The Eight Paths of Hessia

Religious thought in Hessia is divided into eight separate but equal paths. Each one has a name, a symbol, and a set of four "ideals" that define it.

Each has a rite that members practice every eight months on the full moon, and are often seen doing things on the new moon of the "opposite" path. Although these are Hessian religious rites, it is more convenient to use Aropan calendar months, as Aropa has a lunar/sidereal calendar. (The new moon usually occurs in the first three days of an Aropan month, and the full moon usually occurs around the 15th day of the month.)

The path of The World will hold rites on the full moon of Empesos, 1376. Its ideals are Change, Earth, Permanence, and Water; and its symbol is a circle seated atop a square. Its opposite is the path of The Aether.

The path of The Moon will hold rites on the full moon of Secondos, 1376. Its ideals are Darkness, Fire, Permanence, and Water; and its symbol is a circle inside a square. Its opposite is the path of The Sun.

The path of The Intangibles will hold its rites on the full moon of Tertios, 1376. Its ideals are Change, Darkness, Light, and Permanence; and its symbol is a triangle pointing downward. Its opposite is the path of The Elements.

The path of Truth will hold its rites on the full moon of Quartos, 1376. Its ideals are Earth, Fire, Light, and Permanence; and its symbol is a circle. Its opposite is the path of Falsehood.

The path of The Aether will hold its rites on the full moon of Quintos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Darkness, Fire, and Light; and its symbol is a square seated atop a circle. Its opposite is the path of The World.

The path of The Sun will hold its rites on the full moon of Sextos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Change, Earth, and Light, and its symbol is a square inside a circle. Its opposite is the path of The Moon.

The path of The Elements will hold its rites on the full moon of Septimos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, and its symbol is a triangle pointing upward. Its opposite is the path of The Intangibles.

The path of Falsehood will hold its rites on the full moon of Octimos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Change, Darkness, and Water, and its symbol is a square. Its opposite is the path of Truth.