New moon, Solar eclipse and Lunar New year...

On the day of the New Moon at 06:04 this morning, I went to ”住吉大社” (Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine) after giving a offering to my Shinto alter. I wanted to feel and receive the divine energy filled in the shrine before more people are coming to visit. 

As I visited ”伏見稲荷神社” (Fushimi Inari Shrine) several weeks ago, there were only a few visitors yet, and silence and solemnity were utterly filled in the air. That's what I wanted to feel...

”住吉大社” (Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine) is made of 4 main shrines to worship 4 different Gods. I normally make a prayer only for those 4 shrines, and I started it from one of them which is the closest to the main entrance. After finished the second one, I looked up to the sky, and notice a hint of my favorite clouds movement coming. 

I immediately made an excuse the Gods suspend the greeting prayer just for a while, I grabbed my iPhone and started taking the photos. "Slowly, but Surely", it starts moving making shapes. 

The phrase "Slowly, but Surely..." is what I heard when I visited Matjesfontein in South Africa 5 years ago.  I just recalled the phrase...

Probably because of the New Moon's energy flows with more energy added by the Partial Solar Eclipse (Not in Japan), the clouds in the sky might have been forming those shapes.

This New Moon occurs in the star chart of Aquarius. As Ms. KAIBE Mai, an astrologer explains, Aquarius symbolizes wiping out everything old to find the New World. And so the lunar calendar which interpret this New Moon as a beginning of the New Year is making sense... 

Feeling a bit guilty not finishing the greeting prayer for the rest, I went back to the rest of those shrines for greeting.

The atmosphere of ”住吉大社” (Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine) still kept the silence and solemnity sometime later after the Sunrise. I saw a few elderly people who were sincerity making a prayer, and also a few middle aged with their business suits jackets on. They probably make it a habit to visit the shrine before going to work. I felt the strength of their faiths to their patronizing the Gods of  ”住吉大社” (Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine).

Before leaving the shrine at the bicycle parking, my attention was drawn to ”狛犬" (Komainu) at the South Shrine gate. I was already curious about them before, but I dare didn't go have a look because I normally go back home from the main Shrine gate in the Eastern direction. 

"OK, OK! I'm coming..."

When I faced to them, I had a strong familiar feeling for them because they look like ”シーサー” (Shisa) in Okinawa. And I started taking photos of them. When I focused on the left one, it looked so nervous in the photo frame as if it does't get used to it. Most visitors go through the main gate, the ones at the main gate always looks majestically in photo frames. Very funny indeed!

In the next day off, I should visit there after the gate opens. I'm just wondering how solemnly ”伊勢神宮” (Ise Gingu) or ”出雲大社” (Izumo Taisha) would be in the early morning... For those shrines, I need to stay over at night in the towns to visit the shrines in the early morning, but I'm sure that it's worth doing for these silence and solemnity. 

Masami