Zoroastrian

Zoroastrian describes ideas, practices, and communities shaped by the teachings attributed to Zoroaster, an Iranian religious figure traditionally dated to the early first millennium BCE or earlier. The tradition emphasizes ethical choice, cosmic order, and the opposition between truth and deceit as central features of human life. Zoroastrian thought influenced religious practice, ritual purity, and conceptions of history and judgment within the Iranian world and beyond. The term applies both to the religion itself and to cultural expressions shaped by its worldview. Zoroastrianism is fundamentally dualistic, centered on the cosmic struggle between the benevolent creator Ahura Mazda (Good/Light) and the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) (Evil/Darkness), where humanity chooses sides.