Purity is a central aspect of Shinto religion, requiring individuals to cleanse both their body and mind through specific rituals and personal practices. Water and salt are commonly used as purifying agents, and a haraigushi can also be used. These purification rituals are performed at the start of Shinto religious ceremonies, and include simple purifications like rinsing face and hands with pure water in the temizu ritual. Misogi is another purification ritual that involves immersion in sacred waters, such as rivers, lakes, or waterfalls, and performing ritual ablutions to cleanse oneself of impurities.
The Nagoshi no Harae, an annual purification ritual in Japan, takes place in June at Shinto shrines. This ritual was established during the Nara Period and is a way to atone for sins committed in the first half of the year. The purifying ritual, performed right before entering the jinja, is a simplified version of a much larger purifying ritual that generally takes place in the jinja.
Shinto rites are structured, artful performances that exemplify the tension between ideal pattern and concrete instance. Purity is at the heart of Shinto’s understanding of good and evil, and impurity in Shinto refers to anything that separates us from kami and musubi, the creative forces. Harae, or purification, is often described as an exorcism to be done before worship, often involving symbolic washing with water or having a Shinto priest shake a large paper shaker called ōnusaōnusa over the object of purification.
Purification rituals have both physical and psychological dimensions, with actions such as Oharae, Misogi, and Temizu in the Kamis being essential for maintaining purity. House purification (kanai anzen or ke harae shiki) is performed on request to purify a house and protect family members.
In conclusion, Shinto purification ceremonies involve prayers for the removal of sin, pollution, and misfortune, resulting in the purification and restoration of the body and mind.
📹 7 Daily SHINTO Rituals Everyone Can Practice At Home
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What do Shinto people do to carry impurities away?
The Shintō tradition emphasizes the importance of rites of purification, such as the harai rite, which involves sweeping away impurities with a wand, and the misogi rite, which involves washing with flowing water, often at a rushing waterfall. The Shintō priest waves a wooden wand with paper streamers attached to a white streamer, a gesture of purification called harai. This sweeping gesture is a crucial part of the Shintō ceremony, as it restores the beauty and harmony of life.
Worshipers approach the kami, wash their hands and face in cold water at the entrance to the shrine, marking their entry into the sacred space. The priest purifies the way as the door to the shrine is opened and the altar for fresh fruit offerings. The Shintō tradition understands and ritualizes the regular human need for such sweeping gestures.
What are the 5 steps of purification?
The Cañon City Water Treatment Plant is a conventional surface water treatment plant that diverts water from the Arkansas River to produce drinkable water. The process includes chemical coagulation, floculation, sandimentation, disinfection, and filtering. The water is used by customers in Cañon City, which uses enough treated water to cover 31 football fields one foot deep in water on a hot summer day. In winter, usage drops to about 9 football fields worth a day.
The plant can produce up to 22 million gallons of safe drinking water daily, meeting or exceeding the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Primary Drinking Water Standards. The plant is located on a hillside west of Cañon City and can handle up to 10 million gallons per day during the hot summer months.
What are the purification rituals in Shintoism?
Harai is a Shintō purification ceremony in Japanese religion that involves cleansing individuals to approach a deity or sacred power ( kami). The principal purificatory agents are salt, water, and fire. Many rites, such as bathing in cold water, are believed to be used by Izanagi, the mythical male creator of Japan, to rid himself of the polluting effect of seeing his wife and sister’s decaying body in the land of the dead. These rites are observed before entering a temple, worship, festival, or religious procession.
Priests participating in public ceremonies undergo more extensive purification periods, regulating the body, heart, environment, and soul. Great purification ceremonies called ō-harai are held twice a year, on June 30 and December 31, and during national disasters to purge the entire country from sins and impurities.
What is purity in Shinto?
Shinto is a religious practice that emphasizes the avoidance of kegare, or pollution or impurity, while ensuring harae, or purity. In Japanese thought, humans are fundamentally pure and kegare is seen as a temporary condition that can be corrected through achieving harae. Purification rites are conducted to restore an individual to spiritual health and make them useful to society. This notion of purity is present in many aspects of Japanese culture, such as the focus on bathing and performing noh theatre before performances.
Poor pollutants in Shinto include death, disease, witchcraft, animal flaying alive, incest, bestiality, excrement, and blood associated with menstruation or childbirth. To avoid kegare, priests and practitioners may engage in abstinence and avoid certain activities prior to a festival or ritual. Various words, termed imi-kotoba, are also regarded as taboo and people avoid speaking them at a shrine.
