Onmyoudou, a practical magical system that incorporates the Wu Xing, the practice of Spiritual Alchemy, and the use of magical Shikigami. This ancient Japanese practice is going to discuss from a Shinto perspective and practice, and will not be discussed from a perspective of someone outside the craft.
Let's start our descent into Shinto onmyoudou, shall we?The first and most common perspective of learning a new magickal system is through knowing the basic elements of the practice, like Wu Xing for example. Wu Xing in the basic prospect of a practitioner of Onmyoudou or an Onmyouji is the basis of 5 subtle spirit energy frequencies and beings or intelligence. Wu Xing contains again 5 elemental correspondence categories: these categories are, Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Wood.
Water becomes Wood, wood becomes a fire, fire becomes earth, and earth becomes metal. Water grows Wood, Wood ignites into the fire, Fire becomes dust or ash, Earth bores ores or metal, and metal collects condensation which is water. These two sentences that have been discussed are the cycle of transformation used in Wu Xing and as well as Eastern alchemy.
Let's Talk about Wood. What is wood symbolizing? Growth, Abundance, Male and Female (Plants may be both genders at times), and many other origins of symbolism. Wood in Wu Xing is magical, gives abundance, gives growth when in contact with enough water, and becomes strong over time. In the Onmyoudou magick using the energy of wood against fire is a bad Idea. Why? Like the wood, in the physical plane, the magickal wood element or Wood/Tree spirit will become engulfed in flame. Such as so above so below. So in the Celestial plane, so on earth and vice-versa.
Fire, in my opinion as a practitioner fire, is a fun element. Fire is dowsed by water, yes. But if there is enough energy or fire lets say the fire destroys or evaporates the water. For Example, let's say I am an evil sorcerer and my victim or person I am made at uses water to protect from a certain frequency of fire. This water is not blessed at all or enough. (Water symbolizes protection in some cases but it usually shall conquer a fire if it is sea, lake or something or other) So I the evil sorcerer wants to destroy this barrier of spiritual protection over this victims ritual or circle. Using fire as a destructive force will not work. Why? water gives life and creates rivers, oceans, and valleys in physical and spiritual symbolism. Therefore fire can create as well but in an interesting way, for example, let's take a stick, then let's burn it, then you have charcoal. How do you have charcoal? In physical science fires give energy or in the astral life force. The physical fire releases the molecules, atoms, and all that because they now have electrons and its a chemical change. This fire created a life-giving force to give movement. In spirituality,if I use the life-giving force of fire sprinkle some intent, I can make the water ill. This is done by the force of the water, fire, and intent. I am contaminating I am giving something into the water comes apart, intent comes in and makes sickly life to inhabit the water.
You now have two or more examples of how the Wu Xing works in a symbolic and spiritual spectrum. WuXing coincides with alchemy at times but mostly it does.
Shikigami. Shikigami are like Servitors, familiar spirits, and or like thought forms. They are used to control spells, may it be vibrational words, mantras, or charms and talismans.
This is the basics of Onmyoudou, I hope you enjoyed and learned a lot. If you want to learn more you should be able to research things that weren't explained like the Water, Earth, and Metal of Wu Xing as well as the other cycles of the Wu Xing. If Servitors are more of what You want feel free to look it up. I have own more message about studying this article, If You want to know more bad enough there are always answers online, in the library and in the minds of professional others.