>>48253130https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47684824https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47586518https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47145383https://warosu.org/jp/thread/46801995#p46945410https://archive-of-the-sealed-gods.neocities.org/https://yamayuandadu.tumblr.com/post/740169159591264256/tenma-boss-of-the-tengu-exploring-the
What is this?
Did you get the call?
>>48578834I am on medication.Okina is not real. Okina is a fictional character, she can't hurt me. They aren't coming for me, because 'they' do not exist. They are delusions and nothing more, perversions of archaic mythology that I have nothing to do with. I've stopped entertaining them.
>>48579334Good for you if you need it, but why would she hurt you?
>>48578802Retards circlejerking.
>>48574420spooky
>>48578834Nta, but yes I did. That explains my absence for a long while. Gonna go back over everything again to see what all I've missed. Also, found a book: The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits-an encyclopedia of Mononoke and Magic, by Mathew Meyer.
>>48591074What's that book about?
>>48591241
>>48591241>>48591319
>>48591319>>48591330Oh cool!
>>48591399Are you the big4?
>>48591436Yeah
>>48591442https://z-library.sk/book/2839211/df51b5/the-hour-of-meeting-evil-spirits-an-encyclopedia-of-mononoke-and-magic.htmlGot it from here. You may be able to use a good bit on your site, if you'd want to. -E
>>48591473Thanks a lot!
>>48591442Coincidentally, the hour of the Ox has become very acquainted with me these past months. And I saw the back of purple hair and wearing red while rocking back and forth as it overlooked a cliff in my dream the other night, and apparently the 3 like to dance or had a festival? Was synchronized......do you know what the symbols on Ran's tabard mean, by any chance?
Ah, and back to those ephemeral dreams, we go.....See you all in the next year. Until then, have a good one.
What have been your most supernatural experiences recently?
>>48597703Recently I thought that I was spending too much time on /jp/ and tried to quit some threads, and prayed for guidance.I ended up having one of the worst days of the year and none of the free time I thought I'd have appeared at all. So I just returned to browsing the entire (worthwile parts of the) jay
>>48597703Too many to count. I've been keeping a notebook and writing them all down. I'm on page 11 of a brand new one since December 23rd.
>>48591501>.....do you know what the symbols on Ran's tabard mean, by any chance?NTA but I used to think it might be something like Sanskrit or some other related old language used in or related to Buddhism since it shares that same flowing shape. The tough thing is that her tabard isn't always consistent. PCB vs UDoALG for example changes a lot. To my knowledge there also hasn't been any ZUN art of her with her full tabard on display, so printwork depictions could be off on the details around her chest in more ways than one. There was one theory I saw that it was supposed to mimic the text and design work on ofuda, so that's a direction you could look in, but for the moment I'm inclined to believe it's like Kasen where there's no concrete meaning and it's a design fitting to the character. With how there's a mix of flowing and angular parts it could represent a mix of organic and inorganic or arcane runes and circuits on a computer chip; a representation of how she's a flesh and blood Kitsune running on Gap Linux.
>>48602870Thanks for that info, also bumping. Main reason for asking was a dream right when you fall asleep and get those hyper realistic images that flash in your head-mine was almost like a drone pov that approached her from the side and then zoomed in rapidly to the markings on her tabard before I fell asleep, and I woke up wondering what it meant, then remembering that as far as I'm aware nobody has ever had a concrete answer for hers specifically.
>>48597703I saw and picked up Yukari dressed as a damn Dame Blanche. While all I wanted to do was to camp at night under the new moon, near a river and stargazing.
>>48574420https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47967359https://warosu.org/jp/thread/48253130I might be forgetting some other threads.>>48578834More like they got my call and they made it known right away.
>>48580569If you think we are retarded you should see what's going on in Japanhttps://x.com/LW_OG3/status/1874730218348589110>>48602870If it's something related to Buddhism, it's most likely Siddham script: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha%E1%B9%83_scriptI remember someone here did some deep dive into the PC-98 games and ZUN used letters from Siddham script in the background art for Konngara's fight, so there is a precedent. As that one anon in the previous thread dug out, Ran has some kind of tangential connection to esoteric Buddhism, so if it's something existent, it's pretty likely Siddham. If it's not existent, it might very well be inspired by it. Ofuda and the fulu talismans that inspired them are another possible source of inspiration, but AFAIK ofuda have legible kanji and the fulu talismans use basicaly a system of kangxi that are fused together. They retain the rather angular character of these writing systems. Not a bad theory, but Siddham either as is or as an inspiration seems more likely to me.>>48597703Things have been mostly quiet, I did perceive them more strongly than usual around the winter solstice, likely because I finally got the proper kamidana. Last night while trying to asleep I did see the same kind of flashes of light twice that I used to sporadicaly see during the spring and summer. I think it's some kind of an internal thing but I don't quite know what. >>48604869This is the complete list: https://warosu.org/jp/thread/46801995https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47145383https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47586518https://warosu.org/jp/thread/47967359https://warosu.org/jp/thread/48253130For what's it worth, I always add the latest one to the Archive after the thread gets archived, but maybe I should make an own section for them instead of burying them into the acknowledgements section.
>>48604753>white ladyThat's some real serious bad shit lad.
>>48606232Thanks for that, I'll look into it further when I get time. I'm>>48603201>>48600980Things have been rather hectic lately, and speaking of seeing and interacting with this topic, I fought either a tsuchigumo or jorogumo that ambushed me in the dream world while Yukari acted as a passive observer to see if I passed a test of needing more spiritual power. That ended with me taking a page from Gandalf and smiting its ruin upon the mountainside (which.....may or may not have been youkai mountai after we tumbled out of one of her gaps)....And this all followed me in the waking world prior to finding that book I linked you to.So yeah. (Any idea on those little smokey orbs that may be vaguely white in color, seem to have a mind of their own, and like to dart back and forth around you and then take nest near old Japanese items that have connection to some big names? Asking for a friend)
>>48604753New story incoming?!
>>48606232>I remember someone here did some deep dive into the PC-98 games and ZUN used letters from Siddham script in the background art for Konngara's fight, so there is a precedent.this one right?
>>48606988>those little smokey orbs that may be vaguely white in colorThere's too many options to choose from. Various orbs are an extremely common manifestation of all kinds of spirit entities. Some have said it's closest to their "true form" that we can perceive with open eyes. More related to specificaly Japan, they had a lot of lore about them. These include at least the kitsunebi, hitodama and shiranui. I believe some kind of orbs of light were also associated with the oni. But the West has of course the will' o wisp, and in recent times there has been a lot of UFO lore about all kinds of orbs of light. Some smaller ones even like to show up in people's houses. Do they interact with physical objects? Do they show up in mirrors or video? I once saw a tiny orb of light zoom through a door and it made a knock when it hit the door. It passed into a storage space I have. I'd been hearing sporadic knocking noises from there, but I had chalked it up to some structural factor. After that, I decided to do a cleansing of my apartement and the knocking noises disappearing.>>48607432Yeah, that one. Whoever made that has some real passion. I wonder what the other fun facts are. https://www.omniglot.com/writing/siddham.htmLooking closer, Ran's tabard doesn't really look like it's straight up Siddham. But there is some similarity to it. Since it's not Siddham either, maybe it's just kitsune script.
>>48607653>other fun factsThey come from a PC98 english patch pack in the images folder, the translation team added a bunch of triviahttps://www.mediafire.com/file/yxcg7mvg1lj1i6g/TouhouProjectPC-98-CompleteEnglishPatchPack100.rar/file>kitsune scriptMight be onto something since what little fox script we see in FS shows it's like hieroglyphs and it's plausible since we don't know the rest of the alphabet, but whether what we see in FS is artist liberty or not is up for debate.
