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'''Cozauism''' is a religion based on the doctrine of [[Cozauh Tlecoyani]] as written in the seven codices of the [[Teocuezalin]]. As the state religion of the powerful [[Angatahuaca (historical polity)|Angatahuacan hegemony]], the Cozauist Temple became influential across much of western [[Ajax#Oxidentale|Oxidentale]] and southern [[Ajax#Malaio|Malaio]] where Angatahuaca held significant political and military sway. Today, Cozauism is the majority religion in the [[Nahuasphere]] nations of [[Zacapican]] and [[Pulacan]] that emerged from the core territories of the former Angatahauacan empire. The institution of the Temple holds spiritual authority over matters of religious orthodoxy and the interpretation of the Teocuezalin and is organized according to a regimented hierarchy headed by the ''Tlatocateopixqui'' or "Holy Speaker", the formal head of the Temple and spiritual leader to the many millions of Cozauists around the world. Although the current Tlatocateopixqui no longer wields the considerable temporal powers of their medieval predecessors since the secularization of government in the 20th century, the office retains its centralized authority over the international network of several thousand Cozauist temples. The legitimacy of the Temple as the governing authority of the Cozauist religion is based on the direct line of succession from Cozauh Tlecoyani himself to all subsequent Tlatocateopixqui. | |||
The | The Cozauist religion is neither fully polytheistic nor monotheistic, incorporating aspects of both cosmological systems into a semi-{{wp|henotheism|henotheistic}} form of {{wp|monolatry}}. [[Xotlatozca]] is the supreme god of Cozauism and the focus of worship, but other gods are acknowledged in in specific circumstances permitted to be worshipped in parallel within the Temple. Cozauist mythology and cosmology draws heavily from its polytheistic precursor, a system of traditional religion practiced in pre-Cozauist Zacapican that was comparable to the [[White Path]] still prevalent in the modern-day [[Mutul]]. The origins of the Cozauist creed and the Teocuezalin's seven codices that modern Cozauists hold sacred can be found in the efforts of Cozauh Tlecoyani, an important lord in medieval Angatahuaca and a notable religious reformer, to establish a centralized and consolidated religious system integrating the beliefs, mythology and ritual practices of Angatahuaca's subject peoples into a single organized institution. | ||
== | ==Beleifs== | ||
The | The Cozauist worldview is based on the interactions of numerous cyclical processes of metaphorical and literal life, death and rebirth, which govern mortal life and cycles of the rain and the seasons. Each cycle is represented by a particular mythological being and is thought to be infinitely recurrent containing and being contained by the same cycle on a larger and smaller scale sometimes to grand or infinitesimal to be appreciated by mortal perception. The grandest of the sacred cycles is that of the Sun, which is governed by the unseen god Xotlatozca, the "Throat of Blossoming Flames". In the Cozauist conception of the universe, all of creation is centered on a metaphorical Sun, the source of all light, heat, and life in the universe, which spontaneously ignited itself at the moment of creation and will continue to burn until the time of the apocalypse, when the world will fall into darkness for a time and all cycles of life will be brought to an end. It is then that Xotlatozca, the manifestation of the Universal Sun, will reignite himself and begin a new arc of creation. The cycle of the Universal Sun corresponds to the smaller recurrent cycles of the year, governed by the {{wp|Xiuhtecuhtli|Turquoise Lord}}, who is master of the year and the seasons, and also the cycle of the day governed by the {{wp|Tonatiuh|Day Lord}} who governs the movement of the earthly Sun through the sky every day. Both of these deities were worshipped as independent deities in the pre-Cozauist times, but would be integrated into the mythology of the supreme god Xotlatozca by the unified Temple. Under Cozauist doctrine, all cycles and therefore all of the deities of the natural universe, are subordinated to the Supreme Process, the cyclical creation and destruction of the world and the universe by the life cycle of Xotlatozca. | ||
