《太上助国救民总真秘要》

The Taishang Comprehensive Essentials of the Perfected Ones for Aiding the Nation and Saving the People is a Daoist ritual and magical arts text included among the Daoist ritual scriptures in the Daoist Canon of China.

The work is divided into ten scrolls. Its contents proceed as follows: a preface to the Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart of the Northern Pole in the Upper Clarity tradition, followed by procedures for petitioning the Office for Expelling Evil and carrying out rituals; sacred texts and talismans and incantations associated with the Dipper; talismanic methods for treating consumptive diseases and other illnesses, as well as the Celestial Marshal’s method for suppressing evil; the upper, middle, and lower sections of the Numinous Text of the Marrow of the Hidden Book of Upper Clarity, whose lower section concerns ghost statutes, jade registers, and ritual; methods for supporting the orthodox and eliminating evil, and for investigating and summoning spirits; ritual formulas and illustrated instructions for the Yu step, treading the Dipper’s pattern, and hand signs for the sun; transmission rites, establishing a place of confinement, building a platform for ascending to heaven, assembling canopies, Dipper lamps, and methods for divination; and the format for dispatching official documents from the Upper Clarity Northern Pole Office for Expelling Evil.

The work opens with the Preface to the Taishang Comprehensive Essentials of the Perfected Ones for Aiding the Nation and Saving the People.

I have heard that the Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) transforms and enlightens the people, using True Qi to nourish all living beings. Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), an important Daoist school, transmits the lineage and displays divine power, so that even the spirits and ghosts of the netherworld may be taught and transformed. Sacred passages and mysterious scriptures may indeed be revealed at the proper time, but the original liturgies and precepts strictly forbid passing them on indiscriminately.

With reverence, I acknowledge the benevolent, virtuous, and sagely ruler above, who has received the Mandate of Heaven and spread the Supreme Dao. This is truly a time of flourishing. Recently, the Precious Registers Palace was built in the capital, and an ordination altar was established near the imperial precincts. Ordination is the Daoist ritual through which registers are conferred and the lineage transmitted. The court aids the people through talismans, registers, and medicines, allowing them to live in peace. Each day, thousands receive its benefits, and eight or nine out of every ten are willing to turn toward Daoist teaching.

The court has gathered the immortals’ scriptures and restored what was missing, bringing texts from across the realm together in a complete collection. It has then collated scriptures from the secret repositories and prepared them for carving and printing, so that they may be passed down to later generations. In this way, the realm can return to the simple ways of antiquity, and the people can live in contentment, cultivating body and mind with sincerity. This may be called an age in which Daoist Qi is pure and complete, and peace endures for a long time.

In my youth, I was fortunate to enter the Daoist order. As a Daoist priest, I traveled among famous mountains and sacred peaks, seeking teachers, lineages, and methods of cultivation. Over more than thirty years, I learned the principal methods in broad outline and put them into practice. How could I fail to do my utmost to repay this favor at such a time? In the past, while living in Nanyang, I used talismanic water to treat the people’s illnesses and ease their suffering. Over several years, countless officials and commoners benefited.

Later, I received an imperial summons and was sent to the court, where I was also graciously bestowed titles and an imperial mandate. I asked myself what merit I had to repay this favor from Heaven. In the seventh month of the year before last, by imperial command I entered the Scripture Bureau, where I was charged with reviewing the scriptures and searching for missing texts. I also took part in printing the Qiongwen canon and talismans and registers, and so had the opportunity to consult the catalogues of the scriptures. The divine writings and precious registers I saw covered nearly every subject. Yet the talismanic methods used to aid the people, treat illness, and respond to immediate needs were recorded in especially obscure and incomplete form; there was no comprehensive, clear text that could be put to practical use.

I did not dare to withhold what I had learned, nor let my own limitations deter me. I therefore compiled the talismanic methods, secret applications, and oral instructions that had been transmitted to me into ten volumes, entitled The Supreme One’s Complete Secret Essentials for Aiding the State and Saving the People. I copied the work into a book and now venture to present it. I hope it may in some small measure assist Your Majesty’s aims and contribute modestly to gathering and spreading the Daoist teachings, while also giving later students something to rely on and broadening their knowledge a little. This, too, is the greatest wish of one who cultivates the Dao.

I, Miao Zong, respectfully wrote this preface on the fifteenth day of the intercalary first month in the sixth year of the Zhenghe era.

The Taishang Secret Essentials of the True Perfection for Aiding the State and Saving the People, Volume One

Compiled by the Daoist Master of Hidden Mystery, Yuan Miao Zong

Preface to the Shangqing Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart of the Northern Pole, with Procedures for Petitioning the Exorcism Office and Carrying Out Its Rulings

I have heard that the “Celestial Heart Method” is the method of the Northern Pole and the Central Dipper. The Northern Pole is the center and pivot of Heaven, where the myriad phenomena converge; the Big Dipper is Heaven’s central hub, from which the myriad energies are received. Thus, the Celestial Heart Method takes Heaven’s center as its foundation. It shares a single source with the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school and is a crucial means for carrying out rites of judgment and treatment.

In former times, Lord Rao had already written the Brief Record of Hidden Merit. His deeds won Heaven’s approval, and the spirits bestowed on him a true register, the credential conferred through Daoist ordination. He was also taught the secret instructions at Zixiao Palace. His lineage was passed down from generation to generation, and the method was thereby made known to the world. It brings good fortune and dispels evil, comprehensively distinguishes the principles of Yin-Yang, and separates the affairs of the netherworld from those of the human realm. Its principles and methods are complete, while its practice is concise and direct; nothing is more important than this.

In recent times, virtuous practitioners have especially valued this method as a way to assist Heaven’s transformative teaching, aid the state, and relieve the people. If someone achieves little after putting it into practice, the reason may be that the transmission was not sufficiently profound and wide-ranging, that the learner never truly grasped its essentials, or that their cultivation of the Dao was inadequate. For these reasons, its numinous efficacy may not fully appear. If it exists in name alone, what help can it offer in actual affairs?

I have respectfully gathered this method together with its secret oral instructions, talismans and seals, and essentials such as pacing the Dipper. I have sought to explain what is hidden and difficult to understand, clarify teachings that were not yet clear, and briefly include material already in circulation. The key lies in actual cultivation and application, so that the method’s profound and subtle principles may be fully brought to light. I hope this tradition will spread widely and benefit people for a long time to come.

According to the precepts, the Supreme Secrets for transmitting the Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart, one of the Daoist traditions of ritual arts, must be taught over the prescribed period. Its subtle and profound teachings must be conveyed in full so that the method may spread widely and benefit living beings for a long time.

According to the precepts, when teaching the Supreme Secrets of the Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart, the teacher must observe the prescribed period and explain to the recipient the rules governing ritual manuals, along with accounts of divine responses and retribution. Only then may the method be put into practice. It must not be transmitted casually. Anyone who violates the ritual prohibitions on their own authority will not only cause the method to lose its efficacy, but will also face investigation and punishment by the deities of the underworld and the human realm; the resulting misfortune will be severe. The transmission has its own prescribed rites, described in detail in a later volume. Those who study the method should make a careful effort to understand these rules.

Prayers and Appeals for Averting Calamity

When the state prays for rain, when a prolonged drought brings no rain, or when people suffer from disasters such as infestations of borers or locusts; when an ominous star appears over a region, or enemy forces invade the frontier and armies clash; when flood dragons or water spirits raise storms, sweeping away people and livestock or overturning boats—in matters great or small, one may submit a memorial to the Celestial Court through a Daoist rite, asking Heaven to send celestial troops to destroy the source of the calamity. At the same time, documents should be sent to the star palaces of the various heavens, the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Rivers and their deities, the Four Seas, and the Dragon Gods of the Nine Rivers. Notices should also be delivered to the local City God, the deities responsible for mountains, rivers, roads, and other places, as well as the Six Ding and Six Jia guardian generals and the generals of the Cloud and Thunder divisions.

The local spirit bureau in charge, or the people themselves, should submit a written petition stating what has happened in a particular place and that an altar has been established at a specified location, awaiting the deities’ arrival. Once the calamity has been answered and brought to an end, a grand Zhaijiao ceremony should be held to give thanks for Heaven’s grace. A memorial should then be prepared reporting the outcome and requesting that the officials and troops who were sent be returned to their respective spirit bureaus. It should also ask that they be credited with merit and promoted in rank and office, as proof that the rite was efficacious. Rituals must be performed with sincere devotion for their efficacy to become manifest. Negligence and sloth will bring impeachment by the Four Bureaus and examination and record by the Three Officials. Those who violate the Celestial Court’s ritual laws will receive no pardon.

Madness, Possession, and Ghostly Afflictions

To treat madness, demonic afflictions, and disturbances caused by ghosts, first bring the patient in, verify the circumstances, and record them in a document. Then, according to the cause of the affliction, decide which authorities should receive a report. Send the document first to the household’s own gods of Fate, the Five Paths, and the Land. Then notify the City God of the prefecture or county to which the household belongs. Alternatively, submit a memorial to the troops and generals under your command, asking them to capture the ghosts, or report to Heaven and establish a heavenly prison to seize them.

Whenever documents are submitted or troops and generals are dispatched, reward them first. Only then issue credentials such as warrants, dispatches, orders, and passes, instructing them to carry out their duties as directed. Next, give the patient talisman water to drink or wear on their person. Once the patient has received divine grace and recovered, reward the troops and generals again, and perform a Zhaijiao purification ritual to thank Heaven and repay the spirits for their kindness. The scale of the ritual should match the family’s means, neither lavish nor meager. If the household is truly poor and unable to arrange it, the ritual master may prepare it on their behalf. If a wealthy family receives divine aid but begrudges the expense and holds no ceremony of thanks, it is as though they have erased the troops’ and generals’ merit. This may instead bring calamity, which will be difficult to dispel.

Mountain Imps and Spirits

Mountain imps are spirits born of imbalances among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). They may falsely claim to be sages, secretly seduce women, cause fires and floods, throw bricks and stones, and torment livestock. They may also appear as strange lights and apparitions, take shape by attaching themselves to objects, and roam day and night, frightening people. All such occurrences are considered uncanny events.

When this happens, carefully examine the submitted report first. If the matter is truly serious, follow the method described above: promptly report it to Heaven, request troops and generals from the relevant mountain spirits, or send notice to the local City God. The procedures and rules for rewards are the same as those described earlier.

Repeated Corpse Transmission

First, address contagious ancestral illness—the text uses “transmitted corpse” for diseases that spread among relatives—as well as recurring entanglements of illness or misfortune and cases of cursing. Begin by collecting a written petition from the patient, recording the patient’s name and illness, and listing anyone in the family who died of the same disease, with the year, month, and day of each death. If others later died of it, list each of their names as well. Also state what acts of merit and rites of posthumous deliverance have already been performed, and that the dead have still not been delivered beyond suffering.

Then submit a memorial to Heaven and report the matter to the Eastern Peak, the divine administration governed by the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak. Request that an order be sent to the underworld authorizing officials to escort the dead to the “Terrace of Ascension to Heaven,” where they may manifest themselves and hear the teachings of the scriptures. Next, establish a Yellow Register Daoist altar, a Zhaijiao purification ritual for delivering departed souls and dispelling misfortune, and conduct rites for several days and nights. Bathe the dead and change them into ritual garments, provide food, transmit precepts, burn Dragon Youth effigies, impart the Supreme One’s True Talisman for Rescuing Suffering, present memorials and petitions, and establish names for the dead as part of their posthumous deliverance.

After the purification rites conclude, send the Four Duty Envoys with the ritual certificates and altar verification documents to escort the dead back to the underworld. Have them check the records with the Office of Merit and the officials in charge of registers of rebirth, so that the dead may be reborn in accordance with the regulations. Then reward the troops and generals, perform rites to suppress evil, and put an end to future harm. Give the patient talisman water to drink or wear.

If someone often dreams that deceased relatives come to trouble them, or a departed soul possesses a person and explains the cause of the trouble, and it is judged not to be the work of an outside ghost, then help the dead be reborn by accumulating merit and performing rites for their deliverance. If the troubling spirit is an elder or collateral relative from the same clan, mourn and deliver them through ritual as well, helping both the living and the dead so that the misfortune does not recur. When the work is done, reward the troops and generals and proceed as described above.

As for cursing, if someone has died as a result, the family should join in performing acts of merit according to its means. After completing rites to deliver the dead and release them from their bonds, submit a memorial to the authorities above and seek to stop the place where the curses are being performed. Practices such as striking talisman temples must not be carried out; ensure that they are ended permanently.

Dispatch rites to treat an epidemic.

Sending Away the Ghost Spirits of the Pestilence Department

If someone suffers from illnesses such as cold damage, fever, red eyes, mouth sores, the five kinds of malaria, alternating chills and fever, madness caused by evil forces, or diarrhea and dysentery, and shows no improvement after taking medicine, or prayers and rites of averting misfortune bring no response, first investigate the patient’s circumstances and put them in writing. Submit a report to the relevant divine office, then forward it to the department responsible, or send it directly to the Celestial Court. Next, have the patient perform a Jiao ritual, confess and repent before the gods, and only then give them talisman water to drink or a talisman to wear.

The text says that epidemics are brought about by the ghost spirits of the Pestilence Department. The ruler must restrain these spirits so that poisonous substances and toxic Qi cannot spread. A household-protecting spirit talisman should also be posted at the entrance, and the “Covering-Down Method”—a ritual technique for averting pestilence and providing protection—should be performed, in the hope that the household will remain free from epidemics for a long time. Afterward, a Jiao ritual must still be held to confess and repent, and to reward the troops and generals with a feast before sending the spirits of the Pestilence Department on their way. Once the matter has been settled, another Jiao ritual should be performed to thank Heaven and repay the gods for their protection.

Praying for Children

If a married couple has been childless for many years, if their children are difficult to raise, or if they have had many daughters but no sons, the text suggests that their birth destinies may conflict, that they may have encountered “Lone Star and Solitary Lodging”—stars traditionally considered unfavorable to marriage and offspring—or that misdeeds accumulated in past lives may be preventing them from having children.

In such cases, prepare the birth year, month, day, and hour of both spouses, and send a report to the Celestial Court. Submit a petition to the Register of Oversight and Bestowal of Births, the divine office responsible for reincarnation, childbirth, and the registration of offspring. Also inform the divine offices of the Eastern Peak, asking them to register and grant a son to the person concerned. Then provide talismans for swallowing or wearing, and require the couple to perform good deeds, accumulate virtue, and build a sacred image in advance while awaiting a response. After receiving this gift, they should hold a Zhaijiao rite to thank the Shangzhen—the exalted deities—for their blessing.

Averting and Repaying Calamities and Illness

Averting calamity and repenting of wrongdoing: If someone suffers disasters year after year, lives in hardship, becomes bedridden, and finds that neither medicine nor food helps, while prayers go unanswered, the cause may be the influence of astral deities, harm inflicted by unjust or malign spirits, a violation of the local earth god’s taboos, or karmic retribution from a past or present life. As a result, Heaven may punish the person, or ghosts and spirits may bring a complaint against them. To seek relief from disaster, one should first sincerely admit one’s faults and repent. Then one should perform a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), present memorials and petitions to the deities, and hope that the sacred Way will show mercy and pardon one’s offenses and karmic debts.

Suppressing improper shrines: Improper gods are spirits not listed in the state’s official register of sacrifices, such as wild spirits attached to plants and trees or mountain demons dwelling by springs and pools. They harm people and property, demand offerings of blood and flesh, and bring illness and all kinds of misfortune. If someone submits a complaint against them, it should be reported to the Eastern Peak—the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak and the divine offices under his authority—and then presented to Heaven. Heavenly soldiers should be sent to capture the evil spirits that disturb the human world, their shrines should be burned, and they should be punished according to the law.

If a privately established shrine in the community has genuinely brought blessings and De (Virtue/Power) to local people, the villagers should testify together, report the circumstances, and petition Heaven for approval to rebuild it so that people may continue to worship there.

