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Description
The Avestan word "Asha" is a complicated philosophical term which is difficult to translate into English. In the most literal sense, the word just means "truth", cognate with the Vedic word "Ṛta". However, in the context of Zoroastrian cosmology and theology, it's more "truth" in the sense of "quintessence", as in the totality of the way things just physically are. It's not so much the idea that 2+2 gets you 4, rather that 2+2=4 is itself a complete equation defined by itself. It is true, as true as the trajectory of every atom in your body from past to future, as true as the spirals of every galaxy. The Amesha Spenta, Asha Vahishta ("Best Truth") is the embodiment of this essential turn of the Universe in its totality. It is through this emanation that the supreme god Ahura Mazda created the world as it is and would always be. Asha Vahishta is said to be in cosmic conflict with his opposite demon: Druj (literally "Lie"), whom he will destroy in the final battle at the end of time.

Later traditions linked the six (sometimes seven) Amesha Spentas with different elements of creation. Haurvatat, as previously mentioned in the drawing I did of her, was associated with nourishing water. Asha Vahishta meanwhile is associated with cleansing fire. Fire (Avestan "arta") is considered extremely sacred to Zoroastrians, as it represents the divine substance of Ahura Mazda. The Muslim dynasties that would take over the region in later centuries and attempt to snuff out the Zoroastrians mistook this as Zoroastrians worshiping fire as a divinity itself. This is not true, and indeed to this day the term "fire-worshiper" is considered derogatory to modern Zoroastrians. Fire is said to be able to detect liars through sacred trials, burning those who are untrue and sparing those who are holy. These trials are most often conducted in appropriately named Fire Temples, where a sacred flame is kept continuously burning in its beating heart. Traditionally, these fires all originate from a single source flame first witnessed by Zarathustra, a sign of his perpetuating wisdom. The oldest one you'll find confidently cited, however, is the one burning in the Temple of Yazd, which dates back to at least 470 AD. It is through this trial by fire that Asha can be definitively rooted out from the weeds of unrighteousness.

Design notes, I'm actually extremely proud of this one. Thankfully a lot of early Persian shahs wanted to associate themselves with the power and legitimacy of Asha Vahishta and the broader concept of Arta, so there's a few coins on record depicting this spirit. I should note that these two entities are not the same, just often heavily linked, so I tried to rely more on coins with the Amesha Spenta himself rather than those depicting the Arta. I still threw in a few iconographic nods to the Arta, though, and obviously fire is a big theme for this design. For his wings and the tail, I took reference from the feathers of the Golden Pheasant, which actually isn't native to Iran, only China. However, I read somewhere that the mythical Phoenix, a bird obviously associated with fire from Greek mythology, may or may not have been inspired by this species. I'm not sure how valid that is, but if you look up images of the critter, it certainly looks like what you'd expect a phoenix to resemble. Gorgeous specimen of a bird with lovely plumage, perfectly fit for a divine entity if you ask me.

Description
The Avestan word "Asha" is a complicated philosophical term which is difficult to translate into English. In the most literal sense, the word just means "truth", cognate with the Vedic word "Ṛta". However, in the context of Zoroastrian cosmology and theology, it's more "truth" in the sense of "quintessence", as in the totality of the way things just physically are. It's not so much the idea that 2+2 gets you 4, rather that 2+2=4 is itself a complete equation defined by itself. It is true, as true as the trajectory of every atom in your body from past to future, as true as the spirals of every galaxy. The Amesha Spenta, Asha Vahishta ("Best Truth") is the embodiment of this essential turn of the Universe in its totality. It is through this emanation that the supreme god Ahura Mazda created the world as it is and would always be. Asha Vahishta is said to be in cosmic conflict with his opposite demon: Druj (literally "Lie"), whom he will destroy in the final battle at the end of time.

Later traditions linked the six (sometimes seven) Amesha Spentas with different elements of creation. Haurvatat, as previously mentioned in the drawing I did of her, was associated with nourishing water. Asha Vahishta meanwhile is associated with cleansing fire. Fire (Avestan "arta") is considered extremely sacred to Zoroastrians, as it represents the divine substance of Ahura Mazda. The Muslim dynasties that would take over the region in later centuries and attempt to snuff out the Zoroastrians mistook this as Zoroastrians worshiping fire as a divinity itself. This is not true, and indeed to this day the term "fire-worshiper" is considered derogatory to modern Zoroastrians. Fire is said to be able to detect liars through sacred trials, burning those who are untrue and sparing those who are holy. These trials are most often conducted in appropriately named Fire Temples, where a sacred flame is kept continuously burning in its beating heart. Traditionally, these fires all originate from a single source flame first witnessed by Zarathustra, a sign of his perpetuating wisdom. The oldest one you'll find confidently cited, however, is the one burning in the Temple of Yazd, which dates back to at least 470 AD. It is through this trial by fire that Asha can be definitively rooted out from the weeds of unrighteousness.

Design notes, I'm actually extremely proud of this one. Thankfully a lot of early Persian shahs wanted to associate themselves with the power and legitimacy of Asha Vahishta and the broader concept of Arta, so there's a few coins on record depicting this spirit. I should note that these two entities are not the same, just often heavily linked, so I tried to rely more on coins with the Amesha Spenta himself rather than those depicting the Arta. I still threw in a few iconographic nods to the Arta, though, and obviously fire is a big theme for this design. For his wings and the tail, I took reference from the feathers of the Golden Pheasant, which actually isn't native to Iran, only China. However, I read somewhere that the mythical Phoenix, a bird obviously associated with fire from Greek mythology, may or may not have been inspired by this species. I'm not sure how valid that is, but if you look up images of the critter, it certainly looks like what you'd expect a phoenix to resemble. Gorgeous specimen of a bird with lovely plumage, perfectly fit for a divine entity if you ask me.