Some people in the West come to an interest in Shinto through martial arts. Some through their sympathy with nature religions and neo-paganism. John Howard, featured here, combines both elements.
You’re Ovate of Glastonbury. Can you explain what that means?… Read the rest
Dragons
Anyone who has read Joseph Campbell knows of the commonalities amongst ancient myths. Archangel Michael slaying a seven-headed dragon in the West is echoed in Japan by Susanoo slaying the eight-headed monster. The hero’s journey involves facing your inner … Read the rest
Olympic heights
The opening of the 2012 Olympics on Friday night showcased England’s most sacred mount – Glastonbury Tor. It featured as the pastoral paradise of William Blake’s visionary poem, before the country became despoiled by the ‘satanic mills’ … Read the rest
Shinto purification
In Shinto there’s no good and evil in a moral sense, but instead there is the idea of purity and pollution. Whereas the kami live in a realm of absolute purity, life in the material world inevitably results … Read the rest
Mystery circles
Yesterday I went on a crop circles tour which led me to reflect on the nature of intuition. The general feeling on my tour was that the number and complexity of crop formations mean that some if not … Read the rest
Water deities
Gratitude for the blessings of water plays a big part in Shinto, and there are many shrines dedicated to water deities. Sujin is a composite deity of water, and Ryujin a water dragon particularly associated with the sea. … Read the rest
Shinboku
Go to visit a Shinto shrine and you’ll surely find a shinboku – a sacred tree favoured by the kami. But what makes some trees sacred and others not? It’s a question I’ve often asked priests about, and the … Read the rest
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