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The Earth element is the only one that contains the other four. Without it, man would have no solid
matter on which to stand or many minerals that make his life more bearable. Still, earthquakes, volcanoes,
and harsh terrain, can make life on this planet very difficult.
The Five Elements are also an inextricable part of man's death. When a person passes away, his bodily
fluids (water) such as blood, sweat, and tears stop circulating. Then his Chi energy (fire) leaves his body,
causing it to grow cold and stiff (water). The Wood element is represented by the coffin that allows the
corpse to decompose quickly and naturally if a metal coffin is used, it will hinder the process of
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decomposition and cause the body to turn into a gelatinous mass. The Metal element is represented by the
gold ornaments that the deceased's relatives place in his coffin. These items often include his rings, his
watch, and a gold coin that is placed in his mouth so that his ghost will be able to buy his passage to higher
levels in the hereafter. Finally, the Earth element receives the coffin and keeps the body from being
disturbed by savage beasts, desecrated by other people, or damaged by the weather. In the earth, the
corpse will decompose in peace.
The Importance of Burying a Corpse Intact. The spirits of the dead can depart for the hereafter
as long as their bodies are buried whole. But if their heads, arms, legs, or any other parts of their bodies
are separated from their corpses, their ghosts will try to find these missing parts. This will also happen to
those who were born handicapped or lost limbs in accidents, so relatives may choose to bury them with
artificial limbs. In the past, when the system of execution by decapitation was in use, many Chinese people
hung themselves to avoid being decapitated.
In times of old, Chinese rulers often thwarted the rebellious plans of their political enemies by
disinterring the bodies of their opponents' ancestors, siblings, and children, and scattering their bones.
They also liked to take revenge on their enemies by cutting off their heads and burying them someplace
where they would never be found by their relatives. This action would disturb the earthly soul still present
in the corpse and bring ruin to the person's living descendants. Such a fate befell a Western president
whose amorous conquests became the focus of a judicial investigation after his political enemies
disinterred and scattered the bones of his father.
One can only imagine how many ghosts still wander this world, uselessly searching for heads that
were not buried with their corpses.
The Function of Funeral Rituals. For seven days after their deaths, people's ghosts find it hard
to leave this world. The priests who conduct their funeral rites must gently force these spirits to depart for
the hereafter. In the Catholic Church, the requiem mass is performed for this purpose.
Military Funerals. In times of war, a ruler personally performs funeral rituals to help ensure that
the spirits of his soldiers killed in battle will rest in peace. These ceremonies are independent of those that
priests perform in temples or on battlefields.
Intimate Funeral Ceremony. When a friend or relative dies, a magician can soothe the person's
ghost with a simple ritual. The ritual can either be performed in the altar room or outdoors. During the
ceremony, the sorcerer lights two candles, offers wine, food, fruits, and burns spirit money in honor of the
departed. This intimate ritual will ensure that the person s soul and spirit receives comfort and solace.
Because Western funeral ceremonies do not include food and offerings of spirit money, many spirits
in the hereafter suffer from hunger. When a magician performs a ritual for the benefit of the deceased, he
fulfills their needs. The best thing about this ceremony is that the officiant can repeat it as often as he likes
and will not need to go to a church or engage the services of priests.
The Dead Walking among the Living. This world imposes a heavy load on all living creatures.
For man, life is a constant fight from birth to death, and this struggle often kills people spiritually before
it kills them physically. The poor, for instance, live a life that is sometimes worse than death, and sick
people with incurable diseases often wish they were dead. Those who go to work in foreign countries or
are exiled without having the possibility of returning home are also considered to be among the living
dead. Those who enter monasteries or convents are said to have been buried alive, and those who are
traitorous do not belong to the human race. These kinds of people, among many others, can be considered
dead even though they are still alive. Thus it is said, "There are dead people walking among the living."
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The Guidelines: Learning To Die
An Animal s Fear of Death. As the ruler of earth, man thinks little of destroying life. The pleasure
he derives from killing other humans makes him insensitive to his victims' pleas for mercy, and he is even
more insensitive to the feelings of the animals he kills.
Animals love their lives as much as human beings love theirs and they also fear death. This fear can
be seen when cows are being led to be slaughtered, for they shed tears that fail to move the butchers'
hearts. Such tears indicate that the animals are aware of their fate, although man does not care about their
feelings. After all, he is destined to live by killing.
Recognizing Ethnic Enemies. Just as a lamb has a natural enemy in the tiger, and a god a natural
enemy in a demon, every individual has natural ethnic enemies among those who surround him. These
enemies are waiting to take his life and will bother him throughout his lifetime. They will obstruct his
studies, his work, his marriage, and his children's lives. They will also hound him into an early death by
isolating him, being hostile toward him, and blocking his progress.
If a magician is lucky and is told about this situation early in life, he judiciously uses Chinese sorcery
rituals to overpower his ethnic enemies before they suppress him.
Unavoidable Calamity. Sometimes, a person has the misfortune of meeting the enemy who will
eventually be the cause of his ruin. This mortal enemy may show up as a murderous spouse, a bad son,
a terrible parent, a disloyal friend, or a dishonest business partner.
Most people are shrewd by nature and avoid malevolent individuals, thus averting tragedy. But there
are a few naive human beings who not only encounter their killers, they also invite them into their homes.
There is no greater mistake than this, for anyone who takes a savage beast into his home can only expect
to become its dinner.
There are many factors that can end a human life, such as poisonous and savage animals, illnesses,
accidents, and old age. But "people also kill people."
Dying Young. It is painfully obvious that the invisible line that separates life from death has the
thickness and resilience of a weak thread. Since life is so fragile, it is natural that some brilliant men die
young. Although occultists know that brilliant youngsters become gods when they die, average people
would rather die at an advanced age even if they pass away in obscurity.
The Ten Thousand Faces of Death. Most people have the strange notion that the physiognomy
of the Demon of Death is extremely horrible. But in truth, death often hides its face behind easy money, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]