atkoi
Level 27
SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY APPLICATION
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Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
wkoi
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
atkoi#7205
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
EST
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS:
I have two previous bans, one was a misunderstand and lifted immediately, the other was for unseriousRP
Both had happened near the beginning of my time on SRP in 2021, and since then I've had a clean slate.
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
I do.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
My activity is very consistent between 4 of my 5 accounts.
My main account, atkoi, is the college cheer captain. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I tend to host an event, practice, or hangout.
My second account, wkoi, was a surgeon at the hospital. As EMS, we're expected to be fairly active and help out other players for medical emergencies and upkeep our quotas.
My third account, hkoi, is a professor and the character, Christian Green, is very well-known in the community.
My fourth account, wfairy, is currently swapping between two characters (Niko Graves and Mu Akihito). It is a grade-8 account!
The last account, koeui, is my fox account.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
Priest.
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
I've been part of the shrine in the past as a priest with the character Christian Green. When it comes to Shintoism, I have a vast wealth of knowledge on Shintoism and how the shrine is run on SRP.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I'm very well-known between old and new shrine members, and typically come by the shrine to detailrp the usual tasks shrine members are given anyway. I'm well-versed with how the shrine is run and I enjoyed my time there. Now that I have more time on my hands and I'm not as stressed, I wouldn't mind picking up being a priest again for the chance to improve shrine activity and get paid for the things I already do there.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
I do acknowledge and understand that I'll need to attend mandatory trainings and the procedures that follow.
───────────────────────────────────────
In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Gabriel Blackbourne
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Mr.
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
31
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
American
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030) 092-7539
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
I've always enjoyed my time at the shrines across Japan, and I've taken up residency at a few in the past. I've finally decided to settle down in Karakura, and seeing as how a majority of the past decade has been spent with being a priest, I find comfort in the quiet atmosphere of the shrine. I understand my duties as a priest and I'm willing to continue upholding traditional values and teaching others the importance of the kami.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
I am aware of the dark past the monastery holds, including the old shrine where it had been burnt down due to a head priest, Kannushui Ginjiro. The shrine itself had been built in the year 744, on the sixth of June. Initially it had been a site for Buddhism, eventually allowing Shintoism to be brought into it. Due to the shrine being built into the mountain itself to shelter the kami, the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery's shrine stands as the highest structure inside the grounds and is closest to the kami. It's been known as a more spiritual location due to the seclusion. The area is thought to be a gathering spot for many gods, although one prominent god has stuck around: Chiharu Yamatsumi.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
[!] A letter was sealed with a silver wax with a crescent moon insignia stamped into it. [!]
Dear Monastery Lead,
I send my highest regards and best wishes to you, and hope you are in good health. I am confident in my ability to help care for the kami and the monastery. I am capable of proving worthy of the position if given the chance. I wish to extend a helping hand to those who visit and are in need of guidance, sharing my knowledge of Shintoism and offering advice where it may be requested. I appreciate the time that has been used in reading this letter, and I hope everything I've offered you will be taken into consideration and graciously accepted.
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Gabriel Blackbourne is someone who's described as warm, bright, and calm. With golden eyes and natural curly ginger hair, it isn't hard to pick him out in a crowd. He stands at a lean 6'4, his face adjourned in soft freckles.
Growing up, Gabriel's life hadn't been peaches and roses. He'd grown up as an only child in Northern Carolina with his mother and father. When he was young, he would go with his mother to a lake she'd claimed was her favorite. They'd sit together, feeding the ducks and eating ice cream. It was a safe place, a place where his father refused to go with them.
Home life wasn't the safest for either of them. His father was always lying to his mother, blowing up with little reason, causing tension and fear to strike both the mother and her son, it was no wonder Gabriel would hatch a plan.
Each day, he'd always ask his mother if they could go swimming at the lake, feed the ducks, or go on walks around the lake, hoping he could keep her there long enough so she could see how much better life would be without his father. He wanted her to know she didn't have to live with his pain or his lies. Gabriel never said aloud these were things he wanted for her: A better life. He figured doing nice things for her would one day make her see, and give her a new perspective. The day his father's anger finally killed his mother, he'd regretted never telling her exactly what he wished. The day of his birthday.