A number of Cozauist scholars theorize that Xotlatozca is the deity governing the metaphorical rebirth of all things, and and so is not only a part of the apocalyptic cycle but is also present within all other cycles. This is the most monotheistic interpretation of Cozauist doctrine that is still accepted within the orthodoxy, as this version of Xotlatozca is the closest to the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God of the monotheistic faiths, comparable to the [[Sarpetic religions|Sarpetic God]]. The more polytheistic interpretations of Cozauist mythology and cosmology portray Xotlatozca as the unseen god of creation and destruction, supreme among the other deities in his power and importance to the universe, but closer in essence to the pre-Cozauist deities. | |||
Cozauism reincorporates the pre-Cozauist concept that the gods could be sustained and empowered through sacrifice, although the Teocuezalin explicitly forbade the sacrifice of human lives, considering this to be an insult to the gifts of the gods. Instead, those objects that are burned or given up as offerings in other ways, most often incense, special sacrificial paper, or foods and beverages, are though to give sustenance to the gods, the spirits of the dead, and can similarly influence supernatural factors. It is the Cozauist belief that, although the cycle must inevitably conclude and begin again, it can be extended or otherwise manipulated through the intervention of the divine and the good or bad actions of mortals. In this way, the cycles of rains, life, and the prolonged existence of the world can be influenced through the diligent worship and regime of offerings, sacrifices and prayers of those who follow Cozauh's covenant with the divine. | |||
== | ==Practices== | ||
=== | ===Thanksgiving=== | ||
The ''Tlazocamati'' or Thanksgiving is an important daily ritual conducted in the early morning that involves the burning of incense and offerings. The Thanksgiving prayer is the most common daily recitation, giving thanks to the creator Lord Xotlatozca for the gifts and life and creation, and is usually the first prayer taught to children and new converts. The words of the Thanksgiving prayer, as the name suggests, praise Xotlatozca for creating and sustaining the universe by becoming the Sun, and demonstrates humility before the divine which is thought to be the most important Cozauist virtue. The sacrificial portion of the ritual involves burning incense and objects of real or symbolic value to demonstrate commitment to the virtue of humility and to sustain the supreme being through sacrifice. | |||
===Ritual Substances=== | |||
=== | |||
Latest revision as of 19:39, 26 June 2024
Cozauism is a religion based on the doctrine of Cozauh Tlecoyani as written in the seven codices of the Teocuezalin. As the state religion of the powerful Angatahuacan hegemony, the Cozauist Temple became influential across much of western Oxidentale and southern Malaio where Angatahuaca held significant political and military sway. Today, Cozauism is the majority religion in the Nahuasphere nations of Zacapican and Pulacan that emerged from the core territories of the former Angatahauacan empire. The institution of the Temple holds spiritual authority over matters of religious orthodoxy and the interpretation of the Teocuezalin and is organized according to a regimented hierarchy headed by the Tlatocateopixqui or "Holy Speaker", the formal head of the Temple and spiritual leader to the many millions of Cozauists around the world. Although the current Tlatocateopixqui no longer wields the considerable temporal powers of their medieval predecessors since the secularization of government in the 20th century, the office retains its centralized authority over the international network of several thousand Cozauist temples. The legitimacy of the Temple as the governing authority of the Cozauist religion is based on the direct line of succession from Cozauh Tlecoyani himself to all subsequent Tlatocateopixqui.
The Cozauist religion is neither fully polytheistic nor monotheistic, incorporating aspects of both cosmological systems into a semi-henotheistic form of monolatry. Xotlatozca is the supreme god of Cozauism and the focus of worship, but other gods are acknowledged in in specific circumstances permitted to be worshipped in parallel within the Temple. Cozauist mythology and cosmology draws heavily from its polytheistic precursor, a system of traditional religion practiced in pre-Cozauist Zacapican that was comparable to the White Path still prevalent in the modern-day Mutul. The origins of the Cozauist creed and the Teocuezalin's seven codices that modern Cozauists hold sacred can be found in the efforts of Cozauh Tlecoyani, an important lord in medieval Angatahuaca and a notable religious reformer, to establish a centralized and consolidated religious system integrating the beliefs, mythology and ritual practices of Angatahuaca's subject peoples into a single organized institution.
