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Episode 126: Japanese Deities
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Welcome back, Witches! In this episode, we're uncovering the tale of Ame-no-Uzume, the bold and joyous goddess whose provocative dance and quick wit coaxed the sun goddess Amaterasu out of hiding, bringing light and life back to the world. We'll also delve into the story of Amaterasu herself, the revered sun goddess whose seclusion plunged the heavens into darkness, sparking a divine plan to lure her back. So get in losers, we're diving deep into the celestial drama and enchanting stories of these powerful Japanese deities!
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Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio- The Witch
References:
- Wright, G. (2022, November 29). <em>Ame-no-Uzume</em>. Mythopedia. <a href="https://mythopedia.com/topics/ame-no-uzume">https://mythopedia.com/topics/ame-no-uzume</a>
- Stanic, Zeljka. Ame-no-Uzume- Shinto Goddess of Dawn, Humour, and Meditation. (2023). Goddess Gift. https://goddessgift.com/goddesses/ame-no-uzume/
- Thewritingnook_. Ame-no-uzume: Goddess of Dawn. Contra. https://contra.com/p/NFRkZ3Ue-ame-no-uzume-goddess-of-dawn
- Gregory Wright (2022). Amaterasu. Mythopedia. https://mythopedia.com/topics/amaterasu
- Johnny Gleason (2021). Why is Japan called, “The land of the rising sun”?. A Day of Zen. https://adayofzen.com/why-is-japan-called-the-land-of-the-rising-sun
- John Spacey (2015). Meet the 13 Gods: 13 Japanese Kami. Japan Talk. https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/kami
- Harriet Marsden (n.d.). Japan’s Succession Drama Puts Future of World’s Oldest Monarchy in Doubt. The Week. https://theweek.com/royals/japan-succession-drama
- Japan Travel (n.d.). Shrine and Temple Traditions. Japan Travel. https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/shrine-and-temple-traditions/
9. J. Southern Studio (2019). Amaterasu: Deities & Demons. J. Southern Studio. https://www.jsouthernstudio.com/blogs/esotericinsights/goddess-of-the- month-amaterasu-september-2019#:~:text=Shinto%20Goddess%20of%20the%20Sun%2C%20agriculture%2C%20peace%2C%20fertility%2C,Brass%20%26%20Gold%20Animals%3A%20Rooster%2C%20Crow%2C%20Pheasant%2C%20Raven.
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Transcript
Introduction to Witchcraft Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you feel drawn to learn more about witchcraft and the occult, but feel lost on where to start? Then welcome to Get In, Loser, We're Doing Witchcraft, a podcast all about what it means to be a witch and where to get started on your journey. Join us as we navigate through various witchy topics and share what we've learned about
Personal Life and Pet Stories
00:00:15
Speaker
the craft. So get in, witches, as we take a look at a few Japanese deities within the Shinto tradition.
00:00:51
Speaker
He wanted to be down here with me he's because I haven't been home a lot. he He's been very needy when I am home yeah because you know I worked all day Thursday and Friday. I went out Friday night. We left yesterday at like two and didn't get home till like midnight. And then I just like have had tiny windows home. So he's been like right next to me the entire time. So he's down here like cleaning his little feets. And I'm like, shh.
00:01:20
Speaker
So, for listeners, it's Roon clearing his little tutsies down here. He's like, he does this like, we call it his corn cob. He'll like have his little paw and he's like, mean mean mean mean like just like a little teeny bite. So he's like doing that right now. He's just like, and I can hear it through my, head like through my headphones, but I don't know if it's like actually coming through. So if you hear that weird noise, it's just Roon corn cob in his toes.
00:01:49
Speaker
and mean' I don't hear anything. okay so i like It's picking up on my end, but I think it's because it's like it's right here. i just write Sometimes the sounds make it through and sometimes they don't, so that's just my disclaimer. and then If you hear it, that's what it is. yeah Sweet little room. He's such a precious boy. I love his little face.
