'Councillor of Divinities' an office of the Imperial court traditionally occupied by the Yoshida and Shirakawa houses who were authorised to appoint shrines and priests to ranks in return for contributions. This vital prerogative was lost to the new Jingikan in 1868 but the title of Jingihaku was retained by the priestly families with control of a palace cult of the eight imperial tutelary deities.
A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Brian Bocking.