Taoist s, refers to a kind of or incantation. In ancient China, it was a common method used by shamans and healers for treating illnesses, as well as for warding off evil spirits and praying for ings. The s culture of Chinese Taoism originated from the early human worship of natural powers.
Inspired by ancient Chinese calligraphy styles such as pictographic script and seal script, people copied natural objects like clouds, birds, and beasts, and recorded them in a specific form using unique symbols and graphic elements on certain items and materials. This gradually formed a vast and complex system of s diagrams and characters.
Taoism uses s for purposes such as “sending deities and commanding spirits” and “conquering demons and suppressing evil forces”. The content of these s not only represents the will and instructions of the celestial deities, but also grants people numerous hopes, prayers and worship.
When a Taoist performs the of writing a , they must master the internal techniques and utilize the mysterious within the body – Qi（炁）. They must close their Qi（炁） while writing, or draw Qi（炁） towards the corresponding direction and blow it onto the pen to write the . Only then will the be effective. Therefore, s drawn by those who have not yet mastered Taoist cultivation techniques have no effect. The skillful use of on the pen during the -writing process reflects the Taoist s’ reliance on Qi（炁） as the foundation, following the laws of the Tao, and embodying the characteristic of “essence and being the means” in Taoism.
The types of Taoist s are numerous, including exorcism s, warding-off evil s, s, money-bringing s, love s, career s, and so on. Each of them has different functions.
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In Taoism, the s used in s for purifying and exorcising evil spirits, as well as for guiding the souls of the deceased, are called “yin” s; while the s used in s for prolonging life and pray for ings are called “yang” s.
The main components of the ‘s characters are the pictographic symbols, which come in various styles. Many of these symbols also incorporate star charts, deity images, etc.
A is composed of elements such as the “symbol head”, “the deity in charge of the matter”, “the symbol body”, “the symbol foot”, and “the symbol gallbladder”.
If we compare a to a person, the symbol head would be like a person’s head; the governing deity would be like a person’s thoughts and heart; the symbol belly would be like the intestines of the abdomen, which is where we clearly understand the effects of the ; the symbol feet would be like a person’s feet; the symbol gallbladder would be like a person’s liver and gallbladder, and if a lacks the symbol gallbladder, it would be like a door without a lock, allowing bad people to enter at will. Therefore, the symbol gallbladder holds a crucial position in relation to the .
During the process of casting the s, Taoists also include various requirements and prohibitions. Mentally, they recite the incantations and visualize the process, maintaining a solemn and respectful attitude. Regardless of the type of , all must adhere to various prohibitions, mainly including refraining from excessive greed and insatiable desires, being cautious and prudent in actions, avoiding using public resources for personal gain, and not desecrating the deity.