Under the laws governing the control of ghosts, even spirits of proper shrines included in the state’s sacrificial rites must not forcibly demand offerings, secretly accept sacrifices of blood and flesh, use ritual to curse others, or wrongfully confine the souls of the living. They must not drive people to drown themselves or leap into fire, make them take their own lives, obstruct their livelihoods, or provoke lawsuits. If anyone falls ill, suffers repeated misfortune, or loses family property as a result, a detailed complaint may be submitted for investigation. If the allegations are verified, the matter should be reported upward and handled according to the official ruling.

If a living person unintentionally offends a deity and suffers disaster as a result of becoming entangled in divine affairs, they may still admit fault and seek forgiveness. Deities must not harm local people, even to the point of causing death. Even when someone has offended a deity and incurred punishment, they must still be allowed to plead for mercy and make amends.

Various spirits and monsters often spread malign influences, spoiling people’s wine, vinegar, and other goods. Sometimes, when taboos are violated, they disturb the household. Digging up an ancient tomb may summon a buried corpse to cause trouble. Strange things may happen among the domestic animals: at times, after giving birth, they even eat their young. Insects and rats make uncanny cries; hens crow at night. Snakes and ants bring poison into the home and harm its inhabitants. Knives, spears, and staffs make sounds for no apparent reason, and people traveling at night who see spirits and monsters are overcome with fear.

These spirits and monsters may also open and close doors, bang on objects, and set out cups, dishes, and food. They make people take up knives, throw themselves into wells, or hang themselves; make them weep or sing, and leave them anxious, grief-stricken, and unsettled. They cause a household’s wealth to dwindle, borrow people’s clothes, and even set homes on fire. They call people by name and send ghostly influences into their hearts and guts, giving them nightmares, disturbing them with specters, and making it impossible for them to sleep peacefully. They may also draw people into lawsuits and quarrels, sow discord between spouses, and make childbirth difficult.

Spirits and monsters may also cause poor harvests in the fields and silkworm farms, ruin crops, bring losses in business, and make everything go wrong. In some newly built houses, spirits and deities gather; whirlwinds sweep inside, and foxes yowl wildly. Great trees break without any wind, pots clang or even boil over, and household objects move on their own. Children cry at night, men and women in the household are unsettled, servants often run away, and cattle and horses fall ill with a plague, suffering injury or death. People may even see spirits manifest in broad daylight, hear strange sounds, or glimpse uncanny lights and shadows, which change in countless ways. The many ways in which malign entities intrude and damage household property would be too numerous to recount. These examples are given only to show that the ritual tradition has corresponding ordinances to subdue them, with prescribed methods for matters both great and small.

If a remedy has no sound basis and involves deception or falsehood, it does not fall within the scope of rites for expelling spirits. After receiving divine grace, one should provide, according to one’s means, the offerings used to reward the spirit troops and the rites performed to repay divine favor. One must not omit the liturgy altogether. The deities are not far away; they are within the reach of people’s sight and hearing. If one has no faith and treats them with contempt, slanders them, or profanes them, the offense will extend to one’s ancestors, and calamity will reach one’s descendants. Misfortunes will follow one after another, and by then it will be too late for regret.

The regulations of the lineage transcribed above are divided into several categories. Their contents are clearly ordered, explained in detail, and easy to understand. They should be rendered as images and publicly displayed for the people. Anyone seeking treatment for an illness should be dealt with according to these regulations, without hesitation. Those who disbelieve and treat them lightly or profanely should recognize their error and repent when they hear these regulations.

This is a matter of bringing aid to all beings on Heaven’s behalf; money should not be demanded arbitrarily. If someone sincerely seeks help, the ritual rules and precepts must never be violated or treated with contempt. Anyone who comes to this institution to submit an application or request talisman water should learn these regulations thoroughly.

End of scroll one of The Essential Secrets of the Most High on Aiding the State and Saving the People. Note: In the original text, the character “gui” was emended to “ze” based on the context.

Scroll two of The Essential Secrets of the Most High on Aiding the State and Saving the People, compiled by the Cavern-You Adept Yuan Miaozong. The section is titled “Numinous Writs and Spells Beneath the Northern Pole of the Shangqing Celestial Heart Orthodox Method,” followed by “Instructions for Preserving and Transforming, and the Bequeathed Methods of Healing.”

To drive away epidemics, treat critical illnesses, stop chuan shi zhu qi (a type of contagious pathogenic influence described in traditional medicine and Daoist writings), subdue deranged demons and spirits, or break up improper Fulu (talismans and registers) and temple rites, first purify body and mind and burn incense. Complete the ritual walking of the constellation pattern, then perform the transformation of the spirit by visualizing a change in your own divine role and identity. Silently pray and make a devout appeal to the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of Shangqing, a revered Daoist deity. Then walk the Dipper pattern and recite the Dipper incantation. When you reach the position of the Dipper’s Pojun star, recite the Great Sage Incantation of the Heavenly Dipper. Flick away the Dipper hand seal, switch to the Heavenly Official hand seal, and proceed straight ahead.

Next, perform the seasonal court audience with the Jade Emperor in the prescribed ritual order. Record the reason for the matter and state it briefly, present the memorial according to ritual, and wait for the Jade Emperor’s edict. Then go to a person’s home and direct two divine generals to carry out the task. Again perform the seasonal court audience with the Jade Emperor, record the reason, briefly describe the matter, and present the memorial according to ritual; then wait for the edict. Afterward, go to the entrance of that person’s home and use the transformation incantation to summon the divine generals, while forming the hand seals of the Supreme Emperor and the Heavenly Official. Visualize those accompanying you transforming into the Four Duty Merit Officers, divine clerks who convey commands from Heaven; the Six Ding and Six Jia Generals; and the local Earth God. Once these steps are complete, select and apply the required hand seals as needed.

The Dipper’s Seven-Star Formation for Subduing Evil

Visualize the Big Dipper’s seven stars covering and pressing down upon the crown of your head, with the handle pointing forward. Then visualize your elbows, arms, and chest forming a constellation of Dipper stars. When this is complete, walk the positions of the seven stars, starting from the Greedy Wolf star, with the Dipper’s handle still pointing forward, and proceed to sit down in the main hall.

Visualize yourself as the Commissioner of the Northern Pole Exorcism Office, the ritual master deity of that office. Hold the Seal of the Great Celestial Dharma Lord in your left hand and the Sword of the Threefold Samadhi Fire Bell in your right. Wear the attire of a Perfected One of the Three Heavens Zhengyi: a Jiao-Tai crown, a fish-fin robe, and black-clawed red shoes. Visualize the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Eight Vajra Guardians, the Twelve Great Deities, and the twelve spirits of the earthly branches—Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai—standing to your left and right. Also present are the Six Ding and Six Jia Generals, along with the two Merit Officers assigned to the current hour, divine clerks who carry documents and execute divine commands. Then carry out the ritual according to its prescribed forms, as the specific matter requires.

Whenever performing a magical rite or transmitting a talismanic edict, one must first “transform the spirit”: form the hand seal of one’s master and visualize oneself becoming an envoy of the Bureau for Expelling Evil, dressed in the Celestial Master’s robes. Then visualize two divine generals and the merit officer of the day and hour standing at one’s left and right. Next, form the hand seal of the Supreme Emperor, then the transformation seal, and recite the incantation. After that, form the Supreme Emperor’s seal to dispatch the spirits, making the seals with both hands at once. Knock the teeth together thirty-six times, then perform the usual pacing of the Dipper, walking a prescribed pattern that symbolizes treading the celestial net. In a low voice, make this invocation:

A disciple invested with the Most High’s registers of the Dao and holding the corresponding ritual rank solemnly summons the spirit of the year, the general of the month, and the Supreme Emperor by the Six-Use Seal. Then form the transformation seal and recite the incantation. Form the Supreme Emperor’s seal to dispatch the spirits, making the seals with both hands at once. Knock the teeth together thirty-six times, then perform the usual pacing of the Dipper and make this low-voiced invocation:

A disciple invested with the Most High’s registers of the Dao and holding the corresponding ritual rank solemnly summons the spirit of the year, the general of the month, the officers and soldiers of the Six Jia, the divine generals who guard the talismans and registers on this day and at this hour, the thousand troops and horses of the divine generals who command forces in support of the rite, and the mounted officers and troops of the Six Ding on duty today. May they all assemble and descend. I ask the gods to set their divine power in motion and spread their Qi. Then knock the teeth together seven times, form the transformation seal, and recite the transformation incantation:

I am no longer a mortal. My head is like a dark cloud, my hair like a profusion of scattered stars; my left eye is like the sun, my right eye like the moon. My nose is like a fire bell, my ears like golden bells. The Rain Master is my upper lip, and the Wind Earl my lower lip; my teeth are like a forest of swords, and my ten fingers are merit officers. I command the Lord of Mount Min to be my left rib and the Lord of Mount Lu my right rib; the Left Thunder General to be my left foot and the Right Lightning General my right foot; the Lord of Mount Tai to be my spine. The thirty-six animals and the twenty-eight lunar mansions, too, correspond to my body. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Recognizing the Sacred Images in the Rites

The Venerable Lord of the Five Numina of the North Pole wears a dark crown and feathered robe. His radiant appearance is like an emperor revealed in the sun’s disk at noon. Faintly visible at his left and right are attendant Jade Maidens, holding staffs and walking slowly. Among the attendants is one whose imperial surname and secret name are clearly revealed.

The Perfected Lord of the Upper Terrace is one zhang tall, with a yellow complexion and yellow Qi issuing from his mouth. His hair hangs loose; he wears a Daoist robe and pale yellow garments, holds a jade tablet, and rides on dark clouds of three colors. At the crown of his head there is … Among the attendants, too, is one whose imperial surname and secret name are clearly revealed.

The True Lord of the Upper Terrace is one zhang tall, with a yellow complexion and yellow Qi issuing from his mouth. His hair hangs loose, and he wears a pale yellow Daoist robe. Holding a jade tablet, he rides upon three layers of black cloud Qi. Yellow Qi appears at the center of his crown. His name is Empty Essence.

The True Lord of the Middle Terrace is one zhang tall, and his face shines with white light. White Qi issues from his mouth and spreads across the world. He wears a white Daoist robe, holds a white tablet, and rides upon white clouds. White Qi appears at the center of his crown. His name is Sixfold Purity.

The True Lord of the Lower Terrace is one zhang tall, with a green complexion and a radiance appearing about him. His breath is fine as silk, and he stands amid green Qi. He wears a green Daoist robe and holds a green tablet. His name is Curved Purity.

The Star Lord Greedy Wolf is one zhang and two chi tall, with the appearance of a ghostly commander in the wilderness. His hair hangs loose, and his complexion is green tinged with red. He leans on a white staff in his left hand and rests his right hand before him.

The Star Lord Great Gate has the form of a beautiful woman. She wears a necklace of pearls and jade, a five-colored flower crown, and holds a luminous precious fan. A woman in green attends her.

The Star Lord Prosperity and Wealth has the form of a handsome young man of twenty, with fine features. He wears a garment of grass, holds paper and brush, and stands facing forward.

The Star Lord Literary Song has loose hair and holds written characters. Riding a five-colored cloud dragon, he has the appearance of a woman.

The Star Lord Pure Chastity wears his hair in a single topknot and rides a white dragon. He wears a crown adorned with seven treasures and a garment of grass, holds paper and brush, and stands facing forward.

The Star Lord Literary Song has loose hair and holds written characters. Riding a five-colored cloud dragon, he has the appearance of a woman.

The Star Lord Pure Chastity wears his hair in a single topknot and rides a white dragon. He wears a crown adorned with seven treasures. Four attendants, each carrying a long halberd, follow the Star Lord Martial Song.

The Star Lord Martial Song has an elephant’s head and a human face. He holds a sword and wears a necklace of pearls and jade. Four attendants, each carrying a long halberd, follow at his sides.

The Star Lord Army Breaker has a pig’s head and a human face. He holds a ball of joy, wears plain white robes, and breathes forth red Qi. His radiance is dazzling as he stands at the tip of the Dipper’s handle.

The Assistant Star wears official robes and a cap, and holds bamboo slips. His dress and bearing resemble those of a minister and adviser in the human world.

The Seven Primordial Star Lords all wear yellow Daoist robes, ride upon yellow cloud Qi, and hold white tablets. Black Qi appears at the center of their crowns.

The Bixing star deity, one of the celestial generals, wears crimson clothing and resembles the Seven Stars. He is ten zhang tall, holds a jade tablet, and is surrounded by clouds of five colors. The Great Sage Shangdi of the Tiangang conferred on him the title King of Brahma. He leads the Seven Origins—the seven stars of the Northern Dipper and the divine generals under their command. He stands a hundred feet tall, wears white silk robes, and has loose hair. His left hand rests on his hip, his right hand holds a sword, and his feet are set one before the other. His face is purplish red. Two streams of Qi rise from the crown of his head, one blue and one white. Between them is a thread-thin stream of red Qi, which can be drawn in through the hand-seal method.

Zhenwu, a Daoist protector deity also known as the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, stands a hundred feet tall. He wears white silk robes and has loose hair. His left hand rests on his hip, his right hand holds a sword, and his feet are set one before the other. His face is purplish red. A stream of blue Qi and a stream of white Qi rise from the crown of his head. Between them is a thread-thin stream of red Qi, which can be drawn in through the hand-seal method.

Zhenwu stands a hundred feet tall, with loose hair and golden scale armor, his feet planted on a numinous turtle of five colors. This turtle is also called the turtle of the Eight Trigrams of the Teng Snake. He grips his sword, his eyes blazing like lightning. Whenever using a Zhenwu talisman, first draw in Zhenwu’s Qi and infuse the brush tip, ink, and inkstone with it; then form the Dipper hand-seal and write the talisman. To Zhenwu’s left and right are nine divine generals bearing flags and halberds, all riding together on a black cloud.

The Heavenly Warrior of Strength, a protector in the celestial realm, wears a crimson robe with wide sleeves and a formal cap, and carries a halberd. His surname is Ju and his personal name is Minzi.

The divine general wears black, with a crimson headband tied across his forehead, and looks like a divine being. He commands troops and generals, wielding a sword to assist the ritual. He also carries a halberd and sometimes appears in the guise of a general. The ritual master forms a hand-seal and recites:

“Under the command of the Northern Emperor is a divine general whose duty is to drive away evil. His supernatural powers are vast, his claws sharp and his fangs long. His might shakes Heaven and Earth; his presence is like clouds and rosy hues. He commands officials, troops, and generals, and directs the yakshas. Behind him gather swords and halberds; before him thunder chariots race. His authority shakes the ground, and his charge sends flying sand into the air. He rewards the righteous and captures the wicked spirits. Any ghosts or monsters that cause harm must be seized without fail. Act swiftly in accordance with the statutes and ordinances. After summoning the divine general, have him take his place on the left.”

Among the generals under the Northern Emperor—the deity who rules the north and commands ghosts and spirits—is one charged with expelling pestilence. He carries out the commands of the Celestial Emperor above and rescues the people of the human world below. His virtue accords with Heaven and Earth, and his might shakes the cosmos. He strides across the vast seas, his head reaching to Kunlun. Strong warriors follow behind him, while the Three Armies gather before him. He commands thunder and lightning and sends flames racing forth; swords, blades, halberds, and spears crowd together like clouds. He opens the roads of the human world and seals the Gates of the Ghost Realm. At night he executes evil ghosts; by day he devours the five spirits of pestilence. Every harmful, mischief-making ghost must be seized and brought before the Emperor Lord, then hacked to dust without mercy. This is an urgent command commonly used in Daoist liturgy when issuing an order to expel evil. “Appear as a general and take your place on the right” means to summon the general to manifest and stand at the right.

The Merit Officer, a divine official who conveys the gods’ commands and assists in ritual practice, wears a cap and vermilion shoes and holds a treasured sword. By command, he seizes evil spirits and brings them before the Emperor Lord, where they are hacked to dust without mercy. Let this be carried out at once, in accordance with the statutes. Summon the divine general to manifest and take his place on the right.

The Merit Officer wears a cap and vermilion shoes and holds a treasured sword. Summon him using the invocation for the general’s day and hour prescribed by this method.

