Setsubun Rituals: Bean Throwing and Demon Banishing Ceremonies

BY NICOLE LAU

The Setsubun ritual is a powerful purification ceremony that combines physical action (throwing beans), vocal power (shouting), directional magic (facing eho), and symbolic representation (oni masks) to banish negativity and invite good fortune. Every element serves a specific magical purpose in clearing your space and energy for spring's fresh start.

This is embodied magic at its most accessible and effective—loud, physical, playful, yet deeply transformative. Here's how to perform the complete traditional Setsubun ritual, plus modern adaptations for urban practitioners.

The Traditional Setsubun Ritual

Timing: February 3rd evening (before midnight, before Risshun begins)

Participants: Ideally the whole household, but can be done solo

Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour

What You Need

• Roasted soybeans (fukumame 福豆) - enough to throw and eat
• Oni mask (store-bought or handmade)
• Ehomaki (uncut sushi roll) - optional but traditional
• Sardine head and holly branch (hiiragi iwashi) - optional
• Compass or phone app to find the year's lucky direction

The Complete Ritual (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Preparation (Afternoon)

1. Clean your home thoroughly: Sweep, dust, declutter—physical cleaning prepares for energetic clearing
2. Roast the soybeans: If using raw beans, roast them in a pan until fragrant (this "activates" them magically)
3. Determine the lucky direction: Look up the year's eho direction (2026 = South-southeast)
4. Set up the sardine and holly: Hang above the main entrance door

Step 2: The Demon Appears (Evening, Around 7-8 PM)

1. One person puts on the oni mask (traditionally the father or oldest male, but anyone can do it)
2. The "oni" walks through the house making noise, representing negativity and misfortune
3. Everyone else gathers their beans and prepares to throw

Step 3: The Bean Throwing (Mamemaki 豆まき)

Inside the house first:

1. Start in the back rooms, work toward the entrance
2. Throw beans at the oni while shouting: "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (Demons out! Fortune in!)
3. Throw with force and conviction—this is active banishment!
4. The oni retreats, room by room, toward the door
5. Everyone throws beans, even children

Outside the house:

1. Chase the oni out the door
2. Throw beans outside while shouting: "Oni wa soto!"
3. The oni runs away (removes the mask outside)
4. Throw a final handful of beans outside

Back inside:

1. Close the door firmly
2. Throw beans in each room while shouting: "Fuku wa uchi!" (Fortune in!)
3. Focus on corners, closets, under furniture (where negative energy hides)
4. End at the entrance, throwing beans inward

Step 4: Eating the Beans

1. Each person eats the number of beans equal to their age plus one
2. Example: If you're 35, eat 36 beans
3. This "seals" the good fortune inside you
4. Chew slowly and mindfully
5. Some people save a few beans for the altar or to carry as protection

Step 5: The Ehomaki Ritual (Optional but Powerful)

1. Determine the year's lucky direction (use compass)
2. Each person gets an uncut sushi roll (ehomaki)
3. Face the lucky direction
4. Make a wish silently
5. Eat the entire roll in complete silence, without stopping
6. Don't cut it, don't speak, don't look away from the direction
7. When finished, the wish is sealed

Step 6: Closing the Ritual

• Thank the spirits and deities
• Clean up the beans (or leave some as offerings)
• Keep the sardine and holly up for a few days
• Go to bed before midnight (before Risshun officially begins)

The Magical Elements Explained

The Beans: Projectile Purification

Why throwing works:

• Physical action embodies intention
• Throwing = active banishment (not passive hoping)
• Beans are hard, small, numerous = persistent, focused effort
• The sound of beans hitting surfaces disrupts stagnant energy

The Shouting: Vocal Power

Why shouting works:

• Sound vibration breaks up negative energy
• Your voice carries authority and intention
• Loud = confident, weak = ineffective
• Collective shouting amplifies power exponentially

The Oni Mask: Externalizing Shadow

Why the mask works:

• Makes the invisible visible (negativity becomes the oni)
• Gives you something concrete to banish
• Allows playful engagement with serious work
• The person wearing it releases their own shadow by playing it

Modern Adaptations

Solo Setsubun

Without someone to wear the mask:

1. Place the oni mask in the back of your home
2. Throw beans at it while shouting
3. Move it room by room toward the door
4. Throw it outside (or put it away)
5. Continue with bean throwing in each room

Apartment/Urban Setsubun

Noise concerns:

• Whisper-shout (intense whisper with full emotion)
• Throw beans gently (the intention matters more than force)
• Use peanuts in shells (easier cleanup, less mess)
• Throw into a bowl instead of around the room

Space limitations:

• Focus on one room or your altar space
• Visualize the oni and throw beans at the visualization
• The magic works even in small spaces

Non-Traditional Variations

Using other items:

• Dried corn kernels
• Small stones (outside only)
• Rice (traditional in some regions)
• Confetti (symbolic, easier cleanup)

The key: Whatever you throw must be thrown with conviction and the shout.

Temple and Shrine Ceremonies

Public Setsubun events:

• Priests or celebrities throw beans to crowds
• Catching beans brings good luck
• Some temples have elaborate oni performances
• Fire ceremonies to burn away negativity

The Deeper Ritual Truth

Setsubun works because it's ACTIVE purification. You don't meditate negativity away—you physically drive it out. You don't quietly hope for good fortune—you shout it into being.

This is embodied magic: your body, your voice, your action, your space, all working together to transform energy.

Will you perform Setsubun? Share your bean-throwing plans below.

As you embrace the cleansing energy of Setsubun and cast out what no longer serves you, consider deepening your practice with tools that align your spirit with intention, such as the 40 manifestation rituals intention to reality for turning your hopes into tangible abundance, or the sacred space cleanse printable energy clearing ritual kit to purify your home and heart long after the beans are thrown, all while the cosmic alignment ritual kit for syncing with the celestial flow helps you harmonize with the seasonal shift and welcome spring’s renewal.