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The video started about 30 minutes late because of technical difficulties, but they got it figured out.

The ceremony itself was wonderful and it was interesting to watch a priest other than Rev. Barrish (since I've only ever been to Hatsumode at Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America, now defunct). There were slight differences, but I was able to follow the ceremony about as much as I usually have.

Even though it's really late, I feel nourished and am glad I stayed up to attend.

All set up to view/participate in the online Hatsumode ceremony being put on by Yamakage Shinto Holland Saigu.

I was really excited to find out they were doing an online ceremony AND that it's open to anyone.

Here's the link if anyone else is interested:

I think they'll be doing online ceremonies all day, but I could be wrong!

The first online ceremony is in 20 minutes - 10 am Central European Time/1 am Pacific Standard Time.

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All set up to view/participate in the online Hatsumode ceremony being put on by Yamakage Shinto Holland Saigu.

I was really excited to find out they were doing an online ceremony AND that it's open to anyone.

Here's the link if anyone else is interested:

I think they'll be doing online ceremonies all day, but I could be wrong!

The first online ceremony is in 20 minutes - 10 am Central European Time/1 am Pacific Standard Time.

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Some reminders for my fellow non-Japanese people getting into Shinto:

Because if you don't want to listen to actual Japanese people or Nikkeijin, maybe you'll listen to someone like you.

"Open religion" does not mean "religion you can do whatever you want with." Being invited into someone's house doesn't mean you can start changing the wallpaper and ripping up the carpet and rearranging the furniture, and being invited into someone's religion doesn't mean you can start changing things for your own convenience.

Shinto is the religion of the Japanese people. It is a faith and belief system that is entrenched in Japanese culture and ideals and that must be understood and respected to follow it.

Shinto is from a living culture. If you do not respect Japanese culture and actual Japanese people, then your understanding of Shinto and your approach to it will always be shallow and meaningless.

Do not combine Shinto with any other belief system. Kami should be housed within Shinto traditions with no other religion's deities with Them; keep your Kemetic or Hellenic or Germanic gods out of your kamidana and keep kami out of your pagan rituals and ceremonies.

稲荷大神/Inari-Okami is more of a title than a specific kami, and pretty much everyone has a different answer when you ask them who Inari-Okami is. No specific person is more right than another.

Speak to and about the kami with respect and use their proper titles. User shinbutsu-shugo (untagged bc I don't want to annoy complete strangers lmao) has a list of proper honorifics to use and which kami to use them for.

Animal remains do not belong in Shinto shrine spaces. I promise you, Inari-Okami does not want fox skulls or pelts as offerings.

御札/Ofuda are blessed items that can only be purchased from a shrine. If you buy an Ofuda from somewhere else, it's not Ofuda. It's just a slip of paper with some kanji on it. If you can't get an Ofuda from a shrine for whatever reason, you can make a 依代/yorishiro instead.

Western witchcraft is inherently contradictory to Shinto. You can be a witch. You can follow Shinto. You cannot be a Shinto witch.

陰陽道/Onmyōdō is not witchcraft, it's a form of mysticism that uses scientific practices from multiple Eastern religions as a form of divination. 陰陽師/Onmyōji would really not appreciate you calling their practices witchcraft.

No kami is an aspect of the God or Goddess, or part of any other deity from any pagan religion.

Spirits, 妖怪/youkai, and "lesser" kami are not something to control or own. Give Them the respect they deserve or leave them alone. This especially goes for 狐/kitsune too because they're what gets a lot of people interested in Shinto.

Research proper etiquette before visiting a shrine. Please.

Stop getting all your info from white Westerners and start looking at what actual Japanese people and Nikkeijin have to say. Everything in this post is just repeated from Japanese sources but if you took it all at face value instead of checking it with Japanese resources, that's a problem.

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Things Westerners Need to Know About Shinto

We worship kamisama, not ‘gods’. If you have to, ‘deities’ is OK to say but kami are not gods.

