#shinto resource
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Shinto Beginner Guide Version 5.8.2023
Hi everyone,
My apologies for the constant re-posting of this guide. There is always some errors I miss when I release a new version and I'm very thankful to those who help me edit and refine the guide over time.
This is the most recent version as of May 8th 2023. Instead of a zip file, I've compiled it all in a single PDF you can download Here
In addition, this time I've also made a convenient online version from this link: www.livingwithkami.com/beginner
For a practical reference, there is a list of shrines overseas, where to receive sacred items, a reading list, and a list of Norito as well.
I hope this can help our community and be an accessible resource.
I give my deep thanks to Kami-sama and everyone who helped me write and edit this guide, who contributed towards it, and who guided me through the years.
This guide was not written by myself alone but with the help of Kami-sama and the community.
I am only posting it here to begin with but please feel free to share it anywhere you like.
I may have to update it again this Autumn depending on the changes in the community, but this is the most recent version.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Rev. Olivia
#shinto#shintoism#shinto religion#shinto guide#shinto beginner#shinto beginner guide#shinto starter guide#shinto starter#shinto newcomer#japanese religion#resource#shinto resource#japan#japanese culture
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EAST ASIAN RESOURCES
The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.
East Asia is an Asian region on the eastern side of the Asian continent.
AINU ─ “The Ainu people are a Northern Asian people. They are native to Hokkaido island and the Kuril islands.”
─ Ainu Culture
─ Ainu Culture
─ Ainu Dictionary
BURYAT ─ “The Buryat are a Mongolian people. They are native to the Republic of Buryatia in Russia.”
─ Buryat Dictionary (in Russian)
CHINA ─ “The Chinese, or Huaren, people are an East Asian people that share the Chinese culture. They are native to China.”
─ Chinese Mythology
─ Chinese History
─ Chinese Dynasties
JAPAN ─ “The Japanese people are an East Asian people that share the Japanese culture. They are native to Japan.”
─ Japanese Information
─ Japanese Language
─ Japanese Calligraphy
KOREA ─ “The Korean people are an East Asian people. They are native to the Korean Peninsula.”
─ Korean Customs
─ Korean History
─ Korean Language
MACAU ─ “The Macau people refers to anyone that is from Macau. Those of Portuguese descent are referred to as ‘Macanese.’”
─ Macau Information
MANCHU ─ “The Manchu people are a Tungusic people. They are native to China.”
─ Manchu History
─ Manchu Language
MONGOLIA ─ “The Mongolian, or Mongol, people are an East Asian people. They are native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and the Buryatia Republic.”
─ Mongolian Art
─ Mongolian Texts (in German)
─ Mongolian History
RYUKYU ISLANDS ─ “The Ryukyuan, or Loochooan, people are an East Asian people. They are native to the Ryukyu Islands, between the Kyushu island of Japan and Taiwan.”
─ Okinawan Folktales (in Japanese)
─ Ryukyuan History
─ Ryukyuan Languages
SHINTO ─ “Shinto, or Shintoism, is an East Asian religion. It originated in Japan.”
─ Shinto Information
─ The Kojiki
─ The Nihon Shoki
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inarishinkou is run by the owner of the inari faith intl fb group. she's a mega racist who made fun of a japanese persons name and said homeless people deserve to die in wildfires and claims to have had kinky astral sex with inari okami and loki
for those who don't know who this is, this is the person who got upset at me for suggesting barrish was selling tsubaki shrine to be able to move to FL. (to make sure it's clear: barrish doesn't/didn't own the property, and was not selling anything to move. tsubaki was shut down by honcho). their name over on the inari FB page is kit cox.
i will add that there isn't anything inherently bad about having kinky astral sex with a god or gods. i really don't see any issue with that. but after having talked to the anon and reviewing what screenaps they do have, there definitely are concerns about the other incidences mentioned in the ask above.
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"The Japanese word Mottanai is used to express regret over a resource or possession being wasted. It loosely translates to “What a waste”, and describes an attitude of trying to avoid being wasteful as much as we can. It is rooted in Japanese Buddhist philosophy that holds that we should respect and feel great gratitude towards our world and all the resources it gives us. Some people say it also has connections to the Shinto belief that objects have souls and therefore should be treated with respect. And the best way to show respect is by not wasting them.
Besides being a spiritual idea, Mottainai has clear practical implications as well. From not leaving even a single grain of rice in a plate, using all parts of an animal or vegetable for cooking, repairing clothes instead of buying new ones, repurposing and upcycling old objects and giving them new life to keep using older technology while they still function instead of upgrading, there are a million ways we can do to ensure we are using resources as efficiently as possible."
{Mottainai: An Eco-Conscious Japanese Lifestyle Concept}
#txt#mottainai#earth stewardship#eco conscious#ecofeminism#eco#wellness journey#holistic leveling up#leveling up#that girl#green juice girl#karma#ahimsa#sustainability#solarpunk#slow living#soft living#mindful consumption#ethical consumption#sidewalkchemistry
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Heyo! New to kemetic paganism, and a little less new to witchcraft. But what would be your advice for newbies building praxis? I know this is probably a SUPER common question, I'm just kind of in the absorption-of-knowledge phase and was curious. Thanks!
Always feel free to ask "common" or newbie questions! We are all new to this once, and every Kemetic has a different take on what praxis should look like, and those takes will change with time. My practice as a Kemetic Humanist is a mixture of historically informed devotional work, personal mysticism, and Seen world work to promote ma'at and fight isfet.
In that vein, the three things that I suggest to new Kemetics:
Read. A lot.
Develop a gratitude practice.
Volunteer.
Reading
Even if your practice isn't reconstructionist focused, there is so much out there to learn about Kemeticism! Blogs and social media and old forum posts are everywhere; books aimed at folks with lay person interest in Egyptology are easier to come by in bookshops; and articles and more heavy reading are accessible through both physical and online libraries.
Reading is a conversation with the author. If it's your book (or an ebook!) highlight things! Leave notes! If something really speaks to you, post a quote on your blog (or other place you like to hold onto tidbits, like a journal). This is especially important for online resources, which can disappear at any time. Write reviews if that's your jam! Once you start feeling more comfortable with your basic knowledge, read things by people who you disagree with, or whose sources are only so-so. You'll be surprised what you can learn from them. I am currently learning a lot while arguing with a book on the Pyramid Texts!
You can also learn a lot by reading from adjacent practices (religions from the Levant, the Mediterranean, and from other African nations all influenced ancient Egypt; likewise ancient Egypt influences modern Coptic and Islamic practices in Egypt; ) or even vastly different religions (every time I learn something about Shinto, I feel like I learn more about Kemeticism).
Gratitude
Now, this might seem a little out there, but one of the best things I ever did for my practice was steal this neat trick from @tybarbary. Make a list of ten things you're grateful for every day (or at least, every time you have a bad day). Sometimes, this really sucks. Some days are terrible. Things can be repetitive (I cannot say how many times the ten things have been a list of every pet or lover in my life). BUT.
Listing those things is great for your mental health. Mental wellness is ma'at; it's so important to do what you can to maintain balance inside your heart. These things also become a list of offerings. In times where you might not have much to give, you will have your gratitude to offer the Netjeru, and this too will feed them.
The second thing this does is help build a daily practice. If you're checking in once a day to celebrate your victories in life, it becomes easier to add more steps. Habits build off each other. If you already have a habit of making a gratitude list, it's easier to light a candle or incense before hand. It becomes easier to work in heka or more formalized rituals as part of that.
Volunteering
The core of this religion is ma'at: the balance of the world; all that is right and true. Kemeticism is not apolitical: it is about trying to bring the Seen world back to that moment of harmony that existed in Zep Tepi, and doing that over and over again.
Pick a cause. There's millions of them, but pick just one. Get as small and local as you can. And see what you can do to help. It doesn't have to be a lot! We are all trying to survive under capitalism and facism, and we all have unique circumstances that compound the situation. But try and do something small to help your cause once a month (more if you can).
My personal favorite causes to look for, because literally every neighborhood has them are food or housing justice organizations (this doesn't have to be a formal organization, it can be as simple as a micropantry or a facebook group for folks who need a safe space to crash for a night) or mutual aid organizations (mutual aid isn't always financial. Sometimes folks need help with tasks of daily living, or to borrow an item, or someone who understands how [your niche interest or skill here] works).
Bring the light of the gods into your world. This too is an offering!
