Podcasts about Brightness

This episode we are taking a quick break from our overall story of Uno no Sarara (aka Jito Tenno) and we are focusing on Ise Shrine and Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. There is a lot, for a bit more, check out our podcast blogpost at:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-153   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 153:  Ise and the Sun Goddess.   In the newly built hall of the Fujiwara Palace, the nobles of the court were gathered for a grand banquet.  Snow-white walls were off-set by bright crimson pillars and trim, highlighted by bright green windows.   The nobles themselves were a rainbow of colors, arranged as they were by rank.   At the head of it all, on a dais, sat the Queen herself, Uno no Sarara.  However, the attention was no longer on her.  Instead, it was on another figure, standing in front of the assembled audience.  A quiet spread throughout the hall, the court listening as Hieda no Are began to tell the story of the Sun Goddess in the Plain of High Heaven.  They listened to the story of her and Susano'o, and of the backward flayed horse.  They heard the tale of the Heavenly Rock Cave, and of all that came after, including the sending of the August Grandchild, Ninigi.  They listened to the story—the story of Yamato.   Last episode, we talked in more detail about Uno No Sarara—starting from her early years as the daughter of Naka no Ohoe, granddaughter of Soga no Kurayamada, and child-bride to her uncle, Ohoama.  I'll admit we didn't look too hard at that last bit, and I don't have enough information to confirm what exactly "marriage" entailed in that context, but it is still something that I find tremendously creepy and, unfortunately, anything but unique.  So I'm not going to dive too much further into it right now but… ew. We talked about how she gave birth to her son, Kusakabe, in Kyushu, during the war on the continent, and how she eventually left for Yoshino with her husband when he retired from court, presumably to outsmart his court rivals, who were positioning him to be taken out.  She also is said to have played a part in the planning and execution of the resulting Jinshin no Ran, later helping her husband govern the realm.  And now, she was on the throne, overseeing the completion of many of the projects started in the reign of her husband.  This included the completion of the Kiyomihara code, the Fujiwara palace, and the support given to the institution of Ise Grand Shrine. This episode, I want to dive into that last topic: the emphasis in Uno no Sarara's reign on  Ise Shrine and its focus, the Great God, Amaterasu no Ohokami.  Although the Chronicles talk about Amaterasu as one of the founding deities of the Yamato royal line, there is plenty of evidence that this story was grafted into the tales at a later date, and that worship of Amaterasu, at least as anything more than a minor deity, likely also started relatively late.  Some have even suggested that Ise Shrine itself wasn't even built until the late 7th century.  So, all of this focus on Ise and Amaterasu appears to be part of the larger effort to structure the physical, cultural, and spiritual landscape of the new Yamato state. Last episode we mentioned how, according to the Nihon Shoki,   Ohoama turned to worship towards Ise.  Well, specifically, he worshipped Amaterasu Ohokami.  So let's take a moment and talk about what we know of the history of this Great God of Heavenly Brightness. Unfortunately, most of that history is based on what we know of the kami from works like the Nihon Shoki, the Kojiki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi, all of which came out in the 8th century or so.  As such, it can be hard to know what things were actually like, earlier on, as opposed to what was added or removed later. Much of what I'm going to be talking about, today, I'm going to be pulling from a book written in 2017 by Mark Teeuvwen [Tayvin?] and John Breen titled "A Social History of the Ise Shrines", as well as Michael Como's work "Weaving and Binding: Immigrant Gods and Female Immortals in Ancient Japan", published in 2009, along with other sources.  In their book, Breen and Teeuwen point out that for those who do not take the events of the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki at face value, there are two primary theories for the origin of the worship of Amaterasu: an early theory and  a late theory.  The early theory places the development of the worship of Amaterasu in the 5th and 6th centuries, during the reigns of such figures as Wakatakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuuryaku Tennou.  The Late Theory places the development in the 7th century, largely at the feet of such figures as Ohoama and Uno no Sarara herself.  We'll take a look at the evidence and see what it says. I would note that compared to the official history, both of these would be very late theories.  According to Ise Grand Shrine even today, Amaterasu arrived in Ise in the 26th year of Ikume Iribiko, aka Suinin Tennou, as stated in the Nihon Shoki, which corresponds to 4 BCE if you take the dating of the Nihon Shoki to be accurate. Of course, we've already spent plenty of time talking about the problems with the Nihon Shoki prior to the 6th century CE, as well as how the political nature of the text affected what it contained. So to kick things off, let's address the biggest question of all: why don't we believe that Amaterasu no Ohokami was always the primary deity of the pantheon of Yamato, at the very least, if not all of the Wa people of the archipelago?  After all, isn't she a sun goddess, and isn't sun worship fairly well documented among the ancient Japanese?  Just take a look at words like "Hiko" and "Hime", referring to rulers as sun man and sun woman.  Also note that early on, worship seems to have centered around places such as mountaintops, which focused worship towards the sky and the highest point.  In fact, as wet rice paddy agriculture became the dominant economic factor driving the engine of the archipelago in the Yayoi and early kofun period, early shrines were very likely about bringing the spirit of the mountain from the mountaintop and giving them a home amongst the rice fields.. And then we have the stories.  Don't the ancient stories all tell about Amaterasu as the ruler of Takama no Hara, the Heavenly Plain?  And isn't it her grandchild that then descends to the earth to pacify the Land of the Reed Plains—aka the Japanese archipelago? Well let's take a look at those same stories, which we've covered in earlier episodes of the podcast.  The first deities mentioned in the Chronicles are deities like Ama no Minaka Nushi, Lord of the August Middle of Heaven; Takami Musubi, High August Growth; and Kami Musubi, Divine August Growth.  There are other deities, like Kuni Toko Tachi, but they are barely mentioned again. Later we get Izanagi and Izanami, the masculine and feminine, who create the world and give birth to numerous deities from that point on.  Among the children of Izanagi are said to be Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susano'o.  Amaterasu, Heaven's Brightness, represents the sun while Tsukiyomi represents the dark of the moon.  Susano'o is then the god of the storms and seas, and was sent to the Nether Land, the Ne no Kuni. Right away we see that there are numerous different stories listed in the Nihon Shoki for just about everything.  Only the Kojiki gives everything as a single, coherent narrative, but surely the readers in the 8th century would have known some of these other stories, and thus the Nihon Shoki gives the alternates as well. Now the main narrative of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki tells us that Ama-terasu no Oho-kami was born to rule over everything.  In the Nihon Shoki, Izanagi and Izanami specifically mention that divine destiny in Amaterasu's creation—although actually, in that part of the text, the deity they are creating is named Oho-hiru-me no Muchi; the Great Sun Female Holder.  And in the next entry they call Amaterasu: Ama-terasu Oho-hiru-me.  Tsukiyomi, the deity of the moon, is made to be her consort, and they are supposedly sent to rule the plain of Heaven, Takama no Hara. The problem is that there are other entries that suggest that Takama no Hara already had a ruler:  Taka-mi-Musubi.  Reading the sections on Taka-mi-Musubi, we see a deity who is said to have produced 1500 children, himself—no mention of Izanagi and Izanami.  Some of his children are mentioned as Omohi-kane:  the Thought-Combining deity, and Sukuna-bikona: the Little-Prince-Named deity. Amatsu Hiko Hiko Ho Ninigi no Mikoto, the August Heavenly Prince, Prince Ho-ninigi, is not just a grandson of Amaterasu no Ohokami, but also a grandchild of Taka-mi Musubi.  In at least one story, Takami Musubi is the one who wants Ninigi no Mikoto to become the ruler of the Central Land of the Reed Plains.  Towards that end, he gathers the various kami and chooses someone to go down and prepare the way—Ama-ho-hi no Mikoto—who was to quote-unquote "expel and subdue" the evil gods of that land.  We covered this story in episode 21 and 22.  When that doesn't work, he gathers them again, sending others to try and do the same.  Eventually he sends Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi down.  All of this sounds like Taka-mi Musubi, whose name appears to refer to being the "high" deity, was the one in charge. In addition, we have the court ritual from sources like the Engi Shiki, which illustrates the deities that were invoked for the protection of the palace and the royal family.  These were:  Kami-musubi, Takami-musubi, Iku-musubi, Taru-musubi, Tamatsume-musubi, Oomiya-no-me, Oomiketsu-no-kami and Kotoshironushi.  One might notice a lot of the "musubi" names among the deities, and a distinct lack of appeal to Amaterasu.  If Amaterasu were the central deity and ancestral deity of the royal family, why is she not invoked in the rituals of the court itself? The thought, here, is that these rituals are likely much older than the worship of Amaterasu, and while Amaterasu would come to prominence in the stories that the court would tell, it was much more difficult for them to rearrange the traditional rituals to put her front and center.  Those rituals were maintained by ritualist families like the Nakatomi, and they weren't likely to change the rituals willy-nilly, even for a sovereign.  That was playing with supernatural fire, after all—if you changed the rituals, would they still even be effective?  Granted, rituals do change, so it isn't a perfect argument; perhaps it was just not considered to be important enough to make the change since it was not something that anyone except the court ritualists needed to worry themselves over.  Either way, it appears that we do have a list of deities that may have been the deities of the ruling elite prior to the rise of Amaterasu and Ise shrine more generally. We have a few other clues of what was going on in the narrative.  