Talisman for warding off evil spirits and expelling ghosts
In the star map of the Taoist talisman system, the Five Thunder Talisman and the Ghost-Cutting Talisman stand like two sharp swords, wielding the yang thunder power and yin restraining force between heaven and earth respectively. These seemingly mysterious symbols are not randomly drawn patterns but condensed carriers of Taoist cosmology. Through the crimson cinnabar symbolizing the southern Li Fire and the central earth-colored yellow paper echoing the five-element hub, they build an energy channel within a square inch that connects humans with gods and mobilizes natural forces. From the display of thunder methods by Shenxiao School Taoists when treading the gang and fighting to the Celestial Master Talismans posted on people’s doors during the Dragon Boat Festival, evil-warding and ghost-expelling talismans have always taken “heaven-human induction” as their core logic, serving as a spiritual shield for the Chinese people to cope with unknown fears.
The Five Thunder Talisman: A Thunderous Covenant Summoning Heavenly Power
The power of the Five Thunder Talisman stems from its mysterious resonance with celestial movements. According to the classics of the Shenxiao School, this talisman must be made by picking peach branches to mix cinnabar on the Awakening of Insects (the time when thunder energy begins to stir) every year. The painter must first recite the “Thunder Prayer” forty-nine times and can only start writing upon feeling “thunder stirring within the body”. Its surface structure contains a precise cosmic code: the upper part “Leiling” (thunder order) is modeled after the seal script of the seventh star of the Big Dipper, the Pojun Star; the middle three broken lines symbolize the three official thunders of heaven, earth, and man; the lower part “Gang” represents the energy of the Big Dipper’s Tiangang. The entire pattern forms a visual manifesto declaring “the generals of the thunder department are coming immediately”. This design originates from the Shenxiao Thunder Method theory founded by Wang Wenqing in the Northern Song Dynasty, advocating “cultivating the elixir internally and applying the method externally”, meaning the effectiveness of the talisman depends on the painter’s inner alchemy cultivation rather than mere techniques.
In practical applications, the Five Thunder Talisman shows distinct scene differentiation. The “Imperial Five Thunder Talisman” used in the imperial palace is bordered with dragon and phoenix patterns, requiring consecration by the Zhengyi Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain personally, and is used for sacrificing to heaven and driving away epidemics on the Winter Solstice every year. The folk version is simplified to yellow paper with red seals, pasted on doors during the Dragon Boat Festival, together with wormwood and calamus to form a “triple evil-warding net”. The Qing Dynasty’s “Records of the Imperial Capital’s Annual Customs” notes that when people in the capital buy talismans during the Dragon Boat Festival, they must ask about the “talisman gold” — the duration of the painter’s recitation. It is generally believed that “one painting is worth one hour to stir thunder”. This emphasis on time energy makes the Five Thunder Talisman a link connecting microcosmic behaviors with the macrocosmic universe.
Modern field surveys have found that belief in the Five Thunder Talisman remains alive in coastal areas of southern China. Before going to sea, fishermen in Putian, Fujian, burn this talisman on the bow, believing it can subdue “water goblins”. In the Chaoshan area of Guangdong, people paste the talisman paper on roof tiles before a typhoon, praying for the gods of the thunder department to dispel disaster clouds. Though these practices vary in form, they all continue the ancient belief that “thunder is the order of heaven and earth”
The Ghost-Cutting Talisman: A Code of Subduing Evil Penetrating the Netherworld
Unlike the fierceness of the Five Thunder Talisman, the Ghost-Cutting Talisman embodies another aspect of Taoist wisdom — “overcoming hardness with softness”. The “Nine-Character Truth” (Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Xing, Qian) recorded in Ge Hong’s “Baopuzi” of the Eastern Jin Dynasty forms the core incantation system of this talisman. Among them, the “Zhan” (cut) formula must be matched with the “outer lion seal” handprint, forming a three-dimensional subduing system of “incantation – handprint – talisman pattern”. Its core part usually depicts the character “ghost” being pierced by a sword, surrounded by the twenty-eight constellations, symbolizing “covering evil spirits with a heavenly net”. The “Ghost-Cutting Secret” inherited by the Qingwei School emphasizes that when drawing this talisman, one must “look at the nose with the eyes and the heart with the nose” and can only start writing when “there is no ghost in the heart”, embodying the Taoist cultivation concept of “rectifying oneself first, then others”.
The use of the Ghost-Cutting Talisman is full of ritualized psychological hints. The Ming Dynasty’s “Ten Books on Yang Dwellings” records that if a home has “abnormal sounds at night and frequent nightmares”, the talisman should be pasted on the north wall of the bedroom at Haishi (the time when yin energy is strongest), while sweeping under the bed with mulberry branches and reciting: “The Azure Dragon is on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, the Black Tortoise behind, cut the ghost and never look back!” This combination of actions actually strengthens the user’s psychological deterrence through multiple sensory stimuli. It is worth noting that orthodox Taoism emphasizes “cutting ghosts must first cut the heart”. The Qing Dynasty Taoist Min Yide specifically pointed out in “The Golden Lid Heart Lamp” that this talisman can only subdue “visible evils”, while “invisible desires” need to be resolved with positive thoughts, reflecting religion’s ultimate emphasis on inner cultivation.
