Senit

Senit (Kayig: ԹՆՇ, Şenit ) is a dualistic panentheist religion originating in what is now Kadaria and historically practiced by much of Rahelia, revolving around the recognition of Kretes, the creator of the universe and all of human existence, the worship of Mei, the personification of order, justice, truth, balance, and harmony, and the shunning of Asefya, the personification of disorder, injustice, chaos, violence, and evil. Followers of Senit, known as Senites, believe humanity must uphold the values laid out by Mei in order to prevent the perceived entropic destruction of the material universe by Asefya. In modern times, Kadaria remains the only Senite-majority nation in the world, although Senitene minorities exist across the world. The Hierophatic School estimates that there are around 100 million Senites worldwide of which 90% reside in Kadaria, who claims all of its 90 million citizens as being Senites.

Senit is one of the world's oldest religions with its history spanning an estimated 2,900 years back to the 9th century BCE, with possible roots all the way back to the 17th century BCE. Upon the reunification of Kadaria by the 15th dynasty in the 600s BCE, the religion was quickly adopted by the ruling pharaohs and subsequently became the state religion of the New Kingdom. Senit remained geographically constrained while under the patronage of the 15th and 16th dynasties. It was not until the 3rd century BCE that religious conquests to spread Senit emerged under the Seeress Merima of Çudemat, who'd later be hailed as an Avatar. These conquests rapidly expanded both the Kadarian state and the Senitene world, and modern historiographers sometimes refer to Merima's conquests as the Senitene Empire. While the Senitene Empire fractured following the death of [person], its cultural legacy remained through the rapid conversation and eradication of polytheistic faiths native to Rahelia. While under Imperial tutelage, many of the rituals and practices of Senit were codified and centralized.

The religion remained dominant in Rahelia until the Irfanic conquests in the 7th and 8th centuries. As a result of the conquests, Senit was driven out of mainstream society as its institutions and states collapsed or were demolished, within the territory controlled by the Second Heavenly Dominion. The conquests led to a split in Senit, transforming the religion from being heavily centralized into being composed of theoretically equal Schools that acknowledge the Hierophatic School in Kadaria as the primus inter pares. This "Post-Irfan" period was short-lived, as following the Tagamic conquest of Kadaria saw the spontaneous conversion of Tagamic Khan Anushtegin, and reaffirmed the Hierophatic School's primacy in the Senitene world. Modern Senit is accepted to have arisen out of the Tagamic conquest, as Tagamic patronage saw a resurgence in Senitene literature and theological works, in what would later be termed as Senitene Revivalism. It was also during this time period where the three modern sects of Senit would emerge in response to the apparent destruction of the Senitene world. The 19th and 20th centuries saw an increase in both puritanical and radical theological schools as a result of Euclean colonization of Rahelia. The Mehr Revolution in Kadaria led to serious division and tension within the Senitic world, as the revolutionaries imposed a puritanical theology on White Light Senit through the Hierophatic School.

In the modern age, Senit is practiced by an estimated 100 million people; 90 million of which are located within Kadaria, the only Senite majority country in the world. Senite minorities exist in neighboring Ihram, Nise, and Tsabara. The Hierophatic School, led by the "First Servant of the Lady of the Day," has historically been considered the ultimate authority on Senit, however its current status is a contested topic within the Senitene world. Aside from White Light, two other mainline sects are exist within Senit: Dengeken, which focuses on seeking a balance between order and chaos, and Black Light, which worships Asefya over Mei due to the nature of free will. White Light is the largest of the three sects with over 90 million practitioners, followed by Dengeken, and lastly Black Light.

Etymology

The name "Senit" is a direct borrowing of the religion's name in Kayig, Şenit (ԹՆՇ). The Kayig name is itself an adaptation of the Cushitic ⲉⲁⲓϭⲛϩⲏⲧ (eaicnhaat). In a religious context, cnhaat is interpreted as meaning Knowledge, an esoteric term used within the context of Senit to describe a spiritual understanding of oneself and the universe at large. Thus, the religion's name can be translated as "obtaining Knowledge" or "to obtain Knowledge." This is reflected in the Middle Cushitic nj snht, where snht can mean knowledge, wisdom, or understanding depending on the context of its use.

