I just got back from a Shinto shrine

[RazorbackExpat]

I don't know what your image of Shintoism is, but in today's Japan, it's basically a religion for the here and now. In other words, it's for people who want something good to come into their lives, or to keep bad things out of their lives. There are different kinds of Shinto shrines that specialize in different things, like safe childbirth, traffic safety, finding a good mate, and so on. There are different ways to ask for what you want, such as making a silent prayer at the entrance of a shrine, writing your request on a prayer board and hanging it in a special place at the shrine, or attending a special personalized ritual officiated by a Shinto priest.

The shrine I attended offers rituals for different requests, ranging from safety in the home (家内安全 ) and factory safety (工場安全 ) to elimination of evil things in your life (厄除け ). Technically, there are certain years in your life that are considered to be particularly susceptible to evil things. For men, early 60s are considered to be particularly dangerous, called yakudoshi (厄年 ). My
60s have sucked, so in years past, I went to that shrine to ask for the bad shit to get out of my life. It seems to have worked. However, the last two years I never made such a request, and I had some major health problems both years. So hopefully my health and personal situation will be OK this year. I just hope it will be a good year as well for my family, friends, and everyone here.

[slightlv]

1. I studied Shintoism back

When I became a Seeker. I found it to be a beautiful religion. I'd live one day to be someplace where I could visit a shrine. Im imagining the peacefulness....

[RazorbackExpat]

2. The shrine I went to was great

It's like a regional shrine that attracts people from all around the area. There were a lot of people there when I went, and there were quite a few at the ritual I attended, some of whom also wanted bad stuff to get out of their lives. It was also a festive atmosphere, as it was a national holiday, and there were various vendors selling traditional fares like yakisoba and takoyaki, as well as vendors of various plants like potted orange trees and Japanese herbs. It was a wonderful day.