He'd been sent abroad to live with his mother's sister in Japan. Having never learned the language, it was a difficult jump-start at 15 years old. He'd been quick to learn Japanese, between his aunt's guidance and being sent to school to catch up on whatever it is he may have missed. His old life in America was well behind him, he'd lost any personal sense of self and was forced to turn a new stone. He found solace in visiting the local Shinto shrines. Meeting the friendly faces of the maidens, learning the religion and making offerings to the kami, the teenager's fascination with the religion and the kind-hearted spirits of those who stayed in these shrines continued to blossom. It was a second family to him. Gabriel's comfort only grew as he frequented the shrines, taking an interest in becoming a priest. Between school, studying, and his visits to make offerings to the kami, Gabriel was one of few who was given the opportunity to add on extra studies early on in his high school career for Shintoism.
Eventually, he ended up being a priest for the Kitano Tenmangu shrine in Kyoto, Japan. He'd stayed there for close to three years before his initial college studies brought him to the Matsuo Taisha shrine in Kyoto. Here, he'd come to realize just how much he'd come to worship the kami there, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
By the time Gabriel was in his mid-twenties, he'd passed his college exams, kept up with his duties as a priest, and befriended many of the residents in Kyoto.
Leaving behind all of that, Gabriel's ventured to Karakura in hopes of seeking out a new journey. Away from his aunt, the family he'd created out of the friends he'd made.
Karakura is a fresh start. Again.
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Shinto priests, also known as Shinkan or kannushi, are often in charge of purification rituals. They officiate shrine ceremonies on behalf of and at the request of worshippers. They're not expected to lecture, preach, or act as a spiritual leader to their parishioners; rather, their main role is to ensure the continuance of a satisfactory relationship between the kami and those who worship through offerings, evocation of the kami, and mediation of the deity's blessing. Shinto priests are allowed to marry and have families. They're known to travel from the Monastery considerably more than the shrine maidens, interacting with other citizens.
Shrine maidens, also known as Miko, are another type of priest working at a Shinto shrine. The name Miko typically refers to young female priests. Miko perform sacred dances known as kagura to satisfy the Shinto deities, conducting exorcisms, practicing divinations and acted oracles. Believed to posses magical powers, the maidens also work as spirit mediums, channeling spirits and carrying out various other functions as required of them at their given shrine. They are also known to leave the grounds at times, however their duties often focus on the Monastery. Their tasks can differ from performing both morning and evening rituals and general grounds work around the shrine such as sweeping and cleaning. They're often seen selling omamori and omikuji paper fortunes as well as assisting with Shinkan rites and hosting tea ceremonies.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
Once you come upon the purification trough, you start the purification process by lifting up the ladle in your right hand, scooping water while pouring it onto your left hand. Once done with that, you switch the ladle to your left hand and repeat the process of scooping water and pouring it onto your right hand. You'd then scoop some water into the ladle, bringing the tip of it to your mouth and pouring it in, washing your mouth with the water before spitting it onto the rocks below. With the remaining step, you use the water to flow down the ladle by tilting it upwards and allowing it to purify, returning the ladle to its previous position.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
Offerings to a Kami can take place in various forms. Envelopes, boxes of sake, bags of rice, yen, etc. When preparing your offering you can affix a noshi paper onto the item (unless its food that isn't in a box), writing what kind of item you are offering on top and your name on the bottom. Generally, cash is the offering in private ceremony's, and if you enter the worship hall for prayer only, or to attend a service as a member, representative an offering of cash is also a custom. You present the offering as soon as you meet the shrine staff or priest. They'll place your offering on the offering table and let the kami know that you made the offering.
On SRP, when making an offering, you're walking up to the offering box and placing whatever offering you would like to present to the kami in a straightforward and customary approach. Following shortly after that, you would ring the bell in front of the Honden and bow twice. You clap twice, saying your prayers if you so wish. When you're finished, bow once more to complete the ritual.