Hope some of this will be helpful for you! Thanks again for the question!
#kemetic paganism#kemetic polytheism#kemetic fandom#kemeticism#kemetic#kemeticism for beginners#egyptian polytheism#egyptian paganism#kemetic humanism#asks
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Sorrow is an Autumn Heart bibliography
October 16, 2022 is the day I put up the first chapter of what I still refer to as the spookyfic, and I'm overwhelmed and delighted that people are still finding it enjoyable. @letsgetempirical asked about the bibliography, and because I still have a lot of the info and wanted to do something for the ficiversary, here we go!
some notes: this is in two sections. The first section is the officially-formatted version (Chicago style) of stuff I knew I would need to refer back to or would definitely be using something from and remembered to put in Zotero while I was looking at it. The second section is...all of the links I zipped away into onetab when the fic was done. It's much less coherent. Not everything in here showed up in the fic, either--some stuff was just me following rabbit holes that looked interesting, or finding out that whatever I was looking at wouldn't fit for whatever reason.
Some of the jstor links are very ugly and I apologize for that. I also apologize that not all of the sources are going to be publicly available, as I was using university library access through work. The gun stuff in particular was maddeningly hard to get Anglophone sources on. I also just gave up on food at some point which is why the only visible meals in this story are the two from Usagi's recovery, and which I still managed to fuck up by forgetting the difference between yams (native to Japan) and sweet potatoes (from south america via pourtugese traders, not at all widespread). c'est la vie.
I WOULD like to shout out three of my absolute favorite open-access sources I found while researching this: Sengoku Daimyo, an SCA site that consistently had specific terminology or details I needed and whose 'Calendar and Time' page was probably my single most frequently consulted website; Shinsen On-Hiinagata: A New selection of Respected Patterns, which is a genuine Early Edo period book of kimono patterns and where I got the chrysanthemums kosode Leo wears in chapter 3; and The Rice Harvest, an online game where you play through a rice growing season in the Edo Period as resource manager. Yeah. I never managed to get all the way through because it was more time than I had to invest when I wanted to get back to writing, but its existence delights me and it DID teach me what tea orchards were.
Part 1:
Aoki, Reiko. “Innovation and Incentives in Japan Focus on Pre-Meiji,” n.d., 24.
Armstrong, Katie. “History of Kimono: The Edo Period.” Owlcation. Accessed November 5, 2022. https://owlcation.com/humanities/History-of-Kimono-Part-4-The-Early-Modern-Period-Edo-Period.
Breen, John. "Resurrecting the Sacred Land of Japan: The State of Shinto in the Twenty-First Century." Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Vol. 37, Issue 2, (2010): 294-315
Brown, Delmer M. “The Impact of Firearms on Japanese Warfare, 1543–98.” The Journal of Asian Studies 7, no. 3 (May 1948): 236–53. https://doi.org/10.2307/2048846.
“Danka System.” In Wikipedia, October 16, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Danka_system&oldid=1116488468.
Docslib. “Talismans and Amulets in the Japanese Collection1.” Accessed October 14, 2022. https://docslib.org/doc/1588708/talismans-and-amulets-in-the-japanese-collection1.
“Fudai Daimyo - in The Edo Period.” Accessed November 6, 2022. https://www.liquisearch.com/fudai_daimyo/in_the_edo_period.
Greve, Gabi. “Edo - the EDOPEDIA -: Teppo Guns.” Edo - the EDOPEDIA - (blog), April 30, 2016. https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2016/04/teppo-guns.html.
“Ofuda.” In Wikipedia, October 4, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ofuda&oldid=1114105231.
Sengoku Daimyo. “Etiquette.” Accessed October 14, 2022. https://sengokudaimyo.com/etiquette.
“Shinsen On-Hiinagata (A New Selection of Respected Patterns).” Accessed November 5, 2022. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/316014/shinsen-onhiinagata-a-new-selection-of-respected-patterns;jsessionid=B2C387B7B543B9D56C2759D94A3A8755.
"Special Exhibition: The Introduction of Guns in Japanese Warfare," National Museum of Japanese History, Oct. 3 to Nov. 26, 2006, 9.
Walthall, Anne. “Do Guns Have Gender?,” 24–47, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520267374.003.0002.
Yu, A. C. “Chigyo - Japanese Wiki Corpus.” Accessed October 14, 2022. https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/history/Chigyo.html.
———. “Kamishimo - Japanese Wiki Corpus.” Accessed November 5, 2022. https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/culture/Kamishimo.html.
———. “Kokushu - Japanese Wiki Corpus.” Accessed October 14, 2022. https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/title/Kokushu.html.
国友鉄砲ミュージアム. “STORY,” March 16, 2020. https://kunitomo-teppo.jp/ikkansai_en/story_en/.
Part 2:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tsukimi-japanese-mid-autumn-festival/ | Celebrating Tsukimi: Japanese Autumn Festival • Just One Cookbook
https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Role-of-Shintoism-in-Art-During-Edo-Period-Japan | The Role of Shintoism in Art During Edo Period Japan - Owlcation
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45744 | Autumn Grasses | Japan | Edo period (1615–1868) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://dwl.gov-online.go.jp/video/cao/dl/public_html/gov/pdf/hlj/20151101/06-07.pdf | 06-07.pdf
https://metimejp.com/lucky-charms3/ | Looking for Good Health in Ancient Japanese Culture - Me Time Japan
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=Morishio&atb=v229-1&ia=web | Morishio at DuckDuckGo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzu_(bell) | Suzu (bell) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Japanese_musical_instruments | Traditional Japanese musical instruments - Wikipedia
https://japanobjects.com/features/furin-wind-chimes | Furin: All You Need to Know About Japanese Wind Chimes
https://sengokudaimyo.com/calendar-and-time | Calendar and Time — Sengoku Daimyo
https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/building/Yamajiro%20(mountain%20castles).html | Yamajiro (mountain castles) - Japanese Wiki Corpus
https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/The-Tokugawa-status-system | Japan - The Tokugawa status system | Britannica
https://www.pin1.harvard.edu/cas/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fkey-
https://nbthkebscandinavia.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/e6968-pettersson_16th_century_matchlocks.pdf | The evolution of the Japanese matchlock during the 16th century - e6968-pettersson_16th_century_matchlocks.pdf
https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/history/Joshu%20Daimyo%20(governors%20of%20castles).html | Joshu Daimyo (governors of castles) - Japanese Wiki Corpus
https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/culture/Jinya.html | Jinya - Japanese Wiki Corpus
https://www.kikkoman.co.jp/kiifc/foodculture/pdf_12/e_002_006.pdf | e_002_006.pdf
https://wattention.com/traditional-rice-harvesting-in-japan/ | Traditional Rice Harvesting in Japan - WAttention.com
http://www.thericeharvest.com/info/game-basics-and-tips/growing-tea.html | Growing Tea | Game Basics & Tips | The Rice Harvest
http://www.thericeharvest.com/game.html?difficulty=easy&villageType=mountain | The Rice Harvest
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44674 | Farmers' Lives in the Twelve Months | Japan | Edo period (1615–1868) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2022/01/in-old-japan-rice-luxury/ | In Old Japan, Rice Used to Be a Luxury | Tokyo Weekender
https://sake-museum.jp/en/saketalk/1010/ | The History of Rice Polishing in the Edo Period - Sake Museum (Hakushika Memorial Museum of Sake)
https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/understanding-japanese-good-luck-charms | Understanding Japanese Good Luck Charms
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11776994/ | [Camphor in the Edo era fireworks] - PubMed
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv176ktd4?searchText=mountain%20castles%20edo%20period&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dmountain%2Bcastles%2Bedo%2Bperiod&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A335be2b0edac87a2794e24ced0c184ea | Technical Knowledge in Early Modern Japan on JSTOR
ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A335be2b0edac87a2794e24ced0c184ea | The castle town of Hikone and its future on JSTOR
https://www.jcastle.com/view/Daimyo | Daimyo - JCastle, the guide to Japanese Castles
https://www.jcastle.info/view/Edo_Period | Edo Period - Jcastle.info
https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/building/Yamajiro%20(mountain%20castles).html | Yamajiro (mountain castles) - Japanese Wiki Corpus
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?452907-Food-during-the-Sengoku-Era | Food during the Sengoku Era
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/81d8gf/what_was_japanese_cuisine_like_during_sengoku/ | What was Japanese cuisine like during Sengoku Jidai era Japan? How was it different to modern Japanese cuisine? : AskHistorians
https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/Samurai-groups-and-farming-villages | Japan - Samurai groups and farming villages | Britannica
https://kokorocares.com/blogs/blog/life-in-edo-a-prominent-era-of-establishing-japanese-food-culture | Life in Edo: A Prominent Era of Establishing Japanese Food Culture - Kokoro Care Packages
https://www.kikkoman.co.jp/kiifc/foodculture/pdf_12/e_002_006.pdf | e_002_006.pdf
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Z480GtLLhOvuc1zsHfsakQAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=17bd9f98803761c2300bdae496a0afb2a793b5ba6a5c3fb55316692806ed8087&ipo=images | th-1957266066 (JPEG Image, 129 × 180 pixels)
https://www.liquisearch.com/fudai_daimyo/in_the_edo_period | Fudai Daimyo - in The Edo Period
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fudai_daimy%C5%8D | Fudai daimyō - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fief | Fief - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimyo | Daimyo - Wikipedia
https://www.adfontes.uzh.ch/en/tutorium/old-japanese-maps/edo-period-maps | Ad fontes: Tutorial / Old Japanese Maps / Edo-period maps
https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/das/image-l/M1000000000000000309 | 和州郡山城絵図
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1286203?_lang=en | 〔日本図〕 - NDL Digital Collections
https://www.nakasendoway.com/castle-towns-2/ | Castle Towns
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=topographical+map+japan&t=ffab&atb=v229-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fexternal-preview.redd.it%2FGNBAmxXsj_ebIW6pZj0pV6ZYu--m3oHxwgpYveuCgo.png%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3D8b008a3a286a814e1e7cf96b79a33dfe5b070883 | topographical map japan at DuckDuckGo
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Anyway here's some weird misinfo. Classifying Shinto as an occult/pagan thing has done irreparable damage to English Shinto resources and community.
