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 […]

Immanent Spirit Within

I recently had an interesting discussion about spirituality being immanent or transcendent.

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.

Kinomori Jinja Taisai

Kinomori Jinja shrine

Omoiyori: Proactive Kindness

The term omoiyari (oh-moh-ee-ya-ree) 思いやりis Japanese term that embodies empathy and consideration.

Tree Talk

Tree roots extend more than twice the spread of the crown. Roots of neighboring trees inevitably intersect. Thin filaments of fungi also penetrate the ground, operating like fiber-optic Internet cables. They transmit signals from one tree to the next, helping the trees exchange news about insects, drought, and other dangers. www = Wood Wide Web […]

Frogs

Gero…. Gero….

Chanting with Vibration

Chanting prayer is a multi-faceted experience.

New Life as a Manifestation of Kami

New life, whether it’s the birth of a human of the growth of plants and animals—is an expression of divinity. It is mystical, without doubt.

Wage Peace

This week, I’d like to share with you a lovely poem I’ve found. It’s filled with the power of being positive.

More Shrines

The Mikoshi is a portable shrine, traditionally used for 祭 Matsuri festivals. The kami are transferred into the Mikoshi for the festival, and are carried around as part of the celebration. Weighing over 500 lbs, we carried this up the boat ramp at low tide! Having it safely placed inside the haiden was a cause for celebration!

Prayers for Peace

Last Sunday, we came together to send prayers for peace out on the winds: May peace prevail on Earth. May peace be in our homes and countries. May our missions be accomplished.

Getting Grounded

Touch is a significant way to connect to the Earth.

Summer Solstice: a Fresh Start

It’s no accident that one of the year’s most important purification rituals takes place at the end of June. We’re halfway through the year already. Time to pause. Reflect on what’s gone well. And what hasn’t. Shinto is all about gratitude. And purification to move forward with the brightness and renewal of our ki, our […]

Forest Bathing in the Rain

Last Saturday it was wet in the Forest. Very wet. And—it was magnificent. The rain brought out different smells—fresh and lively. Deeply earthy. The branches called me to drink water from the leaves. Looking up, the falling drops were a myriad of sizes and speeds. And we made a lovely little discovery: a hummingbird nest. […]

Transferring Kami to Shin Mei

Above: Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto, 97th generation High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine

Honk. Honk.

Above: Canada Geese taking their goslings for a stroll down the Pond Path