Onmyōdō

right|thumb|[[Abe no Seimei, a famous ]]

is a technique that uses knowledge of astronomy and calendars to divine good fortune in terms of date, time, direction and general personal affairs, originating from the philosophy of the yin-yang and the five elements. From around the 9th century during the Heian period, interacted with Shinto and in Japan, and developed into a system unique to Japan. Abe no Seimei, who was active during the Heian period, is the most famous ( practitioner) in Japanese history and has appeared in various Japanese literature in later years. was under the control of the imperial government, and later its courtiers, the Tsuchimikado family, until the middle of the 19th century, at which point it became prohibited as superstition. from mainland Asia, who were knowledgeable in reading and writing Chinese. Over time, demand from members of the Imperial Court who believed that divination would be helpful in decision-making, made it necessary for the laity to perform the art, and began to appear around the middle of the 7th century. Under the Taiho Code enacted in the early 8th century, the departments of the Imperial Court to which belonged were defined by law. During the Heian period the nobility organized their lives around practices recommended by . The practice of "lucky and unlucky directions" provides an example. Depending on the season, time of day, and other circumstances, a particular direction might be bad luck for an individual. If one's house was located in that direction, such an individual was advised not to go back directly to his house but had to "change direction" (), by going in a different direction and lodging there. Such a person would not dare to go in the forbidden direction, but stayed where they were, even if that resulted in absence from the court, or passing up invitations from influential people.

had political clout during the Heian period, but in later times when the imperial court fell into decline, their state patronage was lost completely. In modern-day Japan, are defined as a type of priest, and although there are many who claim to be mediums and spiritualists, the continues to be a hallmark occult figure.

Later history

Onmyōdō was officially abolished in 1870 by the , but it was permitted again after the propagation of religious freedom and the abolition of State Shinto in 1945. A new organization for , considered the modern form of Onmyōdō, was established in 1954. , the head was Yoshihito Fujita.

References

External links

占事略決(Big5 Chinese) Online text of Senji Ryakketsu.
金烏玉兎集巻第一 Online text of Kinugyokutoshū volume 1.

Later history

See also

References

Further reading

External links