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
The tea ceremony ritual is lengthy and time consuming at times. The ceremony generally takes place in a tatami room. When you have guests, they're to take the seat closest to the alcove, sitting in a seiza position on the tatami floor. Once the guests have taken their positions, it is customary to bow once more before observing the decorations which are usually carefully selected for whatever the occasion may be. The host, normally the Shinkan or a Shrine maiden, prepares the tea in front of the guests. They typically have a tea whisk, a container for powdered green tea, a tea scoop, tea bowl, sweets container or plate, and a kettle and brazier. Before the tea, a Japanese sweet is served and is to be eaten prior to the tea being consumed. The tea bowl is placed on the tatami mat in front of you with its front facing you. You pick it up with your right hand and place it in your left palm. With your right hand, you turn it clockwise by around 90 degrees so that its front is not facing you anymore. You start by drinking the tea in a few sips and place it back onto the tatami. Bow and express gratitude after receiving and finishing your tea.
Near the end of the ceremony, there will be time to inspect and appreciate the tea bowl by lifting it. Once finished with doing so, turn the bowl so that the front now faces the host. The host may ask if guests would like another round of tea, and if not, the tea ceremony is over when the host washes the tea utensils and returns the equipment to where it had been before starting.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
Tamagushi
Tamagushi is an ancient offering to Kami-sama, it is usually a sakaki tree branch, or at times when there is no sakaki available, an evergreen branch such as cedar, and shide (which is a zigzag strip of white rice paper) on top attached to the leaves. There can be larger and more elaborate tamagushi, with red and white cloth, and asa (sacred hemp fibers) tied in ribbon on the top as well alongside two shide.
The tamagushi represents our sincere hearts and spirits to which we offer to the kami. The evergreen (traditionally sakaki) represents the eternal nature of our spirits and hearts, our connection to nature and the natural world, the physical world. Sakaki, and other evergreen trees, are often seen as a purifying tree.
If asa and red and white cloth are tied onto the tamagushi, they represent dressing our hearts and spirits to be offered sincerely to the kami. Asa is commonly used to tie offerings together, and offered as sacred fiber as well. Cloth is also seen as sacred, and a precious material from the blessings of both the heavens (sun, rain moon) and Earth (soil, growth, seasons, etc)
The action of offering it is important.
When we offer tamagushi, we hold the sakaki branch with the leaves resting on our left palm, and pinching the stem in our right hand. We walk up to the offering area, and bow, raising the tamagushi to our foreheads forward. Going back upright, we turn the tamagushi stem to our hearts, and leaves to the kami. We turn the branch once more to the left, and then forward, so the stem will face the kami and the leaves face us. Then, we place the tamagushi on the offering table, bowing once more, clap to the kami, and bow deeply again.
The reason behind this action is symbolic, it's the action of turning the tamagushi to our hearts and spirit energy, then directing it to the kami to offer. The clapping is to call the kami's attention towards our offering and heart.
Ofuda
An ofuda is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. It's commonly found in both shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. It's considered to be imbued with the power of the deities or Buddhist figures revered therein.
Certain kinds of Ofuda are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens or ceilings).
A specific type of ofuda is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrined kami and stamped with the shrine's seal. These such ofuda are often placed on household shinto altars and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and its deity (or deities) - containing the kami's essence or power by virtue of its consecration- and a medium through which the kami in question can be accessed by the worshiper. In this regard they are somewhat similar to (but not the same as) goshintai, physical objects which serve as repositories for kami in Shinto shrines.
Kagura Suzu
Kagura suzu are a set of twelve bells used in the kagura dance that Shrine maidens perform. The set consists of three tiers of bells suspended by coiled brass wires from a central handle: two bells on the top tier, four bells on the middle tier, and six bells on the bottom tier. The term suzu refers to small bells in general, but it can refer to two Japanese instruments associated with Shinto ritual. One of them being a single large crotal bell similar in shape to a sleigh bell and having a slit on one side, the other being a handheld bell-tree with small crotal bells strung in three levels on a spiraling wire.
The larger form can be hung from a rafter in front of a Shinto shrine and sounded by a robe or ribbons that hand within reach of the worshipper.
The smaller suzu is supported atop a handle and is held by the Shrine maidens costumed in traditional robes, white-powdered faces, and wearing a Heian-period coiffure during performances of the kagura dances.
On a side note, the kagura (which stands for god-entertainment) is a term encompassing Shinto instrumental music, songs and dances performed at shrines and at court. It was formalized as early as 733 CE, when it appeared in the palace repertoire. The small bells, ritual implements of great antiquity, may also be grouped together in bundles for folk and ceremonial performances.
