《清微玄枢奏告仪》

In the altar court we hold the rite. First we burn in the water basin the talisman used to cleanse impurity, then we kneel and recite the incantation of Heaven and Earth, reporting to the deities.

We speak with reverence: the realm of the Mysterious Capital is profound and wondrous. Although the spiritual powers of the deities are vast, the sincere intent of our mortal hearts, no more than an inch, can hardly reach Lingbao directly—the supreme sacred beings and scriptures venerated in Daoism. Now we burn one stick of pure incense of Wuwei (non-action), wishing that its fragrance may reach all the heavens.

I, your servant of the stated rank and name, with a heart of dread and reverence, knock my head to the ground and bow again, and submit this memorial: to the Celestial Emperor of Qingwei (Pure Tenuity), True Origin, and Wondrous Transformation; the Celestial Emperor of Qingwei, the Purple Court, and Great Efflorescence; the Celestial Lord of Qingwei and the Grand Beginning; the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, Benevolence and Majesty; and also the Primordial Lady of Lofty Origin, Pure Perfection, and the Purple Void; the Primordial Lady of Jade Blossom and Penetrating Grace; the Perfected Lord, High Minister of Grand Mystery and Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); the Perfected Lord, Inner Minister of the Celestial Pivot, of Divine Merit and Wondrous Deliverance; the Primordial Lady of the Golden Portal, Manifest Concentration, the Wondrous Dao (the Way), and the Protection of Immortals; the Primordial Lady of Dragon Radiance and Luminous Dao; the Primordial Lady of Purple Bloom and Jade Grace; the Perfected Lord of Western Florescence and Pure Void; Perfected Zhu of Qingcheng and Penetrating Grace; Perfected Li of the Cloudy Mountains, Preserver of the One; Perfected Nan of Mount Mei, hidden in undivided chaos; Perfected Huang of Cinnabar Mountain and the Thunder Abyss; Perfected Ye of Yunlai; together with all the ancestral masters, past and present, who have transmitted the methods, conferred the Dao, and propagated the teaching.

We respectfully ask the ancestral masters to look down in compassion and hear our report. Lingbao opens and manifests its light, and the Qi (vital energy) of the Primordial Beginning handed down by the ancestors spreads through the vast heaven and earth. The Great Dao of the Mysterious Origin brings forth wondrous merit and illumines the three thousand worlds. The Great Dao alone is most exalted; yet if those who cultivate the Dao have no lineage of teachers, they can hardly receive guidance.

Now a certain person has chosen this night to hold a rite of audience and announcement, praying to the stars of the Northern Dipper—the Dipper Pole, the celestial deities in Daoism who govern stellar destiny and its degrees—to dissolve unfavorable stellar fortunes, and asking that blessings be granted and calamities removed. We earnestly beg the ancestral masters, the sound of their jade pendants stirring, to descend one after another from the celestial realm; to make manifest the order and discipline of the Daoist tradition; and to descend to the altar court to receive our homage. All who take part in the ritual service sincerely direct their thoughts, set forth the purification rite (Zhai) and perform the rites, and respectfully extend this invitation.

Thereafter we hold the rite of observing the purification retreat, welcome the cloud carriages—the carriages amid the clouds in which the deities ride—scatter flowers, and offer tea.

With utmost sincerity, I, your servant, respectfully submit this memorial: to the Qingwei Celestial Emperor of True Origin and Wondrous Transformation, the Qingwei Celestial Emperor of the Purple Court and Great Flourishing, the Qingwei Celestial Lord of the Great Beginning, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, Humane and Majestic, the Primordial Lady of Lofty Origin, Pure and True, of the Purple Void, the Primordial Lady of Jade Splendor and Penetrating Beneficence, the Perfected Lord of Supreme Mystery, Senior Minister of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), together with the Perfected Lord, Inner Minister of the Celestial Mechanism, of Divine Merit and Wondrous Salvation, the Primordial Lady of the Golden Portal, Radiant Concentration, the Wondrous Dao (the Way), and the Protection of Immortals, the Primordial Lady of Dragon Radiance and the Illumined Dao, the Primordial Lady of Purple Bloom and Jade Grace, the Perfected Lord of Western Florescence and Pure Vacuity, Perfected Zhu of Qingcheng of Penetrating Beneficence, Perfected Li of the Cloud Mountains who Preserves the One, Perfected Nan of Mount Mei, Secluded in the Undifferentiated, Perfected Huang of Cinnabar Mountain and the Thunder Abyss, and Ancestral Master Perfected Ye of Yunlai, as well as all the great ancestral masters from antiquity to the present who, generation after generation, have transmitted the methods of the Dao and expounded the teachings. I respectfully beg that, in your compassion, you look down and examine this memorial.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended the precious pearl and proclaimed the wondrous purport of saving beings and bringing them to liberation; Lord Lao ascended the Jade Bureau and established the mysterious Keyi (liturgy) for relieving calamity and distress. These methods can protect life and lengthen one’s years, and they can also dispel disaster and resolve misfortune. Let them be transmitted to those who possess good roots, so that the methods of the Dao are handed down from generation to generation; and let them broadly form good affinities for the people of the world, so that in life after life they may have a support on which to rely, turn toward the orthodox Dao, and leave the path of delusion.