A follower of Senit is referred to as a "Senite" (ՇՏԹՆՇ - Şenitdaş), and the adjective form for the religion is "Senitene" (ՆԹՆՇ - Şenitane)

Beliefs

Creator

Modern Senitene beliefs revolving around creation involve a singular creator deity known as Kretes (ՍԹՐԳ; Cushitic: Kⲣⲏⲧⲏⲥ, Krêtês), also referred to as the "Divine Judge" in some Illuminations, who is responsible for the creation of the material cosmos know as Kitis, Haybeş, and spiritual cosmos known as Pa. In addition to these three planes of existance, Kretes is responsible for the creation of all creatures and spirits that inhabit them. The act of creation itself, known simply as The Creation in Senitene theology, was the first action undertaken by Kretes. Formal Senitene theology, as propagated by the Hierophatic School, holds that The Creation cannot be comprehended and the scientific concepts of time and space simply cannot be applied to it (rather The Creation itself exists in a state outside of time and space). Despite this, Folk Senit treat The Creation as a singularity for time and space, and thus have a linear narrative of the event as an ultimate origin for human existence, prior which none had existed. The material plane can then be seen as an extension of Kretes through the residual magic and energy imbued throughout it from The Creation. Thus, Senit holds a panentheistic view of the world.

Fire is seen as the universal symbol of Mei.

In addition to creating the three planes, Kretes is responsible for the creation of the soul and spirit, and his daughters: Mei, who is responsible for order, balance, and harmony of the material universe, and Asefya who is diametrically opposed to Mei. While Mei and Asefya are viewed as being the daughters of Kretes, they are both viewed as being aspects of him rather than as separate entities entirely. Through both of His children, Kretes is able to indirectly affect and alter the material cosmos and the human soul and spirit.

Mei and Asefya

A bas-relief of intertwined snakes, typically representative of Asefya.

Mei (Kayig: ԹՄ, Mat; Cushitic: Ⲙⲉⲓ, Məi) is the elder daughter of Kretes, and acts as a deification of the concepts of truth, order, harmony, and justice. In Senitene theology, Mei oversees the continual existence of the material cosmos through Her control over the concept of order and balance. On philosophical level, Mei is seen as representing the ethical and moral principles that all Senites are expected to follow throughout their daily lives. This significance led to the view of Mei being responsible for all aspects of existence: the basic equilibrium of the material cosmos, the cycle of seasons, the movement of planets and stars, and honesty and truthfulness in social interactions. Through this lens, Mei is seen as a surrogate mother of sorts for humankind, and in a way superceding the importance of Kretes, leading to Mei being referred to by such monikers as "the Lady of Day," "Lady of Light," and "Infinite Architect."

Through constantly keeping the universal order, Mei is considered to be in a state of near-exhaustion due to the immense energy and magical expense required. This originates from not only general maintenance of the material cosmos, but also through the assaults and undermining by Asefya. Because of this, Mei also acts as the sole juror in the Cosmic Court, a purgatory that holds a person's soul and spirit to be judged by Kretes. Alongside Her father, Mei judges the souls of the deceased persons based on their accruement of Knowledge. The soul is weighed against a piece of silk cloth, symbolically expressing the fabric of the universe, and if the soul weighs less than or equal to the cloth, then it is interpreted as the individual contributed to maintaining order and harmony during their life, and the soul is allowed to transcend to Pa. Should the soul weigh more than the cloth, then it's seen that the individual contributed to the destruction of the natural order through committing injust, dishonest, or general chaotic acts while alive, and a part of the energy of the soul is taken by Kretes and used to repair Mei.

Asefya (Kayig: ՅՖՍԱ, Asefya; Cushitic: Ⲁⲥⲱϥⲉ, Asôfə) is the cosmological opposite and eternal enemy of Mei. Asefya is the younger daughter of Kretes and acts as a representation of the philosophical concepts of injustice, disorder, chaos, violence, and other acts and concepts considered to be evil. Euclean theologists and anthropologists have made the comparisons between Asefya and the Satrian concept of Adharma, however these comparisons are analogous at best and erroneous at worst. Unlike Adharma, Asefya is not seen as being innately evil through her disharmonious and chaotic actions. Rather, She is seen as merely acting on her nature. Her appearance after Mei (interpreted as Asefya being the younger sister and daughter) signifies the belief of disorder and chaos being a consequence of the individual's struggle against order through the gift of free will. Because of Her association with chaos and opposition to Mei, Asefya is often titled and referred to as the "Lady of Night" or "Lady of Dark."

Together, Mei and Asefya form a seemingly paradoxical duality as both are co-dependent on the other for their continued existence (i.e: order cannot exist without disorder and vice versa). The two are interpreted as being locked in a constant battle, with Mei seeking to preserve the natural order, and by extension the continued existence of the material cosmos, and Asefya to usurp the natural order through entropy, consequently causing the destruction of the material cosmos as perceived and understood by humanity. Mainstream Senitene theology interprets mankind's role in this cosmic battle as assisting Mei through maintaining order through all aspects of life.