Oban Festival in Japan
00:02:14
Speaker
So something that I thought was kind of interesting in recording this, this weekend is Oban, which we talked about, I i think um it was last year, I think around this time as well. And it's a holiday in Japan and in the Shinto tradition and religion, where it's it's kind of like a sowing for Japan, where you're giving, like you're revering your ancestors,
00:02:44
Speaker
And one of the things that they do here, I think mainly just in Okinawa is they have, so the Taiko drummers that like what Avery does um for school, they have Taiko drumming. And so these, they also call it like instant drumming. And so different neighborhoods will request for the drummers to come and drum like at their residence to kind of scare away any evil spirits and to like appease their ancestors and stuff.
00:03:13
Speaker
And then the tradition here in Okinawa is during this weekend, you don't go in the ocean at all because the belief is if you go into the ocean, then um lonely spirits of departed loved ones will drag you down.
00:03:28
Speaker
into the water in your day. So I don't remember what episode it was. But I do remember you talking about that because I was like, that is wild. ah Yeah. And I whenever we put like planned on doing like a Japanese deity episode, I wasn't even thinking about right on or anything. So the fact that we're recording it this weekend,
00:03:47
Speaker
yeah really we but yeah
00:03:52
Speaker
We've had a lot of like instances lately where we because we plan out the schedule for the podcast like a couple of months at a time, sometimes even farther than that. And then it just works out. like We did the moon cycles.
00:04:06
Speaker
and the full moon was like while we were doing those. We had to rearrange like the order that we did them in but like it was only by a we were like a week off essentially and we've had like other like in the past just other things that was like it released on a certain time where we were like how did we plan that?
00:04:23
Speaker
but Right. like We couldn't have planned it better if we tried to. like We're just throwing our vibes at this point. yeah Literally, we're like, oh, you know actually this would be a great time to do this episode, and then it just ends up working out. Works out.
Japanese Deities: Ame no Uzume
00:04:36
Speaker
Speaking of, what are we talking about? Japanese deities. Japanese deities.
00:04:44
Speaker
i know this episode I love doing—obviously, most people cover like Norse or Celtic deities. Any time I listen to podcasts or watch a YouTube video or TikTok or whatever it is that I'm like, whatever medium I'm like absorbing information from for the day, it's usually like Norse or like Celtic deities. Sometimes you'll have like a one-off of something. So I love that we do this. like we like We're like, let's do this like version of Day 80s today. And it'll just be like so refreshing and so like interesting to learn how there's still a lot of similarities across different cultures. So I guess I will kick us off. I decided, and I think it's really funny because after I did my notes, I went and looked at a little bit of yours. And we had a lot of tie-in.
00:05:35
Speaker
in my notes. I don't know if you've read them. I did not. Yeah, no, not a ton. But there is like, there's a little bit of cross referencing here. And I was like, again, here we are, randomly, not even like discussing what we're doing, just like, Hey, this is who I'm covering. So don't do that. Cool. And then I pick someone and then like, we have a little bit of crossover, we do that so often. It's weird.
00:05:57
Speaker
It is weird. So I'm covering Ame no Uzume. And this goddess is a highly revered goddess in ancient Shinto traditions. And, you know, for those not in the know or part of like the Japanese culture, Shinto is known as the way of the gods.
00:06:16
Speaker
And the Shinto belief is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people being as old as Japan itself. So her full name is Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, though she's often just referred to as Ame no Uzume or Uzume.
00:06:32
Speaker
Her name translates in different ways, the first being the great goddess, ah shining Uzume, the great persuader, the heavenly alarming female, and the goddess of dawn. And my favorite is the heavenly alarming female because that is hilarious.
00:06:47
Speaker
I love it. Right? She's known to be the daughter of two prominent deities, Izanagi and Izanami, both of which played vital roles in the world's creation. Her lineage makes her a significant figure within the Shinto pantheon, though her exact origins and the extent of her powers seem to be a subject of debate.