I consider that I have long possessed good roots and early drew near to the orthodox teaching. Having been graciously appointed to preside over the affairs of cultivation, I dare not grow lax in proclaiming the methods of the Dao; yet I have still not fully understood the path by which practice advances, and for this I feel deep anxiety and dread. If I do not rely upon my masters to mold and fashion me, how can I meet the moment when cultivation proves efficacious and resonance finds its response? This anxiety, too, I turn over again and again in my heart.

I, now named so-and-so, have received the mandate of the methods and respectfully follow the ritual norms, and I now perform and proclaim them according to the liturgy. Looking up to the Northern Dipper, I request to take the celestial Qi (vital energy)—the pure and upright Qi of the heavenly realm—and to burn the talisman; I establish a star altar and arrange the altar ground according to the patterns of heaven and the configuration of the earth. If no ancestral presiding master takes charge, the rite has no way to proceed. I earnestly beg that generals, commanders, and troops be dispatched to descend upon the altar, to sweep away filth and malign vapors, so that the altar may draw near to the realm where the true spirits dwell; some to oversee documents and their sealing, others charged especially with protection, each taking up office and station, conveying my sincerity, so that I may obtain resonant response and the mysterious gift of grace may be made manifest.

I now clarify my thoughts and dispel selfish desires, single-mindedly mindful of the Dao and contemplating the True. I rely on the support of orthodox Qi and on the shining of auspicious light. May the true fire burn through and cleanse my whole body, and may the numinous wind blow upon the three Dantian (energy centers)—the three sites of cultivation within the human body—so that this ordinary body may be transformed, melted, and become a wondrous form. Only then can I tread the stellar Guideline and pace the Dipper, form the hand seals and circulate Qi, uniting Qi with Shen (spirit); in the empty and far-reaching realm, recognize the true body, as an image appears in a mirror; and in the realm of wondrous being and numinous clarity, seek the root of my original destiny, as a valley answers a sound.

I pray that wind and cloud be clear and still, and that the stars and the Dipper shine in brilliance; that the matters set forth in this memorial may receive abundant grace, and that the wishes held in visualization may be answered and fulfilled. In sincere awe and trepidation I knock my head to the ground and bow again, devoutly awaiting the descent of the divine command. Respectfully I submit this memorial.

The practitioner, while reciting the Golden Light Incantation (Jinguang Zhou), visualizes the deities and treads the paces of the Gangbu (a prescribed stepping method that symbolizes walking among the stars). They then burn Fulu (talismans and registers) to summon the divine generals.

In the stellar pivot of the Northern Dipper (Beidou) there are divine generals who assist the stars of the celestial realm in their courses, reward good and punish evil, and examine people’s faults and improper words and deeds. By command of the Jade Emperor (Yudi, a revered deity of Daoism), their awesome might stands guard over the Jasper Pool (Yaochi, a paradise of the celestial realm). On hearing my summons, they are to come with all speed, riding wind and fire, descend to the ritual altar, and must not delay. I announce this with due care.

The practitioner recites the Golden Light Incantation, visualizes the deities, and treads the Gangbu, then once more burns talismans to summon the generals.

In the stellar pivot of the Northern Dipper there are divine generals who assist the stars in their courses, reward good and punish evil, and examine faults. By command of the Jade Emperor, their awesome might guards the Jasper Pool. On hearing my summons, they are to come racing on wind and fire, descend to the ritual altar, and must not be late. You are the Commander-in-Chief of the One Qi (Yiqi Dudu—the divine office that governs Qi [vital energy]), and you also administer the affairs of the Thunder Bureau. I now burn incense and send flying talismans to proclaim the summons:

Fang Yangzhong, Swift-Flying Envoy of Urgent Memorial and Retribution of the Mysterious Pivot; Wang Zhi, Heavenly Lord of Great Unity (Taiyi) who Assists the Mysterious Dipper; Gong Hong, Heavenly Lord of the Aggregate Perfected, of Numinous Response to the Xuanji (the jade pivot-stars); and Liu Qian, Heavenly Lord of the Pivot Spirit who Preserves the Origin and Manifests Splendor—please heed this proclamation, descend swiftly to the ritual altar; a matter is to be entrusted to you.

