Tiān tóng 5: Sān lì táng, (Associated Names)

My grandmother’s hometown used to have a forbidden practice of raising spirits called ‘San Li Tang.’ It involved signing a contract with a ‘Shan Xiao,’ a mountain spirit, using blood, in exchange for the ‘Shan Xiao’ guarding your wealth. Those who practiced this would often have three small stones in their homes. No one could…