[X]: The rituals of summoning and communing with spirits and ghosts. These allow a practitioner to speak with hidden or trapped spirits, and summon forth gods and spirits to help with a particular task, and even bind them as shikigami, a role somewhere between patron spirit and familiar. While communing with spirits is a necessary part of nearly every Onmyoji's life and work, the summoning of spirits is a tightly controlled practice, and misuse of it in the form of necromancy or other improper acts can result in severe censure from the Onmyoryo, the bureau of divination.
[X]: Poetry and art. While not a major focus of your studies, every young man of good birth is required to learn how to compose beautiful poems, which form the basis of nearly every form of formal social interaction, from courtship to seeking allies to simply connecting with friends.
[X]: Calligraphy and writing. Writing beautifully is very important in heian society, and it is believed that a person's character and soul can be seen in their skill at calligraphy. A letter written in beautiful characters will always matter more than a letter that is merely functional; and a poem, ugly written, will be considered far beneath a lesser poem, beautifully written.
[X]: The preparation and blessing of ofuda and omamori, small paper talismans used for blessing, protection, good luck, sealing away and a number of other uses. Onmyoji may also use them as part of rituals of banishment, exorcism and other spells. This involves very carefully, and beautifully, writing the correct prayers and mantras on paper or silk talismans, and blessing them with rituals and the invocation of the right divine spirits and patrons. That said. The training itself consists mostly of writing the same prayers and mantras over and over and over again, focusing on their meaning, as well as studying the rituals of their blessing and empowerment.
[X]: Chinese and the reading of chinese classics. While chinese is no longer quite so fashionable as it was a century ago, it is still an expected skill of young noblemen like you. Reading dusty chinese books on philosophy, ying/yang science, the five elements and buddhism is also a required and necessary skill in the study of onmyodo.
[x]: Divination by way of the stars, that is, astronomy and astrology. By observing the stars, using astronomical tools like a bronze armillary sphere, and referring to books on astronomy, I learned to predict the future for people, places, families, and the world in general. This is an exceedingly technical skill, moreso than a purely mystical one, but is nevertheless of the more commonly used skills among onmyoji, as divination of every kind is in high demand at the Heian courts.
[X]: The study of ying-yang theories and five elements lore. These are abstract, difficult and technical subjects, but are necessary for the most advanced forms of divination, and underlie and support all other subject an onmyoji is supposed to master. In practice, it requires a lot of reading and understanding of complicated texts on metaphysics and philosophy, and he use of sliding chinese instruments of divination, the full use of which can take a lifetime to master.
[x]: Calculation and memorization of the stars and planets, their meanings, and their relations to the days and the calendar. This includes some math and astronomy, at a very basic level, yet, but also a large amount of rote memorization and repetition, skills that will be useful in any art you might study later. Calender keeping is also important in choosing the right day for important court rituals, life rituals, and the magico-religious rituals of Onmyodo.
[x]: The study of the sutras, the buddhist holy texts. While not strictly a part of the arts of onmyodo, the sutras are still studied, as they contain great and useful wisdom, and their recitation can help banish demons and evil influences, which is among the skills required of an Onmyoji. Even with no relevance to your education, however, the sutras would still be studied, as they are the best source on ethics and the nature of the world and the divine wisdom of the buddhas.
[x]: The recitation of holy mantras and the use of mudras, holy gestures with one or both hands, to repel and defeat evil spirits, demons, ghost and other monsters. This means learning and training to use a large number of gestures, including the nine symbolic cuts, a set of syllables and mantras, as well as their associated mudras, specific sutras and prayers for a variety of different kinds of ghost and demons and other circumstance. As i studied, however, my father warned by that many of these could be dangerous to use if i was underprepared or used one which was too advanced or too powerful for me to handle.
[X]: The study and use of Harae, rituals of cleansing and land-quelling. These are among the most important skills of an onmyoji. Harae dispel curses and bad fortune, and cleanse places and people tainted by evil or disease; people who've just recovered from illness or have been otherwise made impure, or places where people have been sick, died, or where crimes and sin have been committed. They are also used to cleanse and repel evil energies and misfortune from new or unused places, such as a new wing of a building, or a home no one has lived in for some time; these rituals are important for the spiritual well-being of people and the proper order of society.
[X]: Meditation and breathing exercises aimed at honing and expanding your mind, and making you more aware of supernatural energies and spirits. The exercises als focus on calming you down, and sorting through your emotions and thoughts to clear your mind and focus your will. While not all onmyoji deal with demons directly, your father emphasizes that if you plan on doing so, you will need a strong will and the ability to keep your mind clear from the lies of evil, deceitful spirits.
