《清微元降大法》Vol. 23

Here is the description of several important thunder deities in Daoist Thunder Magic (a secret practice of summoning thunder gods for rituals):

First are the main generals from the Western Terrace Thunder Judgment Method:

1. Fierce Thunder True Lord Jin Gaoding: Wears a flame crown with a green face and three eyes, clad in golden armor with embroidered robes and red boots, riding a giant qiu-dragon while wielding a halberd.

2. Thunderbolt Flying Heaven True Lord Yang Jie (also known as Yuebo): Adorned with a celestial crown and handsome features, possessing phoenix eyes and slender brows with three wisps of beard, dressed in golden armor with green robes and red boots, holding a sword while riding a white jade dragon.

3. Wind-Thunder Transformation True Lord Yang Xian: Wears a celestial crown with a date-red face, three beard wisps and round commanding eyes, clad in golden armor with red garments and boots, carrying a battle-axe.

Next are several Thunder Envoys:

• Envoy Li Degang: Wears a冲天幞头 (official headgear) with a blue face, golden armor, black robe and green boots while holding a sword.
• Envoy Xi Xian: Wears冲天幞头 with blue face and red hair, golden armor, black robe and green boots while wielding a wild-goose-feather saber.
• Angel Wu Qing: Female appearance wearing a xiezhi (mythical beast) crown, green brows, golden armor, red clothes and boots, riding a black dragon while holding a golden whip.

Various Thunder Magic talismans (Daoist ritual documents) are listed:

Including primary talismans like the Thunder-Raising Jade Talisman and Heaven-Penetrating Spiritual Chapter, along with practical charms like the Evil-Dispelling Talisman, Healing Talisman, and Birth-Hastening Talisman, as well as protective amulets such as wearable talismans and household-protection talismans, concluding with the Western Terrace Command Token Talisman.

Finally, two great deities from the Thunder Command Department:

• Flame Emperor Heavenly Lord Deng Xie: Celestial official attire with heavenly crown, crimson robes, golden armor and red boots, holding a drill-hammer while riding a golden dragon.
• Thunder God Great Deity Xun Qian: Kingly appearance with blue face, golden armor, black clothes and boots, standing on a thunder chariot while wielding an axe and drill.

Each deity has distinct responsibilities—some govern thunderbolts, others deliver talismanic commands, while some specialize in healing and exorcism—collectively forming the sacred pantheon within Daoist Thunder Magic traditions.

This scripture describes the physical appearances and functional divisions of the Thunder Department deities (the celestial hierarchy governing thunder and lightning) in Daoism.

First introduced are the four principal deities of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning:

• Dianmu Chongyuan Daojun (Lightning Mother Daoist Lord), the goddess who governs lightning, wears azure ritual robes, wields a sacred sword, and radiates electric light from her entire body.
• Fengbo Feiyang Shenjun (Wind Earl Soaring Spirit Lord), the deity of wind, is dressed in green garments and holds a spinning wind wheel.
• Yushi Puyuan Langling Shenjun (Rain Master Pervading Origin Bright Spirit Lord), the god of rainfall, is clad in blue-green robes and controls a water wheel.

Next, the text details the ranks of twelve Thunder Generals, divided into two groups: "Thunder-Raising" and "Thunder-Commanding." Each deity possesses distinct features—some have blue faces and fanged teeth, others have crimson hair and awe-inspiring majesty. All wear towering crowns, golden armor, vermilion battle robes, and black boots, wielding either battle-axes or goose-feather sabers, with dragon-headed luminous swords hanging at their waists. These generals each govern the thunderous power of specific celestial hours.

Following this are descriptions of two Fushi (celestial messengers who convey divine decrees) responsible for executing tasks:

• Zhuguang Huo Shizhe (Vermillion Light Fire Emissary) wears a flaming crown, has a ruddy face with three eyes, and carries a ritual tally.
• Yueqin Shizhe (Yueqin Emissary) has a golden visage and purple robes, wielding a great axe.

Together, these deities command nine hundred thousand celestial soldiers.

Lastly, the scripture lists multiple Yufu (jade talismans imbued with spiritual power) used by the Thunder Department, including:

• Yuqing Mingling Yufu (Jade Clarity Command Jade Talisman)
• Shangqing Yanming Huoling Yufu (Upper Clarity Blazing Bright Fire Command Jade Talisman)

Each talisman is accompanied by its corresponding esoteric incantation in parentheses. These charms serve various functions—summoning thunder, suppressing evil, protecting life, hastening childbirth—forming a complete system of Leifa (Thunder Ritual).

