One of the three divine artifacts. It's amazing because it's a relic from the era of mythology, but its function honestly isn't much different from a simple lawn mower.
Spell Card 045
国符「三種の神器 玉」 Land Sign "Three Sacred Treasures - Orb" [12]
One of the three divine artifacts. They say mirrors were used for magic, but it's really more of a stage trick. Real magic is usually about the art of imitation... oh. I guess mirrors are magic after all, then? Sorry.
Spell Card 047
国体「三種の神器 郷」 Land Scheme "Three Sacred Treasures - Country"
This one can actually be really easy. Those high-shot-power characters kick this kind of card's ass.
Notes
↑産霊 (musuhi/musubi) is a term in Japanese mythology that refers to the driving forces of creation. The first gods to come into being in Japanese mythology were a trio of creation gods (造化三神, zouka sanshin) made up of Amenominakanushi, Takamimusuhi and Kamimusuhi. (Of course, there's no actual relation between these gods and the pseudo-science of "pyramid power".)
↑A typical riceball is triangular. In addition to the word "onigiri," riceballs are also sometimes called "omusubi", used here as a pun on the term "musuhi/musubi" (産霊).
↑137 is taken from lifetime of Emperor Jinmu, the first emperor in Japan's history. The gods of Japanese mythology have near-infinite lifespans, but due to Ninigi-no-Mikoto's marriage to Konohanasakuya-hime, the lifespans of their human descendants became very short. As such, the 137-year lifespan of the first human god, Emperor Jinmu, was "ephemeral" compared to those of his divine ancestors.
↑The "Crisis" in Spell Card 40-43 refers to the crises that nearly discontinued the singular line of descent of the first emperor. Emperor Buretsu was the 25th emperor in Japan's history, said by some records to be an extremely brutal ruler. Since he didn't have a son, the imperial bloodline was threatened, resulting in a race to find a successor until Emperor Keitai succeeded him.
↑The kanji for "Buretsu" can literally be read as "military ferocity."
↑Taira no Masakado: A samurai in the 10th century. He plotted treason against the Emperor of that time, proclaiming himself to be the 'New Emperor' (新皇) and starting a rebellion to kill the then-Emperor and replace him.
↑Yasunori Katou is the villainous protagonist of the novel Teito Monogatari. As part of his plot to destroy the Japanese empire, he resurrects the evil spirit of Masakado, which (within the fiction of the novel) is the true cause of disasters such as the Great Kantou Earthquake.
↑Ashikaga Yoshimitsu: The 3rd shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate, theorized by some historians to have plotted to take over the imperial family.
↑"General Headquarters" (GHQ) was the general term used in Japan to refer to the offices of Japan's post-WW2 occupation. As part of major overhauls made to the Japanese government during the occupation, the Emperor was reduced from his position of absolute authority to a ceremonial role, and issued an imperial rescript denying the concept of his divine lineage.
↑Other possible readings: Mikusa no kandakara, sanshu no jingi, sanshu no shingi
↑This spell card is referring to Yasakani-no-Magatama (八尺瓊曲玉), one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan.
↑This spell card is referring to Yata-no-Kagami (八咫鏡), one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan.
↑Keine's spell cards proceed through Japanese history in chronological order: from creation myths ("First Pyramid") to the first Emperor ("Ephemerality 137"), to threats to the Imperial lineage ("[name] Crisis"), and finally ending with this card. The Emperor's divine heritage is denied following WW2, and he becomes "a thing of fantasy" like the residents of Gensokyo.
↑ 15.015.115.2Takamagahara: The place where gods are said to be living in Japanese mythology.
↑The pronunciation "Takamagahara" (TAKA MA-ga HARA) is a relatively new reading of the kanji, having originated around the Late Middle Ages. The reading "Takamanohara" or "Takaamanohara" (TAKA AMA-no HARA) was used historically in Ancient Japan.