What is Your Ancient Religion?

Founded over 3,500 years ago, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions and for many years was one of the most powerful religions in the world. Named for the Prophet Zoroaster who spoke for the god Ahura Mazda, Zoroastrians believe fire is an embodiment of God's light and wisdom, and although they don't actually worship fire, it figures strongly in their iconography and traditions. Sound familiar? Zoroastrianism is the inspiration for the Red God in the hit series Game of Thrones. As a Zoroastrian, your life purpose is to 'be among those who renew the world...to make the world progress towards perfection.' You never look for reward, but you trust that by doing the right thing reward will come to you in due time.

Druidism was the traditional religion of the ancient Celtic people of Northern France, Briton, Ireland and other parts of Europe, and Druids were the elite priest caste of the Celtic tribal society. As a Druid, you believe in nature as the ultimate power, and your ceremonies are based on the seasons. Like modern day Neo-Druids, you cast a circle to call forth the spirits of the cardinal directions, but the only magical favors you request are safe planting in the spring, sunshine to help the plants grow in the summer, a successful harvest in the fall, and a mild winter.

Shamanism isn't truly a single religion but is a way of life followed by traditional healers across the globe. A common thread across many ancient religions is the worship of nature, as survival traditionally hinged on the cooperation of natural forces. Shamans are the spiritual and ceremonial leaders who connect to nature in order to heal the sick and protect the tribe from natural disasters, such as drought, flood, famine, and other extremes of weather. As a shaman, you are a respected and influential member of the tribal elite, but you also hold a lot of responsibility and are expected to act as healer, religious leader, and counselor for your community.

Vedism, a polytheistic religion, is the traditional religion of the ancient Indo-Aryan people who migrated from northern Europe into Asia in approximately 1500 BC. As a follower, you believe in many gods, including the Devas who control natural forces and the semi-demonic Asuras who guard moral beliefs. Your prayers are for simple blessings, such as many children, rain to grow crops, wealth, and a long and healthy life, and you worship by chanting and through sacrifice of milk, grain, and occasionally animals.

Pharoah Akhenaten caused shock throughout Egypt when he renounced the ancient gods and created a new religion based on worship of the sun god Aten. Husband of the renowned beauty Nefertiti and father to Tutankhamun, Akhenaten was an intense and unconventional ruler whose obsession with Aten caused civil unrest and resentment among the Egyptian people. Atenism effectively died with him, although some theories controversially suggest that Moses was a follower of Aten and that modern day Christianity has its roots in the brief-lived religion! As a follower of Aten, you fear the night and perform tasks in the sunlight when the god Aten is seen to be blessing your work. You believe that Aten created the world and cares for all creatures, and you are forbidden from idol worship.

The ancient Indian religion Jainism holds peaceful existence and respect for all life as its central beliefs. As a follower of Jainism, you are probably a vegetarian and live a frugal lifestyle. Jain monks and nuns are expected to take vows of nonviolence, honesty in word and deed, chastity, and non-attachment. For regular followers, these vows are relaxed a bit. Otherwise, there wouldn't be very many Jain kids running around! However, you are still expected to live a simple and disciplined lifestyle, so binge-watching your favorite TV series and those trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet are definitely a no-no!