You are requested to put on feathered robes and wear the Seven Stars. All weal and woe in the human world must be requited with clear distinction. Authorized by the talismanic mandate sent down from Heaven above, I now proclaim the talismans and summon: Yang Ruming, Superior Immortal Envoy of Qingyang (the Raised Ram) within the Dipper; Geng Miaozhen, Great Immortal Envoy of Tuoluo within the Dipper; the Perfected Lord, High Minister Who Levels the Pivot; and the Secretary Who Transmits Affairs of the Dipper’s Mechanism. On hearing the summons, come at once to the ritual altar; a matter is to be entrusted to you.

The deities of Heaven are the spirit-essences of the stars and the Dipper; on the left is Yang Ruming, and on the right is Geng Miaozhen. Their divine powers are beyond fathoming, and they can pass in and out of the hidden and the nether dark. I now urge you to come swiftly to the ritual altar; to defy my command is as if to defy the Celestial Emperor. Act at once in accordance with the deliverance-summons statutes of the Northern Emperor (Beidi, the sovereign who rules the North).

Commander-in-Chief of the One Qi, Branch Office of the Thunder Bureau: I now press the summons with flying talismans:

Marshal Fang, envoy of the Mysterious Pivot within the Dipper, who flies swiftly to deliver urgent memorials; Marshal Wang, Celestial Lord of Taiyi who assists and upholds the Mysterious Dipper; Marshal Gong, Celestial Lord of the Assembled Perfected, whose roving armillary sphere answers with numinous efficacy; Marshal Liu, Celestial Lord of the Pivot Numen, who preserves the origin and manifests illustrious splendor; Marshal Yang, superior immortal of Qingyang within the Dipper; Envoy Geng, great immortal of Tuoluo within the Dipper; the Perfected Lord, senior minister of the Dipper Pivot; and the communicating secretary of the Dipper mechanism—we ask all these deities to divide their forms and transform into Qi (vital energy), descend to the lamp altar (the place where the rite is held, lamps are offered, and the altar is set), inspect the affairs of the altar, and make plain the true condition of matters, so that fortune and misfortune appear clearly and those who pray receive the requital and response due to them.

The deities’ majestic bearing and proven efficacy are resplendent and beyond fathoming; they bring matters to completion without any need for deliberate effort. Whenever they are summoned, they descend at once. In the space of a blink and a lifted brow, a memorial reaches the Nine Heavens; in the moment of turning the head and turning the palm, their response extends throughout the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and humanity). Whatever is sought receives an answer, and no wish fails to be granted.

Now the officiant on duty, acting under orders, has appointed this night on behalf of a certain person to present an audience address to the Northern Dipper (Beidou, the stellar deities venerated in Daoism), requesting that a gracious mandate be issued, specifically to pray for that person’s peace and safety. We respectfully invite the immortal envoys within the Dipper to bear the talismanic mandate, devoutly petition the Xuanji Palace of Responsive Numen of the Northern Dipper, and submit this memorial:

We respectfully invite the Stellar Lords of the Supreme Dao of the Nine Celestial Residences of the Northern Dipper, the Ladies of the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper, and the host of Numinous Officials of the Dipper canopy to descend together to the stellar altar and bear witness to this rite of cultivation and offering. We further ask the envoys to convey the petition on our behalf, to grant what is sought, and to bring the prayer to fulfillment as wished. The summoning of the immortals and the perfected now begins.

The Stellar Lords of the Upper Dao of the Nine Palaces of the Northern Dipper, the Nine Empresses of the Northern Dipper, and the spirit officials governed by the Dipper Kerchief (the ritual cloth used in Daoist ceremonies): we invite you to descend together to the stellar altar and bear witness to this rite of cultivation and reverence. May all that the divine envoys memorialize be fulfilled as wished.

When the immortal perfected are summoned, the immortal perfected come; when the holy spirits are welcomed, the holy spirits arrive. We ask the gods to manifest the efficacy of this talisman, so that the human heart may become clear and lucid. We reverently carry this out according to celestial law, and enact it at once.

