The Hungry Ghost Month is upon us once again, and during this month, it is believed that spirits, including our deceased loved ones and ancestors, are released from the Gates of Hell to roam the earth to satiate their hunger.
They also come back to the land of the living to visit their loved ones.
This is a month where it really pays to be careful, because you never know who or what might be lurking around in the corners around you.
Don’t look back when your name is called
It is believed that everyone has three “lights” of “Yang” energy on their bodies, one on their forehead, one on each side of their shoulders.
These lights are supposed to protect you.
So when you turn around, you extinguish one of the lights and essentially make yourself vulnerable to spiritual attacks.
However, if you do have to turn around, turn your whole body so that you won’t extinguish any of the lights.
Don’t step on roadside offerings
This is pretty self explanatory, imagine if you were having dinner and somebody messes with your food.
You’d be angry too, right?
Don’t look under the prayer altar
It is not advisable to be “kaypoh” and look under the prayer altar.
Spirits might be having a feast there and they do not liked being disturbed.
Don’t sit at the front row at Getais
This is pretty common knowledge by now, the front rows at Getais are reserved for the wandering spirits to have an unobstructed view of the show.
Not that it matters now, since Covid-19 have pretty much snubbed out all Getai performances for the time being.
Don’t use cameras at night
You wouldn’t wanna capture something photobombing your selfies, would you?
Don’t tap on your own or other people’s shoulders
As we mentioned in the first point, we all have 3 lights on our bodies, including on our shoulders.
Tapping someone on the shoulder essentially extinguishes the light on their shoulder, opening them up to spiritual attacks.
Don’t stay out late
Night time is when the Yin energy is the strongest.
Staying out late is non advised because, well, there spirits are at their strongest at night.
Don’t talk to yourself
Talking to yourself is an open invitation for spirits to interact with you, because the spirits might think you are talking to them.
Also on a side note, don’t whistle as well because spirits are attracted to whistling.
Avoid wearing red or black
It is widely believed that spirits are attracted to the colours and black.
They might try to “wear” your clothes and inadvertently possess you.
Also, while we’re talking about clothes, don’t hang wet laundry outside late at night as wandering spirits may “wear” the clothes and get into your house when you bring the laundry in.
Don’t go swimming
Spirits of people who have drowned are doomed to find a “scapegoat” to replace them so that they may move on.
Who knows? You just might be the unlucky chosen one.
If you feel cold all of a sudden, don’t panic
It would appear as though a spirit is nearby and you have caught their attention, especially if you get the chills and start having goosebumps.
Pretend nothing happened and carry on with whatever you are doing, because the last thing you want to do is to make the ghost think that you can see them by acknowledging them.
Top images source: Unsplash