Benebell Wen - The Tao of Craft: Fu Talismans and Casting Sigils in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition

Figure 1.1. Evolution of the character for Tao)

THIS IS NOT A BOOK ABOUT Taoism. This book is about craft, and more specifically, one practice found in esoteric Taoism: Fu () talisman crafting. While the approach espoused herein takes into account the history and cultural practice of the Fu, it presents only one practitioners interpretation of the craft, decoded in a way that will be intelligible to practitioners of Western esoteric traditions. It is a presentation that will encourage the blending of Taoist principles and practices with the Western practitioners. Such syncretism makes sense, because Taoism itself has always been eclectic, integrating and harmonizing facets from other cultures and religions. Also, this book is not intended to be all-encompassing of the craft or of esoteric Taoist thought, as I do not believe such a book is possible.

Where there are tensions, each side makes a concerted effort to distinguish itself from the other, and so differing approaches to the same art emerge, while both sides continue to work under the umbrella of esoteric Taoism.

Within old lineages, there were interruptions in historic documentation of craft,

While certain elements of Taoism is religious, craft itself is not. You have your religion and you either choose to practice or not practice a form of craft. You can be areligious and still study metaphysics and train in the ways of working with energy, perhaps from a Taoist ontological perspective, even if you do not identify as a Taoist. The secular principles of Fu talisman crafting can be applied to deepen your knowledge and experience in metaphysics.

Religion does seem to get entangled with craft, as you will see throughout this book. Historically, orthodox Taoist practitioners of craft invoked deities and summoned spirits, which are the Taoist personifications of both physical and metaphysical energy in the universe. The myths of gods were often inspired by the observation of planets and constellations, of the awe that the sun and moon struck in our ancestors, and the formidable power that natural phenomena held over them. Today, we can continue to use the same religious vocabulary of Eastern traditions, subscribe to the same beliefs as our forebears, or we can understand the secular, metaphysical idea behind the vocabulary. I opt to use the religious vocabulary of Taoism and Buddhism, but in my mind, hold steadfast to the secular, metaphysical ideas that govern craft.

No one book can assert a definitive way of crafting Fu talismans. Thus, this book will try to expound on the theoretical basis, historic texts that reference Fu talisman crafting, and commonly found cultural practices of the craft so that the practitioner might be adequately prepared to craft Fu talismans.