We now earnestly beg the powers of awe to condescend and descend: the Celestial Physicians of the Northern Dipper, the great spirit officials, the divine clerks who relieve adversity, and the divine generals associated with this pendant (the ritual office or talismanic insignia honored here). We further invite the officers and generals of the Thunder bureaus; Marshal Wen, Supreme General of the Earth Spirits; Marshal Ma, Spirit Official of Wind and Fire of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); Marshal Zhao, Enforcer of the Law of the Mysterious Altar; Marshal Gu, Grand Year of the Earth Bureau; Marshal Guan, Bright Spirit of Fengdu; Marshal Wang, Fierce Clerk of Huoluo; together with the deputy marshals of the various bureaus, the merit officers who transmit memorials, the immortal-lad officers of talisman-water who expel evil and treat illness, and the officers who govern awesome spirits and retribution. Descend together to the lamp altar, ascertain the true facts of the matter, assist in the performance of the rite, and make manifest the efficacy of the teaching.

We further ask the gods of the Five Invocations of the Inner Court to examine together every circumstance of the person concerned (the original phrase “so-and-so’s body-field” is a ritual placeholder, referring here to the one for whom a rite of averting misfortune is announced, or who is the subject of an inquiry), especially fortune and misfortune yet to come, and to reveal them clearly, so that inference may have a basis and the teaching may be displayed. May the retribution received be exact and without error: above, manifesting the efficacy of the method of the Northern Dipper; below, answering the earnest prayers of all. May health and peace stand as proof, and may responsive communion be granted; I wait with reverence before the altar for a clear reply.

Celestial Worthy Who Responds as Occasions Arise

The assembly pays homage to the Master according to ritual propriety, and visualizes the Master according to the liturgical method.

Guarding the Numinous

The primordial Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the Mysterious Dipper, and the light of the Three Pure Essences, shine with clarity. The myriad perfected open the orthodox Dao (the Way) and sweep away calamity. By the jade tablets of the Eight Awesome Powers, proclamation is made to all numinous beings, commanding the Nine Chronograms to keep strict watch, to seize and restrain malign spirits, and to execute demons and sprites, so that people may lengthen their years and live on without end.

The Youth of Opening Light strictly guards the imperial court. Starlight shines through all, and Shen (spirit) and Qi reach the dark realms in every direction. The evil ghosts of the Six Heavens are cut down, and the ghostly hosts of Mount Feng are subdued; they are bound and escorted to Shuodan. Should any dare to delay and refuse obedience, golden halberds bind their bodies, and the majesty of the celestial Dao is made plain. Hun and po souls are settled in concealment and peace, and unite in truth with the Dao.

The awesome gods of the eight directions sweep away filth and deviant Qi. The Stellar Lords of the Seven Primordials descend and inscribe the registers of names upon jade slips. Riding carriages of sunlight, the gods ascend in flight to the realm of Jade Clarity.

Strike the ritual drum twenty-four times.

The Supreme Three Heavens, the Primordial Mysterious Three Qi (Qi, vital energy: the wondrous primordial vital energy at the beginning of the cosmos), and the Most High Old Lord of the Five Numina should summon forth from within the bodies of your servants the Three-Five Merit Officers (the divine clerks charged with transmitting memorials) and the officers of the left and right.

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

The Supreme Three Heavens, the Primordial Mysterious Three Qi, and the Most High Old Lord of the Five Numina should summon forth from within the bodies of your servants the Three-Five Merit Officers, the emissaries of the officers of the left and right, the dragon-post riders of the left and right who bear incense, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words and scatter flowers, together with the on-duty talisman officers of the Five Emperors and the incense officers assigned to the day—thirty-six of each kind. Once the summoned divine officers have come forth, they are to set their robes and caps in order and dress with solemn dignity, their cap-bands neatly arranged and their tassels hanging down.

They then announce the opening of the mysterious altar (reporting the invocation to the Daoist altar) and inform the Celestial Emperor, the celestial perfected, and the earth gods and local spirits of this place: Your servant now ascends the altar to pay homage and make report, respectfully submitting a memorial on the matters set forth. What the heart, in all sincerity, wishes to declare has already been recorded and sent upward. May the life-engendering Qi of the orthodox perfected of the Most High throughout the ten directions (the vital energy of life that comes from the orthodox deities of the ten directions) descend and flow into the bodies of your servants, so that the sincerity of what your servant memorializes may be swiftly conveyed and reach directly before the throne.

Respectfully memorializing before the throne of the Jade Emperor, Lord on High of Vast Heaven, of the Most High Limitless Great Dao; the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity at the North Pole; and the Nine Sovereign Star Lords of the Northern Dipper.

The Celestial Worthy of True Light Shining Bright.