The Earth God wears a white robe with a wide-sleeved outer garment, a cloth headwrap, and boots. He is three chi and two cun tall. Summon him using the invocation taught by the lineage master.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Zi has a mouse’s head and a human body, wears black, and holds a spear.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Chou has a bull’s head and a human body, wears yellow, and holds the same weapon described above.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Yin has a tiger’s head and a human body, wears blue-green, and holds a “g.” Here, “g” refers to a halberd decorated with red ornaments.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Mao has a rabbit’s head and a human body, wears blue-green, and holds a “g.”

The Directing Talisman on the day of Chen has a dragon’s head and a human body, wears yellow, and holds a “g.”

The Directing Talisman on the day of Si has a snake’s head and a human body, wears red, and holds a halberd adorned with streamers.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Wu has a horse’s head and a human body, wears red, and holds a halberd.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Wei has a sheep’s head and a human body, wears yellow, and holds a halberd.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Shen has a monkey’s head and a human body, wears white, and holds a long spear.

The Directing Talisman on the day of You has a chicken’s head and a human body, wears white, and holds a long spear.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Xu has a dog’s head and a human body, wears yellow, and holds a long spear.

The Directing Talisman on the day of Hai has a “cai” head and a human body, wears black, and holds a spear.

All the Directing Talismans appear together with the divine troops of the mountains and fierce ghosts and spirits, clad in armor and bearing halberds.

The Directing Talisman of the celestial realm is Jiao Gongnu; that of the terrestrial realm is Zheng Yuanxi; and that of the empty realm is Zhang Yuanbo.

The Commissioner of the Court for Expelling Evil, who oversees the expulsion of harmful spirits, is Celestial Master Zhang. The Directing Talisman dressed in white garments patterned like fish scales is Jiao Gongnu.

The Earth Realm’s Direct Talisman Officer is Zheng Yuanxi, and the Empty Realm’s Direct Talisman Officer is Zhang Yuanbo.

The Marshal of the Court for Expelling Evil, Celestial Master Zhang, wears a robe patterned with white fish fins, a Jiaotai crown, and red shoes. In his left hand he holds the Seal of the Great Dharma Master of the Celestial Capital; in his right, the Bell of Samadhi Fire and the Divine Sword of the Northern Dipper.

The preacher, Master Tan, has the stature of a pine and the bearing of a crane. He wears a Huayang headcloth and a purple crane cloak. His courtesy name is Lingxu.

The preacher, Master Rao, has fine, clear features, stands a little over five feet tall, and carries himself with dignity. He wears a crane cloak and a Huayang cap.

Mount Tai sends a divine general to reinforce the troops and take command of the army. His head is wrapped in a skyward-pointing futou; he wears a black robe embroidered with golden flowers, a red silk forehead band, a green jade belt, and golden chain armor. His boots are decorated with Azure Dragon patterns. He is twelve zhang tall, carries a sturdy long sword, and rides a red horse beneath a red embroidered banner. He commands the clerks and soldiers and protects the Orthodox Dharma.

Whenever rescue is needed, ghost bandits must be captured, or a punitive expedition carried out, he conveys the orders, makes the restraints clear, and rallies the troops so that the army can defeat its enemies. If dispatched, he immediately carries out his orders; once the task is complete, he reports the outcome clearly.

The deities who assist the ritual master carry yellow battle-axes, ride white horses, and raise yellow embroidered banners. They wear official robes and armor, and their ceremonial retinues are the same as those of the military commanders. Working in unison, they command officials and troops and protect the ritual master. They jointly plan matters such as rescue, capturing ghost bandits, and punitive campaigns. They also work together to convey commands, restore military order, devise strategies for defeating the enemy, carry out orders, and manifest spiritual efficacy.

The two chief commanders likewise lead the troops, work in unison, command officials and soldiers, and protect the ritual master. When rescue, the capture of ghost bandits, or punitive campaigns are required, they plan together. They also coordinate the communication of commands, the restoration of military order, plans for defeating the enemy, the carrying out of orders, and the manifestation of spiritual efficacy. Their forces include two chief commanders, ten deputy commanders, twenty unit leaders, five Dragon Gods, the Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, and one thousand elite troops. They also include one Master of Ritual Regulations, two chief clerks who manage documents, twelve administrative officers responsible for different affairs, four duty officers who serve as merit officials, and one local earth god.

The ten deputy commanders each have a distinct appearance and stand one zhang tall. They wear helmets, official headgear and robes, and golden armor. They carry bows and arrows, halberds, or swords, each holding a flag in one of the five colors, and ride into battle. The two chief commanders direct and lead their troops as they surround, capture, and destroy the enemy. The troops obey the chief commanders’ orders, striving to strengthen their ranks and display courage and might.

The twenty unit leaders wear silver helmets and chain mail, carry sharp weapons, and stand nine chi tall. The text goes on to say that they ride horses or travel on foot, ordinarily assisting the ten deputy commanders in leading their units. In battle, they make a formidable show of force, actively come to the rescue, and serve diligently to accomplish meritorious deeds.

The five deities who guard against the Five Dragons are responsible for controlling the Dragon Gods and protecting the Daoist teachings and methods. If this ritual institution prays for rain to aid the state and benefit the people, they dispatch and guide the Dragon Gods so that rain falls in due season. If the institution seeks to capture spirits and monsters or wage punitive campaigns against them, they destroy their lairs and level their palaces and temples, demolish their strongholds in mountains and marshes, sweep away evil spirits, and spread abundant Qi to suppress strange phenomena and drive out demons.

On the left and right, a mighty Zhen warrior stands ready to oversee the establishment of the Dipper Prison and guard it in person.

Each of the nine prisons has a chief officer. Whenever this court imprisons ghosts and spirits or investigates and interrogates them, the chief must lead divine troops in keeping strict watch. No information may leak, and ghosts and spirits must not reveal any trace, sound, color, or form. Once judgment has been reached, they must be made to suffer the appropriate retribution, then released from prison and handed over to the officials in charge. The divine troops must carry weapons, wooden staves, fetters, and other implements for restraining and whipping guilty ghosts.

There are one thousand elite soldiers, each nine feet tall. They wear multicolored military uniforms and bronze helmets with iron armor, and each carries weapons and a bow and arrows. They are organized in groups of five; five groups make a company, and four companies are commanded by an assistant general. Groups of two companies are commanded by a squad leader or unit commander. The soldiers must be brave and keen, swift in action, and able to seize ghosts and subdue spirits. If ghosts or demons become savage and frenzied and dare to resist, the soldiers must ready their weapons and destroy them with all their might, ensuring that they earn merit. Assistant generals and unit commanders must clearly proclaim military orders and show no negligence.

One ritual officer is appointed to oversee order at the altar. Wearing the cap and robes of an ancient senior official, with a sword at his side, a tablet tucked into his belt, and ceremonial shoes on his feet, he inspects the generals, officials, and troops, ensuring that they remain orderly and solemn and observe the ritual rules. When they are ordered to provide aid or capture ghosts and demons, he must inspect and supervise the officers and troops: those who earn merit are to be reported for reward, while violations are to be punished without exception.

The Military Office appoints one chief registrar and four assistants to manage the personnel rolls and head counts. Whenever generals, officers, and troops take part in campaigns of destruction or acts of healing, their merits and faults must be recorded, and important matters reported together. An assistant registrar may be appointed to help with the work; a deputy reviews the records before they are put into effect.

Eight additional assistants accompany the commanding general and handle various duties. They take assignments as needed and serve wherever required, without any fixed or permanent division of responsibilities, and they convey orders.

Four envoys are also appointed to serve by turn according to the year, month, day, and hour. They work alongside the elite soldiers, assist with their duties, carefully keep secrets, summon ghosts and spirits, convey orders, and take assignments as the work requires.

The four envoys appointed to govern the year, month, day, and hour each lead elite troops to assist in carrying out the work. They must act with care and secrecy: summon ghosts and spirits, convey orders, receive and carry out documents and edicts, and deliver petitions and official papers of every kind. They must keep messages flowing and ensure that commands are carried out clearly, without delay.

One altar Earth God is responsible for overseeing the land and the ghosts and spirits within the jurisdiction of the traveling office wherever it goes. When a notice or official document is issued by this court, the Earth God conveys its orders, summons and apprehends evil spirits, and delivers official papers. The places under the traveling office’s jurisdiction must be kept free of vicious troublemakers, tigers, wolves, venomous snakes, and all unclean or inauspicious things. The Earth God must also investigate and block malevolent energies believed to cause illness, such as lingering corpse spirits and injurious Qi, without the slightest neglect.

One chief official overseeing the military and kitchen affairs is in charge of this court’s food and provisions. Whenever a banquet is held or food prepared, everything must be clean and carefully prepared. This official must also drive away the filth brought by rats, ants, flies, insects, cats, and dogs. If ghosts or spirits steal or hide food, or cause desecration or pollution, the official must manifest divine might and frighten them. Each has its own duties, so none of these divine offices can be dispensed with.

Incantation for Dispatching the Merit Officer

I command the Merit Officer on duty today: listen carefully to what I say. I have received Heaven’s edict to assist in the transformation of the Heavenly Dao, aid the state and save the people, heal the sick and eliminate demons, cut away evil and uphold what is right. If I command you to ascend to Heaven, go directly on my behalf to the Celestial Bureau, the office in Heaven that handles official documents. If I command you to descend to earth, go directly on my behalf to the underworld. If I command you to enter the waters, go straight into the Water Court. Throughout the Three Realms, all evil spirits and ghosts, whatever their rank, must be seized at once wherever they are. I am now healing the sick and removing demons; you must not stop or delay. Understand and accept this document and command. Do not deliberately disobey; carry out the order without fail. Execute it swiftly! I stand before the altar, sword in hand, waiting. During the rite, use the right hand to pinch the base of the fourth finger, making the gesture of hurling a sword toward the space before you.

Incantation for Dispatching the Earth God

The heavenly spirit is numinous, the earthly spirit is numinous; the Qi of Heaven and Earth meets and mingles. Earth God, once you receive the document and command, do not linger. Go swiftly and return swiftly. I stand before the altar, sword in hand, waiting.

Method for Writing Talismans

Whenever writing Fulu (talismans and registers), first report to the Three Realms’ Talisman Envoys, divine officials who convey the talismans’ messages. Explain what the talisman is intended to request, and pray that the great sages invoked within it will send down their awe inspiring radiance and infuse the talisman brush with divine power. Whether writing talismans and performing rites for others, cultivating the Dao oneself, or performing ritual steps that symbolically tread the constellations and set their powers in motion, act according to the Yin-Yang days. If these rules are not followed, the rites will be less effective or may fail altogether.

Yang days are the days of Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren; Yin days are the days of Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui.

When writing a talisman, use the hand seals known as Dǒujué. Following the configuration of the Three Terraces stars, write each stroke according to the position of its corresponding star, while infusing the brush with Qi. Visualize yellow Qi rising from the crown of the head for the Upper Terrace, white Qi for the Middle Terrace, and green Qi for the Lower Terrace.

As you write the Three Terraces stars, recite the Three Terraces Incantation. Write the character “Chi” in ink and form the Jade Emperor hand seal. Write the Sun, Moon, and the words “Heavenly Gang Great Sage,” among others, in cinnabar, reciting the Incantation for the Heavenly Emperor’s Petition. Wherever the recitation reaches, the brush should write. Write the Seven Stars in cinnabar while reciting the Incantation for Dismantling the Dipper; write “Black Kill Great Sage” with the incantation given earlier. Write “Three Pure Ones, Chi” in ink and form the corresponding hand seal. For the character “Jian,” recite the Tianpeng Incantation and form the Tianpeng hand seal; wherever the recitation reaches, the brush should write. For “Sha,” form the Shangqing hand seal; for “Gui,” form the Dipper hand seal. When writing “Seven Bonds, Seven Sha,” recite the incantation and visualize true Qi in the mind.

Before writing talismans and performing rites, quiet the mind and spirit and set aside distracting thoughts. When seated, take the “Establish” position and face the “Break” position. You may visualize your original master and transmission master before you, with the patriarch behind you. The patriarch is the Great Emperor of Shangqing, whose body is imbued with celestial Qi.

Whenever writing talismans or performing a rite, first calm the mind and spirit and let go of distracting thoughts. Sit facing the required direction according to the rule “sit in the Jian direction, face the Po direction.” Visualize your lineage master (the founder who transmitted the ritual lineage) before you, the master who initiated you beside you, and the patriarch behind you. Then visualize the Patriarch, the Great Emperor of Shangqing, with thirty-six generals, including Tianpeng and Tianyou, guarding his sides.

Next, visualize yourself as an officer of the Bureau for Expelling Evil, appearing like a Celestial Master: wearing a dou on your head, with your front foot on the Gang stars and your back foot on the Kui stars. Draw into your mouth the true Qi of the sun, moon, and Tiangang (the subtle breath described in Daoist teaching), then blow them out one by one according to the ritual steps, without mixing them up. The sun’s true Qi is fire-colored, the moon’s true Qi is silver-colored, and the Tiangang true Qi is red.

Use this method to write Fulu (talismans and registers), drawing in the true Qi.

The True Qi of the Three Luminaries and the Invocation for the Brush

Incantation of the Moon Lord’s Seven Bindings:

Om, wa□la□la, posa, svaha.

Incantation of the Sun Lord’s Seven Killings:

Om, wa□la, junali, svaha.

Incantation for the True Qi of Tiangang:

The Celestial Emperor issues the ritual charter; I wear the power of Tiangang. Why have the evil spirits of the five directions not yet been destroyed? The flying immortal needs only one breath, and the myriad ghosts will lie hidden. Great Sage of Tiangang, draw the true Qi into the hearts of ghosts. Recite the incantations of the sun, moon, and Tiangang, drawing in each of their true Qi separately and placing it within the talisman.

Invocation for the Brush

Form the Dipper hand-seal (pressing the corresponding points with the fingers) and recite:

Great Sage of Tiangang, revered star of the Northern Dipper, slay the wicked and make them vanish without a trace. The demon kings fear you, their courage broken and their hearts terrified. Relieve the people’s suffering and bestow mighty numinous power. Cure illness, dispel calamity, and bring the dying back to life. Wherever the Celestial Talisman reaches, destroy the demonic spirits. Send down true Qi and carry out the sacred authority. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

The Three Pure Ones’ Commanding Method

Use the Three Pure Ones hand-seal to issue commands: first command Wangqing, then Shangqing, using the Three Pure Ones hand-seal to flick and issue the commands; next command Taiqing, and then draw in the true Qi.

Use the Three Pure Ones’ commanding method to expel and destroy wicked forces such as powerful evil spirits, fierce ghosts, divine winds, mad apparitions, malignant epidemics, and corpse-transmitted diseases. For minor matters, simply write the talisman according to the usual ritual.

“Qianyuan, constancy, benefit, and steadfastness; evil cannot invade the righteous.” This means that the Dao symbolized by the Qian hexagram—primal origin, smooth progress, what is beneficial and fitting, and steadfast rectitude—prevents evil spirits from disturbing the righteous path. Next, the text summons the Six Jia and Six Ding (protective divine generals revered in Daoism), the Celestial Thunder Warriors, the Five Thunder Messengers, the Wind Earl, the Rain Master, and other deities, commanding them to carry out the talismanic order. It concludes with “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances,” calling for immediate execution.

The “Chi” Character Formula: When writing the character chi (“edict”), first invoke the Jade Pure, Highest Pure, and Great Pure Emperors (the Three Pure Ones, Sanqing, revered deities in Daoism), the Four Heavenly Kings, the Dharma Lords of the Five Fire-Wheel Departments, the revered deities of the Five Planets—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—and the Six Jia and Six Ding divine generals, praying that they protect and uphold the edict.

The “Chi” Character Formula: In another version, in addition to the revered deities listed in the previous formula, one also invokes the Seven Primordial Venerable Deities, the Star Lords Left Assistant and Right Support, the Eight Great Vajra Warriors, the Primordial Lords of the Nine Heavens, and the Dharma-Protecting Divine Kings of the Ten Directions. The formula ends with an edict from the Jade Emperor.

