Three years ago my life changed. My sister passed away. Everything about it was sudden and raw. Her departure cracked open an agonizing hole of grief. If you have experienced this deep distraction then you understand my life was filtered through a glaze of sadness. I began casting about, restless for relief. Not more than a month after she died, I was thrown a life line. I was quietly led to the Portland Japanese Garden, a place Marianne loved and found solace. There I discovered a comforting tradition, O-bon, the Spirit Festival . Persons who have passed on within the year are honored, ancestors are remembered and the importance of family ties are acknowledged. It all begins with dancers beckoning the audience to join in the folkloric dances of Bon Odori. After the liveliness of the hand clapping and twirling about, members and friends proceed with their votives down to “The Strolling Pond Garden”. 

It is a theater of hushed reverence. A Buddhist monk strikes the singing bowl, burns incense, calls to the spirits with mantras and the names of the deceased are memorialized while participants say their prayers and bid their ancestors good bye. Towering conifers, the expansive sky, the sun dimming behind the hills, gold and red koi, drawn to the burning fire, swim in and out of these spirit clusters of light. Nature conspires with the sublimity of the ritual and Toro Nagashi (literally lantern floating) light the way home for the spirits of ancestors to go back to heaven.

After experiencing this rich tradition I saw a link between the O-bon, Spirit Festival and what the Chinese call The Ghost Month. The seventh lunar month is when the Gates of Hell spring open to allow ghosts and spirits access to the earthly plane. They visit their families, feast and look for victims. But this custom has a precautionary tale. Residents in villages are warned to be careful in going outside during the evening. It is inauspicious for them to travel, move their home or start a new business. To appease and honor the hungry ghosts, the first day of the Ghost Month, foods are placed in makeshift altars outside the house. This year, August 20, 2013, is the 14th lunar day of the Ghost Month, the day that the spirits are out in full force. Taoist and Buddhist families prepare a grand feast to bring good luck to the family. Every year a Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated on this day with a parade and lanterns atop decorated floats. The procession finds its way to a river, pond or lake. The lanterns are lit and released. They give direction to lost souls and help ghosts and deities find their way to the food offerings. 

The hungry ghosts who never leave.
Occasionally a home owner will complain of feeling displaced. A cold chill comes over them or furniture will unexpectedly tip over. It is a real phenomena that a hungry ghost has not found its way back to heaven. With respect to the spirit, I help my client make offerings. We begin with the preparation of uncooked rice, high proof liquor and ju sha (cinnabar power). The ingredients are stirred together with the middle finger and the power of chanting mantras transforms the food into a sacred meal. We take this spiritually charged rice mixture, walk the property and along the path toss handfuls down to the ground, planting seeds while the mantras fill the air. We pray and visualize the land is blessed and the troubled spirits are fed, sated and either leave or remain as helpful spirits. It is a custom I perform at least four times a year on my property to ensure the beings remain happy and offer kind assistance. Also I know that in my mind the blessing of the ritual offer relief and feeds the hungry ghosts that come to trouble my heart.

Whether the ghosts are howling in Lunar July or you are boarding a plane, I want to share this gift of protection to keep you safe.

Orange Peel Protection
Cut nine round pieces from the skin of an orange. Carry them on your body (in your bra, your pants pocket or in a pouch around your neck). Orange is auspicious, brings good luck and offers protection. It need not be a Ghost Month to carry orange peels with you. Carry them when you travel, go to trial or a funeral. We never know when a roaming spirit might take up company with us.

One thing I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.