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Temple Grimoire
Chinese Hell
Bank Note Ritual
Imitation
paper money, "The Bank of Heaven and Earth" and yuanbao
burnt at ancestors' graves around the time of the Ghost
Festival.
Background
Hell bank notes
are spirit money, made from joss paper, an
afterlife monetary paper offering used in traditional
Chinese ancestor veneration, that can be printed in the
style of western or Chinese paper bank notes. Hell Bank
Notes are known for their outrageously large
denominations, ranging from $10,000, $100,000,
$1,000,000 or even $500,000,000. In Singapore, it is
extremely common to find 10 billion dollar banknotes in
shops. On every bill, it features an image of the Jade
Emperor, the presiding monarch of heaven in Taoism or
some other famous figures in Chinese mythology, such as
the Eight Immortals, the Buddha, Yama, or images of
dragons. Some even portray famous people who are
deceased, such as US President John F. Kennedy. On the
back of each bill, it features a portrait of the bank of
Hell.
In Chinese
mythology, the name of hell does not carry a
negative connotation. The hell they refer to is Di Yu
meaning "underground hold/court". Diyu is a maze of
underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to
atone for their earthly sins. All who die will
automatically enter the underworld of Diyu to be judged
before either being sent to heaven, to be punished in
the underworld, or to be reincarnated. As such, the word
"Hell" usually appears on these notes. However, some
printed notes omit the word "hell" and sometimes will
replace it with "heaven" or "paradise". These particular
bills are usually found in joss packs meant to be burned
for Chinese deities. They have the same design as the
picture below but with different colors.
Hell
money, designed to be destroyed as a ritual involved in
East Asian beliefs about the afterlife.
Ritual Uses of Hell
Money
Hell money is spirit money and can
be used in a number of ways. For example:
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it can be thrown to the winds
during the funeral procession
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it can be left on a grave at
any time
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it can be burned in ceremonial
fires during the yearly Hungry Ghost Festival
(Chinese Halloween)
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it can be used as symbolic
money when working money-drawing spells
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it can be used to decorate
altars, especially ancestral altars
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it can be added to mojo bags
for its money-drawing properties
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it can be used as a bribe to
the Dark spirits when engaging in Black Arts such as
necromancy and invocation
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it can be used in crossroads
rituals and graveyard rituals
To make your own spirit money, get
some rice paper from a craft store, and
print out these copies.
Cut out the money and use in the ritual of your choice.
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