《太上通灵八史圣文真形图》

The courtesy name of the Scribe-Gang of August Heaven is Lin Gang; that of the Scribe-Gang of High Heaven is Jian Gang; that of the Scribe-Gang of the Celestial Emperor is Tian Gang; and that of the Scribe-Gang of the Lord on High is Ri Yuan.

The first scribe-spirit has a husband named Lin Gang and a wife named Zhu Xia. On si, wu, and wei days, when they come to a household, they wear red clothing and a fenji (a kind of cap ornament; its precise form in the original is unclear), together with a white brush and a jinxian crown (the crown worn by officials in antiquity).

The second scribe-spirit has a husband named Jian Gang and a wife named Xuan Jing. On shen, you, and xu days, when they come to a household, they wear white clothing and a fenji (the cap ornament as written in the original; its precise form is unclear), together with a white brush and a jinxian crown.

The third scribe-spirit has a husband named Tian Gang and a wife named Yue Jing. On hai, zi, and chou days, when they come to a household, they wear black clothing and a fenji, together with a white brush and a jinxian crown.

The fourth scribe-spirit has a husband named Ri Yuan and a wife named Tai Xuan. On yin, mao, and chen days, when they come to a household, they wear blue-green clothing and a fenji, together with a white brush and a jinxian crown.

The names and titles of these eight scribe-spirits may be used to inquire of them about affairs on the corresponding days. If one wishes to divine about a given matter, one calls them by their courtesy names to ask, and thereby learns what is to be known. When a woman makes an inquiry, she should call the name of the scribe-spirit’s wife. These scribe-spirits take turns on duty through the upper and lower courses of nine days; after three days they come on duty again, and so the cycle repeats without end. In the conduct of affairs, all eight scribes like people to speak well of them. One must not revile or slander them, nor startle them by calling out. If one has made offerings and invitations to them for three years or more, one may then pray to them for what one seeks. The scripture further says that if someone is ill and life hangs in the balance, one may also send a person to entreat them, and thereby that life can be preserved.

The Yellow Emperor said: Those who wish the state to flourish and who set its government in order understand this method; men of letters who seek wealth and rank may likewise summon these spirits. Once the spirits can be brought by summons, wealth and goods arrive like clouds; wherever one goes, all is peaceful and smooth; and they can also protect one’s descendants and fulfill every kind of wish. The Eight Scribes can settle a person’s hun and po souls. If one can obtain their aid, one’s hair will not turn white, one’s years will be lengthened and one’s life extended, and the body will remain clean and lustrous.

If one wishes to study the inner arts of the Dao (the Way), one may make use of this scripture (Jing); that is why the images of the Eight Historians—eight spirits who preside over omens and over good and ill fortune—have been recorded. If one wishes to summon the Eight Historians, one may silently recite their names. Matters of good and ill fortune, whether near or far, are all known to them. One may tell these things to others; if the other person does not know how to put them into practice, it does not matter. So long as this scripture is kept in the household, it can make a person’s mind and intention as bright as the sun and the moon.

Anyone who wishes to become intelligent should practice fengzhan, the art of observing and divining by omens, and summon the Eight Historians. Once the Eight Historians have descended, one can know hidden matters, foresee circumstances that have not yet come to pass, and carefully scrutinize the winding, obscure, and subtle causes of things ten thousand li away, and thereby judge good and ill fortune; yet one cannot by this means eliminate calamity.

Whenever a gentleman conceives some wish within, such as a desire to seek wealth, he should have the Eight Historians observe purification and fasting for a hundred days. On the appropriate day he then summons them, without any need to kneel in obeisance. If no spoken reply is heard, he may still grasp the meaning in his mind. The images of the Eight Historians should be carried on one’s person. If one encounters impure matters such as mourning or disgrace, the images may be sealed up and placed inside a vessel; if filth or disgrace occurs in another room, the spirits will not descend.

Another account says that only after a hundred days of purification, fasting, and cleanliness does one begin to summon the Eight Historians. Each time, on the day when a given Historian spirit descends, one calls his name indoors. To the left of the door pivot one sets out a plate of fruit and a cup of wine, then offers this prayer: “I, great-grandson So-and-so, love the arts of the Dao and now wish to study the Way of the Eight Historians. I respectfully prepare sweet fruits and fine wine to present in sacrifice.”