For instance, we see the story from the reign of Mimaki Iribiko, aka Sujin Tennou, also called the First Sovereign of Yamato, despite the legendary figures inserted prior to his reign.  It is in this chapter that we see a note that Ama-terasu no Oho-kami and Yamato no Oho-kuni-dama, which is to say the Spirit of the Country of Yamato, were both worshipped together in the hall—that is in the royal palace itself.  And yet apparently Mimaki Iribiko feared these deities residing with him in the palace, and he had their worship moved to locations outside of the palace.  Amaterasu's worship was given to Toyosuki-iri-bime, one of Mimaki Iribiko's daughters, and established in the district of Shiki, in Yamato.  Yamato no Ohokunidama, on the other hand, was given over to Nunaki-iri-bime no Mikoto, another daughter through a different wife. but we are told that she was lean, and her hair was falling out, and so she couldn't perform the rites.  Turning our attention back to Ama-terasu—in the reign of Ikume-Iribiko, aka Suinin Tennou, son and heir of Mimaki Iribiko, the worship of Ama-terasu would pass from Mimaki Iribiko's daughter, Nunaki Iri Bime to Ikume Iribiko's daughter, Yamato Hime.  She would move the worship site from Shiki to Uda, in the shadow of Mt. Miwa, and then proceed over to the upper banks, or Kawakami, of Isuzu, in the district of Watarai.  Here, in one of the alternate stories about this episode, we get the Great God of Yamato—Ohoyamato no Ohokami—speaking through a medium to warn the sovereign that he had better be careful.  Mimaki Iribiko had not been quite thorough enough in his worship, so he had not had a long life, and if Ikume Iribiko didn't do the same, he would suffer a similar fate. And so, in a record eerily similar to what we see in the previous reign, the worship of the "Great God of Yamato", the Oho-Yamato no Oho-kami, is given to Nunaki-waka-hime—as opposed to Nunaki-Iri-bime—who also fails in the task because of her emaciated body.  This also introduces Fukayu nushi, an ancestor of the Nakatomi, who was the one who divined what should be done. There is so much to unpack in these stories.  For one, the kami bring power, but also danger.  One can try to placate the kami, but it isn't like a ritual will always work, and the story is of the sovereign being actively afraid of what they might do, so they were removed from the palace.  Then there is the fact that we see two seemingly similar names—Ohoyamato no Ohokami and Yamato no Kunidama both seem like we are talking about the same spirit of Yamato, though some would point out that one is the spirit of the country and one is the great kami of the country, so, clearly different. Both are also being given to someone named "Nunaki—something-something—Hime", and in both cases Nunaki seems to fail in her task because she is apparently not hot enough for the kami.  She's described as too thin and emaciated or balding.  We aren't given the lineage of Nunaki Waka Hime, but Nunaki Iri Bime is connected with the land of Owari.  Nunaki Iri-bime is said to be the daughter of Mimaki Iribiko and Ohoama Hime, ancestor of the Owari no Muraji.  Owari was the land that supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran. Finally, in both cases, we see the worship of the spirit of Yamato being given over to someone name "Nagochi", later identified as Nagochi no Sukune, ancestor of the Yamato no Atahe. One more note—closely on the heels of moving these two kami out of the palace, we see that the court brings in the worship of Oho-mono-nushi, the god of Mt. Miwa, under Ohotataneko, the ancestor of the Miwa clan. So the stories here account for Ama-terasu being moved to Watarai and why she isn't worshipped in the palace.  It also places Oho-mono-nushi at the center of worship in Yamato.  Oho-mono-nushi and Miwa continue to dominate the narrative from here on out, with a few notable exceptions, such as with Okinaga Tarashi Hime, aka Jingu Tennou and her mythical conquest of the Korean peninsula.  I'm sure that had no political implications at all given everything that had happened with Baekje, Silla, and the Tang dynasty in the latter half of the 7th century.  Other than scenes like that, however, the Miwa clan and worship of the Miwa deity appear frequently in the narrative.  It is clear that Mt. Miwa, and its deity, were important, and when Breen and Teeuwen hypothesize that when Naka no Ohoe, which is to say Tenji Tennou, took the drastic step of moving the capital up to Ohotsu, in the land of Afumi, he also brought the Miwa deity with him.  Those Afumi court rituals were conducted under the auspices of the Nakatomi, and particularly the auspices of Nakatomi no Kane, who would become one of the chief opponents of Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran in 672.  After that conflict, Ohoama and his wife, Uno no Sarara, were building new traditions using Ise and constructing new legends.  Legends that would be under their control and influence and which would further bolster their rule from the city that they had designed to fit inside of this newly constructed cosmological framework. And yet this also brings up what seems like an obvious question.  If Ise Shrine and the worship of Amaterasu were so central to Ohoama and Uno's plans, then why would they put it so far away?  Proponents of the "early" theory of the development of Amaterasu and Ise Shrine suggest that the answer lies in the text of the Chronicles.  That there is some truth to the idea that there was worship in Yamato and that, for various reasons, it moved out to Watarai district early on and developed into Ise Shrine.  Those who hold to the "late" theory of development see all of those stories as later inserts meant to explain away why Ise Shrine was so far away—and perhaps why Amaterasu was not included in the cool-kami club of court ritual.   Teeuwen and Breen mention a few of the theories, from Naoki Koujiro stressing Ise as a strategic gateway between Yamato and Eastern Japan to Tanaka Takashi proposing that the movement of Amaterasu to Ise is actually a stand-in for one or more military campaigns to that area to bring it under Yamato control. And before we move too much further in the narrative, let's talk about how Ise is physically and geographically situated.  Ise is part of modern Mie prefecture, on the eastern edge of the Ki peninsula.  It is at the southern end of a series of adjoining alluvial plains that follow the coastline north to the modern prefectures of Aichi and Gifu—the ancient provinces of Owari and Mino.  The capital of Ise Province used to be in Suzuka, near the the two Tsubaki shrines which both lay claim to the title of Ise no Ichinomiya, the First shrine of the land of Ise, and the pass that served as one of three major routes from eastern Japan into the Home Provinces and beyond.  This puts Ise about as far away as you can get from the capital of the province without going over the mountains, themselves.  It also puts it a good deal south of most major travel routes.  If you are going to Ise shrine then it is pretty clear you were going to Ise shrine, as there isn't a lot of evidence for anything else in the area. The Shrine itself is actually made up of two primary shrine complexes.  There is the Naiku, the inner shrine, and the Geku, or outer shrine.  The Naiku, or inner shrine, is probably the area most people think about.  It is at the foot of the mountains where the Shimamichi River joins the Isuzu River and both flow out of the mountains.  The Naiku contains the shrine to Amaterasu no Ohokami, and is famous for its layout, where there are actually two shrine enclosures, one next to the other.  The main shrine is then rebuilt in the empty enclosure every 20 years, at which point the worship is moved to the new shrine, the old shrine is torn down, and the cycle is started once again. The Outer Shrine, or Geku, is further north, and probably not as well known to foreigners.  The Geku is said to enshrine the spirit of Toyouke-bime, a kami dedicated to food.  According to the traditions of the Geku itself, Toyouke-bime was enshrined in the Geku at the command of Wakatakiru no Ohokimi, aka Yuuryaku Tennou, based on a dream. Regarding the history of why the Shrines—both Inner and Outer—are located here, archaeological evidence doesn't give us a lot to suggest that these might be the case.  Despite the presence of the Miya River near Ise Shrine, we haven't found evidence of a large harbor or port, like we might expect if it was the jumping off point for crossing Ise Bay—or even the center of another large polity.  Instead, the areas to the north—around Fujikata and Matokata inlets, for instance—show much more evidence of occupation and, presumably, use.  Heck, the modern district of Fujikata is in the town of "Tsu", which literally means "port".  And the capital area of Suzuaka and the Ichinomiya of Tsubaki Grand Shrine is even farther north, still.  So who, if anybody, was living down in the area of Ise Shrine?  If we look at the progression of tomb mounds in the area in previous centuries, we see that they start in the Matokata region in the 5th century and work their way down towards the south, with late 5th century tombs found in the district of Taki, the district bordering on Watarai and modern Ise City to the northwest.  It is also where you can find the Saikuu, the site of the old purification palace for the Shrine Princesses.  Grave goods seem to show close ties with Yamato, in the Nara basin.  While the tombs expanded to the south through the 5th century, they appear to have stopped altogether in the 6th century—or at least we haven't found any.  This may indicate that the political situation had changed and there was no group in the area that could organize the labor for such an undertaking.  Whether that was because Yamato was taking it as corvee labor or just that population had dwindled due to war, famine, or something else, I don't know that we could say. Around the year 600, at the opening of the 7th century, we do see a large grave mound erected in the core area of what would later become Ise Shrine, on the east side of the Miya River, overlooking what would become the Geku, the Outer Shrine of the Ise complex.  For those who aren't aware, Ise Grand Shrine is a large complex of shrines, and it is divided into two main areas.  The "inner shrine", or Naiku, is where most people go, and it is the site of the famous shrine building that is supposed to be rebuilt every 20 years.  The Geku is the "outer shrine" complex, technically dedicated to Toyouke hime, a kami of agriculture.  The kofun overlooking the outer shrine is known as the Takakurayama kofun.  This is a round kofun, about 35 to 40 meters in diameter, with a horizontal stone chamber.  It is the largest in the Ise region.  