Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Magical Uses Of Willow (楊柳)


 
 
Traditionally Chinese sorcerers are very fond of using twigs, branches and trunk of willow trees for magic uses. A willow tree is said to belong to earth element and it is one of the many favorite trees in traditional Chinese culture.

 

The twigs of a willow tree can be used as magical whip to cast out demonic entities from a possessed person. Other use of a willow twig is it can be made into ritual arrow to bring away misfortunes.

 

If one wants to get wind fall or attract luck, fortune and luck in gambling, then he or she can curve a figurine from willow wood holding gold bar or money bag. After that, this effigy is worshipped in his earth god altar. Whenever this person feels his luck is lacking or before gambling, then all that he must do is only to burn three pieces of joss stick and pray to the ‘kid of fortune’.

 

On the other extreme, as with Kumanthong; the effigy can also be worshipped as a kid spirit. In this case, the insiders call this effigy “the willow kid” (柳靈童). This willow kid must be fed with the blood drawn from the sorcerer’s ring finger to increase its power. Some sorcerer will put his or her willow kid under a staircase to absorb passerby’s’ energy.

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