Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Author copies of my third book have arrived. Here are some of my honest first impressions.
Your support over the years means so much to me! I would be ever so grateful if you'd consider pre-ordering the book. Release date: September 26, 2023.
- Amazon link: https://a.co/d/fNjydn0
- Penguin Random House: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724023/i-ching-the-oracle-by-benebell-wen
- North Atlantic Books: northatlanticbooks.com/shop/i-ching-the-oracle
Author copies of my third book have arrived. Here are some of my honest first impressions.
Your support over the years means so much to me! I would be ever so grateful if you'd consider pre-ordering the book. Release date: September 26, 2023.
- Amazon link: https://a.co/d/fNjydn0
- Penguin Random House: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724023/i-ching-the-oracle-by-benebell-wen
- North Atlantic Books: northatlanticbooks.com/shop/i-ching-the-oracle


![Three Mysteries of Taoist Scriptural Tradition
The opening paragraph of Chapter 3 in my book I Ching, The Oracle makes reference to the three major Taoist texts referred to as the Three Mysteries. This video is an introduction and overview of the three texts.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:12 What are the Three Mysteries?
01:00 What is the School of Mysteries?
01:50 Xuan and the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens
02:52 Mystery 1: The Zhouyi [I Ching]
03:44 Mystery 2: The Laozi [Tao de Ching]
05:31 What are the Core Values of Taoism?
06:30 Mystery 3: The Zhuangzi
13:50 “Three Mysteries, Three Essentials” (Buddhist Principle)
14:12 3 x 3 x 3 Cube of Space; Lo Shu Square
16:10 “Xuan” Word References in the Three Mysteries
WORD LIST:
Mystery; the Occult; Darkness (玄, Xuan)
School of Mystery (玄學, Xuan Xue)
Three Mysteries (三玄, San Xuan)
I Ching (易經)
Zhouyi [the I Ching] (周易)
Tao de Ching (道德經)
Laozi (老子)
King of All Scriptures (萬經之王, Wàn jīng zhī wáng)
Five Thousand Characters (五千言, wǔ qiān yán)
Zhuangzi (莊子)
Inner Scrolls [of the Zhuangzi] (內篇, Nèi piān)
Outer Scrolls [of the Zhuangzi] (外篇, Wài piān)
Addenda Scrolls [of the Zhuangzi] (雜篇, Zá piān)
Hui Shi (惠子, Huìzi), 370-310 BC philosopher
Línjì Yìxuán (臨濟義玄), 9th c. Chan Buddhist master
Three Mysteries, Three Essentials (三玄三要, sān xuán sān yào)
I CHING, THE ORACLE (BOOK):
Amazon, https://a.co/d/bktPXJi
Penguin Random House, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724023/i-ching-the-oracle-by-benebell-wen/
North Atlantic Books, https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/i-ching-the-oracle/
I CHING, THE ORACLE Free Companion Course: https://benebellwen.com/i-ching-the-oracle/a-companion-course/
I CHING Practicum Worksheets: https://benebellwen.com/i-ching-the-oracle/i-ching-worksheets/
I CHING, THE ORACLE Amendments to Text: https://benebellwen.com/i-ching-the-oracle/amendments-to-text/ Three Mysteries of Taoist Scriptural Tradition](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gJcit-CTXnc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Holistic Tarot Book Pre-order Trailer
Pre-order Holistic Tarot today through any major bookseller, like Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Tarot-...
Designed for beginning as well as experienced tarot readers, Holistic Tarot offers a fresh and easy-to-follow approach to the use of the tarot deck for tapping into subconscious knowledge and creativity. The tarot deck has been used as a divination tool for more than two centuries; while the tarot is still most commonly thought of as fortune telling, the true power of the tarot lies in its ability to channel a clear path for our deep intuition to shine through. Consulting the tarot can help clear creativity blockages, clarify ambitions, work through complex decisions, and make sense of emotions and relationships. Whether used for simple decision-making or an understanding of your lifes purpose, learning tarot can be an indispensable tool for being more mindful of the factors that can assist or weaken your efforts toward success.
