"I cannot speak to that generally," Seimei says, "but as far as Shinto is concerned, it's a cultural practice in the sense that one does it because one is Japanese, and can't imagine not doing it."

There really isn't a better way of explaining it than that.

"There are certain things that a Shinto priest or shrine maiden might do that, say, a Christian would label as 'magic' if they had not been previously informed that Shinto was a religion. Or if they were a particularly obnoxious sort of Christian, they might call it magic anyway."