Clearly PSVL loves the type of occultism that appropriates Judaism so... anyway
I'm not going to argue with dionysiandevotee any further since they clearly are operating in bad faith and I have better things to do. Please don't harass them, but it may be a good idea to block/report.
Please let me know if any of you want more pictures of the book's content. It's really bad.
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Roleplay Ramblings: Food part 3
(art by Amaya Mori’ta on Artstation)
Cultural Inspiration
So now that we’ve talked about cooking terminology, let’s take a look at how the culture of a region will affect what cuisine is available, as well as how they season and prepare it. After all, cooking started with discovering how heat could make food softer and easier to digest, and preparing complex dishes arose from discovering how multiple foodstuffs could be combined to create new flavors.
Depending on what you have to work with, this can, and indeed has created a vast array of foods from across the world, so why shouldn’t it be the same for your fantasy world?
Now obviously many fantasy cultures may draw inspiration from or be almost wholesale lifted from real-world inspiration or even other fantasy fiction, so with them often comes the cuisine. Don’t be afraid to use such inspirations. After all, most fantasy settings are earth-like enough that the food should be similar, but as with taking inspiration from other cultures in other aspects, it’s best to practice self-awareness so you can leave biases at the door and do the research to understand what these cultures truly have to offer.
Moving beyond direct cultural comparisons, let’s talk about availability. The end-all and be-all of figuring out what cuisine a culture has is what there is available. While one nation might balk at the idea of frying large insects and eating them, in places where they are ultra common and might even otherwise be pest species, being able to do your own pest control and fill your belly is a very viable option. Also, consider what fruit and vegetables are local to the region, which could influence how they grow and cultivate such cuisine, to say nothing of how they prepare it, including the brewing of fermented drinks from it.
Also, think about the challenges that a culture might experience. A culture that hasn’t developed hot enough cooking fires might consider certain meats to be taboo to eat purely because they can’t cook it well enough to destroy toxins, parasites, or bacteria native to it (pork and seafood being key examples of this). But also consider how the environment might make certain foodstuffs hard to carry with on journeys, leading to the development of dried rations and travel cakes and hard tack. Rest assured that if there is a problem, sapient beings will find a solution.
Of course, the biggest way to get around not having a particular foodstuff locally is to trade for it. Once a nation gets big enough and develops the means to create or utilize byways to other nations, foods that would normally be distant dreams become available, much more so when methods of preserving said foods for long journeys are developed.
In the best scenarios, this may lead to nations taking traded fruits of other nations and planting them for their own supply, breeding such produce to create cultivars that survive better in the local area or even incorporate new flavors and other traits for a unique cultural staple which in turn gets traded back, increasing prosperity and the vast well of experiences across the world.
In the worst, however, a powerful militant nation might seek to invade, conquer, and colonize other nations for their resources, which includes not just the usual valuables like metals, minerals, wood, and the like, but also the unique foods and spices found there, which in turn further influences what foods are considered staples of a nation.
Also consider what the food itself means to the culture. For example, rice was such an important staple of Japanese society that it formed the basis for their units of measure and economy, and even had a sacred component in Shinto, as only the most thoroughly scrubbed white rice was used as an offering to the kami. Is a particular animal considered sacred, or seen as a key part of meals for certain celebrations, or something similar? Does your nation have particular iconic street foods that vendors might offer to passersby looking for a quick snack?
Such are a sampling of the questions you might ask yourself about a fictional culture and their food, but we haven’t touched on how various fantasy ancestries throw even more questions into the mix. We’ll take a look at that can of worms tomorrow, however!
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tarot of syssk [booklet]
We live as we dream ... alone. ~ Joseph Conrad.
Originally I intended to use as many gender neutral terms as possible, settling on honorific titles like Sovereign, Ruler, Mx, Sonkeigo and Sensei (both Japanese terms for teacher), but I ran out of words, so I fell back on Mother, Crone, Lord, Lady, Master and Mistress as well. I am always open to suggestions if there are other ideas.
Each card is written in English, as well as Japanese and a made-up language called Galactic Basic (Syssk's mother tongue). Since a lot of choices that I made fall under the “Rule of Cool” heading (see: it seemed like a good idea at the time) in hindsight I see how foreign languages might be confusing, as if they're hiding vital information needed to understand each card. They're not. They could be removed entirely and the card would still be the same.
The decks I consulted in designing the cards were The Rider-Waite deck, The Barbara Walker Tarot, The Hermetic Tarot and Yonas Lunata's Qabalistic Tarot.
Since symbolism only works if a person can recognize the symbols being used here are my notes for cards that differ enough from The Rider-Waite deck as to be confusing:
[0] THE FOOL.
Childlike. Adventurous. Spontaneous. [R] Naive. Overly Optimistic. Not looking before the leap.
Notes: In Shintoism (Japan's native religion) the Torii Gate behind Syssk represents the border between the secular world and the sacred and acts as a passageway into a shrine's sacred space. It is the cliff in The Rider-Waite deck. The beckoning good luck cat is called Maneki-Neko, and ceramic versions can be found in shops and restaurants throughout Japan as a way of welcoming customers in.
[I] THE WITCH: Onibaba.
Self-confidence. Delight in Occult studies. Talented performer. [R] Manipulation. Lies. Power for the sake of power.
Notes: Onibaba literally means, “demon woman,” and plays many roles associated with European witches and witchcraft. The symbol behind her is a bagua, used in Taoist magic to represent the fundamental principles of reality. Because this card corresponds to the Magician, I included the four elemental symbols of water, air, fire and earth, as well as a cup, a coin, a wand and a pentagram to round things out. For more information on Onibaba, I suggest Kaneto Shindo's 1964 masterpiece of the same name.
[II] HIGH PRIESTESS.
Experience. Wisdom. Intuition. Teacher. [R] Using knowledge without wisdom. Two left feet. Unbalanced.
Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck the High Priestess is static; she sits in a chair, holding a book of wisdom and not really doing anything else. Learning wisdom, however, comes in many forms and here it is all about dancing as an ancient form of praying for rain. Dressed as dragons, people would dance and beseech the gods for another fruitful year.
[III] EMPRESS.
Motherly. Growth. Nurturing. Abundance. [R] Shallow. Ignoring the bigger picture. TERF.
Notes: While the Empress here is the same as found in The Rider-Waite deck, the background depicts what royal childbirth was like in ancient Japan, which I found fascinating.
[IV] EMPEROR.
Architect. Laws. Authority figure. [R] Loves chaos. Patriarch. Control freak.
[V] HIEROPHANT.
Blending of traditions. Knows some dance steps. Gives good advice. [R] Counseling needed. Can't think for oneself. Drowning in dogma.