>>48607785>They come from a PC98 english patch pack in the images folder, the translation team added a bunch of triviaOK, now there are some really fine deep cuts in there. Thanks a lot for this. >what little fox script we see in FSI haven't actually gotten into FS yet, I had no idea there is in-canon kitsune script in Touhou. Another idea that occured to me is that maybe the swirls and orbs are supposed to be a representation of the kitsunebi? Not sure about the other stuff on Ran's tabard though.
>>48607653>>48607785>>48607915Good info, thanks. Yes, they appear to be sentient and can interact with things, though as to how intelligent they are, I can't say, but they definitely have flight paths and can avoid obstacles. It's almost a guarantee of appearing between 1-3am my time when everyone (including myself) should be asleep (but I've become nocturnal and have a habit of it). There's been plenty of knocking noises, no bugs or streetlights or any outside interference that one would check for, and they are almost guaranteed of the "spirit" variety, whatever that may entail. Bugs aren't amorphous blobs of smokey white the size of a fist that float to specific points in your room and only your room. Plus the feelings of cold spots and the dreams and synchronicities everywhere leads me to believe something is going on, though aside from the splattered dream youkai encounter, I've felt no malevolence or had any abnormal luck. As a matter of fact, I've gone down a path of getting my life together after hearing "you need to get your act together" out of nowhere, plus the hexagram readings...Getting a lot of "hang tight and focus on yourself with a deep dive and training, big and great things are coming, but so help me Gods, if you deviate from the path!" and such.
>>48607984The knocking is most likely curious locals who wish to prank you. The orbs are basicaly completely unknowable, they could be locals, they could be something else. As for getting told you need to get your life together and getting the message of not deviating the path, yeah, you have the attention of something that is benevolent but not 100% love and light. You probably know what it is yourself, and if not, you may have caught one of the deities from us. All I can really say is that do take the messages seriously, and that the more prosocial, kinder, generous, patient, constructive etc. you are, the easier it will be. I know it's very, very hard especially if you are starting from a difficult position. I am very, very, far away from being perfect at one of those. It's all about incremental and sustainable changes and not giving up when things get difficult. A lot of things are going to change and in ways you can't imagine yet, and a lot of will be extremely mundane. But it's going to be worth it, and a lot of the ways it will be worth it are also going to be extremely mundane. I don't know what your circumstances are and you don't have to tell me, but even if you'd feel like a complete mess, there is a reason why they don't contact random middle class parents whose lives are in perfect order. The fact that there is a mess, a chaos, maybe something broken just means that it can be cleaned, reordered and put back together. I think they genuinely enjoy it when they can be a part of that process of change. The value of any deity is ultimately in how much they can change the lives of their devoted for the better. You will have to do a lot of work yourself and you will not get everything you (think) you want, but they will be there for you if you stick with them. Good luck and do study the I Ching. It seems to be really great tool for communicating with them. If you are the reading type, Benebell Wen's translation and commentary is excellent.
>>48608268I'm happy to share a large majority of what I'm dealing/working with, since I've kinda helped with all this in the beginning of these threads. Just now seeing some kind of action again after....lots of upheaval and health evaluations. But I guess that's what happens when you wish for change, huh? I've got books for learning all that site building stuff, too, just haven't sat down and done anything. -Eclipse
>>48608348......damn you, phone posting.
>>48608352
>>48608625
>>48608348>I'm happy to share a large majority of what I'm dealing/working withDo share, then. Also, is that one on the left (right?) on Chinese astrology?
>>48612152>astrologyYeah, it is. Though it's more like babby's first intro into the ba zi (four pillars) and doesn't actually teach much. A good thing to have, but more of a 101 book.>sharing is caringWhere to start? Heavy synchronicity, odd occurrences like the wisps, mental imagery or voices clear as day right when I wake up, the odd dreams, phantom smells of some kind of floral perfume, electrical issues with everything directly around me, health issues with my heart that came out of nowhere to only then get full tests done and it be perfectly fine and I have a full-blown clean bill of health for my entire system (except for vitamin d, that ones almost completely absent in me even though I go outside a lot during the day despite the nocturnal sleep schedule), and on and on. Last night's "dream" was the first real problem I had with things that actually got to me and I'm not going into detail on that until after I've eaten something this morning (superstition).I'm basically on the same level as >>48604753 some nights with what I'm experiencing. One night, I had weird fractal visuals and a heat rush while "kamikakushi" repeated over and over in my head as I was trying to sleep about a month ago. And I know what it means, but had no inside or outside cause for it to be on my mind/soul(?) except for listening to a YouTube video about Kisaragi station, then the dreams again were very in depth. And New Year Eve, coming back from the bookstore with the astrology book in pic, I had songs set to shuffle and this came on:https://youtube.com/watch?v=YgKGREZZj5INever heard or watched before, but it felt like I had slipped into "focus mode" as I drove home and had to literally dodge bad drivers that came very close to causing major wrecks for myself and/or others. Like some here, I try to take a step back and "take a break", but cosmic forces seem to have other ideas. (Also had no dreams at all that night. Compete blank)
>>48606485They have many meanings if you're familiar with european esoteric stuff. But they're indeed often referred as figure of doom out here.>>48607352Hell yeah, here you go! https://pastebin.com/YEzThDtq>>48613334I think than you might be superior than me in that case, because you don't have to resonate with the moon to have super awesome dreams. Also, I feel than I'm losing myself over my dream-self sometimes.Oh, By the way. Here your astronomical calandar for the month; Jan 4; Saturn near moon, Aquarius on sunset.Jan 10; Jupiter near moon, Taurus on evening.Jan 12; Mars at the closet form Earth, Gemini.Jan 13; Full moon.Jan 18; Venus near Saturn, Aquarius on evening.Jan 19; Meteor shower near Ursa Minor.Jan 21; Large planetary alignment.Jan 29; New moon.Jan 31; Jupiter near Aldebaran, Taurus.
Hey anons, nice to see one of these againTime to put on some Cross Current and Diverse System on the background and ponder the orb that is Touhou
Why does it always feel like I can almost talk to touhous, but they're just barely out of reach. They are not just regular images of fictional characters, they are definitely (neo)platonic forms. I am a christian however and I will always be mindful not to start worshipping any of them, and I definitely won't be making deals with them, but I do want to understand them as well as I can and gather wisdom that I can apply to my own life.The book posted by the other anon above looks very interesting inded.
>>48615974>I am a christian however and I will always be mindful not to start worshipping any of them, and I definitely won't be making deals with themConsider taking a cue from Buddhists and start praying for spirits' salvation. If 2hus are some sort of angels, whether disgraced or not, then praying for either possibility of repentance or for providence for them, respectively, would still be a nice gesture to signalise peaceful intentions.
I fully accept that what we call "angels" and "demons" exist. And I also think that these manifest differently depending on the culture and the person. What the heck is ZUN up to? Is he doing this intentionally or not? Is he deliberately giving these entities bodies in the form of egregores (and humans, in some very extreme cases)? Or is his creation of Touhou just a side effect of a very intuitive understanding of the spiritual world?It struck me today that very most likely ZUN will pass away quite some time before I do, and even if it's still far away off (hopefully), I won't be ready for it.
>>48616155That sounds good actually. I always wondered about "neutral" spirits. My christian peers are very firmly in the belief that "it's either good or evil", but that just doesn't seem right to me. I still want everything to turn towards to good though. Praying for spirits sounds like an interesting exercise
>>48614753I'm not so sure about calling it superiority, just a different frequency we're on. As for losing oneself, as long as you don't pull a zoomie Sumi, I think it'll be okay. Thanks for the dates, I've been meaning to track those for exactly all this. >>48615769>>48615974Irony that these two have been frequent visitors (or rather, I was a visitor to their house. Still no clue on the details of that contract stuff. Had a good idea the months it happened, but then almost all contract with the SDM stopped for a while until just recently within dreams. They explained how they get stuff from the outside and Remi asked me to join them permanently but it felt like a test and I "feel I'm not ready for that yet").>>48615974>"why does it feel they're real but out of reach?"Because that's essentially what's going on, I feel.
