The charms originate from the practises of Onmyōdō (‘The Way of Yin and Yang’); a traditional Japanese occult practise that entails a mixture of natural science and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and yang, introduced into Japan at the beginning of the 6th century, and was accepted as a practical system of divination. These practices were influenced further by Taoism, Buddhism and Shintoism, and evolved into the system of Onmyōdō around the late 7th century.