Notes: One of the curious strengths of Shintoism is its willingness to blend in with other, outside religions. Like the dancing found in the High Priestess, here a Shinto priest dances to Syssk's drumming, while Buddha and a Taoist monk look on.
[VI] LOVERS.
Romance. Sharing. Equal partnership. [R] Separation. Arguments. Incompatible partnership.
[VII] PALANQUIN.
Drive. Ambition. Understands what makes things go. [R] Procrastination. Mind-forg'd manacles. Can't move forward.
[VIII] STRENGTH.
Confident. In control. Inner resources. [R] Drained. Depression. Fear.
[IX] HERMIT.
Meditation. Alone by choice. Finding answers in oneself. [R] Unwanted loneliness. Withdrawn. Need for introspection.
[X] WHEEL OF FORTUNE.
Prosperity. Windfalls. Paid your dues. [R] Stuck in a rut. Refusing change. Afraid of taking chances.
[XI] JUSTICE.
Fair assessment of oneself. Desire for equality. Karma. [R] Out of balance. Unfair treatment. Ill fate.
Notes: Taking a more psychological approach to this card, Syssk looks in the mirror and sees her shadow side looking back. Until we can be impartial in judging ourselves we are unfit to judge others.
[XII] GALLOW'S TRUTH.
Sacrifice for wisdom. Suspension of disbelief. Calm before the Storm. [R] Indecision. Literal hang ups. Impatience for outcome.
[XIII] DEATH.
Cosmic transformation. New outlook. Letting go. [R] Fear of change. Living in the past. Need to let go.
[XIV] TEMPERANCE.
Blending of Heaven and Earth. Compromise. Tolerance. [R] Need for moderation. Lack of indulgence. Addiction.
[XV] DEVIL: The Four Noble Truths.
Shadow self, unhealthy attachment, addiction. [R] Releasing one's own limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, separation from the world around you.
Notes:In The Rider-Waite tarot, The Devil is all about unhealthy attachments, restrictions and fear of one’s own sexuality. In other words, all the negative aspects of your personality that you need to work on. Here I focused on an idea from Buddhism that there are four aspects of being human that no one can escape from: that [1] we all suffer, [2] our suffering has a cause, but also [3] there is a solution to end our suffering and it’s up to you to decide if you want to [4] do what it takes reach that end. The Four Noble Truths. The demon on the right side of the card comes from an ancient legend about an Oni (a mountain demon) who fell in love with Buddhism and decided to walk the path of enlightenment, even though everyone else would still only see a monster. This is, ironically, the same situation Syssk finds herself in but instead of seeing a kindred soul all she sees is an Other (an Other othering another).
[XVI] TOWER.
Chaos. Sudden Change. Destruction. [R] Time to grow and move on. Rebuilding with a clean slate.
[XVII] STAR.
Hope. Dreams. Goals. [R] Losing hope. Disillusioned. Depressed.
[XVIII] MOON.
Imagination. Visions. Infatuation. [R] Self-deception. Insecurity. Hazy understanding.
[XIX] SUN: Dancing for Amaterasu Omikami.
Dancing for liberation. Glee. Restoring cosmic order. [R] Dark days. Unfulfillment. Turning away from the light.
Notes: Another example of dancing for the divine. In the Shinto creation story, the goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu Omikami, (for complicated reasons) hid herself away in a cave and let the world grow cold and barren. The goddess of the dawn, Ame-no-Uzume, realizing that something had to be done, invited all the humans to the mouth of the cave and performed such wild dancing that the Sun goddess reemerged to see what all the laughter and dancing was about. Thus, burlesque dancing saved the world, once again.
[XX] JUDGMENT: Seppuku.
Self-annihilation only way to save face. Making logical decisions. Practicality. [R] Bad Karma. Poor Judgment. Dishonor.
Notes: Even if a person knows nothing about Japanese history they've probably at least heard of the warrior-class called the samurai and how they often committed hara kira (seppuku) ritualized cutting open of their stomachs to atone for some sort of sin. In The Rider-Waite deck, uses the Christian idea of divine judgment, with Archangel Gabriel blowing a horn and zombies rising up out of the ground, hungry for brains. Here, though, the day of judgment is always at hand since your lord might, for any reason at all, order you to commit suicide in one of the more painful ways imaginable. No salvation, no good deeds or bad deeds weighing down your soul, no sitting at the right hand of the Patriarchy, just the atrocious need to save face and the horrific lengths that some people will go to carry out their lord's wishes.
[XXI] RETURN TO THE VOID.
Endings and beginnings. Cycles. Success. [R] Delay in fulfillment. Lost. Unable to accept change.
Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck, the World is all about completion. Here Syssk's exile on Earth is over. Her rainbow UFO is fixed, she leaves terra firma for the celestial heavens, clutching her beloved katana sword, the only souvenir of her adventures that she takes with her.
[XXII] HAPPY RABBIT.
Wild Card.
Notes: This card can be left out, if one wants. It is modeled after the Happy Squirrel, a joke that appeared in an episode of The Simpsons, when Lisa goes to get a reading done. (“Is that bad?” “Perhaps, the cards are vague and mysterious.”) It has since shown up in actual decks, though for the life of me I cannot figure out what to do with it besides give a nod to Stan Sakai's epic tale of Usagi Yojimbo, a masterless samurai rabbit, who wanders the roads of Edo-period Japan and was a big influence in my formative years. I reused two of figures from the 10 of Wand's Mistress of Artful Trickery (a kitsune fox-spirit) and drummer.
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[COINS]
[0] ACE OF COINS: Sovereign of the Earth's Roots.
Magnetism. Ideas for making money. Working with hands. [R] Lack of creativity. Money woes. Singing the Blues.
[2] OF COINS: Ruler of the Syndicate.
Multitasking. Business partnership. Financial harmony. [R] Trouble juggling responsibilities. Distracted. Chaos.
Notes: Originally this was titled, “Ruler of Multitasking,” since the 2 of Pentacles in The Rider-Waite deck is all about balancing multiple priorities, except “multitasking” feels like such a modern term, it just felt off. I discovered, however, that one of the older definitions of the word, “Syndicate,” concerns itself with harmonious group work … though its modern usage is almost entirely mob-related. Perhaps there is a better term somewhere.
[3] OF COINS: Lord of the Joint Venture.
Communal work. Craftsmanship. Apprenticeship. [R] Unskilled. Unprepared for upcoming tasks. Problematic individualism.
[4] OF COINS: Mx of Earthly Powers.
Working the Earth. Honest labor. Financial stability. [R] Poor stewardship. Salting the Earth. Failure to understand growth.
[5] OF COINS: Master Destitution: the Ronin's Path.
Abandoned. Living paycheck to paycheck. No security. [R] Recovering from disaster. Temporarily unemployed. Returning to work.
Notes: If a samurai was a warrior who served a lord or lady, then a samurai who had (through many different ways) lost their lord or lady was called a ronin. Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is such a person, wandering the land on a musha shugyo (warrior's spiritual pilgrimage), occasionally selling his services as a bodyguard. Sakai, in turn, was greatly influenced by samurai movies of his childhood, such as Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), from which Sergio Leone heavily “borrowed” the idea for his Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars (1963). The term ronin means, “to be cast adrift upon the waves,” without family, friends or financial support.
[6] OF COINS: Sensei of Resources.
Asking for what you need. Gifts. Inheritance. [R] Not getting help from others. Having to quickly pay back debts. Bad credit.
[7] OF COINS: Mst of Bitter Profit.
Hard work leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. [R] Climbing to the top. Indifference in coworkers' suffering.
[8] OF COINS: Qy of Sagacity.
Wise in the way of Money Magic. Taking on an apprentice. Education is liberation. [R] Losing interest in school or work. World-weary.
[9] OF COINS: Sonkeigo of Abundance.
Reaping what you sow. Money is stable and growing. An sea of opportunity. [R] Unexpected expenses. Exhausting one's resources.
[10] OF COINS: Mistress of Uncanny Wealth.
Finding riches in odd places. Money is good or will be so soon. Secure and stable finances. [R] Major financial loss. May have to burn down the business and flee on foot. Crazy setbacks.
[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF COINS: Champion of a Rich Harvest.
Free market rules! Beginning a new career. Abundance of merchandise. [R] Village market starting to hate you. Delays in beginning the reaping. No one wants what you're selling.