00:07:09
Speaker
Ame no Uzume is a goddess of dawn, mirth, meditation, the arts, revelry, and a master of merry-making, humor, and dancing. And being that she is the goddess of dawn, she is in the service of Amaterasu. And due to her husband, Sarutahiko Okami, she is also connected to Kitsune, which are Japanese fox spirits known for their cunning and wiles.
00:07:38
Speaker
And in some lore, she's also referred to as the patron goddess of dancers. And lastly, she's also considered a representative of female power. And you're going to learn why. OK. And it's great. Her story is I loved this. I actually really enjoyed. doing
Amaterasu Cave Myth
00:07:56
Speaker
this research. It was so fun. As a goddess, she is considered to be very jovial, and she tends to lint to creativity, potential, creation, and happiness, all of which is often connected to the sunrise or sunshine
00:08:11
Speaker
once again tying her to Amaterasu. So it's because of this that she's often depicted as smiling mischievously in images of her. She's also described as wearing loose or revealing clothing and is often found comical.
00:08:26
Speaker
She's described as young and beautiful, having long flowing hair and wearing a tiara that is reminiscent of the first sunrise in the morning. She wears traditional Japanese clothing in pastel pinks and whites, though she's often exposing her breasts, unlike other Shinto goddesses. Sometimes in place of the tiara is a radiant halo or a nimbus of light surrounding her. She also sometimes wears a sash made of club moss on her body. I don't know what club moss is and I was gonna look it up and I could just ADD brain took over and I forgot, but I mean some kind of moss, right? Yeah. Her personality is always described as being open, easygoing, and dedicated to bringing joy to the world.
00:09:12
Speaker
Her nature is very diplomatic and she acts as one of Amaterasu's most trusted servants. She's credited with the creation of many Japanese art forms. So the first one is Kagura, and it's a type of dance telling stories of Kami, Noh, and other ancient forms of comedy and theater.
00:09:31
Speaker
and Kyogen, which is a comedic theater tradition where Ame no Azume is often portrayed as semi-nude to comic effect. So sacred symbols would include the sun, obviously, dancing, and music. These are activities that she's like well known for. The Kagura fan And she often carries one and uses it in her dancing. The Kagura fan is also a symbol of joy and celebration, which she is tied to as well. Drums and like drum music connected to her dance for Amaterasu. Japanese foxes, thanks to her husband. Mirrors, and this is due to the way the ocean's surface on Japan's eastern coast reflects the dawn sunlight, like a mirror would. And then when we're talking about mirrors,
00:10:20
Speaker
bronze mirrors are specifically also tied to her because of her lore with Amaterasu's cave, and what we're going to talk about that one in a little bit. Club Moss, as she was often said to have worn it on her body. Jade, as she was said to have hung a jade necklace along with the mirror in Amaterasu's cave, as well as bronze, like I said earlier, because it's tied to the mirror of the story.
00:10:43
Speaker
And then various shrines pay homage to Ame no Uzume, including the Chiyo Shrine, Subaki America Shrine, and Subaki Grand Shrine. And if I'm butchering these names, I'm sorry, I'm trying my best here. So when we look at the mythology and lore, she's said to have been the first performing comic always bringing joy into spaces that she entertained.
00:11:07
Speaker
So, when it comes to Japanese mythology, Ame no Uzume appears predominantly in the tale of Amaterasu and throughout the mythology and lore surrounding her family. She is said to have rescued the son by summoning the revered goddess Amaterasu. So this is where we're going to talk about Amaterasu and the cave, and I'll try not to steal too much of your thunder because I know you're covering her.
00:11:30
Speaker
But, basically, in this story, it appears that Amaterasu has gone into hiding due to her brother Susanu bringing shame on her. And because she disappeared, so did the sun. So this sent the world into darkness and it like brought everything like into coldness. The Kami continued to try and convince Amaterasu to come out of hiding, but she just wouldn't reappear.
00:11:54
Speaker
So Ame no Azume is like, we gotta get the sun back. So she comes up with this plan with the other deities. And basically her plan consists of her dancing comically for all the kame to see. And she would do this like on top of a overturned bathtub that she found. And her feet, because she's like on the bathtub, would basically be making a drumming sound for music while she danced.
