Living in the Way of Shinto

We’ve been receiving many inquiries on how to start a Shinto practice. How does one incorporate Shinto into daily life? Here is a brief list of suggestions:

What does a Shinto path look like?

Shinto Principles We speak often of the fact that Shinto has no founder, no sacred text, and no written dogma. How then, does one navigate and learn how to follow a Shinto path? To be guided by Kami no Michi—the way of the kami? First, there are basic guiding principles that emphasize harmony with nature, […]

Report on Kinomori Matsuri

Opening the Shrine Doors Sunday morning, we celebrated the annual Kinomori Jinja Matsuri. It was a magnificent Autumn day.  The sun was shining. The air was clear, cool, and crisp. And a soft wind came up as we arrived at the jinja in the forest. It was as if we had planned it—the wind carrying […]

Kinomori Jinja Matsuri this weekend

Kinomori Jinja Matsuri This Sunday! We’ve had a busy summer here, including Forest Bathing, pottery in the forest, teachings on Shinto and the great purification ceremony of mid-year, Nagoshi no O Harahi. We’ve welcomed many new visitors and are planning for a busy Fall as well! This coming Sunday (September 15) we will celebrate the […]

Living in the Way of Shinto

Bounty in the Second Half of the Year Now we begin the second half of the year. At the end of June, we conducted Nagoshi no Oharae, praying for purification and for return to our intrinsic, kami nature. In the Haiden, participants were purified by a shower of kirinusa, blessed pieces of paper and hemp. […]

Nagoshi no O Harahi Zoom announcement

Great Purification Ceremony of Mid-Year Dear 奉 Friends, Many of you are “members afar” and geographically some of you cannot join us for Nagoshi no O Harahi. We want to include you and bring the community together, so we have upgraded our Wi-Fi coverage and will now be doing regular Zoom sessions for events and […]

Purpose of a Jinja

What is the Purpose of a Jinja? Why do we build a jinja (shrine), or a kamidana (home shrine shelf)? The immediate answer is usually—to have a sacred place for prayer and reflection. Princess Akiko* recently gave a talk saying that the first priority of a jinja should be to please the kami, to make […]

Mid Year Purification

Mid-Year Purification: Nagoshi no Ō Harahi We are now approaching Nagoshi no Ō Harahi 夏越の大祓 which is the second most important ceremony of the year. Held this year on June 29, it is an opportunity to purify one’s self and to sweep away all the impurities and negative energy (tsumi/kegare) acquired during the first half […]

Gyō: The Art of Spiritual Practice

Gyō: Spiritual Practice I’ve had several requests recently from people asking how to get started with a Shinto practice. Here are some simple suggestions. Sendai Guji Yukitaka Yamamoto, the previous Chief Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, taught me that “Gyō makes us bright and positive in daily life. Through gyō, we are able to enjoy […]

Restoring Illumination of the Sun

Restoration of the Sun        With the recent total eclipse, I thought I’d share with you one of the significant stories in Shinto. I revolves around Amaterasu Ō Mikami, the Kami of the Sun, her brother Susanō, and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto. Legend in the Kojiki tells us that there was a great dispute between […]

Dai Shizen meaning

Dai Shizen:  Great Nature        In Shinto we strive to live in harmony with 大自然 Dai Shizen.  This translates as “Great Nature” but actually has a very broad meaning. First, let’s look at the kanji: 大 Dai:  means “great” in the sense of acknowledging vastness and deep importance. 自然 Shizen: this is usually translated as “Nature” […]

Tsubaki Dai Jinja

Tsubaki Dai Jinja at Knapp Island Last Saturday was a momentous day here! Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto (97th High Priest) conducted the solemn ceremony of Senza Sai to install the kamisama in Tsubaki Dai Jinja at Knapp Island. This shrine is imbued with a rich history.  In 1987, Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto arrived in Stockton, California as […]

Senza Sai

Tsubaki Grand Shrine At Knapp Island On March 23 we will conduct the sacred ceremony of Senza Sai to install the kamisama in Tsubaki Grand Shrine which is not in place at Knapp Island.   We are very honoured to welcome the most senior priests from Tsubaki Grand Shrine (Japan) to perform this ceremony, led […]

Mists

Sweeping Away the Mist Sweeping Away the Mist A couple of mornings ago I was walking along the shoreline and visibility on the water was virtually nil. I could hear the blast of the ferry horn, but I could not see a thing on the ocean. And then as I stood peering into the gray […]

Walk Slowly Bow Often

Otakiage Completed The burned fiercely, atop the snow covered ground. The many articles from last year were purified and then added to the pyre, returning the energy to the realm of the kami. So many blessings and protections—we offered prayers of gratitude for the gifts received from these amulets. And many personal notes were sent, […]

Pause.

Year End always brings a flurry of activity. Planning and shopping for holidays and celebrations with family and friends. Adjusting to the continuing change in weather. Planning end of year business strategies. It is all too easy to feel like everything is spinning! Pause. This is my reminder-to-self when I feel inundated: Pause. Take 2 […]

Nature Art

This time of year brings such a wide range of colors and textures. The crimson red of the Japanese maple trees at the Centre take my breath away. The golden gingko leaves blanket the pathway. I love the smell of rain and am happy to see the cistern filling with water and the plants happy […]

Find Brightness

There are so many horrific situations in the world. The news brings us real time reports of sorrows, death, and destruction. It can be all too easy to be engulfed by darkness.But there is light all around us. We just have to look for it. To choose brightness. This is Shinto. This is the practice […]

Omamori

Omamori (お守り) are amulets for protection and blessings. The word “omamori” can be translated to “to protect” or “to guard.”

Shichi-Go-San

It’s fun! It’s festive!
Shichi Go San is a special Shinto ceremony in gratitude for the safe growth and development of children at these ages.