The “Sha” Character Formula: When writing the character sha (“banish”), one invokes the Great Emperor of the North Pole, Marshal Tianpeng and his thirty-six generals, as well as the revered Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water and the malevolent spirits who govern the year, month, day, and hour. The final line declares that spirits who act without reason or follow no righteous way are tolerated neither by the August Heaven nor by the Underworld.

The “Gui” Character Formula: When writing the character gui (“ghost”), recite: “The Heavenly Emperor releases the chapter and wears the insignia of the Celestial Dipper; why do the wicked ghosts of the five directions not vanish? With one breath from the Flying Immortal, ten thousand ghosts lie hidden.” The words invoke the power of the Celestial Dipper, a spirit emblem in Daoism representing the force of the Northern Dipper, to disperse and subdue wicked ghosts. Then recite, “The Great Sage of the Celestial Dipper gathers the hearts of ghosts; behold the ordinances of Heaven above, and the true form of the Venerable Star of the Military Breaker,” and draw in Qi (vital energy) before blowing it into the talisman. Next, gather the talisman’s form together, draw the Three Lights Talisman, which borrows the images of the sun, moon, and stars, and then disperse the form.

In another version of the “Gui” Character Formula, add “Open Heaven’s gate, close Earth’s door, leave open the human gate, block the ghosts’ road” after the first passage, praying to seal the routes by which ghosts and evil spirits enter and exit while leaving open the way for people. After reciting the Moon Lord’s incantation, blow Qi into the talisman, gather its form together, draw the Three Lights Talisman, and then disperse the form.

In a further method, first recite the Moon Lord’s incantation seven times and draw in Qi, then recite the Sun Lord’s Seven Malefic Stars incantation seven times and draw in Qi. Next, repeat the words beginning “The Heavenly Emperor releases the chapter and wears the insignia of the Celestial Dipper…” and invoke the Great Sage of the Celestial Dipper to gather and control the hearts of humans and ghosts, drawing in Qi as well. Finally, gather the talisman’s form together, draw the Zhenwu Talisman, centered on the Great Emperor Zhenwu, and then disperse the form.

Open Heaven’s Gate, close Earth’s Door, preserve the gateways of the human world, and block the paths of ghosts. □□□□□□□ From the first month through the twelfth, the months correspond in order to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions: Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket, Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, Chariot, Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, Three Stars, Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall.

Zi-Xin, Zi-Yin, Zi-Hui, Zi-Zhen, Zi-Lin, Zi-Wu, and Zi-Geng summon baleful Qi and ghosts and spirits. The Spirit Turtle of the Five Qi devours demons and eats ghosts. Recite the “Moon Lord’s Seven Bindings Incantation” seven times to draw in Qi; then recite the “Sun Lord’s Seven Baleful Forces Incantation” seven times to draw in Qi. The Celestial Emperor issues the memorial, and you wear the power of the Celestial Dipper. Why, then, do the wicked ghosts of the five directions not vanish? With a single inhalation, the flying immortal can travel ten thousand li.

Zi-Lin, Zi-Wu, and Zi-Geng summon baleful Qi and ghosts and spirits. The Spirit Turtle of the Five Qi devours demons and eats ghosts. Recite the “Moon Lord’s Seven Bindings Incantation” seven times to draw in Qi; then recite the “Sun Lord’s Seven Baleful Forces Incantation” seven times to draw in Qi. The Celestial Emperor issues the memorial, and you wear the power of the Celestial Dipper. Why, then, do the wicked ghosts of the five directions not vanish? With a single inhalation, the flying immortal can travel ten thousand li. The Great Sage of the Celestial Dipper conceals himself, gathers in the hearts of humans and ghosts, and draws in Qi.

Gathering the Form

Dispatching the Talisman

The above is the True Form Talisman of Zhenwu, the northern guardian deity revered in Daoism. It is used to protect the body and secure the home; to drive away and subdue ghosts, spirits, and demons; to resolve enmity and curses; and to treat epidemic illness and fushi guizhu, diseases believed to be caused by possession by the ghost of a buried corpse. Following the instructions, visualize and write or draw the talisman, imagining the talisman envoy—the divine general who carries out its command—appearing with unbound hair, bare feet, and dressed in black, riding a black cloud, with the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions attending on either side. Recite:

“Talisman Envoy of Xuanwu, manifest your divine power in full. Relieve the people’s suffering and put an end to evil spirits and monsters. Search out and seize calamities; drive them away and destroy them. Call back the souls, returning them to the body, and settle the Seven Po. Protect the body, dispel calamities, and preserve life forever. The spirits are awe-inspiring; upon receiving the command, they must obey. Swiftly seize the calamity; drive it away and destroy it. Call back the souls, returning them to the body, and settle the Seven Po. Protect the body, dispel calamities, and preserve life forever. The spirits are awe-inspiring; upon receiving the command, they must obey. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

Next, use the Thunder God’s ritual implement, employed to activate the talisman, to send it forth. Blink rapidly three times, and visualize a flash of lightning before your eyes. Let a thunderclap shatter the sick person’s home and transform it into an immortal’s dwelling: a golden staircase and jade hall, where everyone becomes an immortal and no mundane things remain.

Ritual for making the seal.

In former times, the founding master handed down two seals: one was the Seal of the Northern Pole Office for Expelling Evil, used by that office, and the other was the Seal of the Great Celestial Dharma Master, used by the Great Celestial Dharma Master. The seals may be made from jujube wood struck by thunder. Choose a propitious day of the Six Ding and Six Jia (a system of auspicious dates in Daoist almanacs). With utmost sincerity, burn incense, observe abstinence, and purify yourself, then commission a craftsman to carve them.

On the night of a Jiazi day, when the stars and moon are bright, arrange offerings atop the canopy: twenty-four cups of jujube broth, twenty-four plates of seasonal fruit, and tea, wine, incense, and other items. Prepare seal impressions and first submit a memorial of report. Also offer paper money, paper horses, and the like to the Dharma Master of the Office for Expelling Evil. Then hold the seal-opening ceremony and invite the sacred beings to enter the seals: the Celestial Soldiers and Strongmen, the Five Thunder Envoys, the Wind Earl and Rain Master, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the generals and officials who fly talismans and carry out seals, the divine officials who supervise and administer the seals, the boys who bear the seals, and all the other sacred beings invited into them.

Impression of the Seal of the Northern Pole Office for Expelling Evil

Impression of the Seal of the Great Celestial Dharma Master

The face of each seal measures one cun and eight fen square. They may be made of gold or jade, or from jujube wood struck by thunder. The Six Ding and Six Jia envoys must also be summoned to establish a protective boundary. Once the seals are made, coat their faces with red cinnabar. First submit a memorial to the Celestial Court, then report to the Eastern Peak and the relevant subordinate divine offices. Inform each of them reverently, one by one; only then may the seals be used.

Seal-Consecration Spell (Recite this spell before consecrating or using a seal.)

Divine seal of the Northern Pole, bearer of the true spirits. May the Three Masters descend and proclaim my command. When the divine seal is applied, blessings and long life shall arrive. May evil spirits return to the righteous path, and the Dao’s Qi endure forever. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

This means: The divine seal of the Northern Pole bears the true spirits. May the Three Masters descend and proclaim my command. Once the divine seal is applied, blessings and longevity will come; evil spirits will return to the righteous path, and the Dao’s Qi will endure forever. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

Seal-Opening Spell

The celestial seal is wondrously efficacious. By order of the Jade Emperor, it expels evil. The Dharma Master supervises the seal, and the Celestial Soldiers and Strongmen bear it forth. When evil beings hear of it, they tremble with fear; when the sick see it, they find peace. Those who commit wickedness and bring calamity will be destroyed; those who practice kindness and bring blessings will prosper. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

This means: The celestial seal is efficacious, and by order of the Jade Emperor it expels evil. The Dharma Master oversees the seal, and the Celestial Soldiers and Strongmen bear and wield it. Evil beings tremble with fear when they hear of it, and the sick find peace when they see it. Those who do evil and bring calamity will be destroyed; those who practice kindness and bring blessings will prosper. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

Spell for Using the Seal

The Celestial Emperor’s divine seal has boundless power. When stamped on a mountain, the mountain becomes a lake; when stamped behind, a road appears there. When stamped on a tree, the tree withers; when stamped on the ground, the ground splits open. When stamped on wood, the wood breaks at its roots; when stamped on water, the flow is cut off. The power of the divine seal reaches everywhere: above and below, within and without, before and behind, left and right. Seal away evil Qi, and it ceases; seal away ghosts and apparitions, and they are destroyed; seal away the source of illness, and its root is cut off; seal the flow of water, and it is stopped. The power of the divine seal reaches everywhere: above and below, within and without, before and behind, left and right. Seal away evil Qi, and it ceases; seal away ghosts and apparitions, and they are destroyed; seal away illness, and the illness is dispelled; seal away pain, and the pain fades. Drive out ghostly Qi and dispel calamities brought by burial grounds. May evil spirits quickly depart of their own accord, and may the righteous gods dwell where I am. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Incantation for Entering the Seal

The celestial warriors enter the celestial seal and fiercely shatter the evil demons, reducing them to dust. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Method for Preparing the Ink

Take two liang of fine ink, and one fen each of cinnabar, peach oil, willow oil, chinaberry oil, and lampblack ink. Boil them with a little clear wine, then mix in soapberry-seed gum. Prepare this at the hour of the Horse on the fifth day of the fifth month. Recite the incantation:

Spirits of the Six Jia and Six Ding, imbue this divine ink with spiritual power. The true Qi of the Five Elders, the primordial energy of the venerable gods of the five directions, takes form in the north. With the power of the Mysterious Origin, the root of the Dao, execute and destroy evil spirits, purify human and divine beings, and make ghosts, monsters, and demons vanish without a trace. Issue the talismans and submit the memorials; carry out the command swiftly. Prepare this at the hour of the Horse on the fifth day of the fifth month. Recite the incantation:

Spirits of the Six Jia and Six Ding, imbue this divine ink with spiritual power. The true Qi of the Five Elders takes form in the north. With the power of the Mysterious Origin, the root of the Dao, execute and destroy evil spirits, purify human and divine beings, and make ghosts, monsters, and demons vanish without a trace. Issue the talismans and submit the memorials; carry out the command swiftly. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Prayer over Water for the Inkstone

May heaven and earth in the four directions be pure and bright; may heaven and earth be the constant Dao. Take the sacred water of the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars—to drive away ill omens. With it, write talismans and slay ghosts and apparitions; subdue whatever I seek to subdue. The twin stars guard us, and the Seven Spirits shine forth. May evil gods bow down in submission, and may the ten thousand breaths harmonize in peace. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Incantation for the Cinnabar Ink Brush

When the Sun shines everywhere, the ghosts of the underworld grow weak. On the day of Zhu Ming, the Sun’s divine name, its radiance appears in Taiwei, a region of the heavens. When I work transformations, all ghosts are subdued. Seven Qi form the Dipper constellation, and three Qi form the Three Platforms, three stars in the heavens. When the three stars shine together, the talismanic command arrives and the pursuit begins at once. The brush is a divine sword; the ink is a spear and halberd. With the brush method, illness is brought under control and every malign force submits. Carry this out urgently, in accordance with the law.

Take in the Sun’s Qi through the mouth and let it flow within. After reciting the incantation and visualizing the spirits or scene in the mind, grind the ink.

Method for Grinding Ink

First grind clockwise forty-nine times while reciting the twelve double-hours, the twenty-eight lunar mansions, and the names of the stars from the Sun and Moon through Tanlang and Pojun. Then grind counterclockwise seven times, reciting the incantation missing from the original text. When finished, take in the true Qi of each star and blow it into the inkstone.

Consecrating the Brushes and Performing the Offering

On a day marked by the Six Ding and Six Jia, or on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, bind twelve brushes together. Each brush should be seven cun and one fen long. Use three brushes made with purple hare’s hair, symbolizing correspondence with the Three Platforms above. On the night of a Jiazi day, when the stars and Moon shine brightly, bathe, change clothes, perform the rite, and burn incense. Write a memorial and burn it as an offering to the Great Sage of Tiangang. Offer paper money and paper horses toward the Huagai, a star name or ritual arrangement used at the altar, then set out twelve cups of cured tea. Form the hand seal of one’s master, passed down through the lineage, and visualize the Six Ding and Six Jia emerging through the Gate of Heaven and descending on black clouds, transforming the brushes into divine generals of the Six Jia and Six Ding.

The incantation says:

“Heavenly warriors and mighty men, Six Jia and Six Ding, wise and upright, most efficacious in punishing evil. Demons and spirits fear you; wicked ghosts tremble. You assist Heaven in carrying out its teaching and sweep away demons and monsters. Help me perform the Daoist rites and protect all living beings. By command, divine brush, descend swiftly with your numinous power. Write talismans and registers, destroy ghosts and apparitions, erase their traces and remove their forms. The Supreme Emperor has issued the command; carry it out urgently.”

Consecrating the Water and Performing the Offering

First form the mudra of the Original Master, then the mudra of the Lord of Heaven. Use both hand signs together with the incantation.

On days each month that fall under the Heavenly Virtue, Lunar Virtue, Six Jia, or Six Ding, or on the day the King of Brahma descends, collect the rainwater if it happens to rain. On the first day of the month, place the bottle above the Canopy and face the Dipper (Tiangang). Perform a Zhaijiao offering to the Great Sage Tiangang, the Heavenly and Lunar Virtues, and the Five Emperors’ Dragon Lords. During the rite, quiet the mind and observe a fast. Visualize the holy assembly descending from Heaven’s Gate on dark clouds and transforming into the water, while forming the mudra of the Original Master.

Prepare twelve cups of tea, along with offerings such as paper money and paper horses. After reciting the incantation, burn the offerings: first burn the portion offered to the Earth God, then the offerings for the Dingjia spirits—the divine generals of the Six Jia and Six Ding. Do the same with the paper money, horses, and ritual brush.

The incantation says:

Heavenly Virtue and Lunar Virtue, Five Emperors’ Dragon Lords, who carry out Heaven’s ordinances, honored star of the Military-Breaker. You command the divine generals of the Six Jia and Six Ding; your powers are supreme, your might awe-inspiring and efficacious. Bestow divine water to save all beings; write talismans and registers to subdue and destroy demons. Heavenly Virtue and Lunar Virtue, Five Emperors’ Dragon Lords, who carry out Heaven’s ordinances, honored star of the Military-Breaker. You command the divine generals of the Six Jia and Six Ding; your powers are supreme, your might awe-inspiring and efficacious. Bestow divine water to save all beings; write talismans and registers to subdue and destroy demons. Heal illness and drive out malign spirits, erasing every trace of their presence. Act swiftly in accordance with the statutes!

Incantation for Transforming Paper Money

Visualize yourself transforming into the Original Master, while forming the Sword-Wielding Mudra with your right hand.

The formless image of Wuwei; fire serves as its means. Burn the money and transform it; let its fragrant smoke billow like clouds. May the Immortals bestow their favor and blessings. On the third recitation, say: “Immortals of the Great Dao, remain and bestow grace and blessings.” Once the writing on the paper money and paper horses has been arranged neatly, burn them all together.

Northern Emperor Talisman

These talismans come from an old manual. Originally used together with the Tianxin method, they are appended here.

Dispersed Form

The Great Sage of Flying Transcendence; the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Jade Clarity sacred realm; the Supreme Dao Lord of the Highest Clarity true realm; the Supreme Elder Lord of the Great Clarity immortal realm; the Great Heavenly Emperor Jade Emperor; the Great Emperor of the North Pole; the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity; and the two assisting divine lords, Left Support and Right Support—all are listed here. Also included are the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin, the Earth Official of the Middle Origin, and the Water Official of the Lower Origin (the Three Officials); and the gods of the Upper Terrace, Xu Jing, the Middle Terrace, Liu Chun, and the Lower Terrace, Qu Sheng.

