Do's and Donts during Hungry Ghost Month

According to feng shui and  Queen of Feng Shui Marites Allen, the attitude one must have is simply, “There’s no loss in trying.” The Hungry Ghost Month happens every seventh lunar month of the year. This is the time when yin (the dark energy) is a stronger than yang. Because of this imbalance in which yin dominates, ghosts and local spirits feel comfortable and wander around on earth. These roaming hungry ghosts cause misfortune by feeding on people’s energies and fears.
The Hungry Ghost Month is also the Asian equivalent of Halloween in Western cultures. Meanwhile, the Hungry Ghost Day falls on the 13th of August. On this day, the Chinese believe that the Gates of Hell will open and release more hungry ghosts.Feng shui believers or not, Allen advises the public to take extra care during this time.
People should avoid activities that involve negative energies because of the excessive yin energies in the surrounding. Examples of these activities are attending wakes or funerals, visiting the sick, or even wearing black.
Major decisions in life like opening businesses, getting married, buying or moving into a new house, and getting medical operations or procedures must also be avoided.
Everyday activities like going out late at night, swimming and traveling should be lessened if not dropped altogether.
And because hungry ghosts and local spirits roam freely during the Hungry Ghost Month, they easily feed on people’s energies and fears unless appeased properly.
“It is believed that hungry ghosts are ghosts of people that have not found everything they need to survive in the afterlife. If someone passes on, but does not have enough food, water, shelter and other material things, it will come back into the world of the living to scare people and feed off their energy and fear.The goal is to appease the hungry ghosts. To do so, you have to feed them. Ghosts and spirits eat through their nostrils, which is why they can only feed through smell. This, she added, explains why burning incense is better than food offerings. Moreover, incense purifies the air, as well as dissolves bad energies and transforms them into good energies.
So as not to attract hungry ghosts, make sure that homes, offices and closed places are well lighted. Allen advised to open windows and doors and let natural light and wind to come through. Making the whole environment bright and lively will fend off the hungry ghosts.
Lastly, people can also stay protected by wearing lucky amulets. Pendants or accessories with the “hum” symbol are powerful defense against hungry ghosts. Hum is a Buddhist mantra that represents the trinity of heaven, earth and mankind. “You can even chant under your breath ‘Hum, hum, hum’ when you feel in danger.”
Ghost Month 2011 falls on Sunday, 31 July 2011 to Sunday, 28 August 2011. The2011 hungry ghost festival falls on Sunday, 14 August 2011.