What is wizard culture?

In ancient times, witches were called "witches" and wizards were called "wizards".

The culture developed from this is called wizard culture.

Source "Xunzi Zheng Lun": "I have something to do when I leave home." Yang Xu's Note: "The woman is called a witch and the man is called a wizard."

Wang Fu of the Han Dynasty wrote in On Sorrow of Witches: "Witches want help." "Biography of Li Gan in the New Tang Dynasty": "In the time of drought, we should make the earth dragon and witch dance, and the moon is not allowed."

Qing Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio Cui Meng: "But as I said, unlike witchcraft, it is also a virtue."

Witchcraft in folklore: When people just had faith, there was no special deacon. At that time, most people practiced witchcraft. With the emergence of clans and the increase of religious activities, clan leaders took on more religious affairs. Later, even clan leaders were difficult to supervise, and special witches appeared. Shuowen: "It can help the gods. In the public, it is the witch of the mother. " Xu Kai noticed the guide: "You can see ghosts and gods." Witches are both human beings and gods, and have dual identities, so there is a saying that they are both teachers and ghosts.

Wizards are considered to be able to connect ghosts and gods. There are two specific ways: one is to seek possession of the gods. Please be possessed by God, explore the source, catch ghosts, and thank God. The history of rites and music in the Han Dynasty: "Great wishes, the temple gate welcomes the gods, plays the praises, and still has the joy of descending the gods." After the fall of God, witches became the embodiment of God and acted on his behalf. At this time, wizards or shamans are often in a coma, some are lucky, and some are taking narcotics. The other way is through the yin, that is, "the soul ran away." That is, the wizard's soul can leave the body and go to the place where ghosts and gods are. Han people call it "walking in the dark".

The Han people's quest for immortality and the Miao people's "Miao family meal" are all similar forms of receiving gods. In order to communicate with gods, witches must use certain media, such as trees, mountains, boulders and animals. Buyi witches must support a bench when praying for God, symbolizing riding a horse. There used to be witches who could ask God's story. Shamans only crossed the Yin, but they were not strict.

Witches of most ethnic groups in China will not only ask God, but also preach Yin, and so will shamans. With the expansion of witchcraft, wizards or shamans often have one or two assistants engaged in certain religious activities, such as divination, foreknowledge, exorcism and medical treatment.