Onmyodo: To those who read the poem of time "Memories of invisible power, for you 100 years from now"
Onmyodo: For those who read the poem of time
- A memory of an invisible power, for you 100 years from now -
Prologue: Listening to the Voice of the Wind
It's about listening to a voice without sound.
It's about reading the invisible flow.
It means placing your fingers on the folds of time and listening to the breathing of space.
Onmyodo was a technique, a philosophy, and a prayer for deciphering this "invisible poetry."
This article is a quiet record written for you a hundred years from now.
To convey the beauty that certainly resides in things that disappear like the wind.
Chapter 1: What is Onmyodo? - Its origins as a philosophy of harmony
Onmyodo is a natural philosophy that was developed uniquely in Japan, based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.
Its essence lies in the "harmony of opposites": yin and yang, light and shadow, movement and stillness, day and night, life and death.
These were not seen as enemies, but as complementary, circulating, and the two wheels that make up the world.
Onmyodo is not just fortune telling or magic.
It was a "poetic science" that interpreted the relationships between nature and humans, heaven and earth, time and space, and brought about harmony.
Chapter 2: Onmyoji in History - Abe no Seimei and His Lineage
When it comes to Onmyodo, the name of Abe no Seimei always comes up.
In the mid-Heian period, he served the Imperial Court as an astronomer, reading the movements of the stars, determining the auspiciousness of directions, and praying for the peace and prosperity of the nation.
However, Seimei was not just a bureaucrat.
He was a "poet of time" and a "dancer who orchestrates space."
His movements were quiet and he spoke few words, but every move he made was imbued with an "invisible power."
Seimei's name eventually became a legend, a story, and part of culture.
Chapter 3: Yin-Yang and the Five Elements - A Poetic Structure for Reading Nature
The two pillars at the core of Onmyodo are "Yin and Yang" and "Five Elements."
• Yin and Yang: Classify all phenomena into "yin" and "yang" and read the balance between them.
• Five Elements: The five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water circulate in relationships of mutual generation and mutual destruction.
This idea was applied to the establishment of calendars, the diagnosis of illness, the orientation of buildings, and even the selection of gifts.
In other words, Yin-Yang and the Five Elements are the "poetics of life" and the "blueprint for space and time."
Chapter 4: The aesthetics of direction and space - Kimon, Ura-Kimon, and Hogae
In Onmyodo, space is not simply a "place."
It is a "place where power flows" and a "path through which the invisible wind passes."
• Kimon: The northeast direction. It was considered an unstable direction where yin and yang intersect, and purification and protection were necessary.
• Urakimon: Southwest. Another direction that is opposite to the Kimon and requires caution.
• Katatagae: The custom of stopping at another location to avoid moving in an unlucky direction.
These are not just superstitions, but a sign of a delicate sensibility that "respects space."
It was a "poetic way" to harmonize the relationship between people and place.
Chapter 5: Calendars and Stars - Poetry of Time
Onmyoji read the stars, gazed upon the moon, and compiled calendars.
The lunisolar calendar (old calendar) is a map of time that combines the phases of the moon and the movement of the sun, allowing us to live in harmony with nature.
• Solar terms: The 24 solar terms allow us to capture the changing of the seasons in detail.
• Miscellaneous festivals: turning points in time that are rooted in daily life, such as the equinox, the 88th night, and the dog days of summer.
• Star Festival: Annual events such as Tanabata and Setsubun that are linked to stars and directions.
These are not just dates, but a culture that "gives poetry to time."
It was a "rhythm that regulates life."
Chapter 6: Words and Rites - Prayers, Spells, and the Power of Silence
The power of the onmyoji resides in words.
Norito (prayer) and spells were not just sounds, but were chanted as "poetry that moves the world."
• Kotodama (spirit of words): A culture that believes in the spiritual power that resides in words and chooses words carefully.
• The structure of the prayer: rhythm, repetition, and white space create a sense of place for the words.
• The aesthetics of silence: The power that resides in not saying anything, or not saying too much.
In Onmyodo, words were not for "explanation" but for "sounds that create harmony."
Chapter 7: Onmyodo and the Philosophy of Gifts - Handing Over Invisible Power
Gift giving is not just about giving and receiving things.
It is a poetic act that connects "time," "space," and "heart."
• Direction and gifting direction: Consider the direction of the recipient and choose an auspicious direction.
• Season and gifts: Choose materials and colors that harmonize with the five elements according to the changing of the seasons.
• The act of wrapping: Wrapping something in cloth or paper is a ritual to align and protect invisible forces.
WABISUKE's gifts are a modern reinterpretation of the philosophy of Onmyodo.
It's like "handing over a poem."
Chapter 8: The Present and Future of Onmyodo - The Power to Sensing the Invisible
In modern times, Onmyodo may at first glance seem like a relic of the past.
However, the sensitivity to listen to the invisible and the attitude of respecting space and time are
In fact, it is perhaps what is needed now more than ever.
• The sense of space in the digital age • Reevaluating orientation in spatial design and architecture • Rediscovering the poetic rhythm of everyday life
Onmyodo is not the wisdom of the past, but a "poetry that adjusts the future."
It will continue to breathe quietly.
Final Chapter: To You, 100 Years from Now
If you're reading this in a hundred years,
Please remember.
Listen carefully to the sound of the wind.
Paying attention to the phases of the moon.