00:12:17
Speaker
And while she was doing this, she was also taking off pieces of her clothing little by little, leaving her partially nude. So she's essentially performing a striptease for the rest of the deities. It was like freaking hilarious to read, right? And the rest of the Kami thought it was hilarious. So they began laughing hysterically. And Amaterasu is in her little cave, like hiding, and she's like blocked herself in with this rock.
00:12:42
Speaker
and she hears the laughter and she grows curious. So she moves the rock that she used to like block the cave's entrance and sees Ame no Izume like strip teasing, doing like a little strip performance. And she decides that she needs a better view. And so she comes out of the cave to watch. Little did she know, they planned a distraction by placing a mirror near Ame no Izume where Amaterasu would be able to see herself as part of the performance.
00:13:10
Speaker
And it was also like her coming out was bringing the sun, so their their hope was that the sun would reflect off the mirror and also blind her for a second. because, you know, she's coming out of darkness and it's all bright. So they used the distraction to bind the rock in place, sealing the cave so that Amaterasu couldn't re-enter it, which brought the sun back into the world and made Ame no Azume, a savior to everyone. Amaterasu's grief dissipated apparently once she saw Ame no Azume half naked and dancing like a lunatic.
00:13:41
Speaker
making her not want to retreat to the cave anymore like anyways. Another piece of lore that I found was it's called Crossing the Heavenly Floating Bridge and in this story Amaterasu was also part of this one so I don't know if you came across it too. So here she summons the grandchild of heaven to help establish order in the civilization among the earthly kami and to found the imperial line of Japan.
00:14:09
Speaker
So Ame no Izume was asked to accompany them for protection, embarking on a journey towards Japan where they are faced by like this fearsome dragon at the ethereal floating bridge of heaven. Ame no Izume steps forward to subdue the dragon.
00:14:25
Speaker
with her enchanting presence, and after what is described as a seductive conversation, the dragon then reveals himself to be Sarotahiko, the deity of crossroads, and then he guides them on their journey. So Ame no Izume and Sarotahiko later married, and their lineage was said to give rise to a group of sacred female dancers who performed in Shinto ceremonies throughout Japan.
Working with Ame no Uzume
00:14:50
Speaker
And in pop culture, Megami Tensei video game franchise, apparently, has references or they have this character that is Ame no Uzume. And like it's specifically the Persona series, apparently, and she's often depicted or she is depicted here as a demon that you can summon.
00:15:13
Speaker
So like in the video game, I guess you can like summon her, but she's a demon, not like a deity. So I don't know. Ask Mike, I know he plays that video game or yeah, I think it's one of the video games where he loves the ah soundtrack and I really don't like the soundtrack, but he plays it all the time. But I'm gonna ask him if he's come across that in the video. Yeah.
00:15:34
Speaker
And then lastly here we're just going to talk about like if you want to work with Ame no Ozume like some tie-ins or some things that you can do. So I think what's going to be the most important factor in working within the Japanese pantheon is to really do your research. In terms of Ame no Uzume, you're not only going to want to do research on her, but also just on the Shinto practice and traditions. And so like, just please keep that in mind. Should you be interested in working with Ame no Uzume? And from what I was able to find in my own research,
00:16:08
Speaker
Shinto practices are not seen as closed practices, and you might know better being over there, Sam. But from what I found, it basically said that they're not limited by geography, nationality, or ethnicity. So if I'm wrong here, like please let me know, but that's what I found in my own research, and and that's why it's always important to do your research too, which we always tell you guys, right? Do your own research.
00:16:32
Speaker
But and that being said, here's some examples that I was able to find on how you can include Ame Nozume in your practice. So she was considered a meditation figure for those within the Shinto practice. So including her in your meditation practices would be a great way to work with her. And to take it a step farther, she's also considered the goddess of dawn.