This text documents a talismanic (Fulu) system and pantheon from the Qingwei lineage (an important Daoist school), primarily containing talismans for summoning deities along with descriptions of their iconography.

The first section describes the incantation for summoning Qingxu Zhenjun (True Lord of Pure Emptiness), portraying this deity as wearing a towering futou (ancient headgear) with a yellow forehead band, having pale skin and three eyes, clad in golden armor over red robes with boots, wielding swords. Subsequent passages introduce talismans and spells for invoking other deities.

Next outlined is the divine hierarchy within the Five Thunder Method (a major thunder ritual system in Daoism), including:

• Thunderbolt Silver-Toothed Radiant-Eye Commander True Lord Xin Hanchen, holding a jade tablet, with slightly bluish complexion, dressed in green official robes and red shoes
• Cavernous Radiance Elixir Immortal Swift-Command Talisman Envoys Zhang Shiying, Ge Zhonghua, Wang Kangze, Xu Zhiyuanzhong, etc., all wearing celestial crowns with golden armor and black boots, wielding thunder axes
• Cavernous Radiance Summoning Truth Illuminating Envoys Geng Long, Liu Huaqing, etc., wearing upturned futou headgear, carrying axes

Various functional talismans are then categorized:

• Qingxu Luminous Numen Swift-Command Cavern Scripture (for rapid action)
• Qingxu Luminous Numen Divine Operation Jade Talisman (for spiritual summoning)
• Qingxu Luminous Numen Five Division Cavern Scriptures (divided into Wind, Cloud, Thunder, Lightning, and Rain sections)
• Demon-Slaying Talisman (exorcism), Birth-Hastening Healing Talisman (obstetrics/medicine), Expedient Talisman (emergency use), Peace-Settling Talisman (environmental stabilization), etc.

The conclusion details the divine ranks in the Shangqing Western Numen Grand Method:

• Western Numen Heaven-Supporting Vast Sage Chongmiao Tonghe True Lord Zhao Gongming (the folk-revered God of Wealth), wearing a sky-piercing crown, with red-black face, triangular eyes, elegant beard, golden armor over red robes and boots, wielding swords or whips, accompanied by a black tiger
• Divine Fierce Zhouyun Chongling Vice-Marshal Lü Ying, wearing tiger crown, purple-tan face with five-pronged beard, silver armor and boots, armed with sword and bow
• Swift-Command Flying Mystery Divine Fierce Grand Talisman Envoy Zhu Changchao, wearing flame crown, slightly dark face with imposing red hair, silver armor over black robes and boots, holding a wild-goose-feather saber

These contents reveal the intricate iconographic details of Daoist deities and the functional classification of talismans within ritual systems, reflecting Daoism's religious praxis of communicating with the divine through specific imagery and inscribed charms.

This describes the ritual system for summoning divine generals in the Qingwei lineage (an important Daoist school). First is the arrangement of the Five Directional Divine Generals: the blue-faced, red-haired General Huiqi in the east wearing azure robes; the red-faced, yellow-haired General Song'an in the south wearing vermilion garments; the white-faced, black-haired General Shiwu in the west wearing white attire; the black-faced, blue-haired General Yuanbin in the north wearing black vestments; and the golden-faced, white-haired General Gonghong at the center wearing yellow robes. These five generals correspond to the Five Phases (Wuxing) directions, each with distinct characteristics.

Next are eight Zhao Chong High Generals: Zhu Xun, Xu Ji, Zhou Guang, Shiwu (same name as the western general), Su Chu, An Qi, and Yang Zhong. All wear jade crowns, golden armor, dark robes, vermilion boots, and hold ritual tablets. A special figure is the Western Numinous Cooperative Thunder-Fire Talisman Emissary Long Xun, who wears a towering futou headdress with a red forehead band, displaying a blue face with three eyes, red hair, golden armor, green boots, and wields a wild goose-feather saber.

