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The (Black Cube/Qareen) Shadow Double Binding Ritual

This will be ONLY the ritual procedure, if you want to read the theory of it then I recommend reading the posts below if you need to get an idea on it.

preliminary readings:

Saturn Square spell

Qareen in Arab Magical Literature and the Shadow in Greek Magical Papyri

Appendix to previous post: Shadow/Double as the time-space extension.

When you press read more below it will be JUST the procedure, and there's an assumption that you know what you're doing, accept the risk of it, and have the ability or skill to do this well.

Materials needed:

Frankincense,

Benzoin,

Myrrh

paper doll of person

(kardec) prayer book

Headless Rite written out or printed out

Jar

scissor

Instructions for the paper doll:

The head square will be the saturn square with offset of the person's "lucky number" + the "Black Cube" number calculated.

the chest square would the saturn square offset with the person's lucky number ALONE.

You will cut the head of the paper doll and tape it inside the jar while the body of the doll is taped outside the jar

There's a verse to be written on the neck space and it can be a protective verse from bible or Quran depending on your choice. The left arm of the paper doll will have the Quran verse 37:7, for the right arm it will be an excerpt of the verse 2:255 (وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ) [ and the preservation of both does not tire Him. ] The Legs, left leg will be 19:1 and right leg will be 42:1-2 [حمعسق ]. Now to give an example for the head and body square, let's say that the name of the person is "Sussy Baka" the lucky number for our special guest would be

S u s s y - 103 19 21 19 19 25

B a k a - 15 2 1 11 1

Total is 118.

Now you take the square of Saturn

for the BODY it will be

122 - 127 - 120

121 - 123 - 125

126 - 119 - 124

For the HEAD it will be the same PLUS 60('Black Cube')

182 - 187 - 180

181- 183 - 186

186- 179 - 185

Example Photo:

Baptize the paper doll:

Fumigate the room and the jar(by flipping it over the incense/censer) with Frankincense with Benzoin

recite the prayer "During the Judgement when before the sentence"

Then command the black cube of the person that they're welcome inside the jar, tell them that you want to elevate them and give them a better place.

PRAYER DURING THE JUDGEMENT WHEN BEFORE THE SENTENCE ( from Collection of Selected Prayers by Allan Kardec)

Almighty God. Supreme Justice; Infinite Bondage. In this critical moment I could fail. Your mission is more superior to the sad condition of a mortal condemned to material life by his defects. I humble in front of you with the grave burdens of my defects. I ask your clemency oh! Lord, and the ceremony of God spirits, to help me in this difficult act of my existence. Still in the delayed state of our world we considered it necessary for our social equilibrium. Oh! my God, if in this deserted dwelling, the brother is obliged to judge his brother, because man's law demands it as a duty, your justice is also reflected in them, because this at the same time is a punishment deserved by our miseries and our moral delays. My soul suffers oh! God, feels his brother, and in the necessity to fulfill a duty which will set me in the destiny, I pray to you, oh! celestial Father, I implore your grace, judge me first and with the repentance of my own faults, permit me to elevate myself to your infallible tribune with a pure conscience, and that your radiant light descend over me, and make me see with clarity the fault of he who I condemn, and the causes which make him have trouble with justice. Good spirits, and tutelar angel of mine, do not forsake me; protect also the accused one; let his spiritual guide defend him so that his imprisonment will be less heavy, and let his test be more pleasant to him. Help us all to supplicate our Lord, to give us merit in this life to come to the promised land, and by the betterment of our spirits, only God will be our judge, under whose shelter of infinite bondage we will be protected for eternal happiness.

Exorcise the Black Cube into the jar

Fumigate the jar with myrrh by letting it's face hover over the censer and letting the whole jar get the incense smoke inside of it. pull out your copy of headless rite

start charging the black cube like you're rushing it into the jar to be inside the jar and once you finish immediately close the jar and seal it, you can also wax it

Done!

That's basically the whole procedure and this post almost got me automatically terminated by tumblr's bot for some god unknown reason or something in my blog did it lol, anyway next post will be the actual interview between my volunteer W.F. and his experience after 40 days of having his shadow/black cube sealed into a jar(the one shown above)

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Magical Results/Volunteer Report! Qareen/Black Cube/Shadow Binding results.

