Priests hopping and cawing like crows. Seven year old kids doing sumo. What’s that all got to do with Shinto, you may wonder?
Kamigamo Jinja is Kyoto’s greenest shrine and probably the oldest. It was established by the Kamo … Read the rest
Category: Oddities (Page 5 of 6)
In Shinto animals are seen as spirit messengers, and I take this to be derived from shamanism where they aid the shaman in taking flight to the spirit world. Particular animals are associated with certain kami. The fox with Inari, … Read the rest
My favourite Shinto motif is yatagarasu, the three-legged crow, and not just because it’s been adopted as the mascot of the Japanese soccer team. It’s an inspiring bird of fancy that carries with it all kinds of association. It … Read the rest
Mirrors in Shinto are certainly worth reflecting on!
It seems in ancient times there were two main spiritual uses.
One is typified by Amaterasu’s mirror, namely the capturing of a person’s essence through their reflection. It thereby becomes a symbol … Read the rest
For a bit of fun while avoiding the Kyoto heat, I was thinking of British parallels to the myths and developments of early Japanese history and came up with the following.
ancient Britons/ Celts – Ainu and Jomon people, pushed … Read the rest
From time to time the issue of marijuana comes up on the Shinto mailing list, because of the use of hemp for sacred ropes and clothing. Before cultivation of the plant was made illegal following pressure by the American Occupation … Read the rest
After communing with Emperor Jimmu at Kashihara Jingu, I went to see the ancient rock tomb of Ishi Butai not far away. Inside the tomb I was taking a picture when a friend took a picture of me. Down in … Read the rest