Different schools have developed unique variants of the Ghost-Cutting Talisman. The “Poyu Talisman” of the Lingbao School is used to suppress evil spirits when 超度 the dead, with a key pattern on its surface representing the opening of the gate of hell. The “Loyalty and Filial Piety Ghost-Cutting Talisman” of the Jingming School embeds the characters “loyalty” and “filial piety” into the talisman, embodying its characteristic of “taking ethics as the foundation of warding off evil”. Behind these differences lie subtle divisions among Taoist schools in their understanding of “ghosts” — some regard them as entities, others as projections of human delusions.
The Common Code of Talismans: Structure and Spiritual Power Generation
Both the Five Thunder Talisman and the Ghost-Cutting Talisman follow the golden rules of Taoist spell techniques. A complete talisman consists of five indispensable parts: the talisman head (usually the characters “Chiling”, representing the authority of the Three Pure Ones), the presiding deity of the talisman (such as Marshal Deng of the thunder department or Zhong Kui), the talisman belly (indicating the specific purpose), the talisman core (core incantation, such as “Leiting Dusi” of the Five Thunder Talisman), and the talisman foot (the oath to ask the gods to guard). This structure resembles the format of ancient official documents, implying the political philosophy of “heaven-human isomorphism”. Just as the edicts of earthly emperors require layers of signatures, orders to ghosts and gods must follow the hierarchy of the cosmic bureaucratic system.
The “spiritual power infusion” ceremony during the drawing process is even more meaningful. The painter must first clean their hands and burn incense, set up a “Bagua altar” in the yard, place a bowl of clear water in the center of the altar symbolizing “Tai Chi”, and arrange five-color stones around according to directions corresponding to the five elements. When starting to write, one should “inhale three times and visualize the Big Dipper entering the tip of the pen”. For the Five Thunder Talisman, the “thunder formula” (index finger and middle finger together) is used, while the Ghost-Cutting Talisman uses the “sword finger” (single finger stretched forward), strengthening the concentration of thoughts through body language. This ceremony is essentially a set of precise psychological suggestion procedures, transforming ordinary writing into a sacred spiritual activity through repeated actions and symbols.
The choice of talisman materials also holds mysteries. Yellow paper is made from the bark of the cork tree, which the ancients believed had the effect of “avoiding all poisons”. Cinnabar contains mercury sulfide, and its bright red color, which is not easy to fade, is associated with “yang energy not dispersing”. The brush must use rabbit hair because rabbits belong to “Mao” in the zodiac, corresponding to the eastern wood energy, symbolizing endless life. The combination of these natural materials and supernatural beliefs makes the talisman an intermediary connecting the material world and the spiritual world.
Cultural Mirror: From Evil-Warding Tools to Spiritual Symbols
The evolutionary history of evil-warding and ghost-expelling talismans is a reflection of the Chinese people’s spiritual world. The “cinnabar rope and five-color peach talisman” recorded in the “Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Ritual Records” still remained in the primitive worship of natural objects. In the Tang Dynasty, it developed into “peach boards” painted with gods, reflecting the maturity of the personalized god system. After the rise of the Shenxiao Thunder Method in the Song Dynasty, talismans became an external manifestation of inner alchemy cultivation, marking a philosophical transformation. This evolutionary path is completely synchronized with the development of China from primitive religion to systematic theology.
In the contemporary context, these talismans are undergoing a reinterpretation of meaning. In modern office buildings in Central, Hong Kong, some companies still paste the Five Thunder Talisman in a hidden place at the gate, transforming it into a psychological advantage in business competition. In the Taiwanese video game series “Xuan-Yuan Sword”, the Ghost-Cutting Talisman is designed as a character skill, making it a popular cultural symbol. This fusion of tradition and modernity proves that the concept of warding off evil has been internalized into the collective subconscious of the national culture.
Taoism itself is also reinterpreting talismans. Contemporary Zhengyi Taoist Zhang Jintao pointed out: “A talisman is a contract, a contract between a person and their inner good thoughts.” This interpretation strips away superstitious elements and emphasizes its symbolic significance as moral self-discipline. When we see the Five Thunder Talisman written by the Qing Dynasty emperor in the Palace Museum, rather than dismissing it as feudal dross, we should understand it as the wisdom of the ancients in coping with survival anxiety. In an era of low medical standards and frequent disasters, the spiritual defense line built by these symbols was once an important pillar for maintaining social psychological balance.
In essence, evil-warding and ghost-expelling talismans represent the eternal efforts of the Chinese people to “overcome chaos with culture”. Whether it is the powerful Five Thunder Talisman or the precise Ghost-Cutting Talisman, they ultimately point to humanity’s desire for order and pursuit of peace. As the “Tao Te Ching” states, “Heaven has no partiality but always aids the good.” The true power of these talismans may not lie in the ghosts and gods they summon, but in the spiritual power of “upholding justice and warding off evil” within the user’s heart.