Notes: Corresponding to the Page of Pentacles, here Syssk and a friend have come to sell the rich harvest of the 4 of Coins at market. There is some debate about whether female samurai existed (why it is important for some people to say that historical warriors, like Hangaku Gozen, Nakano Takeko, Niijima Yae and Ohori Tsuruhime weren't samurai, but rather simply high ranking women from samurai families, trained in the Way of the Blade, who fought in battles, I don't know) however, the term used to describe such people is Onna-Musha. The nice thing about telling a story of a xenomorph marooned on Earth is that no one will accuse me of being historically accurate; if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept Syssk you can also embrace Onna-Musha as samurais as well, I suppose.
[12] SAMURAI OF COINS: Knight of the Verdant Green.
Satisfaction from an important job. Moving up in the world. Trees love you. [R] Unexpected change in job. Boss out to get you. Coworkers can't wait to see you fired.
[13] SEISHITSU OF COINS: Lady of the Forced Profits of the Earth.
Materialistic. Gold digger. Trouble handling practical money matters. [R] Unselfishness. Generosity. Has the Golden Touch.
Notes: The Queen in The Rider-Waite deck and tying in with the 5 of Coins' concept of destitution, a wealthy elite is served the best food that the restaurant can offer while in the background, poor Syssk, without a single coin to her name, curls into a fetal ball and wishes (not for the last time) that she was back home.
[14] DAIMYO OF COINS: Lord of the Joys of Capitalism.
Good business sense. Making Robber Barons sexy again. Obsessively industrial. [R] Monopolizing power. Delights in inequality. Blind to the machinery of capitalism being oiled with the blood of the workers.
Notes: Daimyo is the term used for Kings in ancient Japan; in this case, the King of Merchants (for what it's worth.)
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[CUPS]
[0] ACE OF CUPS: Sovereign of the Root of Riotous Water.
New relationships. Sensuality. Birth. [R] New relationships delayed. Next step delayed. Troubled pregnancy.
[2] OF CUPS: Ruler of the Fertile Imagination.
Romantic passion. Equal and balanced relationship. Sharing mutual feelings. [R] Unbalanced desires. Unrequited love. Not attuned to one's harmony.
[3] OF CUPS: Lord of Dubious Company.
Wild celebrations. Orgies. Going all out. [R] Fear of overindulgence. Bad family gatherings. Addiction.
[4] OF CUPS: Mx of Heinous Phantasy.
Striving for more. Dreaming large. Feeding a healthy ego. [R] Unsatisfied. Not realizing the value of one's current state. Boredom.
Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck, the 4 of Cups deals more with issues of apathy and being so narrowly focused as to ignore the world around you. Here, Syssk really loves her blue cup, to the extent that she does not see the helpful Oni (mountain demon) offer up its own, nor the horrific shadow on the wall behind her. Daydreaming is wonderful, except when the world is out to get you and you need to focus.
[5] OF CUPS: Master of the Song of Regret.
Fear of avoidance. Facing unpleasant realities. Lost in nostalgia. [R] The need for struggle. Evolution. Growing pains.
Note: Apparently Syssk can play musical instruments. Even though lover's suicides did happen I see this card more as a cautionary tale about what not to do when you're filled with regret.
[6] OF CUPS: Sensei of Childhood Memories.
Making peace with one's childhood. Past returning with new meanings. Owning one's passions. [R] Horror of family. Outgrowing a relationship or person. Becoming your own toxic parent.
Note: The Barbara Walker Tarot talks about the 6 of Cups being about childhood traumas and memories. Of course Syssk would also have some sort of parent somewhere and in this case it is Xenomorph Queen from the Alien franchise. It's a side of her past that she doesn't like to talk about, probably because the only thing xenomorphs seem to do in these movies is drool and screech … so much alien drool. Some families are so embarrassing that the only thing you can do is change your name and flee to an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. (Thank you, Douglas Adams)
[7] OF CUPS: Mst of Uncertain Opportunities.
Discovering your inner road map. Idealism. Loving all your children ardently. [R] Too many dreams without plans. Lacking passion. Dreams turn to whimsy.
[8] OF CUPS: Qy of Abandoned Dreams.
Leaving the past behind. Owning one's loneliness. Follow through. [R] Lack of closure. Imaginary slights. Settling for the mundane.
[9] OF CUPS: Sonkeigo of the Blade.
Achieved goals and dreams. Skilled master. Uniqueness of craft. [R] Smugness. Unrealistic goals. Not knowing one's limits.
Note: One of my goals with this deck was to make it easy enough to understand so that a reader wouldn't need to know about samurai, their Bushido code of ethics and/or Japanese history (so, naturally I slapped Japanese text on each card because being inconsistent is something that I apparently strive for). The Way of the Blade is, briefly, the idea that a warrior can and will cultivate an, “implacable fighting spirit to overcome their enemies.” How one wants to define an, “implacable fighting spirit,” is left up to the reader to decide; however, for me it means honing your skills until you are a master at whatever it is that you're doing. In that way it hearkens back to The Rider-Waite idea of contentment, satisfaction and gratitude.
[10] OF CUPS: Mistress of Sublime Harmony.
Dreams coming true. Love and familiar surrounding. Comfort. [R] Happiness delayed. Troubled commitments.
[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF CUPS: Champion of Rebellious Floods.
Crossing life's floods with help. Growth from self-reflection. [R] Lack of patience for ones own needs. Need for reflection. Immaturity.
[12] SAMURAI OF CUPS: Knight of the Purifying Cascades.
Willingness to heal. Emotional growth. Spiritual meditation. [R] Ignoring pain. Pushing oneself too hard. No sense of humor.
[13] SEISHITSU OF CUPS: Lady of the Sovereignty of Waters.
Powerful. Life-giving. Cyclical like the tides. [R] Oversensitive. Chaotic emotions. Destructive love.
[14] DAIMYO OF CUPS: Lord of the Turning Waterwheel.
Karmic completion. Just parent. Gentle law maker. [R] Weak nature. Unreliable. Natural born cheater.
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[SWORDS]
[0] ACE OF SWORDS: Sovereign of the Root of the Air.
Beauty. New Ideas. Empire of the senses. [R] Lacking curiosity. Overbearing. Confusion.
[2] OF SWORDS: Ruler of Peace through Power.
No compromises. Battle of wills. Standstill. [R] Reconciliation. Compromise. Accommodating difficulties.
Note: During the late Edo period in Japanese history almost every large family had a family crest that was worn on the right and left sides of their kimonos. Samurai crests usually featured flowers of some sort, falling leaves, cranes in flight or sacred trees. At some point I decided that Syssk needed a crest as well, so I settled on a stylized version of the face-hugger parasite from the Alien movies (the first stage of xenomorph development after it leaves the egg). The purpose of this card was summed up nicely when Frank Herbert wrote, “Absolute power attracts the corruptible.” Under the right set of circumstances we are all corruptible, even visitors from the celestial kingdom.
[3] OF SWORDS: Lord of the Moon's Sorrow.
Balancing one's feelings. Healthy friendships. Riding the turbulence. [R] Love triangle. Jealousy. Heartache.
[4] OF SWORDS: Mx of the Respite before the Storm.
Recovery. Rest. Recuperate. [R] Sensing upcoming doom. Cutting recovery short. Dread.
Note: A trope that runs through some horror literature is the idea that monsters, while they can assume the shape of a mortal, are often undone when their shadows reveal their true, monstrous form. Of course this only works if a person is observant enough to pay attention to such things and not, as Syssk and her friend are doing, get caught up in fantastical story telling, oblivious to the danger sitting right in front of them. Often we think that the storm we must face is far off and we have time to recover, when, in fact, it has already consumed us.
[5] OF SWORDS: Master of Defeat.
Exile. Deceit. Hidden or old enemies surfacing. [R] Ugly truth revealed. Detachment emotions. Coldness.
[6] OF SWORDS: Sensei of Senseless Struggles.
Realizing the path forward isn't the best. Campaigning. Following your own path. [R] Blinded by bad directions. Out of the frying pan into the fire.
[7] OF SWORDS: Mother of Betrayal.
Getting played. Being used. Leaving yourself too open emotionally. [R] Trust issues. Skepticism. Suspicion. Uncertainty.
[8] OF SWORDS: Crone of Ambitious Passing.
Owning who you are. Speaking one's mind. Being fabulous. [R] Walking on eggshells. Fear of independence. Not being true to oneself.