The text details various Fulu (Daoist ritual talismans) usage methods:

• Original Dao Jade Talisman of Qingwei: Used for summoning, requiring the characters "kowtow" (稽首) for important occasions with the mantra "Om nie ▲ nie/▲ om bulin bulin"
• Tai Ling Movement Jade Talisman: Activated with the incantation "Command the method Zhao/[name] om hum hum seize"
• Rapid Descent Talisman: Requires the names of the Big Dipper Lords with the mantra "Hum hum duo li da"
• Supreme Clarity Illuminating Command Talisman: Must be written in cinnabar on blue silk, with deity names recorded in a black register. Chant "Qu Yandu" on yang days, "Qu Yanping" on yin days.
• Taiqing Flying Prohibition Complete Command Jade Talisman: For prohibiting matters, written in cinnabar on yellow silk
• Supreme Clarity Communicating Yin Mandate Talisman: Used with incense offerings during prayers
• Supreme Clarity Western Prohibition Vast Mandate Jade Talisman: Exclusively for urgent military reports
• Supreme Clarity Western Numinous Nurturing Message Talisman: For emergency handling
• Tai Xuan Obscuring Concealment Jade Talisman: Written in ink on black silk with reverse strokes, mantra "Charge through obscurity, fight darkness"
• Supreme Clarity Harmonizing Manifestation Talisman: Vermilion on blue silk
• Supreme Clarity Dan Command Talisman: General purpose for all affairs
• Supreme Clarity Flying Fierce Command Talisman and Illustrious Command Meritorious Jade Talisman: Specific uses not detailed

Each talisman has prescribed materials (blue silk, black registers, yellow silk etc.), writing colors (cinnabar, vermilion, black ink etc.) and corresponding mantras, forming a complete Daoist ritual system.

This scripture primarily documents a series of talismans (fulu) and deity-summoning rituals used by the Qingwei lineage (an important Daoist school during the Song-Yuan period). It contains various functional talismans—sacred texts employed in Daoism for summoning deities and exorcising evil—such as the "Shangqing Nurturing Qi Talisman" for regulating primordial energy to heal illnesses, the "Shangqing Divine Blazing Evil-Clearing Talisman" specifically for banishing malevolent entities, and the "Celestial Virtue Lunar Virtue Talisman" which harnesses the essence of sun and moon energies.

The text provides particularly detailed records of twenty-eight Big Dipper rituals (techniques related to the Northern Dipper constellation), including "Revolving Dipper," "Counter-Rotating Dipper," and "Sequential Dipper" methods, each with specific applications. It also documents invocation talismans for summoning divine generals, such as the "Taihua Western Terrace Summoning Mandate Talisman" used to call upon deities from the Western Terrace divine court. Two major guardian generals are mentioned: the dark-faced General Wang Liang wielding an axe, and the green-faced General Gao Zhong brandishing a sword, who stand duty respectively on yang and yin days.

The final section records several emergency-use talismans, like the "Swift Action Urgent Fire Talisman" for rapidly activating rituals, and the "Shangqing Flying Storm Quick-Command Talisman" capable of urgently summoning sixty divine generals. Notably, these talismans are accompanied by unique incantations (such as "Om Duo Da Da Chi Fa") requiring specific hand gestures (mudras) and ritual steps (bugang). The scripture concludes with the "Summoning Mysterious Altar Talisman," which preserves complete invocation verses instructing the ritual master to declare his surname (e.g., "Zhao of such lineage") when summoning the "Jade Origin Great General" to descend upon the altar.

This passage records the Qingwei School's (an important Daoist sect during the Song and Yuan dynasties) rituals for summoning deities and exorcising evil spirits. The opening phrase "[Name] of the day's duty commander, come swiftly" is an incantation to summon the celestial general on duty that day, with the parenthetical content being the esoteric mantras actually chanted during practice. The syllables "Om chi lin chi lin bu lin bu lin" belong to Daoism's secret Great Power Wild Spirit Mantra (used to enhance spiritual power and intimidate malevolent forces), while "chi sha she" is the command to subdue evil entities.

The term "summoning talisman" indicates these words serve as ritual instructions for creating talismans to invoke deities. The character "dan" frequently appears in Daoist talismanic texts as a secret character representing specific divine empowerment. "Shangqing Linghua Jade Chapters" refers to precious scriptures transmitted by the Shangqing School (a major Daoist lineage). The concluding phrase "harmonize and disperse" represents the ritual terminology used at ceremony's end to pacify all invoked energies and restore equilibrium.

The entire passage demonstrates the common structure of Daoist rituals: first summoning deities, then reciting secret mantras to amplify spiritual power, and finally completing the ritual through fulu (Daoist talismanic documents). The parenthetical content mostly contains the orally transmitted secret mantras used in actual practice, reflecting the characteristic "mouth-to-ear transmission" nature of Daoist ritual arts.