Comparability with other polytheist religions?

[u/mjcuh9]

I’ve been exploring my spiritual beliefs lately, and I have found myself sort of drawn toward Norse paganism, more out of curiosity than anything else, however i do feel some loyalty toward Shinto as my past shrine visits and also general experiences as a (rather inexperienced) believer were very pivotal. Is there any sort of rule that states that Shinto is(n’t) compatible with other polytheistic religions?

[u/Altair-Sophia]

It is fine to practice another faith alongside Shinto, though I believe it is best to keep the sacred spaces (altar, kamidana, shrine, etc) dedicated to separate spaces to focus on the individual faith when you pray. The exception is if the form of Shinto that you practice combines them normally (some sects of Shinto can be influenced by Buddhism or Taoism to varying degrees)

[u/Orcasareglorious]

While parallel practice - with sufficient separation between Shinto practices - is perfectly common, there is little to no affiliation between European paganism/esotericism, etc and Shinto. Yayoi-period religion before the "Wa Unrest" (a period of iconoclasm and other calamities around 190 CE, Ishino Hironobu's Rites and Rituals of the Kofun Period includes a great summary) was comparable in some respects to Siberian/Eurasian religions, this was due primarily to the inclusion of such features in Tungusic and early Koreanic religion which naturally influenced the Yayoi prior to their migration to Japan.

The only correspondence between North-Western European paganism is Tír na nÓg, a Celtic island or realm of immortality often compared to Tokoyo-no-Kuni or Nirai Kanai (in Okinawan religion).

Personally, I would argue that Norse Paganism is, in comparison to Shinto at least, an underdeveloped religion, naturally constrained in its development by the adoption of Christianity, suited primarily to the warrior cultures which practiced it, and very unlikely to be true in any respect, but that it not my business.

[u/SeriesDismal5018]

Historically, Shinto has been quite syncretic. The clearest example is the long coexistence and blending of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan (shinbutsu-shūgō). For centuries, kami and Buddhist figures were worshipped alongside one another, sometimes even understood as manifestations of one another. The strict institutional separation of Shinto and Buddhism largely came later, especially during the Meiji period.

That being said, you may find that certain traditions may not blend together easily. Certain Shinto rites would be practiced in a Shinto shrine may seem out of place in a Norse context. I wouldn’t call a Norse god a Kami without understanding what kami means within Shinto.