House and family

She could not sleep after offering incense on New Year's Eve

31 January 2025Jinan, Shandong Translated by AI

A client asked about removing her home altar after weeks of sleeplessness and chest tightness. I cast a divination and gave suggestions.

The screenshots were masked before they were posted. Names, avatars and birth details are covered in the originals; where a translated line reads [redacted], the source was covered too and nothing has been guessed.

Client

It started right after I offered the first incense at 12 a.m. on Lunar New Year's Eve. I've barely slept since then. I'm so tired I can barely open my mouth, but I can't fall asleep. I took melatonin and it still didn't work. My chest feels tight, like I can't catch my breath.

从大年夜凌晨 12 点敬完头香开始到现在。我几乎没睡过觉。我身体很累，已经累到嘴巴都张不开了，但我睡不着。我吃褪黑素，也一样睡不着。胸口闷，喘不过气。

It hit me right after offering that first incense.

就敬完头香一下子，人不舒服了。

This is actually the second time I've had a reaction after offering incense at midnight.

这其实是第二次，凌晨 12 点敬香我有反应了。

Last time, after offering the first incense, I didn't put out the oil lamp or turn off the light on the altar.

上一次，敬完头香后，没有灭油灯也没关佛台的灯

I remember it very, very clearly. I had a dream. I dreamed a lot of ghosts and spirits were coming into my house. I woke up with a start, and the strange thing was, my whole family woke up at the exact same time! And we all had almost the same dream. We all dreamed of being chased by ghosts and zombies.

我记得非常非常清楚，我做梦了。我梦到有很多鬼怪在往我的房子里来。我惊醒了，但是诡异的是，我们全家在同一时间都惊醒了！而且做的都是差不多的梦。都梦到被鬼怪，僵尸追。

So I'm pretty stressed right now. I'm scared there's something unclean on the altar. Plus, the practice I follow has so many rules about setting up altars and offering incense. To be honest, I can't keep up with them.

所以我现在压力有点大，我很怕是佛台有了不干净的东西。加上，我的这个法门，对供奉佛台、敬香有诸多的要求，说实在的，我做不到。

Zongyuan

Hmm, I'll take a look for you once I get off the plane.

嗯，等我下飞机了帮你看一眼

08:50

Client

That's why I want to take the altar down. I don't know if there's a way to do it properly. I'm so stressed. Because I know there are all these requirements, and when I can't meet them, I feel really, really guilty.

所以我想撤了这佛台，不知道有没有办法。我压力太大了。因为我知道他有很多要求，但是我做不到，我就会非常非常的内心有压力。

Okay. No rush, I'll just leave a message first.

好的。不急，我先留言。

Right now I just want to go back to something ordinary. I don't want to have a home altar anymore. Would that have any impact? Honestly, I like chanting scriptures. I always feel better when I chant. But I want to be able to chant whenever I have time, without being tied down by so many rules.

所以我现在就想回归普通。我不想在家供佛台了。这会有什么影响吗？说真的，我是喜欢念经的。每次念经的时候我人很舒服，但是，我想随时随地只要我空下来，我就可以开始念，而不是有特别多的东西来束缚我。

It's like, as long as you chant, you don't have to do anything else. If you're sick, chant. If you're poor, chant. I'm someone who thinks critically. I can't convince myself of that.

就好像是，只要你念经，其他啥也能不干。有病念经，没钱念经。我是个要辩证的人。我觉得我没办法说服自己。

Also, I can't eat anything right now. A few bites, and I can't take any more. I think my depression is acting up again.

而且我现在，吃东西也吃不下。几口，就塞不进了。我觉得我抑郁症犯了又

09:44

Zongyuan

The divination came out as Heaven Mountain Retreat [redacted][redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. The original hexagram shows external energy generating the internal. Here, Gen represents the home, and Metal represents the altar in the house. The deity itself is Qian, so when it first came to your home, it was properly consecrated — that part is normal. But the changed hexagram is Wind Mountain Gradual. Xun represents pathogenic energy entering the body. Xun corresponds to Mao wood in the earthly branches, so actually your mood and mental state have been off since 2023, and this altar is related to that. It's not that you haven't been making proper offerings. Real deities don't care about that. Instead, some feng shui items like talismans given to you by other people brought something into the house. That thing has been receiving your incense, and it's been making you feel afraid, making you think you're not doing enough. A few suggestions: 1. Your constitution is not suited to having a home altar. Wrap the statue or portrait in red cloth and take it directly to a Buddhist temple or Taoist temple. If it's a statue, cover its eyes with the red cloth first, then wrap the whole thing. 2. Remove the offering table. After 9 p.m. that same day, in the living room

卦得天山遁[redacted][redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] 本卦是外生，这里的艮是家，金是家里供的神龛，神仙本来是乾卦，所以刚来你家里的时候是开过光的，属于正常。但是变卦为风山渐，巽卦为邪气入体，巽在地支是卯木，所以实际在2023年开始你的情绪精神就不好，这个神龛就有关系。这里也不是你供不到位的问题，因为真神不会计较这个，相反是家里进来了一些别人送的符咒之类的风水用品带进来东西，接受了香火，开始给你造成恐惧，让你认为自己不到位了。几个建议： 1 你的体质不适合供着神龛，把神像或者画像用红布包一下直接送到庙里或者道观里即可。如果是神像，红布先蒙眼睛，再包住整个。 2 撤掉供桌，当日晚上九点之后在客厅中

22:05

[redacted], keep the window open a crack during this time. The smoke will have a sour smell. Don't be afraid — that's a normal and effective result. 3. Do a thorough cleaning. Look around the house for any talismans people gave you before. From what I see, they came in a few years ago, and you've kept them without dealing with them. Find them and burn them too. 4. If you want to burn incense later, just go to a temple.

[redacted]，期间窗户要开一条缝，烧出来会有酸味，不要害怕，属于正常和有效的结果。 3 大扫除，家里要找一下之前别人给你的符咒，我看了下应该是前几年进来的，你一直放着没有处理，找到之后一起烧了。 4 之后如果想要上香就去庙里就可以了。

Please take this.

请收

🌹

Client

Thank you.

谢谢

22:11

Okay.

好的。

I'm moving in September.

我到9月就搬家了

This place is a rental.

现在的是租的房子。

Zongyuan

Got it.

嗯呢

Client

3. Do a thorough cleaning. Look around the house for any talismans people gave you before. From what I see, they came in a few years ago, and you've kept them without dealing with them. Find them and burn them too.

3 大扫除，家里要找一下之前别人给你的符咒，我看了下应该是前几年进来的，你一直放着没有处理，找到之后一起烧了。

My former teacher gave me a talisman once.

之前我的老师给过我一个符咒

22:13

Zongyuan

That one is the problem.

那个有毛病

Client

I'll go back, find it, and send you a photo.

我回去找出来拍给你

Zongyuan

You started feeling a bit foggy not long after it came into the house.