It is not okay to combine Shinto with anything other than Buddhism, which it has been historically connected with. If you practice something else, keep it separate.

Do not use Shinto or the kami in your western witchcraft or paganism. Those are very separate. Japanese culture has its own methods of sorcery and such which I will not share here as of now.

It is imperative that you use the appropriate suffixes for kamisama. Post on that upcoming.

It’s “Shinto”, not “Shintoism”. “Shinto practitioner” not “Shintoist”.

Don’t exoticize it. Orientalists GTFO.

Shinto is an open tradition. That said, there are certain rules to follow, and you still must keep in mind that you are an outsider to the culture and need to learn about it. Just because it lacks a doctrine does not make it a free-for-all.

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This is my personal kamidana.  I figured I’d upload a photo since I deleted my blog a bit ago and don’t have a photo of it on here.  I put down a cloth ‘cause it’s on top of a flat-pack bookcase with an unfinished top.  I have also since learned that shide are traditionally used in even amounts and have taken one off :)  But this is pretty much how it still looks, though I did slide the cloth back a bit so as to not have so much overhang.  If you have any questions about it, don’t hesitate to ask!

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Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters). Furukotofumi, Sacred Book of Shinto

“Kojiki was finished in 712 (AD). It is the oldest surviving work of Japan’s history. It starts with the mythological beginning of the world… The Creation story was followed by the Imperial line descending directly from the sun goddess Amaterasu.” (Binding: Edo, Japan, 1803)

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Statue of Amaterasu

Ise, Japan

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This looks so lovely! ♥

鍛冶屋な月の神棚: Natsuki’s Kamidana, 8/24/2018

My beautiful gohei and shimenawa came in from Tsubaki and, even though my kagura suzu are still on the way, I had to update my kamidana and take pics.

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Kyoto Fushimi Inari Temple

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稲荷神社（2017/01/04）

東京都調布市布田１丁目３５

布多天神社の参道脇に鎮座。社と鳥居が二基。

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Shimenawa 

Japan

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Plum Trees in full bloom | Mie, Japan | by criss1016

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Gorgeous work!

“Himekami’s Sendai Tanabata:” finished! Thanks to all who watched my livestream. 「比売神の仙台七夕」やっと完成！ライブストリームでインキングを完成し、それから色塗りを完成した。 ․ そしてこれは七夕関係の絵ですから：「東北へ戻ります様に」と、私必死な祈願です。 . . Support my writing, art, and history education work on Patreon: www.shiogamawaves.com パトレオン（Ｐａｔｒｅｏｎ）で私の作家・画家・歴史教育者活動を支援していただきたいお方はどうぞこちらへ：www.shiogamawaves.com . #仙台 #Sendai #Tohoku #kimono #hitatare #Shinto #hachiman #DateClan #八幡神 #東北 #伊達氏 #亀岡八幡宮 #kameokahachimangu #比売神 #直垂 #直垂姿 #和服 #BlueIsTheColorOfVictory #イラストグラム #イラスト練習 #イラスト好きな人と繋がりたい #イラスト好き #Tanabata #仙台七夕 #SendaiTanabata #竹に雀 #sendaigram #miyagigram (at 亀岡八幡宮)

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by Martin Wenk

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Kamishikimi Kumano Shrine

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Hi everyone! I’m back with another infographic– this time on the kami of Japan. The first kami to appear “onscreen” in Shiogama Waves is Takemikazuchi, but there are many others. Here are some fast facts to get you started. Don’t see your favorite kami? Don’t worry– this is the start of a series!

Follow the alternate history adventure of Shiogama Waves at patreon.com/shiogamawaves. And are you a writer or artist working with history? Why rely on an Internet search when you can get the facts from a real historian? I’d love to help with your next project. Contact me at nyri (at) riversidewings (dot) com for more.

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Tiny neighbourhood shrine in Akihabara