**Taoist Tiger Worship Magic - Part 1**

[lung_ping.98]

Hello, I am Lung Ping (龙平), a Taoist practitioner for 5 years, and I come from Vietnam, belonging to the Shen Xiao lineage. If this is your first time reading my post on this forum, please leave a positive comment and I will always respond as quickly as possible.
(Since I'm not very good at English, I used AI to make sure this translation is complete; this article was originally written by me in Vietnamese.)

The tiger in Chinese culture is a mighty and great image, a symbol of dominance and the power of nature. Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam are all influenced by tiger worship beliefs. Tigers in regions like Guangdong and Fujian hold status and are revered as mountain gods with titles such as Grandfather Tiger, General Tiger, and Lord Tiger. In Taoist folk magic culture, worshipping the tiger god and working with the tiger god is one of many kinds of magic. I learned about this forum through the book "Fox Magic" by Jashon, so I also wanted to introduce a bit more about the magic of mythical creatures in this series.

First, we need to go over the hierarchy of power, as well as the formations and terminology:

The Five Tigers: The Five Tigers represent the power of the Five Main Directions in Taoism. Each direction is represented by a different color and represents one of the five elements.

• Yellow Tiger: Central Position (Earth)
• Red Tiger: Southern Position (Fire)
• Black Tiger: Northern Position (Water)
• White Tiger: Eastern Position (Metal)
• Green Tiger: Western Position (Wood)

These are commonly referred to as the Five Tigers Formation.

Spirit Camp (Trại Binh): This refers to the place where the spiritual armies of the gods are stationed, usually the altar of that deity. When a task needs to be carried out, the practitioner invokes the name of that deity to command the soldiers stationed at the camp to carry out the task.

Middle Altar Tiger General: In the Taoist altar system, there are three tiers, called Upper, Middle, and Lower. These three positions represent three different ranks of the deities worshipped and follow extremely strict rules. The Upper Altar is where the deities of the heavenly realm and nobility are worshipped. The Middle Altar is where the deities of lineage and the spirit generals/soldiers are worshipped. The Lower Altar is where lower-ranking deities such as land spirits and various ghosts are worshipped. The Middle Altar Tiger General is the general positioned at the Middle Altar, usually depicted as a yellow-red tiger surrounded by fire, with large golden eagle wings, representing the old Chinese saying "As mighty as a tiger, plus wings." He is the deity who commands the soldiers with speed and strength, maintaining military discipline.

Grandfather Tiger: This is a local deity usually worshipped at the Lower Altar, representing the spirit of the forests and mountains of that land, or representing the spirit of the local tiger species. They are very friendly toward children and families; children are always protected by Grandfather Tiger from evil spiritual forces. In the next part, I will guide you on how to make a protective talisman of Grandfather Tiger for children.

Of course, besides the good deities, there are also evil ones:

Tiger Demon: The folk cultures of Southeast Asia, Korea, and Tibet all record the appearance of demonic creatures in tiger form. They are said to possess supernatural power and enjoy eating human flesh to increase their strength. They can transform into women to seduce men, imitating voices to lure victims. They also have their own spiritual soldiers — the souls of those they have killed, who must follow their commands. They are very dangerous and are always a threat.

So which tiger deity should you worship? In my view, the most basic choice, and the one that offers the most protection, is Grandfather Tiger. I will also cover more on how to work with the other tiger deities.

 

[Calacuerda]

I definitively need to look into Taoism. i know exactly 0 things about it. Sorry for the somewhat unrelated question, but how does the 5 elements relation with the western(or Indian) version of: Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Akasha? do you have any idea?

 

[lung_ping.98]

I definitively need to look into Taoism. i know exactly 0 things about it. Sorry for the somewhat unrelated question, but how does the 5 elements relation with the western(or Indian) version of: Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Akasha? do you have any idea?

Originally, Taoism did not include the Five Elements theory; it belonged to a separate philosophical school and was only integrated later. The difference lies in the cycle: the Taoist Five Elements undergo transformation, where elements control each other and the growth of one element supports another.

 

[BlessedLiasis]

Hello,

I was wondering if you had any insights on the sunshower event, also called the Tiger's Wedding or the Fox's Wedding. I also find in many books Ive come across a connection between tiger worship and work and sexual alchemy. Is this something you have also found true in your practice

 

[lung_ping.98]

Hello,

I was wondering if you had any insights on the sunshower event, also called the Tiger's Wedding or the Fox's Wedding. I also find in many books Ive come across a connection between tiger worship and work and sexual alchemy. Is this something you have also found true in your practice

"In the practice of Neidan, there is indeed a process we call the Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger, which refers to bringing the Qi of the kidneys up to the Qi of the heart; this is similar to the Middle Pillar ritual in the practices of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. As for the fox weddings or similar imagery, they belong to folklore as a form of satirical art and metaphor for human social issues, akin to the Rat's Wedding painting. Regarding the tradition of worshipping animal deities, it belongs to the significant tradition of Chuma Xian (Fox and Animal Shamanism) in Northeast China. This is a critical omission, as the author of the previous book on fox magic forgot to mention this tradition. I will write more on this topic later."