Last volunteer deleted/stopped using his social media and he abstained from talking about the effect of this working. Thankfully another person stepped up to do it and after a while I decided to ask him a few questions after the operation by a day, and then after the operation by 2 weeks. Both of these results I consider short term and future plans of releasing shadow/black cube isn't decided upon. You can read this interview without reading the full previous practical and theory of it but if you interested in that first: Practical

preliminary readings:

Saturn Square spell

Qareen in Arab Magical Literature and the Shadow in Greek Magical Papyri

Appendix to previous post: Shadow/Double as the time-space extension.

Post Entrapment Notes from Volunteer

That's interesting, it seems a lot less creepy once it's trapped a continent away

Interview Transcript

to note the interviewer is me :p

Interviewer: Okay, that should be it. So, where do we start with the black cube? Volunteer (Digital C): Right, the black cube. It’s not just about the color. There’s something darker about it—something beyond the surface. Interviewer: When you look at your shadow now, do you notice any difference in how you think or perceive the world compared to before? Volunteer (Digital C): Yes, I feel like I’m more aware of it—its boundaries, how it influences me. It feels clearer, and it has less power over me. I don’t feel as threatened by it anymore. Interviewer: Interesting. Do you feel like your thinking now requires more effort, or do your thoughts flow naturally? Volunteer (Digital C): They flow more naturally. I don’t feel like I have to force my mind into it—it comes on its own. Interviewer: Do you notice a clear difference between before and after? Anything subjective or objective? Volunteer (Digital C): Yeah. It feels like certain people aren’t on my case as much anymore. I have more breathing room, and relationships feel smoother lately. Interviewer: That’s good. Have you noticed changes in concentration, meditation, memory, or even how you perceive time? Volunteer (Digital C): Definitely. There’s more space in my mind, less attachment to all the noise online. I feel less tied to that whole matrix of distraction. Interviewer: Do you sense any separation between your subtle bodies, like mental and astral? Volunteer (Digital C): Not exactly separation, but I can distinguish them a bit more. They feel clearer, but still connected. Interviewer: Got it. Anything else you’d like to add? Volunteer (Digital C): Yeah, I’m curious—what exactly is the black cube supposed to represent?

Interviewer: Well, when we first experimented with it, the idea was that we have our mental body, but there’s also an extra “organ” attached—something from the matrix, archons, or demiurge—that collects mental and astral fragments. It generates junk alongside our mind. Do you feel less of that junk now? Volunteer (Digital C): Yes. Before, especially years ago, things like memes online felt too personal, almost targeted. Sometimes they really were targeted, but other times it was more like some strange resonance. Now, I don’t feel that way. It doesn’t feel so directed at me anymore. Social media doesn’t throw those weirdly timed, targeted things at me like it used to. Interviewer: That sounds like progress. Volunteer (Digital C): Yeah, definitely. But now I’m wondering what to do with the thing you contained in that bottle. Volunteer (Digital C): Actually, I just read Memetic Magic. It said that since those things come from the social matrix, you can modify them before sending them back. That way, when they reattach to the matrix, they spread your modification and potentially influence it. Interviewer: That’s an interesting idea—changing it and sending it back. Volunteer (Digital C): Exactly. You tweak it, release it back into circulation, and it might return in a new form. Interviewer: I get what you mean. I’ll think about that more. For now, I’m going to stop the recording so we can talk comfortably. One, two, three.

Welp that's the first time I am dealing with where magic deals with advertisement , social media, person's perception with other people, and their own mentation. Lot of think about and a lot of stuff to consider if you're thinking of doing it yourself, to yourself, to someone else, or to an enemy. The intention and the way you approach definitely colors it. I don't want this to drag on endlessly so I would consider this the current "capstone" of it of the observation of this "part", theory, the practical demonstration, collecting experiences and studying. It definitely the open the door for more interesting experiments and theory to be made and studied in this under-emphasized or under-utilized aspect. A True Shadow work where we treat the shadow as a "thing" that's not really part of us but as a breathing/living entity on our shadow. Thanks to all participants and volunteers, to sages and practitioners of old and modern age, thanks to all the spirits, guides, and guardian angel, and thanks to those known and unknown people, dead, alive, spirit, human, non-human, and all in between who helped me in this. Thank you.

