Tag: Asian folk magic

Finding Our Way Home: AAPI Return to Ancestral Spiritual Traditions

On By benebellIn conferences, opinion, personal, personal spirituality1 Comment

My Afterword to the AAPI Esotericism Panel

Not too long ago Serena Saint-Sinclair hosted an AAPI Esotericism Panel where I was one of the panelists, alongside Angela Yuriko Smith, an award-winning Ryukyuan-American writer and poet, David Shi, a North Asian shamanic worker, and Yeong-Tae, a baksu (Korean shaman).

Earlier this year I posted on this blog and my Substack, “Are Asian Folk Traditions ‘Pagan’?” I also have an old post showcasing Asian voices in the tarot community. At the end of that post I reflect a bit on AAPI activism as I’ve experienced it through the decades. Just some related links in case you’re interested.

Anyway, to dovetail on the AAPI Esotericism Panel, I wanted to add an afterword to remark on this newfound popularity of Asian Americans returning to their ancestral spiritual practices. I see it on TikTok and Threads, and I see it among the local AAPI youth.

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Om Mani Padme Hum in Asian Magical Traditions

On By benebellIn free download, Fu talismans, grimoire, Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality, Tao of Craft (book), Taoism, traditional witchcraft9 Comments

The Six Syllable Mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum 唵嘛呢叭咪吽) is the foundational entry point for Asian folk magic traditions. This is a mini-course where we’ll be covering both the doctrinal Buddhist foundations and the practical applications.

Part 1 focuses on Doctrine; Part 2 focuses on Ritual. The subsequent Video 2 is for ritual, to convey a direct empowerment so you can experience the magic and the Mystery for yourself. Both videos are now up on my YouTube channel and also linked in this companion article, where I’ll highlight some of the key points from the video and also drop in the references you might need for the recommended practicum.

Buddhist Mysteries emphasize the distinction between conceptual understanding (which Video 1 strives to deliver) and direct realization (which Video 2 strives to deliver). Dedicated, repetitive, sincere resonance with the Mantra itself, which Video 2 helps to facilitate, is how you receive direct realization and actualization.

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Crafting with a Ba Gua Mirror in Traditional Asian Witchcraft

On By benebellIn grimoire, Magical in the Mundane, personal spirituality, Tao of Craft (book), Taoism, Tinkering Bell, traditional witchcraft8 Comments

Learn a little more about this common ritual tool in traditional Asian folk magic. I’m inviting you to give the ba gua or eight trigrams mirror a try.

This video covers a few pointers on how to use a ba gua mirror to tell whether you’ve been hexed or cursed (a folksy practice that’s interesting to learn about, at the very elast), how a ba gua mirror can amplify your spell-crafting techniques, a simple intention-setting candle spell, how to make your own ba gua mirror if you can’t source one, and how to integrate this one tool and folk practice into what you’re already doing.

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