When summoning the Eight Historians, one should, according to the day on which each descends, prepare offerings of wine, fruit, and the like, and sacrifice separately to two Historian spirits. One place of sacrifice is set at the doorway of the main hall: a small mat is spread there, and fine wine is arrayed at the door pivot as an offering.

To invite the Eight Historians (Bashi)—the eight spirits spoken of in Daoism—one should sacrifice to each with wine and fruit on the day that corresponds to that spirit. The sacrifice is carried out in two stages.

The first offering is set at the doorway of the main hall: a small mat is spread, and the door-pivot is taken as the seat; dates and chestnuts are placed separately in two dishes, and two cups of wine are set before the seat. The Daoist priest faces the door-pivot, does not perform the rites of kneeling and bowing, and recites:

“I, great-grandson So-and-so, delight in the arts of the Dao. I reverently observe purification and fasting, and cleanly offer up sweet fruits, precious dates, and fine wine. I respectfully invite the Eight Historians of August Heaven to come beneath the Dipper pillar (Gangzhu). May you drink and eat to your heart’s content until you are drunk and full. Please enable So-and-so to commune with the spirits, to know in advance the results of divinatory inquiry and matters that are hidden, to understand signs that have not yet come to pass, and to perceive responses from ten thousand li away together with the subtle intent within them. May you become friends with me, going and abiding together. From this day on, should there be responses such as sounds or lights and shadows, do not be alarmed or find them strange.”

On the next day when the Eight Historians descend, sacrifice again by the method above. At each sacrifice the name of the corresponding divine historian should be called. If after the sacrifice there are signs of response, sacrifice again after a year’s interval; if many years pass and there is still no response, sacrifice once more.

This “Eight Trigrams August Heaven Imperial Spirit Talisman” (Bagua huangtian di shenfu) is made on a board of paulownia wood, three inches wide and nine inches long. It is first coated with cinnabar, and the talismanic script is then written in ink. After the precepts have been observed for one hundred days, the talisman (fu) is placed in the position corresponding to the relevant direction. The scripture (Jing) says that the spirits will then descend, bringing a person wealth and honor, dissolving lawsuits and disputes of word and tongue, bringing money and goods, and eliminating calamities and strange occurrences. Wine should be poured and sacrifice offered to the spirits, so that the efficacious response may be known.

The groups of talismans listed above descend upon households respectively on the days Si, Wu, and Wei; Shen, You, and Xu; Hai, Zi, and Chou; and Yin, Mao, and Chen. The scripture repeatedly states that the spirits will descend, bringing wealth and honor, dissolving lawsuits and contention, increasing money and goods, and eliminating calamities and anomalies; wine should be poured and sacrifice offered to the spirits, so that one may observe whether there is an efficacious response. The talisman listed last is named the “Eight Historians Spirit-Communication Talisman” (Bashi tongling fu).

The Yellow Emperor said: The divine talismans of the Mysterious Cavern and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) were secretly stored by the Supreme Thearch within the Canopy (Huagai), the Supreme Subtlety (Taiwei), and the Dipper lodge. A former master looked up and observed the patterns of heaven, depicted them, and named them the “Talismans of the Mysterious Cavern, Mighty and Numinous, of Shen (spirit) and Jing (essence), that Unfold the Dao (the Way).” He carried these talismans into the lands of the Hu, and thus I too came to possess this chart. From them the Brahmins devised tens of thousands of transformative mantic arts; later, returning to the Central Plains, they honored me as Lord of the Dao and recognized that the Mysterious Cavern has efficacy equal to that of Heaven.

