Upon exiting the cave, she was greeted by the mirror and her own reflection, at which point, the other gods took the opportunity to seal the cave shut with a shimenawa.Square and Compass The symbol of the Masons, The Masonic Order. In response, she was told that there was a goddess even more beautiful than herself outside the cave. Curious about the festive noises, Amaterasu peeked out of the cave and asked why the other gods were celebrating. The gods hung jewels and a mirror from a sakaki tree in front of the cave to distract Amaterasu's attention should she venture outside. In order to coax her out of the cave, numerous other gods gathered outside the cave and threw a party. This belief goes all the way back to a legend involving the Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu, who once went into hiding in a cave, thereby plunging the world into darkness. Shinkyo can be seen displayed at Shinto alters as an avatar of the kami, the idea being that the god will enter the mirror in order to interface with our world. Our final Shinto symbol for discussion is in the “shinkyo,” or "god mirror," a mystical object said to connect our world to the spirit realm. On a less spiritual and more practical note, the color red is also the color of the lacquer which has traditionally been used to coat the wood of the torii and protect it against the elements. Once again, by passing through these red gates, visitors to a shrine are cleansed of any bad energy, ensuring that only good energy will be brought to the Kami that resides inside. In Japan, the color red is representative of the sun and life, and it is also said to ward off bad omens and disasters. The act of passing through a torii is seen as a form of purification, which is very important when visiting a shrine, as purification rituals are a major function in Shinto.Īfter learning about what torii are, it is natural to wonder why so many are painted such a vibrant shade of red (or orange).
Made of wood or stone, these two-post gateways are known as “torii” and show the boundaries in which a kami lives. Perhaps the most recognizable symbols of Shintoism are the majestic gates that mark the entrance to Shinto shrines.
The six Shinto symbols we will be covering today are " torii," " shimenawa," " shide," " sakaki," " tomoe," and " shinkyo." Torii Gates, The Entrance to Shinto Shrines Now that we have laid the groundwork for what makes Shinto unique, let's take a look at some of the more notable Shinto symbols and motifs and the meanings behind them. Unlike some religions, there is no central authority that dictates the rules and regulations of Shinto, and as a result, practices can vary greatly from region to region and even neighboring shrines. Another term to describe Shinto is “kami-no-michi,” or “the way of the gods.” Like any religion, it is difficult to concisely define Shinto in a few words, however, it is notable for its polytheistic worship of “kami,” meaning “gods or spirits that exist in all things.” Because of this belief that kami reside in all things across nature-such as mountains, trees, waterfalls, etc-Shinto is also classified as an animistic religion, one that worships nature or nature spirits.
Before we get into the meaning behind Shinto symbols, let’s go over some of the basic concepts connected to Shinto to get a better understanding of the religion (if we can even call it that).
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