An illustrated atlas of belief
Where each tradition began, what it teaches, how its symbols travelled, and where its stories meet the others.
Where they began
Points mark the places where each tradition took shape. Coastlines and borders are left out on purpose: faiths have always crossed them.
Begin with a faith
Each tradition opens with its own miniature, drawn from its sacred architecture.
Four thousand years of sacred building
Drawn to scale in time: the gaps between monuments are as long as the centuries between them.
The symbol of this week
Sacred fire
The sacred fire of Zoroastrianism: why fire stands for the light and purity of Ahura Mazda, how temple fires are kept burning and why Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers.
The turning year
Old church calendars wrote the great feasts in red ink. Ours keeps the custom for every tradition.
- 8 November 2026 DiwaliHinduism, Jainism, Sikhism
- 24 November 2026 Guru Nanak GurpurabSikhism
- 5–12 December 2026 HanukkahJudaism
- 25 December 2026 ChristmasChristianity
- 1–3 January 2027 ShōgatsuShinto, Buddhism
Where two faiths meet
Choose two traditions and see what they share and where they part.
Beyond the edge of the map
Secret orders, hidden teachings and legends. Every story says plainly whether it is history, tradition or legend.
- Documented history The Knights Templar From crusader order to legend: what the records say, and what was added later.
- Tradition Hermeticism The writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, and their long life in European thought.
- Legend The Holy Grail How a cup in medieval romance became the most sought-after relic in the West.
A new chart every Sunday
One symbol, the festivals of the week ahead and a story from the archive. Free.