A purification ceremony known as misogi involves using fresh water, salt water, or salt to remove kegare. Full immersion in the sea is considered the most ancient and efficacious form of purification, while salt is often regarded as a purifying substance. Fire is also perceived as a source of purification. The yaku-barai is a form of harae designed to prevent misfortune, while the oharae, or “ceremony of great purification”, is used for end-of-year purification rites. Before the Meiji period, rites of purification were generally performed by onmyōji, a type of diviner derived from Chinese yin and yang philosophy.
How do you get purification ritual?
Guardians who have spent time in the Dreaming City completing activities and bounties may have found the Purification Ritual bounty. This bounty requires players to defeat any Plague of the Well while Ascendant. To begin, Guardians must have an Offering for the Oracle. If the bounty requires defeating Plague of the Well enemies while Ascendant, players must head to the Blind Well and obtain four things:
- A Offering for the Oracle
- A Plague of the Well bountee\n3
What are the rituals of purification?
Rituals for re-establishing lost purity or creating a higher degree of purity take various forms in various cultures. Some purification rituals involve simple gestures, such as washing hands or changing clothes, fumigating the person or object with incense, reciting prayers, or anointing the person or object with a ritually pure substance. Others involve ordeals, such as blood-letting, vomiting, and beating, which have a purgative effect. Some work on the scapegoat principle, where impurities are ritually transferred onto an animal or human being, and the animal or human is then run out of town or killed symbolically.
Ritual purity and pollution are matters of general social concern because pollution may spread from one individual or object to other members of society. Each culture defines what is pure and impure, and the consequences of purity and pollution differently from every other culture. There is considerable cross-cultural overlapping on certain beliefs.
Pollution is most commonly transmitted by physical contact or proximity, although it may also spread through kinship ties or co-residence in an area where pollution has occurred. Because purity and pollution are inner states, the defiled man or artifact may initially show no outward features of his inner corruption. However, the effects of pollution will make themselves known, with common cross-cultural human symptoms of pollution including skin disease, physical deformity, insanity and feeblemindedness, sterility, and barrenness. Nature may also become barren as a result of pollution, but natural elements and magical or supernatural forces may run amok.
How to do purification rituals?
Rituals for re-establishing lost purity or creating a higher degree of purity take various forms in various cultures. Some purification rituals involve simple gestures, such as washing hands or changing clothes, fumigating the person or object with incense, reciting prayers, or anointing the person or object with a ritually pure substance. Others involve ordeals, such as blood-letting, vomiting, and beating, which have a purgative effect. Some work on the scapegoat principle, where impurities are ritually transferred onto an animal or human being, and the animal or human is then run out of town or killed symbolically.
Ritual purity and pollution are matters of general social concern because pollution may spread from one individual or object to other members of society. Each culture defines what is pure and impure, and the consequences of purity and pollution differently from every other culture. There is considerable cross-cultural overlapping on certain beliefs.
Pollution is most commonly transmitted by physical contact or proximity, although it may also spread through kinship ties or co-residence in an area where pollution has occurred. Because purity and pollution are inner states, the defiled man or artifact may initially show no outward features of his inner corruption. However, the effects of pollution will make themselves known, with common cross-cultural human symptoms of pollution including skin disease, physical deformity, insanity and feeblemindedness, sterility, and barrenness. Nature may also become barren as a result of pollution, but natural elements and magical or supernatural forces may run amok.
How do you cleanse yourself at a shrine?
- Wash your hands by giving a slight bow towards the water basin.
- Hold the dipper with your right hand to pour water on your left hand.
- Switch hands and pour water on your right hand.
- Switch hands again, cup your left hand and pour water inside.
- Rinse your mouth, not swallowing.
- Cover your mouth to avoid being seen.
- Re-rinse your left hand.
- Pour out the remaining water from the dipper, dip it one last time in the water for final purification, and return it to its place.
To avoid refilling the water basin multiple times, try doing the purification process in one fluid motion at a low level to prevent water from falling back into the basin. Remember to pick up enough water from the beginning to avoid refilling it multiple times.
How do Buddhists purify themselves?