Note: I am a horribly cynical person and this is, perhaps, the most cynical card in the deck. Syssk works hard to try and blend in with the unwashed masses surrounding her and it is a thankless task. She's mastered make-up and how to sit politely, poetry and tea ceremonies, the katana sword and the samurai code of ethics, Bushido. None of this changes the fact that when people see her all they can see is her monstrous appearance and not the enlightened soul. For some of us being an outcast is much more preferable than having to compromise or hide who we really are, but I suspect, for Syssk, that is not an option open to her and everything about this planet is hellish in one form or another. In a world that has yet to invent the steam engine, let alone FTL drive, the endless prattle that the Earth is the center of the universe and that humanity is some sort of beloved pet for a Creator god blew her mind the first time someone said it and every time since. An ancient Zen koan asks, “What is the ocean to a frog living in a well?” Or, to put it slightly differently, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ford Prefect (also an alien marooned on Earth), “would often gate-crash university parties, get badly drunk and start making fun of any astrophysicists he could find till he got thrown out … fifteen years was a long time to get stranded anywhere, particularly somewhere as mind-boggingly dull as the Earth.”
[9] OF SWORDS: Sonkeigo of Malice.
Workplace stress. Worried sick. Enabling a bully. [R] Light at the end of a tunnel. Recovery. Burden lifted.
[10] OF SWORDS: Mistress of Painful Endings.
Betrayal. Stabbed in the back. Crash and burn. [R] Learning from mistakes or betrayal. Getting back on feet. Communicating well with others.
[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF SWORDS: Champion of Rejuvenating Zephyrs.
Attention. Grace. Source of springtime. [R] Premature autumn. Crudeness. Disregard.
[12] SAMURAI OF SWORDS: Knight of Typhoons.
Courage. Quickly and unexpected change. Riding out the storm. [R] Pointless violence. Change as disaster.
[13] SEISHITSU OF SWORDS: Lady of the Sea's Sovereignty.
Grace. Rectitude. Hidden powers. [R] Bitter. Delight in drowning fools. Indifferent.
[14] DAIMYO OF SWORDS: Lord of the Raging Winds.
Owning one's own power. Bending reeds and breaking oaks. Sharp mind. [R] Nasty and mean spirited. Abusive. Ball of agitation.
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[WANDS]
[0] ACE OF WANDS: Sovereign of the Root of the Flames.
Passion. Starting point. Answering the call. [R] Lacking creative thinking. Uninspired. Tunnel vision.
[2] OF WANDS: Ruler of Foreign Influences.
Embracing the alien. Long-distance relationship. Synchronicity. [R] Traditionalism. Incompatibility. Old and moldy.
[3] OF WANDS: Lord of the Far Expanse.
Counseling. Returning home. Third party assistance. [R] Third party interfering. Impulsiveness. Lacking the initiative.
[4] OF WANDS: Mx of Martialed Armies.
Stability. Gathering one's forces. Firm foundation [R] Debilitated commitment. Troubles of cohabitation. Adynamic planning.
Note: This is suppose to be an army on the march but I am unsure if that's apparent.
[5] OF WANDS: Master of Strife.
Serving a fair and just ruler. [R] Serving a vicious and wicked ruler.
Note: The term “Bushido” has been referenced several times so far. I have been calling it a samurai code of ethics, concerning all aspects of moral attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. The best example of its essence comes from Stan Sakai's The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy, where the following conversation takes place between our rabbit ronin Usagi and a samurai who serves the antagonist of the story:
Usagi: You'd die for a lord who vilifies you? He doesn't deserve your loyalty!
Torame: I'm a devotee of Bushido, the samurai's code. Do you remember the warrior riddle I told you?
Usagi: “Which more exemplifies Bushido? The samurai who serves a good and fair lord, or the one who faithfully serves a wicked lord?”
Torame: The Samurai who is loyal to his unprincipled master because he who remains faithful even in adversity has the greatest warrior spirit. After all, “samurai” means “to serve” and devotion to your master is paramount.
[6] OF WANDS: Sensei of Nauseous Sacrifice.
Victory at a price. Losing by winning battles. Stress vomiting. [R] Unable to understand why you lost. Disillusioned. Rewards long delayed.
Note: In The Rider-Waite deck, the 6 of Wands deals with public recognition over one’s success. Here, however, the card has more to do having to preform some sort of task that you find personally abhorrent in order to succeed. That, too, usually has very public ramifications (think: selling out for money, or sacrificing a friendship to get ahead) but you’ve decided that failure is not an option, so the ends justify the means, as they say.
[7] OF WANDS: Mother of Valour.
Attacked from all sides. Win battles and playing well with others. [R] Attacked from all sides. Defeat. Feeling drained and stressed.
[8] OF WANDS: Crone of Swiftness.
Expanding horizons through travel. Talking to people or seeing new places. Reading new ideas. [R] Frustration and delays. Can't seem to communicate. How do you make this hawk go?
[9] OF WANDS: Sonkeigo o£ Tenacity.
Bad ass with a katana. Ready and prepared for what is ahead. Good at defeating others. [R] Paranoid from many past battles. All vain pomp. Sound and fury signifying nothing.
[10] OF WANDS: Mistress of Artful Trickery.
Duplicity as a positive thing. Getting others to carry your burden. Looks great with nine tails. [R] Overburdened. Too many responsibilities. Unable to see what is right in front of you.
Note: In Japanese folklore, Kitsune are trickster fox spirits that have the ability to shape shift into human form. The card speaks to the 4 of Sword's warning that a sinister shadow might be concealed in the most charming of outer appearances. In this case the Kitsune is using a life-size puppet to manipulate others, while Syssk, jamming on her biwa in the background, remains oblivious to any danger.
[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF WANDS: Champion of the Luminous Flames.
Companion. Assistant. Helper. [R] Refusing advice. Lone wolf. Getting foolishly burned.
[12] SAMURAI OF WANDS: Knight of Thunderbolts and Lightning.
Person with an inner fire. Using the storm to your advantage. Good at dodging the wrath of the gods. [R] Anticlimax. Thunderbolts and lightning very very frightening. Need for follow through.
[13] SEISHITSU OF WANDS: Lady of the Uncanny Glow.
Eroticism as creative power. Living life to its fullest. MILF. [R] Burns out quickly. Restlessness. Unsatisfied.
Note: The erotic nature of our lives is profoundly spiritual. Since Syssk is the avatar for the reader the question of where Syssk falls in the sexuality spectrum has come up and while she is certainly intersexual (bodies that fall outside the strict male/ female binary) trying to define an alien species in human terms will only take us so far. She identifies as a “she/ her,” and while she is curious about the concepts of sex and romance she has yet to find anyone willing to teach or share. Perhaps she is Panromantic (someone who can experience attraction to anyone regardless of gender identity, sex or anatomy) or perhaps she is Demisexual (someone who does not experience attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection first), but what is important is that it's something only Syssk herself can decide upon and, as of this writing, she is still weighing all her possibilities.
[14] DAIMYO OF WANDS: Lord of the Song of the Turbulent Fire.
Owning one's self. Charming. Legendary. [R] Forked tongue. Smooth talker who is massively insincere. Sucka MC.
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Originally the deck was going to feature astronauts and their Alien familiars. But that path would lead only to issues of copyright infringement, which is why Syssk ended up looking the way that she does and not like this:
[Magician]
[The Hanged One]
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What are the misconceptions perpetuated by Westerners about Japanese mythology and Shinto? Aside from the widely known ones such as Tsukuyomi being the brother and husband of Amaterasu and him and Susanoo being jerks.
I think a major one is the girlbossification of Amaterasu Ōmikami...and the whitewashing of the political role myths hold.
I'm not sure how major a resource it is, but the Shintō mythology contained within Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol and Spirit is largely wrong. While there is a lot of gender nonconformism and fluidity within Japanese mythology, I don't think that translates 1:1 to Amaterasu Ōmikami being trans.
Shirabyōshi aren't priests or priestesses, but it is rather a genre of traditional dance performed by women (usually courtesans) crossdressing for the purpose of the dance, men, and children.
A more major one, perhaps, also mentioned in Cassell's book: Kitsune just means fox, and does not refer to a specific kami/deity. Cassell is very guilty of conflating all foxes with Inari Ōkami (who is not a fox). While foxes usually function as tricksters in folklore, that does not really translate to Inari Faith. This is all conflated, and I'm not really sure where the sexual stuff comes from either.
(Sorry this turned into a rant about that book!)