The lamps and candles are lit, and the incantation is recited:

The Lord on High has issued a decree: kindle and set in motion the Dipper lamps. The Seven Kings descend to rescue all living beings. The Left Assistant and the Right Aide personally manifest their awesome numinous power. Marshal Tianpeng commands the immortal troops; the envoys of the Five Thunders, the Six Jia and the Six Ding, together with the Great Sage Xuanwu and the Three Stars within the Platform, descend as one. They can heal illness and dispel calamity, turning those on the point of death from peril to safety. Those who defy the decree must die; those who comply with the rescue will live. Mighty power is sent down to destroy demons, evil spirits, and spectral essences, so that the three hun souls return and adhere to the body and the seven po souls are settled. Once the Dipper lamps shine, the dwelling of body and mind is bright and at peace.

In the original text, the passage following “the Three Stars of the midst” is repeated once; the meaning is still the healing of illness, the dispelling of disaster and deliverance from distress, the destruction of demons and evil spirits, and the settling of the souls.

The talisman for the descent of the perfected is burned, and the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper are invited to descend.

Your servant of the appropriate rank, So-and-so, first performs one hundred prostrations, and then presents the memorial:

The Great Sage of the Central Heaven, Grand Commandant and August Sovereign of the Greedy Wolf Star of the Gangji Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Greedy Wolf Star Lord among the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper); the Chief Minister and August Sovereign of the Great Gate Star of the Lingguan Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Great Gate Star Lord); the Minister of Works and August Sovereign of the Preserver of Emoluments Star of the Ziji Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Preserver of Emoluments Star Lord); the Roving Commander and August Sovereign of the Civil Melody Star of the Yuntian Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Civil Melody Star Lord); the Dipper Lord and August Sovereign of the Pure and Chaste Star of the Dixi Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Pure and Chaste Star Lord); the Grand Master of Ceremonies and August Sovereign of the Martial Melody Star of the Shangzun Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Martial Melody Star Lord); the Supreme Thearch and August Sovereign of the Army-Breaker Star of the Guanhui Palace of the Northern Dipper (the Army-Breaker Star Lord); the August Sovereign of the Outer Assistant Star of the Jade Thearch of the Dongyang Palace; the August Sovereign of the Inner Aide Star of the Imperial Perfected of the Yinyuan Palace; and the Nine Sovereign Ladies of the Northern Dipper (the goddesses who assist the various stars of the Northern Dipper).

We look up with reverence to the compassion of the Dao (the Way), and earnestly beg you to bestow your light and descend upon the ritual altar (the place where the rite is performed), to examine our prayers and make plain what is auspicious and what is inauspicious. May the omens at times appear in the lamplight, and at times show themselves faintly amid the transformations of things. With wholehearted reverence we wait in stillness, that every wish we pray for may be fulfilled. We, your servants, knock our heads in thanks, bow once more, and respectfully welcome the sacred procession.

(Visualize the deities descending, borne on cloud chariots.)

Just now we respectfully presented our petition, and you have already graciously arrived. We bow again in thanks and homage, and reverently offer pure wine and fragrant tea.

(When the rite is concluded, we, your servants, knock our heads in thanks, bow once more, and respectfully welcome the sacred procession.)

(Visualize the deities descending, borne on cloud chariots.)

Just now we respectfully presented our petition, and you have already graciously arrived. We bow again in thanks and homage, and reverently offer pure wine and fragrant tea.

Scatter flowers into the basin and divine with talismans (fu) (scatter the flowers into the basin and use talismans for divination).

Transmit the memorial (convey the written memorial and present the prayer).

I, the minister of established rank, So-and-so, with a heart of reverent devotion, respectfully submit this petition to the divine perfected:

the Ancestral Master of the Dipper Pole, Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Great Dao (the Way) of Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection); the Mysterious Master of the Dipper Pole, Most High Lord of the Dao of Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery); the True Master of the Dipper Pole, Most High Lord Lao of Dongshen (Cavern of Spirit)—the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen); the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor; the High Thearch of the Mysterious Vault; the Great Thearch of Heaven of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Great Thearch of the North Pole of the Central Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Most High Venerable Thearch, Jade Emperor of the Northern Dipper; the Jade Thearch of Grand Tenuity; and the Great Thearch of the Mysterious Ministers; the Imperial Lord of the Sun of the Solar Palace of Shangqing (Highest Clarity); the Sovereign Lord of the Moon of the Lunar Bureau of Shangqing; the stellar sovereign lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper—Tanlang (Greedy Wolf), Jumen (Great Gate), Lucun (Preserver of Emoluments), Wenqu (Literary Melody), Lianzhen (Pure and Steadfast), Wuqu (Martial Melody), and Pojun (Army Breaker)—together with the Stellar Sovereign Lord Lucun of the Empty Cavern; and also the Stellar Sovereign Lord, Outer Assistant of the Jade Thearch, the Stellar Sovereign Lord, Inner Aide of the Imperial Perfected, and the Lady Who Prolongs Life of the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper.