The Buddha believed that enlightenment is achieved through the development of virtue, concentration, and wisdom. To apply these agents of purification, one must learn from their mistakes and purify themselves. This involves recognizing destructive tendencies in actions, speech, and mind and committing to improve in the future. Denying shortcomings or playing the “Absolute Reality” trump card can reactivate obstructive karma.
However, when things are opened up and acknowledged honestly, purification can function freely. In the Theravada tradition, it is said that rain soddens what is kept wrapped up, but never soddens what is open. Uncovering concealed things is essential to prevent it from being sodden by the rain.
How do you purify at the Shinto shrine?
To enter a Shinto shrine, one must bow before crossing the Torii. After walking, a rack is available for hand washing, believed to remove impurities. A wooden ladle is used to wash both hands, rinse the mouth, and rinse the ladle itself. The remaining water inside the ladle rinses the ladle if held vertically.
Before reaching the main shrine, pass through sacred stone guardians, usually lions or dogs, or foxes in the case of the Inari shrine. These are called komainu, who protect the holy site from evil spirits.
To pray in a Japanese shrine, look presentable, stand up straight, bow deeply twice, put hands together and clap twice, make a wish and give thanks to the kami (generally with a 5 yen coin with a hole), and bow once deeply.
What are some Shinto rituals?
Shinto rituals involve purification, reading prayers from ancient collections, and making food and drink offerings to the kami. These rituals are part of a large public festival called a matsuri, which fills the calendar throughout the year and mark various events such as seasons, the New Year, chrysanthemum blooms, cherry blossoms, and events from Shinto mythologies, Japanese history, and agricultural traditions.
Other Shinto rituals are performed during smaller, more local or private festivals, marking stages of life such as births, rites of passage, marriages, and funerals. These rituals are performed by priests and are part of the larger public festival called a matsuri.
📹 Cleansing Our House of Spirits | Shinto Ceremony
Oharae, or harae/harai is a Shinto cleansing/purification ritual. We decided to have an Oharae done to cleanse the house of any …
I think you were very wise to have this ceremony done. Especially so for those that will work on the house and for the Japanese side of the family. It also serves as an ‘official’ detachment with the past of the house and adds to the feeling that this house and land is now yours. I say that, even though I don’t follow the Shinto religion, but having lived in Japan for the past 28 years, it often surprises me how much of the superstitions etc also affect me. They especially affect you when times are tough and you start wondering as to whether you should have done this or that at a particular juncture in time.
I am sure your house hasn’t looked so good in the last 15 years as it does now. it’s almost as if it’d be new indoors! And I am really not joking this time. As such the spirit of the old owner should be really happy about it if he’d still be there and see the results of your efforts. I mean even his children didn’t want to take over the responsibility of renovating that house and I know that as we grow older we get really attached to our belongings – so seeing that a stranger comes and brings life in the house again (and not just tearing it down and building a completely new house) would certainly make him satisfied. If you could talk to him now I am sure he would also thank you for taking over the place and turning it so beautiful again.
🍃I can assure you, that any ancestral spirits in the home, is quite proud of the love and respect you have given, to bring this home, it’s restored beauty it deserves. Thank for sharing. Every culture has it’s own way of cleansing and bringing in the humbleness and showing the utmost respect to it’s past owners.🍃
First of all, you are so lucky! I studied architecture in Japan and you don’t see this extravagant style in private residential homes anymore AT ALL!! Second, I am so glad you did the ceremony. I don’t necessary believe in spirits or ghosts but the previous owner must have been very proud of the house, therefore must have been attached to it as well and everyone who cleaned up the house probably went thru a lot of emotions, like felt like you are invading into someone’s space even tho you own it, cleaning out previous owner’s personal items out of the house wondering about them etc. Doing this ceremony gives closure to everyone(including previous owner) and I hope it gave you refreshed feel, a new chapter. Good luck with the renovation!
