The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-05

effects.
a certain missionary had large black
dog that accompanied him in his trav.
els, and on one occasion created con
sternation and fright among the half
c-sd urchins that swarmed about him.
Several were reduced to that alarming
state at which pale green hue shows
through the yellow skin, and hair from
| the dog S tail was demanded to make
tea necessary for their recovery.
Their belief in spirits is notorious,
and haunted houses are frequent. Elves,
! fairies, brownies. imps, and other super.
natural beings are said to abound. They
believe in spirit-rappings. planchette,
alchemy. meSmeriSm. divination of "a,
rious kinds by bamboo slips, by images,
| by sOmnambulism, chirOmancv and
palmistry. Branches of certain plants
are hung over the doors to ward off evil
! influences. and cast swords are hung in
side their bed curtains as protection
against nocturnal spirits. Their roads
are always crooked and abound in
sharp corners to obstruct the approach
of spirits, which delight in broad,
straight ways. The houses on a street
are never built in a line. but present 4
aigzag appearance, as some project and
others are set in. This is to check the
progress of the spirits.
Corner houses are avoided because
their position affords such facility foi
! the evil spirits to sweep around them.
A sharp roof indicates that only q bar
! Der shop will prosper opposite. The en-
) trance TO Il house is never direct. A
I screen in front nccessitating a turn to
the right or left, and the arrangement
Of the open court inside. with its flowers
and stands. shows circuitouS path to
the inner apartments. Many accounts
of supernatural appearances are met
with, such rs the story of the Spirit OF
the Mist-the fairy who visited the EN-
pcror Lung, and in reply TO his question
whence she came, said: II live on the
terrace of the sun in the enchanted
mountain. In the morning | am cloud,
in the evening 4 shower of rain.
Ancestral worship universally prac-
ticed by the Chinese is inSepara bly, con-
Iected with geOmancy Or earth diviDa-
ton, otherwise known as Flung Shui. =
the ''wind and water doctrine, one of
the most gigantic systems of deluSion
that ever gained prevalence among men.
1t is believed that there is a subtle, in
tangible something, vaguely character
lied As wind and water" that has a
most powerful influence upon the for
tunes and deStinies of men. What the
principles of this occult science are it
has been impossible to determine. Its
power largely depends upon its intan-
gibility, and in the hands of designing
men, playing upon the superstit;OuS
fears of the people, and eXaggerating
the effects of the conjunction of certain
material influences upon outward events,
this system of geomancy has become 4
mighty power. and has imposed yoke
of most CALLING bondage upon the peo-
pie. They have associated it with
ancestral worship, so that the two
are interviewer and combine to form the
strongest barrier to progress and en-
lightenment of every kind. In explana-
ton of its principles the flung wind
is said to be the cold air which issues
from the earth, and it is in all cases de-
sirable that there be no hollow or de-
preston near a grave lest this evil wind
blow into it and disturb the coffin or the
bones.
The ''Shui water" pertains to the
cOnfiguaration of the earth, which is
supposed to be caused by the dragon
whose shape is discerned in the uneven
line of ruts along the horizon. The
home of the dragon is in the water, in
whose winding course he delights.
Tracing the water to its source we come
to the meeting place of the dragons
the fountain-head of the influences that
control human destiny; hence over the
gates of many villages may be seen the
words ''Ui-Lung," meeting of drag
ons. indicating the propitious site of
the town. The dragon is all-important.
He has power to give prosperity to the
land, to bring glory to the King and
honor to the sage, and is the symbol of
all superiority and success in social.
political and moral affairs. Hence it
appears that the water courses. as the
hauntS of dragons, are of the first inn
pOrtance, their source, direction, or
conjunction with each other. and
the influences resulting, being de-
termined by the geOmancer'S
compass. If, for instance. in
the case of a grave tie water flows past
a certain point of the compass the de-
scendantS will be prosperous if it passes
at another angle distress will overtake
them. This compass, so necessary in
determining every location. has twelve
cyclical characters, analogous to the
twelve signs of the zod &C. inscribed at
equal distances around the outer circle.
The first is at the northern extremity,
and is placed at the back of the tomb
which. unless for special reasons, al
ways faces south. The order in which
the signs are read and calculations made
is from east to west, according to the
d!urnal motion. as it appears to them. of
the sun and stars. If a bend in the wa
ter course is noted to the north, it indi-
Gates that the descendants, if poor, will
be thieves. or. if rich, that they VIII be
robbed. If the same sign appears on
the northeast, it shows that the de-
scendants will die young or be left wild
ows, or worse still, men without chill
dren. If the bend in the water course
occurs to the east they viii become vag-
abonds. At the next point disturbance
and rebellion are indicated. At the next
snake will grow of itself in the tomb.
causing restleSsneSS to the bones of the
deceased. and. consequently. to the for
tunes of his poSteritv. bringing the evil
wind of unhappy destiny with special
force to blast their prospects.
The water in front of tomb should
never be stagnant. but ALWAYS running
in stream. Riches and rank are
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