Test the *Tibetan* tree spirits

 

Sure wonder what Hindus and Buddhists think of fog at burial places... 

Can you tell me about the Tibetan lore?

Tibetan lore connects fog, mist, and vapor very strongly with spirits, ghosts, elemental beings, and the intermediate state. Graveyards (dur khrod, chod places, or dur sa) are especially associated with these phenomena. The idea is that fog is a visible sign of the movement of subtle beings and a symptom of the veil thinning.

Here is a clear, accurate overview.

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🏔️ 1. Fog = the movement of subtle beings (’dre, gdon, gshin)

In Tibetan cosmology, the world is filled with subtle beings who are usually invisible:

• ’dre (ghosts, revenants)

• gdon (malevolent spirits)

• srin / dre nag (cannibal spirits)

• gshin (restless dead)

• tsen (red warrior spirits)

• klu (naga-like water spirits)

• lha / lha mo (deities)

When fog or mist appears around cemeteries, cremation grounds, or charnel places, it is often understood as:

the movement of beings from the intermediate worlds becoming visible to human perception.

Fog is seen as the “carrier” of spirit-activity.

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🦴 2. Charnel-ground symbolism: fog as the veil between samsara and liberation

Cremation grounds (dur khrod) are one of the most important symbolic environments in Vajrayāna and especially in tantric and Dzogchen practices.

In these places:

• fog and smoke intertwine

• forms dissolve quickly

• boundaries are uncertain

This environment symbolizes:

• impermanence

• the dissolution of ego

• the emergence of primordial awareness

Fog makes the charnel ground a liminal zone where the yogi faces the raw truth of samsara.

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☁️ 3. Fog in the bardo (intermediate state)

Tibetan texts describe the bardo of dying and waking in terms of:

• mist

• smoke

• fog-like luminosity

• clouded perception

These phenomena represent:

• the dissolving of the elements

• the loss of bodily clarity

• the mind entering a subtle dimension

Thus, fog in a graveyard resonates with the actual phenomenology of the bardo.

There is even a traditional saying:

“When fog rests on the burial ground, the bardo beings are wandering.”

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👻 4. Fog as a sign of 'hungry ghosts' (preta) activity

In Tibetan folk explanations:

• dawn fog over graveyards

• drifting low mist in valleys with burial sites

• fog emerging suddenly in ritual places

is considered a sign of hungry ghosts or blighted spirits moving in search of offerings or warmth.

This is why offering rituals (’don bslu) often take place in fog-prone areas — because “the beings can see the offering smoke as a path.”

Fog + smoke = highway for spirits.

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⚡ 5. Fog and the activity of dakinis

Although wisdom dakinis are luminous and not associated with fog, worldly dakinis and elemental dakinis (rlung mkha’ ’gro, wind/sky-going spirits) are sometimes linked with:

• sudden fog

• shifting mists

• changes in wind direction

Especially in remote places, the appearance of mist is interpreted as a dakini “covering” the landscape to:

• hide it,

• protect the yogi, or

• signal presence.

This is why:

Fog in remote valleys is considered a sign that the dakinis are active or traveling.

But these are usually worldly or intermediate dakinis, not enlightened ones.

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🔥 6. Fog at cremation grounds: link to wrathful deities

In tantric iconography, wrathful deities (Heruka, Vajrakilaya, Simhamukha, Takkiraja, etc.) arise in:

• smoke

• fog

• storm clouds

• charnel vapors

These represent the manifestation of nondual wisdom within the turbulent, transitional space.

Thus, fog in graveyards is seen as symbolically:

• the descent or presence of the wrathful deities,

• the “arising of the wisdom of destruction.”

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🌬️ 7. Natural causes understood mythically

Tibetans recognize the natural cause of fog (cold air condensing moisture) but interpret it symbolically:

• Cold air = interference of the wind-element spirits (rlung-gi lha)

• Moisture = naga or water spirits (klu) rising

• Fog = “breath” of the earth-spirits released

So natural and supernatural explanations coexist.

