Burning wood and talismans in homa—or its Shinto-Buddhist cousin, gakubatsu—lights up more than just crackling flames. In Ryōbu Shintō, these fire rituals serve as living bridges between Shinto kami and esoteric Buddhist deities, fusing two cosmologies in a single blaze. Each spark carries ritual petitions skyward: purification of mind and environment, release of obstacles, and a heartfelt offering to Amaterasu and Dainichi Nyorai alike.

At their core, these ceremonies harness fire’s transformative power. As sacred wood charts its rising smoke, lingering impurities are believed to be consumed, making way for renewed spiritual clarity. Gakubatsu inscriptions—small wooden tablets inscribed with sutras or prayers—join the pyre, literally sending written hopes aloft. The rhythmic chant of “On Batara Kan…” intertwines Shinto liturgy with mantra, embodying Ryōbu’s yin-yang balance between indigenous kami worship and tantric visualization.

Modern Japan still feels its pull. Each February, Naritasan Shinshōji Temple draws crowds for a grand goma, where participants toss in ofuda (amulets) from the past year—an act of release and rebirth that resonates especially after the pandemic’s trials. Live-streamed rituals at Kiyomizu-dera make the flame’s warmth accessible to overseas devotees, a nod to Ryōbu’s melding of tradition and twenty-first-century connectivity.

Beyond communal spectacle, homa functions as a personal reset button. Lighting a single branch can spark inner resilience, much like flicking a switch in a dark room. Whether it’s a request for safe travels or a wish for world peace, the ritual’s crackling crescendo reminds that, sometimes, one small fire can illuminate an entire path.