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Where to receive Juyohin (sacred items for home worship) overseas
It can be difficult for practitioners of Shinto who live far from a shrine, especially when unable to receive the sacred items used for home worship. Fortunately there are shrines overseas that can support and so I have compiled a list below. If you know of any other shrines, please contact me at [email protected]
(Total 6 shrines) as of May 5th, 2023:
Hilo Daijingu:
https://hilodaijingu.amebaownd.com/pages/215923/page_201511290156
Kamunabi Ban'yu Ko Shinto Shrine:
https://www.atelierkanawa.com/amulets
Shusse Inari Shrine of America:
https://shintoinari.org/shinto-items/
Daijingu Temple of Hawaii (USA Only):
https://daijingutemple.org/product-category-omamori/omamori/
Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha (USA Only):
http://www.e-shrine.org/omamori.html
Izumo Taishakyo of Hawaii (USA Only):
https://www.izumotaishahawaii.com/order
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Konko Faith related: To learn how to worship at home for Konko Faith, please contact Konkokyo International Center at [email protected], or you may contact me directly at [email protected]
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Additional Resources:
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Shingyo Zan Kosenji (For Buddhist worship):
https://kosen-ji.org/shop-%26-resources/ols/categories/476bblu84k
Gasshodo:
https://gasshodo.com/product-category/omamori-ofuda/
This site is connected to a Nichiren Shu Buddhist Temple. It is maintained by a layperson volunteer. It is a good resource for acquiring legitimate items for Shinbutsu-related worship - Ofuda, Omamori, Altar tools, including an inexpensive Ofuda stand, and even Engimono like Ema. However, most of these items will need to be used in the proper Buddhist context – it is best to email to ask
Shrine Space:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/shrinespace/?etsrc=sdt
This is primarily a shop of handmade altar items, but there are also Juyohin available as the owner is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest.
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Hey! I've been meaning to ask where you got your information on the nuance of these kinds of tattoos? I've been meaning to look into it for ages but i just keep finding nothing but subtly racist picture compilation books by people who very evidently don't know what they're talking about and it's a little agonizing.
I definitely feel your pain on this one! It can be agonizing finding reliable resources, especially when it comes to folklore. It is very easy for misinformation to spread on something that relies on word-of-mouth communication in the first place. I mainly do my research online, so the possibility of finding false info is high. I do a LOT of reading, from as mainly sites as possible. I tend to favor .edu, official news sites, sites for art and history museums, organizations for cultural preservation, or sites run by noted folklore scholars whenever possible.
For example, I found someone talking about tattoos in Yakuza, and they said that the hakutaku eats dreams. I poured over my sources and could find no mention of dreams in relation to the hakutaku, even from a very thoroughly researched source who has published multiple books on yokai. I checked the Wikipedia (which any good teacher will tell you is a starting place, not an end source) and there was the line about eating dreams. I checked the source of the quote and it WAS from a published Japanese scholar…of Buddhism, not folklore. It was just a one-off line, seemingly mistaking the hakutaku for another yokai, perhaps the baku. Wikipedia quoted it, so this person took it at face-value without checking the source.
all my resources can be found HERE, but If I were to recommend just 3 sources for anyone who would be interested in this kind of research they would be:
Yokai.com - A website run by illustrator and writer of several different books on Japanese yokai, Matthew Meyer. Very thorough and well-organized, with fun illustrations of every entry. Even has many very rare yokai mentioned.
A to Z Photo Dictionary Of Japanese Buddhist Statuary - Detailed descriptions of the various gods, goddesses, and other creatures in Japanese Buddhist myth, along with some info on Shinto as well. Goes over the history of depictions in art as Buddhism traveled from India to China. Tons of photographs, with additional external sources.
Artist Horitomo's Comments on the Tattoos of RGG - Hard to get a better source than the artist's own mouth! The comments are very short, but give a lot of insight as to why certain tattoos were chosen for certain characters. Unfortunately it only has the tattoos from games 1-5, nothing from 6, 7, or 0.
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Beneath the Tangles Prayer Group | October 26 - 31 Prayer Requests
Here are our prayer items for the week:
26 - Pray that God will provide financially for Beneath the Tangles and that we’ll use our finances raised through Patreon (http://patreon.com/thetangles), Ko-Fi, and other platforms in a faithful manner.
27 - Pray that our partner ministries—Gaming and God, Geek Devotions, and Jesus Otaku—will continue to carry out Christ’s mission with obedient and faithful hearts.
28 - Many Christians find our site as they seek resources about anime. Pray that we’ll be able to support and encourage them to seek God more fully on their Christian walks.
29 - Pray that God will raise up the new staff, partners, and volunteers that Beneath the Tangles requires.
30 - Pray that as Beneath the Tangles staff members interact with followers, they will raise up disciples for Christ.
31 - Today is Halloween. Let’s pray for safety for your own family, friends, and neighborhood. Let’s also pray that just as God is using anime—a medium infused with Shinto, Buddhist, and atheist elements—for his glory, that Halloween is an occasion, also to share God’s love.
Prayer Warriors: @moezy-chan @bearypangolinelephants @gasexplosionatthescalpelfactory @christian-otaku @tomodachi-to-koibito
If you’re interested in participating, please do the following:
1. Follow @beneaththetangles
2. Message me, reply to this post, in some other way let me know that you want in
#Anime#Manga#Prayer#Christianity#Prayer Group#Beneath the Tangles#Patreon#Ko Fi#Gaming and God#Geek Devotions#Jesus Otaku#Halloween
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may i ask something (in good faith i swear)
there is quite a community of witches on tumblr. there is also one of pagans. while they overlap, it's two different things. both pagans and witches, as i understand, can make offerings, pronounce spells, is that right?
and another question: are they any like recourses to get into witchcraft? there are different types of it (like wicca or others), there is a ton of various practices, many of them as i understand are personal, but are there some underlying principles that are the same for them all? i guess my main question is where and how to start with all of it because i am confused, i need structure achgssgkds like suppose i, a slav, am interested in witchcraft that existed in my country centuries ago, do i like research the practices that were done and adapt them to my personal vision?
i am sorry it's really messy
Yes, paganism and witchcraft are two different things! Paganism is an umbrella term used to refer to a bunch of different religions such as Slavic paganism or Norse heathenry. These days it’s mostly used to describe european religions and not necessary welcomed by people of other cultures, to give an example, from what I heard practitioners of Shinto oppose being referred to as „pagans”.
Witchcraft is a practice that may or may not be practiced in religious context. It’s a bit like singing - you can sing psalms in church choir or you can do karaoke in a bar with your friends. The former will be a religious activity, the latter will have you singing in secular context. Of course you are not limited to doing solely one or another, as you probably noticed in life people who sing secularly may include some lyrics relating to their religion and it’s symbolism - it doesn’t automatically make the performence of that song a religious ceremony. I hope I didn’t push that metaphor too far.
As you correctly noted yes there are many different magical systems that include many different magical practices. Slavic folk magic will function very differently from Wiccan witchcraft or chaos magic or ceremonial magic rooted in renaissance grimoires. I certainly don’t know all the systems and I’m not one to look for some universal rules that they all may follow - it’s just not something I find particularly useful.
„i, a slav, am interested in witchcraft that existed in my country centuries ago, do i like research the practices that were done and adapt them to my personal vision”
I’m happy to say you pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one! Research magical practices of your region and try to understand according to what principles they functioned. Learn what was the role of various plants and objects used in those practices, what was the role of the words that were spoken, what was the role of specific ritual actions that were taken. Try to gain understanding of the viewpoint behind those practices.
I am also happy to say that I gathered quite a collection of resources (in English) on Slavic magical practices. They are to be found towards the bottom of the resource list and the link to the whole list is always available at the top of my pinned post. If you happen to be Polish like me I have some more recommendation for Polish sources here.
Now keep in mind that Slavic folk magic is pretty tightly connected to Christianity, the dominant religion in the region. I know a lot of people assume it’s choke-full of pagan lore and that Slavic witches are some kind of remnant of pagan culture but that’s not really true - Slavic magic contains many unique cultural elements that most likely have their roots in pre-Christian Slavic beliefs but across the centuries they were adapted to co-exist with Christianity and to be used by Christians. Slavic folk magic is like a song that would not be sung during mass and may even be frowned upon by some priests, but is nonetheless filled with religious references and performed by deeply religious individuals. You may want to remove/replace some Christian elements or you may choose to keep them, even despite not being Christian yourself. I’ll tell you a secret: this February I blessed my throat candle in the name of both Saint Blaise and Veles and it still worked.
