Cao Dai, watercolor on paper (an edited view of an altar)

Cao Đài Chữ Nôm: 道高台) is a syncretistic, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Concerning the term Cao Đài, literally, Cao means "high" and Đài means "dais, as in a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it." 

Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the minimum goal of rejoining God the Father in Heaven and the ultimate goal of freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Estimates of the number of Cao Đài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources give 2 to 3 million, with some estimates as high as 8 million. An additional 30,000 (numbers may vary), primarily ethnic Vietnamese, live in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

According to Cao Dai, before God existed, there was the Tao, the nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source referenced in the Tao Te Ching. Then a Big Bang occurred, out of which God was born (emanationism). The universe could not yet be formed and to do so, God created yin and yang. He took control of yang and shed a part of himself, creating the Goddess to preside over yin. In the presence of yin and yang, the universe was materialized. The Goddess is, literally, the mother of the myriad of things in the Universe. Thus, Caodaiists worship not only God the father, but also the Holy Mother, literally referred to as the Mother Buddha.

read more here.

Wicca

  Imagine the above star (pentagram/pentacle) surrounded by this series of words:
Wiccan Rede
Harmony
Reincarnation
Power Through Knowledge
Law of Attraction and imagine that
Deity
exists in the center of your star.
I did this wiccan star for a dear friend who requested it.Wicca  is a Neopagan religion and a form of modern witchcraft. Often referred to as Witchcraft or the Craft, its adherents are commonly referred to as Wiccans, or as Witches or Crafters. Developing in England in the first half of the twentieth century,  Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft", and its adherents "the Wica".From the 1960s onward the name of the religion was normalised to "Wicca".

Shinto-watercolor on sketchbook page

Brief history of Shinto:

Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. Starting about 500 BCE (or earlier) it was originally "an amorphous mix of nature worship, fertility cults, divination techniques, hero worship, and shamanism."  Its name was derived from the Chinese words "shin tao" ("The Way of the Kami") in the 8th Century CE. At that time:

	The Yamato dynasty consolidated its rule over most of Japan.
	Divine origins were ascribed to the imperial family.
	Shinto established itself as an official religion of Japan, along with Buddhism.

The complete separation of Japanese religion from politics did not occur until just after World War II. The Emperor was forced by the American army to renounce his divinity at that time.

Unlike most other religions, Shinto has no real founder, no written scriptures, no body of religious law, and only a very loosely-organized priesthood.

There is a tiny Shinto shrine in back of the Art Complex Museum.

It was donated by the MFA and sits by the pond.  

Jainism, sketchbook collage and mixed media

Jainism ,  is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings.

JAIN WAY OF LIFE

Jainism is a religion and a way of life. For thousands of years, Jains have been  practicing vegetarianism, yoga, meditation and environmentalism. Jains believe in the existence of eternal and divine SOUL in each living being. Jain Way Of Life respects and honors these souls through: Non Violence Non Possessiveness Non Absolutism

Bahai Temple- altered book

According to the site I am using for this blog, the Baha'i religion comes after Judaism. I had not heard of it- here is more about it.

Since it also forms a single community, free of schism or factions, the Bahá’í Faith comprises what is very likely the most diverse and widespread organized body of people on earth.

Founded a century and a half ago, the Bahá’í Faith is today among the fastest-growing of the world’s religions. With more than five million followers, who reside in virtually every nation on earth, it is the second-most widespread faith, surpassing every religion but Christianity in its geographic reach. Bahá’ís reside in more than 100,000 localities around the world, an expansion that reflects their dedication to the ideal of world citizenship.

Kate Painting,oil over acrylic- 8"x10"

I finished this one from the summer and it was purchased yesterday by the girls parents.

I will continue with the religions but with all the holiday prep I am a bit behind!

Menorah, watercolor on paper

Judaism: Estimates of the world's Jewish population range from about 12 million to over 17 million. On the high end of realistic estimates of how many people would consider themselves Jews seems to be about 15 million, but a figure this high would include a large number of non-practicing, purely ethnic Jews. Judaism is far more important in areas such as history, literature, science, politics, and religion, than its relatively small numbers might suggest. The American Jewish Year Book published in 2000 by the American Jewish Committee, reports there are currently 5.7 million Jews in the United States, 362,000 in Canada, and 13,191,500 worldwide. More.

For a short time after graduating from The Museum School in Boston ( 1982), I lived with a Jewish family in Seattle.
I  especially enjoyed being there on the Sabbath, and the ritual of getting all the chores done and food prepared before the sunset on Fridays was very enlightening to me. It was peaceful and restful. Saturdays were quiet. Regular activities resumed on Sunday.
Growing up with Sundays being the day that things were closed was nice, although I didn't think so at the time.
I got this image of a menorah from www.amityaffe.com , and painted it in watercolors.