The Great Sage Tiangang, regulator of the myriad perfected, Imperial Lord of Kui Radiance; the stellar lords of the Eastern, Western, and Central Dippers; the stellar lords of the Three Terraces and the Floral Canopy; the stellar lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions of the four directions; the stellar lords of the twelve palatial divisions; the stellar lords of the sixty Jiazi; the Shangqing stellar lords who shine upon the natal destiny of the one born in such-and-such year, month, and day; the stellar lords of the greater and lesser cycles; the stellar lords of the greater and lesser limits; the stellar lords of the two storehouses of emolument and horse; the eight divine generals of embryonic birth; and the true governors who preside over fate and the palaces of limitation;

the Great Imperial Lords, the Three Officials of the Three Primordials; the Perfected Lords, the Three Marshals of the North Pole; the Perfected Lord Zhenwu of the North Pole, who guards Heaven, answers with numinous power, and protects the sages; the Ancestral Celestial Master (Tianshi), Supreme Minister of Grand Mystery, Perfected Lord of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); the Perfected Lord Grand Scribe, Metropolitan Immortal of the Nine Provinces; the Perfected Lord, Immortal Elder of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate); the Perfected Lords, the Three Immortals of Mount Huagai; and the masters of successive generations who have transmitted the Qingwei (Pure Tenuity) method of petition and announcement through the Mysterious Pivot;

Marshal Fang, envoy of the Mysterious Pivot within the True Dipper, who flies swiftly to bear urgent petitions and the responses to them; the Perfected Lord, Supreme Minister of the Dipper Pivot; the interpreter-secretary of the Dipper Mechanism; the two immortal envoys within the Dipper, Qingyang and Tuoluo; the three Great Heavenly Lords of Thunder, Deng, Xin, and Zhang; the two Great Heavenly Lords of divine ferocity of Shangqing, Gou and Bi; the host of immortal numinous officers of the Dipper Kerchief; the officers and generals of the various bureaus under such-and-such an oratory; and all the divine perfected invited to descend upon the lamp altar.

This is the opening invocation of a Daoist petition-announcement rite. The “lamp altar” is the altar space where lamps are set out and the liturgy is performed; the deities listed in the text are respectfully invited to approach the altar, examine, and bear witness. They are respectfully asked, with the compassionate heart of the Great Dao, to see clearly and to respond to the petition.

I, the minister, have heard that when the Dao of Qingwei governs and moves in its course, ...

When the Purple Tenuity lets fall and spreads the orthodox Qi (vital energy)—the pure primordial energy of which Daoism speaks—the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), origin of the myriad things, unfolds the chart of the celestial images, and the North Pole manifests a bright numinous radiance. The Canopy star shines upon the deep Jade Enclosure, and the Gouchen stars stand ranged among the lofty Golden Towers. They hold comprehensive sway over the Yin-Yang of heaven and earth and drive the Imperial Chariot, so that the sun, the moon, and the five planets move in proper order; they govern the coordinates of the heavenly bodies, wield the Tiangang, and arrange the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Upon the tortoise diagram a soaring divine light appears, and upon the phoenix slips the brilliance of the Kui star flashes. Their divine achievement is vast, and the spirits are illustrious.

I reflect that in the past I planted roots of goodness and was born into a fortunate time in which the great Dao (the Way) could be fully attained. Although I have striven in cultivation and regulated and refined my hun and po souls, I have still been unable to accord with the realm of emptiness and nothingness. As my breath circulated, my spirit too was thrown into disorder, and instead every kind of turbidity and impurity accumulated. Faults are easily heaped up as heavy as the great weights jun and shi, while merit has not been gathered even by so little as a daogui. Fortunately, through the profound compassionate grace of Heaven above, I have been able to hold office in the Mysterious Gate.