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Free Translation of Tay al-Ard/Kefitzat Haderech/Traveling long distances magic.

I have a different version of this copied from another person here but if you read below, I will offer a free translation of the above page. The only two things I would note is that above manuscript version from the library in Zanzibar is probably the original version of the method I am offering in ko-fi, second point and I would emphasize this as I have said before is that these manuscript methods or techniques need a frame ritual. You can find a framing rite like this one , or you can use the two "frames" that JSK put in The Sworn and Secret Grimoire: Consecratio Dei, Invocatio, Constrictio, Ligatio, Licensia or the Modern one: Banishings, Purifications, Consecrations, Oath & Confession, Invocations, Charge to the Spirit, and Closing. Crowley’s Magick In Theory and Practice Ch XIII-XVII deals with them in detail. Without further rambling below you will find the fragment on folding the earth that you can reconstruct yourself. I will add any necessary illustration and fill in any missing Quranic verses. The method in the ko-fi link mentions using knife to draw the divine names, orienting toward setting/rising sun and the orientation seem to be indicative here too.

A Chapter if you wanted to fold the earth(Tried and Tested)

Start by Ghusl(full body ritual bath and washing), clean clothes, and pray two rakat/prayers(with the intention of folding the earth).

Write the following divine names on the earth/ground below you, start by writing a line then write the divine name on it. "كهيعص حمعسق" ka-ha-ya-ayin-sad Ha-Mem-Ayin-Seen-Qaf

Write on your right hand the following verse "By the [name of the higher intelligence/malik/angel of this days]"

On your left hand you will write "By the [name of the lower intelligence/خادمservant /angel of this days]"

Then you will start crossing the line back and forth. 3 times like this(see below image) 5.1 First time you cross the line forward you will say the following Quranic Verse (only the bold part)

The Night Journey (17:1)

سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ ١

Glory be to the One Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing. 5.2 Second time you cross back to your original spot and say the following verse: (6:73) قَوْلُهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ His command is truth. All authority is His ˹alone˺ 5.3 You will get back to your original position and say the following verse(not quranic?) كهيعص حمعسق اكفقه الارض مشرقها و مغربها Kāf Hā Yā Ain Sād. Hā Mīm Ain Sīn Qāf The earth split open it's East and West. 6. Last lift up both of your arms up and say the following prayer: اللهم يازلي ان تعطيني مرادي O Allah, O Everlasting, grant me my desire. And thus you will arrive(to your destination) in the twinkling of an eye by the grace of Allah and prayer nad peace upon our prophet mohammed, his family, and companions.

That's basically the whole translation. I hope you like it and if you do try it I would be happy to hear how it goes :P, I got a few weird omens when I was planning to try it but I backed off from it.

To Translate a partial of this table, if you want to write it on your hands. Day -

Higher Intelligence/Angel -

Lower Intelligence/Jinn/Terrestrial Helper Sunday - Ruqyael - روقيائيل Madhab -- مذهب Monday - Jibril - جبريل Myrrha -- مرة Tuesday - Samsamel - سمسمائيل Al-ahmar -- الاحمر Wednesday - Michael - ميكائيل Barqan -- برقان Thursday - Sarfayel - صرفيائيل Shamharush -- شمهورش Friday - Anael - عنيائيل Zawba'a -- زوبعة Saturday - Casfiael - كسفيائيل Maymon/Maimon -- ميمون

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magic experiment time:

if you have a pendulum or can feel energy I would interested in your vibe, experience, impression, insights, and scrying of this square:

Thanks to @desdemonasarchives for helping me with designing this square.