Excellent my friend! A new fresh beginning for the house and the family’s peace of mind. Whether we believe or not in ghosts is culturally necessary, in my opinion, to perform this ceremony. Not just for you and everyone working in the house, but also for the previous owner who deserves the respect. Congratulations!!! がんばってください
I am visiting Japan on a long-term stay for about 15 months – it’s the final bucket list item of things that I have wanted to accomplish. And I’m nearing the end of a 3 and 1/2 month stay in Kyoto. It has been a joy to walk the neighborhood where I have been living. One item I have especially noticed, has been the number of old homes being demolished, with new ones being quickly built in their place. On one such location, I noticed a two-story home being demolished with the typical scaffolding set-up and external typical tarp-like material attached to the outside (I understood it’s done in Japan so as to prevent falling objects from harming people passing by, or damage to other non-related structures). The old building was quickly demolished, land completely cleared, then the scaffolding was removed. I happened to be walking by on a Saturday morning on my way to the gym, when I noticed chairs and what later turned out to be a small altar being arranged on the completely cleared property which I thought was rather curious. Returning from the gym, I caught a Shinto ceremony being performed with the attendants dressed in formal “business” attire (except of course, for the priest who was in Shinto garb). In the ensuing week, the base foundation work began, with restoration of the scaffolding and outer coverings following thereafter, but I also recognized that at least some of the workmen were present at the previously held Shinto ceremony. Less than 3 months after the demolition, a new two-story home has just been completed (even with all the rain, extreme heat, and the remnants of a typhoon in Kyoto).
That was definitely mesmerizing. When we moved to Japan almost a decade ago, there was a demolition of an old house near our place. When the entire thing was just soil again, they built a small wooden shrine and did something like what the priest here did. A a couple months later, a new apartment was up.
I became emotional perusal this, as my Great Grand Mother and her Tribe The Niitsitapi would have simular cleanings and blessings for the inhabitation of hand crafted Ti Pi, they were so individual in their art works and the structures while being the same, were also decorative on the inside. So in the handing down of such a structure their were ritual cleancing and blessings for a new life and adornments!
I’ve always felt strongly that if I moved to a new country, or indeed even visited, especially one with the ancient traditions, customs and beliefs as Japan, that I would integrate as much as possible, learn the language as fluently as I could (I have mild brain damage from a stroke which makes means I see certain writing – even calligraphy – as art, but I can still learn and retain some spoken languages – Japanese is the one I’ve started because my brain hears it as a melodic roll which means it somehow sticks well in my memory; korean and Italian is the same), and be respectful of the people and their traditions. I think your neighbours and the other local people would be very happy to see you so lovingly restoring that beautiful house and respecting their way of life and their history and beliefs. Your work and your respect is amazing to see. 🙂 (I’m very jealous you get to live somewhere so beautiful).
Hello! I just stumbled upon your website and found myself bingewatching all of your articles! I’m also quite fascinated with traditional japanese architecture and its building techniques, and it’s soo thoughtful and respectful of you to enlist the help of the original carpenter of the house and not made major changes all by yourself, it shows you respect such a beautiful house and is dedicated to its preservation. How lucky of you that he’s still around and nearby! I really can’t wait to see how the house will turn out in the future. If I were the owner I’d be happy with what you’ve done with the place, the house found itself a true caretaker. My best regards! ✨💕
Until I went to work for the U.S.G.S. in ’89, I was a millwright at a sawmill near Seattle. One of our big markets was very large heart cut select timber to Japan for redimensioning into high grade lumber such as that. It’s really fun for me to think that maybe some of our gorgeous Cascade Evergreen Cants ended up in that work of ART !!!
Increíble! Muchas gracias por compartir este hermoso ritual, cada vez encuentro más similitud entre la cultura japonesa y la mapuche, en una ceremonia mapuche se hace algo muy similar, casi con la misma estructura, de dar ofrenda primero y luego lo que queda compartir entre quienes están participando! Saludos desde Chile
This is a very good thing to do, a fresh start so to speak. Clearing and settling and paying resect to any residual energy is a nice way to begin a life in a new home. I had watched this type of ceremony when I lived in Japan for 10 years. In the city, black and white bunting would go up in an empty lot and the ground was blessed before construction started. Even night clubs, bars, and many kinds of businesses in Japan put mounds of salt in the corners of their doorways before the start of the business day. I am Catholic and we bless+ cleanse our houses. I also typically salt all of any rooms and corners of any new home I move into, after opening window of course. This is also a way to settle ones self and to focus on the next chapter of your life in that place. Best of luck and good health in your beautiful new home.
I’ve seen Shinto ceremonies before, so this wasn’t entirely new to me, but I enjoyed it. Even more interesting are the various comments about other cultures and religions which do very much the same thing. Christians too will have a blessing at the dedication and opening of a new or renovated building.
When I stayed in Goa/India I was surprised that many houses were abandonned, but they explained that Indian people didn’t live in other people’s houses as they could inherit their bad health or bad luck. I visited one amazing house and large garden, the house was full of furniture and objects untouched for many years.