>>48614753I've never encountered a white lady when doing some tourism in france, all I know is the urban legends about them. But the lady on a wheelchair with dementia with the overall sass displayed really cracked me up! Sorry Okina, but that was too goddamn funny.I like the implications than there is some fantastic version of the planets, just like the moon. Because back in the days before Verena we used to think than Venus was a paradise world.And then there is this poor Ran who see a overpowered man spawning out of absolutely nowhere, do the livesey walk to the room of her master. Then literally manhandle her and come back to you satisfied to have asserted his dominance, then disappear out of thin air to where he came for.
>>48614753Turnabout is fair play, and poor Ran.
>>48613334>A good thing to have, but more of a 101 book.You gotta start somewhere. I found a book on Chinese astrology in my native language around August last year. I did the analysis process in the early fall and it was pretty interesting, but also kinda difficult and laborous. The book has also really weird romanization in places that made it very hard for me to look further info into some stuff. >health issues with my heart that came out of nowhere>vitamin d, that ones almost completely absent in me OK that does sound kinda worrisome. What kind of heart issues?>One night, I had weird fractal visuals and a heat rush while "kamikakushi" repeated over and over in my head as I was trying to sleep about a month ago.Uhhhh...>>48614753>But they're indeed often referred as figure of doom out here.Damn, what the heck have you people gotten involved with? >>48615769These types of posts seem to be occuring with an increasing frequency, that one thread about going to Gensokyo turned into this stuff too and it's been only a week or two since it archived...>Why does it always feel like I can almost talk to touhous, but they're just barely out of reach.That's probably because they are just barely out of reach for most haha. >>48616155Not sure if they would apreciate the Christian idea of salvation. Buddhism's idea of these things is very, very different to begin with. At times, particularly when it comes to the Japanese side of things, the syncretization seems to have gone both ways. Even the Zen master Dogen said something along the lines of "the mountains and trees are my Buddha". >>48616213>"angels" and "demons"There's a lot of stuff out there that does not fit into those categories, I would argue that most of the spirits don't sit into those archetypes. Even for some of the hostile entities "demon" is a bit too grandiose for a spirit equivalent of a rat in the wall. >Is he doing this intentionally or not? Very hard to say, but what I have gathered so far leans towards him not doing it intentionally. The afterword to SoPM seems relevant here: https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Symposium_of_Post-mysticism/Afterword_by_ZUNMaybe he is joking, but being surprised at the background of his own characters and feeling like "some troublesome ones started to move on their own" is a pretty baffling statement to make.>and humans, in some very extreme casesWhat do you mean by this?>>48616250While I think there are some spirits that are unambiguously hostile and/or parasitic to humans, I think the vast majority of the things out there either just are. If some of them are hostile or suspicious towards humanity, they have good reasons. There's certainly also "good" entities that are aligned with the best of human interests, but it's not usually 100% love and light either. It's a very parental relationship, they do love us but we are mostly like smelly, really noisy and stupid children to them. Some of them are substantially less tolerant to human foibles than others. There are also "good" entities which are very selective and kind of harsh and will happily put you through the pear wiggler to sort you out.Even in the Bible the angels had to tell people not to fear them. It's also a two-way relationship, you might not just vibe as well with some beings as you would with others. And there's a kind of reason why religious practice not only brings people closer to the deities, but also establishes a protocol and kind of limits and filters to it. It's probably not good if everyone could have the full attention of some storm god or some deity that's specialized in very aggressively wrangling out small-s self, small-h human behaviours.
>>48614753>be this man>just want to camp and see stars in peace>probably got cursed by a dame blanche (this is serious business mate)>got messed on by Yukari to the absolute limit>got hagged>pull out a Yu-Gi-Oh >Poor Ran did not even get a greeting by a trespasser, at least he respect her work and take off his shoes >phonk walk his way to Yukari livesey style>conquer her like a real frenchie would>leave without elaborating further>Poor Ran have to stop her work because Yukari's on a shock stateABSOLUTE. POWER. FANTASY. But next time try be nicer to this poor Ran... She's having it rough with Yukari.
>>48617700You're welcome. I'll try to not put a Sumireko.>>48618454Well, if you want to encounter a white lady next time to go in France? You should try Bretagne and Aquitaine, there is a huge load of country roads and religious stuff. I know very well the area. As for Venus, it was indeed believed to be a paradise world full of dinosaurs in a tropical environnement and it is believed by some xenologists to actually possess silicon-based life on its clouds.>>48618563Maybe she wanted it to be that way or her mysterious masterminded plan of doom did fall apart and got the consequances. In all cases, I totally won!>>48620783Too many things... My recklessness and foul mouth often get me in dire situations. But the Dame Blanche, can be also a symbol of happiness and stuff like that. https://godsandmonsters.info/dames-blanches/ This contain useful stuff about them.>>48621234Alright, alright. I get it, I'll try to be nicer with Ran...
>>48624108>But the Dame Blanche, can be also a symbol of happiness and stuff like that.I suppose you're lucky you didn't get the attention of another blonde older woman from Touhou.
I'd like these threads to remain serious and not be diverted in the direction of writefagging/fanfiction. Lucid dreaming being just that - lucid.
>>48620783>Not sure if they would apreciate the Christian idea of salvation.Well, there was Anon in the previous thread that said he was interested in Christian theology, among other things, perhaps if he is still around he could chime in.But from a position of a Christian there are three things one can do, I think: either ignore spiritual beings, pray for their well-being (whatever it may entail), or use exorcisms on them (or ask professional exorcist for intervention). I'm sure the middle one is the most friendly option, if it comes from sincere agape and concern for spirits.
>>48616155>>48624272>salvationGod is a king, and salvation means citizenship in His kingdom. Like any government, He offers comfort and peace in exchange for loyalty and conformity. Each will make of this offer what they will.
Quick reminder to /x/ posters that our experiences here so far have been overwhelmingly uplifting and positive. Whether by spirits or egregores/memeplexes, fear begets fearsomeness, and likewise love begets loveliness. So don't try to sow fear without understanding, nor let the unknown frighten you.We're united here from our many separate worlds in the name of love and good vibes, which are the result and cause of our good experiences so far. Let them shine.
>be sentient egregore on the brink of snuffing out of existence>one last gamble>bombard this poor japanese guy fucking around on his pc with intense mythological symbolism >he creates memetic bodies for you to inhabit>you have secured immortality and considerable influence over humanityhuh, nothin personnel kid
>>48625675Frankly, if they're really the way ZUN describes them, they deserve oblivion.
>>48624221I agree with the overall sentiment of your post, but it's not easy to set a clear standard for what is ontopic and what isn't. Altered states of mind (all variants of dreaming included) definitely have spiritual relevance, and this has been documented throughout history. What people refer to as LD also varies from person to person. Do they call it "lucid" because, when they were on the verge of losing consciousness in bed, they consciously directed where the brain's switchboard was heading (active imagination)? Or because the dream induced by their subconscious became so realistic that they began to feel external influence, as well as the same stimuli as when they are awake? The latter obviously holds more value to me. It's also important to acknowledge that many of these experiences have some degree of projection to them, so as to avoid presenting them as hard proof that entities always behave in a certain way. These may be difficult nuances for the more creatively inclined, but it is unwise not to attempt to address them. Lastly, I most definitely don't want to see personal experiences being openly downplayed as mere entertainment.