Before the Jade Emperor’s Hall stand forty thousand troops. The Great Marshal Tianpeng and the Seven Primordial Venerable Gods command the divine generals for the months from the first through the twelfth. The Great Emperor of the North Pole, wearing a dragon robe and the flat-topped crown of heaven, leads the divine generals of the twelve double-hours and fifty million troops. Yang Qi advances first, and Yin Qi follows to restore balance. The seven stars of the Canopy are, in order: Greedy Wolf, Great Gate, Prosperity, Literary Song, Chastity, Martial Song, and Army Breaker. By imperial decree, the Great Sage Tiangang commands the gods Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. The Great Sage Zhenwu holds a treasured sword and awaits in formation.

Gathering forms (summoning the divine generals to appear in visible form)

The Supreme One’s Sandalwood Talisman of the Nine Prisons (the name of a talisman transmitted by the Supreme One and associated with the Nine Prisons)

Dispersing forms (sending away the divine generals and making their forms disappear)

The divine generals for the months from the first through the twelfth, the Great Sage of the Palace, the Swift Flying Heaven Spirit, the generals of the twelve double-hours, the Great Sage Tiangang, the generals of the Seven Luminaries, and the envoys of the Nine Heavens are all summoned by the talisman and incantation. Recite the names of the stars Greedy Wolf, Great Gate, Prosperity, Literary Song, Chastity, Martial Song, and Army Breaker, and use the corresponding talismanic characters.

General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, and General Zhou of the Lower Origin draw upon the power of the Eight Trigrams—Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui—to open Heaven’s Gate and close Earth’s Door, keep the human passage open, and block the way of ghosts and demons. At the first turn, the Six Spirits are concealed; at the second, the Four Malefic Forces disappear; at the third, Heaven and Earth shake; at the fourth, Heaven’s Gate turns open; at the fifth, evil spirits are left with no way through; at the sixth, ghosts and demons are destroyed. Neither Heaven nor Earth will tolerate ghosts and spirits that defy the Way of Heaven and act without the Dao. They will be taken to the Prison of Yin Rains to die.

The Great General Tianpeng descends from Mount Fengdu, the mountain where the underworld is located, to subdue lawless ghosts and demons, bandits, and evil spirits.

When drawing this talisman, first perform the prescribed ritual steps, treading the Dipper and pacing the stars according to their positions. Gather the firm Qi of the Dipper stars, and visualize the Three Masters, the Sandalwood General of the Central Palace, the officials of the Nine Prisons, the local Earth God, the true officials and orthodox gods of the surrounding district, and the officers and soldiers assigned to your own registers. See them circling around you three times, on both your left and right. When this is complete, silently report: “For the sake of [a certain person] and [a certain matter], I respectfully invite the Incense Attendant, the meritorious official who conveys memorials, to transmit my petition directly to the Supreme Emperor. I pray that he send down the true firm Qi of the Dipper to aid my brushwork, drive away evil spirits, uphold the orthodox way, and bring my actions into accord with the Great Dao.”

Next, visualize the firm Qi of the Dipper entering the brush and recite the incantation for consecrating the brush: “The divine brush is efficacious and in harmony with the gods. When the divine brush descends, all ghosts are naturally subdued and put to death. Urgent, urgent, in accordance with the statutes and commands.” Use the Seven Stars Seal and the Meritorious Official Seal.

Incantation of the Nine Prison Officials

“Gong, Xing, Cui, Chen, Cao, Ma, Zhang, Xia, Hou.”

These Nine Prison Officials are responsible for arresting and punishing the fifteen kinds of ghosts and spirits that defy Heaven and the Dao, cause mischief, and harm people. Command them to go to my underworld prison and meet their death. Gather the firm Qi of Heaven and blow it into the talisman.

Next, recite the Incantation of the Sandalwood Divine King:

“Om wa yaksha yan she yan she na yan yan she ye bi she lai ye duo la duo la zhan cha zhan cha mo jie hu jie wan lai.”

Command it to enter the talisman.

Then recite the Incantation of the Sandalwood Divine King again:

“Om wa yaksha yan she yan she na yan yan she ye bi she lai ye duo la duo la zhan cha zhan cha mo jie hu jie wan lai ye chi chi chi le le le pu le pu zhan chi hu chi hu hong ba lian wa he.”

Next, recite the Seven Stars Incantation:

“Seven stars of the Northern Dipper, I call upon your names. Evil gods, the corpse demon—the malign force that causes illness and mischief—and earth ghosts, all conceal your forms. The Eight Prosperities, spirits associated with the flourishing energies of the seasons, follow me. Officers and soldiers, come quickly to protect me. Urgent, urgent, in accordance with the statutes and commands.”

Next, recite the Incantation of Tianpeng.

Marshal Tianpeng, the divine general who quells evil and protects the Dao, commands the Nine Primordial Fiendish Youths. The Five Ding Commanders and Gao Diao, the Old Man of the North—Seven Luminaries and Eight Spirits, the majesty of the Most High. The Long-Skulled Behemoth bears the Emperor’s Bell in his hand; the Threefold Su Xiao rides the Kui Dragon. The Divine King of the Awe-Inspiring Sword cuts down evil spirits and erases their traces. Purple Qi rises to Heaven, and crimson rays blaze upward. He swallows demons and devours ghosts, bracing himself against the wind. The old man has a blue-black tongue, green teeth, and four eyes. The Long-Skulled Behemoth bears the Emperor’s Bell in his hand; the Threefold Su Xiao rides the Kui Dragon. The Divine King of the Awe-Inspiring Sword cuts down evil spirits and erases their traces. Purple Qi rises to Heaven, and crimson rays blaze upward. He swallows demons and devours ghosts, bracing himself against the wind. The old man has a blue-black tongue, green teeth, and four eyes.

The Celestial Ding Strongmen command awe in the south and ward off baleful forces. The Celestial Chargers, the fierce and valiant divine steeds of Heaven, command awe in the north and bear sharp blades in their mouths. Three hundred thousand Celestial Soldiers guard my Ninefold Heaven, driving corpse-demons a thousand miles away and dispelling ill omens. Should any petty ghost dare appear, sever its five limbs with the great Cauldron-Heaven axe. Burn it with the blazing blood of the Flame Emperor and char its bones with the fire of the Northern Dipper. The Four Luminaries shatter its remains, and Tianyou, the Daoist guardian deity, destroys its kind. One sweep of the divine blade, and ten thousand ghosts scatter of their own accord. Let it be carried out swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands. After reciting the incantation, each takes Qi (vital energy) from within and blows it into the talisman.

Fire Bell Talisman

Dispersed Form (the unassembled form represented by talismanic writing or divine names)

The Perfected One Taiyi, with the Azure Dragon on his left, the White Tiger on his right, the Vermilion Bird before him, and the Black Tortoise behind. The Perfected One Lingbao, the Jade Emperor, and eight million beings. Recite the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, from the Horn Mansion to the Chariot Mansion;. General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, and General Zhou of the Lower Origin. The Five Phases—Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth—are the honored deities who look up to Heaven and cover the Earth. Take Qi and recite the Celestial Stars and Lords, as well as the seven stars: Greedy Wolf, Great Gate, Prosperity, Literary Song, Integrity, Military Song, and Breaking Army. The names Zixin, Ziyin, Zihui, Zizhen, Zilin, Ziwu, and Zigeng. The honored deities of the Five Planets; the Celestial Seal commands.

Assembled Form (the dispersed divine names and powers gathered into the talisman’s form)

Talisman of the Great Sage Zhenwu.

Dispersed Form

The Star Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions,; Metal, Wood, Water; the names Ziyin, Zihui, Zizhen, Zilin, Ziwu, and Zigeng. The honored deities of the Five Planets; the Celestial Seal commands.

Assembled Form

Talisman of the Great Sage Zhenwu.

Dispersed Form

The star lords of the Twenty-Eight Mansions (star regions distributed near the ecliptic and equator), the revered spirits of the Five Planets—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—and Chourou (possibly a personal or divine name) have all gathered here. Guangfu, Chourou, Neirouhe, Master Ziyou, Fulan Xizi, Snake-Flowing Fire-Star Blood, the spirits of the Xuanwu Palace, and the Wuman envoys, swiftly obey the command of the Great Sage Zhenwu and drive away all unrighteous ghost-bandits. The Celestial Official of the Upper Origin, the Earth Official of the Middle Origin, and the Water Official of the Lower Origin; the sun, moon, and stars; the spirits and baleful forces of the Heavenly Dipper; and the River Kui spirit—all come to cut down ghosts and demons, as well as Tan, Ju, Lu, Wen, Lian, Wu, and Po (possibly names of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper).

Gathering Form

Method for Stopping a Child’s Nighttime Crying

Take a charred end of firewood six inches long and sharpen it to a point. Shave off the ash and bark from the burned end. Face south and visualize yourself transforming into the form of a deity. Form the hand-seal of your master lineage, draw in the true Qi of the southern Mars, take a breath, and blow it onto the piece of wood. Then breathe in again and hold your breath as you write the twenty characters on the wood. Place it beneath the bed and drive it into the position of the “Broken Month” (a traditional calendrical term for the direction or day that clashes with the current month’s branch). Be sure not to move or touch it.

“I have a fire poker to make into a gatekeeper. Seize the ghost that makes children cry at night, and hold it fast until dawn.” Another talismanic incantation is transmitted orally and heart to heart from master to disciple.

Method for Stopping a Headache

Affix a Three Lights talisman (a talisman drawing on the power of the sun, moon, and stars) to the temple. Then draw in the Qi of the Heavenly Dipper and breathe onto the talisman three times. It is said that this brings an immediate cure.

Method for Dispersing Swellings and Toxic Sores

Form the Dipper hand-seal and silently recite the Three Lights incantation seven times. Draw in the Qi of the Three Lights and breathe onto the affected area three times. It is said that the swelling will naturally subside. Another account says to use the same method for bites from venomous snakes or other poisonous creatures.

Method for Stopping a Headache

Affix a Three Lights talisman to the temple, then draw in the Qi of the Heavenly Dipper and breathe onto the talisman three times. It is said that this brings an immediate cure.

Method for Dispersing Swellings and Toxic Sores

Form the Dipper hand-seal, silently recite the Three Lights incantation seven times, draw in the Qi of the Three Lights, and breathe onto the affected area three times. It is said that the swelling will naturally subside.

Method for Treating Red Eyes

First visualize yourself transforming into the form of a deity, form the hand-seal of your master lineage, and draw in the Qi of the Two Lights (here referring to the Qi of the sun and moon), infusing it into water. Then shout, form the Dipper hand-seal, and recite the incantation: “Om, vajrīya □ zha, you are Li Gongzhong. Why have you come to my house? Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!” Recite it three times and shout three times, then use the water to rinse your mouth and wash your eyes.

Method for Stopping Malaria

First visualize yourself transforming into the star deity Zhang Yi, the Second Star Official, who governs affairs in the south. He is one hundred feet tall, draped in a green sash patterned with clouds, and holds a jade tablet. He resides in the south and is charged with controlling the malaria demons. The Malaria Demon Ancestor is named in the spell; its appearance resembles that of demons such as Black Grief. Form the Dipper mudra with your fingers and write these six characters on spirit money. Brush the money over the sick person three times, then take it outside the door and burn it. Visualize yourself as the Divine Registrar of Merit for this day, an official who conveys the commands of the gods. Face north and burn incense. Write the names of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper again and have the sick person swallow them. This should bring immediate relief. Then write the talisman and tie it to the patient’s hand: on a man, the middle finger of the left hand; on a woman, the middle finger of the right. The ritual master must also add his personal signature mark to the talisman. If the illness still does not improve, wrap the talisman in spirit money, take it outside the door, and burn it. Prepare a decoction with peach branches and have the patient drink it; using it together with the Three Lights talisman, which draws on the Sun, Moon, and Stars, is more effective. Visualize the Second Star Official Zhang Yi subduing and cutting off the Malaria Demon Ancestor and demons such as Black Grief, and recite the words fourteen times.

Childbirth-Inducing Talisman, also usable to drive away rats

Take a piece of cypress wood four inches long and about three fingers thick. Set the brush at the position of the “Heavenly Gate” and burn incense facing the “Breaking” position. Then bring your feet together and take a step forward, called “opening the Heavenly Gate”; next, step backward, called “closing the Earthly Door.” Sit facing the Xun direction (southeast) and toward the Qian direction (northwest), forming the Mao Star mudra and the Sun mudra. Visualize yourself inside the mouth of the Northern Dipper, drawing in the purple true Qi represented by the Ju Men Star and infusing it into the talisman brush. Write the talisman in one continuous stroke. Hang it in the house or an inner room. Before labor begins, do not let the pregnant woman see the talisman, lest it disturb the fetus’s Qi.

To hasten childbirth, draw in the purple true Qi of the Ju Men Star and infuse it into the talisman brush. Write the talisman in one continuous stroke and hang it in the house or an inner room. Do not let the pregnant woman see it before labor begins, lest it disturb the fetus’s Qi.

To hasten childbirth, you may write the talisman on a square sheet of paper three inches across. Visualize the Four Seas Messengers, Daoist generals, appearing: their fists are clenched, their hands and feet wrapped, and they wear headwraps with black cloth bound across their foreheads, along with red robes with wide sleeves. Then visualize them arraying demons, thunder and lightning, and fire chariots. Bite down on the talisman and silently recite the incantation seven times. It says:

Bring Heaven and Earth, the Sun and Moon, and human beings and spirits into harmony, and silently recite the incantation with a single Qi.

Next, visualize the talisman, troops and generals, thunder and lightning, and the fire chariot entering the abdomen together with the talisman. Then swallow the talisman with freshly drawn water. Men hold it in the left hand, women in the right.

Incantation for Master Xu Zhenjun’s Healing Water

In the south is Zhaoyao; in the north, Xuanwu. In the east is Lord Lao; in the west, the White Tiger. In Heaven there is the Father; beneath the Earth, the Mother. I ask the divine waters of the Five Directions to open the registers of talismans and descend here.

When reciting the incantation, first chant it ten thousand times. When using it in practice, recite it only seven times. Before any recitation, form the “Thunder Lord hand-seal,” hold one breath, and recite the incantation twenty-one times. Then gather the Qi of the Five Directions and the Qi of the Celestial Dipper, and pour them into the water. This method may be used for all kinds of illness, as a means of widely bestowing merit. Its effects are even better when used together with the “Three Luminaries talisman.”

To form the “Thunder Lord hand-seal”: Hold the left palm facing upward and bring the right hand together with the left. Hook the right middle finger with the left ring finger, and press the left ring finger with the right index finger. Hook the right ring finger with the left middle finger, and press the back of the right ring finger with the back of the left little finger. Hook the left little finger with the middle joint of the right little finger. Press the middle joint of the left index finger with the left thumb, and place the right thumb on “Ziwen,” a specific point in the hand-seal.

The above concludes volume two of The Essential Secrets of the Most High for Assisting the State and Saving the People. Volume three is titled “Talismans and Methods for Dispelling Consumptive Illness and the Many Diseases, and the True Method of Tianpeng for Beheading Evil Spirits.” It was compiled by the Daoist Master of the Cavernous Mystery, Yuan Miaozong, and is followed by “An Explanation on Treating Consumptive Illness.”

The transmission of illness by corpse worms—contagious disease caused, according to the scripture, by the Qi of Yin forces—begins with illness, but its root lies in excessive indulgence. If such desires are left unchecked, they may ultimately cost a person their life. Some people die young even though their allotted lifespan has not run its course, and their deaths are therefore regarded as untimely. The Underworld authorities have not yet taken charge of them or arranged their rebirth, so their souls remain stranded, unable to move on. In time, they become the Qi of Yin forces and spread illness to their relatives. The scripture holds that these malign forces mostly seek to attach themselves to the vital energy of the living. The so-called “worms” consume a person’s Jing and blood, causing them to grow steadily thinner and weaker until the illness reaches the five viscera and unrelenting spasms and convulsions set in. Sometimes an entire family suffers calamity as a result, a truly sorrowful outcome.