That was a powerful ritual. As a person who has dismantled hundreds of houses over decades and been involved in the restoration of thousands, I am naturally interested in your project. I am not religious, I live in a western culture and am a native Irish person. I do not know you or the previous owner. I have never been to Japan When I saw the shrine and the offerings i started to sneeze. I felt it welling up in the back of my nose almost up to my eyes. Then I realized it was tears. What the heck? Anyway well done, it was clearly the right thing to do.
I am an Indian and a Hindu. I found the ceremony soothing to watch and I feel as an outsider/new resident for you to give such acknowledgement and respect to the local culture and people is very appropriate and dignified. Japan’s heritage is impressive and all new residents must appreciate it. Or stay out. If I was the old owner’s spirit I would welcome you with all my heart after this, we all have our humanity and this re-affirms it.
Seeing the Shinto priest reminded me much of my own grandfather… he is one of the shaman for the Mien people and I’ve seen him do blessing rituals before. He did one every year for everyone in my family before they all decided to become Christian. Seeing the priest do the ritual just reminded me so much of him.
There was something very beautiful in seeing this ritual, thank you for capturing it. Whether one believes in spirits or not, there is something important in tradition and I think everyone involved in your project will have a good feeling going forwards. Rituals for the dead are, after all, also for the peace of mind of the living.
I’m not Japanese or have ever heard of Shinto for that matter, however every house I have lived in in the UK I have done a cleansing ritual as I too have felt the air thick with an energy, the energy in my current house changed over night after I performed the cleansing, I find it very special that we can have the similar connection of process of cleansing when it is two different countries and cultures, it goes to show that all over the world we still hold the respect for the passed and for the reverence of energies therein, I feel it is very important and I carried out these rituals in front of my wife and children, before they thought I was a hippy, now they know the context and I hope that one day they come to do the same. Many blessings to you and your family on your future in this beautifully made house! One day I hope to visit Japan, I feel my soul once was born in Japan many centuries ago, and I have a deep magnetism to the styles, architecture, and cultural bowing and processes which reinforces my thoughts on this feeling.
I have found all your vlogs really interesting! A culture so different! All the beautiful, intricate workmanship in the structure and then not to finish precautionary wood treatment and wiring, cabling, ducting etc! Yet these buildings have a wonderfully simple, peaceful elegance about them! THANKYOU! XXX
Oh that was lovely to see. I have never seen a Shinto ceremony to purify a place or people. I hope that it brings peace to the gentleman and spirits that were there before and brings you and your family luck and prosperity. What a beautiful home. I’m looking forward to seeing what you and your wife do with the house and property once it is finished!
Oh wow, I’m really surprised that you had to destroy the home and stone shrines!! Burning the wooden one would be easy enough, but what happened to the stone? Also would the wooden one be taken to the local shrine for sacred burning, I assume? Same for the stone ones? This is something I never ran into when I lived there so I’m super fascinated now, haha. Thank you for not only posting this but translating it as well!!
I knew the basics of the Oharae but I never seen it done before. That you follow the practices and traditions is very respectful. Well done! I hope to be as you when I arrive. My deepest desire when I get there is to become one of the community….. eventually. It starts with respect not just to the language but of traditions as well. Thank you for sharing the Oharae ritual!
C’mon,…ghost don’t exist people xD. I live in a 750 year old building and it’s seen some times many sieges, including the 80 year Dutch – Spanish war, the Napoléon war, WW2, etc,…and around the corner there’s a square were executions by fire, hanging and other methods, etc used to be done for a few hundred years. If i hear a creaking noise in my house, and i do, it’s the ancient wood and stone structure hahahah, or my dog’s walking around.
As an American Ive never been witness to shinto rituals but think that since you live in the land of kami it is wise to amerce your self in the tradition n believes. If for nothing more then to come to understand the people. I think it was also a lovely way to thank those who lived in the house before you for giving you a new home for your family to create new memories.