It has been mentioned in records going back to at least the Kamakura era, and even though most of the grave goods are gone, there is evidence that it was richly appointed.  Given its shape and location, there were even those in later centuries who connected it with the Heavenly Rock Cave in which Amaterasu hid according to the ancient stories. The fact that there was nothing around this area and suddenly we see a giant tomb mound is pretty puzzling.  Why was it built here?  Is it connected to the founding of the Outer Shrine in some way, or is that just coincidental?  Teeuwen and Breen point out that it is pretty rare for a large tomb mound to be build in the precincts of an active shrine, which suggests that whatever was happening there, that area was not part of the shrine grounds.  That said, I have to wonder if the ritual worship at the kofun might not have later been transformed or coopted into something else.  There also is no other indication that the Outer Shrine area was used for ritual purposes any earlier than the kofun would have been built.  In contrast, around the Inner Shrine area, several kilometers away, there are caches of beads dated to the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries in a small valley where a brook runs down from Mt. Asama, not too far from the current shrine complex.  Teeuwen and Breen suggest that this may relate to the "upper reaches of the Isuzu River", mentioned in the Chronicles, and that it may have had to do with rituals related to water supply—hence being found at the point where the water was coming down from the mountains.  And yet, despite these finds, there really aren't any large scale archaeological remains that have been discovered east of the Miya river, though there are modest signs of dwelling and habitation, and some minor burials mounds. Compare this to Tsubaki shrine, the home of Saruta Hiko no Kami, and the main shrine of Ise, situated in the ancient capital of Ise no Kuni.  Downstream from there are numerous tomb mounds and indications of habitation.  So this was probably the center for early sun worship in the region. Teeuwen and Breen conclude that all of this indicates that the region of Taki and areas east of the Miya river were probably more of an outpost—no major powerful chieftains or large polity had set up in the region.  In the late 6th century, some power had to move in to build Takakurayama kofun, but that was an outlier.  Maybe this area just largely fell under Yamato hegemony.  And perhaps that was the key.  Perhaps initially this wasn't a place to center power and authority, but rather it was more like a prison.  It was a place far away from the court, where a deity that was more of a threat could be kept away from the palace and the sovereign.  Perhaps Amaterasu, or whoever the kami was at the time, was placed out here because of the threat they posed, much as the Chronicle seems to suggest—just not necessarily at the time that is suggested. One of the aspects of the mythmaking that we see in the Chronicles appears to be the stress on the Amatsu kami and Kunitsu Kami—the Heavenly deities and the Earthly deities.  The Heavenly deities are those in Takama no Hara, and they are the progenitors of the royal line.  On the other hand are the earthly kami, the Kunitsu Kami, those dwelling on the earthly plane.  In the stories that were recorded in the Nihon Shoki, before the August Grandchild of Takami Musubi and Ama Terasu descended to take control of the Central Land of the Reed Plain, they sent down heavenly kami as warriors to subdue the earthly kami.  On the one hand, this may have been driven by some kind of deep memory of early conquests of the archipelago by various forces.  However, these legends also served another purpose, in that they set up the royal family's right to rule, and appear to establish a de facto hierarchy between those families descended from the Heavenly Kami and those descended from the earthly Kami. Another thing that Teeuwen and Breen point out and that is that Amaterasu is not necessarily a female deity, to start with.  In fact, Amaterasu was probably easily overlain atop the worship of Oho-mono-nushi of Mt. Miwa, at least early on.  To that point, they note stories where Oho-mono-nushi and other deities were commonly depicted as arrows, snakes, or similarly phallic imagery finding or even penetrating women who were thought to have a connection with them.   This suggests a context of these priestesses being married to the kami, and even fits in with early descriptions of individuals like the famous Queen Himiko being a spiritual leader as well as a political one.  If the original Amaterasu was conceived of as a male deity, then this could also explain the tradition of the Saigu, the consecrated shrine princess.  We only see a few royal princesses designated to the position up to this point in the narrative, and, beyond Tokosuki Iri bime and Yamato hime, we don't necessarily learn much more.  One wonders if there weren't other royal princesses likewise sent elsewhere to serve other deities.  We know about Nunaki Iri Hime, and presumably Nunaki Waka Hime.  There was also Yamato Totohi Momoso Hime, who was married to Oho-mono-nushi.  Presumably there were others who just never ended up in the stories that were passed down. The idea of a kami taking a "wife" and connecting that to the idea of women holding these priestly positions seems to fall in line with much of what we see, though, as I said, we only hear occasionally about the appointment of royal princesses to the position until the reign of Ohoama.  That's when we see specifics about appointments, the purification palace in Hase, and other arrangements.  It makes you wonder more than a little bit if Royal Princess Ohoku was, perhaps, the first royal princess to actually be appointed.  It would have been easy enough to add in previous "shrine princesses" into the lineage, especially far enough back that nobody could really fact check it.  We also see Royal Princess Taki journey to Ise with her companions, Princess Yamashiro no Hime and Lady Ishikawa. It is intriguing that this practice was temporarily interrupted during the reign of Uno no Sarara, as I mentioned last episode.  Could this have something to do with a female ruler on the throne and a corresponding lack of urgency about having a female representative at Ise? And in stories about Amaterasu, she is frequently shown with certain masculine qualities.  When she confronts her younger brother, Susano'wo, she is concerned that he might try to take her authority from her, so she meets him decked out in armor, her hair tied up in a typical male fashion, with a bow, ready for a fight.  It would be just as easy to imagine that Amaterasu and Susano'wo were brothers, contending over rulership.  Add to all of that the idea that kami were often personifications of various natural phenomena or ideas, and Japanese is not a naturally gendered language, and there are those that believe that the stories of Amaterasu were not necessarily about a female deity in the beginning, but a male deity, similar to Ohomono Nushi and others, who then took on a feminine persona.  On the other hand there are passages in the old stories recounted in the Chronicles that clearly make Amaterasu out to be a woman. To start with the activities she is associated with, such as weaving, are often associated with women as something they do in the home.  This is a tradition carried over from the continent, along with silk and the techniques to weave it.  In the lands where silk production started, there are silkworm goddesses and the gendered nature of silk production and weaving appears to have come over to Japan as well.  There is also the fact that Amaterasu is said to have another name:  Oho-hiru-me no muchi.  In this case, it would seem to mean something like Great Noontime Female Possessor.  And in the weaving hall it is sometimes Amaterasu that is weaving and sometimes Waka Hirume.  "Hirume" certainly feels like a feminine name. There is the distinct possibility that the stories of Amaterasu as recorded were actually about two or more different kami, so Amaterasu and Ohohirume could have been separate deities having to do with the sun that were rolled into a single kami.  As mentioned before, it is also possible that Amaterasu ended up with some stolen valor taken from the other Ise deity worshiped at Tsubaki, Saruta-hiko no Kami.   Teeuwen and Breen also note that the name "Amaterasu" is hardly unique, noting at least ten other shrines with a kami called "Amateru" or "Amaterasu", mostly in Yamato, but some as far away as Kyushu and Tsushima.  Nine of those shrines were dedicated to Ame no Hoakari, an ancestor deity of the Owari lineage who was also closely tied to metalworking.  It is worth remembering that it was Owari who helped support Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, and who may have even fostered Ohoama for a while when he was just a young prince.  All that to say there may have been several different traditions that were all contributing different elements to the story. And then there is the connection between Amaterasu and Uno no Sarara. Herman Ooms, in his book: "Imperial Politics and Sybmolics in Ancient Japan", notes the similarities between Amaterasu and Uno no Sarara, talking about the differences between the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, both of which had events that mirrored Uno no Sarara's own life.  According to Ooms, "The Kojiki's Amaterasu is a transparent double of the female tennou Jitou".  He points out that Uno no Sarara, besides her posthumous title of Jitou Tennou, also had a title making reference to Takamanohara:  Takama no Hara Hirono no Hime—the Princess High-Heaven-Plain.  But beyond that, we also see other linkages between the stories.  For instance, it isn't Amaterasu's son, Ame no Oshihomimi who is given the realm, but rather her grandchild, Ninigi.  This parallels the way that Uno no Sarara's son, Kusakabe, didn't ascend to the throne, but instead Uno no Sarara was holding the seat for his son, her grandson.  So one sees how Uno no Sarara could be seen as Amaterasu, and her grandson, Prince Karu, could be seen as Ninigi, the August grandchild.  Teeuwen and Breen also note that during this same time, we see the rise of a new institution: the Jingikan.  Again, we touched on this last episode, so just a quick recap:  The Jingikan was a government organization set up specifically to oversee the shrines, rituals, ceremonies, and other such things pertaining to the kami matters.  It does not appear in the initial stand-up of the new, bureaucratic government, wherein is created the bureaus, ministries, or departments, depending on your chosen vernacular, which make up the Dajokan, the Great Council of State.  Instead, the Jingikan is a separate organization, specifically organized around kami matters. The term "Jingi" is also a shorthand for "Ama-tsu-kami, Kuni-tsu-kami", or the kami of Heaven and the Kami of the earth.  "Ama-tsu-kami", meaning Kami of Heaven, was written with two characters meaning "Heaven" and "Kami", pronounced "Tenjin".  "Kuni-tsu-kami", or the Kami of the Earth, was written as "Earth" and "Earth Spirit", which was then pronounced "Chigi".  By taking the last character of each compound Tenjin-Chigi becomes just Jingi, for short.  Throughout the Chronicles, this term, "Jingi" is thrown around when they want to quickly note all the kami, together, though sometimes it is fully written out as "Tenjin Chigi", as well.  Interestingly, "Tenjin" or "Ama tsu Kami", sometimes appears alone, especially in the chapters on the Age of the Gods.  However, "Chigi" seems to only be used in the whole phrase.  There are a few instances, however, of "Chijin" being used, but they are few. That said, the term "Jingikan", also read as "Kami Tsukasa" or even "Kan Zukasa",  doesn't appear until 690, in the reign of Uno no Sarara.  This probably means that it was part of the reforms encompassed by the Kiyomihara codes.  The head of the Jingikan is known as the Jingihaku or "Kan-zukasa no Kami".  This term actually shows up well in advance of the Jingikan itself, initially referring to an unnamed official or officials in charge of kami worship at the court.  Nakatomi no Kamatari is said to have been offered the position in the first reign of Takara, aka Kougyoku Tennou, though the first confirmed individual appears to be Nakatomi no Ohoshima, during the reign of Uno no Sarara. This appears to be a distinctly Yamato invention in the bureaucratic system.  It leverages the language and structure of the Tang dynasty, but in its own way.  There was a Tang department of shrines, but it was described differently, as befits a different spiritual environment focused on ancestor worship and Confucian and Taoist ideas.  The Jingikan system  seems to have been a deliberate re-organization of the indigenous kami worship, incorporating what was probably traditional roles into the new bureaucratic system.  In so doing, however, it also gave the court greater control, and given that this was happening at the same time as the establishment of various stories and myths around Ise and the foundation more generally, it appears to be part of a concerted and deliberate effort to construct a new narrative. All of this points to them architecting much of what was going on, from the stories to the landscape.  Ohoama likely built the inner shrine as we know it.  If it really was an obscure, out-of-the-way shrine, perhaps that also meant that there weren't any other powerful court factions that were enhanced by it.  And then, over time, the Ise shrine and the deity there could be better incorporated into the overall myths and stories that surrounded the formation of Yamato.  A new Yamato, one that would soon enough be referring to itself as the origin of the Sun:  Nippon, a name often attributed to Ohoama and Uno no Sarara, though not found in the record of their reigns in the Chronicles. Another aspect to all of this, however, is what happened immediately after Uno no Sarara's reign, and into the 8th and early 9th centuries.  In the 8th century—the Nara period—Buddhism started to merge with a lot of the local practices.  This was not uncommon.  Buddhism had been born in a land with myriad deities and styles of worship, and it had the means to incorporate local deities into its cosmological worldview.  Kami were just other beings, stuck in the cycle of rebirth, who, as sentient beings, could equally benefit from the Buddha's teachings.  They became guardians of Buddhist institutions, and the lines between shrines and temples were often blurred.  At the same time, kami worship was also taking on various concepts from continental worship, such that even today we find a lot of what we might consider Taoist practices influencing Shinto worship. Had this continued, worship of the kami may have been completely subsumed into the Buddhist ritual practices, but there were areas where kami worship remained distinct.  One of these was at Ise. Early on, there was an attempt to build a temple at Ise, but it didn't last long.  The temple was eventually moved out of the shrine complex, and then eventually it was removed altogether.  Later writings from the Shrine would include certain Buddhist terms among the things that were taboo within the shrine grounds, considering Buddhism as something of a corrupting or polluting influence.  Shrine Princeses, during their tenure, had to devote themselves to the kami, and though they might retire as nuns, later in life, during their appointment they were to be free of any Buddhist influences.  In many ways this would make Ise a prime example of what would eventually be termed "Shinto", which gave it, and the worship of Amaterasu, a certain pride of place.  Of course, it didn't hurt that it was also intertwined with the State and the founding myths of the nation.  As such, Ise Shrine and its worship would become a template for many others to follow, helping to shape what we know as "Shinto" today. There are still a lot of questions.  We don't exactly know what Uno no Sarara did on her trip to Ise Shrine, and we don't know how things surrounding the worship at Ise and of Amaterasu herself changed in the intervening years between when these events happened and when, about two to three decades later, the Chronicles were finalized and published.  Certainly some of this seems tied to the Fujiwara capital, which was no longer populated at that point, the move to Heijo-kyo, in Nara, occurring between 708 and 710, two years before the Kojiki and a decade before the Nihon Shoki would come out.  And yet, the three sacred mountains that were incorporated into the plan of the Fujiwara Capital, Mt. Kagu, Mt. Miminashi, and Mt. Unebi, seem to continue to be important.  This is especially true of  Mt. Kagu, whose heavenly counterpart, Ame no Kaguyama—literally Heavenly Mt. Kagu— continues to play a major role in the stories surrounding Amaterasu and the Heavenly Rock Cave.  In addition,Mt. Unebi is closely tied to the story of Iware-biko, aka Jimmu, conquering and settling the land—perhaps to draw attention away from the stories about Mimaki and Ikume iribiko, aka Sujin and Suinin, who were both associated more with Mt. Mimoro, aka Mt. Miwa.  So even though the physical presence was moved, by that point we know that foundation of many of these stories were likely laid down around the time that the Fujiwara capital was in operation.  What does seem clear is that, just as there were clear efforts to set up the new State government, including the new capital, the court were also taking control of other levers of power and influence.  We previously talked about how they had created National Temples and included government positions to oversee Buddhist affairs more generally.  With Ise and the creation of the Jingikan, it appears as though that trend continued with the traditional kami worship. Many of the elite families still had connections to their own shrines, with their own kami.  Through the stories collected and written down—with a few editorial additions to help place them in an approved context—they were able to construct a narrative from separate or divergent traditions.  These traditions had already accreted to themselves various stories and culture-ways, some of them with clear links to the continent and others with overlapping portfolios.  The kami, and the ability to intercede with them for their blessings or to avert their wrath, were a form of power that was being structured for the purpose of supporting the new State.  A state now under the control of one Uno no Sarara. And we don't exactly have to wonder about this… the preface of the Kojiki all but says it.  They put the words in the mouth of Ohoama, or, as they call him, the Sovereign of the Kiyomihara Palace.  But the words are pretty clear: "I hear that the Imperial Records and Ancient Writing handed down by the various houses have come to differ from the truth and that many false hoods have been added to them. If these errors are not remedied at this time, their meaning will be lost before many years have passed. This is the framework of the state, the great foundation of the imperial influence. Therefore, recording the Imperial Records and examining the Old Writings, discarding the mistaken and establishing the true, I desire to hand them on to later generations." With that, 28 year old Hieda no Are was given the command to learn all the stories and presumably to recite them for the court.  And several decades later, Oho no Yasumaro was given the task to take Are's stories and write them down.  I imagine that Hieda no Are, or perhaps someone else who had learned the stories well enough, would be called into court or banquets to present some of the stories, or would be asked questions if there was any need for precedence.  Thus creating a single source for truth, according to the administration.  At the same time, the court had a problem.  They couldn't control all of the sources of written material, with all of the various contradictions, so we also would eventually get the more comprehensive—but also less narratively direct—Nihon Shoki as well.  After all, the game of propaganda was being played at many levels, and while the royal household had their motivations—primarily to support the legitimacy of their claim to power and the system within which that claim was validated— other families wanted to ensure that they were properly recorded as having connections to traditional nexuses of power—be that the ancient kami of Heaven or Earth, or their relationship to the royal family.  This is because precedence was important, even as new traditions were being created.  Like the way that the Mononobe and the Nakatomi played important roles in Uno no Sarara's ascension ceremony despite the actual individuals using new or different names, like Isonokami or Fujiwara.  See Episode 151 for the explanation, there.  And new traditions were much easier to justify if you could connect them with older traditions—whether those older traditions were truly ancient or newly made inventions. And all of this suggests that this was not an accident and it wasn't simply being imposed from the top down.  One could be charitable and suggest that those involved felt that this got them closest to what the truth actually was, given that they had now been inculcated in a new worldview and they were trying to view the ancient stories through the interpretive lens of that worldview.  On the other hand, they were ultimately doing it to structure power and authority that favored them and the government they had created.  A government that they hoped would outlast them, and be passed on to their descendants. Next episode, we will continue our discussion of Uno no Sarara's life and reign and the incredible steps she took to ensure that her line would continue to rule Yamato for decades. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

