Happy Setsubun!
According to Shinto, it’s today, Feb. 3rd..
Setsubun literally translates to “seasonal division.” While, historically, it referred to the eve of any of the four seasons, it now specifically marks the day before the beginning of Spring (according to the old calendar of Japan.)
It’s essentially a spiritual “spring cleaning” to drive out the bad energy of the previous year and welcome a fresh start.
Feels like we sure could use some energetic refreshment right about now.
And, I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate/celebrate this auspicious occasion than inviting Koichi Barrish Sensei back on the show to share his impressions on what this time of year signifies and how we can attune ourselves more harmoniously to the greater cosmic cycle.
(Apologies for the brief technical issue in the beginning of our talk. I want to get this episode out today, for obvious reasons, so I didn’t have time to edit it much. There’s a few seconds of a glitchiness, hope you can look past the imperfections…)
In this timely episode, Barrish Sensei explains how Setsubun is the Kyo, or “still point,” between the Earth’s yin phase of accumulating energy and the coming yang phase of releasing it. This energetic hinge marks the solar New Year and is analogous to the European Imbolc.
This particular Setsubun (2026), is astrologically and energetically profound in many ways.
The year’s specific currents are described in detail through the three aspects of Japanese astrology: Ten, Chi, and Jin (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity).
The heavenly and earthly responses (Ten and Chi) align to make this the year of Hinoe Uma, or the “cardinal fire horse.” This energy is intensely expansive and explosive—fire on top of fire—and its core teaching is that nothing remains obscured. All things that have been hidden are revealed because, metaphorically, the sun is directly overhead and casts “no shadow.”
However, the third, or human, element (Jin) provides the necessary counter-strategy. Represented this year by Ippaku Suisei (One White Water Ki), the human response calls for a period of deep, yin-like gathering and observation. The ultimate lesson, or strategy, is to utilize the expansive, powerful energy imbued cosmically, while acting from a place of perspective and distance.
According to Barrish Sensei, this is the perfect moment for Aiki: a response that stems from intensely and carefully held verticality between heaven and earth.
This Aiki response allows one to remove obstructions, clarify our personal mission, and tap into the powerful flow of the life stream to influence the arc of the system in a more positive way.
This is the great challenge and opportunity for all who seek harmony in a world undergoing profound and unprecedented change.
But don’t take my word for it. Listen to the episode and hear Barrish Sensei describe the whole current cosmic situation in his unique, wise, and spirited way.
And please check out what he’s doing over at Kannagara Inari Salon
I’ve been (virtually) attending his Chouhai ceremony every weekend and it’s had a very positive influence on my state of mind ever since I started.
And if you’re new to the podcast, and haven’t heard my two previous talks with Barrish Sensei, I’ll make it easy for you to find them:
Aikido and the way of the Gods I
Aikido and the way of the Gods II
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And Sunday was my birthday, if that tips the scales :)
