Taoist Magick - Chinese Occult Robes - Lord Josh Allen
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| Lord Josh Allen wearing three different ritual robes used for Taoist Magick |
In all Occult magical traditions, ceremonial robes play an enormous role in ritual magick. Taoism is no exception. Within the tradition that I practice, a robe is not simply a highly decorative outfit worn for theatrical effect. Robes work by creating an energetic separation between the magician's mundane Earthly self, for example, their occupation, social status, and financial power become irrelevant when they are dressed for ceremony. The mundane version of you goes shopping for groceries, hangs out with friends, enjoys entertainment but the magical "higher" version of you should be much different. Once robed, you are transformed from a mortal into a divine radiance of energy, a living embodiment of infinite potential and purity. You not only look different, but you also behave differently, your "Magical Persona" is allowed to run wild, this is known as "The True Self" where, only for a short time, the mask that you wear in your mundane life, the pretense that you show to others is finally lifted and you are able to express your authentic nature. This transition is one of the first steps for ritual magick, whether you are a novice who is practicing their first working or an adept with decades of experience, this is something that is always done. The robe allows you to travel across the bridge that connects Earth and Heaven (The Spirit Realms) which is another way of saying, the robe allows you to transform your way of thinking and being, all Taoist robes fundamentally represent transformation. This transition from mundane self to true self is immediately felt by the wearer as soon as the robe is worn, it is not a slow process nor is it something that should be taken lightly. Some Taoist traditions believe that robes should be worn to remove the wearer's ego, this is why many sects require their followers to "purify" themselves before the robe can be worn. This may involve taking a ritual bath, meditating to clear one's mind of mundane desires, fasting or restricting certain food and drink such as meat and wine and having a general reverence for the robe itself. Taoists would sometimes take great care in how the robes are taken care of, they must not be blemished or untidy. This shows how Taoists care very deeply about their ritual attire, to them it is NOT a costume, it is never a "prop" used for performances, it is instead a union of Man, Earth, and Heaven fusing together. In magical terms, robes have many practical uses. When worn, they increase and expand the magician's energetic field that surrounds the body, known famously as the "aura" Depending on the type of robe, this field of qi may change colour, become boiling hot or freezingly cold, it may act as a protection chamber around the wearer or it may affect other people around the wearer, such as altering their perceptions of reality, making them see and hear things, healing them or changing their thoughts. There are too many robes to mention here in this blog so I will be discussing my own ritual robes and how I use them in my own personal practices.
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| Lord Josh Allen wearing the Taoist Robe "The Robe of The Immortal Crane" |
The Robe of The Immortal Crane
Usually, when identifying robes and how they are used in magick, the name itself provides good insight. "The Robe of The Immortal Crane" is a design that is mostly used for healing spells. It enables the practitioner to work closely with any of the Celestial Immortals with relative ease. Spirits such as Zhongli Quan, Lu Dongbin, Li Tieguai, etc are all drawn to this robe. It holds symbolism of the famous "Red-Crowned Crane" which in Taoism is a representation of longevity, immortality and living a long life. These symbols work very well if you are interested in "Healing Magick" for either healing yourself or others. The symbolism of the mighty dragon embroidered on the back allows the robe to be used for other spells aside from healing, dragons in Taoism are deeply connected to water and rain, think Ying Long, The Responding Dragon. Dragons are often known as "The Gods of Water" and can be petitioned for rainmaking rituals within the tradition of Taoist Weather Magick. A magician who wears this robe can also petition dragons to help with flood control. They have power over waterfalls, rivers, oceans, and lakes. Dragons are seen as being highly auspicious creatures often linked with glory, Chinese imperial families, the Emperor himself and they represent the realm of scaly creatures just as the phoenix represents the realm of feathered creatures. In China, three-clawed dragons were commonly used during the Tang Dynasty. The grey border that travels all across the outer robe is a representation of "The Middle Path" the wearer is allowing others to know that he or she is not a follower of black or white magick but a practitioner of grey magick, I swear no allegiance to The Left-Hand Path or The Right-Hand Path, I respect both and I see there is wisdom in both. It is here in this neutral area where balance can be achieved, where the Tao is most divine. The keyword here is harmony. A robe like this is perfect for a grey arts sorcerer. Out of all of my occult robes, this is the one I've worn the least, I always tell people, a robe is at its weakest when you wear it for the very first time. Robes gather power over the duration of many years, every single ritual you practice is "imprinted" into the fabric, the robe has a "spiritual memory" it recalls all past rituals, remembering every incantation, every invocation and every experience the wearer has had whilst wearing it. It also absorbs information by drawing in incense smoke. In the I Ching Book of Changes, it mentions that the colour black is the colour of Heaven, I personally believe using black helps me connect to The Northern Dipper.