00:16:53
Speaker
so maybe practice meditations at dawn to add an additional correspondence for her. She was the creator of the Kagura dance, so researching the history, the ceremony, and the dance itself, as well as maybe even learning you know learning the dance. That would be a great way to both honor and connect with her. Shinto practices have several rituals that all vary depending on location, occasions, or there's like several factors that play in there, but they can be dedicated to one particular kami or deity and they can be performed in order to appease several of the kami because music and dance are important pieces to each of them, like to each of the rituals. It would mean that each one kind of pays homage to Ame no Uzume in some form.
00:17:41
Speaker
And then I found this article in the person's name. I'm hoping that I say it right. Again, it's a name so there's no like way for me to figure out how to say this, but it's Zelschka Stanek of Goddess Gifts noted that there is the importance of holding on to hope when working with Ame no Izume.
00:18:01
Speaker
You have to be driven and choose to believe in like a better tomorrow, always pushing forward in your efforts to leave the darkness behind. She also notes that you have to be able to laugh more. Ame no Uzume was a mischievous comedian whose goal was to like always bring others fun and laughter. And one of the easiest ways to honor her would be to incorporate this into your practice um like and within your own life for those around you.
00:18:30
Speaker
And you could explore and express your sexuality without shame. Ame no Ozume was the epitome of being comfortable in your own skin and in your sexuality. She made others laugh by taking her clothes off and dancing erratically with her breasts on display. She used being comfortable with her own body to her advantage when she needed to. And while I'm not telling you to go out and like shake your tatas all over town, I'm suggesting that you find how to be more comfortable in your own body and in then expressing like your own sexuality. And should you choose to create an altar dedicated to Ame no Uzume, you would want to include symbols of the sun, music, the kagira fan, Japanese foxes, mirrors, dancing, bronze, and jade, and anything else that I mentioned earlier when I was talking about her. so But that's it. That's Ame no Uzume. She was hilarious. She's basically the world's first striptease.
00:19:29
Speaker
And I loved her. Yes. I love that as well. Right.
Sun Goddess Amaterasu
00:19:33
Speaker
So let's talk about Amaterasu and there will be some overlapping in some of this stuff. So as just a little background and, you know, as much as, you know, it's it's basically already been alluded to, many of the deities that are prevalent in Japanese mythology are tied with Japan's Shinto religion. And if you know anything about Japan, you've probably heard that Japan is the land of the rising sun.
00:19:57
Speaker
And this myth is credited back to the times of Marco Polo in the 13th century. So when he was visiting southern China, he met some sailors who told him about a land that existed in the sun's origin or the rising sun. So at least from the 13th century, it has been surmised that many people from China referred to Japan as the country that the sun first touched or like where the sun originated from because of where Japan was in relation to China when the sun was rising. So I thought that was really interesting.
00:20:29
Speaker
Additionally, at the beginning of the 7th century, a Japanese sovereign was sent to China and they used the land of the rising sun and their message as a sign of respect toward the Japanese sovereign. And this all is important because it relates back to the goddess Amaterasu because she is a Japanese goddess of the sun and of the universe.
00:20:47
Speaker
She is the embodiment of the rising son of Japan. She maintains harmony and balance in the natural world and within human society. She is the queen of the Kami. In Shintoism, the Kami are the spirits, gods, and deities. It's like all of these things. Kami is a wide concept that can be used to describe the spirits of deceased loved ones, gods within Japanese mythology, animal spirits, and even deities associated with other religions.
00:21:14
Speaker
so The Japanese imperial family claims that they have descended from her, and this is what gives them divine right to rule over Japan. And this was very much emphasized during the Shinto state, which was a period between 1868 to 1945, when Shinto basically functioned as a government organization.
00:21:34
Speaker
And after World War II, the Emperor at the time, Emperor Showa, issued a statement on the radio where he announced that he actually was not a commie. The Imperial Family claims that it's able to trace its roots back to the sun goddess as of 600 BC. And because of this in pre-modern Japan, this was many of the justifications for the Japanese society's caste system, which kind of sucks. So the imperial family has used this presumed fact that they are descended from Amaterasu as their own legitimizing power and have used it to ensure Amaterasu's place as the queen of heaven.
