End of Ghost Month

Today is the last day of Hungry Ghost month. 

On the last day of the seventh lunar month, before the next new moon, the gates of hell close up again. Asians celebrate this day in a variety of ways - they might burn paper money and clothing again, and taoist monks might chant to drive the ghosts away or release them; and the Toucheng Ghost Grappling Competition is held in Yilan's Toucheng Township in Taiwan(!)

 

Today:

1. Release my hungry ghosts

2. Read "How to Manifest"

3. Body scanning meditation

4. Make a floating lantern

1. Release my hungry ghosts

As I said at the last new moon, Hungry Ghosts have two manifestations: They appear as the spirits of unhappy, homeless souls, and we also have our inner hungry ghosts.

Early this morning I had a little ceremony to release some of my hungry ghosts. I wrote them down on slips of paper, took them outside in a bowl, and burned them as I said a prayer of release.

I'm sure some of these cravings and greeds will hang around to haunt me, but noticing them is the first step to giving them peace and liberation.

2. Read "How to Manifest":

I'm reading a book called "How to Manifest", by Laura Chung; it's a 40 day program to "Make Your Dreams a Reality". I have one big dream that I'm making slow progress on, and this book (no matter that I'm cynical) has successfully kicked me into action!

The fourth part of the book (Week 4) is about The Energetic Shift. The author explains that everything is energy; we can learn how to optimize the energy that moves our lives and motivate our actions, for the purpose of manifestation. This week is filled with techniques to make that shift. We will work on discerning when to take action, and trusting our instincts.

Day 22 - Chakras: She talks a lot about body work such as reiki, chi-gung, and kundalini yoga as practices that awaken the creative potential. "With focused attention, breath, movement, and visualization, you can move latent energy up into your centers, called chakras. By understanding each one, you can balance and improve the energy flow in your body."

This chapter has a brief explanation of each of the main chakras. The author suggests that when I'm beginning to manifest a creative project I can do the scan described below.

3. Body scanning meditation:

This meditation is a way to figure out any places in my body where my energy might be blocked or stagnant; I can then direct attention on balancing my energy there, so as to improve my chances of manifesting.

1. Take several slow, deep breaths and continue to breathe until I feel relaxed and grounded. 
2. Bring attention and awareness to the very top of my head. Notice any sensations. Do I feel expanded or contracted here?
3. Continue down to my third eye, at my forehead. Do I feel energy flowing here?
4. Next, my throat. Do I feel any blocks here?
5. Then my heart. Do I feel openness here?
6. Then my solar plexus. Do I feel any heat or coldness here?
7. Then the space below the navel, the womb. Do I feel creative energy flowing here?
8. And finally, the base of my spine, my root. Do I feel grounded? Do I feel safe?

4. Make a floating lantern:

The most common way to mark the end of ghost month is to float a paper lantern down a river. People make colorful lanterns out of wood and paper, and families write their ancestor's names on the lanterns. The ghosts will follow the lanterns away. For a great tutorial see this Lotus Lantern tutorial at Chinese American Family. I haven't had time to try it yet, but it looks fantastic!

I've made a simpler version with kids - instructions here - but please substitute a paper plate for the foam base if you plan to float it down a river!