Astronism: Heading Starward & the Astronomical Beliefs of Cometan

SUBMISSION BY COMETAN TO ADRIANO AUTINO OF THE SPACE RENAISSANCE INITIATIVE

Many phrases for space exploration have become clichés over the years and are often interpreted by mainstream audiences as fanciful or without a grounded understanding of the realities of space expansion. In addition to preserving those traditional terms, we must endeavour to create new words to describe our intellectual and physical ventures into the World Beyond if we are to engrain our thoughts and beliefs into the social fabric.

Free-to-use image by Joran Quinten on Unsplash (Link)

Without intending to confuse you with a popular American film franchise or an Australian whisky, I thought I’d introduce a word I coined “starward.” Inspired by the words “eastward” or “westward,” of course “starward” means directed towards or otherwise situated close to the stars, or the “astronomical world” as I prefer to call all that is above us when we go about our days and when we sleep at night. I introduce this word so that I may explain another, one that has become so closely intertwined with my life, I feel that she and I are two halves of the same coin. Of course, now I speak of Astronism. Founding a new religious movement and philosophy has caused the hurtling of many questions my way over the past eight years, but chief among them has always been “what is Astronism then?” But Astronism is exactly what I have just spoken of in the word I just introduced you to: “starward.”

Astronism is the individual and collective proximation to the world beyond our own — the astronomical world — in more ways than one. For the individual, Astronism means an intellectual, emotional and physical proximation to The Cosmos while for our collective humanity, Astronism is the system of thought and beliefs and its related culture and philosophy that will help in the human endeavour to understand, know or otherwise seek out “Ultimateness” in the heavens above. When you as an individual look up at the stars, as we all do, and feel a mixture of emotions of wonder, awe, aspiration and hope, this emotion you are feeling is “astronality” (also called noctcaelador) and it is this that rests at the basis of Astronist philosophy and religion.

Make no mistake that these two cosmic proximities — the individual and the collective — are symbiotic; they develop and improve on the back of each other’s mastery. Just as the human species as a whole progresses to the stars, so must we as individuals; if we are not proximate to that which resides far above us in the same way that we are proximate to our families, our friends, our jobs, and our concerns for terrestrial affairs then how else may the human space expansion be successful?

It isn’t logical that we should speak only in terms of how the collective species may expand into space if we ourselves as individuals do not embark on this same journey. What is logical is establishing a cultural, philosophical and religious system to undertake the mammoth task of upheaving humanity to the world of outer space. I like to call this the “Astronist upheaval” as I see this to be the most significant role of all for Astronism and those whom identify themselves Astronist. This elevation of man doctrine or the “lifting of humanity”is absolutely crucial to the Astronist message and just as our great space entrepreneurs are lifting humans physically to the stars, Astronism is doing the same but in cultural, existential, emotional and religious ways.

We must not forget that there are many different ways to “ascend” and not all are physical. In fact, physical ascension is something that may only be achieved once our intellectual and existential ascensions have occurred. The world cannot begin to think seriously about extensive human space expansion without firstly showing all the world why exploration of The Cosmos is key not only to our survival but to our very being, our existence itself. Just as philosophical and religious narratives have pushed a stubborn man towards the accomplishment of great endeavours in the past, so shall similar narratives be key to humanity’s physical and mental ascent to the stars.

For the vast majority of humanity, space exploration is either not a priority, or it doesn’t effect their everyday lives. This is what Astronism seeks to change. By affirming the scientific fact that the astronomical holds sway over the affairs of the terrestrial, yet veiling this in such a way that holds existential and religious significance, namely for our individual and collective human destinies, the Astronist dream of humanity “heading starward” will be that much closer to attainment.

Written by Cometan

The Astronist Institution has just published its most comprehensive reference work yet covering all aspects of the Astronist belief system titled The Institutional Dictionary of Astronism. To purchase your copy either in digital or paperback, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZKGHQVL/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=