Ghost Month: What You Need to Know

It’s that time of year again when the ghosts of our past come to haunt us. All jokes aside, August is known as Ghost Month, Ghost Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival or the Hungry Ghost Month. Originating from the Taiwan and Chinese Buddhist and Taoist influences, The Ghost Month is said to start on the 1st day of the 7th lunar month and last a month-long.

This year it will be from August 8, 2021, until September 6, 2021. The Hungry Ghost Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month. We also need to consider community quarantine when celebrating.

The Chinese Ghost Month is said to bring bad luck | Photo by Aidan Roof from Pexels

In Chinese folklore, our ancestors said that on the 1st day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, the gates of hell open and spirits are given one-month parole to feed and enjoy themselves. According to legend, the spirits may play tricks on people and because of this, the 7th month of the lunar calendar has been called Hungry Ghost Festival.

Why do people fear Ghost Month?

A  lot of superstitions and taboos are said to strengthen within the ghost month. Firm believers and our ancestors think that the increase in bad luck is caused by the ghosts that have been freed from hell. Things like bad health and financial issues are said to have a higher probability when it comes to the hungry ghost festival and it is best to try and keep safe as much as possible. 

The festival is said to affect our money and our households. Our friends and brothers may need our prayers this month. Bad news may enter our house. Especially now that we have ECQ, we need to be extra careful without family, business, or investment.

It is also said that children, the elderly, and the sick are often preyed upon by the ghosts of ghost month and must take extra precautions. They are advised not to leave their homes past darkness and should listen closely to the news. It is also said to bring bad luck to couples, families, and managing businesses. There is also a general belief that more bloody accidents may occur this time of the year.

Here is the history behind Ghost Month directly lifted from Chinese Fortune Calendar:

“To feast, the ghosts are from a story of Buddhism. Moggallana Moggallana was one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s best students. He had various supernormal powers and owned the divine eyes. One day, he saw his deceased mother had been born among hungry ghosts. He went down the Hell, filled a bowl with food to provide for his mother. 

Before reaching his mother’s mouth, the food turned into burning coals that couldn’t be eaten. Moggallana cried sorrowfully and asked for help from Buddha. Buddha said the sins of his mother were deep and firmly rooted, it couldn’t be forgiven just using the divine power and it required the combined power of a thousand monks to get rid of her sins. 

Buddha told Moggallana that, ” the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the Pavarana Day for the assembled monks of all directions. You should prepare an offering of clean basins full of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamp, candle… to the greatly virtuous assembled monks. 

Your present parents and parents of seven generations will escape from suffering.” Following Buddha’s instructions, Moggallana’s mother obtained liberation from sufferings as a hungry ghost by receiving the power of merit and virtue from the awesome spiritual power of assembled monks on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. Today, similar rituals are held in the Buddhism temples on this day for the deliverance of all suffering spirits.”

Couples are said to have bad luck in the ghost month | Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Despite the seemingly overwhelming amount of things to consider in the ghost month and the general belief in bad luck, there are things you can do to prevent bad luck from happening to you.

How to Combat Ghost Month

The Ghost Month is not impossible to beat. There are some things and news you can do to prevent bad luck from entering your home and your life. These are things suggested by Master Ang, a feng shui expert.

1. Avoid going out late a night this Ghost Month.

Our ancestors said that spirits become stronger at night because the gates for souls are opened wider. This is especially true for children and the elderly. It is suggested to stay home when the sun sets. The lack of light attracts the spirits. They are attracted to darker areas because the light is something that can burn them. Stay inside your luxury home to be safe from the ghosts of Ghost month and the Covid virus.

It is best to avoid swimming this Ghost Month because it is believed that ghosts might want to drown | Photo by Şahin Sezer Dinçer from Pexels

2. Avoid swimming this Ghost Month.

It is said that when the ghosts see people swimming, they get envious, and because they can’t swim, they won’t allow anyone else to enjoy swimming and they will drown those that are enjoying the activity. It has also been said that the spirits are stronger in bodies of water regardless if this is naturally made or man-made. The goal of drowning the people is to switch places with them. It is one of the things that cannot be fully explained and is thus suggested to just follow it. What is a month of not swimming anyway?

3. Avoid taking photos at night.

They say that cameras, especially those that are available today can pick up on spirit energies. When captured, these energies may stay within the device and may cause bad luck because of carrying around a spirit.

4. Remain positive Ghost Month.

One of the most important things to consider this ghost month is to remain positive. Any sort of negative energy can invite the spirits to you. Spirits are known to live off of negative energy and being negative or not remaining positive can cause them to harm you because you are vulnerable to their deeds.

Maintain a clean and well-lit home like the Antonello Luxury home | Photo from Portofino Alabang by Brittany Corporation

5. Keep your home clean to invite positive energy.

In Taiwan, keeping your luxury home clean and well-lit can also help ward off bad spirits. Because spirits thrive in darkness, keeping your luxury home clean can help keep the bad spirits away. Just like how beautifully cleaned and designed the luxury houses at Brittany, keep your houses well cleaned and decorated to be above the spirits. The interior design of your luxury home matters as much as its cleanliness!

Move into your luxury home with no fear by doing it the proper way | Photo from Brittany Corporation

6. Buy or move into a new home the ‘proper’ way

There is this myth that you should not make investments in Ghost Month, but according to Feng Shui expert Master Ang, you can still move into a new home or buy a new one. You just have to do it properly. By properly, she means offer food.—prepare 6 beverages, 6 mains, and 2 cups of rice.

Suggested Read: Signs it’s Time to Relocate | Brittany Corporation

In Taiwan, they light some incense outside of your new home. This is seen by the spirits as asking for permission to move into the new home. You should take note that the move-in should be done the day after all of this is done. Let at least 24 hours pass before moving into your new luxury home.

Salt has cleansing powers in Chinese belief | Photo by Sarah Chai from Pexels

7. Stock on salt Ghost Month.

Not many people may know, but the Chinese believe that salt sends bad spirits away while inviting good karma. This is why it is suggested to always have rock salt available at your luxury home or when you are traveling. If at home, place the rock salt in a glass bottle and place it near your door. For traveling, place the salt in a pouch and keep it in your bag.

Conclusion

happens every year, but we must always remember that this is just a temporary thing. We will not forever be cursed with the ghosts that play tricks on us. 

After everything is said and done, the ghosts that have left the underworld will come back to whence they came from. We cannot let our lives be stopped by fear. Although we want to make sure that we will live prosperous long lives, we must also remember to actually live it.

If an opportunity of luck would enter our lives, take precautions, but weigh it out. Will it be more beneficial for you to invest at the moment or will it be, in the long run, bad? We are given the gift of free will and it will be most beneficial to exercise this with caution.

Regardless of our belief, it is still in our best interest to follow what we feel is best. If what you want is someone to help, you can always take the help of professional feng shui masters such as Johnson Chua to help you fight off the bad luck of the Ghost Month with feng shui items.

Brittany Corporation makes sure that their luxury homes are always beautifully decorated and well-lit. The interior design makes you feel as luxurious as you are safe. With everything happening in our country, it is best to invest in something that you trust.

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