>>48624221>I'd like those threads to remain serious>SERIOUSHold on mate, you really think than this kayfabe is serious business? You really think than a autistic Japanese hack who made a game in his basement for a basket weaving school project and had raging boners for shrine maidens, made a kind of nu-Asian bible of secret Illuminati's or some shit?! You really think than a franchise, only know in the west because of the porn and memes in the early 2000 by some weebs who lulzed at ran ran ruu and jammed to nights of nights remixes, have serious /x/ business?! You really think than even ZUN took Touhou seriously? Are you really taking anything seriously on this Bhutanese yodeling forum?! Hell, even taking anything seriously on the Arabian phone that is the internet?! Matey, you're on fucking /jp/ and talking /x/ shit and you pretend it is serious business like those lunatics, wailing the good word on the goddamn metro stations, while some of the regulars here doesn't even leave their basement. The garden-variety here just like talking about their favorite touhou or vtumor or another Japanese related stuff because the board is called; "/jp/ - Otaku Culture." Those threads stay because janitors and meidos must think it is a writefagging/fanfiction thread, should they deviate a little too much and the meidos will clean them without a second thought. So, yeah, if you want serious /x/ posts, then lurk on /x/. But for now, you're in /jp/ so the posts gotta be, you guessed it. Otaku Culture related. Hey, maybe it is serious. Maybe it's a goddamn egregore or whatever /x/ them that you can pull out of your ass. Maybe some of those John Dreams here are getting some serious shit. Maybe even they're going to get culled because an eldritch abomination took a liking to them. Maybe they're so much gone than even the paranoid, schizos with personality of identity disorders would call them batshit insane. Maybe they're so socially fucked by autism or loneliness than just seeing a soul in their dreams that is willing to interact with them despite their quirks, make them genuinely happy instead of being spooked to shit themselves. Hell, those Jimmy Dreams or lurkers that/or are/would be willing to share their dream stories or /x/ experiences as silly they may seem, knowing than some lads here appreciate them, must make them happy and would attract others, knowing than it is not just a giant circlejerk that take everything seriously. For now, I'll give you some advice from a 4chan user; Read all of this and reply when you had thought more than twice of what I said or don't, the choice is yours to make.
>>48620783>vitamin d lackIt apparently runs in the family, though relatively unknown, and I just happened to find out it was my turn to spontaneously discover I had it. >heart issuesSeems to have stopped, though testing is still on the future, but then this would turn into a personal blog and I don't want to do that. But to keep it short, my ticker is ticking like normal but then ticks too many ticks too fast when it shouldn't, but all looks perfectly fine. >vitamin d lack, bad constitution, nocturnal, reading lots of weird booksAm I a Magician, yet? I rarely get hungry. >kamikakushiThe Gods are responsible for it (in this case, Yukari, according to her own mouth). I've never done drugs but it was the closest thing to a trip I'd ever felt. No dreams I can remember and wasn't sick. Best way to describe it was like looking through a kaleidoscope with your eyes closed, but mix in a ton of overlapping and rotating geometric shapes that faded in and out at the same time. If they wanted me, they're either delayed or taking their time. Anyways. >dreams: the good, the bad, and the larpyLast night found me very tired and going to bed at an hour a normal person would. Had chinese and the fortune mentioned finally making an important personal choice that was long overdue. That night, my dream involved speaking to someone I've never had any contact or connection to (minus the theme song- it's a banger, imo)-Byakuren Hijiri. We were outside near what I can only assume was the temple, and we talked about things while she did something with some symbol that turned out to be the hamsa. We spoke of how things had been in Gensokyo since I was last there and that it had been a while, then she spoke of it either having been 4 years since I was there or that I was under similar circumstances to what had happened 4 years ago, though I'm unsure of either scenario. To wrap it up, she gave me some writing that was a sort of checklist of self-help that she said I should go through, but whether it was for this side of things or for that side is beyond me, maybe it was both. Then we ended up going to this side of the world somehow and, after I was able to get her over the panic attack, we grabbed some food at a nearby place. She commented on how everything here felt wrong and even specifically pointed out our trees as having sad energy. The food, she struggled with (it was in English) and didn't want to eat anything because it all had meat. I helped her with the menu, showed her the salads, and told her they could take the chicken and such off. We sat there for a little bit like friends or on friendly terms and spoke a bit, then a hand came from behind us and placed itself on both of our shoulders, then a female voice said something and I woke up. And that's how Yukari found us both and pulled her back to where she belonged while waking me up. Didn't seem mad, just speaking matter-of-factly about something and poof-I'm staring at my ceiling. >>basket wieving forum, arguments cropping up potentially, dissatisfaction from people intentionally coming in that didn't have to, shifting in topics and trying to define a topic to begin with, potential cleanup crew, and so forth:X won't take it and is pure turbo cancer itself.Jp is taking it because it IS on topic, moreso than some others, but it's all being walked as a tightrope and everyone here taking it seriously acknowledges that and are keeping it contained.No one here wants a general, and we've kept it from becoming one. Any moments it picks up outside of "us" is because people are curious or are finding some kind of common ground and doing it themselves. Even those writing huge "stories" have kept it to a minimum and are linking it elsewhere to be polite.We all are a peaceful folk and would like to keep it that way and discuss the both on-topic and relevant, and take anything else to another place anyways. If 4chins wanted to, they could make an x-themed jp board and we'd happily go there. And nobody wants to take away the little traffic this place has left by starting our own secret little club with no girls allowed like discord or whatever. Though the webring idea is still a good one (I'm behind, but working on it, I swear)Have a good day/night, everybody.
>>48626766They're not. Just like I can't base your entire existence off of this post, you can't base what you see off of what little he does manage to show (or contradict). Jerk or not, they're all playing a part to stay alive (good or bad, besides), and many people lie or intentionally omit things. Just like I could build an entire personality of you off of here, you could've manufactured the entire thing and the real you is complete opposite. Besides, we saw people like Kyouko as a little cinnamon roll, and she turned out to be a short-statured full grown woman that plays in a rock band.
>>48631075>Besides, we saw people like Kyouko as a little cinnamon roll, and she turned out to be a short-statured full grown woman that plays in a rock band.It doesn't change the fact that she's still a cute little cinnamon roll.
>>48631135Yeah, that's true. So are a good many others when they're not trying to bite you or blow you up.
Well this place dropped off fast. Have a bump.
Why was the anon's post responding to me with the picture of Doremy deleted or removed? It was here earlier and now it's gone.
>>48637729I don't know what happened either.
>>48637753I suspect the youkai are at fault for this.
Are we back? Is this the thread? Some very nice (and interesting!) things have happened so far, so good timing, hope the new year has been pleasant for all the anons here.
>>48638404Kind of?Somebody had a post get deleted or removed it themselves that had nothing bad, derogatory, or off topic a few hours ago but that's about it for odd stuff. Everything else in here, see above, but I share your sentiment. And same to you, as well! Nice picture-where's it from?
>>48637862Never mind. Now I know why, but y'know... we should probably keep discussing Otaku Culture instead.
>>48638404Devious little Sanaesukusuku.
>>48638465Ah, but this most certainly is Otaku culture. And since you've got it like that, could you maybe straighten it out some? I've been sitting too long and need a good stretch.
>>48638459I’ve become more active in certain websites, and befriended some 2hu fans that live in Suwa, one offered to show me around when I visit, which apparently is a surprisingly common occurrence.That image in particular is from a Fumo/SukuSuku poster, which speaking of which, I found some really nice diagrams on the JP side talking about a few character genealogies and their IRL equivalents, I’ll post it here once I’m done translating.