When the illness is severe, medicines and acupuncture are often ineffective. Even if Sang Gong, the legendary ancient physician, were still alive, or Hua Tuo, the renowned physician of the Eastern Han, were brought back to life, they might not be able to cure it. It is heartrending that ordinary people should suffer so unjustly. Heaven therefore took pity on living beings and transmitted the Daoist method. The scripture says that if the illness has not lasted long and the malign influence has not passed beyond the joints, ritual methods can still be used to save the patient. If it has already passed beyond the joints, treatment may not bring a full recovery, but using this method can put an end to further calamities.

For anyone who should be saved, the patient’s family must provide a detailed account of their condition, including when and where the illness began, what caused it, whether a deceased person has appeared in dreams and become entangled with the patient, and whether evil ghosts or spirits are at work. The key to performing the ritual is sincere reverence. The offerings and materials used in the liturgy to present gifts to the divine and invite the descent of divine Qi—the breath bestowed by the spirits—may be prepared according to the family’s means. Poor households may ask the ritual master to prepare them on their behalf. Wealthier households should follow the prescribed rules for the offering ritual and its gifts, and perform the rite inviting the descent of Qi, in gratitude for Heaven’s grace.

A ritual master performing this rite must never keep the offerings for personal use. The ritual goods received should be used, first, to cover expenses at the ritual site, such as incense and scripture recitation, and second, to aid those who live in seclusion in the mountains and forests, as well as those suffering hardship in the world. When the prescribed rites are observed, one should neither begrudge the expense, dismiss the secret methods, nor show disrespect or irreverence toward the highest divine beings; otherwise, one will incur their censure. The relevant precepts are clearly set out and must be observed with care. The proven Fulu (talismans and registers) are listed below.

The talisman in “The Scroll of Talismans Swallowed on Days for Cutting Off Corpse-Infestation” should be used with its diagram, combined into a single design called a “gathered-form talisman,” and written in cinnabar.

Talisman for Killing the Worms of Transmitted Corpse-Infestation and Destroying Corpse-Demons

When the talisman is complete, wrap it in clean white silk and place it in clear water. Set the water in front of the patient. Have another person hold the talisman and put it into the water without stirring. If the talisman sinks to the bottom within seven days, this means the infestation demons and worms will perish on their own, and the illness will soon be cured. If it does not sink but floats, the patient’s consumptive illness will take longer to improve. This method is efficacious; do not pass it on to anyone unsuitable.

The Supreme One’s Purple Court Talisman

To write the Purple Court Talisman, first burn incense, then perform the ritual steps of pacing the stars and treading the Dipper, while focusing your mind on the affliction you suffer from. Visualize the five True Lords of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—the deities who govern the Five Phases—coming before the writing table. Each emits light that transforms into Qi and enters the inkstone, turning it into a pool of black dragons. Imagine the black ink as halberds and the brush as a divine sword.

Next, grind the ink forty-nine times, turning the inkstick to the left. Silently recite the Celestial Canopy God’s incantation and blow into the inkstone. Then grind it forty-nine times to the right, silently reciting the names of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Twelve Monthly Generals, the Seven Stars, and the Eight Trigram Divine Lords, while again blowing into the inkstone. Then visualize the light in the inkstone shining brightly, surpassing the light of the sun.

Next, form the Jade Emperor mudra—a Daoist hand gesture—and recite an incantation to empower the brush:

“The sky is round, the earth square; the six tones and nine chapters. When the divine brush descends, ten thousand ghosts vanish. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

As you recite, strike the brush against the table three times, or draw three strokes on the table, then write the talisman. On Yin days, perform this during the day; on Yang days, perform it at night.

Dispersing Form

The primordial Qi between Heaven and Earth blends together, and Yin and Yang Qi harmonize and interact. The “one Earth, two Water, three Fire, four Metal, five Wood” within the talisman represent the sequence of the Five Phases. When drawing the round talisman for Heaven, begin above the Gate of Heaven; when drawing the square talisman for Earth, begin above the Earth’s Portal. Thunder and Fire, along with the Six Ding Divine Generals, are positioned on the left, while the power of the White Tiger guards at the side. The Heavenly Strongmen cut down ghosts, demons, and inauspicious things, dispersing mountain spirits, hanged corpses, and the baleful influence of infectious diseases.

Recite the words in order as you draw each stroke: the first stroke sets Thunder and Fire in motion; the second sets Heaven and Earth in motion and brings them to brightness; the third summons three generals; the fourth summons four sages; the fifth calls upon the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks for aid; the sixth eradicates all illnesses; the seventh calls on the Seven Stars for support; the eighth gathers the power of the eight directions. Finally, write “By command of the Jade Emperor.” “Gathering the form” means that the talisman’s shape is now complete.

Method for Cutting Off Transmitted Disease: Take another sheet of paper and write this talisman on it as before. To treat transmitted disease—an illness that people in ancient times believed could pass from one person to another—swallow one talisman each day and burn it in the same place.

Before swallowing the talisman, clean a room thoroughly. A male patient should sit on the left, and a female patient on the right. Light a lamp and prepare half a spoonful of lamp oil. When it is late and quiet, pin the talisman paper in place with a needle, then burn it to ash. Burn incense in a clean cup or bowl, and pray, stating the patient’s surname, birth date, age, and the cause of the illness, then report these to the spirits in the talisman. Next, mix ritual water with the talisman ash and have the patient swallow it. The patient should sit facing the direction associated with their birth year, remain silent, and be accompanied by one or two people.

After a while, the patient may see ghosts or demons coming to bid farewell, as if in a dream; at that point, they may ask their names. The patient may instead see only insects emerging from their body. If insects appear, quickly catch them and fry them in the lamp oil, then pour the oil into a flowing stream. The scripture holds that this will put an end to the spread of the disease.

Method of Treating Consumption with Incantated Water, Also for Various Illnesses:

The water governed by the deity Taiyi is pure and beneficial. Raise it to your lips and drink, and you will continue the divine radiance. The water flows through the large intestine to the bladder, washes the Five Viscera, and then enters the womb—the place ancient accounts associated with the bladder or reproductive organs. All illnesses are thereby cured and evil spirits destroyed; the person can also unite with Heaven and Earth, and the body becomes light and strong. Let it be done swiftly, in accordance with the law.

The method for preparing the incantation water shown on the right is as follows: During the day, face the sun; at night, look up at the Gang stars—the Big Dipper—and silently recite the incantation seven times. Then inhale and blow into the water. After preparing the talisman, use this water to expel worms from the body. Once the patient has passed the worms, they should take talismans such as the Three Luminaries Talisman and the Five Thunders Talisman every morning and evening to expel the foul, malign substances stored in the five organs. After a month, the condition should gradually subside. During this period, they should also regularly restrain their joy, anger, attachments, and desires, and avoid raw, cold, and greasy foods; this is especially beneficial.

Five Thunders Spirit Talisman

In the past, I, the subject Miaozong, encountered various people and often taught them talismans such as those of the Five Thunders. I did so for more than twenty years. These talismans were used to save people whose conditions had become critical, and to treat various illnesses attributed to evil spirits, including what were called “ghost fetus” and “ghost qi” in women, abdominal masses, transverse labor, and stillbirths. Countless people were rescued from suffering. Now that Your Majesty has embraced Daoist esoteric methods, I dare not keep these practices hidden. I have carefully classified and recorded them here for transmission to later students, who must preserve them with care.

Dispersing the Form

Open the Gate of Heaven; close the Door of Earth. Keep open the Human Gate; block the road of ghosts. Pierce the hearts of ghosts; shatter their bellies. At the first turn, thunder and fire burst forth; at the second, thunderbolts descend; at the third, Heaven and Earth shake; at the fourth, the Four Sages lend their aid; at the fifth, the Five Prisons lend their aid; at the sixth, the myriad illnesses are destroyed; at the seventh, the Seven Stars lend their aid; at the eighth, the eight directions are brought under control.

Visualize thunder and fire in the south, draw them into your mouth with an inhalation, then blow them onto the talisman. Next, visualize the Flame Emperor of the south riding a fire chariot that travels ten thousand miles. Draw in its fiery qi and blow it into the talisman. Then recite the formula associated with the “Six Stars” and lay it over the talisman. The source text is missing characters at this point.

To take the talisman, simmer seven portions of either the tender tips of peach leaves or peach kernels to make a decoction. Face south and swallow five pills. It is said this will expel the foul, malign substances from the five organs.

Dispersing the Form

If the illness is in the upper part of the heart, draw the talisman’s brush stroke pointing upward; if it is in the lower part of the heart, point the stroke downward.

Talisman for Penetrating the Eyes to See Ghosts and Spirits

The talisman above should be written three times before the ritual begins. During the ritual or a Zhaijiao purification ceremony, swallow one copy; after the ceremony, swallow the other two. Before swallowing each talisman, recite the incantation seven times. The scripture says that even before the forms of ghosts and spirits appear, their sounds can be heard. The incantation is: “The sun is my father, the moon is my mother, and the Five Planets are my elder brothers. I wield the divine talisman and subdue ghosts and spirits. Act swiftly in accordance with the ordinances.”

Another talisman.

After completing the Zhaijiao ceremony, write this talisman on paper with cinnabar by lamplight. Burn it to ashes, put the ashes into a bowl of water, and wash your eyes with the talisman water. Then stand quietly, and you will be able to see ghosts and spirits. Wash your ears with the talisman water, and you will be able to hear them speak. If you are being harmed by ghosts or spirits, use this talisman first; it is said to be especially effective. Recite the same incantation as before.

The Yin Talisman of Response can be written below; once written, it can be used to see ghosts and spirits. Wash your ears with the talisman water to hear them speak. If you are being harmed by ghosts or spirits, use this talisman first; it is said to be very effective. Recite the same incantation as before.

The corresponding text may be written beneath the Yin Talisman of Response: write the Yang talisman on a Yang day and the Yin talisman on a Yin day.

Gathering Form

Great Sage of the Central Palace, Flying Immortals, Swift and Agile Ones, Yang Prison, Prison Ghosts, Earth Realm, Human Realm, subdue the Five Directions, sever heads and break limbs, unrighteous ghosts and bandits, swiftly pass through and expel, General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, General Zhou of the Lower Origin.

Scattering Form

Yang talisman.

Scattering Form

Great Sage of the Central Palace, Flying Immortals, Swift and Agile Ones, Yang Prison, Prison Ghosts, Earth Realm, Human Realm, subdue the Five Directions, sever heads and break limbs, unrighteous ghosts and bandits, swiftly pass through and expel, General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, General Zhou of the Lower Origin, Great Sage Zhenwu, Zhuoli Xiang.

Gathering Form

Heavenly One Spirit Talisman.

Scattering Form

Heavenly One Noble Spirit, the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, Lord Lao of Great Highness, Lord Lao of the Central Yellow, I command a hundred thousand troops… the baleful corpse ghosts of the sun, moon, and stars, the baleful corpse ghosts of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the ghost officials of the Nine Courts, Great Sage Wu, Zhuoli Xiang.

Gathering Form

Heavenly One Spirit Talisman.

Scattering Form

The Supreme Celestial Deity Yi (a revered deity in the Northern Dipper system), the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water (the three deities who govern heaven, earth, and water), the Most High Lord Lao, the Central Yellow Lord Lao, and the hundred thousand troops under my command—all must obey. So too must the baleful corpse-demons among the sun, moon, and stars; among the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions; among the officials of the Nine Courts; among the Nine Luminaries and Void Stars; and among the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

Write the talisman strokes in sequence according to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, from the Horn Mansion to the Chariot Mansion. Visualize the Azure Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind. Then turn the brush from the four directions, visualize each creature’s own true Qi (vital energy), and blow it into the talisman.

Gathering Form

Fire Bell Talisman (The talismans below belong to the category of miscellaneous treatment talismans, used for a variety of everyday rites to avert harm.)

Dispersing Form

The Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Most High Lord Lao, and a million divine soldiers: the Azure Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind; General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, General Zhou of the Lower Origin, and the Eighteen Mansions… [illegible characters in the original are shown as squares]

When writing the Fire Bell Talisman, visualize yourself transforming into fire until the flames fill the entire room. If you give the talisman to someone else to use, imagine the firelight shining and projecting forward. Burn the talisman to ash and mix it with water to drink, or wear it to drive away all kinds of evil influences. While writing the talisman, recite:

The Most High Fire Bell is the essence of the Flame Emperor. Its radiant glow flashes like lightning, illuminating the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the pure realms where Daoist deities dwell. Its flames spread ten thousand miles, destroying all ghost bandits. When the divine seal is stamped down, evil spirits turn to ash. Generals Three and Five, and the Hitting-Down officers and soldiers, obey my command: quell the troubles of heaven and earth, exterminate ghosts and monsters, and never cease. The talisman flies, the seal is set, and the Five Stars crown my head; cast forth firelight to strike and kill, so that ten thousand ghosts and a thousand spirits have nowhere to hide. The old Qi of the Six Heavens is handed over to the heavenly troops; the True Elders of the Five Numinous Powers are my own teachers. Military officers and soldiers, obey my command: quell the troubles of heaven and earth, exterminate ghosts and monsters, and never cease. The talisman flies, the seal is set, and the Five Stars crown my head; cast forth firelight to strike and kill, so that ten thousand ghosts and a thousand spirits have nowhere to hide. The old Qi of the Six Heavens is handed over to the heavenly troops; the True Elders of the Five Numinous Powers are my own teachers. Divine powers meet no obstruction, and the myriad spirits submit. Evil ghosts are wiped out, and ill omens are driven away. The might of the Central Sovereign of the Nine Ways fills the four directions; not one hidden evil Qi escapes. I can remove the Five Plagues and Seven Consumptions, all manner of epidemic and contagious afflictions. What deity would dare disobey? What monster would dare spy? Fengdu (the underworld in Daoist tradition) slays their forms; the Northern Dipper decrees their deaths. When the divine seal is stamped down, ten thousand ghosts vanish completely. Haste, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

Northern Emperor Talisman

Dispersing Form

The Upper Origin is commanded by General Tang, the Middle Origin by General Ge, and the Lower Origin by General Zhou. The text then lists the Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the names of star groups that divide the celestial regions. This talismanic formula is used to open Heaven’s Gate, close Earth’s Gate, keep the human gate secure, block the road of ghosts, and pierce evil spirits to the heart.

Gathering Form

When writing talismans of the Northern Emperor—that is, talismans associated with the Northern Emperor—do so at night on a Gengshen or Jiazi day. Face north, burn incense, perform the ritual steps known as pacing the Dipper, and gather firm Qi (vital energy) as you write. Then recite the spell:

“Heaven is round, Earth is square; the Six Pitch-Pipes and Nine Chapters. At one stroke of the divine brush, all ghosts perish. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

Recite it silently seven times, breathe onto the tip of the brush, and then recite:

“Yellow Origin, Six Jia; may the myriad spirits send forth their numinous power. May Jing (essence) and Qi assist me; may the immortals support my form. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

After reciting, write the talisman in cinnabar. For malign influences, cold damage, ghostly Qi, a ghost fetus, or a child startled into crying, boil the heartwood of peach or willow into ritual water. Burn the talisman to ash and mix the ash with the water for the patient to drink during the rite.

When handing the talisman to someone else, recite the Northern Emperor’s Spirit-Communing Spell: “Shendi tusucha, Aruomidi wuducha, Shenqicha, Bolaiqiancha, Yemiruochia, Wuducha, Gouladi qimeicha.”

Blood-Dripping Talisman

Scattering Form

Great Sage of the Dark Warrior, Celestial Official, Earthly Official, Water Official, Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right: open Heaven’s Gate, close Earth’s Gate, keep Qicha secure, and block Bolaiqiancha, Yemiruochia, Wuducha, and Gouladi qimeicha.

Dark Warrior Great Sage (the protector of the north), the Celestial Officials, the Earthly Officials, the Water Officials, the Azure Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, and all other divine beings: open the Gate of Heaven and close the Earthly Gate. Leave a passage for the human realm and block the road of ghosts and demons. Great Emperor Yuqing, Great Emperor Shangqing, Great Emperor Taiqing, Great Emperor of the North Pole Purple Tenuity, together with the attendant celestial immortals, Marshal Tianpeng, Deputy Marshal Tianyou, Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode, and Perfected Lord Zhenwu Lingying: command you to lay crossbeams and raise jade pillars, pierce the hearts of ghosts and demons, break their bellies, and snap their feet.