"This is the shift that true perception brings: What was projected out is seen within, and there forgiveness lets it disappear. ²For there the altar to the Son is set, and there his Father is remembered. ³Here are all illusions brought to truth and laid upon the altar. ⁴What is seen outside must lie beyond forgiveness, for it seems to be forever sinful. ⁵Where is hope while sin is seen as outside? ⁶What remedy can guilt expect? ⁷But seen within your mind, guilt and forgiveness for an instant lie together, side by side, upon one altar. ⁸There at last are sickness and its single remedy joined in one healing brightness. ⁹God has come to claim His Own. ¹⁰Forgiveness is complete." (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/855#6:1-10 | C-4.6:1-10)Visit the website for information on these meetings, the online community and information on paid private mentoring with Keith:https://www.acimwithkeith.com/You can watch many older meetings on the YouTube Channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@acimwithkeithOur meetings are organised in the Facebook group, "A Course In Miracles With Keith" Please ensure you read and agree to the group rules on application to have membership approved. This is the link:⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/384802770144828⁠If you'd like to donate, you can do so with paypal here:⁠https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/keithkav⁠Or you can donate with credit card here:⁠https://www.mypos.com/@keith⁠

Some unrehearsed piano favourites from the new Believers Hymn Book. Nothing professional, but an opportunity to enjoy and learn some new tunes: No. 20 – Altogether Lovely Jesus Lord Art Thou No. 27 – And is it so we shall be like Thy Son? No. 69 – Brightness of God's glory He No. 103 – Fairer than the fairest No. 113 – Forth from Gabbatha see Him led No. 120 – Garden of gloom appalling No. 147 – Hail sovereign The post Favourite Piano Hymns | Believers Hymn Book first appeared on Gospel Hall Audio.

Ce lundi 29 juin, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narratiiv et fondateur de Topos, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness et Bruno Guglielminetti, journaliste et animateur de "Mon Carnet de l'actualité numérique". Ils sont revenus sur le retour de Mythos aux États-Unis, OpenAI qui lance GPT-5.6 Sol en accès limité et l'Europe qui fait les yeux doux à Anthropic, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce lundi 29 juin, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narratiiv et fondateur de Topos, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Bruno Guglielminetti, journaliste et animateur de "Mon Carnet de l'actualité numérique". Ils sont revenus sur les pressions d'Elon Musk sur Bruxelles concernant le dossier des fréquences satellites, les attentes de l'Union européenne à l'égard de la start-up italienne Domyn, ainsi que le plan d'investissement de 1 000 milliards d'euros de la Corée du Sud dans l'IA, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce lundi 29 juin, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narratiiv et fondateur de Topos, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Bruno Guglielminetti, journaliste et animateur de "Mon Carnet de l'actualité numérique", dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Lundi 29 juin, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narratiiv et fondateur de Topos, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Bruno Guglielminetti, journaliste et animateur de "Mon Carnet de l'actualité numérique", Léa Benaim, journaliste BFM Business, Matthieu Bienvenu, directeur du développement commercial international chez Nebius, Salomé Ferraris, journaliste BFM Tech, et Sergio Colella, président de SITA Europe, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Remember God loves you so much he sent his Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for your sins. You are of great value. Jesus loves you and He is just a prayer away! 

Still Talking, with The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey Sometimes there's a lot more stuff to talk about after the "stop recording" button has been pushed. Here is just a little clip⁣Spotify:⁣https://open.spotify.com/show/214M4OKBbWcDivndnc2MTu⁣⁣Apple Podcasts:⁣https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stage-door-a-theatre-podcast-hosted-by-two-regular-guys/id1573865415⁣

Stephanie Sinclair, co-editor of A Steady Brightness of Being and publisher of McClelland & Stewart, hosts a panel conversation with award-winning contributors to the book from across Turtle Island: David A. Robertson, Kyle Edwards and Niigaan Sinclair. This first-of-its-kind anthology is a groundbreaking collection of letters from Indigenous writers, activists, and thinkers—to their ancestors, to future generations, and to themselves. Recorded at the Vancouver Writers Fest on October 24, 2025, and presented in partnership with Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, Talking Stick Festival, and Full Circle: First Nations Performance.

Aaron Arguello joins to talk about Japanese Found Footage Horror movies, the GOAT of the form Koji Shiraishi and his newest film "About a Place in the Kinki Region" Links to Aaron's Music: https://halfmasstx.bandcamp.com/album/ten-gallon-heart https://jejunestars.bandcamp.com/album/jejune-stars https://pam3.bandcamp.com/album/3p https://virginiaiscreepy.bandcamp.com/

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode are Paul Wagner and Ellen Casey Wagner, the filmmaking team behind “Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of Light," a feature length documentary that is now available on all VOD streaming services.   Narrated by Hugh Dancy and featuring Claire Danes as the voice of Georgia O'Keeffe, "The Brightness of Light" illuminates the extraordinary life and lasting influence of an artist who reshaped the American art landscape. From her formative years in the Midwest to her groundbreaking rise in New York's modernist movement, and finally to the vast, sun-drenched solitude of the New Mexico desert, the film traces O'Keeffe's remarkable creative journey. Blending letters, archival imagery, and the artist's own words, Academy Award-winning director Paul Wagner paints a vivid portrait of a woman whose bold interpretations of nature and fearless independence blurred the boundaries between abstraction and realism.    "Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of Light" is a meditative and visually stunning exploration of art, love, and the search for creative freedom.    Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.   About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead

Mardi 9 juin, François Sorel a reçu Jean-Baptiste Kempf, fondateur de Kyber, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Frédéric Simottel, journaliste BFM Business. Ils se sont penchés sur le lancement des robotaxis au Luxembourg, ainsi que sur la demande de moratoire sur l'IA par Anthropic, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Ce mardi 9 juin, François Sorel a reçu Jean-Baptiste Kempf, fondateur de Kyber, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Frédéric Simottel, journaliste BFM Business. Ils se sont penchés sur les grandes annonces d'Apple lors de son WWDC et les raisons de la privation de Siri AI pour les Européens, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Mardi 9 juin, François Sorel a reçu Jean-Baptiste Kempf, fondateur de Kyber, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Frédéric Simottel, journaliste BFM Business, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Mardi 9 juin, François Sorel a reçu Jean-Baptiste Kempf, fondateur de Kyber, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Frédéric Simottel, journaliste BFM Business, Léa Benaim, journaliste BFM Business, Jean-Baptiste Kempf, fondateur de Kyber, Raphaël Raffray, journaliste BFM Tech, et Eva Berneke, ancienne directrice générale d'Eutelsat et auteur du livre « Pour un réveil spatial européen », dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Risen Nation Church is united by a vision to see the fulfillment of Acts 15:16—the rebuilding of David's tabernacle. Our deepest desire is to create a space where we can minister to the Lord through worship and where people can become a true dwelling place for His presence.   Join us in worship:  Sundays at 10:00 am (Doors open at 9:00 am)    Location: 1711 Keller Pkwy, Keller, TX 76248    Text “dallas” to (817) 587-1735 for updates.   Support Our Mission: Help us grow and reach more people.  Give here(https://www.risennatio...)

