Ame-no-Uzume is one of my most, most dearly beloved Goddesses: she represents an extremely potent archetype that lives within us and contains such unparalleled healing & empowerment energy, full of humour, depth and wisdom!
By creating this article, I am consciously and intentionally opening a portal into Ame-no-Uzume’s energy, and I’m so grateful to share it with you!
Ame-no-Uzume came to me through seemingly “random” research some years ago, when I was in deep struggle to embrace my own inner dancer, as well as humour as integral parts of the self-alchemy creative flow and personal transformation! Learning more about her incredible mythology has been one of the biggest gifts of the divine, and I fully believe if this article portal has reached you now, this is NOT a coincidence: Ame-no-Uzume wants to share important messages with you, too 🙂
But who is Ame-no-Uzume?
Ame-no-Uzume is the celestial goddess who performed a spontaneous dance that helped save the world from eternal darkness.
Ame-no-Uzume is first and foremost the goddess of dawn, placing her in the service of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. Ame-no-Uzume is inclined to joviality and creativity, which connect to the potential, creation, and happiness often associated with sunrise.
Because of this, Ame-no-Uzume is often portrayed as smiling.
Traditional stories describe Ame-no-Uzume as wearing loose or revealing clothing, which other kami in these stories find comical, but Ame-no-Uzume is joyful and unconcerned. She is open, easygoing, and dedicated to bringing joy to the world.
Self-reflection question:
How can you embody MORE of your inner Ame-no-Uzume energy and in what ways it will help you elevate your life?
I encourage you to keep this self-reflection questions in your mind and heart like a gentle background while you keep reading the article: and be ready for great insights to stream through! Yayyyyyy!
The Legend of Ame-no-Uzume & Amaterasu: How Dancing & Humour Can Rekindle the Life of Your Inner Sun
The legend goes that Amaterasu (Japanese Goddess of the Sun) had gone into hiding, for her brother Susanoo had shamed her greatly. With her disappearance—and consequently that of the sun—the world went cold and dark. No matter how hard the kami tried, they could not convince Amaterasu to reappear.
But then Ame-no-Uzume, a young maiden, concocted a plan with the other heavenly deities.
She began to dance comically for all the kami to see, taking off various pieces of clothing until she was partially nude.
Important Side Note:
“partially nude” comes from one version of the Kojiki. Different translations describe the scene with varying levels of explicitness, but all agree that it was an ecstatic, humorous, boundary-breaking ritual dance that lured Amaterasu from the cave.
Ultimately, Ame-no-Uzume’s dancing was so freeing and so hilarious that the kami began to roll with laughter.
(In Japanese, kami translates to “deity” or “spirit”. Central to the indigenous Shinto religion, kami encompass far more than traditional Western gods. Kami embody elements of nature (like trees, mountains, and rivers), forces like wind and rain, and ancestral spirits, among others.)
Inside the cave where she was hiding, Amaterasu heard the laughter and grew curious. She pushed away the rock that blocked the cave’s entrance and saw Ame-no-Uzume dancing. Amused, Amaterasu came out to get a better view.
Exiting the cave, she discovered a mirror erected by Ame-no-Uzume. Distracted by her own reflection, the other gods pushed the rock back across the cave’s mouth and bound it with a sacred shimenawa rope, preventing Amaterasu from reentering the cave and allowing the sun to return to the world.
Ame-no-Uzume, it turned out, was the savior of all.
“…and stamping till [Ame-no-Uzume] made it resound and doing as if possessed by a Deity, and pulling out the nipples of her breasts, pushing down her skirt-string [all the way to her] privates.”
— Kojiki, translated by Basil Chamberlain
As all beautiful legends, the story about Ame-no-Uzume and Amaterasu is NOT at all about goddesses that exist outside of ourselves: instead, this legend provides us with an extremely deep glimpse into the human psyche, inner patterns, and helps to make the unconscious conscious.
Both Ame-no-Uzume and Amaterasu live within each one of us. Sometimes, we go through difficult times when we may end up depriving ourselves and the world around us from our unique healing light, not because we have any bad intentions to harm anyone, but simply because sometimes hiding away in our caves feels like the only appropriate solution, especially when we are faced with heavy inner trauma and conflicts.
HOWEVER, the story about Amaterasu and Ame-no-Uzume reminds us that the unique light we carry was never meant to be hidden, and that when we refuse to share our light, this actually deprives the whole world from the unique shining elixir we carry in our souls. And sometimes, all the medicine we need to help us stop hiding and being victims to old internal narratives, past pains and limiting beliefs, is simply a spontaneous, funny, free dance!!!
The Patron Goddess of Dancers Is Calling You: Awaken Your Inner Ame-no-Uzume!
In Japanese mythology, Ame-no-Uzume is the patron goddess of dancers.
Her name is sometimes shortened to Uzume, and the name Ame is sometimes rendered and pronounced as Ama, both of which mean “Sky” or “Heaven”.
See, when you let yourself dance freely, spontaneously and without restrictions, you literally unprison your mind and you are capable of flying to higher horizons: so vast, so infinite is the ancient medicine of intuitive dance!
Her name can be translated in a number of ways, including:
- The Great Goddess, Shining Uzume
- The Great Persuader
- The Heavenly Alarming Female
The classical music and dance used in Shintō religious ceremonies, Kagura, is said to have originated with her performance.
Ame-no-Uzume is known for her merriment and humor.
In popular mythology, as the embodiment of the feminine principle, she is often associated with Sarutahiko, who represents masculine sexuality.
Super simple practice for connecting with (your inner) Ame-no-Uzume
Honestly, one of the reasons I adore doing mythology-relatad reseaech is because even the mere act of READING and learning more about a certain deity is a pathway for this energy to become more present in your space!
But, of course, reading / researching alone is NOT enough: EMBODIMENT IS THE KEY.
So, next time a music tune calls you to dance, DO NOT postpone, do not hesitate but simply let go and let flow fully: free and more and more free to just be! Allow yourself to have more fun with your intuitive dance practices! This is purest Ame-no-Uzume energy embodiment.
Ame-no-Uzume Invocation
I call upon the divine dancer within me.
Keep rising, my sweet Child of the Free Sky.
I ask Ame-no-Uzume to dance beside me and guide me: into more playtime, more spontaneity, more freedom!
We were born to do this.
Speak it into existence.
Write it into existence.
Be it into existence.
DANCE IT INTO EXISTENCE!
~ With love, your true soul call.
For those of you who want to dive deeper than ever into intuitive dance flow practices, I’d love to hear from you and connect together in my unique personal mentorship sessions!
Sending tons of love and groovy energy your way!
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