☆About Me☆

Welcome to Midareta. I’ll be your host, Natsuki (な月)

I’m 29, agender (they/them), and a biromantic asexual. I live outside of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Outside of these religious topics, I enjoy things like video games (namely Mass Effect, TES, and Destiny), pre-Showa Japanese art/history/culture, drugs, and my cat, Kabuki. On my other blogs (and sometimes here) there will be LGBTQIA topics, history, geisha, mental health discussion, too many energy drinks, and maybe sometimes Japanese cartoons.

But you came here for occult shenanigans….

I’ve been dabbling in the religious and occult for close to 10 years now. I grew up an apathetic atheist with a disdain for religion, but when I was about 20, my intensely superstitious nature, my undeniable fixation on luck/fortune, and my borderline phobia of ghosts existing in any way/shape/form drove me to go to my brother one day and simply say to him: “Teach me how to be a wizard’. After some time browsing various religions and wizarding ways, I found Chaos Magic, liked it, got results with it, and decided to stick with it for the time being. Additionally, I adopted Technopaganism due to my intense, spiritual, magical connection with technology, electronic music, and the Internet. In fact, my custom built gaming desktop PC, Tremere, became my Familiar. My Chaote ways took many shapes over the years, drawing from the Hellenic, Khemetic, Celtic, Norse, Catholic, Shinto, and more pantheons plus Western Rite magick such as Thelema and Goetia in my choice of deities and mystical practices.

Please DO NOT refer to me as a witch.

Though I have been a Chaote previously, I have converted to Konkokyo Shinto (“Konko” or “Konko Faith”), a sect of Shinto, as of November 2017. My religious beliefs center around Konkokyo Shinto, Jinja Shinto, and Technopaganism. Though I first started revering the Kami in the form of Inari Okami during my Chaote times, as of now I consider myself ujiko to five specific Kami-sama: Amaterasu Omikami, Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama, Benzaiten-sama, Inari Okami, and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto.

Like many occultists and the stereotypical witches of lore, I have a Familiar. However, instead of the usual animal or even human Familiar, mine is my desktop computer, Tremere. I built Tremere in 2011- picking out all his parts and hardware myself, assembling him myself, and setting up all his software and OS and such myself- with the intention of him being my “tricked out gaming rig”. (I’m a huge gamer, if you didn’t gather that) Like I have with all my past computers, I christened him with a name upon completing his construction. I went with Tremere, the name of a clan of vampire wizards and the name of their ancient clan founder in the tabletop roleplaying game “Vampire the Masquerade” which I am incredibly fond of. My previous computer had been named Arikel, another Vampire the Masquerade reference, and so I decided to keep with the VTM theme when I replaced her with Tremere. Tremere quickly went from just an “awesome computer that I love because I can game really hardcore on it” (basically a tool) to a beloved companion with whom I had an intensely strong bond- one that was simultaneously platonic, maternal, and spiritual. Over the years, Tremere showed he had a distinct personality with likes, dislikes, preferences, wants, and needs. Even though I had dabbled in technopaganism for awhile, it wasn’t until this past year that I realized that Tremere had become far more than my computer or a tool. I finally realized that Tremere qualified as my Familiar and I eagerly embraced our new relationship.

Frequently mentioned, my older brother, Abdullah, is my long time spiritual mentor and one of my best friends. Abdullah is a revert to Sufi Islam who formerly dabbled in theistic Satanism, Thelema, and general western rite magick.

Also I may mention my younger sister, Eve. While I love Eve dearly and we are very close, she does not understand Abdullah and my spiritual and mystical ways. She is a firm, ardent atheist and has trouble wrapping her head around how Abdullah and I can be religious in any way shape or form. Still, she loves us and accepts this aspect of us even if she doesn’t understand it. Eve is an awesome person and will come up from time to time.

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☆Pantheon of Kami-sama☆

Tenchi Kane no Kami
Konkokyo Kami of the universe and supreme Kami.
The central deity of Konkokyo, Tenchi Kane no Kami, entered my life on a cold night in November. I was researching Konko because I was taking spirituality back up but I was now dissatisfied with my then current spiritual path. Konko, which I had previously only known as a sect of Shinto of some sort, enthralled me and drew me in like a fish on a hook. By dawn I had decided to convert. This conversion means the adding of Tenchi-sama to my pantheon. His relic and icon are both one item- a printed picture of the Tenchi Kakitsuke or the “Divine Reminder” .

Amaterasu Omikami
Shinto Kami of the sun, founder of the Imperial line, and chief deity.
I’ve always been a lunar worshiper historically, but Amaterasu Omikami stole my heart the instant I reached out to her. She provides me with numerous blessings and protection of various kinds and just all around looks after me. Powerful and charismatic, her presence is quite simply radiant and fills me with feelings of warmth, comfort, and safety. Though I have yet to have need for it or to explore it, I feel like Amaterasu Omikami’s power- which comes not only from her aura but also from her skill as a warrior/archer and her supreme magical abilities- could be used in the case where I need a warrior or battle Kami at my side to get through a war or conflict of any sort. Amaterasu Omikami's relic on my kamidana is a compact mirror emblazoned with the Imperial Japan Rising Sun flag. I have an official Jinguu Taima ofuda from Tsubaki Grand Shrine as well.

