《黄帝太一八门入式秘诀》

Spell for Entering the Gate of Heaven

The Gate of Heaven opens; may the spirits (Shen) of the Six Jia protect and uphold me. Let the golden lock and the jade key open swiftly, and do not resist. Sweep away malign Qi (vital energy) and filth, so that evil ghosts fear and withdraw. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

In one place the original reads “su □,” where a character is missing, and the precise meaning cannot be determined.

Spell for Exiting the Door of Earth

Let the roads of the four directions be open, and do not let them be blocked. May the Jade Maiden escort me, and do not let So-and-so (standing for the person reciting the spell, or for the person indicated) be hindered. May this day be greatly auspicious for me: calamity disperses, good fortune gathers, and the journey proceeds smoothly of itself. I depart by the Door of Earth (the direction or pass through which one travels), and there is no longer worry or obstruction. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

The Six Yi Strike the Punishment

May every affair be successfully accomplished. Even if I encounter “the Six Yi striking the punishment” (a Qimen term, meaning that an unfavorable configuration is met where the Six Yi arrive), I will still go forward. The deity Tianpeng sends down numinous power; the White Emperor leads the way in front, and the Red Emperor guards my person. Whoever dares to block me, let that person be smashed to pieces, body and bone. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

The Three Extraordinary Ones Enter the Tomb

Heaven has the Three Extraordinary Ones (in Qimen Dunjia, the stems Yi, Bing, and Ding); the only worry is that they meet the Six Yi striking the punishment. I will still go forward. The deity Tianpeng sends down numinous power; the White Emperor leads the way in front, and the Red Emperor guards my person. Whoever dares to block me, let that person be smashed to pieces, body and bone. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

The Three Extraordinary Ones Enter the Tomb

Heaven has the Three Extraordinary Ones; the only worry is that a certain deity arrives at the post on duty and harms Yi, Bing, and Ding. I act on the command of the Heavenly Troops, guard the talismanic mandate, and keep it at peace. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances of the Supreme Thearch Who Opens Heaven in the Cloud Net, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

Reversal and Conquest That Damage Brightness

The sun and moon lose their radiance; the Qi of cyclic movement leaves me dark and without light. The Five Asterisms (stars or celestial bodies associated with the Five Phases [Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water]) bring no benefit of meeting in conjunction; only the star Taibai (that is, Venus) displays a Qi of keen clarity. Relying on this divine power, I bring about benefit in the six directions and nine kinds of confirming signs. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

Taibai Enters Fire

Above the Nine Heavens is the Yin Jing (essence) of the star Taibai. Following the procedure of the art, set it in motion so that it turns and comes to rest on the Fire Star (here the “Fire Star” of astral divination and mantic calculation). This favors combat and is also suited to action in the open country. One only reveres the awesome authority of Heaven, which portends matters of punishment yet to come. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

Fire Enters the Region of Metal

Yinghuo, the Dazzling Deluder (corresponding to Mars in traditional astral divination), enters our position of Metal with the essential Qi of fire. Taibai (Venus) is firm and strong and can break the force of fire; even on meeting the Fire Star, one remains safe and unharmed. If the other party wishes to harm me, the Supreme Thearch sends down divine spirits to protect and aid me. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

Yilong Wenqing

The White Tiger clears obstacles from the road, and the Azure Dragon guides me forward. In all that is done, one must carefully enter my position of Metal. Taibai is firm and strong and can break the force of fire; even on meeting the Fire Star, one remains safe and unharmed. If the other party wishes to harm me, the Supreme Thearch sends down divine spirits to protect and aid me. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out urgently, urgently.

Yi Long Wenqing

The White Tiger clears the road for me, and the Green Dragon leads the way. In all that one does, one must be careful and must on no account make a mistake; then blessings and De (Virtue) will swiftly come to one’s aid.

By the mighty spirits of the Celestial Emperor, the command is given to destroy ghosts, monsters, and thieves. The divine generals of the Six Yi lend their aid, and the Dao (the Way) of Heaven likewise supports good De. In the matter I now undertake, when I attack and seize, there is nothing I cannot overcome. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Bing Tang Zhongqing

The Great Sage Tiangang displays his martial might, and the Green Dragon and the White Tiger constantly attend him. He campaigns to punish the bandits and enemy captives of Heaven; if any dare refuse to submit, they are chastised with the celestial axe.

