First blessing the stone will receive will be in Japan. By a Japanese Shinto Master. Got into contact through Dutch Shinto Master Paul de Leeuw. As a preparation the stone and me will be initiated by him, in his Shinto shrine in Amsterdam. First time taking the stone on a trip. Paul already dubbed the stone the ‘Heartstone’ in our email conversation. Heavier than I thought.

Arrive in the capital around 16:30. Walk for a while cardio carrying the Heartstone. Gotta rep the set. The door opens. He is dressed in white robes. We greet each other. Take of my shoes. Take a seat. Conversation. Shinto is bout cleaning, cleansing. Making space, getting rid of smudge, baggage. Shinto is more a philosophy than a religion. A boat on a stream. To follow that stream. Don’t hold on. A new day everyday. He tells me it is about breathing too. Knowing when to breathe in and when to breathe out. “For instance, when you are under water, you should not breathe in.”

Initiation initiates. First we clean our hands. And by this we purify. A bamboo cup on a stick. Pour water. Left hand, right hand, left hand, bit in mouth, rinse, clean the handle holding it horizontal and let water run over it. Enter the shrine, which is attached to his house. A high space with a nice tranqui vibe. He places the Heartstone on the altar. A woven rope in front, with folded papers attached to it. Some wooden shelves, plants on them, candles, some other things. Cups, containers for offerings. In the centre a little round mirror.

He lights the candles and starts by bowing and clapping. Incantation. Then he takes a stick with papers attached to it. Waves it in front of the stone and in front of me. More incantation, prayer. Then bowing and clapping. I join him. He hands over the Heartstone and tells me “Feels lighter now, doesn’t it”. It really does. And so do I. He tells me the stone and me are now ready to travel. As I leave he hands over an amulet to keep me safe along the journey.

My new lightness and me walk towards the station. Passing a bar full of Japanese people. Then another with Japanese music and people. As my mind thinks about the amulet I just received I see a little sticker on a street light saying ‘Magic’.

That night I dream about filming something on the beach. Suddenly the waves get bigger and I need to save the camera stuff. Then all the stuff was gone. I was in the water. Swallowed by the waves, went under. But I could breathe under water. In this underwater world I had sex with my sister, which I don’t have. Motion. Breathing under water.