The Rise of Octovism: How an Online Community Created a New Belief System Based on Octopi and Spirituality

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.20) In 2006, Yukiko Shimada was still reading the “Text” of “A Course In Miracles” and felt that the content was so difficult that she wanted to ask many questions to the “ACIM” learners. One day, Yukiko gets her bag snatched in a snowy Central Park.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-6) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, used to sunbathe in Central Park to recuperate from cancer. He was approached by Nagiib Al-Jibril, an Arab American who listened to “Far East Rare Groove” every week without fail.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-5) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, made it a habit to sunbathe in Central Park to recuperate from cancer. He was approached by Park Tae-goo and Lee Mi-kyung, two Koreans who were listening to “Far East Rare Groove".

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-4) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, made it a habit to sunbathe in Central Park to recuperate from cancer. He was approached by Maryam Putri RAHMAT, an Indonesian woman who was listening to "Far East Rare Groove" every week.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-3) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, went to apologize to tabla player Karsh Kale, who had been assisting him in introducing Asian Club Music, for being fired from his DJ position on the radio program "Far East Rare Groove".

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-2) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, went to see Omar “Groovy” Hampton, who had given him the opportunity to get a DJ position on the radio show "Far East Rare Groove", to apologize for being fired from the show.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.19-1) Yukiko Shimada's husband, Masato Shiraishi, blamed himself because he felt he had inconvenienced everyone involved by dropping his radio program “Far East Rare Groove,” and first went to producer Archie Lee BLACKFOOT to ask for Forgiveness.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.18) Yukiko Shimada and Masato Shiraishi moved into an apartment near Central Park. Yukiko, who often reads "The Gift of Life Prayers" and seeks meals to support her husband's battle with terminal cancer, began learning about "Raw and Living food".

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.17) On the plane to New York, Yukiko Shimada offers to Masato Shiraishi to live at her home in San Francisco, and he agrees. After arriving in New York, Masato Shiraishi heads to his apartment in "Boogie Down Bronx" to organize his belongings.

(Page of Swords & The High Priestess, vol.16) The day after the two-day "Peace of Mind Workshop" at Lake Yamanaka, Yukiko Shimada and Masato Shiraishi headed for his parents' house in Kyoto. There she meets his stepmother Hideko for the first time.