Although I have been Shinto for half my life, I have known little about many rites and rituals due to the cultural and language barrier. But I have expressed my faith through charity, goodwill, love and forgiveness, and it has been my rock to hold onto through so many rough times even if my faith was simplistic and naive. But it’s never too late to learn these things. Namu Inari Daimyojin.
this is quite possibly the most unique article on this renovation series on this website. i could easily find 100 other articles on home renovations but in terms of Japanese home renovations, especially when its in a country side residential area filled with old tradition, a ceremony like this is very interesting to watch for the full journey of renovating an ancient Japanese home. guess this is where i start to subscribe and follow future articles to come~ also, love from Sydney, Australia aswell. i recognize that accent anywhere
Great job. I am looking forward to seeing the finished house. I am sure there will be still a lot of work, surprises, stress and great accomplishment. I also dreamed about buying such a house but I was not brave enough 🙂 Just bought a “regular” one 9 years ago. We also did this cleansing ritual, considering something terrible happened in the house. I will continue to follow you, work hard and good luck with the cold winter.
So fascinating and educational in learning and understanding Japanese culture. There is so much more to it than popular myth and anime… I lived there for 6-1/2 years and was constantly learning new things to enjoy and appreciate. Thank you for showing us this slice of true Japanese culture and allowing me the opportunity to not only broaden my vocabulary but my understanding of Japanese culture and Shintoism as well.
Wow, all this is so interesting, I’m completely hypnotized by your articles, I’ve seen them all in one day! Thank you so much for sharing this important step in your family’s life with us and for giving us such detailed information! You are very brave and I admire your determination. And I envy it! And the way you make the articles, simple, informative, without big boasts or ambitions, I love it. It seems to me that this minimalist way of spreading the word adds a lot to the article itself and goes very well with the theme. Again, thank you, and I’m already waiting for what the next article will be 🙂
We are a Japanese and English couple who bought a very old house in Japan 3 years ago. Every year we visit Japan and spend a couple of months working on it. There were so many problems so far but one of the worst was putting in the septic tank because the waste water pipe needed to carry waste water over 100M to the drain! Hopefully you don’t have the same problems. Best of luck with your rebuild!
It is very interesting Japanese traditions, it is a country rich in culture and that one day I will go to know. Your house is beautiful, I hope that there is always wealth, peace, love, health, that your whole family never lacks food. Thank you for sharing such personal moments of your family. Greetings from Mexico.
For more of a comfort to the living then the dead my religion does something similar. Houses when recently moved into take on the prayers we make there so when my family moved house and then had huge reconstruction done being able to hear prayers and religious teachings through out the house made it seem alive and more comfortable to just exist in. I’m a Muslim and the prayer he made felt so similar to prayers done by us. I hope you fill this house with happiness it looks stunning.
Not sure how your articles popped up for me, but really looking forward to perusal your website grow. I’ve loved Japanese culture for many years (the graphic and architectural design), and you’re providing me an inside look which I really love. I’d really love to see this house in person if I come visit Japan one day!
You did a good job! In my country, this ritual is necessary when we move to a new house. From a spiritual perspective, we are basically saying > Hi to the spirits of the new home that we will become the owner of the house and, > asking blessings (through praying based on our religion) from our neighbors and Ustad (like Priest in Christianity) > asking God blessings through this new home From a social perspective, we open the house for neighbors, getting to know each other and hopefully, we will have a good term with them. Cause one day we will need our neighbor help. No matter what you are religion is, I think it’s better for you to hold this kind of event.. Cause we need to respect the unseen being as well, besides holding a party 🙂
My husband and I were in love with Japan. But, after visiting many places for a month, the only place I did not feel spiritual presence were the really new hotels. The really old ryokans were the worst. I was very happy to be home again. I slept poorly for the month and there is a brooding darkness everywhere over Japan, someone asked me why were all my pics looking so gloomy. That’s when I realised it captured well on my photos as well. Well, all the best with your new house.
