Aside
from their symbolism, the most obvious difference between the gods of the
two shrines is their sex, which finds subtle expression in the contrasting
shapes of the projecting chigi beams. Look closely at the way in
which the ends are cut off, and you should be able to figure out which
is the female Inner Shrine, and which is the male Outer Shrine. This contrast
raises the possibility that the two shrines together form a symbolic representation
of the cosmos, two complementary forces which as in the Chinese yin-yang
system interact to produce universal harmony.