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My Zodiac/Astrological system...

DTowne

Minstrel
I posted this about a week or two ago in brainstorming. Thought I'd have better luck in this forum.

One of the stories I'm currently involves a culture that's religion and zodiac/horoscope is tightly tied into the way they see themselves. I've got the basics of what I want down. What I'mlooking for assistance on is what each sign means for those born under it. Temperment,etc.. I don't really know much or believe in the zodiac but thought it would make for an interesting culture.

This is what I have:

GODS

ASAR - 'All-powerful, awesome, all-seeing eye' The pole star and creator god.

ENIR - House of brightness. Home to ASAR, The sun. (Heaven)

Asar created the Mul 'Those who shine in the heights' the Ninkurrai to live upon the Ki as his children.

He then created the Mitutu to bring the dead to Enir when the time came.

Thousands of years later Asar accidently creates the Mulki 'The celestial body that had been cleaved apart' half alive half dead people when he mates with one of his Mitutu. Anyone not of the Ninkurrai race.

LA'ATZU - Spirit world. The night sky/constellations

MITUTU -'The dead ones' The grim reapers. Solid white men and women shaped beings that bring the Titaan at death to La'atzu via Kadingir.

Gateway of the Gods - KADINGIR [Holy city of Esharra sits on this, the highest peak of Ninkurra, and thus the world) La'atzu and Ki intersect here at the mountains highest point.

Titaan - Those who in heaven live. The dead. The stars in the sky.

Bu'idu - Ghosts, those who have failed to please Asar doomed to wander Ki forever.

Ki- The physical world.

Asar created four 'children' to take care of the world.
Nagiru, the herald who with his seven rubies brings lights and color to the world. His home is Eresh the scented house.

Azag the winged serpent with his great axe keeps the fields full until winter approaches.

Atu, the head of the Mitutu watches over the gateway to the afterlife and brings cold to the world.

Urbat, dog of death and his birds forever torment those dead not deemed worthy of La'atzu.

The Ninkurrai believe deeply in the horoscope and that the dead whom make up the signs direct their lives. There are sixteen signs that all Ninkurrai know and their aspects. It's considered almost offensive and pitiable for someone to not have this knowledge.

16 lunar cycles of 27-28 form a full year on their planet.

The signs which fit to each moon cycle or Minesh are as follows:

Summer

NAGIRU - The herald
SEBET ABANYARAHHU - The seven rubies
MARGIDDA - The celestial chariot
ERESH - The scented house

AZAG - The serpent
ALANI - The Axe
KAPPU - Wings
EQLUM - Field

Winter

ATU - Gatekeeper
QANNU - Horn
TAMMABUKKU - Dragons
INA BABU - The gate

URBAT - Dog of death
SHUHADAKU - Sword
ESSURU - Bird
EBIH - Abode of sorrowful calling

The first sign represents light and leadership.

The second sign represents strength and weapons, people under this sign to be the strong but essentially followers.

The third sign represents flight, the heavens and stars. Thought to be lucky signs. Only people born under these signs can be Margidda pilots.

The fourth sign, unlucky as the cycles are at their weakest. Oddly though those born under Ina Babu and Nasaqu thought to be divinely touched as these are signs signaling transition summer/winter life/death. Many of the Guda born to these signs.


Any and all ideas critcisms wanted and appreciated.
 

DavidJae

Troubadour
Maybe Asir's could be wise or clear-thinking, Enir positive and upbeat, Nagiru's could be empathetic and peacemakers, Azag's could be sharp-tongued but incisive, Eqlum nurturing and ambitious, Urbat grim and considered a bad omen and Essuru dreamers with high ideals.
 

Gurkhal

Auror
What kind of role do you envison that this feature will play in your story or stories? If we know what we can give alot more qualified aid.
 

DTowne

Minstrel
I don't have a clearly defined role that it would play besides it affects how people see each other. Much like the way people are like "oh you must be a virgo." For acting a certain way.

The entire religion is centered around this idea of these signs grouped by the four seasons (two for winter, two for summer) these people tend to associate with other born under their same sign and even worship that sign as if that were their personal god. If that makes any sense.
 

Duncan M

Acolyte
This is all very interesting, and there's a thousand and some ways you could tie this into your world. Perhaps it would help to envision religious ceremonies. Maybe there are shrines and temples at which blessings/baptisms are performed for children born during the sign. Festivals and feasts could honor a particular sign, and your people would inevitably build there holidays and calendar around this system.

What about government and society? Are positions of power only open to those born of the first sign? Do the fourth sign people live like the Untouchables of Hinduism? Is it the basis of a class/caste system? Do your people dress, groom, or paint themselves based on their sign? With such a culturally-entrenched Zodiacal system, your peoples' way of life could be altered in fascinating ways.

It's an amazing system, if I do say so myself. I would love to hear more about it as you develop it!
 

DTowne

Minstrel
What about government and society? Are positions of power only open to those born of the first sign? Do the fourth sign people live like the Untouchables of Hinduism? Is it the basis of a class/caste system? Do your people dress, groom, or paint themselves based on their sign? With such a culturally-entrenched Zodiacal system, your peoples' way of life could be altered in fascinating ways.

For now I'm thinking positions of power would really only be open to the nobles but I really do like this idea of people outwardly representing their birth sign by clothing style and the like.

The 4th sign people find themselves quite the opposite of untouchables. They usually end up as priests and in the religious hierarchy.
 
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