The divinities can see through all things, and the divine talismans possess the power of mighty numinosity and verified response. People trust in their subtlety and also trust in the merit by which they set forth the Great Dao. One who obtains these talismans should wear them with reverence, treasure them within the Canopy, and keep them strictly secret. If a worthy person or a Daoist priest whose name has already been entered on the register of the stellar lodges obtains this spirit-communicating talisman, he can become a civil immortal. When a gentleman wears it, he can clearly understand affairs and cause the spirits to obey his commands; when a foolish person obtains it, his mind too can be opened and he can gain standing, and by sitting at ease he can summon wealth and rank. If one conceals it as the Canopy is concealed, one can ascend together with Lord Li.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Qian talisman of the Canopy and the Mysterious Cavern, which communicates with the spirits and unfolds the Dao, bears the talismanic name “Haocheng.” It lies in the two lodges of the northwest and has charge of the spirits beneath the Northern Dipper, the Supreme Subtlety, the Canopy, and the Imperial Seat. A superior adept who cultivates in purity and stillness, if his name has already been entered on the register of the stellar lodges, may write the talisman on a small sheet of paper and wear it on his person. Spirits attach themselves behind him. It is said that this enables one to commune with the divinities and eliminate the hundred illnesses, and that whether sitting or standing one can swiftly leave the world, going out and coming in without hindrance; after three years, one ascends in broad daylight among the stars. If the talisman is written in cinnabar on white silk and worn against the body, it is said that one can command the spirits of the Eight Archivists, manage all manner of affairs, cause the hundred illnesses to heal of themselves, and foresee what is about to occur in the world. Those whose minds are not upright must be careful not to wear this talisman. It should be kept secretly hidden; it is said that in this way the whole family can be spared calamity and gain intelligence, understanding, wealth, and rank, and that high office will come of itself.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Kun talisman of the Canopy and the Mysterious Cavern, which communicates with the spirits and unfolds the Dao, bears the talismanic name “Jianchong.” It is governed by the spirit of the Pillar Archivist, lies in the two lodges of the southwest, and administers what lies beneath the Northern Dipper, the Supreme Subtlety, and the seat of the Canopy. The method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

At the end of the scripture the account of the Kun talisman is repeated once more, and its content is the same as what precedes.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Tongling Yandao Zhen talisman (fu) is the talisman that governs the Zhen trigram and the spirits who establish the Gang. It has particular charge of the two lunar mansions of the east, belongs to the first star of the Northern Dipper (Beidou), and is to be used according to the method set out above.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Tongling Yandao Xun talisman, whose talisman-character is called “Mingyi,” is the talisman that governs the mysterious essence (Jing). It has particular charge of the two lunar mansions of the southeast, belongs to the second star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as before.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Tongling Yandao Kan talisman, whose talisman-character is called “Renwang,” is the talisman that governs Tiangang (the Celestial Gang). It has particular charge of the north, belongs to the third star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Lingbao Yandao Li talisman, whose talisman-character is called “Mingshang,” is the talisman that governs the essence of the moon. It has particular charge of the south, belongs to the fourth star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Lingbao Yandao Gen talisman, whose talisman-character is called “Guoyi,” is the talisman that governs Riyuan (the solar origin). It has particular charge of the two lunar mansions of the east, belongs to the fifth star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

The Yellow Emperor said: The Huagai Xuandong Tongling Yandao Dui talisman, whose talisman-character is called “Jianyang,” is the talisman that governs Taixuan (the Great Mystery). It has particular charge of the two lunar mansions of the west, belongs to the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

The scripture afterward records the Dui talisman once again: it too has the talisman-character “Jianyang,” governs Taixuan, has particular charge of the two lunar mansions of the west, and belongs to the sixth star of the Northern Dipper, and its method of use is the same as that of the Qian talisman.

The Yellow Emperor said: Heaven and Earth each return to their own origin, and the De (Virtue/Power) of the Qian trigram and the Kun trigram accord with one another. The authority to govern lies within the Northern Dipper, with the Five Emperors as principals and Taiwei as sovereign. The various trigram images are distributed in sequence, and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions each long endure in receiving their original Qi (vital energy). The movements of Heaven and Earth are driven by the central mechanism, yet each region is still governed by the talisman of the star to which it belongs. To restrain and command the eight essences, one must rely on their attaching and descending beneath the pillar of the Gang; only when these conditions are met can the method be carried out. If descendants cultivate these teachings, they may become Perfected Persons (zhenren). They should be kept in secret store, and even though worth a thousand gold they must not be transmitted to others.

Here, “Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui” are the names of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) in the Classic of Changes. The “Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions” are the stellar regions into which the sky was divided in antiquity, while the “Northern Dipper” and “Taiwei” are important astral names in astronomy and in the Daoist view of the cosmos.

