psychic words

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"Words shape psychic forces." - The Haiku Shaman©

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commuters

behind their newspaper. . .

autumn train

Noun

言霊 (hiragana ことだま, romaji kotodama)

  1. The mystical force inherent in language. Taken from Shinto beliefs, the Japanese believe that speech has magical effects on the world as words conjure up various spirits, or kami( gods and goddesses), that animate the living earth.

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NOTE

"Psychic forces" refers to the little dream delivered by a real haiku. Deeper than aesthetics there is a profound mystery engaged when we share a properly constructed haikai experience. In old Japan they called this 'yugan', a name rooted in the deep indigo colour of a traditional dye. The colour of twilight - symbol of boundless mystery of being. By practising classical haiku techniques we gain this enhanced awareness as an everyday state of consciousness. This is why we need to do haiku properly -- to avoid distortion. - jp

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