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Reading the Hermetica: Consecration, Ensoulment, and Sacrifice in Hephaistion of Thebe's "Apotelesmatics"

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re wrapping up our look at technical Hermetic texts (and the series generally!), focusing this time on a section from the Apotelesmatics of Hephaistion of Thebes (book III, chapters 6 and 7). For this (last) week, we’ll talk about the Apotelesmatics of Hephaistion of Thebes, specifically book III, chapters 6 and 7 (and a bit of chapter 8 that…

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Reading the Hermetica: Oxford Hermetic Fragments (OH 1—5)

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re taking a look at the Oxford Hermetic Fragments (OH), a set of five short texts (OH 1—5).  As ever, if you don’t have a copy of Litwa’s Hermetica II (and I strongly urge you get it, as it’s currently the among the best English translations of the OH and other texts available today!), then here are some online resources to help as well: Mahé…

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Vathy's Commentary on DH 8

As mentioned in the “Reading the Hermetica” post introducing the Armenian Definitions of Hermēs Trismegistos to Asklēpios (DH), I referred to the excellent commentary by fvathynevgl (aka Vathy, website here).  They went through the DH texts in a series of old Twitter threads spanning from August 2021 through September 2022, and for the sake of archiving and sharing their public commentary from a…

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Qareen in Arab Magical Literature and the Shadow in Greek Magical Papyri (PGM III 612-32 ) Binding Spells to control people included.

In the sixth hour you have the form of a lion; your name is ΒΑΙ ΣΟΛΒΑΙ (BAI SOLBAI), the ruler of time. In the seventh hour you have the form of a goat; your name is ΟΥΜΕΣΘΩΘ (OUMESTHŌTH). Give sexual charm to this charm. PGM IV.1596-1715(Consecration Rite for All Purposes)

"Cause now my shadow to serve me, because I know your sacred names [and] your signs and I your symbols, and [who you are at each hour], and what your name is"

As I am busy in life please do expect that the practical part of this will be written in a week or maybe a month from now depending on my availability it. The summary is that the Qareen and shadow are inherently influenced by Solar Influence and the time constraint hints toward a saturnian influence on us. The main argument I am presenting forth here by bringing the topic about it is that we can properly influence our Shadow, bless it, and do other constraints and maneuvers around with it that would lead to HUGE transformations in your self and personality in both positive and can be negative ways. The precedence and their existence in most literature and writings implies that it was worked with pretty extensively.

Expand the following for the actual details and more to read.

Theory of Qareen.

Introduction to the whole premise of what I am saying is that both Qareen in Arabic magical Literature, the black cube in memes related to Saturn, and the Shadow in the Greek Magical Papyri are all the same thing. the starter "proof" magically would be through Gematria and it's numerological equivalent in Arabic tradition. The Jafir for Qareen is 360 which is number of solar degrees/zodiac so it have a strong relation to Daimon and natal angel but that's not the only part here to take into consideration, if we take a Gematria where English letters are numbered from 1 to 26 we can see that Black Cube and Qareen both have the value of 60. Now the value of the word ظل in arabic and the verse 37:51 are both 930. The mention of timing for the ritual in the Greek Magical Papyri focus mainly on the "shadow" appearing during mid-day and getting it to be controlled within an hour but if we see the arabic spell version it warns you not to hold it longer than an hour...why the hour of time is very much emphasized is something to be studied also!

In the verse 50:27 we have the following verse,

One’s Qareen will say, “Our Lord! I did not make them transgress. Rather, they were far astray ˹on their own˺.”

The implication is that there's a negative and positive influence of the Qareen, one that if you got control of your own Shadow you will not be negatively influenced by the Qareen. If you let it loose then according to Omani's manuscript then obsessive Compulsive Disorder or overthinking is caused by your own Qareen, a worse turn/influence of Qareen if someone take control of it to torture you to influence you negatively. Verse 43 mentions the following:

And whoever turns a blind eye to the Reminder of the Most Compassionate, We place at the disposal of each a devilish one as their Qareen, who will certainly hinder them from the ˹Right˺ Way while they think they are ˹rightly˺ guided.