The Yellow Emperor said: “If you wish to cultivate the Dao (the Way), you should first cultivate your own person. Settle the hun and po souls, be careful in your speech, and do not talk rashly or falsely. Observe ritual abstinence for a hundred days, and bathe at Huaquan. First sacrifice to the Eight Spirits, setting the place of offering near the pivot of the door of the main hall; then employ the eight talismans, and the Eight Scribes will come and attach themselves. The Eight Scribes will move and rest together with you and heed your commands. At the eight seasonal nodes—the Beginning of Spring, the Spring Equinox, the Beginning of Summer, the Summer Solstice, the Beginning of Autumn, the Autumn Equinox, the Beginning of Winter, and the Winter Solstice—wear the Fulu (talismans and registers), and you will be able to reach through to the imperial stars. White hair can turn black, and teeth that have fallen out can grow again. Following the Eight Scribes, one rides a dragon and passes in and out of the unseen realms; one can also avert calamity, avoid harm, and have transformations revealed. Act according to the proper method and do not go against it. If someone would practice the method in a contrary way, do not carry it out; otherwise the constellations of heaven will send down blame upon that person.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “Whenever someone comes seeking a divination, on a yang day at the zi hour affix the talisman to the left elbow; on a yin day at the chou hour affix the talisman to the right elbow. Visualize the Zhenren (Perfected Person, a venerable deity who has cultivated the Dao and attained realization), silently call upon the Eight Scribes in your mind, and then affix the talisman. Point with your hand toward the Eight Scribes and invite them to come. The hidden matters spoken of by the one seeking divination, together with the twists of the affair and their sequence, the Eight Scribes will all know and tell you, and you should judge accordingly. When divining you must be careful in your speech, for the Eight Scribes can know everything. The Zhenren is within the Northern Dipper; if the spirits grow angry, they will no longer heed human command.

“If the person who comes to inquire is concerned with illness or a lawsuit, you should find a way to avert the calamity. After you have acted according to the method, the Eight Scribes return to the Northern Dipper and meet with the Shen mansion. If this person has blessings and virtue in their allotted fate, you should join forces and come to their aid first. Have the inquirer go to a certain place to seek a teacher, obtain medicine, or fetch an object; if they go at once, they will obtain it. The Eight Scribes will respond immediately. Upon reaching the appointed place, one may wait there carrying the things, or one may also be ordered to set the things down there.

“The method of the Eight Scribes belongs to the arts of Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy). When the sick person sees the object sought, the illness will be cured. If some thing has frightened a person into illness, the Eight Scribes may also startle it in the form of a luan bird so that it departs. If in mountain forests one meets a situation in which light and darkness are unclear, something covers what is above, and below one cannot make out what it is, call the Eight Scribes and ask; they will know at once and tell you.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “In cultivating this method of the Dao (the Way), you should treasure your words and must not casually declare what is auspicious or inauspicious. If the common people meet with danger, decline, calamity, or strange events, the scribe who has charge of this method (the practitioner) may form a judgment on the basis of your words, take the omens as ominous, and make people still more afraid. The people are already filled with alarm; you must be careful, and you must not lightly attach yourself to Fulu (talismans and registers) or recite incantations.

“If the scribe imposes punishment by virtue of his office, he may also use the arts to bring disaster and penal judgment upon others. If the method is applied according to one’s intention, thought becomes penetrating: one can foresee what has not yet occurred and understand it as clearly as the sun and moon shine. Evil beings such as the wangliang, and persons who are fierce, slanderous, and wicked, will none of them dare to work harm. For one who practices this Dao, avoiding the calamities of war, seeking office, and seeking wealth so as to become rich are not difficult. The essential point of this method lies in secrecy.”

The Yellow Emperor said further: “Since you have received the grace of illumination, you ought to obtain the star talisman. If you cannot cultivate according to the method, place the star talisman in a five-colored pouch and hang it within your bed curtains. If a worthy and discerning person understands how to cultivate the method and wishes to practice in the manner described above, place the talisman in a deep-red pouch and wear it inside the clothing.”

“In cultivating this method now, direction must come from Zidan, the Perfected of the Crimson Palace among the five viscera (the spirit who governs the heart), so that he constantly comes and keeps company with Zidan. If one wishes to avert calamity, ward off harm, or manage affairs of every kind, one should instead use the talismanic methods set out below.

“When wearing the Fulu, choose a pure day and perform a jiao offering to the talisman. Set incense, dates and fruit, ginseng, and a decoction of poria before the mat, spread a pure path with yellow silk, and only then bow and pray:

“I, your great-grandson and subject, So-and-so, report: Today is a clear, bright, and auspicious day and hour, suitable for holding the jiao offering. I respectfully invite the deities of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) who communicate with Heaven, and all the gods of the Eight Brilliances. I reverently present sweet and fragrant chestnuts and dates, and respectfully bow to invite the Eight Lords, the Nine Lords, the Divine Sovereign Fuxi, together with Taiyi of the Pillow, the Father-Master Heavenly Lord of the Majestic Offering and the Qian Sovereign, and the Perfected of the Great Supreme who, in the brightness of the Dao, transmits talismans. May the Eight Lords descend to observe and examine, and may this worthy great-grandson receive the protection of the Eight Scribes, the heavenly officials.

