The world that I live in, through my perspective as a
Shinto adherent, is full of magic and superstition. Our early writings are filled
with stories that detail the conflicts and their respective resolutions at the
beginning of the kami world, and I enjoy reading these frequently. In these
stories, Amaterasu is the principal deity, and her symbol, the sun, is on our
national flag, seen in my photo below. The battle between Susanoo and
Amaterasu are included within these Kojiki legends, and embody both the
nurturing and destructive aspects of nature. The use of magic within my
religion is usually associated with Susanoo.
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| The Japanese Flag |
A particular story that is an important part of
Shinto mythology, and one that I know very well is the struggle between the
seasons. In this, Susanoo destroys Amaterasu’s
sacred rice fields, which causes her to be outraged and shut herself in a cave,
depriving humans of sunlight. 8 million kami then gathered outside to bring back
the sun through magic and rituals. One of these gifts her a mirror, and she
returns back into the world after being attracted to her own reflected light. This can be seen in my drawing below.
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| Amaterasu's Mirror |
In my everyday life, however, magic and superstition
is interwoven subtly, hidden in prayers and charms, as we do not want to
offender kami with extravagant displays of magic. Within our shrines, a mirror representing purity, a sword representing
justice and a jewelled necklace representing kindness can be found, known as
the three talismans. Amaterasu sent these items to earth to fix things after
Susanoo seized Japan. These represent some of our deepest and important morals within
Shinto.
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