My body receives the protection of Heaven, and barriers shelter me both before and behind. The Green Dragon and the White Tiger drive off evil spirits on either side, while the Vermilion Bird leads and escorts me in front, so that I am not harassed. Celestial majesty protects me, and the divine generals of the Six Bing dispel calamity and illness. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Ding Ji Wenqing

The Jade Maidens of the Six Ding are divine mothers. Call upon them and regulate the breath evenly, and they will come to protect me. In the clear water grow many divine herbs; pluck the divine herbs as a covering and shield, and there is no need for alarm.

The command is proclaimed: Disciples of the Celestial Emperor, who lead the celestial troops, reward the good and punish the wicked, and pass in and out of the unseen realms. Those who come to protect me are the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding.

Whoever wishes to harm me—let that person’s bodily form destroy itself. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances. The Sun Wonder Seal, the Moon Wonder Seal, and the Star Wonder Seal.

The seals and talismans above are to be carved from maple or jujube wood that has been struck by lightning, then wiped with cinnabar, and worn on the person.

One reports to the spirits: I, So-and-so, great-grandson of the gods, now intend to use the Sun Wonder Seal, the Moon Wonder Seal, and the Star Wonder Seal.

The seals and talismans above are to be carved from maple or jujube wood that has been struck by lightning, then wiped with cinnabar, and worn on the person.

One reports to the spirits: I, So-and-so, great-grandson of the gods, am now going to a certain place to attend to a certain matter. The affair is urgent; disaster is at hand, and I cannot pause even briefly. I respectfully summon the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens, Fenghou, the Generals of the Six Jia, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Generals of the Twelve Months, and the myriad spirits to come together in response. On the ground I draw the ritual formation, so that I may go straight to that place, my movements smooth and as I wish, and so that all manner of strange anomalies disperse.

Enter the ritual formation from the position corresponding to the earthly branch of the current day. When reciting the section for the “zi day,” begin from the zi position.

Incantation of the Heavenly Gate: O Heavenly Gate, Heavenly Gate, open quickly for me! Because of a certain matter I must proceed to the palace court. Please hasten to draw aside the golden barrier for me, quickly take up the golden key, protect and rescue my body, aid me in going forward, and do not delay.

Incantation for Exiting the Earth Door.

The roads in all four directions are already clear; do not let them be blocked. The Jade Maidens (Yunu, guardian spirits in Daoist ritual arts) escort me; do not let so-and-so (the practitioner’s name, or a substitute designation) meet with any hindrance. Today is greatly auspicious: calamities disperse and blessings gather, so one may naturally go forward without difficulty. I shall leave the Earth Door (Dihu, the portal or passage upon the ground), and there will be no further worry or obstruction. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (the formula in Daoist spells that urges the spirits to carry out the command at once).

Spell for Entering the Heavenly Gate:

The Heavenly Gate stands wide open, and the Six Jia (Liujia, divine generals in Daoism who protect people) assist me. The golden lock and the jade key open swiftly; do not resist. Sweep away evil and defilement, and make malignant ghosts withdraw. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Spell for Riding with the Jade Maidens:

Heavenly Gate, O Heavenly Gate, this day is auspicious. Jade Maidens, O Jade Maidens, please guard me at my side. When I go out in the four directions, I meet with no calamity; when gentlemen see me, they are all exceedingly joyful. Whatever I seek is fulfilled as I wish, and all affairs are auspicious and flourishing. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the command of the Supreme Lord Emperor.

The example for a day of the earthly branch Zi is like this; the remaining days follow by the same pattern.

The Secret Method of the Most High Highest Clarity, the Eight Effulgences, the Returning Chariot, Completion of the Way, and the Flying Numina says: When the method is practiced at the Great Heat solar term, on a day when Earth Qi (vital energy) is flourishing, one can conceal bodily form and traces so that others cannot see them, and can also change into another appearance. One uses the Six Wu talisman seals (Daoist talisman seals associated with the Six Wu days); when the ritual precinct is sealed, the day Wuchen is used. The spell says: “Heavenly spirits assist Great Clarity and conceal its name; when one person works the method, the myriad things under Heaven all submit and follow.”