“Today I open the light and receive the great transformation; I accept the Fulu and take in true Qi (vital energy), so that the way becomes unobstructed and faults and improper matters are naturally removed. I respectfully request an auspicious indication of future affairs and to be told of circumstances that have not yet arisen, so that I may practice benevolence and righteousness, with blessings extending without end, long enjoy what is auspicious and favorable, and continue to receive guidance through prognostic verification.”

The final passage repeats the prayer once more: to receive instruction and transformation, accept the talisman and take in the true, make the way unobstructed, remove faults, inquire into the auspicious signs of what is to come, practice benevolence and righteousness, and pray that blessings extend without end and that good fortune be long enjoyed.

The Yellow Emperor said: After the sacrifice, if you still do not know how to let August Heaven see your sincerity, you should face north at midnight, manifest (or visualize), and recite: “I walk between Heaven and Earth; my feet tread Wenchang (the name of a stellar official); my heart rests in Taiqing (the pure and vacant realm spoken of in Daoism); harmonious Qi (vital energy) condenses and takes form; the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions lead straight to the August Court.” If one understands this essential method, the Eight Jing (essences) can manifest their true forms and join their light with the celestial gods; the Eight Histories then have something on which to rely, and the Heavenly Lords of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), together with the Celestial Sovereign Fuxi, can also lend their aid. One must further obtain the star talismans before the spirits are able to act.

Wearing these talismans in reverence can increase one’s discernment and enable a person to foresee events that have not yet occurred. First sacrifice to the Eight Spirits, then employ the Eight Talismans, and burn incense to offer announcement to Heaven and Earth. In this way one can foreknow the signs of matters not yet revealed, and also perceive misfortunes that have already occurred but are not yet plain. In the first ten days of each month, bathe and observe purification and fasting, burning orchid incense to cleanse the body; pray to leave the registers of death and be entered instead into the registers of long life, to become companions of the Eight Histories, and together to have audience with the August Star. Let body and mind be entrusted to the sun and moon and joined with the Four Dragons, so that auspiciousness is long obtained and one’s lifespan is without end.

The Yellow Emperor said: If you wish to handle, on behalf of others, the great affairs between Heaven and Earth and to seek longevity for them, you should affix the talisman to the head, concentrate on visualizing the meaning of the characters on the talisman, and command Scribe Jia to ride the Azure Dragon back into the Northern Dipper, there to ascertain the good or ill fortune of the household of So-and-so between Heaven and Earth. Scribe Jia then ascends into the Dipper mansion (the stellar lodge in which the Northern Dipper resides) and comes down again to inform this person whether there is calamity between Heaven and Earth, and whether that person’s destiny is fortunate or unfortunate. If there is calamity that must be ritually averted, command Scribe Jia to bring aid. When one thus prays for longevity on behalf of others and extends their span of years, it is said that there is never a case that fails to receive a response.

The Yellow Emperor said: If you wish to avert calamity, remove harm, and turn misfortune into fortune, you should first silently recite the names of the Eight Histories, saying: “On this day, Haocheng, please descend and assist, and avert disaster for the household of So-and-so; whatever is required ought to be made ready.” Then entreat the Zhenren (Perfected Persons, those who have attained the Dao, the Way) to act swiftly and return at once. Summoned in this way by the spoken word, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.

When turning misfortune into fortune, do not kill anyone, and do not obstinately issue commands to any particular person, lest you cause people to rush about in frenzy and come to attach themselves to you. If there is truly a matter that must be charged or dispatched, untie and set in place the Fulu (talismans and registers), and then command the scribe-spirits; do the same when lying down to sleep at night. If the matter concerns sexual relations between man and woman, proceed by this same method, and bring it about that the woman knows no shame.

The Yellow Emperor said: If a woman delights in cultivating the Dao (the Way), she should be made to practice according to the divine method. According to the Shitu (Historical Diagram), a man follows the way of the husband and a woman follows the way of the wife. When husband and wife cultivate together, they move in accord with the Dao just as Qian and Kun, Heaven and Earth, follow the course of Heaven.

Thus, when husband and wife are of one mind, their combined strength is enough to cut through metal and stone, and the benefits gained from practicing together run deeper still. In this way they may ride the Azure Dragon and roam the world together with the spirits (Shen). These methods must be guarded strictly.

