古神札焚き上げ式

Attended the ceremony for burning last year's protection charms at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Granite Falls, and picked up a new one. Apparently this is for Business Success which I could certainly use.

It reads くぼさ which I'm not sure what the 漢字 for it is: I expected business success to be something like 商売繁盛 read しょうばいはんじょう.

I've frequently carried this kind of small protection charm, お守り, tied on a purse or bag. Actually, at times I've had two or three at a time, causing a sarcastic PE-sensei to say "wow, you must really need the protection, huh." But I love getting them as souvenirs from different shrines -- each one has a unique and beautiful design. Technically you're supposed to get one at the new year and return the one from last year to be burned, but I find it a shame and have held on to most of them. I did, however, let them burn the one from 2019 (also from the Granite Falls shrine) -- I wasn't as attached to it as I am to some of the ones I picked up Japan. And it feels the way most prayers or wishes do -- the intersection between having served its purpose and not having been of discernable use at all.