00:22:14
Speaker
so When we look at mythology and lore, I'm going to preface this section because there is a ton of lore and mythology surrounding Amaterasu.
Amaterasu's Myths and Relics
00:22:24
Speaker
I didn't include all of it because we would literally be here all day.
00:22:27
Speaker
so you're interested in Amaterasu, I suggest looking at our show notes or just do a quick search yourself because there is just so much lore. Amaterasu is translated as shines from heaven and Amaterasu is shorthand for Amaterasu Omakami and this longer version means the great and glorious Kami who illuminates from heaven. Her attributes consist of being the queen of heaven, queen of the Kami, which I've already mentioned,
00:22:55
Speaker
and Queen of Creation itself. It should also be noted that she did not create the universe. In Japanese lore, she inherited her role in titles from her father, Izanagi, who defends the world from the land of the dead. As she is a sun goddess in Japanese mythology, she serves as a literal rising sun that illuminates the world.
00:23:15
Speaker
and she provides nourishment to all living creatures and, of course, marks the movement from day into night. So in Shintoism, the sun represents order and purity, which are two of the most important concepts in Shintoism. There is also archaeological evidence that may further date prehistoric worship of Amaterasu, as there was a prehistoric sun cult that occupied much of Japan, and this may be the earliest worship of this goddess.
00:23:42
Speaker
So going back to the imperial family, as I said, you know, they claim to be descended from her and they also claim to possess three holy relics that come directly from Amaterasu herself. The Yata no Kagami, the eight-span mirror, which was used to lure Amaterasu from the cave that she hid in that she already discussed,
00:24:03
Speaker
the Yasakani no Magatama, which is the grand jewel, which is a curved beaded necklace common during prehistoric periods in Japan, AKA prior to the fourth century, kind of, and then ah the Kusanagi no Sorugi, which is the grass-cutting sword, and it was once owned by Amaterasu's brother, Susanu, and it represented virtue.
00:24:30
Speaker
And again, so all of these things, let me just say right now, I tried looking up how to say every single one. Yeah. We did not come up. notice I told you, I was like, I'm going to struggle with this episode because there was a lot there. There were some that had like phonetic, like this is how you pronounce it. And then a lot of them were like, here's the name. Bye. And I'm just like, okay, cool. ah So, um, sorry if I butchered any of those names. I'm really sorry.
00:24:58
Speaker
We do our best. We do our best. so Another thing about Japan, if you didn't know, there are shrines throughout the Japanese islands. Usually, if not always, they're characterized by torii gates at the entrance, and this serves as the boundary between holy ground and secular space.
00:25:15
Speaker
and Shinto shrines are built to honor an individual Kami and the Issei Grand Shrine is the official shrine of the Imperial Family and it is the shrine dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu and is one of the most sacred spaces in Japan. It consists of 125 shrines like within this like official grand shrine area. And it has existed as a whole since the third century. But custom dictates that the shrine is torn down and rebuilt every 20 years. So I'm not sure if it's like, just different parts of it are torn down. Yeah. Or what because I feel like that's kind of, I don't understand that practice. But yeah, I mean, I don't know. Several sections of the shrine are reserved where only members of the imperial family and priestesses can pass through.
00:26:06
Speaker
And because of this, the shrine's chief priest and priestess must descend from the imperial family's line, which I thought was kind of interesting. Yeah. So, Amaterasu's family line, let's kind of get into that. Amaterasu is one of three deities that were born from Izanagi, her dad that I referenced and Tiffany also referenced, as he was purifying himself following his attempt to free his wife from the land of the dead. And the lord that I was reading about this, which I thought was kind of weird, I mean, it's fine. Like all, it's just, it's not weird. Let me let me back up.
