Shinto

"The Way of The Gods"
Traditional spiritual path of the Japanese. It is estimated that over
130,000,000 people are Shinto. Peace and beauty are sought in this
way of life.

Shinto is a very simple spiritual path that has much power there is no
real God worship in Shinto. A purely animistic view gives that "Kami" are
the Divine in everything from people to trees. It is said that there are
8 million Kami and this has been interpreted to mean that there are Kami
for everything that there is. The major Kami in Shinto are:

Amaterasu "Great Goddess who shines from the Heavens" she is the Sun Kami
and it is from her that the Japanese Royal line descends.
Uzume The Dawn Kami,
Kami-no-Kaze The Wind Kami who is so old that he was there at the time of
creation,
Hachiman-shin or Yawata no Kami The Kami of War and Protector of Japan,
Inari the androgenous Rice Kami who grants fertility,
Izanagi Kami of Creation and Life and his wife/sister Izanami Kami of
Creation and Death, they are the parents of Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi.
Omoikane The Kami of Wisdom and Council of The Kami themselves,
Raiden The Kami (or Oni) of Thunder and Lightning,
Owatatsumi Dragon God of The Sea,
Suijin Kami of Water,
Susanoo-no-Mikoto The Storm Kami,
Tsukiyomino Mikoto The Moon Kami and brother of Amaterasu and Susanoo.

Along with the Great Kami are the Seven Lucky Gods

Benten Goddess of the Flowing, such as words, knowledge, thoughts and poetry
Tamonten Punisher of Criminals and God of Fortunate Warriors
Daikoku God of The Wealth of The Harvest and The Household
Yebisu The Laughing God, First child of Izanagi and Izanami
Fukurokuju, Sothern Pole Star God of Longevity and Wisdom
Hotei God of Contentment and Abundance "Laughing Buddha"
Kudokuden Goddess of Beauty, Happiness and Fertility

The Kami are neither good nor evil and are capable of both and anything
in between. "Things are as they are."

Aside from Kami there are also Oni, Kappa and Yurei.

Oni are something like Otherworldly Deamons who, although not specifically
evil, do often bring disaster, death and plague. Some dead turn into Oni
and others into Yurei.
Yurei are ghosts, and they can be dangerous as they are unsettled and often
quite unhappy.

Though there are no church services in the Shinto religion there are
many shrines big and small. Everything from a tiny niche by the road side
to a full sized temple for many attendants and monks. Each family has a
personal shrine in their house. Usually a small niche or table layed out
with statues of Kami, pictures of ancestors, candles and offerings of
incense and often strung over with zig-zag strips of paper or straw called a
Shimenawa for protection. They mimic the public shrines in every way on a miniature scale.

An ancient and unbroken tradition of ancestor veneration is still very strong
in the practice of Shinto as are moral codes of conduct. These aspects as well
as the awareness of the Kami are integral parts of everyday life.

The practices associated with the Shinto lifestyle are harvest
celebrations as well as others to mark the passing of the seasons of the
year. It is surmised that these are the reasons that Japan has been so easily
able to move forward into the future while not for a moment forgetting it's
past, continuing on with a core sense of self.

Maneki Neko

What is the Maneki Neko? You most likely have already seen a statue of one
as he is by far the most popular kami all of Japan. Many Asian stores in
North America will have a happy cat with a raised paw by the entrance or the
register, this is Maneki Neko who's name means "The Beckoning Cat".

The origin of Maneki Neko is thus, in the 17th Century there was a woman in
Japan who was so poor that she had to sell her beloved cat. She was distraught
and overcome with grief. One night he came to her in a dream and counciled her
to fashion a cat like him out of clay and to sell it. She obeyed him and after
doing so the demand was so great for these statues that she sold them as fast
as she could make them. The woman prospered and was happy for the rest of her
life.

The Maneki Neko Shrines
There are two famous shrines to Maneki Neko in Tokyo, one on the East side and
one in the West. The shrine in the East is a Shinto shrine called The Imado Jinja.
The Western Tokyo shrine is a Buddhist shrine called Gotokuji Temple. Thus each
of Japan's major religions pay homage to The Maneki Neko in their own ways.
There are thousands of Maneki Neko figures and statues for sale on the streets
near both of these shrines and although they are all distinctly Maneki Neko they
each have their own unique appearance.

Maneki Neko come in all sizes with the smallest being the most expensive.
The raised paw is beckoning, in Japan this gesture is one of calling
something to you, not waving goodbye as it is here in The West. There is
meaning in which paw he has raised to call forth. The left paw is raised
to bring luck and money, His right paw is raised brings happiness, Both
paws raised is considered most lucky as it brings both money and happiness.
A whopping 70% of ceramic Maneki Nekos sold in Japan have both of their paws
raised to beckon.

Maneki Neko come in several colours and although all are lucky the colour
adds additional meaning. White Cats are for purity and happiness, Red ones
protect against malignant magic and illness, Black Nekos are used to ward
and protect and the Golden ones provide a stronger sort of wealth and
prosperity and are the most popular for business owners. They do now come in
more modern decorative colours that serve no magical purpose.

In addition to their colour and paw position the Maneki Neko have certain
talismanic elements such as the collar, bib and coin which serve to reinforce
their protective and prosperous attributes.

In the home the Maneki Neko brings happiness and prosperity to those who
live there. Placed traditionally in the bedroom for happy marriages and
the successful conception of children or by your desk for success in
business and study. If you have a third floor, it is particularly auspicious
to have a Maneki Neko there. A tiny Maneki Neko would be a grand charm to
place in your purse or perhaps a keychain fob.