Onmyōdō: Difference between revisions

Onmyōdō (meaning "The Way of Yin and Yang") is Japanese-style [[Functional Magic|spell-casting]]. Methods range from Yin/Yang, [[wikipedia:Godai|Five Elements]], [[wikipedia:Shikigami|Shikigami]], and Divination to O-Fuda and Alchemy. ''Onmyodo'' is a very eclectic blend; while it can be treated as simply ''Rule Magic'', it also has elements of ''Force Magic'' and ''Theurgy''.

 

 

A practitioner of ''Onmyodo'' is called an ''Onmyoji''. Traditionally, the only ones able to legally practice [[Onmyodo]] were appointed by the Imperial government, and were in fact, civil servants of the Bureau of Onmyō. During the Heian period, Onmyōji had quite a bit of political clout, but when the imperial court fell into decline, their status as civil servants was lost. Their original responsibilities included keeping track of the calendar, divination, and protection of the capital from evil spirits. They also watched for auspicious and/or harmful influences in the earth, (earthquake detection).