00:26:42
Speaker
every time we talk about like, like lore of different gods and goddesses, like different deities from different pantheons, the birthing lore is so it's out there. Yeah, like it's like not anywhere near normal. He's like, what? Okay. um So the lore states in this situation that Isagani washed himself after you know, he was you know, that's the whole purifying after he was trying to like save his wife. And during this like washing sequence, Amaterasu was born from his left eye, and her brother, Suku Yomi, could be saying that totally wrong, was born from his right eye, and the storm god, Susanu, was born from his nose. So it was friends ah just shoots him out, you know, it's fine. Maybe, you know, Susanu, Hachu, I don't know. hatu
00:27:35
Speaker
It was said that when Amaterasu was born, she emerged as fully grown and glowing with the light of the sun. And her brother, Sukyomi, was the god of the moon, and he reflected his sister's light. The two married because, of course they did. Of course. Why wouldn't they? ruled Yeah, why wouldn't they?
Amaterasu's Family and Relationships
00:27:54
Speaker
um but and they ruled the day and the night. But as suku-yomi's goodness was merely just a reflection of Amaterasu's light, he ended up quote-unquote showing his true colors at a banquet which caused him to be banished from by Amaterasu and thus day and night became separated for all of eternity. So the story goes that uke-mochi who was a goddess created a bounty of food This is a wild fucking story. I'm just going to preface this right now. ah She created a bounty of food, right? How she did this was by spitting fish into the sea and game into the forest, and she pulled crops from her rectum. Straight from the booty hole. Straight from the booty hole. Suku Yomi was so disgusted by this that he killed Uke Mochi on the spot. To be fair though,
00:28:45
Speaker
This would have kind of grossed me out too. So I'm just like here she is' like, let me give you a feast and you're like dead immediately. No. yeah Like, let me just shit out some broccoli for you. Okay. Like I'm going to eat that. I don't know. So.
00:29:02
Speaker
Amaterasu in the Cave is the story that Tiffany talked about already, and it's probably the most famous mythology surrounding Amaterasu, and that's involving this like whole cave stuff.
00:29:14
Speaker
it's like the one of two mythologies that my person was in so I was like I'm gonna try and keep it as brief as possible not to steal your thunder oh no no I'm going to just I'm gonna try and not say the same things that you did so I'm just gonna give like the background because before I told this big story I don't know yeah it's not that big of a deal So as I mentioned, Amaterasu has two brothers, one she married and the other who resented her ruling of the heavens, and this was Susanu. Susanu was eventually banished by their father for his arrogance, but before he went quietly into the night, he challenged Amaterasu by taking her necklace, and she in turn took a sword. At the end of the day, the gods and goddesses were born from during this whole little argument slash fighting that
00:30:05
Speaker
they engaged in by stealing each other's shit. Gods and goddesses were born from the item. So there was gods born from the sword, goddesses born from the necklace. It's a very long story. It's kind of confusing. But at the end of the day, Amaterasu won the challenge. And because Susanoo is a sort of fucking loser, he went on a rampage and destroyed much of heaven and earth. And Amaterasu felt so ashamed that her actions led to this chaos, even though it's like, I mean,
00:30:35
Speaker
He's just a sore loser. You couldn't have yeah you know assumed that. That's when she fled to the cave. so and The cave is known as the Amano Iwato or the Heavenly Rock Cave. and When she went into hiding, you know as you mentioned, like the entire world went into darkness and this is when we started having the first winter.
00:30:54
Speaker
So, and then, you know, Pass Forward and all of the Kami work together with Ame no Azumi to get around. So, all done. So, Amaterasu is also in pop culture along with Ame no Azumi. And so, Okami is a video game series where Amaterasu is banished from the earth and takes the form of a white wolf.
00:31:15
Speaker
And Naruto, a powerful jutsu, hold on, I'm saying that right, called Amaterasu burns victims, which doesn't sound very nice. um And Yu-Gi-Oh, which is a card game, she is seen as a powerful card. And in Stargate SG-1, Amaterasu is seen as the lord of the, I don't know how to fucking say this shit, so I'm just gonna wing it. Goa Uld system.