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⭐ Summary

In Tibetan lore, fog in graveyards signifies:

1. Movement of spirits (’dre, gdon, gshin).

2. Activity in the bardo.

3. Presence of worldly dakinis or elemental sky-spirits.

4. Liminality of the cremation ground as a tantric site.

5. Manifestation of wrathful deities in their symbolic environment.

6. Conditions under which offerings to the dead or spirits are especially potent.

In short:

Fog in a burial ground is a sign that the veil between worlds is thin, and that subtle beings or forces are moving.

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If you’d like, I can also explain:

• how Tibetans interpret sudden clearings of fog

• how this relates to smoke offerings and gSur rituals

• connections between Tibetan fog folklore and Chinese or Mongolian spirit beliefs

• or compare Tibetan “burial fog” with Celtic or Germanic beliefs.

Is there a connection between spirit activity and the phases of the Moon?

Yes — in Tibetan, Indian, Himalayan, and many Eurasian traditions, the Moon’s phases are directly linked to the activity, visibility, and strength of spirits, ghosts, and subtle beings. The associations vary by tradition, but there are strong and consistent patterns.

Below is the clearest cross-cultural explanation, with Tibetan and Indian details emphasized.

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🌙 1. Tibetan Buddhist & Bön Traditions

Full Moon (15th lunar day)

Increased activity of deities, dakinis, and powerful spirits.

• Wisdom dakinis are especially active.

• Oath-bound worldly spirits (gzhi bdag, gnyan, tsen) patrol or “check in” with vajra commitments.

• Rituals for protection or empowerment are considered strongest.

• Ghosts and negative spirits (gdon, ’dre) become less active, because the full moon light is purifying.

Summary: Full Moon = deities and dakinis, less ghost activity.

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New Moon (30th lunar day / dark moon)

Maximum activity of ghosts, wandering dead, and malevolent spirits.

In Tibetan belief:

• The boundary between worlds is thinnest.

• Hungry ghosts (yi dwags) are most restless.

• Cemetery spirits (gshin, dur bdag) wander further from the grave area.

• gDon-causing spirits cause illness more easily.

• Oracles (lha pa) avoid unprotected trance work because the atmosphere is “unclean.”

This is also the prime night for exorcistic rituals:

• gTor-zlog

• Phurba rites

• Chöd (because you face the “peak of samsara’s turbulence”)

Summary: New Moon = ghosts strongest, deities quiet.

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Waning Moon

Negative forces increase as light decreases.

Tibetans say:

“As the Moon empties, the spirits fill.”

This refers to:

• increased activity of disease-causing spirits

• higher risk of encountering wandering dead

• more vivid dreams of ancestors or ghosts

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Waxing Moon

Light increases → positive beings more active, ghosts subside.

• Good for long-life practices

• Good for attracting deities

• Fewer obstacles from spirits

This rhythm is incorporated into all tantric calendars.

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🇮🇳 2. Indian & Himalayan Traditions

India has similar patterns, especially in Śaiva, Śākta, and folk Shamanic lineages.

Amāvasyā (New Moon)

Considered the night of:

• bhūta (ghosts)

• preta (wandering dead)

• piśāca (flesh-eating spirits)

• yakṣa / yakṣiṇī (in their dark forms)

Shamans (ojha, jhākri) often avoid forests and liminal zones on this night.

Rites for:

• Śmaśāna Kālī

• Bhairava

• Dhumavati

• Pretas and ancestors

are strongest on the dark moon.

In tantric texts:

“The new moon is the mouth of the spirits.”

Pūrṇimā (Full Moon)

Associated with:

• deities

• illumination

• blessings

• dakinis in their peaceful forms

• prosperity rites

Ghosts are said to be dispersed by moonlight.

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🏔️ 3. Nepali, Mongolian, and Siberian Shamanic Beliefs

Across the Himalayas and the Eurasian steppe:

• New Moon → souls wander, ancestral spirits are close

• Full Moon → helper spirits, celestial beings, and sky gods are active

• Waning Moon → spirits of illness grow stronger

• Waxing Moon → healing and blessing spirits increase

Siberian shamans explicitly say:

“On the dark moon, the lower spirits emerge from the earth.”