Beleifs
The Cozauist worldview is based on the interactions of numerous cyclical processes of metaphorical and literal life, death and rebirth, which govern mortal life and cycles of the rain and the seasons. Each cycle is represented by a particular mythological being and is thought to be infinitely recurrent containing and being contained by the same cycle on a larger and smaller scale sometimes to grand or infinitesimal to be appreciated by mortal perception. The grandest of the sacred cycles is that of the Sun, which is governed by the unseen god Xotlatozca, the "Throat of Blossoming Flames". In the Cozauist conception of the universe, all of creation is centered on a metaphorical Sun, the source of all light, heat, and life in the universe, which spontaneously ignited itself at the moment of creation and will continue to burn until the time of the apocalypse, when the world will fall into darkness for a time and all cycles of life will be brought to an end. It is then that Xotlatozca, the manifestation of the Universal Sun, will reignite himself and begin a new arc of creation. The cycle of the Universal Sun corresponds to the smaller recurrent cycles of the year, governed by the Turquoise Lord, who is master of the year and the seasons, and also the cycle of the day governed by the Day Lord who governs the movement of the earthly Sun through the sky every day. Both of these deities were worshipped as independent deities in the pre-Cozauist times, but would be integrated into the mythology of the supreme god Xotlatozca by the unified Temple. Under Cozauist doctrine, all cycles and therefore all of the deities of the natural universe, are subordinated to the Supreme Process, the cyclical creation and destruction of the world and the universe by the life cycle of Xotlatozca.
A number of Cozauist scholars theorize that Xotlatozca is the deity governing the metaphorical rebirth of all things, and and so is not only a part of the apocalyptic cycle but is also present within all other cycles. This is the most monotheistic interpretation of Cozauist doctrine that is still accepted within the orthodoxy, as this version of Xotlatozca is the closest to the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God of the monotheistic faiths, comparable to the Sarpetic God. The more polytheistic interpretations of Cozauist mythology and cosmology portray Xotlatozca as the unseen god of creation and destruction, supreme among the other deities in his power and importance to the universe, but closer in essence to the pre-Cozauist deities.
Cozauism reincorporates the pre-Cozauist concept that the gods could be sustained and empowered through sacrifice, although the Teocuezalin explicitly forbade the sacrifice of human lives, considering this to be an insult to the gifts of the gods. Instead, those objects that are burned or given up as offerings in other ways, most often incense, special sacrificial paper, or foods and beverages, are though to give sustenance to the gods, the spirits of the dead, and can similarly influence supernatural factors. It is the Cozauist belief that, although the cycle must inevitably conclude and begin again, it can be extended or otherwise manipulated through the intervention of the divine and the good or bad actions of mortals. In this way, the cycles of rains, life, and the prolonged existence of the world can be influenced through the diligent worship and regime of offerings, sacrifices and prayers of those who follow Cozauh's covenant with the divine.
Practices
Thanksgiving
The Tlazocamati or Thanksgiving is an important daily ritual conducted in the early morning that involves the burning of incense and offerings. The Thanksgiving prayer is the most common daily recitation, giving thanks to the creator Lord Xotlatozca for the gifts and life and creation, and is usually the first prayer taught to children and new converts. The words of the Thanksgiving prayer, as the name suggests, praise Xotlatozca for creating and sustaining the universe by becoming the Sun, and demonstrates humility before the divine which is thought to be the most important Cozauist virtue. The sacrificial portion of the ritual involves burning incense and objects of real or symbolic value to demonstrate commitment to the virtue of humility and to sustain the supreme being through sacrifice.