00:31:41
Speaker
and it seeks peace with humanity. So pretty interesting. I wasn't expecting the Stargate SG-1 one. Yeah, that's very like an out there reference, I think. Yeah. I love how things like this show up in pop culture, but it is ah it will always be this weird, obscure thing that you're like, you would not expect it. No, yeah. Yeah, absolutely not. so And I don't know if, because I've never seen Stargate SG-1, because she's referenced in there as a lord of the Goa'uld system, like is Amaterasu a man in? I don't know. I guess if you've watched Stargate SG-1 and you've seen Amaterasu and then let us know, let us know. I'm curious. So working with Amaterasu, again, there's a ton of information that I found online about how to work with Amaterasu in your magical practice.
Engaging with Amaterasu Spiritually
00:32:30
Speaker
So again, to reiterate what Tiffany said, please do your own research, not just on her, but on Shintoism and Japanese mythology as a whole, because it's so much more to it than just us talking to you guys about this. So first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with her lore and her stories if you're wanting to work with her. As she is associated with the rising sun,
00:32:51
Speaker
Practice rituals honoring her with the sunrise. So greet the sun and offer thanks to the goddess and ask her for her guidance and protection. That would be a really easy, simple thing that anyone can do. You could also use mirrors in your practice as she's associated with mirrors. And as she's also associated with purity and light, keep your sacred space clean, free of clutter,
00:33:11
Speaker
and full of light. Respect and reverence is also very important when working with Amaterasu and in Shinto beliefs it is important to remain pure of heart and have a sincere attitude when engaging with deities. So for offerings if you want to work with her and maybe set up a little offering station. Some good things would be rice, sake, pure water, sunflowers, candles, and anything that would symbolize the light or the sun. Correspondences would be the colors gold, yellow, orange, and white, or any of her symbols such as the sun, mirror,
00:33:49
Speaker
magatama, which is that curved beaded necklace I mentioned earlier, and swords. The element that she corresponds with is fire. As far as metals, this would be brass and gold. For herbs and plant materials, this would be heliotrope and sandalwood.
00:34:04
Speaker
The month she is associated with is August, the season is summer, and the planet she's associated with is the sun. As far as plants, this would be sunflower and the sacred Sakaki tree. And for animals, this would be the rooster and the Yata no Karasu, which is a three-legged crow. And I honestly wish I would have gone back and done a little bit more research on this three-legged crow, but hey.
00:34:29
Speaker
It is what it is. Do your own research, guys. Do your own research. Exactly. For crystals, this would be the sunstone, citrine, amber, and goldstone. The day of the week that is associated with Amaterasu is Sunday. And for instance, this would be frankincense, sandalwood, and any citrus scents.
00:34:47
Speaker
So additionally in our show notes, J Southern Studio has a mirror magic ritual that they have created for working with Amaterasu. So if you are interested in that, give it a read because I thought it was very intriguing. So but that is all I have on Amaterasu.
00:35:02
Speaker
I loved both of these. Yeah. I also sent you, because I was like, I'll probably forget, I sent you Amaterasu in Stargate. Oh. It is a woman. It is a woman. It is a woman. Wow. I wonder if online it said Lord when it meant lady. I don't know. It says, I guess they're all Lords. Okay. of that What was it? The Goa something? Goa Oold or something? Yeah. So they're like all of the people of that are Lords.
00:35:31
Speaker
Oh my gosh, the the actress who plays her is stunning. Right? I was like, oh Sam's gonna love this. Yeah. ah well yeah well And if you guys are interested, go Google search Amaterasu in Stargate SG1. Yeah. And if you're interested in any deities from Other pantheons, or if you're interested in deities, like from this pantheon, the Shinto religion, let us know. We'd love to cover ones that you guys are like actually interested in learning about too, because just so you guys know, we just pick at random. If we're like, hey, let's go into this you know pantheon, we just pick deities at random. So if there's like specific ones you want us to cover, let us know. We'd love to cover them for you guys. Otherwise, we're just going to keep doing random things.
00:36:21
Speaker
so We run off vibes and coffee. That should be our new merch. Yeah, vibes and coffee.