Crucial Wintry 19 X 51/52

SCENARIO: A very young child had a sudden fright of an extremely traumatic nature. He cannot sleep properly. He experiences frequent nightmares, night terrors. Upon waking, he also experiences moments of temporary amnesia as of staring into space; also he might be listless, unaware, withdrawn, and show signs of depression and an extreme introvertness, at odds with the previous personality.

Healing by puncture (nurses' needles) and acupuncture has been tried but has failed.

The magical diagnosis is 驚 Jīng, soul shock: that extreme trauma caused a fragment of the soul — 三魂七魄, the sānhúnqīpò complex — to exit.

SOLUTION: 收魂咒 Shōu hún zhòu: Collect Soul Spell (收魂符)

The method chosen is the one of the rice bowl offered to 床母 Chuang Mu, the Mother of the Bed goddess, who in Dao's belief is the guardian of the spirit of the bedroom. The child's clothes are wrapped around the bowl to secure the link. Three incense sticks are burnt in an offering to 床母 Chuang Mu. They are placed at the head of the bed.

The talisman calls 九天玄女，Jiu Tian Xuan Nu to collect and return the soul fragments.

It is put under the pillow after being ceremonially ensouled.

Qimen Dunjia performed to ascertain the ideal time and potential obstacles.

Talisman structure begins with "三清 Sānqīng ticks" to invoke 三清 Sānqīng, the Three Pure Ones.

Then Command or 奉 fèng character and the Goddess of the talisman 九天玄女，簡稱玄女，俗稱九天娘娘、玄牝氏、九天玄女娘娘、九天玄母天尊、九天玄陽元女聖母大帝玄牝氏。 Jiu Tian Xuan Nu Niangniang. (Ninth Heaven Mysterious Girl, Lady).

Then follows the command to rescue the soul and the sealing Fudan or 膽囊 gallbladder.

Fortifying flower words, protect life are written on the Fudan.

At the Jiu are the three loops of the Immortal Rope binding the Powers of Heaven, Man and Earth.

These should be invoked as drawn.

Understanding the Human Soul

Think of the human body as a microcosm, a physical landscape inhabited by different spirits.  This is how Daoists think of the body.  We believe that the human soul is made up of many different spirits.  The 陽 aspect of the soul is made up of the three Hún (魂) and the 陰 aspect of the soul is made up of the seven Pò (魄).  Learning about the Hún and Pò is the key to unlocking the ancient Chinese understanding of the soul, the human body, and the afterlife.

The Three Hún (三魂)

The three 魂 Hún form a person’s spiritual soul.  This the 陽 aspect of the soul.  The 陽 soul governs the intangible parts of a person.  It is their spirit, consciousness, and intelligence. The three 魂 Hún reside in the liver.  They take the form of three gentlemen.  As formless consciousness, the 魂 Hún are able to leave the physical body.  After death, the Hún can travel to heaven or the underworld.

You Jing (幽精) “The Secret Spirit” – This part of the soul determines attraction and sexual orientation. The ancient Chinese believed that when a person’s heart was broken and they lost interest in the world around them, it was because this part of their soul was injured.  The “secret spirit” leaves the body frequently, visiting people, places, or things it is attracted to.  If this part of the soul is too strong, it is a detriment to the other 陽 aspects of the soul, leading to dullness and confusion.

Tai Guang “The Light of the Fetus” (胎光) – This part of the soul is the life force in the body, the spark of life.

Shuang Ling (爽靈)  “The Bright Spirit” – This part of the soul determines a person’s intellectual ability.  The ancient Chinese associated intellectual disability with its loss or injury.  This part of the soul is believed to leave the body at night, causing dreaming.  It occasionally dissipates with old age.

The Seven Pò （七魄）

The seven 魄 Pò form a person’s physical soul. This is the 陰 aspect of the soul. The seven 魄 Pò govern the solid parts of the person. They are the body’s instincts and natural ability to survive. They take the form of bizarre animals and monsters. They are active at night when the consciousness dims. The 魄 Pò are attached to the body, and remain with the corpse after death, dissolving with the body. The 魄 Pò can become injured. A skilled Chinese medicine doctor can diagnose which of the seven 魄 Pò are causing a patient’s symptoms.

1. Stinking Lung 臭肺

Function: Regulates breathing

Snoring and sleep apnea are a sign that this part of your soul is not healthy.

2. Remover of Filth 除穢

Function: Processing

This part of the soul removes toxins from the body through urine and faeces.
When children wet the bed, or when adults wake up frequently to urinate, it is because this part of the soul is weak.

3. Flying Poison 飛毒

Function: Dissolving

The anti-poison regulates body temperature by dispersing areas of excessive heat and cold in the body.  If this soul is injured people experience chills or night sweats.

4. Thief Swallower 吞賊

Function: Fights external pathogens

This is similar to the modern concept of immune function.

5. Yin Sparrow 雀陰

Function: Sexual ability

The health of this part of the soul determines how long a man or woman needs to recover sexual ability immediately after sexual activity.  Injury to this soul results in sexual dysfunction.

6. Hidden Arrow 伏矢

This part of the soul controls digestion while you sleep.  If you eat before bed and wake up hungry, your hidden arrow is healthy. If you wake up with no appetite or with very bad breath, you may have a problem with this part of your soul.

7. Dead Dog 屍狗

Function: Vigilance

If this soul is overactive, people are restless and wake up too easily.  If it is not active enough, one will sleep like a dead dog, blind to any dangers in the environment.

Daoist Soul Practice

Daoists believe that humans have the ability to influence 陰 and 陽 souls.  For example, it is possible to call a wandering or lost Hún back to the body.  When I was young, there was a child in my village who was scared very badly and went into shock.  Although the child was safe at home in bed, his family went through the village banging on pots and pans, calling the child’s name, asking him to come home.  They were calling his Hún back to his body.
It is also believed that if a person dies a violent death or dies before they have fulfilled their destiny, their soul may stay in the land of the living and perform evil dead out of spite. Daoists believe that through ritual, we can communicate with these lost spirits and send them to rest.
Some believe that the 陰 soul causes our baser instincts, including the desire for sex, wealth, and food.  Daoist practice can be used to keep these needs in check so that the body’s energy can be redirected to support the more spiritual soul, as represented by the three Hun.
The Daoist concept of 陰陽 souls is an ancient way to explain human consciousness and body processes.  It is very different from the modern Western scientific view of the body.