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🧩 4. Why the Moon matters to spirit activity (traditional reasoning)

Traditional cosmology sees spirits as influenced by:

Light / luminosity

• Ghosts fear or dissolve in light.

• Deities and dakinis travel by or as light (od zer).

Water (Moon = controller of water)

Spirits are closely linked to moisture, fog, mist, and breath — all of which fluctuate with lunar cycles.

Atmospheric energetics (rlung / prāṇa)

Internal winds mirror outer winds; when lunar energy is low, internal winds become unstable — making encounters with spirits more likely.

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⭐ Concise Summary

Full Moon:

• Deities, wisdom dakinis, blessings at their peak

• Ghosts and malevolent spirits weakest

New Moon:

• Ghosts, hungry spirits, wandering dead strongest

• Wrathful rites most effective

• Deities least active

Waning Moon:

• Negative spirit activity increases

• Good for banishing rituals

Waxing Moon:

• Positive beings more active

• Good for healing, wealth, and protective rites

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If you’d like, I can also explain:

• how lunar phases affect chöd visions

• why wrathful deities are invoked on the new moon

• how Tibetan sky burial rituals are timed with lunar phases

• or how the Moon affects dream yoga and encounters in the dream bardo.

Are gods and wisdom spirits strong on full moon nights even if it's clouded and the Moon isn't visible?

Yes. In Tibetan, Indian, and Himalayan traditions, the strength of gods, deities, and wisdom dakinis on full-moon nights does not depend on the Moon being physically visible.

The reasoning is both cosmological and ritual-practical:

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🌕 1. The lunar phase is an energetic condition, not a visual one

From a traditional perspective, the Moon’s tithi (lunar day/phase) is what matters.

A tithi is defined by the relative angular position of the Sun and the Moon —
not by what your eyes can see.

So even if:

• the sky is cloudy

• it is raining

• there is fog

• the Moon rises late

• or you cannot see it at all

the energetic condition of the full moon is still present.

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🌙 2. Tibetan view: visibility and “luminous energy” are different

Tibetans distinguish between:

• snang-ba — what appears visually

• ’od gsal — intrinsic luminous power

Full moon rituals (tsok, dakini pujas, protector offerings, empowerment practices) are held even if the moon is totally hidden.

Why?
Because deities respond to the lunar condition, not visibility.

Monasteries do not postpone full moon rituals because of clouds — the sacred calendar is lunar, not weather-based.

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🌸 3. Indian Tantric view: “Moonlight” is symbolic and energetic

In Śākta and Śaiva tantric cosmology:

• The Moon is a reflector of soma (cosmic nectar).

• On the full moon, soma is “full” regardless of cloud cover.

• Dakinis, devatas, and higher beings draw on this subtle lunar nectar, not physical photons.

So clouds do not block the power of the full moon.

The same idea appears in Kashmir Śaivism:
“The full moon of consciousness is never obscured, even when hidden by clouds.”

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🕉️ 4. Ritual timing confirms this

If visibility mattered:

• Tibetan monasteries would delay tsok feasts

• Indian tantric temples would postpone pūrṇimā rites

• Nepalese shamans would shift ancestor rites

But they never do.

The calendar is astronomic, not optical.

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🔥 5. Contrast with ghosts and dark-moon spirits

Ghosts and malevolent spirits are believed to gain power on the dark moon even when the night is clear. Again, because:

It’s the phase of the Moon that affects them, not how much light reaches the eyes.

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⭐ Short answer

Yes.
Gods, deities, and wisdom dakinis are just as powerful on the full moon even if clouds completely cover the Moon, because their strength depends on the lunar phase, not its visibility.

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If you'd like, I can also explain:

• why ghosts and negative spirits prefer darkness even during waxing moons

• how lunar phases affect subtle body winds (rlung)

• how Tibetan dream yoga changes depending on lunar days

• why many empowerments must occur only on full moons.