Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei (921 – 1005) was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian period.
By the Fujiwara Era or Late Heian Period, Japanese onmyōdō became the guiding force in decision making. Onmyōdō (the Way of Yin and Yang) came from China. It blended with additional elements from Daoism, magic, feng shui, Shinto, esoteric Buddhism, and Indian-derived astrology. In the ritsuryō system, there was a class of civil servants of the Bureau of Onmyō. Professional practitioners were called onmyōji. Onmyōdō dealt in astronomy, calendar-making, the reckoning of time, divination and studies based on observing nature.
Because they were believed to be able to avert disasters with divination and magic, onmyōji influenced the personal lives of the aristocracy. Onmyōdō spread to the commoners, especially onryō – the belief that angry spirits appear after an unhappy death by a well-born person. This culminated in the uproar caused by the belief that Michizane’s vengeful spirit had been the cause of natural disasters. The Heian courts patronized and controlled the onmyōji. Later the Tsuchimikado family, who were court courtiers, controlled onmyōdō until the 19th century.
In the 10th century, Kamo no Tadayuki and his son Yasunori made great advancements in onmyōdō. Tadayuki’s pupil, Abe no Seimei (921 – 1005) became a favorite of the court for his insight, interpreting and divining the future, and wise counsel. Abe no Seimei became Kamo no Yasunori’s successor in astrology and divination. Seimei’s duties included analyzing strange events, conducting exorcisms, warding against evil spirits, and performing various rites of geomancy. He was said to be especially skilled in divining the sex of fetuses and finding lost objects. According to the Konjaku Monogatarishu, he correctly predicted the abdication of Emperor Kazan based on his observation of celestial phenomena. He advised emperors and the court on the spiritually correct way of dealing with issues.
It was believed Seimei had mystical powers because of his predictions and his long healthy life. During his lifetime, his actions were recorded. However, after his death legends arose in folklore. According to legend, Abe no Seimei was only partially human. His father, Abe no Yasuna, was human, but his mother, Kuzunoha, was a kitsune (a “fox spirit”). His mother entrusted Seimei to Kamo no Tadayuki so that he would live a proper human life and not become evil himself. Many of his legends revolve around a series of magical battles with a rival, Ashiya Doman. One noted story involved Doman and the young Seimei in a divination duel to reveal the contents of a particular box. Doman had another person put fifteen mandarin oranges into the box and “divined” that there were fifteen oranges in it. Seimei saw through the ruse, metamorphosed the oranges into rats, and stated that fifteen rats were in the box. When the rats were revealed, Doman was shocked and defeated.
Seimei’s reputation grew sufficiently that, from the late 10th century, the Onmyōryō, the government ministry of onmyōdō, was controlled by the Abe clan. The Kamo clan likewise became the hereditary keepers of the calendar.
The mystical symbol of the equidistant five-pointed star, referred to in the West as a pentagram, is known in Japan as the Seiman or the Seal of Abe no Seimei.
The asteroid 5541 Seimei, discovered in 1976, is named for him.
The Seimei Shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to him.