三輪山シリーズ＃09 「三卯大祭（さんうたいさい）」
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Mount Miwa＃09 ‐San-U-Taisai (Triple Rabbits festival).
A special day once every 12 years
March 10, 2023 is a very special day. Do you know what day it is?
It is the year of the Rabbit, the month of the Rabbit, and the day of the Rabbit, which comes around once every 12 years. It is a day of great celebration and is said to be the day when the power of the deities of a group of okuninushi no okami (The God of nation-building, agriculture, medicine, and protective magic) is at its peak.
The San-U-Taisai, literally means triple rabbit festival, held once every 12 years, is going to be held at Omiwa Shrine in Sakurai city, Nara prefecture on March 10, 2023. This is a very important festival. It was in the year of the Rabbit that Emperor Sujin first ruled over the land of Japan. Since then, the day of the Rabbit has been highly valued.
According to the 2022 early winter issue of MIWA, a newsletter of Mt Miwa, the origin of the character “U” (卯) represents the opening of a gate and means that the yang qi (positive energy) comes out of the earth. The time is 6:00 a.m., the direction is east, the color is blue, and the season is spring. The character U also represents a rabbit.
Spring is the season of good omen, when all things sprout and flourish, and the rabbits are gentle and sincere, agile, and wise. In any case, San-U (triple rabbits) is a great year, a great month, and a great day, and it is the time when the deity’s spiritual power is at its highest.
Won’t it be a magical day? If you are lucky enough to make it, why don’t you visit the shrine on that day? You might experience something special. If can’t, it might be good to think of the shrine in your heart.
１２年に１度の特別な日
2023年3月10日は、特別な日です。みなさん、何の日かご存じでしょうか。
12年に1度巡ってくる、卯の年、卯の月、卯の日です。大変おめでたく、大国主大神（おおくにぬしのおおかみ）の系列の神様の力が最も高まる日と言われています。大神（おおみわ）神社では、12年に1度の祭典・三卯大祭（さんうたいさい）が行われます。非常に大事なお祭です。崇神天皇が最初に天下を治めたのが卯の年から。それから、卯の日というのが非常に評価されているそうです。
三輪山だより『みわ』令和４年初冬号によりますと、卯は、字源的には「門」を開いたかたちを表し、陽気が地中より出ることを意味しています。時間は午前６時、方角では日のさし昇る東方、色では青、季節では春に当たり、卯は兎（うさぎ）の年といわれます。春は、万物の萌え出て茂る瑞祥（ずいしょう）の時季であり、兎は温厚篤実（おんこうとくじつ）、敏捷怜悧（びんしょうれいり）な動物で、いずれにしても三卯は吉年吉月吉日にして大神様の最もご霊威の高まるときにほかなりません。
神秘的な一日になりそうですね。当日ご都合のつく方はぜひ参拝されてみてはいかがでしょう。都合のつかない方は、神社に心を合わせてみるのもよいと思います。
Aki Sawaguchi.
Editor: Stuart Cauley
監修：大神神社東京分祠代表 根本幸夫先生
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