Invisibility Talisman of the Six Wu at Great Heat

The Perfected Zuo says: This method of the Six Wu is used for laying out a formation and carrying out affairs. One must consult the positions of the Gate of Heaven, the Door of Earth, the Peng Star, the Great Yang, and the Great Yin, walk in the manner of pacing the Gang and treading the Dipper, and act according to the days and hours corresponding to the ten Heavenly Stems. Before entering the formation, one first makes a silent invocation concerning the matter one has planned; when the affair is carried out, the paces counted should proceed from few to many. One must clearly recognize the bearings of the Gate of Heaven and the Door of Earth, and also understand the place where the Jade Maiden guards the gate. Afterward, holding a knife in the left hand, one goes toward the Ghost Gate to take earth and build it into a city wall; one then takes the Six Wu talismans and, according to the positions of the Four on Duty and the Six Wu, matching them with earth, presses the Six Wu seals at the corresponding places as substitute markers. One then conceals oneself in the central ground, until even spirits and divinities cannot see one—how much less ordinary people?

Talismans of the Six Wu Spirits

The six talismans above are made according to the Six Wu. On yellow silk or yellow paper, one writes the corresponding Earthly Branches, Heavenly Stems, and Wu branches in orpiment, then writes the seal-script characters in cinnabar. One first offers sacrifice to the talismans on the day Wuchen, and thereafter sacrifices in sequence through the day Wuwu; this is then called communication with the numinous. For ordinary use, one simply writes them on yellow paper and offers sacrifice with wine.

If the method is carried out in an old city, one may take the prefectural hall as a reference for inspecting the directions and determining the positions of the Six Wu. On a Yueyan day, take one dou and two sheng of earth from open ground within the prefectural hall, and offer sacrifice to the six spirits with paper money and wine. One may also dig open the ground, bury the talismans, cover them again with earth, and burn paper money on top. If the ground is filthy and unclean, take a piece of vacant ground, mark a boundary with earth, and burn the talisman paper upon it. When the reckoning begins, take the Wuchen day within the Jiazi ten-day period as the starting point, and the remaining periods follow in the same way. If there is no seal, write the date on the talisman and write the names of the spirits in ink.

The Six Wu seals spoken of above are to be made on the Six Wu days, and according to the Earthly Branch of that day one chooses a position facing the direction of flourishing. The portions not written in cinnabar are sealed off, and the face of the seal is made two cun and eight fen square. On a day of the Six Jia, one cuts sandalwood to carve the seal and recites the incantation:

“Today I carry out the affair, cutting wood to carve the seal. The Heavenly Seal, receiving its command, puts it into effect, gathering in baleful Qi and eliminating all evil. Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon, can illuminate the myriad things under heaven, and can also cause me to conceal my tracks so that I am not seen. By the statutes and ordinances of the Jade Well of the Heavenly Capital.”

Note: In the original text, after the words about concealing oneself in the central ground, a passage of repeated wording appears, and there are also repetitions and apparent corruptions or omissions before and after the incantation. The translation has been arranged according to the meaning that can be discerned.

Whenever the method of the Six Wu (liuwu) is used to make camp, one first draws a boundary on the ground with a knife. Beginning from the direction of the Wu day in the current xun (ten-day cycle), one circles to the left, completes a full round, and marks off the ground on all four sides. Then, in the center, one treads the Pace of Yu (Yubu)—a Daoist manner of stepping in which one paces the Gang and treads the Dipper—and recites the incantation:

“South of Mount Tai, north of Mount Heng, thieves cannot arise, and tigers and wolves cannot intrude. The Celestial Emperor sends me and causes my bodily form to vanish. The city walls stand firm, like a gate cast of gold. All that is baleful and evil dares not come to violate them. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

When the incantation is finished, one faces the direction of the xun-Wu that corresponds to that day’s richen, takes one dou of earth from the ground, divides it into six heaps, and sets them out according to the six Wu directions. One recites the incantation again, draws a talisman on each heap in turn with the knife, and then fills the earth into the pits and seals them. The original text says that one dou and two sheng of earth are to be portioned evenly, and that one must not speak during the procedure. If one wishes to test the effect, a cow and her calf are placed apart outside the gate; it is said that in the end the calf still does not dare to enter.