I also recommend reading this blog about someone's own personal experience and retelling the experience of working with Qareen in a more interesting theme/background from a Pakistani esoteric view:

In the sixth hour you have the form of a lion; your name is ΒΑΙ ΣΟΛΒΑΙ...THE RULER OF TIME

If you speak to me often, you will perceive everything in lion-form. For neither does the curved mass of heaven appear then nor do the stars shine. The light of the moon is hidden, and the earth is not firmly secured, but everything is seen by flashes of lightning. Chaldean Oracle 147

So, clearly there's more and more stuff in this sussy qareen stuff, and the binding of time-space that's imposed on us by it's existence because of it relation to us. to summarize this haphazard theory section that's been cooking in my head for the last 30 days or so and I will post this summary in the start of the blog also.

The summary is that the Qareen and shadow are inherently influenced by Solar Influence and the time constraint hints toward a saturnian influence on us. The main argument I am presenting forth here by bringing the topic about it is that we can properly influence our Shadow, bless it, and do other constraints and maneuvers around with it that would lead to HUGE transformations in your self and personality in both positive and can be negative ways. The precedence and their existence in most literature and writings implies that it was worked with pretty extensively. Next practical blog on this will include an interview with one of my friends (W.F.) who I cut off his Qareen and imprisoned it into a glass jar alongside the procedure of it and his own experiences and feeling with it short term and long term after having his Qareen restricted.

<start of translation>

On Summoning the Qareen/Shadow Spirit of Whoever You Want to make them do what you want.

In an empty glass bottle, light up the incense on a censer which is benzoin and sandarac, and write the talismans on a strip of an empty glass bottle:

Recite Surah Al-Jinn once and recite the conjuration/oath 3 times. When the bottle shakes, hold it. If it feels heavy, write on it the fiery letters:

ا هـ ط ف ش ذ ا

Afterward the Qareen will be imprisoned as you commanded; you can interrogate it and force it to do what you want, and its imprisonment will not exceed an hour unless you want to torture the person.

The Conjuration/Oath of Qareen.

أجيبوا أيتها الأرواح الروحانية الطاهرة الزكية برب البنية العلية وهو الله الذي لا إله إلا هو الحي القيوم بفعشلشاخ /٢ آل /٢ أيل /٢ باه  /٢ ود /٢ هو /٢ مالخ /٢ ملخى /٢ هملوخم /٢ تدكدكت الجبال لعظمته و خضعت الرقاب لهيبته   إله أزلي أزل يزيل الزوال و لم يزل أجيبوا وأمروا قرين كذا بالحضور في هذه الزجاجة والاتكن هذه الأسماء عليكم نارًا أحاط بكم سرادقها الوحا العجل الساعة قبل فوات الأجل

Transliteration:

ʾAjībū ayyatuhā al-ʾarwāḥ al-rūḥāniyyah al-ṭāhirah al-zakiyyah bi-rabbi al-biniyyah al-ʿaliyyah wa huwa Allāhu alladhī lā ʾilāha illā huwa al-ḥayyu al-qayyūm bi-faʿshalshākh /2 āl /2 ʾīl /2 bāh /2 wad /2 hū /2 mālakh /2 milkhī /2 hamlūkhim /2 tadakdakat al-jibāl li-ʿaẓamatihi wa khaḍaʿat al-riqāb li-haybatihi ʾilāh ʾazalī ʾazal yazīlu al-zawāl wa lam yazal ʾajībū wa ʾmurū qarīn kadhā bi-l-ḥuḍūr fī hādhihi al-zujājah wa-lā tatakinn hādhihi al-ʾasmāʾ ʿalaykum nāran ʾaḥāṭa bikum surādiquhā al-waḥā al-ʿajal al-sāʿah qabla fawāt al-ʾajal.

English Translation:

Answer, O you pure, virtuous, spiritual beings, by the Lord of the Exalted Structure, who is Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Sustaining, by Fa'shalshakh /2 Al /2 El /2 Bah /2 Wad /2 Hu /2 Malakh /2 Milkhi /2 Hamlukhim /2. The mountains crumbled at His greatness, and necks bowed to His awe. O eternal God, the eternal, who removes cessation and never ceases. Answer and command the Qareen of so-and-so to be present in this glass [bottle], and let not these names be fire encompassing you, Quickly Quickly, At this hour at this hour, with Haste, before the appointed time passes.