Lundi 25 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, CEO de Baracoda, Augustin Sayer, cofondateur d'Ovni, et Michel Lévy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness. Ils se sont penchés sur la publication du première encyclique du Pape consacrée à l'IA, l'annulation par Washington de son décret de sécurité IA, et la proposition par Sam Altman de l'accès aux outils d'OpenAI à l'ensemble des startups de Y, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Lundi 25 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, CEO de Baracoda, Augustin Sayer, cofondateur d'Ovni, et Michel Lévy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, se sont penchés sur les entreprises européennes freinées sur l'IA selon Eurostat, la baisse des prix de l'A de 75% chez Deepseek, et SpaceX attendu comme la plus grande introduction en Bourse, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Lundi 25 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, CEO de Baracoda, et Michel Lévy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness. Ils se sont penchés sur SpaceX attendu comme la plus grande introduction en Bourse, l'investissement de Nvidia dans la start-up quantique française, et la relance de la mythique 2CV en version 100 % électrique, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Lundi 25 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, CEO de Baracoda, Augustin Sayer, cofondateur d'Ovni, et Michel Lévy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Sermon on 1 John 2:7-11

Ce lundi 11 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narrativ et fondateur de Topos, André Loesekrug-Pietri, président de JEDI (Joint European Disruptive Initiative), et Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness. Ils se sont penchés sur la mise en garde de la CNIL sur les lunettes connectées, la perspective d'un accord de non-agression entre Donald Trump et Xi Jinping concernant l'IA, ainsi que l'augmentation des prix de la RAM, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce lundi 11 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narrativ et fondateur de Topos, André Loesekrug-Pietri, président de Jedi (Joint European Disruptive Initiative), et Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness. Ils se sont penchés sur le retard de l'Europe concernant les véhicules autonomes et les robotaxis à deux euros la course en Croatie, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Lundi 11 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narrativ et fondateur de Topos, André Loesekrug-Pietri, président de JEDI (Joint European Disruptive Initiative), et Michel Lévy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Lundi 11 mai, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Damien Douani, responsable de l'innovation de l'école Narrativ et fondateur de Topos, André Loesekrug-Pietri, président de Jedi (Joint European Disruptive Initiative), Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Léa Benaim, journaliste BFM Business, Ludwig Moeller, directeur de l'European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), Kesso Diallo, journaliste BFM Tech, et Antoine Fourcade, président et cofondateur de Sirius Space, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

What is a starquake? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen explore asteroseismology, the sun, and what's happening on the insides of stars with astrophysicist Conny Aerts. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here:  https://startalkmedia.com/show/cosmic-queries-starquakes-with-conny-aerts/ Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Blossoms and Brightness: Finding the Perfect Gift Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2026-05-08-07-38-20-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 서울의 분주한 하이테크 도시, 광화문 광장.En: The bustling high-tech city of Seoul, Gwanghwamun Plaza.Ko: 여기에 벚꽃이 활짝 피어있습니다.En: Here, cherry blossoms are in full bloom.Ko: 높은 빌딩들이 그 뒤에서 우뚝 솟아 있습니다.En: Tall buildings tower in the background.Ko: 여기저기 전통 한국 시장 팝업이 열려 있습니다.En: All around, pop-up traditional Korean markets are open.Ko: 서준은 이러한 곳에서 무엇인가 특별한 것을 찾고 있습니다.En: Sejun is here looking for something special.Ko: 오늘은 어버이날입니다.En: Today is Parents' Day.Ko: 서준은 부모님을 위한 선물을 고르려고 합니다.En: He wants to choose a gift for his parents.Ko: 서준은 평소에는 조용하고 내향적인 성격입니다.En: Sejun is typically quiet and introverted.Ko: 부모님께 감사한 마음을 전하고 싶지만, 무엇을 선물해야 할지 고민입니다.En: He wants to express his gratitude to his parents, but he is worried about what to gift them.Ko: 광장은 너무 많은 사람들로 붐비고 상품도 많습니다.En: The plaza is crowded with too many people, and there are many products to choose from.Ko: 선택은 너무 많습니다. 전통 공예품, 음식, 소품들.En: There are too many options: traditional crafts, food, trinkets.Ko: 서준은 쉽게 결정을 내리지 못합니다.En: Sejun cannot easily make a decision.Ko: 그때, 전통 시장 부스에 서 있는 혜진을 보게 됩니다.En: Then, he sees Hyejin standing at a booth in the traditional market.Ko: 혜진은 미소를 띠며 서준에게 다가옵니다.En: Hyejin approaches Sejun with a smile.Ko: "도와드릴까요?" 그녀가 물어봅니다.En: "Can I help you?" she asks.Ko: 서준은 잠시 망설이다가 솔직히 말합니다. "좋은 전통 선물을 찾고 있는데요. 부모님께 드리고 싶어요."En: After hesitating for a moment, Sejun honestly replies, "I'm looking for a good traditional gift. I'd like to give it to my parents."Ko: 혜진은 서준을 몇 가지 상품들로 안내합니다.En: Hyejin guides Sejun to several products.Ko: 한국 전통 한지로 만든 아름다운 램프를 보여줍니다.En: She shows him a beautiful lamp made of traditional Korean hanji.Ko: "이 램프는 밝음과 따뜻함을 상징해요. 부모님께 잘 어울릴 거에요." 그녀가 조언합니다.En: "This lamp symbolizes brightness and warmth. It will suit your parents well," she advises.Ko: 서준은 그 램프가 부모님과 닮았다고 생각합니다.En: Sejun thinks that the lamp reminds him of his parents.Ko: 밝고 따뜻한 부모님의 모습을 떠올립니다.En: He envisions their bright and warm demeanor.Ko: 그는 램프를 구매하기로 결심합니다.En: He decides to purchase the lamp.Ko: 그때, 시장에서 우연히 만난 친절한 미누가 있습니다.En: At that moment, he coincidentally meets a kind friend, Minu, at the market.Ko: 미누는 함께 선물을 정성껏 포장하는 것을 돕습니다.En: Minu helps him carefully wrap the gift.Ko: 화려한 색상의 포장지로 정성스럽게 감쌉니다.En: They wrap it meticulously with brightly colored wrapping paper.Ko: 이제 서준은 기쁜 마음으로 선물을 들고 대신로에 있습니다.En: Now Sejun is on Daesin-ro with a joyful heart, holding the gift.Ko: 그는 혜진과 미누에게 감사 인사를 전합니다.En: He expresses his gratitude to Hyejin and Minu.Ko: 서준은 도움을 받아 결정을 내릴 수 있었던 것에 만족합니다.En: Sejun is pleased that he was able to make a decision with their help.Ko: 그는 또한 타인에게 의지하는 법을 배우며 공동체의 일원임을 느낍니다.En: He also learns to lean on others and feels a sense of belonging to the community.Ko: 벚꽃이 떨어지는 거리를 천천히 걸으며 서준은 생각합니다. "잘 선택했어. 부모님께서 기뻐하실 거야."En: As he walks slowly down the street where the cherry blossoms are falling, Sejun thinks, "I made a good choice. My parents will be happy."Ko: 그리고 그는 어버이날을 더욱 특별하게 만들어 줄 선물을 품에 안고 집으로 향합니다.En: And with the gift that will make Parents' Day even more special, he heads home. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 분주한bloom: 피다tower: 우뚝 솟다pop-up: 열리다introverted: 내향적인gratitude: 감사한 마음crowded: 붐비는trinkets: 소품들hesitating: 망설이다symbolizes: 상징하다brightness: 밝음warming: 따뜻함envisions: 떠올리다demeanor: 모습coincidentally: 우연히meticulously: 정성껏wrapping paper: 포장지joyful: 기쁜belonging: 일원임을 느끼다lean on: 의지하다community: 공동체facing: 부딪치다advise: 조언하다option: 선택guide: 안내하다purchase: 구매하다several: 몇 가지special: 특별한decision: 결정pleased: 만족하다

I Ching · Book of Changes · Part 1 of 2 (Hexagrams 1-45) The Book of Changes (Traditional: 易經; Simplified: 易经; Legge: Yî King, Wade-Giles: I Ching; Pīnyīn: Yìjīng; Bopomofo: ㄧˋㄐㄧㄥ; Korean: 역경; Japanese: 易経; Vietnamese: Kinh Dịch) Fúxī (伏羲), King Tāng of Shāng (商湯), King Wén of Zhōu (周文王), his son the Duke of Zhōu (周公旦), and Confucius (孔子) have traditionally been credited as the originators of the trigrams (八卦 bāguà), hexagrams (卦 guà), hexagram statements (彖 tuàn), line statements (爻辭 yáocí), and Ten Wings (十翼) commentaries. "The I Ching does not offer itself with proofs and results; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it easy to approach. Like a part of nature, it waits until it is discovered." — Carl Jung Different combinations of three yang (⚊) and yin (⚋) lines create the eight trigrams, namely: ☰ (乾 Qián Heaven, the sky. S. Untiring strength; power.) or (Father. NW) ☱ (兌 Duì Lake, or marsh. Collected water. SE. Pleasure; complacent satisfaction.) or (Youngest daughter. W) ☲ (離 Lí Fire, as in lightning; the sun. E. Brightness; elegance.) or (Second daughter. S) ☳ (震 Zhèn Thunder. NE. Moving, exciting power.) or (Oldest son. E) ☴ (巽 Xùn Wind; wood. SW. Flexibility; penetration.) or (Oldest daughter. SE) ☵ (坎 Kǎn Water, as in rain, clouds, springs, streams, and defiles. The moon. NW. Peril; difficulty.) or (Second son. N) ☶ (艮 Gèn Hills, or mountains. NW. Resting; the act of arresting.) or (Youngest son. NE) ☷ (坤 Kūn The Earth. N. Capaciousness; submission.) or (Mother. SW) When three lines are added to a trigram the resultant pairs of trigrams constitute the sixty-four hexagrams. The lower trigram is called 'the inner,' and the one above 'the outer.' The lines are numbered from one to six, commencing with the lowest. To denote the number of it and of the sixth line, the terms for 'commencing' and 'topmost' are used. The intermediate lines are simply 'second,' 'third,' &c. As the lines must be either whole or divided, technically called strong and weak, yang and yin, this distinction is indicated by the application to them of the numbers nine and six. All whole lines are nine, all divided lines, six. The Book of Changes is included as one of the Five Classics (五經) of the Confucian canon and Confucius said, "If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yì, and might then escape falling into great errors." (Analects, VII.16) Scottish translator James Legge was a Hong Kong missionary, Non-Conformist Pastor of the English Union Church, and the first professor of Chinese studies at Oxford University. The original manuscript of his translation was nearly destroyed after being soaked in the Red Sea for a month. Cover: Leftmost Guardian of the Yî by cartoonist Robin Bougie (2024), released by him into the public domain. Special thanks to Lancy (王欣兰), a graduate student at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, for her help with Chinese pronunciation.

