Satellism

Satellism (rarely Moonfaith) is the belief that ascribes some amount of holy power to the natural satellites (or moons) of planets. Today, it is one of the most widespread and diverse religions in the Pearlescent Expanse, existing in a number of denominations, and is the cornerstone of society within the Thousand Moons' Creed.

The name Satellism came into being sometime during the 6th century, following the formation of the TMC by Thousand Moons' Slavomir and his congregation - although not all moon-revering groups joined the Creed, many took on the name regardless, becoming something of an umbrella term, rather than referring to any one denomination.

While it's difficult to pinpoint the exact origin point for what today could be considered Satellism, the idea of ascribing divine qualities to a planet's moon goes back all the way to humanity's cradle on Earth, where Luna, its sole moon, would feature heavily in religion, folklore, culture and science - through gods associated with the moon like Selene and Tsukuyomi; myths of lycanthropy under the full moon; and observable physical phenomena like lunar cycles and the moon's influence on earthly tides. It was also the first celestial body humanity got to step on, further cementing its significance, and paving way for what would later become prototypal Satellism, as humanity spread across the stars and visited other worlds, many of which featured their own natural satellites worthy of some form of veneration in some people's eyes.

Patron moons
Central in Satellism is the veneration given to the moons of planets (known universally as patron moons), each one associated with a certain set of values, in a manner akin to patron saints (or even gods) of certain old Earth religions.

Theoretically, any moon can become a patron moon, and almost any quality or set thereof could be ascribed to one - generally though, only moons of settled planets (or moons that themselves are colonized) tend to be the subjects of reverence, and the size of a particular Satellist congregation can be as small as one person or a small group to a full-fledged church with its own hierarchy. Sometimes the same physical moon can be the subject of multiple different cults with divergent or even contradictory beliefs, leading to anything from heated but ultimately well-meaning debate to open religious conflict. Over time, many patron moons in the Pearlescent Expanse have emerged, having especially notable and well-known followings and (mostly) agreed-upon significance, especially within major branches such as the Thousand Moons' Satellism.

However, even for those major patron moons, which have generally positive associations (like that of Astor the Gentle being the patron moon of peace and medicine) it's often said that "every moon has a dark side" - for every benevolent patron moon, a twisted take on its tenets exists in some shady corner of society, preying on the weak and vulnerable.

