Okay, it's been a while since this post, but I'm still curious.  About the phoenix and dragon ... In Chinese mythology, at least, the phoenix and dragon imagery is a symbol of male and female balance and union - but the dragon usually represents the yang or masculine side, while the phoenix represents the yin or femimine.  So why did the two halves of the aramitama choose the mikoshi carried by the opposite sex?  Were the (differing) mikoshi designed that way, I wonder?  Or were they simply more attracted to the carriers? :P