(OPTIONAL) Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?:
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
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Thank you for taking the time to read my application!
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Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
wkoi
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
atkoi#7205
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
EST
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS:
I have two previous bans, one was a misunderstand and lifted immediately, the other was for unseriousRP
Both had happened near the beginning of my time on SRP in 2021, and since then I've had a clean slate.
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
I do.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
My activity is very consistent between 4 of my 5 accounts.
My main account, atkoi, is the college cheer captain. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I tend to host an event, practice, or hangout.
My second account, wkoi, was a surgeon at the hospital. As EMS, we're expected to be fairly active and help out other players for medical emergencies and upkeep our quotas.
My third account, hkoi, is a professor and the character, Christian Green, is very well-known in the community.
My fourth account, wfairy, is currently swapping between two characters (Niko Graves and Mu Akihito). It is a grade-8 account!
The last account, koeui, is my fox account.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
Priest.
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
I've been part of the shrine in the past as a priest with the character Christian Green. When it comes to Shintoism, I have a vast wealth of knowledge on Shintoism and how the shrine is run on SRP.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I'm very well-known between old and new shrine members, and typically come by the shrine to detailrp the usual tasks shrine members are given anyway. I'm well-versed with how the shrine is run and I enjoyed my time there. Now that I have more time on my hands and I'm not as stressed, I wouldn't mind picking up being a priest again for the chance to improve shrine activity and get paid for the things I already do there.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
I do acknowledge and understand that I'll need to attend mandatory trainings and the procedures that follow.
───────────────────────────────────────
In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Gabriel Blackbourne
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Mr.
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
31
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
American
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030) 092-7539
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
I've always enjoyed my time at the shrines across Japan, and I've taken up residency at a few in the past. I've finally decided to settle down in Karakura, and seeing as how a majority of the past decade has been spent with being a priest, I find comfort in the quiet atmosphere of the shrine. I understand my duties as a priest and I'm willing to continue upholding traditional values and teaching others the importance of the kami.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
I am aware of the dark past the monastery holds, including the old shrine where it had been burnt down due to a head priest, Kannushui Ginjiro. The shrine itself had been built in the year 744, on the sixth of June. Initially it had been a site for Buddhism, eventually allowing Shintoism to be brought into it. Due to the shrine being built into the mountain itself to shelter the kami, the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery's shrine stands as the highest structure inside the grounds and is closest to the kami. It's been known as a more spiritual location due to the seclusion. The area is thought to be a gathering spot for many gods, although one prominent god has stuck around: Chiharu Yamatsumi.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
[!] A letter was sealed with a silver wax with a crescent moon insignia stamped into it. [!]
Dear Monastery Lead,
I send my highest regards and best wishes to you, and hope you are in good health. I am confident in my ability to help care for the kami and the monastery. I am capable of proving worthy of the position if given the chance. I wish to extend a helping hand to those who visit and are in need of guidance, sharing my knowledge of Shintoism and offering advice where it may be requested. I appreciate the time that has been used in reading this letter, and I hope everything I've offered you will be taken into consideration and graciously accepted.
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Gabriel Blackbourne is someone who's described as warm, bright, and calm. With golden eyes and natural curly ginger hair, it isn't hard to pick him out in a crowd. He stands at a lean 6'4, his face adjourned in soft freckles.
Growing up, Gabriel's life hadn't been peaches and roses. He'd grown up as an only child in Northern Carolina with his mother and father. When he was young, he would go with his mother to a lake she'd claimed was her favorite. They'd sit together, feeding the ducks and eating ice cream. It was a safe place, a place where his father refused to go with them.
Home life wasn't the safest for either of them. His father was always lying to his mother, blowing up with little reason, causing tension and fear to strike both the mother and her son, it was no wonder Gabriel would hatch a plan.
Each day, he'd always ask his mother if they could go swimming at the lake, feed the ducks, or go on walks around the lake, hoping he could keep her there long enough so she could see how much better life would be without his father. He wanted her to know she didn't have to live with his pain or his lies. Gabriel never said aloud these were things he wanted for her: A better life. He figured doing nice things for her would one day make her see, and give her a new perspective. The day his father's anger finally killed his mother, he'd regretted never telling her exactly what he wished. The day of his birthday.