One respectfully invites the great spirits of the east—Gongcao, Taichong, and Tiangang—together with the Azure Emperor and the great generals of Jia and Yi; those of the south—Taiyi, Shengguang, and Xiaoji—together with the Red Emperor and the fire spirits of Bing and Ding; those of the west—Chuansong, Congkui, and Hekui—together with the White Emperor and the great spirits of Geng and Xin; and those of the north—Dengming, Shenhou, and Daji—together with the Black Emperor and the great spirits of Ren and Gui, asking them to descend into the ritual formation and guard one’s person.

After the spirits of the four quarters have been invited, one counts one tally from that day’s richen and moves the tallies in the prescribed order—Zi and Xu, Mao and Chou, Yin and Si, Shen and Hai, Wu and Chen, Wei and You—six moves in all. One first lays out the Gate of Heaven, then the Door of Earth, the directional portals established in Daoist mantic arts. If the Door of Earth has not been laid out at the four zhong (medial) positions, one takes the first tally from below and sets it at the Chen position and at the position that overcomes it, so that the ritual formation forms of itself. After one calls out that the moving of the tallies is complete, one then treads the paces of the Northern Dipper in order to suppress every kind of evil.

An appended explanation in this scripture holds that, as for the spirit of the north where Tianyi resides, if a person meets with danger and, with sincerity and reverence in the heart, walks according to the Gang paces and recites this rite, the hundred evils will not dare to harm him.

After the Pace of Yu is completed, one enters the center of the ritual formation, holds a sword pointed into the empty air, and writes the talismans of “Great Concealment” and “Lesser Concealment,” together with their incantations.

If you cannot remember this material, write the two talismans on yellow paper, stamp them with cinnabar, and burn them toward the open sky. The concealment methods (dunfa) corresponding to the Eight Gates (bamen) are as follows: the Rest Gate (Xiumen) belongs to Kan and Water and is Earth Concealment (didun); the Open Gate (Kaimen) belongs to Qian and Metal and is Heaven Concealment (tiandun); the Life Gate (Shengmen) belongs to Gen and Earth and is Thunder Concealment (leidun); the Injury Gate (Shangmen) belongs to Zhen and Wood and is Official Concealment (guandun); the Obstruction Gate (Dumen) belongs to Xun and Wood and is Hidden Concealment (fudun); the View Gate (Jingmen) belongs to Li and Fire and is Proper Concealment (zhengdun); the Death Gate (Simen) belongs to Kun and Earth and is View Concealment (jingdun); the Alarm Gate (Jingmen) belongs to Dui and Metal and is Peril Concealment (xiandun).

Here the Eight Gates, matched with the Five Phases (wuxing) and the directions, form a classification within Daoist numerology and the arts of concealment. “Burning while facing the void” means burning the talisman toward the empty sky and is a kind of Fulu (talismans and registers) rite. In the original text the correspondences from the Rest Gate to the View Gate appear more than once; their meaning is retained here in accordance with the original.

The scripture says: Indoors, arrange according to the method the “Jade Maiden Return-Closure Formation” (Yunu Fanbi Ju)—a rite that uses directions, numbers of paces, and talismanic incantations to conceal one’s tracks. From within the chamber measure out six chi to serve as the courtyard; from the courtyard measure out six paces to serve as the wilds; and from the wilds measure out sixty paces to serve as the count. When the measuring is finished, hold in the left hand six counting-rods (bamboo or wooden slips used for counting or for laying out the rite), each one chi and two cun long, and hold a knife in the right hand. Draw in vigorous Qi (vital energy), click the teeth twelve times, and then pray inwardly, stating what one intends to do.

Next, turn so that one’s back faces the station of the deity then in ascendancy. The ascendant deities of the four seasons are: spring at the Mao position, summer at the Wu position, autumn at the You position, and winter at the Zi position. Then make the invocation and announce the year, month, day, and hour, respectfully reporting to the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother, the Six Jia and the Six Decades (the Six Jia together with the sixty Jiazi), the twelve double-hours, and the Azure Dragon, the Peng Star, the Bright Hall, Great Yin, the Gate of Heaven, the Door of Earth, the Jade Maiden, and the Canopy (Huagai), asking them to hide one’s body and cover one’s traces, so that in setting out one need neither pick a day nor choose an hour.

