Lushan Sect's Soul-Calling Ritual

The "Soul-Calling" ritual aims to retrieve the scattered Three Souls and Seven Spirits, which is the central program of this ceremony. The practice requires the use of Five Directions Flags, relying on the magical power of the Five Camps' Divine Soldiers and Heavenly Generals to recover the souls. Since all the deities invited to the upper and lower altars have been summoned and gathered together, the various gods are then dispatched to search in the five directions to追回 the lost souls, hence it is also called "Five Directions Soul-Calling."

The procedure begins with the priest remaining seated on the straw mat in his original position. He first recites the "Purify Heaven and Earth Mantra" to purify the ritual site. Then, starting from the East, the priest continues to shake the ritual bell with his right hand while holding three incense sticks, a green flag, and a ruler in his left hand, reciting the "Soul-Calling Mantra" or "Inviting Five Directions Mantra" directed towards the East.

The mantra states: "Eastward soul-calling with an iron ruler, generals call the soul with a level ruler. Believer [Name], if the three souls are scattered on the path, may the jade ruler measure the soul's return. Our Master calls the soul back for me, the Patriarch calls the soul home for me. Immortals call the soul back for me, Jade Maidens call the soul home for me. Three Masters and three童子 call the soul, three Masters and three童郎 call the soul. Quickly call the soul, quickly arrive; quickly call the soul, quickly return. Call back the head soul, call back the foot soul; call back the three souls and seven spirits to the wooden body, call back the twelve path souls to the self, call back [Name]'s three souls and seven spirits to the self. Divine soldiers, act with urgency as per the decree. "

"Dry Yuan enjoys true benefit, Taiji follows the pointer's direction. Three souls return, seven spirits become spiritual. Three souls belong to the self, seven spirits belong to the base. I am commanded by the Three Masters and Three Dao Saints to write talismans, bless water, and call back [Name]'s three souls and seven spirits to return. Divine soldiers, act with urgency as per the decree." After reciting the above mantras, the priest casts the sacred cups (bo jia) to determine if the souls scattered in the East have been successfully retrieved and possessed the straw effigy. If one cup shows face up and the other face down (a "Holy Cup"), it indicates that the soul has undoubtedly returned. If both cups show face up (a "Laughing Cup") or both face down (a "Kneeling Cup"), it indicates obstacles, meaning the soul has not gone to that direction, so another mantra must be recited to urge and strengthen the search, called "Re-urging." The "Re-urging Mantra" is as follows:

The mantra states: "Our Master calls the soul back for me, the Patriarch calls the soul home for me, Immortals call the soul back for me, Jade Maidens call the soul home for me, Lord Turtle and Earth God call the soul back for me, the altar's officials and generals call the soul home for me. Three Masters and three童子 call the soul, three Masters and three童郎 call the soul. Quickly call the soul, quickly return; quickly call the soul, quickly come. Quickly call back [Name]'s three souls and seven spirits to the self, [Name]'s three souls and seven spirits to return. Divine soldiers, act with urgency as per the decree." After reciting the "Re-urging Mantra," the priest casts the cups again. If a "Holy Cup" is not obtained, "Re-urging" is performed until a "Holy Cup" is achieved, indicating the soul has safely returned.

Once the soul from the East has been retrieved, the second step continues with the South, the third step with the West, the fourth step with the North, and the fifth step with the Center. The actions of these five steps are essentially the same, differing only in "the color of the flag held (Five Directions Flags), the talismanic objects, and the first four lines of the Soul-Calling Mantra." The differences are described below; other actions are the same as for the East and are not repeated here.

(1) Soul-Calling from the South

Hold three incense sticks, a red flag, and a rooster in the left hand.

The first four lines of the "Soul-Calling Mantra" are changed to "Southward soul-calling with a spiritual rooster, transforming into a phoenix crying on the branch. Believer's three souls are scattered on the path, may the golden rooster call the soul back." The rest is the same as the aforementioned Soul-Calling Mantra.

(2) Soul-Calling from the West

Hold three incense sticks, a white flag, and scissors in the left hand.

The first four lines of the "Soul-Calling Mantra" are changed to "Westward soul-calling with a pair of scissors, the Queen Mother grants me scissors to cut evil spirits. Believer's three souls are scattered on the path, may the golden knife cut the soul's return." The rest is the same as the aforementioned Soul-Calling Mantra.

(3) Soul-Calling from the North

Hold three incense sticks, a black flag, and white rice in the left hand.

The first four lines of the "Soul-Calling Mantra" are changed to "Northward soul-calling with the Chou Heart Thunder, five-colored white rice surrounds the four sides. Believer's three souls are scattered on the path, may the white rice scatter the soul's return." The rest is the same as the aforementioned Soul-Calling Mantra.

(4) Soul-Calling from the Center

Hold three incense sticks, a yellow flag, and a mirror.

The first four lines of the "Soul-Calling Mantra" are changed to "Centerward soul-calling with a bright mirror stand, the Five Camps' soldiers come to call the soul. Believer's three souls are scattered on the path, may the precious mirror illuminate the soul's return." The rest is the same as the aforementioned Soul-Calling Mantra. In this way, the three souls and seven spirits scattered in the five directions are all retrieved, followed by reciting the "General Soul-Calling Mantra" to call wandering souls to return to their bodies quickly, preventing them from lingering四处 and falling into the Yellow Springs. The General Soul-Calling Mantra states:

"Do not drink a mouthful of Yellow Springs water, look back at the twelve path souls. Climb mountains and ridges to call the soul back, call the soul back at three-way intersections, call the soul back at four-way intersections, call the soul back at field heads and tails, call the soul back at river heads and stream tails, call the soul back in winding streets and alleys, call the soul back at road heads and tails, call the soul back in front of and behind houses. Quickly send the soul back, quickly return the soul. The Upper Palace does not collect others' spirits, the Lower Office does not collect others' souls. Call back [Name]'s three souls and seven spirits to the self, call back [Name]'s twelve path souls to the self. Divine soldiers, act with urgency as per the decree. "

Thus, the soul-calling segment is completed. The priest joins his palms in prayer, bows his head, stands up, and leaves his seat. He first lifts the patient's clothing covering the bucket tray to reveal the white rice. The surface of the white rice, which was clearly flattened before the ritual, must now show changes caused by the divine power of the deities, presenting some concave and convex traces to indicate the deities' will. The priest concentrates and observes in detail, inferring the direction and cause of the "offense" (the source of the affliction), and informs the patient's family.