© Aris Dervis 2006

Lucky Charms

Every Shinto Shrine in Japan has three key ingredients: prayer plaques that you buy and inscribe and hang in the shrine, fortunes to choose (if you don't like the fortune you received you simply tie it in a knot and place it on a rack to obviate the bad luck), and a booth selling lucky charms. These charms are specifically directed to a number of needs- for a student to pass a test, traffic safely, soundness of body and mind, fertility, luck in love, victory and success, and finally the all purpose "To Open Up Your Luck" charm.

Shinto imparts no ethical doctrine and possesses no Holy Scriptures. It has no concern for the afterlife. It worships the animistic spirits of nature.

We found these charms at the Meiji shrine in Tokyo. In operation since 1920, the shrine is a wonderful place to watch Shinto weddings being conducted with pomp, circumstance and sufficient theatricality.

These bright sunny amulets are designed to Open Up Your Luck. We sincerely hope that the shortened days, as we approach the Solstice, will be lightened by this image.

Lucky Charms is available as print, candle, t-shirt and greeting card.