I, your servant So-and-so, have now chosen an auspicious hour on behalf of a certain person, and on this night I pay court and make report to the deities of the Northern Dipper and the North Pole, expressly in order to avert and dispel for that person the unfavorable influences brought by stellar destiny and to pray for peace and safety. Now, reverently following the sacred decree sent down from the celestial realm, I respectfully request that a certain general advance to audience at the Mysterious Pivot of the Purple Extremity and swiftly present the memorial set forth in my heart, so that it may be conveyed upward to the court of Heaven. I humbly pray that the Primordial Sovereign look down in illumination and that the Yuchen—the palaces of the celestial realm—send down light; that he command the Five Emperors and the Four Offices to record good conduct and merit upon the azure slips; and that the case files of the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus be opened, calamity removed, and the matter entered in the mysterious registers. I earnestly beg that the grace of protection be bestowed, so as to comfort those who look upward with sincere longing. Your servant, in fear and trembling, knocks his head and bows twice, prostrating himself before the altar, awaiting Heaven’s grace to become manifest and take effect. The related memorial documents have all been prepared and are now respectfully to be read aloud and submitted.

After the memorial has been read aloud, place it in the incense burner and burn it.

Burn the Fulu (talismans and registers) together with the memorial, and read aloud the document that transmits the Fulu:

The Supreme Thearch bestows his grace, and the immortal spirits of the Seven Perfected extend their protection. □□□□, clearly inspecting the encampments and retinues of ghosts and spirits. □□□ descend, forever protecting peace and safety. With all urgency, carry this out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Bow forward in silent audience and perform the three salutations.

Give thanks for the grace bestowed.

Burn the talisman of thanksgiving. I, your servant So-and-so, of the rank herein stated, with a sincere and reverent heart once more respectfully address you:

We respectfully invite the Ancestral Master of the Dipper Pole, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Great Dao (the Way) of Dongzhen; the Mysterious Master of the Dipper Pole, the Supreme Lord of the Dao of Dongxuan; and the True Master of the Dipper Pole, the Most High Lord Lao of the Great Dao of Dongshen, of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen); the Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy and High Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault; the Great Emperor of Heaven of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Central Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Most High Jade Sovereign Honored Emperor of the Northern Dipper; the Jade Emperor of Grand Tenuity; the Great Emperor Xuanqing; the Imperial Lord of the Sun of the Solar Palace of Highest Clarity; the Sovereign Lord of the Moon of the Lunar Bureau of Highest Clarity; and the stellar sovereign lords of the Northern Dipper: the Stellar Sovereign Lord Tanlang (Greedy Wolf), Grand Commandant of the Palace of the Guiding Pole; the Stellar Sovereign Lord Jumen (Great Gate), Prime Minister of the Numinous Pass; the Stellar Sovereign Lord Lucun (Sustaining Emolument), Minister of Works of the Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Stellar Sovereign Lord Wenqu (Civil Melody), Roaming Commander of the Bureau That Moves Heaven; the Dipper Lord and Stellar Sovereign Lord Lianzhen (Pure and Upright) of the Palace of the Imperial Mat; the Stellar Sovereign Lord Wuqu (Martial Melody), Grand Constant of the Palace of Highest Honor of the Northern Emperor; the Stellar Sovereign Lord Pojun (Army Breaker), Supreme Sovereign of the Palace Where the Passes Convene; the Stellar Sovereign Lord of the Outer Assistant, Jade Emperor of the Palace of Cavern-Yang; and the Stellar Sovereign Lord of the Inner Aide, Imperial Perfected of the Palace of Hidden Origin.

We respectfully invite the Lady of Prolonged Life of the Nine Sovereigns of the Northern Dipper; the Great Sage Tiangang, Regulator of the Myriad Perfected, Imperial Lord of Kui Radiance; the stellar lords of the Eastern, Western, and Central Dippers; the stellar lords of the Three Terraces and the Floral Canopy; the stellar lords of the Twenty-Eight Lodges of the Four Quarters; the stellar lords of the Twelve Palaces; the stellar lords of the sixty sexagenary positions; and, within Highest Clarity, the stellar lord who presides over and shines upon the natal destiny of the person born in such-and-such a year, month, and day; the stellar lords of the greater and lesser cycles of fortune; the stellar lords of the greater and lesser limits; the stellar lords of Emolument, the Horse, and the Two Treasuries; the eight divine generals of the positions of womb-birth; and the true governors who shine upon the palaces of fate, fortune, and limit.