<End of Translation>

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Necromantic Angelic Pouch

The pdf is here

The following Document is a bit haphazard but it was made by me, my husband, and my friend to do during the Jupiter retrograde. In a sense it is Necromantic to avoid having to rely on the Jovial or relying too much on the planetary/astrological malignant influence. I recommend the practice of burning "hell money" to charge the pouch on weekly basis AFTER you finish the first consecration of the pouch. Credit goes to:

My NEW Everyday Prayer Book compiled by Brother A.D.A (2018)

Daily Magical Devotions (Brother A.D.A., 2017)

Theurgy: The Art of Effective Worship by Mouni Sadhu

Book of Prayer by Jean Kent

Draja Mickaharic - A Miscellany of Information

The main force and strength of this working is relying on the materia magica and properties of the items in the pouch itself and less on the astrological “strength” of current planetary forces. There’s a strong emphasis on the Telos/Intention or Aim of this pouch since aiming it for wealth or MONEY could turn it very ugly very fast. I recommend taking a very “soft” approach to it and having a welfare approach to the spirits being called forth in this context “To render like for like”, if we come to the spirits with greed then they will come to us with greed and if we are fake/doing lip-service to them then we would get the same.   The Telos is the following: “I give you money in death so that you may increase your comfort, and so that you will assist me to have money in life. Please send me money in excess, so that I may supply my daily needs and have excess money for luxuries. I ask that you be comfortable in your death, and that God grant you peace.   Amen”  You want to give the dead people Prosperity, Happiness, Comfort, etc. You want to give them money, that’s the idea mainly, Donate in their name, burn hell money for them, etc. Approach it from a helping them perspective and reciprocation  will follow. 

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Reading the Hermetica: SH 24 (Korē Kosmou, part 2)

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re continuing our reading and discussion of the Stobaean Hermetic Fragments (SH), specifically fragment 24 (SH 24).  This is the second section of the text called the Korē Kosmou (KK) or “Virgin of the World”.  As ever, if you don’t have a copy of Litwa’s Hermetica II or Festugière/Nock’s Hermès Trismégiste (and I strongly urge you get at least…

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A Daoist Musing on the Reflections on Things at Hand 近思錄 3.5

Before I begin this, I find this passage as a way to ground and affirm the “supernatural” and “strange” in a way with what I believe to be in accordance with the Principle of Dao. Zhu Xi, and for the most part, the entirety of Neo-Confucian doctrine had a very nuanced belief about ghosts, spirits, and the Gods. Zhu Xi and Kongzi did believe in ghosts and spirits, however, their "existence" is a lot more rational and grounding. The Rujia school, from Kongzi to Zhu Xi seem to want to distance themselves from the "superstitious" aspects of the words 鬼 & 神, ghosts and spirits (and Gods) respectively. 鬼 & 神 are very real for Zhu Xi, but they are simply natural manifestations of Yin and Yang respectively. The mystical and faith-based beliefs and explanations of 鬼 & 神 are simply removed from the curriculum. This sort of rationalization of 鬼 & 神 is something I can appreciate and understand, and can ultimately confirm with my own experiences as well. However, I too, am faith-driven. There is an element of mysticism to the 鬼 & 神. I pray to the 鬼 & 神 of every budling and room I encounter. And not because a doctrine tells me this must be so, or because some superstitious ghost story led me to this practice. Rather, I've come to this practice via my own investigation of the Nature and Principle of ghosts, spirits, and the Gods (鬼 & 神). This is probably where I differ from the Rujia school of thought as proposed by Zhu Xi and all the thinkers found in the Reflections on Things At Hand (from here on out, referred to as Reflections). The following is a commentary on a Neo-Confucian passage through the lens of a student studying and practicing Daoism. I want to thank Yangzi (on Discord); whose @ on Twitter/X is MichaelMjfm, for helping clarify the nuances of the Neo-Confucian position of 鬼 & 神 to me. May the 鬼 & 神 bless you in every endeavor you embark on.

With that out of the way, let us look at this passage from the Reflections of Things at Hand 3.5 (here on out referred to as simply Reflections) along with comments from Chiang Yung:

People today believe in all kinds of supernatural things and strange tales simply because they do not clearly understand [universal] principle. If they try to understand principle in everything [that seems strange], when will there be an end? We must try to understand [universal principle] through learning.

