant.

Libra "Keeper of Wisdom"
God of Justice, War and Wisdom. He was Created to be Aquarius’ advisor. He is obsessed with writing every important detail down and is the original author of the Zodiac Scroll who gave it to the mortals. Libra is known to have a Scroll that is larger than any other and is constantly adding more to it. He, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini.

Litera
Libra's attendant.



Scorpio ""
God of Medicine, Herbs and Crops. He was Created to maintain the plant life on Earth. Scorpio good friends with Aries is often invoked with Her. He, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini.

Trava
Scorpio's attendant.

Sagittarius "Lady of Air"
One of the first Goddsses Created by Aquarius, Goddess of Air, Hunting and Autumn. She was Created to keep the air breathable for mortals and eventually give them the skills to hunt. She’s often depicted together with Virgo and Capricorn. She, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini then reincarnated with Aquarius, Aries, Leo and Pisces as humans in order to fight Taurus once again when they learned that the Blessed Vale was barred from doing anything outside of the celestial plane, then returned to the Blessed Vale. She was inspired by the Air Element. She wa s one of the Seven Great Deities.

See Also: Iris Harper Dombrowski 

Ventus
Sagittarius' attendant. She reincarnated with Sagittarius so that she could temporarily give Iris Harper Dombrowsky power to fight against Taurus.



Capricorn ""
God of Survival, Animals, Men. He was Created to give the mortals the means to survive and to give protection to men. He’s often depicted together with Sagittarius and Virgo. He, along with the rest of the deities fought off Taurus, Gem and Ini.

Jagd
Capricorn's attendant.

The Blessed Vale
The Blessed Vale is the celestial plane of existence where the deities, their attendants and angels reside. Within the Blessed Vale are the Zodiac Palaces which are the living quarters and temples dedicated to each deity in the Zodiac Pantheon, each palace containing a sanctuary for souls to honor and communicate with their respective deity. It also contains the realm, Summerland, where the dead reside.

Palace of Aquarius
The Palace of Aquarius is a beautiful, silver-colored building that sparkles like the stars in the universe. The sanctuary walls depict the story of how the universe was Created and the Aquarius constellation on the ceiling in Goddess Gems.

Palace of Pisces
The Palace of Pisces is an underwater building, made up of coral. Its sanctuary walls depict the story of how water came to Earth and Otherworld with the Pisces constellation of the ceiling in aquamarines.

Palace of Aries
The Palace of Aries is a subterranean cavern.

Palace of Taurus
The Palace of Taurus is a large, golden building that shines like the sun. Before the coup, Taurus and Aquarius would split time between their Palaces, though mostly spending time at Hers. After Taurus broke His and the Palace of Gemini from the rest of Summerland and it became His headquarters. When Taurus kidnapped Elen, He took her to the Sanctuary before attempting to kill her back in Terra.

Palace of Gemini
The Palace of Gem and Ini and housed Anendis and Lyra there for the duration of the battles.

Palace of Cancer
The Palace of Cancer

Palace of Leo
The Palace of Leo

Palace of Virgo
The Palace of Virgo

Palace of Libra
The Palace of Libra

Palace of Scorpio
The Palace of Scorpio

Palace of Sagittarius
The Palace of Sagittarius

Palace of Capricorn
The Palace of Capricorn

Palace of Chaos
Although this isn't the home of Chaos Themself, Aquarius Created this Palace to honor the deity who Created Her.

Summerland
The realm where souls of the dead are taken to. It's depicted as having many different environments to suit the soul's preference. Here, the dead are reunited with loved ones and may even visit their past lives. They may choose to stay here or reincarnate in a different form. Souls are free to move around as they please, and may enter the Palaces to honor or speak to the gods.

Cauldron of Death and Rebirth
A large, cauldron-shaped device at the center of the universe where Aquarius was born which overflows with celestial power, Created out of the First Star. It's the place where the dead souls enter to arrive at the Blessed Vale and Summerland, then where souls go to melt out of their old forms and their memories at least partially wiped in order to reincarnate in a new form.

Although Taurus was the patron deity of souls, He was not able to affect the Cauldron directly. As such, when the Coup happened, Taurus was not able to completely cut off the Cauldron from the Blessed Vale and couldn't keep souls in His part of Summerland indefinitely and they were able to escape, though with much difficulty.

Anima, Taurus' attendant, fled to the Cauldron in shame for neither stopping nor helping Taurus. When Aquarius, Pisces, Leo, Aries and Sagittarius decided to reincarnate as humans, Anima helped them enter the Cauldron. After, he helped the rest of the souls enter the Cauldron to either reincarnate or enter the Blessed Vale. When Aradia Grace Magnum started her quest to become the new Aquarius, she recruited Anima to become the new Taurus with Castor and Pollux as the new Gem and Ini.

Trivia

 * The Divine Zodiac is based on the Western Zodiac, commonly found in Europe and America.
 * The Divine Zodiac is also influenced by real-world Paganism, in particular, Wicca.
 * Although the Zodiac is associated with deities of different polytheistic faiths, this is the first time the Zodiac is personified as deities themselves.
 * Although a fire sign, Aries was made an Earth Goddess due to the constellation commonly being depicted as a ram or sheep, animals associated with the earth element.
 * Aquarius is typically second-to-last in the astrological line. The calendar used in Otherworld, however, makes the month She's associate with as the first, in reference to Her being the first to being Created and Her work Creating the universe.