I finally got around reading that "Japanese Shamanism" book I bought a couple of threads ago. https://archive-of-the-sealed-gods.neocities.org/japanese_shamanismIt turned out not be what it was advertised, but nevertheless on the topic and by the stated author. A weird artefact for sure. Anyway, it was a very interested, if quite dated, read. It depicts various religious-shamanistic-magical rituals and practices in middle Meiji era Japan. These include rituals involving boiling water, walking on live coals and climbing a ladder of blades. Much attention is given to the practices of spirit possession/channeling. It's a really interesting picture of the time. Buddhism and Shinto were forcibly separated, Shugendo was banned, yet Lowell describes a syncretic sect calling itself "Ryobu", likely at that point a cover name for Shugendo. Spirit channeling and various demonstrations of supernatural feats seemed very commonplace. Whether this was historical norm or anomaly is unclear. Meiji restoration was after all precedented by a kind of wave of spiritually tinted mania and rebelion known as Ee Ja Naika. The time of writing, the 1880s, was a time of spiritual mania in the form of spiritism in the West too, and Lowell has this kind of attidute of debunking some of the phenomena. While there might be reasonable materialistic explanations for some of the phenomena, I don't think such necessarily would lessen the spiritual impact and meaning of the acts. The possessions Lowell regards real in the terms that he observes some very drastic psychological and physiological changes in those who undergo it. Lack of reaction to pain, eyeballs rolled up, rigor mortis like tightness, marked abnormalities of the heart rate... I found it interesting how the method of spirit channeling appears to have been simply exhausting oneself to the point of trance while gripping a gohei. Lowell points out that all the sects - Shinto, "Ryobu" and even Buddhists - doing the channeling use the gohei, akin to a "lightning rod" This analogy might be quite apt, as a Shinto priest described to him how there are "spirit channels" all around the world through which they can move. Lowell comes to some rather...interesting conclusions, stating that the Japanese are getting "possessed by the spirit of their race", and doesn't really elaborate on that. It's a very lively and interesting description of Japanese spiritual life in a time when "superstition" had not yet been so completely stamped out. The Mt. Ontake mentioned frequently in the book also just happens to sit on the border of Nagano and Gifu...>>48624934I don't think we've ever had much of an issue with x-posting in these threads...or do they post about this stuff on /x/ too? I don't go there anymore, it's too negative. >>48625675I don't think it's quite so dramatic, but it's a classic case of become interested in mythology and mythology becomes interested in you, plus nothing preserves traditions like the urgent sense that they are about to disappear. >>48631038>my ticker is ticking like normal but then ticks too many ticks too fast when it shouldn'tCould be from disturbed sleep or abnormal sleeping patterns or anxiety or stress if it's just sporadic bouts of tachycardia without any malign signs. I'm not a doctor but I used to have that stuff, sometimes my resting heart rate would be at 90-100 range. And yeah I was alarmed as all hell at first. >pointed out our trees as having sad energyShe's probably right about it. >didn't want to eat anything because it all had meatSpeaking of meat, has Yukari done the it's ok for youkai to eat humans because humans eat animals thing to you yet?>>48637729There threads have had posts gone inexplicably missing couple of times before. Janitors or youkai? Who knows... >>48638404It would appear so. I've been extremely absorbed with planning my future trip to Japan. Bought the plane tickets so there is no backing away into wishy washy land with that anymore. I did my firs traditional, yarrow stalk I Ching reading on the 1st, the subject of inquiry was advce for the coming year. It was a mixed bag. The first hexagram was 14, which is extremely positive, but it's transformed hexagram was 54, which is considerably less so. I took it as an encouraging sign with a really harsh reminder that if I become too arrogant or have too high hopes I'm gonna get burned very badly. >>48638624>befriended some 2hu fans that live in Suwa>one offered to show me around when I visitOh, that's really cool! >which apparently is a surprisingly common occurrenceYeah I can imagine it's an appealing destination to Touhou fans in the know. Apparently there's an onigiri shop run by a Touhou fan somewhere in the city, and there's a cafe near one of the shrines run by someone who got so much Touhou merch as a gift that they turned into a fan over time haha.
>>48638624That is really awesome and I'm happy for you. Curious on the sites, though. My Japanese is basic level so I haven't really delved into that side of the net too deep without a translation app.Patiently waiting if you do drop the info. >>48638905Will have to read the book, myself, just because-had an interest in Shugendo for a good little while. >mah hartMine sits about 110 when it kicks off. Could be stress, could be related to something above in your post here about heart rate.....no clue. I just take aspirin for it and try to go at my own pace. One thing I loved about Japan was how free I felt, able to wander anywhere I pleased and at my own schedule. Was liberating. >The food pyramid situationNo, but I've always been of the opinion that nature does what nature does, and that we're just a part of it. Humans eat thing's and animals eat things and Youkai eat things and Kami eat things-one big circle. I have a problem with mass slaughter like humans do pigs and such, just like I'd have a problem with Youkai treating humans as like that. If I'm in my home and a group kicks in the door and gets me and my family(or lack thereof), then there's a problem. Same as if I go into the deep forest and take an AK to a herd of deer. But if I go wandering into the brush in known Youkai territory with my head in the clouds or even just underestimating them, then good game; that's on me. And with them being collectively the type to want a danmaku match, I have a chance to either take them up on the offer or really them into sharing a drink or two. Or something like that. Speaking of, as so far as I Ching goes, last night had me drawing the 45th with no changes. So there's that in my own question to going to Japan and/or Gensokyo this time this year. When do you plan on going on your end?
>>48638905> I've been extremely absorbed with planning my future trip to Japan. Bought the plane tickets so there is no backing away into wishy washy land with that anymoreFunnily enough, i've been doing my best right now to see if i'm able to go to japan in May, for this year's reisaitai, obviously a trip to Nagano \ Suwa is mandatory as part of it.>Yeah I can imagine it's an appealing destination to Touhou fans in the know. Apparently there's an onigiri shop run by a Touhou fan somewhere in the city, and there's a cafe near one of the shrines run by someone who got so much Touhou merch as a gift that they turned into a fan over time haha.@suwamusubi ?We're actually mutuals on twitter, i'll definitely pay them a visit as well, and i'll squeeze in a little anecdote, on the first day after new years, i went out to buy the materials to both work on the ofuda (right paper, ink, etc) as well as the offering bowls and such in a specialized local store, right as i was about to pay, at the front desk i spotted some tiny snake and frog charms right next to each other for sale, which needless to say, i bought as well.Saw image related while working on the translation.
>>48639099>That is really awesome and I'm happy for you. Curious on the sites, though. My Japanese is basic level so I haven't really delved into that side of the net too deep without a translation app.Patiently waiting if you do drop the info.Been mostly the japanese side of twitter which has some pretty interesting things, 2chan and this one - https://gensoukoudan.net, which i forgot if found here in one of these threads or over there, little JP forum that kinda talks about the same things we do.
>>48639099>Will have to read the book, myselfYou are in luck because you can find it for free online haha. That Noto book also seems worth a read for the history value alone.>Mine sits about 110 when it kicks off.Yeah that's too much for resting heart rate for sure. Did they get an EKG when you where having that? >I've always been of the opinion that nature does what nature doesShe might have been specificaly bullying me and/or trying to drive the youkai pov home. >the 45th with no changesIsn't that the one Yukari has one her tabard?>When do you plan on going on your end?Early June to mid to July. Not the optimal season, but work won't allow for anything else. There's still a few things I have to work out, like what would be the best Haniyasushin shrine around Fukuoka to visit, and what would be a good Matarajin-associated destination to visit. >>48639103>i've been doing my best right now to see if i'm able to go to japan in May, for this year's reisaitaiBest of luck with that! May is apparently a fairly popular tourist season so make sure to get accomodations in time!>@suwamusubi ?Yeah, exactly them.>twitterI've been contemplating on becoming active there again. I hate social media these days but on the other hand a lot of the Japanese Touhou fandom seems very active there and there's some people posting things very relevant to my interests. Plus the exposure would probably help with my language learning too...>tiny snake and frog charms That was a really fortunate find!>Saw image related while working on the translation.So true...
>>48638905NTA, but I don't think Yukari would be straightforward as this. She almost speaks on oxymorons, secrets, enigmas or twisted senses. Even in the way she acts, there is always something off about her. If she acts mellow or weak, it is to drop one's guard. Been thinking about her lately to the point that I can't focus on a damn novel! And I can only be sure of one thing clear about her. Her goal is to protect Gensokyo and she'll try her best to protect Gensokyo even if it is on her ways; Manipulations, schemes, et cetera. Even if she has to be the big bad arsehole and be hated by everyone, she'll do it. And this, this is something I deeply respect.