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| Lord Josh Allen wearing "The Great Robe of The Red Vermillion Bird" |
The Great Robe of The Red Vermillion Bird
This robe really is something extraordinary, whenever you see the word "Great" in relation to the name of a Taoist robe, you know that it has some serious energy and power to it. It bears some resemblance to another type of master's robe in Taoism known as "The Robe of Descent" However, mine here is even more unique. Unlike The Robe of The Immortal Crane, this one here is entirely bespoke and custom made just for me, it is the only one of its kind in the world and it was tailor-made to fit my personal practices. As a Weather Magician who walks an Eastern path, I struggle to find appropriate ritual attire, the colours, cut, symbols and material are very hard to find so I had my "perfect" robe commissioned a few years ago, this is the result. The Great Robe of The Red Vermillion Bird draws the majority of its power from The Bird, often confused with the Fenghuang. This bird represents fire, all feathered creatures, the Southern direction, the colour red, the season of Summer, the trigram of Li (meaning flame) and in Feng Shui it is associated with fame, reputation and good fortune. Its appearance is said to be similar to a glowing fiery pheasant with flames that never burn out. It is a highly auspicious creature that belongs to a legendary group of beasts known as "The Four Celestial Animals of Feng Shui" (Relating to The Twenty-Eight Mansions) In Taoist Alchemy, The Bird represents a persons Shen (Spirit) and their Intention. At its core. The Bird represents seven celestial mansions which consist of the following, Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot. Whilst wearing the robe, Star-Lords can be petitioned, entrance into the realms of the stars can be accomplished via meditation. These energies can be utilized very efficiently whilst wearing this robe. It isn't just the symbolism that holds power, the overall cut of the robe is most important. The sleeves are extremely long and the whole robe is very wide. In Taoism, long and wide robes are used for elaborate rituals which have many technical steps and complex formulas. They are almost always worn by the adept and those who have years of experience with ritualism. When the magician opens his or her arms widely, the robe represents the four directions of North, South, East, and West and this square shape represents Earth in general. The colour black, again, is a representation of Heaven or "The Great Unknowable" This robe is profoundly useful in magical operations that require an enormous amount of qi. The two main colours are black and white (or grey) the outer black robe is responsible for absorbing qi from the stars, the vegetation, the trees, the waters, etc and the lighter inner robe deflects excessive qi that the black robe draws in, ensuring that the magician never absorbs too much, as this can be dangerous. These two robes create a cycle, where they rely on each other, much like the Yin and Yang. The dark attracts qi, the light repels qi. If a magician wore all-black robes, he or she would be imbalanced, the same applies when wearing all white. The goal is to reach a state of harmony.
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| Lord Josh Allen wearing "The Authority Over Heaven and Earth Robe" |
The Authority Over Heaven and Earth Robe
This robe is in a class of its own, it is somewhat similar to the famous "Senior Masters Robe" which is worn by the highest-ranking Daoshi's in China. The Authority Over Heaven and Earth Robe is easily distinguishable with its strong square shape. Just like the "Jiangyi Robe" its silhouette is striking and menacing. It is a sleeveless garment made entirely from one piece of continuous fabric. It represents the four Earthly directions and having command over all areas of the Earth. Some variations will include three small silk straps that tie the outer robe together, these three silk pieces represent The Three Dantians (Upper, Middle, and Lower) The Three Realms ( Earth, Heaven, and the Underworld) and The Three Taoist Treasures (Qi, Jing, and Shen) The silver border that travels across the robe contains the symbolism of the phoenix or (depending on your sects beliefs) The Red Vermillion Bird. Blended into this silver design are a multitude of swirling shapes, representing clouds and wind and circular shapes representing the Wuji (primordial universe) The colour silver is especially auspicious, it represents "God Energy" or "The Original Source of Qi" or qi in its purest form. In modern Feng Shui, it has become associated with Wealth Magick. This robe is usually worn for "High Magick" it works like a giant wearable talisman, the immortals, deities, elementals all descend from their Heavenly abodes and attach themselves to this robe when it is used during ritual. This is another one of my bespoke custom made robes, I commissioned it so that I could start practicing long-distance Weather Magick, I wanted my rainmaking spells to work in other countries. I was well aware of the terrible situation in Yemen where the starvation rates are some of the worst in the world, a lot of these issues stem from a lack of good soil due to shortages of rainfall. I had made many honorable but failed attempts to bring rain to Yemen, I must have practiced about a dozen rainmaking rituals all in vain. I tried method after method, I consulted all of the traditional books but I could not accomplish this task. I became very frustrated so I took a step back and went into meditation, I remember how the ancient Taoists viewed themselves as helpers in their respective communities, they would help with droughts and flooding by making petitions to the proper deities. I made contact with my local nature spirits and I had sudden vivid "visions" of inspiration, many of my robes, talismans, feather fans, etc all make their first appearance in my dreams or visions. I had a powerful mental image of a square-shaped black robe that could influence weather overseas. I was told to find this exact robe so I wasted no time and sought out an accomplished tailor. The black colour helps me immensely for Taoist Weather Magick. It is used in Sympathetic Magick, to manifest dark stormy clouds, perfect for rainmaking. The mission to bring rain to Yemen is still in progress.
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