Thread by @camelliakyoto

⛩️SEIMEI'S SHRINE⭐️
It may be small, and is perhaps not as attractive as other nearby shrines, but Seimei-jinja's (晴明神社) grounds are filled with interesting monuments and memorials to Abe-no-Seimei (安倍晴明 921-1005) and his mysterious life.
#Japan #Kyoto #晴明神社 #京都

1) SHIKIGAMI (式神)

Shikigami are somewhat unruly spirits summoned by onmyōji (陰陽師) to serve them. Invisible to almost everyone but the summoner, they would -for the most part- act like normal servants, performing household chores or secretarial duties.
#Japan #式神 #folklore

Fearsome in appearance, the shikigami's powers were connected to the strength of their master. Thus it is of no surprise that Seimei (安倍晴明) was said to have had 12 'shikijin' (式神), mostly performing simple tasks such as guarding his residence or opening gates.
#安倍晴明

Seimei's wife was terrified of the creatures, and so when not needed he would hide them away in a box beneath nearby Ichijō Modori Bridge (一条戻橋).
His wife's fear was not completely unfounded. There are tales of shikigami breaking free from spells & turning on their masters.

Seimei had a great rival by the name of Ashiya Dōman (蘆屋道満), and many stories focus on their magical battles. One of the most famous concerns a competition to 'divine' the contents of a box. Ashiya rigged the duel, but Seimei bettered him by turning oranges into rats.
#Japan

As I live not too far from Seimei-jinja (晴明神社), I thought I'd pop and see if they have any shikigami-related things for sale.
Sure enough they did, and now I have my very own tiny shikigami (式神).

#Kyoto #京都 #Japan #晴明神社 #abenoseimei #式神

There is one famous story involving shikigami. One day Fujiwara-no-Michinaga's (藤原道長) dog, unusually, would not let him leave the house. Seimei investigated, only to discover that someone (a rival onmyōji) had sent a shikigami to curse him on his way to the palace!
#Kyoto

2) SEIMEI SPRING (晴明井の晴明水)

Seimei-jinja's 'Seimei-i' (晴明水) was known as one of Yamashiro’s notable springs (山城名泉). On the first day of spring the shrine priests divine the year's lucky direction and turn the pentagram atop the lid accordingly.
#京都 #晴明水 #晴明井

Drinking the water is said to bring luck.
Seimei, through psychokinesis (念力), is said to have first made water appear in the grounds of his villa.
The great tea master Sen-no-Rikyu (千利休 1522-91), who had his mansion close by, regularly used the water for his tea gatherings.

3) PEACHES🍑👋

Before Seimei-jinja's main hall is a large, bronze peach known as 'Yakuyoke-momo' (厄除桃 lit. 'Peach to Ward-off Evil').
The faithful smooth the fruit's surface in the hope it will purify and protect them against misfortune.
#SeimeiShrine #安倍晴明 #Japan #Kyoto

In China peaches were symbols of longevity, and peach wood was used as a charm against evil.
The Kojiki (古事記) and Nihon Shoki (日本書紀) both recount a tale in which a peach was used to exorcise a demon.

#晴明神社 #安倍晴明 #AbeNoSeimei #Kyoto #陰陽師 #Onmyoji

4) PENTAGRAM/SEIMAN (セーマン/安倍晴明判)

It is said that Seimei created the Seiman pentacle, a seal representing the 5 elements and often used as clan symbol.
The 5 points symbolise wood, water, earth, fire and metal (the Western pentagram derives from the 5 senses).
#Kyoto

All the elemental points are connected, but like a game of janken (じゃん拳 'Rock Paper Scissors'), each has strengths and weaknesses.
For example fire eats wood & melts metal, but can be extinguished by water or earth.

The shrine is adorned with these emblem pentacles.
#Japan

The protective pentagram, made with a single stroke, has no gaps and so prevents evil from entering.

The 'Dōman Lattice' (ドーマンセーマン) represents many eyes guarding against evil (the 9 lines are thought to derive from 9 characters uttered by shugendō practitioners 修験者).

Ashiya Dōman (蘆屋道満/道摩法師) was Seimei's great rival, adept at curse making. If we strip back the fantastical stories, it is likely that he was a real man (there is a record of Takashina-no-Mitsuko 高階光子 hiring him during the reign of Emperor Ichijō 一条天皇 980-1011).

Seimei and Dōman, both onmyōji, are considered flip sides of the same coin...the 'evil Dōman' (悪の道満) contrasting with the 'justice of Seimei' (正義の晴明).
Dōman's fearsome reputation most likely comes from his use of curses. We don't know if he ever worked with Seimei.
#京都

5) FOXES

Thanks to his mother, Seimei is deeply linked to the cult of Inari, and the god's fox messengers.
The legend goes that Abe-no-Yasuna (安倍保名), Seimei's father, happened upon a fox ensnared in the Shinoda Woods (Settsu Province) and out of pity freed the poor creature.

At that moment the hunter (a military commissioner hunting for fox livers to use in medicine) returned and fought with Yasuna.

Yasuna escaped with the fox, but was seriously injured and fainted. When he awoke he discovered he was being cared for by a beautiful woman.
#Japan

Kuzunoha (葛の葉 'Kudzu Leaf') was the guardian of the Shinoda shrine, and she just so happened to be a fox. The couple fell in love and had Seimei.
Accompanying Yasuna to the capital, she lived her life in human form to raise their child.
#Japan #AbenoSeimei #葛の葉 #Kyoto

It is only when he came of age that Seimei discovered his mother was a fox. In doing so the magic was undone and Kuzunoha was obliged to return to her old life as guardian of Shinoda Shrine.
She bestowed a final gift...Seimei could now understand the language of animals.
#Japan

6) CAMPHOR TREE (クスノキ)

The 300 year old camphor tree is by far the oldest part of the shrine. It is considered a power spot, and worshipers are invited to place both their hands on the bark to absorb the ancient energy of the tree.
#Kyoto #京都 #Japan #晴明神社 #安倍晴明