Is the Fenix HM62-T the new king of backcountry headlamps? In this in-depth review, I compare two of the most popular headlamps for hunters and mountain athletes — the Fenix HM62-T and the PEAX Backcountry Duo — across 10 real-world categories: brightness, battery life, red light performance, fit, band quality, construction, waterproofing, weight, price, and brand transparency. I've used the PEAX Duo for years, but after extensive testing in true backcountry conditions, I put it head-to-head with the Fenix HM62-T to find out which one truly deserves a spot in your pack.

Mardi 21 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Cédric Ingrand, directeur général de Heavyweight Studio, et Fanny Bouton, directrice du quantique chez OVHCloud. Ils sont revenus sur le départ de Tim Cook chez Apple, qui passerait la main en septembre prochain à John Ternus, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Mardi 21 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Cédric Ingrand, directeur général de Heavyweight Studio, et Fanny Bouton, directrice du quantique chez OVHCloud. Ils se sont penchés sur l'investissement supplémentaire de cinq milliards d'Amazon sur Anthropic, les dix milliards recherchés par Jeff Bezos pour sa startup IA, et les 8,7 milliards dépensés par la France pour les puces en sept ans, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Mardi 21 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Cédric Ingrand, directeur général de Heavyweight Studio, et Fanny Bouton, directrice du quantique chez OVHCloud, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Mardi 21 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Cédric Ingrand, directeur général de Heavyweight Studio, Fanny Bouton, directrice du quantique chez OVHCloud, Léa Benaim, journaliste BFM Business, Amina Chaabane, directrice expérience client digitale chez Club Med, Sylvain Trinel, journaliste BFM Tech, et Jérôme Laplace, PDG de Running Brains Robotics, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

SoundSource Deep Dive: A ScreenCastsONLINE Tutorial Control Brightness on ViewSonic VP2788-5K with BetterDisplay CES 2026: Motion Sensors Enabled by Sentistic Yolink Water Leak Sensors from Yosmart CES 2026: TCL NXTPAPER LCD Tablets with "Electronic Paper” Displays Support the Show CCATP #833 — Joseph Nilo on Agentic AI with OpenClaw Transcript of NC_2026_04_19 Join the Conversation: allison@podfeet.com podfeet.com/slack Support the Show: Patreon Donation Apple Pay or Credit Card one-time donation PayPal one-time donation Podfeet Podcasts Mugs at Zazzle NosillaCast 20th Anniversary Shirts Referral Links: Setapp - 1 month free for you and me Wispr Flow - 1 month free for you PETLIBRO - 30% off for you and me Parallels Toolbox - 3 months free for you and me Learn through MacSparky Field Guides - 15% off for you and me Backblaze - One free month for me and you Eufy - $40 for me if you spend $200. Sadly nothing in it for you. PIA VPN - One month added to Paid Accounts for both of us CleanShot X - Earns me $25%, sorry nothing in it for you but my gratitude

In this episode of Home in Progress, Dan Hansen opens with a story about slicing his finger on a new rotary shredder and officially passing cheese-grating duties on to his kids. From there, he wraps up his multi-week series on what the brain wants from the spaces we live in by turning to one of the biggest design decisions of all: color.Dan explains that paint color is not just about personal taste. It also affects us biologically. He explores how color sends signals through the eye and into parts of the brain involved in stress, alertness, and emotional regulation. Along the way, he breaks color down into its three core elements: hue, brightness, and saturation.The episode looks at what research suggests about common color families. Red tends to be stimulating and physiologically activating. Blue is often associated with lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and better emotional recovery. Green shows especially strong connections to stress reduction and restoration. Dan also explains that saturation works like a volume knob, making colors feel louder or quieter, and notes that very dark spaces can sometimes make us feel more watchful or on edge than mid-range values.Most importantly, he offers a practical framework for choosing paint colors more wisely: do not start with the color itself. Start with the feeling you want the room to create. From there, Dan walks through helpful color guidance for bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, home offices, and bathrooms. He also reminds listeners that RepcoLite color consultants are available to help homeowners make confident choices.Timestamps00:00 Welcome and sponsor00:12 Rotary shredder mishap01:31 Why color affects us02:59 The biology of color07:15 Hue, brightness, and saturation08:49 What research says about red, blue, and green14:00 Saturation as a volume knob16:02 Brightness and hidden stress18:40 Turning the science into practical advice19:27 When the deeper point finally clicks20:28 Why color affects biology, not just preference21:52 Choose the feeling first24:32 A living room color regret26:52 Room-by-room color guidance28:08 Bedroom colors for calm30:00 Kitchen colors and controlling warmth31:10 Flexible color ideas for living rooms32:47 Home office colors for focus33:37 Bathroom colors for a reset36:49 What the feeling of home really means39:01 Final thoughts and where to get help

In this episode of Out of the Clouds, host Anne Mühlethaler welcomes back Caitlin Krause for their second conversation. Caitlin is a globally recognised experience designer, educator, author and founder of MindWise, whose work spans digital wellbeing, immersive design, contemplative practice and creative expression. She holds an MFA in poetry, has taught internationally across Belgium and Switzerland, and built the digital wellbeing program about wellbeing and technology at Stanford University. She teaches at the University of Oregon. She advises organisations including TED, The U.S. Air Force, LinkedIn, Google, Meta, Oracle, Evernote, and the U.S. State Department. Caitlin creates human-centered experiences mediated by technology, fusing creativity, meditation, storytelling, collaboration, and emotional intelligence for full life thriving. She is the author of six books, including her most recent work on digital wellbeing and a forthcoming collection of poetry, Poems of Root and Light. Caitlin and Anne first met at TED 2023, whose theme that year was Possibilities — and the thread of possibility runs through their exchange.Anne and Caitlin discuss her newest book, Digital Wellbeing, A transformative guide to thriving in the digital age. The conversation explores the etymology of the word 'digital' itself — a thread Caitlin traces from the digits of the hand through Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth to the immersive computing she works with today. Caitlin speaks to her motivation behind the book: not to produce a manual of healthy habits, nor to surrender to the idea that the machines have already won, but to offer an entry point for people to approach digital technology with less fear and hopefully less overwhelm that so many leaders and teams experience.The book is designed around the conviction that your body is your testing ground, that you get to have your experience and own it, and that the question of technology is ultimately a question of being.Caitlin's framework for immersive design, seven themes she calls the seven Es, anchored in what she describes as wonder-rich spatial computing design, runs through the conversation as both a professional methodology and a personal philosophy. Anne and Caitlin also discuss Caitlin's Shadow Storytelling experience, in which she guided participants from a Zoom call into a shared metaverse landscape for a meditation and storytelling session built around Jungian themes, winter imagery and candlelit caves. Both women explore the question of technology as a dance partner rather than a destination, and what it means to be the embodied physical human deciding how and whether to layer with it.Caitlin also tells the story of how the spirit of play, cultivated through an itinerant childhood in a foreign service family, has directly informed her pedagogy and her approach to guiding people into transformative experiences through technology. The conversation closes with Caitlin reading two poems from her forthcoming collection — 'The Middle Path' and the title poem 'Root and Light' — bringing the episode to a still and luminous end.Connect with CaitlinCaitlin's website: caitlinkrause.comMindWise — Caitlin's consultancyPoems of Root and Light — forthcoming poetry collectionDigital Satori — Caitlin's 2023 poetry collectionCaitlin's upcoming course at Kripalu Centre ‘Awakening Awe': Referenced in the episode:John O'Donohue — Irish poet and philosopherMartha Graham — choreographer and dance pioneer, quoted in the episodeDavid Whyte — poet and author whose work Caitlin referencesJoy Harjo — poet, referenced by CaitlinUrsula K. Le Guin — writer, whose quote about 'there, there' Caitlin sharesEsther Perel — referenced for her TED moment about putting down our phonesWorld Economic Forum — referenced in the context of new wellbeing metricsThe Story of You — Anne's coaching methodologyVisit our website: https://outoftheclouds.com/Subscribe to Anne's newsletter The Mettā View: https://annevmuhlethaler.com/the-metta-viewFollow Anne on IG: https://www.instagram.com/annvi/BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/annvi.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-v-muhlethaler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Ce mardi 7 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, PDG de Baracoda, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Salime Nassur, fondateur de Maars. Ils se sont penchés sur la réorganisation de l'équipe d'OpenAI après le retrait temporaire de Fidji Simo, la commercialisation du collier IA Friend de Friend.com repoussée dans l'Union européenne à cause de la RGPD, ainsi que Samsung bénéficiant de la pénurie de ses puces en multipliant par huit son bénéfice trimestriel grâce à la demande de puces IA, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Mardi 7 avril, Frédéric Simotttel a reçu Thomas Serval, PDG de Baracoda, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Salime Nassur, fondateur de Maars. Ils se sont penchés sur l'estimation d'un chiffre d'affaires supérieur à OpenAI pour Anthropic, la suppression d'OpenClaw des abonnements d'Anthropic, et le projet d'Anthropic de renforcer la sécurité des logiciels critiques à l'échelle mondiale, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Mardi 7 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, PDG de Baracoda, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Salime Nassur, fondateur de Maars, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce mardi 7 avril, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Thomas Serval, PDG de Baracoda, Michel Levy Provençal, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, Salime Nassur, fondateur de Maars, Léa Benaim, journaliste BFM Business, Denis Barrier, cofondateur et directeur général de Cathay Innovation, Salomé Ferraris, journaliste BFM Tech, et Théophile Lagraulet, PDG et cofondateur de Spacelocker, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez-la en podcast.

