Amulet spells in China - what is a charm, the composition of the charm, how to make it and what it is used for

What is a talisman?

Talisman is an important part of Taoist sect practice, and it varies from one Taoist sect to another. Generally speaking, a talisman consists of a combination of a talisman and an incantation. Talismans refer to secret texts that record the names of the world's immortals, Buddhas, gods and devils, while incantations are mnemonics with special audio effects. A complete talisman requires the writing out of a talisman representing the name of a deity, and while writing, the mage will recite an incantation to communicate with the deity through the corresponding incantation, so that the deity's power is attached to the talisman.

Talismans were powerful magical treasures that communicated between people and gods, and could not be drawn casually. Although the methods vary between different sects, the procedures for drawing talismans are all very complicated and require the consumption of the mage's spiritual energy; even a powerful Chinese mage is limited in the number of talismans he can draw in a day.

Components of a talisman

A complete spell consists of three parts: the head, the guts and the feet.

The head - is the beginning of the spell. The beginning of the spell is to communicate with the gods. However, due to the different sects and the different gods they communicate with, the beginning of a spell is different. The head of the talisman is like a code word between the god and the mage. Only when the code word is correct, the god can be communicated with, and thus the power of the god can be attached to the talisman.

Rune Guts- Rune guts are the soul of a spell, whether a spell works or not depends largely on whether or not there is a runic guts in it. This is equivalent to whether or not the deity has bestowed the Gion's power after the mage has communicated with the deity; having a Gion means that the deity has bestowed the energy, and not having a Gion means that the energy has not been bestowed.

The talismanic foot - is used to end the talismanic guts, to end the formalities of writing a talisman. The mage's spiritual energy is limited and he cannot channel the power of the gods indefinitely. The foot of the talisman is a signal between the gods and the mage, indicating that the energy required for the spell has been completed and that the gods can cut off the granting of power.

Ceremony of drawing the sigil

The ritual of drawing the talisman is very important and no part of it can be reversed or wrong. The ritual of drawing talismans is a very important part of the Chinese Taoist heritage, and not every student can learn it; it is impossible to be taught to draw talismans without extensive knowledge and long hours of practice.

Simply put, each talisman drawing requires an offering in advance to the god one believes in, placing three plates of fruits, three cups of tea, and three cups of wine in a specific location (in some cases, three types of meat - pork, chicken, and fish - are also placed). Before writing the talisman, it is necessary to cleanse and clean oneself, as well as clearing away distractions and communicating piously with the deity. The final step is to draw the talisman. During the process of drawing the talisman, the mage will use his or her spiritual power to communicate with the gods and channel the power bestowed by the gods onto the talisman he or she has drawn.

It is important to note that there are four days in a year when you cannot draw a talisman: the ninth day of the third month, the second day of the sixth month, the sixth day of the ninth month, and the second day of the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and the talisman drawn during these four days will not only be useless, but will have bad energy.

The Role of Charms

Charms have a wide range of social functions in traditional Chinese society. The energy of a talisman comes from the gods, and the energy possessed by different gods varies. In the Pudian Jiao-festival held by Taoism every three years, 3,600 deities are worshipped. The energy of the gods covers almost every aspect of people's lives, and the energy of charms covers every corner of life.

Charms are widely used for blessing, protection and exorcism. People often use charms on major festivals, important occasions and other moments to seek blessings and protection from the spirits. In China, many household ornaments and personal jewelry apply charms to them. Different charms have different energies, some bring good luck, some enhance wealth, and some protect health. ...... Household ornaments are mostly used to shelter the family and block the impact of negative energies on the family. The jewelry category is mostly for personal luck, wealth, health, and spiritual shelter.