Great Sage of Heaven: when the brush moves, ghosts and spirits follow it; when the brush stops, ghosts and spirits die. □□□□□□□, Mighty God of Commanding Power, Generals Who Confound Demons, and the Heaven Sha, Earth Sha, Year Sha, Month Sha, Day Sha, Hour Sha, and Thirty-Six Sha: by the decree of the High Emperor, slay every ghost and bandit who strays from the righteous way. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

At the first turn, the Six Spirits hide; at the second, the Four Sha vanish; at the third, thunder and fire are unleashed; at the fourth, thunder and fire slay; at the fifth, thunderbolts crash; at the sixth, mountain ghosts die; at the seventh, every ghost, spirit, and bandit who strays from the righteous way is captured. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

At the first turn, the Six Spirits hide; at the second, the Four Sha vanish; at the third, thunder and fire are unleashed; at the fourth, thunder and fire slay; at the fifth, thunderbolts crash; at the sixth, mountain ghosts die; at the seventh, every ghost, spirit, and bandit who strays from the righteous way is captured. Let righteous Qi remain; let malign Qi depart.

Great Fire-Bell Talisman

Dispersing Form

The Great Fire of Fuzidao in the east, and the Fire of Quyeni in the west: close the Earthly Gate, leave open the Human Gate, and block the road of ghosts. The Yudankong Fire of the north, the Danyan Heaven Fire of the south, the Green Fire, the Red Fire of the south, the White Fire of the west, the Black Fire of the north, the Yellow Fire of the center, the fires of the Twelve Shen, and the fires of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions: Great Emperor of the North Pole and Lords of the Seven Origins, command the celestial troops, the Five Thunder troops, and the Six-Direction hosts of ghosts and demons to lay down a great fire.

Gathering Form

Whenever you write the Great Fire-Bell Talisman, first perform the practices described above: tread the Seven Stars’ Dipper Pace and form the Jade Emperor mudra with your fingers. Visualize fierce flames blazing in every direction, then pour their radiance into the vermilion brush and inkstone. Once the talisman is complete, place it at the site of an eerie manifestation to suppress it, and it will take effect immediately.

Iron Fan Talisman

Focus the spirit and visualize the sun directly before you. Form the Gongcao Seal with your left hand and tread the Qianyuan Dipper Pace. Then visualize the writing table as an altar, the paper as silk, the ink as a hundred medicines, and the brush as a brush. Once the talisman is complete, place it at the site of an eerie manifestation to suppress it, and it will take effect immediately.

Iron Fan Talisman

When forming the intention, imagine that you are looking at the sun. Make the “Seal of the Merit Officer” with your left hand, and step the “Qianyuan pattern,” a footwork pattern used in treading the stars. Then visualize the writing desk as an altar, the paper as silk, the prepared ink as a hundred medicines, and the brush as a sharp blade. Draw in the true Qi of each of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper and blow it into the inkstone. Then grind the ink: turn it counterclockwise twelve times, corresponding to the twelve monthly generals, and clockwise twelve times, corresponding to the spirits of the twelve double-hours. Twenty-four turns in all, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms. Then recite the spell and write the talisman:

Heaven is round, Earth is square; the six pitch-pipes and nine chapters. With one stroke of the divine brush, all ghosts perish. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

Disperse the Forms

Open the Gate of Heaven, close the Earth’s Gate, leave the Human Gate open, and block the road of ghosts; pierce the ghosts’ hearts and break their bellies. With the first turn, summon and control the City God; with the second, summon and control the local earth gods; with the third, summon and control the ancestors of three generations; with the fourth, summon and control the Four Direct Spirits of the year, month, day, and hour; with the fifth, summon and control the Five Emptinesses and Six Wastes; with the sixth, summon and control the Six Ding and Six Jia; with the seventh, summon and control the Seven Alignments and Eight Seats; with the eighth, summon and control the ghosts and spirits of the eight directions who have strayed from the Way; with the ninth, summon and control the ghosts of the regional divisions of the nine provinces. General Tang of the Upper Origin, hurry and seize the ghosts; General Ge of the Middle Origin, hurry and bind them; General Zhou of the Lower Origin, hurry and behead them.

Gather the Forms

Then recite the spell:

The Supreme One’s divine blade slays, shaking the three thousand worlds. Ritual water flows into the heart, and all illnesses are naturally cured. Taobin Nu is your father; Biyang Nu is your mother. Do it at once, do it at once! If you do not obey, I will send the Celestial Army to attack your grandfather, leaving you to suffer in vain through the Six Dusts—the six objects of perception in Buddhist and Daoist contexts: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. □□□□□□□. Hasten and obey the command of the Lord on High. Form the hand seal and emit Qi, the energy cultivated internally or stored by the ritual master.

Soul-Summoning Talisman

Disperse the Forms

Open the Gate of Heaven, close the Earth’s Gate, leave the Human Gate open, and block the road of ghosts; □□□□□□□. The Taiyin and Taiyang, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, Greedy Wolf, Great Gate, Salary Keeper, Literary Song, Chaste, Military Song, Army Breaker, as well as the numinous tortoise of the Five Qi, heavenly demons, and ghost-eaters: draw the true Qi of each and pour it into the talisman.

Gather the Forms

A numinous talisman that carries out killing through Qi. Form the Northern Emperor hand seal, a Daoist mudra associated with worship of the Northern Emperor.

Disperse the Forms

The characters tai, Tiangang, Great Sage, Seven Qi, drag, Sha, ghost, yin day, yang day, day edict, and yang-day edict, among others, are written according to the “Year-Formula for Dividing Forms,” with each drawing on its corresponding original Qi.

Gathering the Form (gathering the body and spirit)

The incantation says: Condense Qi into a spirit talisman for killing ghosts, to guard the home and protect the Dragon Vein. Drive away the Five Plagues, the Seven Convulsions, and other plague spirits, as well as ghosts that cause illness. Also drive away the spirits of the newly dead and the long deceased, and evil spirits believed to cause illnesses such as injection disease, corpse transmission, and recurrent illness. Mountain demons, spirits dwelling among springs and stones, and evil spirits attached to plants—all ghosts and gods that stray from the proper path, and malign spirits that bring disaster and loss—must, in accordance with the Most High’s talismanic command, leave this place at once and go elsewhere. End by reciting, “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands.” Take in the true Qi of the Northern Dipper and blow it into the talisman.

Childbirth-Urging Talisman

Write “Northern Edict: Depart Swiftly” on the talisman.

For each talisman, gather Qi from the eastern sun and blow it in. Make the Dragon Hand Sign, a ritual hand gesture formed by positioning the fingers: point from the Yin position to the Shen position, then down to the Xu position, and finally lift the Shen position to complete the gesture. The incantation says: The sun rises, its numinous light shining in all ten directions. Bring mother and child together to receive the sun’s Qi. May a female fetus become male, or may the woman in labor give birth safely and with strength. May all the gods be at peace, and may the woman’s life be prolonged. The Childbirth Overseer stands before her, and the Fate Controller behind. Hold the talismanic command and bring the birth swiftly. End by reciting, “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the Emperor Lord’s command.” Take in the Qi of the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Lights—and blow it into the talisman.

The Dipper Formula for the Childbirth-Urging and Bone-Dislodging Talisman

When urging childbirth, visualize yourself transformed into the Great Childbirth Overseer. When using it to dislodge a bone stuck in the throat or treat various ailments within the abdomen, visualize yourself transformed into an emissary of the Office for Expelling Evil, a Daoist divine office charged with driving out evil.

Dispersing the Form (unfolding the body)

The formula says: Open the Gate of Heaven, close the Earth’s Portal, leave the Human Gate open, and block the road of ghosts; pierce the heart of the ghost, strike through its belly … left seven assistants.

Gathering the Form

After writing the talisman, recite the incantation: I now command you to become a Childbirth Overseer boy at once. Deliver the talisman for me, so that mother and child may be delivered swiftly. Swiftly obey the command of the Supreme Emperor. After reciting, activate the talisman with the brush, and visualize the person coming to you transformed into a Childbirth-Urging Boy, carrying the talisman to the person who requested it, who then takes it and puts it to use.

After writing the talisman, recite the incantation: Si.

I now command you to become a child spirit who oversees the urging of childbirth. Carry this talisman for me, so that mother and child may be delivered as soon as possible. Hasten to obey the command of the Supreme Emperor. After reciting the incantation, perform the ritual on the brush and issue the talisman. Visualize the person who comes as a child spirit sent to hasten the birth. Give the talisman to that person, and observe how they receive it: whether with the left hand or the right. This indicates whether the child is a boy or a girl. When swallowing the talisman, use flowing water and face north. When issuing the talisman, use the Thunder Lord’s mudra, a Daoist ritual hand gesture.

Fire Wheel Talisman

Write this talisman at noon on a Fire day. If no Fire day is available, you may choose a Yang day.

Transform your spirit into the Celestial Master (the practitioner visualizes becoming the Celestial Master). Form the Golden Spear mudra with your left hand and face the sun. Recite, “Boundless and Unfixed Supreme True Lord.” Facing the sun, use the Golden Spear mudra to write the character “fire,” and recite, “True Lord of the Southern Fire Virtue, Yinghuo.” Write “fire” again and recite, “True Lord of the Responsive Crimson Emperor.” Write “fire” a third time, then recite the names of all three True Lords once more. Next, inhale through your nose the three streams of fire Qi from the sun, visualizing them entering your heart.

Dispersing the Form

Recite in sequence, “Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui,” then recite, “First True Lord, Second True Lord.” With each stroke, recite, “Fire Wheel General, one hundred.”

Gathering the Form

Write in cinnabar on binding paper. When issuing the talisman, also recite the names of the three True Lords, and visualize the sun and the fire Qi of the south blazing fiercely and pouring down into the talisman.

The Tianpeng Method of Healing

The deity Tianpeng is a divine general under the command of the Northern Emperor. The scriptures say that Tianpeng’s original form is the ninth star of the Northern Dipper and that he is an emanation of the Old Lord of Golden Brows. He can subdue demons and protect living beings, and may be invoked by both men and women.

The fifth and twenty-fifth days of each month are when the Great Sage Tianpeng descends. On those days, prepare a bowl of clear water, a sword, an incense burner, and a table, and burn incense according to the ritual. Offerings may include white glue or boiled cypress broth; you may also offer cakes, assorted flowers, and five kinds of fruit. On the Three Primes days, light seven-star lamps and arrange flowers and fruit on the altar as offerings.

When performing the prohibition rite, first clasp both hands tightly, close your eyes and focus your spirit, click your teeth together, then tap the back of your head three times (called “sounding the Heavenly Drum”). Next, with your eyes closed, visualize the Qi of the five organs transforming into five deities: a Green Dragon on the left, a White Tiger on the right, a Vermilion Bird in front, a Black Tortoise behind, and the seven stars of the Northern Dipper above your head. Beneath your feet is a qilin. Then visualize the Three Terraces stars, allowing the place indicated by the Celestial Dipper (the name of a star; here, a magical force associated with the positions of the stars) to appear. Pass through the path of ghosts three times, then form the Demon-Subduing Seal to dispel evil spirits and channel magical power.

When inviting the deities, first visualize the sun on your left and the moon on your right. The Great Emperor of the North Pole wears a dark cap and feathered robes; the True Lords of the Seven Stars wear vermilion robes and red sashes. Next, visualize a perfected being, Jade Maidens, and officers of the Three Primes within the Northern Dipper. They take form as they emerge from the dim, mysterious void. Then visualize the Great Sage Tianpeng with a golden head: four faces and eight arms, fifty zhang tall, clad in golden armor and holding a sword, a halberd, an Imperial Bell, and a divine seal. He commands three hundred thousand cavalry. The Thunder Master, Lightning Master, immortal youths, and Jade Maidens, in brilliant procession, each carry a golden sword and descend from the sky to stand in attendance before and behind him. Once you have visualized all these deities assembled, burn incense and invite them.

To recite the Tianpeng divine incantation, first click your teeth together thirty-six times, then use your left hand to form the “Tianpeng Ghost-Pointing Gesture” (a hand configuration located on the second joint of the left middle finger). After completing the gesture, recite the incantation:

Tianpeng (a protective marshal among the Northern Emperor’s retinue), Tianpeng, child of the Nine Origins of baleful force; Commander of the Five Dings, Gao Dao and Bei Weng; the Seven Regulators and Eight Spirits, supreme and fearsome. A gigantic, quivering beast, he holds the Emperor’s bell in his hand. Su Xiao rides a three-headed Kui dragon and commands it with authority. The divine king of the mighty sword cuts down evil spirits and makes every trace of them disappear. Purple Qi rises, while cinnabar clouds blaze as they surge into the sky. He devours demons, monsters, and ghosts, and braces himself against the wind. Old Nie, with an ashen tongue, green teeth, and four eyes. The Heavenly Dings and strongmen command awe in the south, repelling baleful forces; the Heavenly Zou, fierce and terrible, commands awe in the north, bearing a sharp blade. Three hundred thousand soldiers and generals guard my ninefold heavenly realm. They drive corpse Qi away for a thousand miles and dispel ill omens. If petty ghosts dare to show themselves and cause trouble, a great axe will sever their forms. The blazing blood of the Flame Emperor and the flames of the Northern Dipper burn their bones; the Four Luminaries shatter their skeletons, and the Heavenly You destroy their kind. At a single sweep of the divine blade, ten thousand ghosts scatter of their own accord.

When the word “kill” appears here, one may leave it unspoken during ordinary recitation, so as not to harm ghosts and spirits. Reciting the text ten thousand times counts as completing the practice. During recitation, gently knock the teeth together once after every four characters, keeping a steady rhythm; this is a method of cultivating the Dao. If reciting continuously day and night, there is no need to knock the teeth after every four characters. If troubled by ghosts, sit upright and follow the prescribed method, still knocking the teeth once after every four characters. Another method is to knock the teeth seven times, recite the text three times, then knock the teeth seven more times and sincerely state your wish. The scripture says that the troublesome ghosts will thereby go blind, their bodies will rot, and they will die. This incantation is kept secret by the Northern Emperor.

If people obtain this set of incantations and practice it regularly, they can subdue all kinds of evil, strengthen their Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy), and extend their lives. They can also avert misfortune and dispel calamities, ward off disasters, protect the living, and prevent people from dying unnatural deaths. Men and women, young and old, may all practice it.

Those who recite and practice the incantations must remain wholly focused. They must not mix in other activities, nor use other arts or heterodox methods alongside them or keep them in the same room. The scripture says that all such things belong to the Six Heavens’ evil spirits. If one offends a divine official, or treats the divine incantations with disrespect or ridicule, regarding them as ordinary writing, one will incur the wrath of the Heavenly General Tianpeng. This may drive a person mad, or even lead them to throw themselves into water or fire. One will also suffer punishment that brings calamity upon one’s family graves, causing disaster to befall the household in succession and afflict seven generations of ancestors. Therefore, one must be cautious and must not treat this true secret method lightly.

The Method for Pursuing Ghosts with Tianpeng and Its Fulu (talismans and registers)

When someone comes to ask the ritual master to perform a rite, first draw a breath of Qi (vital energy) from the visitor and use it in three successive operations. The ritual master performs the Pace of Yu (a prescribed pattern of steps accompanied by visualization of the Northern Dipper): starting from the initial position, he walks to the mouth of the Dipper, marks the Dipper at the Ox position, and issues the command upon reaching the Goat position. He visualizes the mouth of the Dipper covering his head like a canopy, with the Dipper’s handle pointing forward.

As he leaves, he visualizes a celestial official and commands him to go ahead. He then dispatches heavenly troops from the Dragon position and earthly troops from the Wu position. After walking thirty-six more steps, he sends out a full contingent of troops, along with divine generals from the Five Sacred Peaks and the Three Luminaries (the sun, moon, and stars). He also mobilizes the gods of the City God, the local earth deity, bridges, and the Five Roads. Once inside the sick person’s home, he sets up a small Gongcao altar (a ritual site for summoning Gongcao divine generals), then establishes the Ya and Lidu seals, names of ritual seals in the source text. He dispatches troops and generals at the Zi and Wu positions and mobilizes the gods of the City God, the local earth deity, bridges, and the Five Roads.