He'd been sent abroad to live with his mother's sister in Japan. Having never learned the language, it was a difficult jump-start at 15 years old. He'd been quick to learn Japanese, between his aunt's guidance and being sent to school to catch up on whatever it is he may have missed. His old life in America was well behind him, he'd lost any personal sense of self and was forced to turn a new stone. He found solace in visiting the local Shinto shrines. Meeting the friendly faces of the maidens, learning the religion and making offerings to the kami, the teenager's fascination with the religion and the kind-hearted spirits of those who stayed in these shrines continued to blossom. It was a second family to him. Gabriel's comfort only grew as he frequented the shrines, taking an interest in becoming a priest. Between school, studying, and his visits to make offerings to the kami, Gabriel was one of few who was given the opportunity to add on extra studies early on in his high school career for Shintoism.
Eventually, he ended up being a priest for the Kitano Tenmangu shrine in Kyoto, Japan. He'd stayed there for close to three years before his initial college studies brought him to the Matsuo Taisha shrine in Kyoto. Here, he'd come to realize just how much he'd come to worship the kami there, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
By the time Gabriel was in his mid-twenties, he'd passed his college exams, kept up with his duties as a priest, and befriended many of the residents in Kyoto.
Leaving behind all of that, Gabriel's ventured to Karakura in hopes of seeking out a new journey. Away from his aunt, the family he'd created out of the friends he'd made.
Karakura is a fresh start. Again.
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Shinto priests, also known as Shinkan or kannushi, are often in charge of purification rituals. They officiate shrine ceremonies on behalf of and at the request of worshippers. They're not expected to lecture, preach, or act as a spiritual leader to their parishioners; rather, their main role is to ensure the continuance of a satisfactory relationship between the kami and those who worship through offerings, evocation of the kami, and mediation of the deity's blessing. Shinto priests are allowed to marry and have families. They're known to travel from the Monastery considerably more than the shrine maidens, interacting with other citizens.
Shrine maidens, also known as Miko, are another type of priest working at a Shinto shrine. The name Miko typically refers to young female priests. Miko perform sacred dances known as kagura to satisfy the Shinto deities, conducting exorcisms, practicing divinations and acted oracles. Believed to posses magical powers, the maidens also work as spirit mediums, channeling spirits and carrying out various other functions as required of them at their given shrine. They are also known to leave the grounds at times, however their duties often focus on the Monastery. Their tasks can differ from performing both morning and evening rituals and general grounds work around the shrine such as sweeping and cleaning. They're often seen selling omamori and omikuji paper fortunes as well as assisting with Shinkan rites and hosting tea ceremonies.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
Once you come upon the purification trough, you start the purification process by lifting up the ladle in your right hand, scooping water while pouring it onto your left hand. Once done with that, you switch the ladle to your left hand and repeat the process of scooping water and pouring it onto your right hand. You'd then scoop some water into the ladle, bringing the tip of it to your mouth and pouring it in, washing your mouth with the water before spitting it onto the rocks below. With the remaining step, you use the water to flow down the ladle by tilting it upwards and allowing it to purify, returning the ladle to its previous position.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
Offerings to a Kami can take place in various forms. Envelopes, boxes of sake, bags of rice, yen, etc. When preparing your offering you can affix a noshi paper onto the item (unless its food that isn't in a box), writing what kind of item you are offering on top and your name on the bottom. Generally, cash is the offering in private ceremony's, and if you enter the worship hall for prayer only, or to attend a service as a member, representative an offering of cash is also a custom. You present the offering as soon as you meet the shrine staff or priest. They'll place your offering on the offering table and let the kami know that you made the offering.
On SRP, when making an offering, you're walking up to the offering box and placing whatever offering you would like to present to the kami in a straightforward and customary approach. Following shortly after that, you would ring the bell in front of the Honden and bow twice. You clap twice, saying your prayers if you so wish. When you're finished, bow once more to complete the ritual.