Then state that one is going out to attend to affairs, and request the protection of the great deities. Lay out the rite in accordance with the patterns of heaven, summon the Jade Maiden, and mark the numbers of the formation on the ground; go out from the Gate of Heaven, enter the Door of Earth, close the Metal Pass, and proceed availing oneself of the Jade Maiden. Afterward recite the spell that summons the spirits, inviting the Jade Maiden, the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, the Dark Warrior, Gouchen, the Soaring Serpent (Tengshe), the Six Harmonies (Liuhe), and the other spirits to assist. The spell says: Six Jia, Six Spirits, and twelve double-hours, please set out with me, escort me to the place in question, and protect me on the left and the right; when I walk, follow; when I stop, stop as well; when I move, move along with me. May thieves be driven off and ghosts and specters dispersed.

The spell says further: When a gentleman sees me, he will rejoice even more than usual; when a petty person sees me, he will be frightened and ill at ease; when men and women see me, they will offer wine and drink. Whoever plots to harm me must die; whoever blocks my way must perish. Today I tread the Pace of Yu (Yubu)—the special stepping of Daoist ritual—corresponding above with the Heavenly Gang (Tiangang). I ask the Jade Maiden to stand in attendance at my side, to drive away the inauspicious below, and to make the myriad spirits submit in awe, so that wherever I arrive there is no calamity. What I set in order is brought to peace; what I attack, I can overcome; what I strike is broken through; what I seek, I can obtain; what I wish, I can fulfill. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling).

When the great deities of Changwang, the officials of two-thousand-shi rank, and the senior clerks (changli—ancient local offices) see me, they all cherish me as one tenderly loves an infant; when the common people see me, what I attack I can overcome, what I strike I can break through, what I seek I can obtain, and what I wish I can fulfill. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

The Great Spirits of the Constant Kings, officials of the two-thousand-shi rank, and senior clerks, upon seeing me, must cherish me as one cherishes an infant; the common people, upon seeing me, must revere me as one reveres one’s parents. Today I carefully summon the Great Spirit, the Jade Maiden: let those who follow me guide me forward; let those who obstruct me return to the official offices and put away the precious banners. When the summoning of the spirits and the presentation of the entreaty are complete, perform the method of the Pace of Yu (Yubu).

The Pace of Yu consists of three paces and nine footprints, the stepping pattern forming the shape of the character ding (丁), nine steps in all; each step is seven chi, and three times seven makes twenty-one chi.

Next, take six counting rods (tallies used in divination or magical rites) in the right hand, grasp a sword, start from the Gen position (the Earth position, one of the directions of the Bagua, the Eight Trigrams), and trace a circle along the ground. When the circle is complete, plant the sword back at the Gen position, thereby suppressing ghosts and spirits so that all evil beings submit of their own accord. Once one has entered the ritual configuration, tread the Gang steps of the Northern Dipper and summon the Nine Stars. While pacing the Gang, recite in sequence:

O subtle mystery of the Northern Dipper, the twelve double-hours receive the numinous light. Martial Qi (vital energy) is arrayed, its form like drifting clouds; through seven transformations it moves, answering above to the celestial patterns, and it can also know change and good or ill fortune. Enter the Dipper mansion, pass through the Heavenly Pass, and accord with the Six Pitch-pipes; govern the armored hosts, and tread past Tianying. Cross beyond Tianren, cool and deeply secluded; one may sink into the water, and can also bear up Tianzhu. Uphold Tianxin, and pass by this way; tread upon Tianqin, and draw near Tianfu. Look toward Tianchong, enter Tiannei; step out from Tianpeng, and the Way of the Dipper runs clear. Tianrou is perilous and strategic, the myriad evils are stored away, and the hundred ghosts… (Here the original text appears corrupt, and the sense is incomplete.) Uphold Tianxin, and pass by this way; tread upon Tianqin, and draw near Tianfu. Look toward Tianchong, enter Tiannei; step out from Tianpeng, and the Way of the Dipper runs clear. Tianrou is perilous and strategic, the myriad evils are stored away, the hundred ghosts disperse, blessings and emoluments increase, and good fortune is left to later generations. Enter the dark, profound, and far-off realm, enduring for ten million years. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

On the yang days jia, bing, wu, geng, and ren, begin first from the position of the star Tianying.