Reincarnation

14th century painting showing the Transcension of the Tagamic Khan Anushtegin.

Due to the existence of the Cosmic Court – the cosmic space where the souls of the deceased are judged by Kretes and Mei – Senit believes that death of the Disorderly leads to reincarnation. Souls belonging to people who had contributed more to Asefya than Mei are subjected to reincarnation, known as shattering. Through shattering, Kretes transposes soul energy (referred to simply as Soulfire to reflect its association with Mei) from the judged soul to Mei, so that Mei can be repaired in a way that is proportional to the perceived damage caused to Mei by the acts and transgressions of the person being judged. This act also cleanses the soul of sin. Once the soul is cleansed, Kretes selectively wipes the memory of the soul so that it doesn't remember its passed transgressions, but the soul still remembers its accumulated Knowledge. The soul is then placed into a new body which allows the soul to be reborn into the material cosmos. Should a soul go through shattering too many times, then the soul will cease to exist, as it will run out of the Soulfire necessary to sustain itself. Once this happens, the person's spirit (believed to be separate from a soul) will exist in a state of nothingness. This nothingness is interpreted as being outside human perception of space and time, and exists in neither the material or spiritual planes of existence. Some scholars have made the connection of the "nothingness" to the Sotirian concept of purgatory.

Transcension

When a human soul is judged favorably by Kretes and Mei, then it undergoes and act known as transcension. Through transcension, the soul enters the a higher plane of existence known as Pe (Բ, Cushitic: Ⲡⲉ, Pə). Pe is characterized as a plane of existence where the soul can truly exist, interpreted as not being subject to the trials and tribulations of Asefya within the material cosmos (i.e: being alive). Because of this, Pa has been compared to a paradise seen in similar religions, such as Irfan and Sotirianity.

Transcension is the primary pursuit of Senit, the primary process of the human soul reaching an enlightened state and able to exist in the same plane of existence as Kretes and Mei. By transcending, the collective Soulfire of humanity will be able to reach a state apotheosis and take the place of Kretes as the new creator which has always been the Senitene interpretation for humanity's existence. Thus, in a way, Transcension acts as a sort of divine filial piety. Contemporary Senit broadly rejects the idea that other religions can undergo transcension, with some Banners even labelling other religions as dangerous.

Senit maintains that any practicing Senite is able to transcend, so long as they uphold Mei and acquire Knowledge. By doing both of these, Senites believe that they are able to replenish the Soulfire lost to repair Mei through the act of reincarnation and shattering. By replenishing Soulfire and accumulating more Knowledge, the human soul will be able to gain favorable judgement from Kretes, and thus transcend to Pe.

Sin

Unlike in other mainstream religions, the concept of Sin is not interpreted as being inherently evil or bad, but rather as a perversity of the human soul. It is seen as a lapse in one's judgement and giving into the animalistic cravings of free will, which is seen to naturally stray towards Asefya. Sin is in effect going against the natural order or causing disharmony in one's life; the natural order commonly being interpreted as good deeds, good thoughts, and good words. Through the act of shattering, the human soul is cleansed of past sins, and is thus able to be reborn under the auspices of a "fresh start."

Knowledge

Knowledge is an abstract, and esoteric concept that acts as a sort of "cosmic currency" within Senit. It is both the "primordial constitution" of human existence and an "true understanding of oneself and the world around them." Senit upholds that it is through Knowledge that humans are able to achieve the logical and cognitive functions that make humans inherently superior to other animals, but also acts as the link between humanity and Mei. The latter interpretation thus implies a duty, a relationship stipulated by Mei, to undergo the act of transcension.

Senit treats Knowledge as a substantive thing, something that can be manipulated, purified, concentrated, manifested, and polluted. It is intentionally very broad and purposefully does not refer to the abstract understanding of isolated statements or theological positions (such as piety). Rather, Knowledge is something that is all encompassing, involving correct understanding, correct behavior, and correct character. Consequently, only humans are able to possess Knowledge, as it is a by product of free will. Senit believes that Knowledge was bestowed upon humanity after the creation of Asefya. Knowledge provides meaning to human existence, since without Knowledge, humans are enslaved to dark forces that manifest in primal urges and naturalistic instincts.

By its very nature, Knowledge is something only privy to Senites, and it is maintained that Senit itself represents the gross accumulation of all correct human Knowledge.