Comments by Chiang Yung:

If we understand principle clearly, we can judge all supernatural things according to it. According to principle, some things are regular and others are not. Supernatural things need not seem strange to us. (Chiang Yung, Chin-ssu lu chi-chu, 3:1b)

This is an interesting statement to make. This comment that Zhu Xi includes makes it even more interesting. Albeit, one can derive a very secular interpretation from this. The comment by Chiang Yung makes me ponder…

There seems to be a kind very practical and grounding way to understand things that are “supernatural” in a way that makes them less “strange.” As per Kongzi Analects 3.12:

祭如在，祭神如神在。子曰：「吾不與祭，如不祭。」

The expression "sacrifice as though present" is taken to mean "sacrifice to the spirits as though the spirits are present." But the Master said: "If I myself do not participate in the sacrifice, it is as though I have not sacrificed at all." (tr. Roger T. Ames & Henry Rosemount Jr.)

Kongzi himself participated in things that may appear to the western mind as “strange.” But I purpose that Kongzi is actually investigating the nature of sacrificing to spirits (presumably ancestral ones in the context of Analects 3.12) through the Principle of Dao here in Analects 3.12.

Sacrificing to the spirits as though one were not present is what makes the whole ordeal of “sacrifice” strange. Behave as though the spirits are present…one’s sacrifice becomes ever real, ever “regular” as Chiang Yung might suggest. To sacrifice to the spirits as though they were fully present is to investigate the nature of sacrifice through Principle 理 -- the true reality of the thing being investigated. As Chiang Yung states: "According to Principle, some things are regular and some things are not. Supernatural things need not seem strange to us." If we take the time to investigate the "supernatural" and "strange" we begin to realize that everything labeled as "supernatural" and "strange" begins to fall apart. Self and other begin to fall apart. This is the Principle of the supernatural in one's practice. To begin to understand that ghosts, spirits, Gods, and the like are real in every sense of the word; now the "supernatural" becomes quite "natural." However, The "existence" and "non-existence" of the supernatural and strange and the natural and regular become obliterated too once investigating the Principle of this matter. To implore further about the "existence" or "non-existent" of what is regular or strange, supernatural or natural, is the reason why Dao and its Principle are diminished (Zhaungzi 2.12.4-5 tr. Richard J. Lynn). Do not become so overtly attached to the "realness" or "not realness" of the strange, the supernatural, and likewise the regular and natural. Trust in Dao with all your heart-mind and let yourself become absorbed within it All. I encourage anyone who reads this to read the Qingjing Jing, Humingjing, and Zhuangzi 2 to further elucidate the dissolution of these categories, as I am not qualified to speak any further on this.

So, my concluding comment to Reflections 3.5 and its comments by Chiang Yung:

Chapter 3.6 of the Reflections encourages us to investigate the “supernatural” and “strange” through the [universal] Principle [of Dao]. We do this by reading the ancients: Laozi & Kongzi; then the classics. The Daoist teacher then must teach the dizi 弟子 techniques of investigating the subtleties of the world away from the classics and books. The books teach you to crawl, then walk. They are your foundation.

With the foundation of the classics equipped; internalized within the dizi… the mysteries of Daoism then teach you to run into the “supernatural” and “strange” in order to shed these very dichotomies of “supernatural” and “strange.”

Although my understanding of “classics” here is very different from the Confucian tradition, I believe one must start with the Laozi. There are good arguments out there as to why this may be a bad idea, and they are good points to consider. However, I am a Daoist, so I make no excuse for my reasoning. The image below is a wonderful curriculum that one should diligently adhere to. Start with the Five Classics as listed in the picture below. The fifth is the Humingjing which I linked earlier in this post. Study them intently and intimately. Then read Zhu Xi and Kongzi, and if you wish, dip your toes into Confucian classic texts. After one deeply reads and reflects on the Five Classics and some Ruist literature, move on to the Four Books as listed below in the picture. This is my own curriculum and does not reflect the desired curriculum for the school of Daoism I'm training under (not initiated into, but simply training under).