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
The tea ceremony ritual is lengthy and time consuming at times. The ceremony generally takes place in a tatami room. When you have guests, they're to take the seat closest to the alcove, sitting in a seiza position on the tatami floor. Once the guests have taken their positions, it is customary to bow once more before observing the decorations which are usually carefully selected for whatever the occasion may be. The host, normally the Shinkan or a Shrine maiden, prepares the tea in front of the guests. They typically have a tea whisk, a container for powdered green tea, a tea scoop, tea bowl, sweets container or plate, and a kettle and brazier. Before the tea, a Japanese sweet is served and is to be eaten prior to the tea being consumed. The tea bowl is placed on the tatami mat in front of you with its front facing you. You pick it up with your right hand and place it in your left palm. With your right hand, you turn it clockwise by around 90 degrees so that its front is not facing you anymore. You start by drinking the tea in a few sips and place it back onto the tatami. Bow and express gratitude after receiving and finishing your tea.
Near the end of the ceremony, there will be time to inspect and appreciate the tea bowl by lifting it. Once finished with doing so, turn the bowl so that the front now faces the host. The host may ask if guests would like another round of tea, and if not, the tea ceremony is over when the host washes the tea utensils and returns the equipment to where it had been before starting.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
Tamagushi
Tamagushi is an ancient offering to Kami-sama, it is usually a sakaki tree branch, or at times when there is no sakaki available, an evergreen branch such as cedar, and shide (which is a zigzag strip of white rice paper) on top attached to the leaves. There can be larger and more elaborate tamagushi, with red and white cloth, and asa (sacred hemp fibers) tied in ribbon on the top as well alongside two shide.
The tamagushi represents our sincere hearts and spirits to which we offer to the kami. The evergreen (traditionally sakaki) represents the eternal nature of our spirits and hearts, our connection to nature and the natural world, the physical world. Sakaki, and other evergreen trees, are often seen as a purifying tree.
If asa and red and white cloth are tied onto the tamagushi, they represent dressing our hearts and spirits to be offered sincerely to the kami. Asa is commonly used to tie offerings together, and offered as sacred fiber as well. Cloth is also seen as sacred, and a precious material from the blessings of both the heavens (sun, rain moon) and Earth (soil, growth, seasons, etc)
The action of offering it is important.
When we offer tamagushi, we hold the sakaki branch with the leaves resting on our left palm, and pinching the stem in our right hand. We walk up to the offering area, and bow, raising the tamagushi to our foreheads forward. Going back upright, we turn the tamagushi stem to our hearts, and leaves to the kami. We turn the branch once more to the left, and then forward, so the stem will face the kami and the leaves face us. Then, we place the tamagushi on the offering table, bowing once more, clap to the kami, and bow deeply again.
The reason behind this action is symbolic, it's the action of turning the tamagushi to our hearts and spirit energy, then directing it to the kami to offer. The clapping is to call the kami's attention towards our offering and heart.
Ofuda
An ofuda is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. It's commonly found in both shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. It's considered to be imbued with the power of the deities or Buddhist figures revered therein.
Certain kinds of Ofuda are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens or ceilings).
A specific type of ofuda is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrined kami and stamped with the shrine's seal. These such ofuda are often placed on household shinto altars and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and its deity (or deities) - containing the kami's essence or power by virtue of its consecration- and a medium through which the kami in question can be accessed by the worshiper. In this regard they are somewhat similar to (but not the same as) goshintai, physical objects which serve as repositories for kami in Shinto shrines.
Kagura Suzu
Kagura suzu are a set of twelve bells used in the kagura dance that Shrine maidens perform. The set consists of three tiers of bells suspended by coiled brass wires from a central handle: two bells on the top tier, four bells on the middle tier, and six bells on the bottom tier. The term suzu refers to small bells in general, but it can refer to two Japanese instruments associated with Shinto ritual. One of them being a single large crotal bell similar in shape to a sleigh bell and having a slit on one side, the other being a handheld bell-tree with small crotal bells strung in three levels on a spiraling wire.
The larger form can be hung from a rafter in front of a Shinto shrine and sounded by a robe or ribbons that hand within reach of the worshipper.
The smaller suzu is supported atop a handle and is held by the Shrine maidens costumed in traditional robes, white-powdered faces, and wearing a Heian-period coiffure during performances of the kagura dances.
On a side note, the kagura (which stands for god-entertainment) is a term encompassing Shinto instrumental music, songs and dances performed at shrines and at court. It was formalized as early as 733 CE, when it appeared in the palace repertoire. The small bells, ritual implements of great antiquity, may also be grouped together in bundles for folk and ceremonial performances.
(OPTIONAL) Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?:
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
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