In Holistic Tarot, author Benebell Wen provides a complete guide to using the tarot to foster personal development. Wen gives a comprehensive overview of the history of the tarot and a wide array of theories on its use (including its relationship to Jungian archetypal psychology and traditional Chinese divination practices) before digging deeply into one of the best-known tarot systems, the Rider-Waite-Smith. Beginners will find a complete guide to working with the tarot, including choosing and caring for a deck, how best to learn and remember the attributes of the major and minor arcana, the interpretation of cards and spreads, the role of meditation in a tarot practice, and how to use the tarot for improving relationships, professional development, and personal resilience. More advanced practitioners will appreciate nuanced theoretical discussions of the tarot as well as practical advice about reading others tarot cards and setting up a practice. Containing over 500 illustrations and detailed information on each card as well as numerous spreads, Holistic Tarot is a complete compendium of tarot study that every practitioner should have in his or her library.
Deepest gratitude to the quiet internet heroes who generously offer their creative works royalty-free, which made my little video possible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Music: Sweet by Ben Sound (http://www.bensound.com), Creative Commons Attribution
Footage Sources: BeachFront B-Roll (http://www.beachfrontbroll.com); StockFootageForFree (http://www.stockfootageforfree.com) [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]
Tarot Decks Featured in the Video: The Anna K Tarot by Anna Klaffinger; Rider Waite by U.S. Games; The Golden Tarot by Kat Black
Images: The Tarocchi Players by Giovanni da Vaprio; Holistic Tarot Cover Design by Susan Quasha and North Atlantic Books Holistic Tarot Book Pre-order Trailer](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gWYMfRN5dK4/mqdefault.jpg)


![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/shamanism-meets-taoism/
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,” https://youtu.be/ DceQ1735Y?si=opESwNh32W29CgJm
[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 familys (or lineages) 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,” https://youtu.be/wcHpgoMxAC0?si=73GitNSoXPQgFB71
[Note 8] See companion write-up: “Tianism to Tengrism: Shamanism by Different Names” Shamanism Meets Taoism: The Hidden Link in 3,000 Years of Magic and Mysticism](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i4z4HoSyQDw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Your Inner Palace and the Akashic Records
The Akashic Records is very much a Western conception, right? The Theosophists of the 19th century formulated a mash-up of Eastern and Western esoteric traditions and from that mash-up came its most popular legacy the Akashic Records.
Most of us get that the Akashic part was inspired by the akasha, a fifth element or essence found in various Asian traditions, associated with the sky, space, aether, and in Buddhism, even a state of mind. But what about the Records part?
The Inner Palace (Yuán Chén Gōng, 元辰宮) is a concept that seems to be traced from the Lushan lineage 閭山派 of Taoist magic, a southern tradition that blends Taoism, esoteric Buddhism, and the shamanistic witchcraft of the Min-Yue people 閩越巫法.
I’d like to make the case that the Inner Palace concept originated from the Palace of Mysteries (xuán gōng, 玄宮) located in the Realm of Nothingness, as cited in the Zhuangzi (350 – 250 BC), later integrated into the Book of Supreme Mysteries (Tài Xuán Jīng, 太玄經) (33 – 18 BC) and Ge Hong’s Baopuzi (283 – 364 AD), a Taoist grimoire.
In the library of the Inner Palace, you can gain access to a Book of Life and Death 生死簿. The Book of Life and Death is a mythical register accounting all deeds of all people, that accurately calculates the future and reveals that future.
Perhaps another name for that Realm of Nothingness is the Akasha. And the Western Theosophical concept of the Akashic Records can be traced back to the Inner Palace or Palace of Mysteries.
By the way, initially I was going to title this video “Temple of the Primordial Aeon and the Akashic Records”…
Companion blog post to video discussion: https://wp.me/p32or0-a84
Timestamps:
01:25 The Mystery Palace, circa 400 BCE
03:11 About Your Inner Palace [Yuan Chen Gong]
05:04 The Palace of Mysteries [Xuan Gong]
07:57 What are Inner Palace Readings?
11:46 Lu Shan; Wu Shu (Wu Shamanism) of the Southern Min People
12:53 The modern New Age practice of Inner Palace Readings
14:15 The Inner Palace and Eastern occult philosophy
15:57 On the Inner Canons of the Yellow Emperor [Huangdi Neijing]
16:44 Defining “Shen”
18:14 Tracing the Roots of the Akashic Records (continuing our excerpted reading of the Huangdi Neijing and defining “shen”)
23:22 Personal Reflections
26:18 How do you access your Inner Palace, or read the Akashic Records?
Illustration Credits:
- “山水背景图片” via nipic.com
- Painting of Akasagarbha by Miki Okuda from the Esoteric Buddhism of Japan Oracle Cards (Card 22: Kokuzo Bosatsu) Your Inner Palace and the Akashic Records](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iGJdxTTywHc/mqdefault.jpg)