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On Hermeticism's "Not Being Evil" and the Importance of Doctrine

As readers of the Hermetic texts might have realized by now (especially, I hope, with the guidance and commentary that my Reading the Hermetica blogpost series can give), these texts can be a bit of a strange thing.  They’re not encrypted or encoded or anything, despite the occasional claim one might see about that (generally made because one is trying to mask their own ignorance in reading them…

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Reading the Hermetica: SH 8 + SH 12 + SH 13 + SH 14 + SH 7

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re continuing our reading and discussion of the Stobaean Hermetic Fragments (SH), specifically fragments 8, 12, 13, 14, and 7 (SH 8 + SH 12 + SH 13 + SH 14 + SH 7).  These texts touch on providence, necessity, fate, and justice as guiding principles of the world, its functioning, and our right-relationship to it and to God.  As ever, if you…

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Reading the Hermetica: Intro to the Stobaean Fragments + SH 1

Reading the Hermetica: Intro to the Stobaean Fragments + SH 1

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re starting our reading and discussion of the Stobaean Hermetic Fragments (SH), starting off with the first fragment (SH 1). After so long, we’re getting started with another collection of classical Hermetica entirely: the Stobaean Hermetic Fragments (abbreviated as “SH” here and below), as collected by Iōannēs ho Stobaios (aka Johannes…

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Reading the Hermetica: Intro to the Asclepius + AH 1—3

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re starting our reading and discussion of the Perfect Sermon or Asclepius (AH), starting off with introducing the AH as a whole and taking a look at sections 1 through 3 (AH 1—3). Now that we’ve passed through the Corpus Hermeticum (all seventeen treatises, CH I—XVIII) and the Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth (aka D89, NHC VI.6), it’s time we…

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Reading the Hermetica: CH X

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re finishing our reading and discussion of the Corpus Hermeticum (CH), specifically Book 10 (CH X).  This text is entitled “The Key of Hermēs Trismegistos”.  As ever, if you don’t have a copy of Copenhaver’s Hermetica, Salaman’s Way of Hermes, or Festugière/Nock’s Hermès Trismégiste (and I strongly urge you get at least one of those, as they’re…

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(Practical) Making Holy Oil with Psalm 23 and χ

If you want to hear my rambling version of this, go here. This is not a normal holy oil or an oil I recommend using daily if you don't want an initiation, there's a current attached to this procedure and it is a lot less of a magical lodge and more alongside the thought of "soul of the world" sort of initiation. I recommend taking the time to think if you want to follow with this procedure or not. There's layers to it and you're welcome to explore it yourself. I recommend for this:

A white bowl.

Two white cloth(one for table and one to cover the bowl)

Four (tealight) candles and one yellow candle.

(Olive)Oil

Psalter or a Bible.

Note: You will be doing this whole procedure(for 7 days) on a strict vegetarian diet or vegan diet. Where you won't anything that have a soul or came out of a soul. This will start from Sunday to Saturday.

Procedure:

Light up the yellow candle on a separate table(altar for jesus is better if you have one) asking help and praying to be guided toward the light and proper way to approach this. A sincere prayer from the heart of your choice. (NOTE: this step can only be done once at the start, it doesn't need to be repeated for the rest of the period)

Set up the main table/altar for this working it will not be disturbed for next seven days with white cloth, 4 candles, and bowl of olive oil in the middle covered by a white cloth. Make sure that the direction is east.

Don't light up the candle now!, recite psalm 23 on the bowl filled with olive oil and then cover it carefully with a white cloth.

After covering the bowl with a white cloth light up the candle in clockwise manner starting from top, right, bottom, left.

Let it burn completely and repeat the procedure again daily until the period end.

Once you're done with the week of consecrating that oil with psalm 23 then you can pour it in a bottle with a funnel and bottle it in smaller containers and use it for yourself anointing yourself daily with it day and night slowly you will start to see stuff shifting and your spiritual practice to have a definite refinement to it.

Before I end this, olive oil could be expensive for you. I recommend to use whatever oil you found suitable for you and within your means because the original word for the oil in the psalm wasn't exactly "olive oil", it just said oil. Look into coconut, Sesame, or other good oils that you can use.

May the peace of the lord be with you .