>>48639196>I've been contemplating on becoming active there again. I hate social media these days but on the other hand a lot of the Japanese Touhou fandom seems very active there and there's some people posting things very relevant to my interests. Plus the exposure would probably help with my language learning too...You really have to curate your timeline to avoid getting too much trash, but it is definitely a nice way to practice the language, plus if someone posts something that catches your eye, you can just talk to them, it costs nothing and you might gain a friend.And as i was writing this, i've been informed my Kanako fumo is almost done, what great timing for all of this to happen.
>>48639099>No, but I've always been of the opinion that nature does what nature doesThat's a good way to think about it. Animals sometimes eat people and it reminds us that nature is just one big circle and we're apart of it as any other. It's arrogance to say we're somehow above it or outside of it, which makes it sting all the more when 'something' does come along to remind us of our place, and if that 'something' has equivalent or superior intelligence to ourselves then it's quite humbling. Hubris is a dangerous thing.I wonder when we collectively saw ourselves separate from nature, I don't recall the ancient peoples having as much of a god complex as we do now.>>48639216Actual rope on her, the craftsmanship is really good. A shame her shimenawa can't be made the same, but rope can't exactly support itself in that nice pretty ring, and I imagine it would make her way too cumbersome.
>>48640150Not sure. I can be the king of my own castle, but a few hours out in the winter snow with no jacket will lay anyone low. And humans can and have eaten youkai, too.>ropeMake it a velcro or tie on option since she can and does remove her own from time to time?
>>48580569It's actually fun to read in the morning while enjoying toast and coffee
>>48642255I do agree with that statement. Some of this stuff are even good /tg/ or /qst/ material.
>>48642402>....I read, as I sit down to eat my own breakfast and contemplate whether to update on my latest dream where I had a run in with the Moriya crew to even out the rest of my dream encounters here.
To the big 4 Anon, if you haven’t already posted the ofuda you’ve made and you don’t mind doing so, do you mind sharing it? I’d love to see how you structured it.
>>48639197I don't think I can generalize how she is from my very limited interactions with her. But it's the most legible thing she said to me. The full context being I asked all the known Sages for permission to release the Archive. Kasen-sama did not pick up the phone, Okina-sama gave the thumbs up in her own way and Yukari-sama decided to enlighten me on the youkai POV with methods that verged on bullying for three days. It was very illuminating on how they see us, but very little of it was any kind of a "discussion", let alone a dialogue, more like someone pushing ideas into your head. At some point she tried to convince me that getting eaten by youkai isn't so bad after all. I don't think it was a very serious attempt. I don't think I'd be here if it was.>>48639216That fumo looks really good! Very nice craftsmanship. I'm curious as to how open to others you are about your beliefs and experiences?I also forgot to ask, but when you said that the gensoukoudan forum discusses kinda the same things we do, what exactly did you mean? Also, is it true that there are people on 2chan posting something similar? When the Archive got posted into reddit someone there said that there were people talking about similar topics on 2ch. I have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting anywhere near being able to really read Japanese, so I can't exactly go just check it out myself. >>48642255The human zoo is always fun untill you find yourself going native. >>48645275I still have the old one which is really bad and just has the name of the four kami in kanji written with a black ballpoint pen and the kanji for "kamidana" with red. I'm gonna make something more proper for the Lunar New Year and burn the old one.
>>48644279So I am, sitting down near my cogitator, drinking some whiskey and smoking a cigar. I humbly ask you mister, to share your adventures with the Moriya folks, so I may have something to tingle my muses and have something creative for a campaign.
>>48645536>I'm curious as to how open to others you are about your beliefs and experiencesIf i know they're somewhat receptive to these sort of things, i give them a small prod, see how they react before opening up, since there is no point in spending energy trying to convince someone if they don't already care in some way.>I have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting anywhere near being able to really read Japanese, so I can't exactly go just check it out myself.Honestly, a mixture of google translate + LLM's works really well, ChatGPT in particular offers pretty good translations as far as i can tell, while google translate, while faster, is shittier, use GPT or Claude to refine a specific text if google is outputting obviously wrong things, it's "good enough" to browse around in those sites if you also do a bit of work by hand to double check.I'd love to see that reddit link if you have it, gensoukoudan is a general 2hu lore discussion forum, so it's only natural that sometimes things lean towards this way.>>48645594Not that poster but i had a pretty nice dream on the new year night, very festive space, table with a lot of food, Suwako was the only one that i could recognize there, and she gave me some kind of small red and green charm, quite pleasant!
>>48645720>If i know they're somewhat receptive to these sort of things, i give them a small prodThat seems like a good way to go about it.>Honestly, a mixture of google translate + LLM's works really wellI keep forgetting how good LLMs apparently are these days. I tried ChatGPT a couple of iterations ago and wasn't that impressed by it nor found it all that useful back then. >I'd love to see that reddit link if you have itHere you go: https://www.reddit.com/r/touhou/comments/1gtv8a7/the_channers_are_beginning_to_find_out_the_truth/>so it's only natural that sometimes things lean towards this wayI understand. In general, I am really curious about the kind of intersection of Touhou and religion that seems to be going on in Japan. We have things like the list of Haniyasushin shrines, this list of somehow Touhou relevant sacred sites https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1dS9HRsk-T0JaSF-vVjl0BsFDxOQKoxY&ll=36.557018242051875%2C137.49946486832957&z=7 and people doing pilgrimmages to places like Suwa Taisha and the Moriya Jinja, but...what exactly do they mean with "sacred"? I've been trying to puzzle out what exactly is the Japanese attidute towards and ideas about these things. I've heard things like that the Japanese are very irreligious in Western sense and it's mostly some kind of cultural/traditional thing, but also that they have something like the Western "spiritual but not religious" thing going on? And since it's a big country, I'm sure there are millions of people who are religious in ways more familiar to us. Only 3% might self-identify as "Shinto", but it's still 3,72 million people. With Buddhism too there's probably many earnest believers. If you mix this with the fact that the Japanese don't apparently really like to talk about religion, particularly to outsiders, it probably is a very difficult subject to really, truly research. A good example of this is the classic, often quoted line from a Shinto priest "we don't have theology, we dance". But I ran into something that made me recontextualize it. There's this woman whose name I don't remember who makes this kind of...lifestyle-oriented content for YouTube, but she is a Japanese Shinto & Zen practitioner and she makes videos about those topics in English. She didn't address that quote directly, but recounted in one of her videos how the kannushi of her community behaved in very upstanding and dignified ways when he carried out the rituals. She said that people were expected to learn from the example without explicit teaching, expected to carry out a similar attidute to all tasks, all things. So if you have a spiritual tradition based on implicit learning and wordless teaching, you don't have a theology. You dance. This of course leaves us in a somewhat difficult position when it comes to trying to figure out what this weird intersection of Touhou and religion in Japan that seems to exist really is. But it's also an exciting position. There are genuine mysteries in the world waiting to be unraveled, in a mundane sense too. Things that can only be experienced by going there and being there. And in some way...isn't this some kind of Otaku culture too? Can you be an otaku about Japanese religion? Is it some kind of final frontier of it, when everything else has been brought online, made accessible, supplanted by Chinese and Korean gacha creations, when there is no longer any point in going to Akihabara or Comiket as the ancient ones grumble...there still exists an "otaku culture" that really, truly, honestly depends on you going to Japan and trying to really, really understand it.Maybe I got a bit carried away with this.
>>48646190The reply about Okina Matara's identities cracked me up.
>>48646223If they only knew!!!