We respectfully invite the Great Imperial Lords, the Three Officials of the Three Primordials; the Perfected Lords, the Three Marshals of the Northern Pole; the Perfected Lord Who Guards Heaven at the Northern Pole, the Numinously Responsive Dark Warrior and Saintly Protector; the Ancestral Celestial Master (Tianshi), Supreme Minister of Great Mystery and Perfected Lord of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); the Perfected Lord, Chief Immortal and Grand Historian of the Nine Provinces; the Perfected Lord, Immortal Elder of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate); the Perfected Lords, the Three Immortals of Mount Huagai; the great masters of every generation, from antiquity to the present, who have transmitted the Jing (scripture/classic) and expounded the teaching in the memorial rite of the Mysterious Pivot of Qingwei; and, within the True Dipper, Marshal Fang, the swift-flying envoy of the Mysterious Pivot who urgently presents memorials and brings their response; the Perfected Lord, Supreme Minister of the Dipper Pivot; the Interpreting Secretary of the Dipper Mechanism; the two immortal envoys within the Dipper, Qingyang and Tuoluo; the three Great Heavenly Lords of Thunder, Deng, Xin, and Zhang; the two Great Heavenly Lords of Divine Ferocity of Highest Clarity, Gou and Bi; the host of immortal numinous officers within the Dipper; the officers and generals of the various bureaus attached to this parish; and all the assembled Perfected who descend to the lamp altar.

We respectfully hope that all of you, with a heart of compassion rooted in the Dao, will examine clearly and discern all things through and through.

This servant has heard that when the honored sovereigns dwell in the jasper palaces and the light of dawn descends, lifespan flourishes, enduring like the long-lived chu tree; and when the Jade Bureau of the Mysterious Pivot receives the fair grace of Heaven above, the zhi writs and jade tablets fly forth and spread abroad. Only by penetrating the mystery of stillness and sympathetic response can one accord with the principle of the hidden and subtle and of the manifest and clear. How much more, then, do the Nine Sovereigns display the signs of Heaven, diffuse Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), and shine down upon the earth, while the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) form images, receive the pure essence, and above join in harmony with the Dao of Heaven. Looking up to the measures of Heaven and Earth, one finds that there are always those who assist; Heaven and Earth move like a bellows, and yet they never turn against the constant course.

Now a certain person, reverent and diligent, gazes up toward the Purple Extremity, performs the rites in a pure and splendid hall, arrays the ceremonial insignia proper to the human world, and prepares in full the norms of Keyi (liturgy) for audience with Heaven above, praying for deliverance from disaster and passage through adversity, and for the gift of blessing and the extension of life. Yet this servant still fears that, with a defiled body, he has presumed to take up the charge of presiding over the morning rites, and that, as to the mysterious and profound teaching, he has not yet clearly grasped the method by which it is transmitted and received. Before the divinities there may have been lapses of ritual propriety, and in contemplative visualization there may have been error. We earnestly beg that all of you will condescend to instruct those who come after in the teaching, and pardon the faults already committed.

We next pray that the stellar lords of the Seven Primordials guard the bodily form, and that the Nine Numina bestow long life; that the fierce stars be commanded to withdraw, so that the hundred blessings arrive together; and that the virtuous stellar luminaries be ordered to shine close at hand, so that the three calamities disperse.

We further pray that the course of Heaven be clear and at peace, the order of the earth settled and secure, the sun and moon moving in smooth accord, and the five planets meeting in auspicious conjunction; that the four seasons be harmonious and the foundation of the state flourish; that the year bring abundant harvest, and that the people fulfill their wish to preserve life and dwell in peace. In this way, above, the compassionate teaching of the Heavenly Worthies may be made manifest, and below, the devout hearts of this servant and the others who entrust their lives in refuge may be answered. This memorial is respectfully submitted.

Emissaries of the Incense Palace (divine messengers charged with incense affairs), the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the Numinous Officers who attend the incense: we, your servants, previously performed the court rite, praying for a bountiful harvest and for the people to dwell in peace, so that the wish to preserve life might be fulfilled. This is to manifest the vast compassionate teaching of the Celestial Worthies, and also to express our sincerity in turning our hearts to accept the mandate. We now respectfully report this to the deities.

Emissaries of the Incense Palace, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the Numinous Officers who attend the incense: at the place where we, your servants, previously made our court address to the divinities, the essence of golden liquor, cinnabar, and jade-green arose of itself, and the many numinous spirits and Perfected Persons likewise gathered before the incense burner. May our wholehearted sincerity ascend to the celestial court, and may wondrous grace descend upon the human world. We pray that the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions will receive and attend us, and that the fragrant smoke of orchid incense will convey the sincerity of what we previously memorialized, so that it may swiftly and directly reach the thrones of the Most High of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Jade August Thearch of Vast Heaven, the Great Thearch of Purple Tenuity at the North Pole, and the Nine August Star Lords of the Northern Dipper, Great Sages of the Central Heaven.