Generally, one of the first things that a visitor to a Cedonian home will see upon entering a home is the household altar. Made of wood, a household altar is rather like a built-in cabinet. The doors are generally left open and are decorated with wooden carvings, as is the pedestal and pediment. The left-hand door usually has a carving of Demerhaze on the inside, while the right-hand door has a carving of Lucia. The pedestal has an image of Cascasoevin, while the pediment bears an image of Miracradsa. The altar doors are only shut when there is a death in the family or on the death of an Emperor/Empress. The exterior of the left hand door is carved with an image of Coron as the Maker of Souls, while the right hand door is carved with an image of Coron as the Protector of the Dead. The altar's interior has two shelves. The upper shelf bears the statues, usually painted wood, of the household's gods. Generally, there are no more than three statues: one of Miracradsa, one of Coron, and one of the patron god of the head of the household. The lower shelf partially folds up, and when the altar is open it projects six inches into the room. This shelf is where images or mementos of deceased family members are kept, and where incense is burned. As Jason likes to remind us, the goddess Miracradsa is not simply the patron of magic, she is also the patron of families, and it is in the latter capacity that she is worshipped in Cedonia. While there is no Order of Miracradsa in the Cedonian Church, every Cedonian home, from the lowliest hovel to the Imperial Palace, has a statue of Miracradsa on the household altar. There are no formal ceremonies--Cedonian belief is that honoring Miracradsa will help maintain a happy family and a safe home. Coron is also honored in Cedonian homes with a statue on the family altar. He is honored on his holy days, and when there is a birth or death in the family. Cedonians also pray to Coron when there is a change of some sort in their lives. The statue of the third god or goddess is usually dependent on the occupation of the householder: farmers have Arrumantha; healers have Arlova; merchants and bankers, Sedon; sailors, Marmdal or the Lord of the Sea; crafters, Torronir; soldiers, Mithrac; entertainers and artists, Cascasoevin; and teachers, lawyers, judges, and nobles have Lucia. Demerhaze usually does not have a statue on a Cedonian household altar. However, in most Cedonian homes, the rooms in which children sleep have symbols sacred to Demerhaze carved into the door- and window-frames, and most nurseries have a statue of Demerhaze in her role as the Protector of Children. Demerhaze is also found on household altars in areas which have a reputation for being plagued by demons and malign spirits, since in Cedonian theology, Demerhaze guards the realm where demons are imprisoned, and she has the power to command and control all such evil spirits, returning them to whence they come. Andrew ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