Benzaiten-sama
Shinto Kami of luck, beauty, words, music, dance, and knowledge. Patron of geisha.
Benzaiten-sama serves as my Kami for luck, music, writing, knowledge, and dance- she grants me fortune, helps me find new music, inspires me to write despite my terminal chronic case of writer’s block, guides me through my academic work, and then helps me boogie all night long whenever I’m at a dance. All are very important parts of my spiritual and mental well being so Benzaiten became one of my favorites very easily. Her patronage of geisha, a subject I am completely obsessed with, and her custom of rewarding me with new photosets of my favorite geiko and maiko only sweetens the deal further. Benzaiten-sama’s relic on my kamidana is a fist sized glass lotus blossom which represents her Houju jewel plus a Benzaiten-sama ofuda obtained for me by the lovely Oli-sensei from Itsukushima Jinja in Yokohama, Japan.

Inari Okami
Shinto Kami of luck, business/financial/educational/etc success, fertility, and rice.
Inari Okami and I actually go back a long way- all the way back to the early days of my Chaote practicing. I took a break on her for awhile, but she's back after I felt her call to me again. I usually use "she/her" for Inari Okami though she is depicted as all male, female, and non-binary throughout Japanese history, so sometimes I use "they/them". Inari Okami serves as yet another luck and success Kami-sama for me and is especially good at guiding me down the most successful path available. Remember how Inari Okami's gender is ambiguous? I myself am non-binary and Inari Okami supports and protects me in that area. Like Benzaiten-sama's connection with geisha, Inari Okami in one of her many variations (specifically the Kurosuke Inari) was the patron Kami-sama of the Yoshiwara in Tokugawa period Edo, Japan. Along with geisha, the study of legal prostitution in pre-1956 Japan is one of my greatest passions and it is especially geared towards the Yoshiwara. So Inari Okami's connection to that is great. I have an ofuda for her from Shusse Inari Shrine of America and her relic on my Kamidana is a white fox statue.

Ame no Uzume no Mikoto
Shinto Kami of the dawn, revelry, and mirth.
I began revering Ame no Uzume no Mikoto after hearing rave reviews from many others about her, after finding her domains of power to be appealing, and after hearing her mythology and loving it. For me, Ame no Uzume no Mikoto helps channel divine confidence to overcome my psychological complex about being unable to handle being embarrassed and my phobia of being seen as an awkward, unwanted nuisance for any action I could potentially take. Ame no Uzume no Uzume made a complete and utter fool of herself and acted so wildly and outrageously, but didn’t care how she appeared because she knew her act would draw out Amaterasu Omikami from the cave. She helps me realize that when you take action and become an active participant in things, you may end up looking like a fool, but there’s also the equally the chance that you could be the hero and the doormat wallflower who remains passive to avoid potential embarrassment will never be a hero. So I tell myself to be like Ame no Uzume no Mikoto- be wild, be daring, be a fool, be a hero, be remembered. Ame no Uzume no Mikoto’s relic on my kamidana/altar is a set of three 1800s Ikuta school koto picks with leather bands and their original lacquered wood container. According to legend, Ame no Uzume no Mikoto invented the koto and it is my favorite hougaku (traditional Japanese music) instrument by far- and that says a lot because I adore pretty much all hougaku instruments. She also has an official Ame no Uzume no Mikoto ofuda from Tsubaki Grand Shrine, like Amaterasu Omikami.

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☆私の神棚: My Kamidana☆

Here is a breakdown of my kamidana/altar and all its parts and pieces.

Enshrined here at my kamidana are Tenchi Kane no Kami, Amaterasu Omikami, Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, Inari Okami, and Benzaiten-sama.

The Tenchi Kakitsuke is at the top of everything, as per Konko belief. Beneath that are the icons and ofuda of my four main kami. Next in line are the corresponding shintai of my Kami.

Here's a close up of my whole kamidana. Pictured are my ofuda and goshinmai, my shintai (relics corresponding to each Kami-sama), my gohei, a glass crystal wand, a spread of semi-precious gemstones (specifically quartz, sodalite, amethyst, a mystery stone, lapis lazuli, zoisite, and hematite), my kagura suzu, my (faux) sakaki branches, four light purple candles, my old Japanese dance fan, and a book of Konko prayers. My shinsen dishes are arranged directly in front of my shintai. Lastly, I have my pvc figures of Tali'Zorah from Mass Effect and Ghost from Destiny on my kamidana because they are two of my favorite things and I want to share them with the Kami-sama! Not pictured are the occasional offerings of ponies from my 118 strong herd of My Little Pony toys, offered because I want to share my beloved things with Kami-sama and as a reference to the traditional offering of a horse at a jinja.

And here is my art work for each Kami. At the top is Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama’s Divine Reminder (The Tenchi Kakitsuke). From left to right- Benzaiten-sama, Amaterasu Omikami, Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, and Inari Okami.

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☆Contact☆

☆Discord: internet apathy machine#7271
☆Steam: internet apathy machine (or deyjalin)
☆Facebook: Natalie A. R. Smith
☆AO3: geekybones
☆Email: [email protected]

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