I stumbled across your articles by mere accident but because of my respect for the Orient I had to take a look-see. And I’d like to say thank you for sharing your way of life very inspiring I am a person that believes in many things water does not just float one way after all and so congratulations to you your family an your home
In many iberoamerican cultures we do the same. Many aren’t even believers but the cleansing ritual is even for a newly built house because of the spirits in the ground or forest that was destroyed to build the house. It’s just a blessing with a prayer (and probably blessed water from a church) followed by a party or barbecue where everyone wishes the best for the new life in the house. It might seem like nothing but just doing those simple things makes you feel like you honored a good tradition 😊
I think this was a great show of respect for the Japanese culture, into the house into the previous owners living or past. It also shows your neighbors that you have respect and honor and is all my opinions and I live here in America well we don’t do those things but now I’m thinking about we should. Thank you for sharing this as most people meaning me never seen this before really interesting thank you
I’ve just discovered your website tonight – a Sydney girl here – and have stayed awake until 1.30am perusal up until the Shinto cleansing. To be continued, but just wanted to say I love your house and am enjoying your, somewhat expensive, journey. Still, much less than a very inferior dwelling in Sydney! 😅
👏🏻.👏🏻. “The God, Izanagi, visited “Yomi no Kuni” and became unclean. At a beach in Tsukushi-no called “Himuka no Tachibana Odo Ahagiwara” he cleanse and purified his body in the sea, and the Gods of Haraedo were born. By the divine virtue of the Gods, please let me ask them to purify and cleanse our sins and pollution of mind and body.” I felt every word of that evocation. I felt every moment of this ritual. I became part of it. A big thank you for sharing it with us. I don’t know if I ever visit Japan (I’m 23) but recently I felt a strong connection to Shinto. Kamis are sacred beings – the Gods and our ancestors. Everything – natural or artificial – possesses such spirits, because everything has a vibration. Therefore, everything is sacred. Being myself a very spiritually minded being, it strikes a very deep chord. In some parts of the day, I started to make the ritual bows and claps, then offering my silent prayer to the Kamis. Connecting to them. Honouring them. Thanking them. Asking them for blessings. Being a boy of the countryside, it helps to be immerse in nature. Kamis upholds the sacred, perfect and eternal laws of the universe. Respecting the Gods is to strife to respect the Natural law of man. If we honour and respect them, the Kamis will never give up on Humanity. Neither should we. By doing this ritual, not only you are respecting the local custom: you also did a wonderful rite of passage for your house, your family and yourself. When you bowed and the priest passed the mop on your head, I felt also that he passed the mob on myself, purifying me.
Every home needs a blessing….where ever or whatever religion! Though not Japanese myself,I’d respect traditions with spirits, past and present, being respected especially in a home who’s previous owners spirits believed and shared this space in time. Beautiful done! As we say in Scotland .., ‘ lang may your lum reek’…a Hogmanay( new year)greeting blessing long life,happiness and health for your future. 🏴👍👏
this is super fascinating, i think spirituality is super important regardless if you have specific beliefs. in my faith, we would do things like anoint the house and pray over it, so it is in the same vein as this ceremony here. as others have noted, i think it was a good thing to do for those who are working with and around you. 🙂
This was beautiful and intimate. Thank you for sharing this with us. I have always admired shinto’s belief that everything has a spirit so it was wise and fitting that your neighbors suggested this ceremony. I think it not only lets the land spirits know that you only have good intentions by restoring the property but lets the previous owner and any of his ancestors know that it will be in good hands and they can move on. While I’m sad the stone shrines must be destroyed it does make sense. Will you be keeping the Daruma and the interior shrines (both Shinto and Buddhist)?
You’ll soon have a beautiful house and all your struggles with cleaning up (yes I have been seeing your articles back to back) would seem worth it. In India when we buy a land and start construction, we do it only after “Bhoomi pujan” (worshipping Mother Earth), and if it’s a new home, we do “Griha pravesh” (worshipping & welcoming the gods before we enter the new home). And these are definitely positive moments, new neighbors walk in, everything is clean and beautiful, showing us promises and possibilities of a great future. Good luck. Can’t wait for you to move in.
This is so interesting and fascinating ! here in America when you buy a Derelict house the city inspectors come at you like Vultures and hyenas all the while they hand a hand out under the table looking for a bribe Which usually bypasses all inspections . but you have a hidden gem truly diamond in the rough . just by seeing its bare bones its beautiful every corner catches the eye with grace and every inch has a Purpose . I hope the home Serves you and your family well for many years to come and in the end you will be able to add your family’s name into the rafters for Future families to smile upon with the same hope and dreams of Prosperity .
very impressive! In Japan, a country where gods live, it has been very important to purify the gods of the house in order to live a safe family life and to wish for the prosperity of descendants. I think that the rules and prayers for such important ceremonies may be difficult for foreigners, but the master seems to understand the Japanese way of doing things, and I am impressed that there are many things that even I, a Japanese person, do not understand. !