>>48645720Ho, ho, ho! Very nice of her! Too bad there wasn't any booze, you could have a even more fun time, toho style. Suwako for me always look like the jolly grandma that give some cakes to youngsters and that nobody want to mess with. Next time you see her, be a gentleman for me and give her some sweet potato shōchū if you can, would you? I'm sure she would love it! Alongside listening of a few stories of her. By the way, tell us some of her stories if she share some of it.>>48645536>>48639197Yukari's not the easy lady to understand, young men. The more you'll think about her, the less you'll know about her. She must hold secrets, big secrets that she doesn't want to share. But hey, maybe the whiskey striking my brain, but maybe that miss doesn't want to be alone and there some Maribel's spirit left in her, so she wouldn't want the company of a beast or a computer but someone who can think with what she lost. Common sense, because there's none in Gensokyo. Or I just should stop drinking.
Autismo translation side project almost done, i'll post it in a bit once it's ready!
>>48646190That reddit thread has an interesting idea brought from the 2ch threads that the barrier would fall if the 'truth' became more known. The gut reaction is how disastrous that would be for Gensokyo, but if they were well known and understood by the outside then they could survive even in modernity as Touhou itself becomes a spiritual backbone and genuine believers become their lifeblood. On the otherhand that's a lot more trouble and unknown risk than it's worth and staying secluded from the outside and maintaining the status quo would be the safe option. The barrier after all, is for their survival.>>48647126warmly waiting
>>48597703since I moved back in with my family, whatever's been stomping at night and scaring the cat's stoppedthought I imagined everything I've seen, but when I was gone it was a lot more active but in what sounded like an aggressive senseA little scared to go into the kitchen at night still, hearing her breathe was weirdsorry if this is for Japanese spirits only though, I really don't know what's in this houseI'm usually on /x/, but this seems the most genuine and interesting paranormal thread I've seen in a bit
>>48597703Not really personal but the most "recent" was a friend inquiring to me about shinto and some problems he was facing, i directed him towards Okami Inari which seemed like the most appropiate Kami i had familiarity with, and some spooky (but positive) things happened quite quickly for him afterwards, the most important being called for a job interview (and getting the job!) on the day after he set up a little shrine.
Phew, finally done, the last one apparently was already translated, while theses, being very recent aren't.The information are just things we already know, but i thought they were cute enough to translate anyway.Credits to the artist - https://x.com/nantara3080Jank ass text edits.
second one, even jankier.
This last one is already translated, due to being older, so if you care enough, check it here through the danbooru overlay.https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/7227224
Synchronicities that seemed to happen to lately seem just to orient me back into the road I chose when I fall into doubt. Mainly, Bishamonten as my honzon and Tendai as my school. I don't know which one causes what, but I have been seeing Okina and Shou sometimes. Mostly Okina...I've been considering switching to Shingon, and in a moment of doubt, I decided to read the translation of my daily gongyo (puja) and got really moved by the contents. I then opened Twitter and immediatly got an ad with a symbol that looks very eerily similar to the Tendai crest.For Bishamonten, in a period of doubt, a sutra I have been looking forward to get translated (I even asked for help in these threads in the past) randomly gets dropped by Rev. Jikai (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoEXCmqSBQQ). There are tens of thousands of sutras in the Taisho and he chose specifically that one to translate...The rest are minor, such as a Bishamonten statue behind Rev. Monshin in a video I watched after another moment of doubt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0YRd0F8jRA) and the shingon.org website being last updated on Bishamonten's year (http://shingon.org/home.html).Either by pure karmic affinity or something out there wanting me to be on this path, I keep being oriented a certain way. I will persevere!
>>48637729One time I made a post of skepticism in one of these threads, and my post got removed for "offtopic." I've been feeling nothing but disdain over /jp/ ever since.
Hey, what happened to that anon that said he was going to Gensokyo on New Years? Did he perhaps get gapped...
>>48647176>the barrier would fall if the 'truth' became more knownIf we look at this from a kind of Touhou canon way I can see it happening. But I think that rather than the barrier collapsing like it's the glass of an aquarium break, it would mean that our notion of common sense would collapse. Fantasy and reality would switch places. Gods and monsters would walk among us. But IRL I don't think there is a way that this would become such a commonly accepted, self-evident truth that anything like such could happen. Maybe it's weirdly pessimistic of me, but the world is too polarized for that. Literal aliens could land in front of the White House (Mar-a-Lago?) and substantial chunk of the world population would think it's some psyop. We are too divided and cynical. Unless literally every single person in the world would experience an unambigous miracle, a substantial chunk of people would simply think they've gone insane. Kanako-sama could manifest above Suwa in a towering column of thunder flanked by two dragons and 95% of people outside of those who saw it would think it's CGI and move on the next trending topic. I think it's this because they seem to be putting so much effort into reaching out directly to people with even the faintest potential of reaching out to others. >>48648012>>48648020>>48648028These are really nice, thank you. I've seen the last one floating around every now and then, but I never thought there'd be a danbooru translation overlay for it. The Suwa mythology IRL is extremely complicated. Mishaguji is nevertheless a name I don't remember stumbling upon before. The potential connection of the IRL Moriyas to Mononobes is really fascinating, I recently finally 1CC'd Ten Desires as Sanae and her ending mentioned something to that effect too. There's some very unusual Suwa lore outside of what is refered to in Touhou, like idea from the era of Buddhist dominance that Takeminakata was an Indian Buddhist king who had manifested into Japan. I have wondered if the way Kanako-sama is depicted with the hoop of shimenawa is a double reference to the oharae ritual but also Buddhist iconography utilizing all sorts of halos. There's also legends of the Suwa kami really being Koga Saburo (IIRC), samurai who turned into a snake/dragon after going to the underworld. That myth kind of myth is of course enormously symbolicaly loaded. Thanks for these!
>>48652501> The Suwa mythology IRL is extremely complicated. Mishaguji is nevertheless a name I don't remember stumbling upon beforeFrom the top of my head if I remember, the Mishaguji is / are curse / boundary god(s) (Unsure if its singular or many), which Suwako has control over, while Kanako can’t , so it’s part of their deal together that Suwako keeps them in check while still having part of the shrine for herself.I’m currently at work but I’ll double check later
Okay my niggas I realize now that this IS actually the Touhou esoteric thread, I accidentally made another, sorry.
>>48649159Stay strong anon, I hope you'll find the time to work on new content. >>48652434Good question...>>48652868Right! I wonder how they mesh with IRL Suwa/Nagano lore>>48653758But anon...I'm not an African-American..?
>>48653791>But anon...I'm not an African-American..?I am sorry anon is just that since I started hearing people call each other like that right here I started using it. But the point is that I made another touhou esoteric thread not knowing that this one already existed and I want you to check it out, you can post what you see here, in this very thread, I just hope what I say does not go forgotten.
>>48653850Don't worry anon.
>>48653791>Right! I wonder how they mesh with IRL Suwa/Nagano loreCurrently writing a post talking about that, and holy shit decent information is hard to find, i have to dig into the japanese sources because so far the english ones are kinda shit.Also >Get distracted from drawing to write a long effort post about an obscure chtonic suwa native god>dig up information >as i currently write these things down someone posts something, i reply with a meme video i'm already aware of as a response> notice the uploader has the same first name as the god i'm researching AFTER i post it.It just works
>>48654426Broke: Synchronicity acted to bring you to a person that shared the name of a Kami.Woke: The person was acting knowingly or unknowingly as an intermediary for the Kami.Bespoke: the Kami are addicted to the internet and use personas, have their own pr firms, and directly interact with their followers when they feel like it.
>>48654426I took a break and went to sleep, I wake up and check my Twitter, and someone I followed reposted a Japanese tweet thread talking about snake gods in Nagano, which INCLUDES Mishaguji and others of relevancy to our interests, the thread in question was posted YESTERDAY while I was researching these things.What the fuck is this timing, holy shit https://x.com/north_ern2/status/1876962964219077082?s=46
>>48648012>Mishaguji>native deity of industry>>48652868>the Mishaguji is / are curse / boundary god(s) (Unsure if its singular or many), which Suwako has control over, while Kanako can’t , so it’s part of their deal together that Suwako keeps them in check while still having part of the shrine for herself.Wasn't Kanako trying to change herself into kami of industry? If so, maybe it's not only about having a more faith-gathering front, but also about internal situation?