If the ghosts and spirits still refuse to come when summoned, he secretly visualizes the Black Sea, uses the Iron-Drum-Binding seal, and envisions the altar transforming into a divine dragon. He also first visualizes the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, then summons the City God and local earth deity, and finally dispatches the Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks and other divine generals and troops to search and capture them.

When writing talismans and registers (Fulu), he first draws in the Qi of the Celestial Dipper, a ritual energy associated with the Northern Dipper, and stores it in his heart. He visualizes himself transformed into General Tianpeng, fully prepared and majestic, with Kui Dragon on his left and the Six Jia and Six Ding spirits on his right, while the Six Great Directives, divine envoys who carry out celestial duties, attend him. He visualizes the brush as a sword and the paper as an iron plate. As he grinds the ink, he recites the Tianpeng incantation five times, breathing a mouthful of the Celestial Dipper’s Qi into the ink after each recitation. He then writes the talisman; it is complete only when every stroke has been finished.

Dissolving the Form

The three generals—General Tang of the Upper Origin, General Ge of the Middle Origin, and General Zhou of the Lower Origin—stand ready for battle. Kui Dragon, General Tianpeng, General Tianpeng of the Iron Pillar Who Locks Heaven, General Tianpeng Who Glares at Demons, and the Heavenly Troop and Horse Envoy Who Pins Demons’ Eyes with Long Nails all take their places in the ranks. A venomous dragon, a thousand feet long; a venomous snake, a thousand feet long. The great general sweeps his sword across and severs both of the ghost’s feet. The calamity bringing ghosts and evil spirits in the directions of the Eight Trigrams—Qian, Kan, Zhen, Gen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui—must depart at once. Those who refuse to leave shall be handed over to me and executed beneath my Kui-Gang. By command!

Gathering the Form

The invocation and preface to the talisman of General Tianpeng’s Thirty-Six Generals.

During the Tang dynasty, Magu cultivated the Dao on this mountain and attained immortality, so it came to be known as Mount Magu. A man named Deng Ziyang lived there, devoting himself to the study of Daoist scriptures. For five years, he practiced the arts of Fengdu—ritual techniques associated with the underworld and exorcism—in a mountain cave. He practiced diligently day and night without ever slacking, often reciting the Divine Incantation of Tianpeng, the celestial general, without pause.

On the night of the Shangyuan Festival, the sky was clear and the moon shone as brightly as daylight. Ziyang burned incense and submitted a petition to the gods, praying for the descent of a true spirit, then recited the incantation as usual. Suddenly, a scroll descended from the sky. It was written in black characters on white silk and gave off several rays of light. It flew into the room and vanished in an instant. Astonished, Ziyang could not fathom its mystery, so he sat in meditation on a large stone. With his eyes closed, in a state between waking and sleeping, he saw a divine being clad in armor and holding a treasured sword. The being told him, “I am an envoy of the Six Ding of the Northern Heaven. By the command of the Supreme Lord, I grant you thirty-six black seal talismans. Two characters among them are forbidden to use; the relevant details are recorded here.”

Few people practice the Thirty-Six Talismans of Tianpeng today. Although talismanic characters circulate in the world, most are merely thirty-six individual characters; people have not mastered the secret combinations of characters or the techniques for forming the talismans. When I received this set of talismans in the past, I was also taught how to combine their forms, a method different from the one commonly transmitted. When used, it has produced many efficacious results. I record it carefully here.

Tianpeng, Tianpeng

This is the true talisman of Marshal Tianpeng. Infuse the talisman brush with the azure Qi descended from the Five Stars, and visualize the Northern Dipper… It is said that this talisman can destroy evil spirits, demolish wicked shrines, and subdue all kinds of fierce ghosts and gods. It can also suppress epidemics, corpse demons, spirits and monsters, as well as the male and female illnesses they cause. If one simply holds it sincerely in mind, writes it, and carries it on one’s person or swallows it, then a thousand ghosts and monsters will have their forms destroyed when they see it.

Nine-Origin Slaying Child

Visualize the sixth star of the Northern Dipper descending as black true Qi (vital energy), then channel it into the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. This talisman is used to drive away evil spirits and can also treat illness, madness, and wind-related disorders. After writing it, swallow it or carry it on your person to expel malicious ghosts and demons, making them flee far away.

This is the “Great Divine General of the Eight Manifestations, who subdues the Three Thousand Great Demons,” a general invoked in Daoist talismans to suppress evil spirits. Visualize the third star of the Northern Dipper emitting yellow original Qi—the primordial vital essence spoken of in Daoism—then direct this Qi through focused intention to the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. Anyone who wears it will be free from demonic disturbance. Even those who harbor ill will will submit and be unable to harm the wearer. The wearer will enjoy great good fortune.

Plain Owl, Three Vehicles

This is the “Great Divine General of the Eight Manifestations, who subdues the Three Thousand Great Demons.” Visualize the third star of the Northern Dipper emitting yellow original Qi, then direct it to the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. Its wearer will be free from demonic disturbance. Those who harbor ill will will submit and be unable to cause harm; instead, they will bring misfortune upon themselves. Injustice and unexpected calamities will be dispelled, and outside intrusions will be unable to cause harm.

The Magnificent Chariot of Kui and Dragon

This divine general is always at the side of the Jade Emperor, awaiting his commands. Mortals cannot summon him. Using him together with other divine generals will instead bring calamity.

Mighty Sword Divine King

This is the “Mighty Southern Great God.” Visualize the fifth star of the Northern Dipper emitting blue original Qi, then direct it to the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. It can subdue the ghosts of those who died away from home or by unnatural means, and suppress hidden corpse spirits, the corpse ghosts said in Daoism to lurk and cause trouble. If ghosts or spirits are causing disturbances or harassing others, write this talisman and swallow it or wear it close to the body. When spirits that have offended or attacked someone see the talisman, they will flee and hide ten li away.

Behead Evil and Erase Its Traces

This divine general is always before the Jade Emperor, awaiting his commands. People in the mortal realm cannot summon him; doing so will bring disaster.

Purple Qi Ascending to Heaven

This is the Northern Emperor’s Divine King of Suppression and Records, a general in the northern pantheon who subdues evil spirits. Visualize the fifth star of the Northern Dipper emitting white original Qi, then direct it to the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. If you seek an official post or salary, your wishes will be fulfilled. Wearing this talisman prevents bad dreams, calms body and spirit, steadies the body’s original Qi, and keeps illness and evil influences at bay, bringing lasting good fortune and peace.

Scarlet Clouds, Radiant and Soaring

This is the “Great Divine General of the Mysterious Capital.” Visualize the seventh star of the Northern Dipper emitting purple original Qi, then direct it to the tip of the brush and draw the talisman. Once written, wearing it will dispel the evil intentions of thieves and turn them toward the good way.

Swallow Demons, Devour Ghosts

This is the Great Black-Killing Divine General, a protective deity in Daoism. When drawing the talisman, visualize the black true Qi of the seventh star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can bind thieves, restrain boats, and drive away madness-causing demons. It can also dispel ambush corpses and ghosts buried in old graves, as well as vicious ghosts that harm men and women.

Hengshen Yinfeng

This is one of the twenty-four Great Divine Generals. When drawing the talisman, visualize the white true Qi of the fifth star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can overcome tree spirits and demons, and drive away ambush corpses and ghosts buried in old graves, as well as vicious ghosts that harm men and women.

Hengshen Yinfeng

This is one of the twenty-four Great Divine Generals. When drawing the talisman, visualize the white true Qi of the fifth star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can drive away tree spirits, stone spirits, and ghosts. Once the talisman is drawn, posted, and used to suppress them, they will not dare to cause trouble; they will retreat in defeat and hide.

Cangshe Lüchi

This is the Great King of the Sun and Moon, a divine king associated with the sun and moon. When drawing the talisman, visualize the purple true Qi of the second star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can dispel disputes and quarrels, whether official or among the people, as well as all kinds of unexpected calamities.

Siyan Laoweng

This is the Great King Siyan Laoweng, who commands a million beings. When drawing the talisman, visualize the red true Qi of the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can treat various forms of baleful Qi, as well as illnesses such as ghost pregnancy and abdominal masses. It can also be used for swelling, suppuration, and pain. According to the scripture, write the talisman and then swallow or apply it, and it will take effect quickly.

Tianding Lishi

This is the Great Divine General Tianding. When drawing the talisman, visualize the true Qi of the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can subdue fierce demons, dispel baleful Qi throughout the body, and also be used for headaches, dizziness, and pain. According to the scripture, write the talisman and then swallow or apply it, and its miraculous effects will appear.

Weinan Yu Xiong

This is the Great Divine General Weinan of the Shangqing tradition of Daoism. When drawing the talisman, visualize the yellow true Qi of the seventh star of the Northern Dipper, and infuse it into the brush. This talisman can subdue all kinds of ghosts and demons, and make men and women filial.

Tianzou Jili

Visualize the Great Divine General Tianzou with his eyes wide open in anger. Then visualize the purple true Qi of the third star of the Northern Dipper, infuse it into the tip of the brush, and draw a Fulu. This can summon the gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, seize evil ghosts, and drive away malign Qi.

Mighty North, Blade in Mouth

This is the god of Mighty North. Visualize him descending from the Northern Dipper, then visualize the chariot-of-fire Qi of its eighth star. Infuse this true Qi into the tip of the brush and draw a Fulu. This can summon the gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, seize evil ghosts, and drive away malign Qi.

Mighty North, Blade in Mouth

This is the god of Mighty North. Visualize him descending from the Northern Dipper, then visualize the chariot-of-fire Qi of its eighth star. Infuse this true Qi into the tip of the brush and draw a Fulu. This talisman is used to treat illnesses in children caused by malign Qi. It may be swallowed or worn for protection.

Three Hundred Thousand Soldiers

These are three hundred thousand great divine generals and soldiers who attend the Marshal Tianpeng. They can subdue all demons and prevent them from plotting evil or harming people. Simply write the talisman and wear it on your person, and you will be spared calamity.

Protect Me Through the Nine Heavens

This is the Sovereign Lord of the Northern Pole. Visualize the yellow true Qi of the seventh star of the Northern Dipper, infuse it into the tip of the brush, and draw a Fulu. The numinous gods in temples everywhere will avoid anyone wearing this talisman. Wear it when passing through dangerous or perilous places.

Keep the Gates at Bay for a Thousand Miles

This is the Great Divine General Taixuan Sha. Visualize the red true Qi within the Northern Dipper, infuse it into the tip of the brush, and draw a Fulu. It can dispel epidemics and miasma. Wear it when traveling at night to banish fear and protect the body and soul. It should also be worn when passing through perilous places.

Keep the Gates at Bay for a Thousand Miles

This is the Great Divine General Taixuan Sha. Visualize the red true Qi within the Northern Dipper, infuse it into the tip of the brush, and draw a Fulu. It can dispel epidemics and miasma. Wear it when traveling at night to banish fear and protect the body and soul.

Drive Away Ill Omens

This is the Great Divine General Tian Dingli. Visualize the yellow true Qi of the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, infuse it into the tip of the brush, and draw a Fulu. It can drive away ominous ghosts and spirits that bring calamity to men and women, and counter misfortunes caused by the spirits of Ao Wells and household gods. Carry or post the talisman, and the calamity is said to vanish at once.

If Any Lesser Ghost

This is the talisman of the “Soldiers of the Five Emperors.” Visualize the luminous Qi (breath and energy) within the moon and let it flow directly into the brush to form the talisman. Then draw the talisman along with this Qi. It can be used to treat bites from various venomous insects, as well as boils, swellings, scabies, and ringworm. Write the talisman in a bowl of water and wash the affected area with the talisman water; the sores and skin conditions will then heal.

“Wishing to come and reveal its form.”

This is the “Perfect Lord of the Six Offices of the Three Caverns” (a Daoist deity). Visualize the yellow true Qi of the sixth star of the Northern Dipper and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. It can be used to relieve abdominal distension and fullness, “ghost Qi” and “ghost pregnancy” (causes of illness named in the scripture), shortness of breath and pain, and undigested food from earlier meals.

“Heaven-cleaving Great Axe.”

This is a divine general under Marshal Tianpeng. He wields a golden axe to slay all kinds of evil ghosts and spirits. Visualize the blue-green true Qi of the second star of the Northern Dipper and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. It can be used to relieve pain in the bones and joints.

“Form of the Ghost-slaying King.”

This is the Great God-General Langli of the Northern Emperor. Visualize the true Qi of the moon’s radiance and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. It can be used to slay all kinds of demons and spirits, and to drive away nightmares. Once the talisman has been written, swallow it or wear it on the body, and recovery will follow.

“Blazing Blood of the Flame Emperor.”

This is the Flame Emperor of Siming, who rides in a chariot from the south. Visualize the true Qi of sunlight and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. It can be used to treat long-standing, unhealed boils and swellings; grave, festering injuries caused by maggots; stings from venomous creatures such as bees and scorpions; disorders involving madness; scalds and burns; and injuries from falls and blows, including broken bones. Swallow the talisman or wear it on the body, and recovery will follow.

“North Dipper, Burning Bones.”

This is an envoy of the Great Emperor of the North Pole, who burns the bones of all ghosts with fire. Visualize the black true Qi of the fifth star of the Northern Dipper and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. If you have been harmed by a curse or poison, write the talisman and swallow it or wear it; the poison will be vomited out and the curse dispelled.

“Siming, Shattering Bones.”

This is an envoy of the Siming Gongcao. Visualize the blue-green true Qi of the second star of the Northern Dipper and let it flow into the brush to form the talisman. It can be used to ward off disasters such as locusts and mice. When an infestation occurs, write the talisman and attach it to a bamboo pole; it is said that the pests will then disappear completely.

Heavenly You’s Qi for Destroying Pestilence: Visualize the genuine Qi of the Great Deity General Tianyou and direct it into the brush to draw the talisman. This talisman is said to drive away calamities such as locusts and rats. When such a calamity occurs, write the talisman on a bamboo pole and put it up; the insects and rats will then cease their activity.

Heavenly You’s Talisman for Destroying Demons: This is a talisman method of the deity general Tianyou. Visualize the blue Qi emitted by the fifth star of the Northern Dipper and direct it into the brush to draw the talisman. It is said to pursue and capture ghosts and spirits that fly through the air or flee, as well as troublesome flying birds. Suppress them with the talisman, and they will disappear.

Divine Power Strikes Once: This is a talisman method of the Great Black Slayer deity general. Visualize the red Qi emitted by the Northern Dipper and direct it into the brush to draw the talisman. It is said to drive away weapons, multitudes of ghosts, and the spirits of ancient temples. Once the talisman has been drawn and used to suppress them, they will flee and keep their distance. If the spirits of an ancient temple are willing to submit, they will respond.

Ten Thousand Ghosts Collapse on Their Own: This talisman method is said to depict thirty-six deity generals raising their halberds to attack together and encircle their foes in successive waves. Then visualize the genuine Qi of the Black Slayer of Taiwei and direct it into the brush to draw the talisman. It can restrain ghosts, spirits, and demons that refuse to obey, making them all retreat in defeat and collapse.

If a person cultivating the Dao encounters this sacred talisman method, they should treat it with reverence and care. Following the text word by word, they should visualize the genuine Qi and write the talismans; this is said to bring them into communion with the spirits and produce notable results. They should practice it in secrecy, never treat it lightly, and never pass it casually to people who do not cultivate the Dao, lest they handle it carelessly and bring harm upon themselves.

End of Volume Three of the Essentials of the Supreme One’s Secret Instructions for Aiding the State and Saving the People.

5 Volume Four of the Essentials of the Supreme One’s Secret Instructions for Aiding the State and Saving the People

Volume Four of the Essentials of the Supreme One’s Secret Instructions for Aiding the State and Saving the People

Daoist Master of the Hidden Depths, Yuan Miaozong (the master’s religious name).