Notable patron moons

 * Astor, the Gentle, associated with peace, good health and medicine. Houses the Astor Hospital, one of the premier hospitals in Creed space, and is also the headquarters of the Order of Astorites, traveling monks, healers and field medics.
 * Harrox, the Grave, associated with death, holds the Expanse's largest Satellist necropolis, seen by some as the grandest gate to the afterlife. Prayed to by Satellists who mourn their dead. Due to its graveyard status and the fact it's a site of untold Satellist dead, the moon has built up a grim reputation among some people who believe it to be haunted, and will outright refuse being buried there, despite the assurance of Harroxian morticians.
 * Kshega, the Wise, associated with academia, wisdom and the pursuit thereof. Houses the Starlight Academy, one of the more prestigious academies in the Expanse after all the destruction of Havzhiva Academy, and several of its scholar-errants have found a new home on Kshega.
 * Nadia, the Hopeful, the desecrated and blasted moon of Nadezhda. Important to religiously-inclined Nadezhdan Exiles who see it as a symbol of their lost glory yet to be regained.
 * Naidr, the Restful, associated with sleep, dreams, and contemplation. A dusty and forlorn moon, notable for its great glass desert, where its face was vitrified by a solar flare. A frequent destination for pilgrims, but home only to knightly rover orders and tehoma farmers. Locked in orbit with Naiss.
 * Naiss, the Vibrant, associated with birth, parenthood, and evolution. Esteemed by biologists and artists, and most especially by its inhabitants. A garden-moon noted for its unique plant and animal life, the latter being almost entirely herbivorous. Locked in orbit with Naidr.
 * Oikima, the Hospitable, associated with community, hospitality and safety. Recognized by all but the most hardline Observalists as worthy of settling on, Oikima serves as a safe haven for weary travelers and refugees seeking a new home, making it a melting pot of various cultures, fleeing from their war-torn worlds.
 * Reisdender, the Outcast, associated with travel, secrets and refugees. A rogue moon knocked off its orbit of an unknown planet, slowly drifting through space.
 * Ryff, the Broken, a moon-sized space station, the only artificial satellite in Creed canon, unfinished by its forgotten creators, stands as a symbol against hubris like the one that befell its builders.
 * Samara, the Keen, one of the two of Aureate, associated with warfare, industry, valor.
 * Severyn, the Aegis, the other moon of Aureate, associated with perseverance and protection from harm
 * Shyr, the Forbidden, a moon that was once the site of a horrible, long-forgotten experiment. Scrubbed off all interstellar maps and charts, its location is unknown, and the moon symbolizes lost and forbidden knowledge - to some, to be kept that way; to others, to be uncovered.
 * Skarb, the Glittering, associated with wealth, good fortune, gambling and trade. Rich in minerals, serves as a major trade hub in its local star system, historically has housed the Mint of Skarb, which would mint near-uinversally-accepted Mooncoins (before the introduction of the Coalition Credits), which are still sought after by collectors and serve as one of the most common symbols of Creed Satellism.
 * Zelen, the Verdant, associated with fertility, growth and life. A lush garden-moon, home to many unique species of flora and fauna, facing particular problems with the Dodonan Tribunal, who ignore its protected status in favor of their own reckless scientific research.

Incolism and Observalism
There's a central question that to this day drives many splinters of Satellism - "Should the faithful be allowed to live on the surface of their patron moons, as close as it's physically possible; or are the patron moons to sacred to be directly walked and lived upon, and are only to be observed from a distance?"; Those who subsribe to the former are known as Incolists (from Latin incolere, to inhabit), while the latter are referred to as Observalists.

Both sides have many proponents of varying degrees of devotion, from the mild to the extreme, and a wide range of people who sit somewhere inbetween, or frankly do not care. Incolists will be in favor of settlements and holy sites erected on the surfaces of patron moons (or in some cases, underground), believing them to be the only right places to do so, while Observalists will push for orbital settlements, long-range observatories, and environmental patron moon protections. Any given patron moon is likely to have some split of supporters on either side, and this conflict is a common factor in Satellist - especially TMC - politics, though is rarely noticed by outsiders, and only sometimes has a tangible impact on the everyday life of the Satellist faithful.

Scripture
There is no one holy text or body thereof that encompasses all of Satellism, though a wide range of scripture and mythology important to a particular sect or church exists all across the Pearlescent Expanse. Larger-scale factions such as the TMC have their own canons of spiritually-important texts like the Lunar Codices, often incorporating (though some would say co-opting) local myths and legends and trying to reconcile them into one grand divinely-inspired narrative. Either way, such texts range from easily-accessed physical or digital books to oral traditions, and most faithful can name at least a handful of stories or passages that pertain to their own patron moons, while dedicated theologians can dedicate their entire lives to studying the full range of Satellist scripture and its seemingly-endless amount of editions, contradictory accounts, and apocrypha.

Befitting a faith associated with natural satellites, common themes in Satellist metaphor, independent of patron moon-specific ones, include cycles, orbits, phases, distance, tides, light and darkness, reflections, gravity, and routine.

Symbolism
While specific patron moons have different unique symbols and associations, circles, half-circles and crescents are practically universally-recognized Satellist iconography, featured in holy sites, on personal jewelry, old currency, and other places.

Notable denominations and sects

 * Thousand Moons' Creed
 * Gibbous Tide, a historical militant sect.
 * Church of Severyn
 * Samara Templar
 * Order of Astorites
 * Three Moons' Creed
 * Two Moon Cry