Amaterasu

What does this mean for you? Although you may not realize your own radiance, you ultimately bring joy and wonder wherever you go. 

The myth of Amaterasu goes something like this: Born from the cleansings of the creator kami, Izanagi, his left eye became the very Sun itself, formed under the personality and being that is the goddess Amaterasu. Bequeathed with the holy treasures of the Heavenly Kami, Amaterasu became Queen of all the kami on both heaven and earth. 

But she was not the only being created by Izanagi, for she had many brothers and sisters born of him, including her devious brother, Susano-o, kami of storms and chaos. After various crimes, he was condemned to the Yomi, the Japanese underworld, but before he did this, he deigned to say goodbye to his fellow Heavenly Kami, including his sister. His ascent, however, caused many earthquakes and storms, which Amaterasu noticed from her high throne in Heaven. Perfectly aware of his violent tempers, she assumed evil intent on his arrival and challenged him to show that his intentions were innocent. With a shrug, Sasano-o said they should compete to see which of them could create better offspring. 

Head held high, Amaterasu consented. While she took his mighty sword, she offered him her precious magatama beads. They washed both of these relics in the Well of Heaven to ritually purify them for the competition. Once done, Ametrasu used her strong jaw and bit into the sword where, from her breath, four kami goddesses of the wind emerged from her nose. Susano-o, too, bit into the item given to him, and conceived five kami gods. Having made more kami than Amaterasu, he declared himself the winner and with this victory; she denied by saying that he only won with the use of her magatama beads, and as such, she was actually the proven victor.

This is where Susano-o’s notorious rage erupted into a wild rampage of destruction. Like thunderstorms and lightning, he crushed the sacred rice fields of the heavenly kami, defecated in the feasting hall of the gods, and attacked all the weaving kami goddesses in their weaving hall. One of which was Ameterasu’s personal attendant who died amid the chaos. 

Terrified and distraught, Amaterasu, the very Sun itself, cried and ran from the wreckage, unable to stomach the destruction of her home. It is said she ran from the halls of the gods and sequestered herself into a dark cave, far, far away from the palace. Here, no one could ever hurt her. She ensured it by placing a large boulder before the entrance.

But she also didn’t realize that with her loss, the worlds of both heaven and earth started to wither away. With her gone, all of her brilliant radiance fled from the skies. The grain died, people grew cold, the winters came, and no light graced heaven and earth. It was perpetual darkness without Amaterasu. The kami of all walks of life lamented her loss. 

They all huddled together, asking one another what they could possibly do to ensure Amaterasu’s return. As the most powerful goddess of them all, they could hardly demand her return, but at the same time, they could not survive without her. One of the wisest of the gods, however, came up with an idea. They would put out a sacred mirror just outside the cave, hung high from the branches of a tree, for even if Amaterasu dared to peek outside of the cave, she would see her reflection and be so mesmerized that  she would ultimately leave the cave. 

The question was, how could they convince Amaterasu to peek outside? The answer came in the form of Ame-no-Uzume, an amusing and raucous kami goddess of the dawn. Adorned in nothing but some scantily made streamers made of plants and flowers, she danced with shameless abandon before all the kami of heaven. To the gods, indecency was more hilarious than it was shameful, and they all laughed. The laughter and crowd grew so loud with thunderous joy that Amaterasu heard them from deep within her cave. 

Although she could not fathom why they could be laughing when she was in such misery, her curiosity peaked. Near the entrance of the cave, she demanded to know why they laughed so much. Ame-no-Uzume, with a sly lie, declared that they had found a mistress better than Amaterasu. Disheartened, but ultimately curious, she dared a small peek outside. 

It was then she saw the mirror of the gods. Her reflection illuminated the earth and the skies and the heavenly realm itself. She marveled at the beauty in the mirror, and realized with a sudden jolt that it was her own reflection she saw in the mirror, a sight she had never before witnessed herself. So mesmerized by herself, she didn’t realize one of the other kami had closed the cave once more. 

The Sun had made a magnificent return, where light flooded all the realms, for Amaterasu’s beauty gives us all joy when she awakens every morning. 

So ends the myth of Amaterasu. 

Historically, Amaterasu is considered one of the most important deities in the Japanese pantheon, which says a lot considering that there are said to be kami everywhere, from trees and plants to cookware and utensils! All things are imbued with mystical energies according to Shinto, the indigenous ‘religion’ of Japan. Now, why is Amaterasu so important? Not only is she the very embodiment of the Sun, she is also the progenitor goddess of the Japanese Imperial family, whose unbroken line has continued into today since (according to the mythic records), began all the way back in 660 BCE. This is according to the mythic records of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki and seems unlikely given the archeological record (more likely the imperial family has been around since 500~AD into today). She is also why the Japanese flag is the red sun and why Japan is referred to as the Land of the Rising Sun. Such is her appeal to the Japanese people, she has her own shine at the Grand Ise Shrine which is rebuilt in all its simple glory every few decades. 

But what does this mean for you, dear reader, and established Amaterasu? You are a ray of sunshine, even in the moments you may not realize it. There is an inner brightness in you that radiates for others to see. While you may not be the literal Sun, people feel happy and comfortable in your presence. The vibrancy of your conversation, your regal nature, and inner light can make people flock to you, whether it be your listening ear or comic tendencies. That said, you may not always realize how powerful your brightness is. In the dark times, in times of distress and adversity, you may hide yourself away from others and push them away. Maybe it is depression, jealousy, rage, or sadness, but you tend to seclude yourself away to where the rest of the world loses its luster with your absence. Your friends and family will miss you dearly in these moments. It is only when you see yourself as others do–a brilliant star in the darkest of the night–that you can truly shine, for your luminous heart gleams gold. 

Love yourself and exit the darkness of the cave, dear Amaterasu. Long may you rise on the horizon every morning and shine. Your smile lights up our world.