‘inari’

 

watercolor 1/2020

Kitsune in the literal sense is the Japanese word for fox. Imortal foxes….kitsune are revered as part of Japanese folklore. Ancient stories depict legendary kitsune as intelligent beings and as possessing paranormal abilities.

Within the folklore, kitsune are born either from one or two kitsune parents or a drifting kitsune soul possessing an unborn child’s body. Mortals may also be turned into kitsune through ‘sharing’ spirit with another kitsune, or by divine figures.

Regardless the stories of immortal Kitsune….most foxes are the mortal furry creatures that are familiar to every culture. In Japan all the foxes are given loving care.

Inari, in Japanese mythology, is the god primarily known as the protector of rice cultivation. … The fox, symbolizing both benevolence and malevolence, is sometimes identified with the messenger of Inari, and statues of foxes are found in great numbers both inside and outside shrines dedicated to the rice god.

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seishin

watercolor 10/2019

In Japanese folklore, all foxes (Kitsune) exhibit some level of magical ability including shapeshifting into people, other creatures, and inanimate objects. These powers increase with age and wisdom. There are thirteen different kinds of Kitsune, each with a corresponding element. I named this silver fox “Seishin” or spirit element.

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ichiro

watercolor 10/2019

The mythical Japanese fox is Kitsune.  I always think Kitsune when I paint a fox. There are so many stories surrounding Kitsune who is immortal, magical, and a shapeshifter. No ordinary fox for sure and deeply entrenched in Japanese lore. When a kitsune shapeshifts into the form of a tree, a human or a second moon you might still discover him because of his ‘hoshi no tama’ which he must keep with him at all times. His hoshi no tama is a glowing ball or an iridescent gem which contains his soul. He must keep it with him because without it he will grow powerless and die. In human form, Kitsunes usually wear their hoshi no tamas as amulets, but in fox form, they carry the magical balls in their mouths or fasten them to their tails.

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celestial fox

 

watercolor 6/2017

In Japanese mythology, a fox who lives long enough and gains a great deal of knowledge will reach an enlightened state, the Eastern sense of the ‘fox spirit’. 

I was exploring the spirit of the fox via google and discovered this song in which fox is presented as a kitsune or fox who is trying to reach heaven in the form of a shooting star. 

“To you my beloved to the land that lies beyond. Soaring through the heavens, she is moved to tears. I will fly out, I will dance in the night sky at the moment when this body disappears.”

So that’s what a shooting star is……. the Celestial Fox flying through the night sky.

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