In a nutshell, we consider ourselves Shinbutsu Shuugou practitioners, with the knowledge that the Kamisama of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism cannot be separated from their culture of origin, and that includes region, history and traditions.

For that reason, we believe that although many Kamisama and Japanese Buddhist deities and buddhas are localized in Japan, other Kamisama, divine spirits and other mythological beings can embody non-Japanese entities. Although there are no Kamisama of, say, Mount Kékes, a divine spirit of some sort still embodies it, and is to be revered.

Not all of us are spiritual, but the majority of us are.

✦ Animism

We believe that everything has something like a soul, although I feel like the word "presence" might be more apt to say. This includes humans, animals, plants, objects, and even art, technology, songs and words.

It's not that we see them as living organisms, it's more like they're (and us) are part of one living organism, or rather, ecosystem, the same way cells and (beneficial) bacteria are part of a body's ecosystem.

✦ The Unexplainable

Kamisama, youkai and other mythological beings take action and make decisions in what we like to refer to as the Unseen World. A realm of existence, that humans are unable to see.

There are things that humans cannot comprehend, and these we weren't meant to take upon ourselves either. Kamisama exist to deal with what we cannot perceive to take the fear of the unknown off our shoulders.

✦ Afterlives and Reincarnation

According to Shinto, after someone dies, they rejoin Kamisama. Kami themselves exist in everything, and thus, if someone were to die, they become the Earth and anything that lives in it or off of it in any fashion.

We see reincarnation in a rather scientific way. When someone dies and their body dissolves, it lives on by nourising the Earth and the beings that live in it. Considering how far the food chain reaches, it's easy to assume that the dead live on in anything and everything.

✦ Worship

We don't bow at every tree, nor do we offer sacrifices to rivers. Worship in a practical way, by knowing and respecting everything around us.

Japanese Kamisama and buddha who are worhsipped in Japan are a different story. They are specific to Japan, and for that reason we think it's best to get their yorishiro and enshrine them in our kamidana. The heart might be the best yorishiro, but this is about paying respects to the shrines, community and culture.

The main Kamisama we worship is Matarajin-sama. Keep in mind though, that Kami often work together. Paying respects to one is paying respects to all.

✦ The Origin of Our Faith

We grew up in an atheist household, which makes it especially odd that we ended up pursuing spirituality anyway.

Perhaps due to our less than stellar upbringing, we have a drive within us to look for a faith, a culture to belong to, and that ended up being the Shinbutsu faith. That isn't to say that we think we consider ourselves Japanese, that's not at all the case. We're afraid we still haven't entirely found our Home.

In Japanese culture there exists a tradition called Shichi-go-san, where children of the ages 3, 5 and 7 are brought to the local shrines to receive grant them blessings for a long life. In Japan, children aren't considered wholly human until the age of 7, they're considered Kami; still one foot in the unseen world. Afterwards, they become wholly human.

We always felt like we remained one foot in the Unseen World; like we weren't welcomed, introduced, initiated into humanhood. Even that we're the unknown humans fear so much.

Shinbutsu practices gave us words, and words gave us power over our feelings of not belonging.