 

[tiger's eye]

Hello, I’m from China. It’s great to meet you here, and I really appreciate your love for Chinese culture! Regarding the “Tiger Magic” you mentioned (it’s “Tiger Magic,” not just “Tiger”), it’s not very common in mainland China. Based on my understanding of Taoism in my country (especially folk Taoism), the “tiger” does not appear as a central figure; rather, it is more often depicted as the mount of deities such as “Zhao Gongming” or “Zhang Daoling,” serving to illustrate the deity’s character or power. But to be honest, there are very few forms of magic that truly center on the “tiger.” This may be because in mainland China (except for areas in the northeast where shamanism is prevalent), the belief in animism—particularly the spirits of animals—is not mainstream, and mainstream Daoist doctrine itself does not emphasize these beliefs and may even reject them. However, this does not mean that China does not love “tigers.” On the contrary, the worship and culture surrounding the “tiger” as an animal have flourished immensely in the mainland, as evidenced by ancient military officials’ use of “tiger tokens” to symbolize authority, as well as the myriad idioms and stories featuring tigers.
If you want to learn more about “tiger magic,” it’s best to look to rural areas. A “tiger deity” that is extremely popular in the southern coastal regions of China—particularly in Taiwan—is a prime example: “Tiger Lord” (Huye). Legend has it that “Tiger Lord” is the incarnation of the tiger mount belonging to the deity “Zhao Gongming,” whom I mentioned earlier. Like “Zhao Gongming” himself, he participates in the magical practices of these regions and protects the people. I don’t know much about this myself, as I’m from mainland China, so you’ll likely have to do your own research to find out more!

 

[Spell]

Hello, Lung Ping. What other practices do you find missing in works like Jason's book regarding the Chuma Xian and the Shen Xiao lineage. I'd like to learn more about your tradition.

 

[Schimmel]

Hello, I am Lung Ping (龙平), a Taoist practitioner for 5 years, and I come from Vietnam, belonging to the Shen Xiao lineage. If this is your first time reading my post on this forum, please leave a positive comment and I will always respond as quickly as possible.
(Since I'm not very good at English, I used AI to make sure this translation is complete; this article was originally written by me in Vietnamese.)

The tiger in Chinese culture is a mighty and great image, a symbol of dominance and the power of nature. Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam are all influenced by tiger worship beliefs. Tigers in regions like Guangdong and Fujian hold status and are revered as mountain gods with titles such as Grandfather Tiger, General Tiger, and Lord Tiger. In Taoist folk magic culture, worshipping the tiger god and working with the tiger god is one of many kinds of magic. I learned about this forum through the book "Fox Magic" by Jashon, so I also wanted to introduce a bit more about the magic of mythical creatures in this series.

First, we need to go over the hierarchy of power, as well as the formations and terminology:

The Five Tigers: The Five Tigers represent the power of the Five Main Directions in Taoism. Each direction is represented by a different color and represents one of the five elements.

• Yellow Tiger: Central Position (Earth)
• Red Tiger: Southern Position (Fire)
• Black Tiger: Northern Position (Water)
• White Tiger: Eastern Position (Metal)
• Green Tiger: Western Position (Wood)

These are commonly referred to as the Five Tigers Formation.

Spirit Camp (Trại Binh): This refers to the place where the spiritual armies of the gods are stationed, usually the altar of that deity. When a task needs to be carried out, the practitioner invokes the name of that deity to command the soldiers stationed at the camp to carry out the task.

Middle Altar Tiger General: In the Taoist altar system, there are three tiers, called Upper, Middle, and Lower. These three positions represent three different ranks of the deities worshipped and follow extremely strict rules. The Upper Altar is where the deities of the heavenly realm and nobility are worshipped. The Middle Altar is where the deities of lineage and the spirit generals/soldiers are worshipped. The Lower Altar is where lower-ranking deities such as land spirits and various ghosts are worshipped. The Middle Altar Tiger General is the general positioned at the Middle Altar, usually depicted as a yellow-red tiger surrounded by fire, with large golden eagle wings, representing the old Chinese saying "As mighty as a tiger, plus wings." He is the deity who commands the soldiers with speed and strength, maintaining military discipline.

Grandfather Tiger: This is a local deity usually worshipped at the Lower Altar, representing the spirit of the forests and mountains of that land, or representing the spirit of the local tiger species. They are very friendly toward children and families; children are always protected by Grandfather Tiger from evil spiritual forces. In the next part, I will guide you on how to make a protective talisman of Grandfather Tiger for children.

Of course, besides the good deities, there are also evil ones:

Tiger Demon: The folk cultures of Southeast Asia, Korea, and Tibet all record the appearance of demonic creatures in tiger form. They are said to possess supernatural power and enjoy eating human flesh to increase their strength. They can transform into women to seduce men, imitating voices to lure victims. They also have their own spiritual soldiers — the souls of those they have killed, who must follow their commands. They are very dangerous and are always a threat.

So which tiger deity should you worship? In my view, the most basic choice, and the one that offers the most protection, is Grandfather Tiger. I will also cover more on how to work with the other tiger deities.

Greetings Lung Ping,
I really like your post and cultavation of positive responses. We need more Toaist views in this forum and I am glad that you provide yours.
Reading your post I became fascinated with the Tiger Symbol, and I have some questions.

You talk about the Yellow Middle Altar Tiger General and (Black?) Lower Altar Grandfather Tiger. Now I ask myself, what Tiger resides in the Higher Altar? And where do the other Tigers of different Colors (Red, Black, White, Green) live?

As for your question, what Tiger to worship.
I am drawn to the Red Tiger with the direction flowing upwards towards heaven. Not because I think this Tiger is similar to me, but because I can offer Red Tiger the most and can gain the most from it.

In the end I want to encourage you to keep your posts going. This topic is very interesting and I would love to learn how to work with and worship the Five Tigers. And to learn more about Toaism.