Shamanism Meets Taoism: The Hidden Link in 3,000 Years of Magic and Mysticism

Let’s time travel and step into the mystical lineage of the Neolithic Wu 巫 shamans that laid the foundation for Taoist mysticism. This video lecture explores the birth of Taoist magic and the enduring legacy of Wu shamanism.

DOWNLOAD THE LECTURE NOTES (+ sources, references, and works cited): https://benebellwen.com/2025/03/12/sh...

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Opening Narrative Sequence: Remembering the Shaman’s Path
01:55 Overview & the Objectives of this Lecture
05:02 Yellow River: Geography through the Historical Eras
07:58 Pre-Qin Historical Records of the Wu [Note 1]
09:15 Notes re: The Ancient Wu of Southern China’s Kingdom of Yue [Note 2]; Chicken Bone Divination
09:49 “Every Clan/Tradition Has a Shaman-Scribe” 家為巫史 (Jiā wèi wū shǐ) from Discourses on the State (國語, Guo Yu), circa 771 BC - 256 BC, found in the chapter "Discourses on the Kingdom of Yue 楚語." [Note 3]
10:42 Translating “Wu 巫” to English [Note 4]
11:22 Shamanistic-Historical Traditions Defining Chinese Culture [Note 5]
11:40 Historical Context of the Wu: Shang and Zhou Dynasty
11:55 Defining the Wu 巫 (100 AD)
12:35 Wu Xian 巫咸: Primordial Ancestor of all Wu
13:28 Defining Divination 筮 (100 AD): Yarrow Stalks + Wu 巫
13:51 Power of the Shaman’s Incantations; Voice of the Shaman
15:14 Writing as a Magical Act; From Oracle Bone Divination Charges to Fu Talismans
16:10 Medicine was the Purview of the Shaman; Wu Peng 巫彭: The Wu as a Healer
17:20 The Ten Wu (Primordial Shaman Ancestors): Archetypes of the Shaman; Ten Roles of the Shaman
18:53 The Ba Gua Eight Trigrams Guides the Scope of Shamanic (& Taoist) Practice
19:43 From the Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canons of the Yellow Emperor): The Shaman’s Incantations Heal
20:45 Sound Energy Healing as a Key Principle of the Wu 巫
21:43 Evolution of Wu Shamanism into Taoist Mysticism & Witchcraft: Imperial China
22:06 Wu Shamanism and Taoism during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) [See also 27:04]
25:06 The Jin (266 – 410 AD) and Sui (571 – 618 AD)
26:08 The Confucian Class System: Gentry, Farmers, Craftsman, Merchants
27:30 The Tang (618 – 907 AD) and skipping to the Yuan (1271 – 1368 AD) [Note 6]
29:25 Significance of the Big Dipper
31:27 Journeying & the North Star: From Shamanic Lo Shu Pacing Rituals to Taoist Big Dipper Pacing Rituals
32:38 Shamanic Mythology of Yu the Great [Note 7]
33:07 Science of the Great Secrets & Mysteries of the Cosmos Revealed by the Goddess
34:11 Shamanic Pacing Rituals in Tianism
36:08 Evolution of Pacing Rituals through the Dynasties: Xia & Shang to the Song
38:47 Teaser Overview of One Pacing Ritual: Jade Maiden Crossing the Great River (Invoking the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens)
40:01 Yue Shamanism to Southern Taoist Magic: The Guan Luo Yin Practice, Descent into the Inner World
40:44 Shamanic Astrology: Wu Xian Five Star Divination
42:40 The Esoteric Significance of Numbers & Numerology
43:05 Lo Shu Shamanic Principles Integrated into Feng Shui; Learn Basic Feng Shui Principles in Under 3 Minutes ;-)
45:20 The Lunar-Solar Calendar System, A Metaphysician’s Periodic Table: Archaeological Records from the Shang; Standardized During the Qin; Still Used Today in East Asian Metaphysics
47:33 From the Gods of the Wu to the Gods of the Tao
48:51 The Goddess of the Mysteries…
51:13 Annotating the Opening Sequence: Understanding the Shaman’s Path
52:10 Tianism and Tengrism: The Way of Heaven – Fire [Note 8]
53:52 Closing Remarks

[Note 1] This lecture is a continuation from “Ritual Magic and Shamanism in Pre-Qin China,”    • Ritual Magic and Shamanism in Pre-Qin China  

[Note 2] The historical King Goujian (as referenced across several sections in my book I Ching, The Oracle) was from the Kingdom of Yue.

[Note 3] 巫史 (wū shǐ): shaman, witch, spirit-medium who is also the family's (or lineage's) records keeper, historian, storyteller, scribe; one who possesses the knowledge; 家為巫史 (jiā wèi wū shǐ) in essence means that every village, tribe, clan, or lineage serves, possesses, or produces one of these shaman-scribes

[Note 4] See companion write-up: “The Semantics: How Do We Translate “巫 (Wu)” Into English?”

[Note 5] This was in reference to a quote from philosopher Li Zehou, who noted that Wu shamanism and the clan system are the two key hallmarks of Chinese culture and civilization

[Note 6] During both the Han and Yuan, religious or mystical Taoism is suppressed by the imperial court due to its association with rebellion, rebel leaders, and the Taoist secret societies whose sought to overthrow the imperial court

[Note 7] Re: Yu the Great, see “Mysteries of the Six Holy Kings,”    • Mysteries of the Six Holy Kings  

[Note 8] See companion write-up: “Tianism to Tengrism: Shamanism by Different Names”