Ghost Month: do’s and don’ts

Ghost Month – celebrated on the seventh lunar month which this year is on August 11 until September 9 – has a reputation for being a period of bad luck.

But Feng Shui adviser Johnson Chua clarified on Wednesday’s Ask Away episode, that this isn’t necessarily true. To begin with, he explains that the event is actually called “Ghost Month Festival”.

“Takot na takot tayo because we talk about spirits and ghosts, but it’s a Festival. Masaya pala sila. Ang mission natin is to make them happy. Why? [Because they will]  make us happy. Hindi siya talaga nakakatakot o malas,” Johnson said.

He likens it to our All Soul’s Day and the popular Pixar movie "Coco", where the gates of the spirit world open up, allowing ghosts to roam the earth. This is where all the precautionary measures that are popular during Ghost Month come in. 

“Kailangan lang din natin mag-ingat kasi we want to avoid na matamaan natin sila, kasi hindi natin sila nakikita,” Johnson said.

He reminds that the Ghost Month Festival this year will peak on August 25. “Hindi naman kasi sabay-sabay silang lalabas on the first day. Every day may mga spirits na lumalabas, and on August 25, chances are, present silang lahat. Kaya may nagsasabing ito raw ang pinakamalas na araw this year. But for me naman, ipa-ubaya na lang natin sa kanila itong araw na iyon.”

He gave an interesting list of do’s and don’ts for those a little wary of the Ghost Month Festival:

Stay positive. According to Johnson, this is the most important piece of advice he can give. “Avoid negative emotions, kasi negative emotions are very unstable and  kapag unstable ang emotions, mo, malaki ang chance na mapaglaruan ka ng ilang spirits. Negative emotions weaken your aura and when they see you are weak, puwede kang pagtripan.

Avoid starting anything new. “When you start something new, at mayroon kang matamaan na spirit…they don’t harm, but they curse. For instance, you open a new business at sa pag-open mo, may nagalaw ka na hindi mo naman alam. Pero mapapansin mo, your business is going but it’s not growing.

Give it a go before or after the festival instead. Starting a project even just one day before the festival is ok. This gives you license to continue your endeavor even during ghost month. 

Don’t undergo any surgical operations. Why? “Because maraming nakakapansin, mas mabagal ang healing,” Johnson explains.

Invest in the stock market. “May trends na tuwing ghost month, mababa ang stocks,” the Feng Shui adviser begins. “Kasi takot ang mga big companies gumalaw, takot mag-invest. Kaya may tendency bumama ang stocks. Eh diba in the stock market, meron silang sinasabi na ‘buy low, sell high.’”

Avoid saying anything bad. Said Johnson, when you say something bad and the spirits hear it, “baka isipin nila na inuutusan natin sila. Meaning they can help us harm others, and the karma there will be back to us.”

Illustration by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/GMA News

Make offerings. Think of it as All Souls Day: During Undas, we make offerings to our dearly departed, right? Making an offering to the spirits is exactly like that. Says Johnson the three main offerings we can give is: money, food, or prayers.

“Make the offering inside your house, pinapasaya mo lang ang spirits inside. When you make offerings, mapapasaya mo sila diba? And when that happens, anong lalabas na energy from them? Good energy rin. They will pray na bigyan ka pa ng suwerte.”

The best time to make the offering? After lunch at 3pm.

Feel free to eat the food offering afterward. But warns Johnson, don’t say anything wrong about it, as the taste of the food may change. “They eat the ‘spirit’ of the food, so the physical taste can also change. When you notice this, wag ka na magsalita.”

Avoid moving houses during Ghost Month Festival. “You can move your things, but wag yung personal things,” clarifies Johnson.

Wear bright colored clothes. Because dark colored ones are of the yin energy and may attract spirits even more.

Feel free to bring rock salt with you. Said Johnson, salt is a good way to ward off negative energy. “Keep it on you, in a pouch in your pocket, or even your bag. Salt comes from nature so hindi nila makakapitan iyan. Pero wag niyo naman isabagog. Remember, we are not waging war.”

For Johnson, there really are only three things to remember to ward off bad luck: Be alert, be aware, and keep positive. “Removing fear in your heart is the best way to counter the ghost month.” — LA, GMA News