Jeudi 26 mars, François Sorel a reçu Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation chez EDF, Michel Lévy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Cyril de Sousa Cardoso, président du groupe Polaria. Ils se sont penchés sur la condamnation de Meta et Google sur le caractère addictif de leurs réseaux sociaux, et les centaines de postes supprimés chez Meta pour rester dans la course à l'IA générative, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ce jeudi 26 mars, François Sorel a reçu Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation chez EDF, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Cyril de Sousa Cardoso, président du groupe Polaria. Ils sont revenus sur la suppression de 25 % des effectifs d'Epic Games, l'abandon de la génération de vidéos chez OpenAI et la perte de son accord avec Disney, la lenteur du déploiement de la publicité dans ChatGPT, ainsi que la renonciation de Sony à son projet de voiture électrique, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Jeudi 26 mars, François Sorel a reçu Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation chez EDF, Michel Lévy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Cyril de Sousa Cardoso, président du groupe Polaria, Léa Benaïm, journaliste BFM Business, Sylvain Trinel, journaliste BFM Tech, Romain Futsch, président et cofondateur de Luchrome, Yacine Kabeche, président de Circul'Egg, Clément Baldellou, président et cofondateur de CAPILLUM, et Clément Busuttil, président et fondateur de Neuronaix, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Jeudi 26 mars, François Sorel a reçu Julien Villeret, directeur de l'innovation chez EDF, Michel Levy Provençal, prospectiviste, fondateur de TEDxParis et de l'agence Brightness, et Cyril de Sousa Cardoso, président du groupe Polaria, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

If you’ve looked up stuff about the trait of high sensitivity online, you’ve probably been confronted by a sea of pastel colours and a hundred shades of beige. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those things. If that’s your bag, by all means fill it up. But other preferences are available, and I know a bunch of HSPs who keep their true colours hidden for fear of standing out too much. https://youtu.be/igNR0IRWmeY A Sensitive Love of Horror Movies I once wrote a post about my love for horror movies. Not the shock and gore types, but classic horror. The stuff that twists my melon, unsettles my relationship with reality, and leaves me thinking and trembling about it long after the credits roll. I fully appreciate that not everyone shares this particular proclivity, and that’s fine; I don’t expect them to. But I received a reply to that post from someone for whom this meant I couldn’t possibly be highly sensitive. And they really couldn’t grasp my suggestion that it is the very traits that come from my high sensitivity that spark my love of dark and mystery-filled art. I’ve never been particularly attached to the highly sensitive label. Whether or not I fit into the club is not a concern because I’ve never seen it that way. But I found it interesting that they couldn’t understand what I was saying. I see a strong link because my sensitivity (deep processing and absorbing subtle details) is the fuel for my engagement with those depths. I love dwelling in mystery, especially the kind that doesn’t have a simplistic reveal or explanation. Darkness and Definition My friend Tuula Ahde creates the most stunning macro ice photographs. They’re dark and mysterious. Every observer gives a different meaning to the colours and shapes within the images. Faces, landscapes, memories, dreams. You notice the sounds, stories, and hidden worlds within the ice. I know that Tuula’s sensitivity underpins and infuses her photos, shaping how she perceives the world and expresses her unique creative voice. Yet, her work contrasts with the subjects and colours typically associated with a creative HSP. Raven by Tuula Ahde – this became the cover image for my single, Sleep it Off I like music without a prescription for understanding it, and TV shows that avoid neatly tying every thread together. While part of me craves the pleasure of neat conclusions, clear interpretations, and full explanations of who the killer was and how the trick was done, the rest of me knows it’s far more enjoyable to dwell in the shifting landscapes of ambiguity beyond good and evil, conspiracies, and sinister motives. Towards something more chaotic. More complex and confusing. Dare I say, more human! An incomplete and contradictory picture filled with false-starts, miss-steps, and about-turns. The tendency to hold and enjoy those elements reflects my personal experience of sensitivity. And I know I’m not alone. I suspect it is this pull towards life’s more complex realms that leaves me feeling empty when I see high sensitivity portrayed through pastel colours and a hundred shades of beige. The kind found in therapeutic spaces, at least many of those I’ve encountered. Where art on the walls is soft and pale, lacking backbone, as if they are afraid to speak. I rarely find sanctuary in these colours. Instead, I find fog, where there’s no edge or hook to hang my hat. Like the politeness and civility that mask the truth. The Brightness of Fog This pale pastel fog appears bright, yet it is opaque. It conceals rather than reveals, compressing itself around the world instead of adding dynamism and depth. When you shine a light into it, the light gets reflected back. It sees nothing. Shining a light into the darkness reveals what lurks within it. Sometimes those things are hard to distinguish at first, but as our eyes adapt, we can see all sorts of things. A hundred shades of beige seem unassuming and bright, but they feel soulless and shallow. Lacking a defined edge. And if you’ve ever stood on a mountain in fog, you’ll know that brightness doesn’t equate to clarity. The edge could be just one step away or a hundred. Working In Funeralcare I noticed something similar when I worked in the funeral industry. Many people avoid discussing death, which is quite understandable. But not talking about something doesn’t make it disappear. I believe my sensitivity attracted me to that world. Not because I had a peculiar fascination with it, but because of the truth in it, which is often avoided, hidden, and whitewashed by euphemisms and shades of beige. We obscure the inevitable with platitudes and avoidance. Yet, there is creative energy to explore and harness in those realities we must face and accept, even as we resist and resent them. When I hear people talk about keeping things positive or avoiding negativity, I am always interested to know what they mean. There are those who would rather an inoffensive pastel painting of a sunrise or idyllic pastoral nature-scape. But there is a risk of pacification and an inaccurate representation of sensitivity as something fragile and easily broken. Rather than a way of experiencing the world in all its magnificent and mysterious depth. I love rich mahogany desks contrasted with dark green lamps and the orange flicker of candlelight. The shapes in shadows, whispers on the wind, and the scars, stains, and blemishes that hold stories. I like things that turn out to be more than they seem and invitations to explore. I like wondering about everything that happened here and wandering about on faded footprints. And I like the kind of surprises that take me along the trails, corridors, and tunnels that can’t be seen from the road. How about you?

In this episode, host Sandra Abrams talks to documentary filmmakers, Oscar winner Paul Wagner and his wife, Ellen Wagner, about their movie, Georgia O'Keeffe: the Brightness of Light. With actress Clarie Danes serving as the voice of O'Keeffe and Hugh Dancy doing the narration, the feature documentary uncovers new material about the life of the iconic artist known as the Mother of American Modernism. During the episode, the Wagners share how the project came to life and behind the scenes working with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Sante Fe. They explained the unique input from the O'Keeffe scholars who reviewed over 25,000 letters written between the artist and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz as a story telling tool. To learn more about this film visit -Website: georgiaokeeffefilm.com  Instagram: @georgiaokeeffefilm Discover more of Georgia O'Keeffe's Art: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Support the show---Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

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in this episode of revival: a good news brand podcast, dave butler and stephan taeger reflect on elder quentin l. cook's talk “the lord is hastening his work,” discussing the growth of faith, the importance of authentic church community, and the beauty of perseverance despite imperfections. through pioneer stories, personal experiences, and heartfelt moments about missionary service, communal prayer, and feeling inadequate, they emphasize hope, grace, and the joy found in christianity. the conversation invites listeners to embrace their faith journey, trust that god is weaving flawed efforts into something beautiful, and remember that even in imperfection, there is always good news.join us for a weekly revival!your hosts, david butler & stephan taeger