Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
In traditional Chinese culture, cinnabar has always been regarded as a substance with spiritual power and energy. It is often used for drawing talismans, consecration (kaiguang), guarding the home, and warding off evil, and it is also made into bracelets, pendants, and other ornaments worn on the body.
In feng shui, fate calculation, and folk custom, cinnabar is believed to subdue sha, ward off evil, calm the spirit, and change one's luck. But cinnabar is not something to be worn casually; there are certain rules and taboos. Below is a detailed introduction to its uses and effects and the taboos for wearing it.
1. The Uses and Effects of Cinnabar
1. Warding Off Evil and Resolving Sha
The most widely known folk use of cinnabar is warding off evil and resolving sha qi (malign energy). Because cinnabar is pure red, and in the traditional Five Elements red belongs to fire and fire is yang, cinnabar is regarded as a substance with very strong yang qi that can suppress yin qi and bad energy fields. Many people wear cinnabar to ward off evil and protect themselves in their zodiac year (benming nian), when their luck is low, when they often have nightmares, when they often walk at night, or when they go in and out of hospitals and cemeteries.
2. Calming and Settling the Spirit
In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnabar was once used to calm the spirit and settle fright, so there is also a folk belief that wearing cinnabar stabilizes the emotions, eases anxiety, and improves sleep. Some people are easily unsettled, have large mood swings, and sleep poorly; after wearing cinnabar they feel more at ease, and this is one of the reasons many people wear it.
3. Improving Fortune
In feng shui and fate calculation there is a saying: “When the energy field is stable, fortune runs smoothly.” Cinnabar is believed to stabilize a person's energy field and reduce interference from negative energy outside, making one's fortune more stable. Many businesspeople, frequent travelers, and people whose fortunes rise and fall sharply wear cinnabar to stabilize their fortune, especially their windfall luck and luck with benefactors.
4. Guarding Against Petty People and Avoiding Quarrels and Gossip
In the workplace or in business, some people are prone to meeting petty people, quarrels and gossip, and being schemed against behind their backs. Folk belief holds that wearing cinnabar offers some protection against petty people, so many people in management, sales, and business like to wear cinnabar bracelets or pendants.
5. Guarding the Home and Keeping It Safe
Besides being worn, cinnabar is also often used to guard the home—for example, in talisman paper, feng shui objects, and home-guarding ornaments—and is believed to guard the house, ward off evil, and keep the household safe.
2. Who Is Suited to Wearing Cinnabar
Generally speaking, the following kinds of people are well suited to wearing cinnabar: people with rather poor luck who often meet setbacks; people with a weak constitution who are easily frightened; people who often have nightmares and sleep poorly; people who often walk at night or work night shifts; people who frequently go in and out of hospitals and funeral venues; people in highly competitive workplaces who easily offend petty people; and people whose BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny) is weak and whose energy field is unstable.
If a person is lacking in yang qi, folk belief holds that wearing cinnabar is fairly suitable.
3. Taboos for Wearing Cinnabar
1. Do Not Wear It While Bathing
When bathing, there is heavy steam and much mixed qi in the environment, and chemical products such as shampoo and shower gel may also affect cinnabar ornaments, so it is generally advised to take cinnabar off when bathing.
2. You May Take It Off to Sleep
Although it calms the spirit, cinnabar bracelets are easily pressed on, worn down, or broken during sleep, so it is generally advised to take them off at bedtime and simply put them beside the pillow or at the head of the bed.
3. Do Not Let Others Touch It Casually
In folk belief, cinnabar is a protective object, and if it is often touched by others its energy field may be affected. So it is generally advised to wear it close to the body and not lend it to others or let them play with it.
4. Do Not Keep Wearing It If It Is Damaged or Broken
If a cinnabar bracelet suddenly breaks or a bead cracks, folk belief says it has “blocked a calamity.” In this case it is usually not advised to keep wearing it; you can wrap it in red cloth and put it away or dispose of it.
5. Do Not Wear It During Sexual Relations
Traditional custom holds that the energy field is rather chaotic during sexual relations and that it is not suitable to wear objects with spiritual or protective power, so it is generally advised to take it off.
6. Pregnant Women and Children Should Wear It with Caution
Cinnabar is a mineral substance. If pregnant women or children wear it, it is generally advised that it not be put in the mouth or worn against the skin for long periods; as far as possible, choose ornaments worn over clothing.
4. Points to Note When Wearing Cinnabar
There are a few more small rules for wearing cinnabar:
For the first wearing, choose the morning, when yang qi is fairly strong; when not wearing it, wrap it in red cloth or keep it in a jewelry box;
do not toss it carelessly in a cluttered place;
you can occasionally set it in the sunlight, but not in strong sun for too long;
wearing it against the skin is generally believed to work better.
In traditional culture, cinnabar is believed to ward off evil and resolve sha, calm the spirit and settle the heart, stabilize the energy field, improve fortune, guard against petty people, and keep one safe, so many people have cinnabar made into ornaments to wear on their person. But wearing cinnabar has certain taboos: do not wear it when bathing or during sexual relations, do not let others touch it casually, and do not keep wearing it once it is damaged. Folk belief holds that wearing and keeping cinnabar properly lets it better fulfill its role of protecting the wearer and changing one's luck.