Zartianism

Zartianism is neo-Zoroastrianism. It is a new attempt to create a framework for a modern moral philosophy and religion, using traditional Zoroastrianism as its primary inspiration.

One of our priorities has been to create a religion which runs parallel to a rational philosophy of life. While it is possible for a religion to be beneficial appealing only to tradition and not to reason, we think something is lost if the tenets of a religion are not susceptible to rational enquiry.

However we recognize the distinction between religion and philosophy. Philosophy is firstly about understanding, while religion's first duty is to energize people to behave in a beneficial way. In pure philosophy any conclusion remains permanently open to challenge. A religion has to make a clear decision to take this path or that path if it expects people to follow it.

Zartian varieties

The Zartian movement aims to allow for diversity in practice, while sharing some basic beliefs that keep us together.

So Zartianism is presented in a number of different variants. This reflects that people come to Zartianism from different places, with different predispositions and interests. Some people want something more rational and philosophical, some people something more religious and emotionally engaging. Some people want something with a recognizable connection to Christianity, others are looking for something decisively different and perhaps more pagan. Some people see the value in a cosmopolitan religion that speaks to a world of diversity, others need something which prioritizes support for their own native identity and culture.

We are also mindful that the world already has a rich tradition of religious and philosophical wisdom. Zartians doen't need to invent everything from scratch. So some Zartian varieties or practices lean into a particular established tradition and seek to make sense of it from a Zartian perspective.

Currently we are talking about two main varieties of Zartianism. These are Zartian Mazdaism and Zartian Mithraism. Zartian Mazdaism should appeal more to those with a philosophical bent, and Zartian Mithraism to those looking for something more conventionally religious.

Other possible variations include a Zorochristianity which as its name implies seeks a closer engagement with traditional Christianity, Pagan Mithraism which sees kinship with other pre-Christian religions, a Zartian Buddhism that brings Buddhist practice into the Zartian movement, and also multiple 'Ethnic Mithraisms' which use Zartianism as a launchpad for developing national tribal religions.

Elements of Zartianism

Zartianism directs our attention in a particular way. It has a particular language and 'thought-elements' it promotes. These can be simple single concepts or groups of concepts that work together. We give some examples:

Six Key Concepts

Zurvan

Zurvan is time, especially a period of time, and also includes the material reality that progresses in time. Zurvan is the substrate of life, the ocean in which life swims.

Manus

Manus is 'mind-spirit'. It is the life that infuses Zurvan, it is the seat of consciousness, of feeling and the source of action.

Agatheia

Agatheia is 'goodness' and 'degree of goodness'. Zartians regard Agatheia as an objective quality of the world, or a part of it, and not a purely subjective phenomenon. Agatheia can be applied to end-states , to intermediate states and to actions.

Thalia

Thalia is 'flourishing'. It is our foremost term to describe what 'the Good End' is for living beings.

Arta

Arta is 'rightness' and also order, truth, and righteousness or right-behaviour. Arta is the order of things that tends to lead to Thalia or flourishing. Arta is sometimes spelled also as Asha.

Auramazda

Auramazda is 'active wisdom'. It is the supernatural wise being which inhabits Zurvan and creates new patterns within it and sustains the good order of things. Auramazda is the father or producer of Arta. Auramazda is dependent on Manus or mind-spirit, and thus on the activity of living beings for its manifestation.

Agathoi and Kakoi

The Agathoi are twelve abstract 'good beings' which are a focus of Zartian Mazdaism in particular.

Many of these are mentioned by Zartus in the Zartigathas. The twelve are Auramazda, Chrestus, Spentamanus, Eunoia, Eudaena, Eusebia, Euthymia, Eukratia, Eunomia, Arta, Harvatas, Amortas. For example Eunoia means 'Good Thinking' , Eukratia means 'Good Rule'. The Kakoi are twelve 'bad beings' who are opponents of the Agathoi.

Prosopa Kosmika

The Prosopa Kosmika are 'seven persons' who are the focus of attention of Zartian Mithraists in particular.

They are Mithras, Anhita, Magtus, Chrestus, Azidus, Spentamanus and Angramanus.

Mithras is the cosmic father; Anhita is the cosmic mother; Magtus is the Mighty One; Chrestus is the Good One; Azidus is the Lustful One; Spentamanus is the Good Spirit and Angramanus is the Evil Spirit.

Chrestors

Chrestors are human 'saviours' of the world (in Persian 'saoshyant'). Chrestors are people who are doing useful work to help the living world.

It is the first agenda or purpose of Zartians to become good chrestors. We struggle towards the Good. We seek to play our part in the healing of the world from its corruption. We seek to stand against all deviation from the path of truth and righteousness. We work to restore the world it to its pristine freshness. We push for the righteous order that brings the common flourishing.

Runa

Runa or Runes are special concepts. We have mentioned some already above, but Zartians recognize many more different concepts which help us to make sense of the world we live in.

Magoi

Zartians promote a selection of wise men of the past, whose writings have proved particularly worthy of attention. Though possibly open to variation we currently promote a list of seven wise teachers.

These are: Zartus, Gotama, Plato, Aristotle, Hegel, Nietzsche and Jung.

Praxes

Praxes are specific practices that can be followed, often with the aim of developing our character or the qualities of our mind, but also for other purposes, such as our social solidarity as Mithraists or our benefical impact on the world

The praxes are open to development, change and extension. Currently we list the following as options: Chrestism, Magtism, Gnosticism, Psychosophism, Thaliosophy, Dramatism.

Chrestism is about 'Doing Good'. Magtism is about becoming stronger. Gnosticism is about gaining a truer and deeper understanding of life. Psychosophism is 'sophistication of the soul'. Thaliosophy is the 'philosophy of flourishing'. Dramatism is ritual practice.

Relationship to other religions

Zartomithrites, recognise a kinship with people in other religious tradition and seek friendly relations where possible. In Zartian Mithraism we believe that the nature of the world is potentially discoverable by all those who engage with it in the right way and knowledge of it, while often difficult to achieve, is not inherently limited to those reading a particular book, or born into a particular community. Those with a similar attitude in other traditions are most likely to be able to co-operate with us.

The Chalipa

A Chalipa ('four-footed' symbol) is distinctive of Mithraism. The symbol below is the main design used by Zartian Mithraists, but the colours used can vary.