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TGAMM cast Represented Through Mythological Creatures
Molly Mcgee as Kinnari (her Wraith self as Hongsa)
Kinnari are celestial musical beings with the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail, and feet of a swan. They reside in the Himalayas and watch over people who are in danger. Completely friendly in nature, they are well-known for their musical talents, and are the symbol of feminine beauty, grace, and achievement.
Hongsa are celestial swans with flowing tails, beautiful crests, and long bills and beautiful singing voices. Little is known of their origins, but they frequently appear in architecture and serve as the mount for lord Brahma. It is said that Lord Buddha himself was once born as a hongsa.
Scratch as an Imp (The same applies to Geoff)
Contrary to what many would believe, imps are more mischievous and troublesome than outright evil. In earlier depictions, imps are actually lonely creatures who utilize pranks to win over human friendship, though this often backfires.
Libby as Chalkydri
Chalkydri are sub-species of archangels with the colors of the rainbow head of a crocodile, the tail and paws or a lion, with twelve wings. They are described in the Second Book of Enoch to dwell the sun alongside their counterpart the Phoenix, and break out into song at sunrise while the birds rejoice a new day.
Or possibly Estries (art by Samantha Mash)
(This mostly stems from Libby’s love for the macabre and also cause who doesn’t love vampires.)
Estries are female vampires from Jewish Folklore and are stated to be beautiful yet deadly. They are said to come out at night to feed on blood to survive and are capable of shape-shifting into various animal forms at will. Estries can also fly utilizing their hair, provided it remains unbound. If an Estry is wounded, it must either drink to blood or eat the bread and salt to the individual who harmed them to survive.
Pete Mcgee as Gnome
Pete gives off this kind of gnome vibe to me.
Gnomes are depicted as friendly, virtuous earth dwelling spirits that guard mines, treasures, and other precious resources. They are described as ingenious friends of man, and never ask for any reward for their kindness. Gnomes also hold the title of the earth elemental as they are described as being able to “move through the earth as man moves through the air”.
Sharon Mcgee as Naga Serpent
Naga are serpentine creatures that originate from India in Hinduism as well as Buddhism, and thus have spread across Asia. They’re many variations of the myths depending on who you ask, but the “classical” Naga are depicted as being able to shift between a human form, a serpent’s form, or something in-between. They are often depicted as having multiple heads and are described as powerful and dangerous, however they are just as capable of good and evil as any person.
Darryl Mcgee as Kappa
I struggled to find a creature from Thai mythology that matched Darryl's delinquent and crafty personality, but the Kappa from Shinto mythology fit the role nicely.
Grandma Nin as Byangomi
Byangomi are legendary (typically human faced) birds from Thai fairy tales that are said to be wise seers that bring guidance to those deserving of it.
Andrea Davenport as Mermaid
Mermaids are a staple in modern day media, they’re as synonymous with fairy tales and folklore as dragons and unicorns. Given Andrea’s self-centered and vain nature combined with the her wealth and popularity make this a perfect match.
Jilly and Billy Mcgee as Trolls
Trolls are typically large burly creatures that live in small but tight family units in caves or mountains far away from humans. Their appearance varies considerably depending on who you ask, ranging from being short goblin like creatures, big hairy brutes, to being completely indistinguishable to humans.
Howling Harriet as Banshee
Lost spirit out in the woods? Check. Feared by all who enter her domain? Check. Lets out an absolutely spine-chilling wail? Check.
Jinx as Tsuchigumo
Tsuchigumo are fearsome spider yokai that similarly to the more well-known Jorogumo, use illusions and trickery to ensnare unwary people. However, unlike their more seductive counterparts, they utilize more diverse means of deception, and are far more ambitious.
The Chairman as Tatarigami
Tatarigami are vengeful malevolent yokai born from either fallen gods or especially powerful people who died in anguish that bring about death, calamity, famine, and destruction in retribution. Examples of Tatarigami in myth are Emperor Gozu, the Bull-headed God, and Yamata no Orochi (yes, the Orochi).
#tgamm#the ghost and molly mcgee#tgamm molly mcgee#molly mcgee#tgamm scratch#tgamm libby#libby stein-torres#tgamm jinx#jinx#japanese yokai#yokai#hindu mythology#trollhunters#norse mythology#hebrew#monsters#dragon
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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess launches in 2024
From Gematsu
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store in 2024, Capcom announced. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.
Get the latest details below, via Xbox Wire.
A New Tale of the Kami Awaits
The story begins when the legendary Mt. Kafuku is covered by an evil defilement and the 12 masks, including their special powers, are stolen. Our protagonist, Soh, must work together with Yoshiro, the Maiden with divine powers, to purge and cleanse the villages of the defilement.
The masks worn by Soh and the villagers each feature a different divine power, and these powers are the key to protecting Yoshiro. As you cleanse additional villages from their evil defilement, you’ll recover more masks and work together with the various villagers that each mask unlocks to bring Mt. Kafuku back to its original beauty.
Strategic Actions with Dancing Swords and Commands
The game combines the exhilarating action of “dancing swords” with the strategic element of deciding which villagers will join you on your journey to cleanse each village. The cycle of preparing for battle during the day and protecting the Maiden and the village from evil spirits of the mountains (“The Seethe”) at night is critical to Soh’s success. Let’s look at the gameplay during both day and night.
During the day, explore the village, purge defilements, and rescue villagers so they can join you in battle. Repair contraptions to give you an advantage against The Seethe’s attacks at night.
The rescued villagers will fight alongside Soh – but the decision on which power to grant to each villager is up to you. Different masks will grant different powers that help some villagers excel at close-range attacks, while others can heal your crew. Think strategically about which villagers you enlist and where to station them ahead of battle. For example, those with superior melee attacks on the front lines, with long-range attackers in the rear. Use the terrain to your advantage, prepare your positions, and get ready for epic battle once the moon begins to rise.
Each village features the recognizable Torii gates, and ultimate success is decided upon whether Yoshiro, the divine Maiden, can successfully pass through those gates before she faces defeat at the hands of The Seethe. But watch out! Each Torii gate is connected to an evil universe, providing an entrance for The Seethe. Guide Yoshiro to the Torii gates to purge the defilement and save the village.
How to use time wisely before sunset is crucial. In addition to time management, players must strategize for their battle at night. The players’ strategies alongside resource and time management skills are put to the test.
Nightfall brings a distinct blend of intense action and real-time strategy. Protect the Maiden from the oncoming threat of The Seethe by commanding your enlisted villagers while simultaneously doing battle, facing off against The Seethe with Soh’s unique dance-like sword attacks.
In the trailer, you also got your first look at “Kagura” – traditional “dances” derived from the Shinto religion in Japan that has been passed down from generation to generation to purify the defiled. Both Yoshiro and Soh perform Kagura in their own notable ways.
We have named this unique action, in which the player purges the defilement by “dancing,” the “Dancing Sword Action.”
Need to change strategies on the fly? Each villager can be reassigned new roles and repositioned throughout the village any time at night. Protect Yoshiro by making critical calls and decisions in this ever-changing environment.
The Seethe: Evil Spirits Called Upon by the Defilement
The Seethe take many different demonic shapes and forms, with various attacks and abilities. Each enemy is inspired by various Japanese yokai – a catchall word for all manner of ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, monsters, and more – and historic folklore. The Seethe, designed carefully by the director, offers an inside look at the dark aesthetic that immerses Soh and the villagers throughout each night’s battle.
And if The Seethe aren’t enough, the latest gameplay trailer revealed the even more powerful “Festering Seethe.” Catch this intense battle against the Festering Seethe!
Hear From Director Shuichi Kawata
“I hope you enjoyed the new trailer for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess! It’s been a while since the title was announced last year, but I hope the new gameplay you just watched was worth the wait. After releasing Shinsekai: Into the Depths four years ago, we’re ready to open a new chapter for players around the world to enjoy.
“This game features a very distinct blend of action and strategy genres and takes strong inspiration from various elements of Japanese culture. With all of that, we’re excited (and maybe a little nervous…in a good way!) to have everyone experience this game.
“We are currently in the final stages of development, and the team is working hard to be able to deliver the best experience this game can offer, so we hope you look forward to it.”
Watch a new gameplay trailer below.
Gameplay Trailer: "Kagura"
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