>>48658015Very likely, i'm getting a ton of interesting insights out of this research, this is quite the rabbit hole
>>48658015>Wasn't Kanako trying to change herself into kami of industry?Adding to this, considering that Suwako in the 2hu lore is also a Kami of steel production, while the IRL Moriya dealt with iron, which also requires a significant degree of industrial capacity to be able to reliably be produced.>>48652501>The Suwa mythology IRL is extremely complicated. Mishaguji is nevertheless a name I don't remember stumbling upon before. The potential connection of the IRL Moriyas to Mononobes is really fascinating, I recently finally 1CC'd Ten Desires as Sanae and her ending mentioned something to that effect too.Looking into this as well>Local historians have long interpreted the story of the conflict between the two deities as the mythicization of a historical event in which a powerful local clan that ruled the Lake Suwa region and its vicinity (identified with the Moriya) was defeated by invaders who wrested control of the area (identified in turn with the Suwa clan, the high priestly lineage of the Upper Suwa Shrine that claimed to be Takeminakata's descendants), although a number of scholars have recently argued that it may actually be of later origin, heavily influenced by or outright based on medieval legends concerning the conflict between Prince Shōtoku and the anti-Buddhist ōmuraji Mononobe no Moriya, who may have been the inspiration for the god's name.>Following the death of Emperor Yōmei in 587, Mononobe's party and Soga's each sought to influence the succession. The dispute quickly erupted into outright battle, in which Mononobe no Moriya is credited with setting fire to the first Buddhist temples in Japan, and tossing the first images of the Buddha, imported from Baekje, into the canals of the city of Naniwa (now Osaka). Hmmmm...The plot thickens, every branch of this story i look into just massively increases the amount of information i have to process.
>>48658071Wait till you realize that Moriya shrine wants to become more related to technology and its advancement, and that they are piggybacking off of the Pepe/Kek mythos to take up a foothold here and spread the word easier.
>>>48658242we live in truly strange times
>>48658239Correction, Mononobe was the clan, Moriya was just the guy’s name
>>48654426>Currently writing a post talking about that, and holy shit decent information is hard to find, i have to dig into the japanese sources because so far the english ones are kinda shit.Talked about this with someone else a while ago but it's kinda funny how people these days assume everything is on the net but nope, especially not in English. For example, the 1958 translation of Kojiki seems to exist only in a handful of US university library collections... >>48655251I strongly deny any claims that I am part of some sort of PR agency for the kami!>>48657667>What the fuck is this timing, holy shit Kanako-sama is a real kami and she's making it very clear to everyone! Also, the email of that guy has "polaris" in it. >>48658239If that part of Suwa mythology would be based on the Buddhist/anti-Buddhist struggles, it seems pretty obvious that is the likely source for the whole religious conflict narrative arc.Nagano has some other potential sources of inspiration for that too. So far I've stumbled upon that the hidden Buddha statue in Zenkoji temple was apparently saved from the haibutsu campaign. There was also intra-Buddhist strife in Nagano, where Tendai and Shingon sects struggled for control. >>48658242MUCH to think about.
Also, there's a couple of interesting things near the Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya & Maemia.There's a shrine called Hokuto Jinja between the two. Hokuto is the Big Dipper in Japanese. I have no idea what this is about. There's also two kofun burial mounds nearby - not the big keyhole shaped ones, but perhaps enough to put the concept into ZUN's mind. There's also a landmark called karakasumatsu nearby, which appears to mean "umbrella pine". Maybe it's unrelated, but there is a fan-favorite karakasa-obake in Touhou. While there is no road leading up there if Google maps is to be believed, the IRL Moriya Shrine is fairly close up the hill on which the kofun and karakasamatsu are. So it's very close to those two shrines.Outside of the screenshot, there's a hot spring called miya no yu onsen very close by. I remember there being some lore about Yasakatome creating hot springs by dropping a cotton swab doused in water. This is of course reflected in Touhou with the whole underground nuclear power hot spring arc. Closer to the lakes of Lake Suwa, there's some kind of hot spring center with a more geysir-like hot spring if I've understood it correctly. No idea what the flying boat is about. Maybe also too much of a stretch, but a flying boat is like a tiny flying ship, isn't it?
>>48659157The flying mud boat is an art project by some local famous guy who used it as a tea house. It's since become too dangerous to use and is now an outdoor museum of sorts, along with the rest of his surviving artwork.>>pr workHey, just cause I brought it up doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Okinawa has WFH benefits for the Zashiki Warashi, after all. >>MUCH to think aboutIt occurred to me about a month ago and I've just been sitting on the idea since then until putting it here.
>>48659286The work/life balance of Okinawa aside, I typed "Okina" you worthless slab of technology. I'm gonna have to Pavlov myself into not phone posting before I throw it out the damn window in a fit of rage one day.
>>48659046>For example, the 1958 translation of Kojiki seems to exist only in a handful of US university library collections... Is that something you want? I think my university library has it. Definitely the 2014 translation, but there's other versions too that only have physical copies.
>>48659286>mud boatOh, that's some interesting local history! >It occurred to me about a month ago and I've just been sitting on the idea since then until putting it here.It's a fun idea for sure and something I haven't really thought of myself. At the very least the internet seems to have enabled them the spirit world to reach out to humanity more directly. It wouldn't be surprising if they'd be learning from each other. ZUN perceiving them as deities that wan't to kind of change their essence into something more modern is probably part of it all.>>48659758Yeah, I'm interested in it because it was written by someone who is both Japanese and a true believer, so I think it would be an interesting perspective. It's not the best English translation from English point of view, or so I've heard, but I can always just read another translation for that.
>>48659878Do you have the name of the author/translator? They have translations mixed with native japanese copies and don't differentiate so it's hard to search through it.
So apparently they released a movie called “Deer Country” just a few days ago that talks about the Suwa / Nagano region, the Mishaguji and surrounding rituals / lore and other related things,Someone posted about it in my time line as a random recommendation.ABSURDLY well timedhttps://shikanokuni.vfo.co.jp> Why does this place evoke so much emotion?Located in the Suwa Basin, the navel of the Japanese archipelago, Suwa Taisha is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Its festivals, which are held more than 200 times a year, are full of mystery. Mishaguji, an ancient god, is summoned in important rituals. And the deer sacrifices that were considered indispensable to the rituals... Director Hiroko, who has followed the culture of life and death in Nepal and Tibet, notices the original prayers for the cycle of life in the festivals of the four seasons. And she attempts to recreate the medieval "Mimuro Shinji," which has long been shrouded in awe and mystery. What was the entertainment that unfolded in front of the living god, the young Ohoori, who was confined in a cave in the sacred area for three months in the harsh winter? And what is the meaning of the 75 deer heads that were offered to the Ohoori, who appears in April with makeup on? From winter to spring, from death to rebirth. This image of original prayer, which we who live in modern society have almost forgotten, was depicted over the course of three years along with the beautiful four seasons.The film is produced by Kitamura Minao, who has worked on numerous folklore film productions. The narration will be done by voice actors Noto Mamiko and Ito Seiko. The music will be handled by Hara Marihiko, a musician highly acclaimed by artists both in Japan and abroad.
>>48661500>00Thank you Kanako, Very Cool!
>>48661500>>48661548
>>48660352Shunji Inoe would be the name, there's apparently multiple later revisions of it. >>48661500Wow, that's really cool!>Director Hiroko, who has followed the culture of life and death in Nepal and Tibet >notices the original prayers for the cycle of life in the festivals of the four seasonsOh.>she attempts to recreate the medieval "Mimuro Shinji"Haha what if we attempt to recreate a medieval ritual for the sake of preservation of history haha. Honestly that sounds really, really cool and the process of making that just might explain some things. Maybe Kanako-sama just wants everyone to see her movie!! >CAPTCH: MANAV