The scripture (Jing) goes on to say that one must not... (the original phrase "勿令奉其妻" is unclear in meaning and may contain textual errors or omissions). It also says that without restraint, calamity will follow, and that evil conduct begins with women. One who cannot practice this method will instead ruin themselves. But if one practices diligently, then once the work is accomplished, the divine powers will recognize you as a Realized Person (Zhenren), and Heaven will naturally send the Jade Maidens of the Azure Waist (Qingyao Yunü, female immortals of Daoist legend) to assist you.

The Yellow Emperor said: My former teacher, Lord Li, sat upright in a quiet and solemn courtyard, occupying the imperial seat of Taiwei (the stellar region where the celestial emperor-star resides). Among the starry lodges of the Big Dipper (Beidou) he saw these eight talismanic scripts and transmitted them to me, a beginner. At that time I did not yet understand the principles of their favorable and contrary workings, so I kowtowed and offered worship toward the constellations. After I drew the talismans of the Eight Historians in the same manner, the Eight Historians appeared. By the divine power of the Eight Historians and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the Bagua talismans can also exert a restraining force; the Eight Historians do no harm to people.

Every household has its Eight Historians, who take turns keeping watch before the door-pivot of the hall. From above the Big Dipper it is said: the Lord of the Dipper (the stellar lord of the Big Dipper) governs human affairs, and only when one has obtained the stellar talismans can one restrain those who abandon righteousness, do evil, and violate prohibitions. Only when one receives the Fulu (talismans and registers) and cultivates according to the method will the spirits put their power into effect. The binding force of the Historian-star Fulu is very great and can subdue evil conduct; the Eight Historians do no harm to people. Every household has its Eight Historians, who take turns keeping watch before the door-pivot of the hall. From above the Big Dipper it is further said: the Lord of the Dipper governs human affairs, and only when one has obtained the stellar talismans can one restrain those who abandon righteousness, do evil, and violate prohibitions. Only when one receives the Fulu and cultivates according to the method will the spirits put their power into effect.

The prohibitions attached to the Historian-star Fulu are of great weight and must not be passed on at will; only a worthy and virtuous gentleman may receive them, and you must be cautious. Even if someone offers a thousand pieces of gold to obtain them, do not transmit them lightly. Transmit them to the worthy; if you transmit them to the unworthy, you will bring on calamity. If you meet a suitable person, you should make the sacrificial announcement according to the rite I have described. Sacrifices to the talismans must all be performed according to the proper regulations; do not worship beneath the stars of the Big Dipper. If, in receiving the Fulu transmitted by the Lord of the Dipper, one does not understand the rules, one may startle the Historian spirits. If the matter has not been reported upward, the Lord of the Dipper will punish that person and cause him to share in the calamity as well.

At the sacrifice, set four seats for the thrones of the Five Emperors, each two zhang in length, and spread silk fabrics that accord with the regulations as sitting mats; arrange three clean offering tables. On each table place incense, a lamp, jujube broth, and seven kinds of fruit. In the center set another seat to honor the Historian spirits; on its table place one offering of incense and one lamp, three kinds of fruit, and a plate of green chestnuts and jujubes, and set the talisman in the center. Set one further seat to honor the Five Emperors; on its table place five plates of fruit, burn incense, and light the lamps, inviting the Five Emperors, the spirits of the Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Most High Lord Lao, and the Divine Sovereign Fuxi to descend. Then call upon the names of the Bagua and upon the Zhenren (Perfected) who carry out the talismanic method, saying: “So-and-so delights in cultivating the Dao (the Way) and has lately come to make his request; he will now receive his stellar talismans, and the talismans will be transmitted to a worthy and enlightened person.”

The altar must be arranged in the five colors, each color bright and distinct. Broth, tea, and fresh fruit of the season should be reverently prepared as the rite requires, and the salutations should be performed with care and with a heart of utter sincerity. Even if no stray thoughts remain in the mind, the sacrifice should still be held beneath the Big Dipper. Do not allow too many people to take part, or the spirits will not descend. When the sacrifice is over, deliver the talisman to the worthy person. The recipient bows and receives it, and the true spirits then attach themselves to the talisman. Before transmission one must observe fasting and purification according to the regulations; only afterward may the talisman be handed over.

When sacrificing to the talismans, and when performing the rite beneath the Big Dipper, one must not pray aloud; one need only recite silently in the heart.