Just started perusal some of the vid’s, and man, i love the look on the house. I live in Scandinavia, so that style of house is not something i’m that familiar with, but my neighbor up the street for me had the japanese looking bend i guess you could say on the roof, and i always tought it looked so nice. Looking forward to perusal how it turns out, best of luck.
as a very sensitive person this has been on my mind since the first article and also the way the house was acquired but I’m very happy that you are treating it with respect and doing it justice. I could feel a sense of relief from this ceremony on your part and everyone involved and the energy had changed. From a sociological point of view it also shows that you are willing to integrate the local traditions which will make the locals feel that you are willing to understand and respect their culture and tradition which will also help you become more easily part of their group. from an energetic/metaphysical/psychological point of view purifying/cleansing ceremonies are universal and do help people move on and feel “allowed” to occupy a place and it does help get rid of clothier and their emotional attachments even if they aren’t yours. I’m curious to what you are going to do next with the house and maybe if you will do some kind of community event to celebrate when it’s done 😀
I’ve never seen a Shinto house cleansing ritual before it was extremely interesting and before today I didn’t even know it existed, It’s a very good idea especially for the friends neighbours and workers who rely on traditions in their daily life, Also if you hadn’t had it done suspect the neighbours might not be too happy about it either, I like the idea of a little out door shrine too i takes up little room and looks nice too, Thank you for that little look at Japanese tradition and the Shinto religion.
it reminds me of my first lead ritual, the blessings, the callings, the devotional and closing the circle. we feasted until sunrise and it dawned on me what a load of hooey it all was, the implements the candles the incense the correct words and gestures. if you really want to know, U R NRG, transitional and staid never destroyed never created, U R.
Very reassuring to see you observing the ritual with Mrs. Llama. Sure can’t do any harm and it never hurt anyone to show a little respect to the creator. Besides it got rid of at least one bottle of your rice wine and I guess the rellies destroyed one or two more in the aftermath. At least everyone feels more comfortable round the manor house now.
i’m not sure if its been answered already but did you end up burning/destroying the stone and wood shrines. it seems sad get rid of them but i completely understand the cleansing aspect and the fact that it is, i assume, a somewhat large part of the whole ritual. it was such a pleasure to be able to watch something like this thanks for sharing it as with the greater journey as a whole!
As a devout Catholic I enjoyed perusal this and thought it was wonderful. Too many times I see people of one religion (usually Christians) denigrating the practics of other faith traditions. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this ceremony. In fact it is quite similar to Catholic’s praying to the saints in heaven for various reasons. They are not Gods which is why we don’t worship them but we do venerate them. I feel that if more people would include things like this into their lives the world would be a much better place. Cheers mate
My son and family just had this ceremony but they tore down the old house, too much mold. The home went up quickly. His ceremony was outside in tent. Then once frame went up they had to throw candy out to neighborhood children. Tradition. Did you have to give children candy too? Very interesting articles you have.
When we bought a Georgian house a while back (we don’t own it anymore; sold it to move to the Continent and the ‘new’ owners have neglected and ruined our restoration work), we were informed it came with a spirit that “loved the ladies”. After experiencing it for myself, we had the house blessed and I was told later the spirit “went where he was supposed to go”, whatever that really means. But no more weird stuff ever happened in that house. We never did find out who it was, but oh well…
Everything must be perfect in every single part because evoking a Kami is not a joke and this type of “bureaucracy” has the purpose of making explicit, without any doubts, the will to evoke the spirit. Every little movement is like turning the knob of the combination of a safe knowing not only the numbers you need to know but also the type of turns that must be performed to open the door. Making mistakes will only make the Kami evoked not to tell the truth.
Huh… i just recently discovered this website and perusal these articles has been very informative to say the least. This one surprised me because this is Japan and i’m writing this from Mozambique, somewhere in southern africa and here there is a tradition just like this, for the exact same reasons and the same ritual almost to a t (we sprinkle corn flour instead of salt). Seems the world is not that big after all
The custom feels so similar to hindu/dharmic tradition. We use salt for purification as well. And the white whisk that the priest waves 😅. We call it gruh shanti meaning home peace? Or calming whatever energies may be there, chanting mantras and sutras with Oom. This was so interesting to see. Feels like home ❤
Thanks for sharing! That was really nice to watch. I’m surprised that you are supposed to destroy the stone hokora shrines and kamidana. Seems like such a shame for the hokora, they are so pretty. Did you get new ones? Is that something that’s done? I’d be more worried about angry spirits if I got rid of their shrine myself 🙂