Chu Witchcraft and the Origins of Early Taoism

Taoism is a native religion in China, and its main ideological source is the Taoist thought that was born in Chu. Chu was the epicenter of ancient Chinese witchcraft culture, deeply influencing early Taoism through three aspects: gods, necromancy, and medicine. In response to inexplicable happenings, the Chu people invented a variety of gods and ghosts; they worshipped and sacrificed to these gods and ghosts in order to ensure the continued existence of their ethnic group. Chu's belief in ghosts and gods served as the impetus for the early Taoist immortal system. The Chu people used objects with images of human figures to accompany the burial ceremony, which they believed had witchcraft functions to help the tomb owner ascend to heaven and earth. This was consistent with the early Taoist immortals ceremony. In a low-productivity environment, Chu people often relied on the power of wizards to eliminate diseases through spells, prayers, medicine, and acupuncture. Early Taoist medicine was mostly inherited from witchcraft medicine, but with the rise of Taoism, witchcraft medicine was gradually abandoned.