After starting from Tianying, the left foot takes eight steps to Tiannei, then three steps to Tianzhu; on reaching Tianxin, both feet turn, and the left foot treads the fourth position. Then, setting out from the Tianying position, the left foot takes the first step; the fifth step reaches Tianqin; when setting out from the Tianpeng position, step forward with the right foot; at the Tianfu position, raise the left foot toward the left for the sixth step; the seventh step reaches Tianchong; and the second step reaches Tianren.

On the yin days yi, ding, ji, xin, and gui, begin instead from the position of the star Tianpeng.

Tiannei corresponds to the second step of the right foot, Tianzhu to the seventh step of the left foot, Tianxin to the sixth step of the right foot, Tianying to the ninth step of the left foot, Tianqin to the fifth step of the left foot, Tianpeng to the first step of the left foot, Tianfu to the fourth step of the left foot, Tianchong to the third step of the left foot, and Tianren to the eighth step of the right foot.

The incantation says: The six pitch-standards and the nine sections; Heaven is round and Earth is square; the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wuxing); the sun and moon give forth light. Tread the Yu Step (Yubu, the pacing method of Daoist ritual arts) in order to practice the rite, and borrow the power of Chiyou to drive off the calamities of war. The Azure Dragon guards the carriage, and the White Tiger supports whatever is weak and failing; Yinghuo (Mars, also often regarded as a stellar deity) leads the way in front and sweeps away the inauspicious; the Northern Dipper (Beidou) destroys wickedness and removes baleful disaster. The Shen (spirits) of the Five Directions stand guard and accompany me as I travel through the four quarters. The Du spirit is on my left and the Ji spirit on my right, binding evil influences for me. The sun and moon give forth light. Tread the Yu Step in order to practice the rite, and borrow the power of Chiyou to drive off the calamities of war. The Azure Dragon guards the carriage, and the White Tiger supports whatever is weak and failing; Yinghuo leads the way in front and sweeps away the inauspicious; the Northern Dipper destroys wickedness and removes baleful disaster. The Shen of the Five Directions stand guard and accompany me as I travel through the four quarters. The Du spirit is on my left and the Ji spirit on my right, binding evil influences for me. Whether there be a thousand mouths and ten thousand tongues, or evil people, evil ghosts, tigers and wolves, or thieves and bandits, all must have their mouths sealed, be subdued, and lie hidden. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling).

When the incantation has been recited, turn to the left, enter from the Earth Door (Dihu, the direction or portal symbolizing an entrance at ground level), then come out through the Heaven Gate (Tianmen, the direction or portal symbolizing an exit into the celestial realm), and finally depart from the direction in which the Jade Maiden (Yunü) is located.

The incantation says: O Jade Maiden, protect me and keep me whole. O Jade Maiden, guard me and attend me, and do not let the hundred ghosts harm me. When I am about to go somewhere, neither humans nor ghosts will be able to recognize me. All around is dim and profound, and no one can see my form. If people see me, they will take me for something other than a person, or take me for a bundle of firewood; people cannot hear my voice, and ghosts cannot see my Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). Those who treat me well receive blessings, and those who treat me ill suffer disaster. Of every kind of evil spirit, ghostly being, and thief, whoever blocks my path dies, and whoever meets me perishes. Even in the midst of a crowd, whether a thousand people or ten thousand, all who see me will rejoice. Open only the proper gate for me, and seal the Earth Door. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Then close the portals, close the eyes, and with a knife draw a figure with the hand reversed; after turning three circles to the left, depart. On no account look back; keep walking straight ahead.

This is how the method of the Jade Maiden’s Return-Closure (Yunü Fanbi) is used.

The zi day (the zi day in the sexagenary reckoning of days)

The chou day (the chou day in the sexagenary reckoning of days)

Yin… [the scripture is fragmentary from this point on, and joins the earlier lines such as “those who see me rejoice”]

Then close the door, shut your eyes, and, using the back of the knife, set about drawing a talisman (fu). Circle three times in a leftward direction, then leave. On no account look back; walk straight away.

This is how the method of the Jade Maiden’s Returning Closure (Yunü Fanbi) is used.

The zi day, the chou day, the yin day, the mao day, the chen day, the si day, the wu day, the wei day, the shen day, the you day, the xu day, and the hai day.