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www.shamansociety.org27theWest.ItisoftentakentobesymbolicofherWupowerthantobethephysicaldescriptionofQueenMotheroftheWest.FrommyteacherWangJiaYousaDaoistscholarandarcheologistpointofviewXiWangMulivedinama-triarchalsocietyandwasherselfthepoliticalleaderoreldermedicinewomanastronomerandenlightenedbeing.DuringYellowEmperorstime27172599BCEpatriarchalsocietiesbecamemoredominantandmanyofXiWangMusteachingswerelaterascribedtotheYellowEmperor.Howeverherteach-ingscontinuedtocarryherspiritandstressedtheimportanceofcultivatingthepowerofYinorfemininity.OverathousandyearslaterthemostfamousDaoistmasterLaoZiexpressedtheessenceofherteachingsinhisDaoDeJingwhichlaterbroughtDaoismtotheWesternworld.InChinaalthoughweconsiderDaoismtobebasedontheteachingsoftheYellowEmperorandLaoZithebedrockofDaoismisancientWutradition.ModernarcheologicaldiscoveriessuchasthoseofthePeiLiGangHongShanandYangShaocultures5000-3000BCEshowthatWucultureexistedforover8000yearsofChinesehistory.Thelevelofknowledgeandmasteryoverthematerialandnon-materialelementsoftheworldachievedbytheancientWuwereprofoundandhighlyregardedthroughoutmostofancientChina.AllofthelegendarysagesandculturalheroesofChinasproto-histori-calpastpossessedtheremarkablesuperhu-manattributesoftheWu.Thetrea-sureofunearthedoraclebonesandotherartifactsrevealthattheWuweremostesteemedduringChinasThreeAncientDynastiesperiodtheXiaShangandZhouDynastiesfrom2100256BCE.SimilartoXiWangMuthepatriar-chalkingsoftheThreeAncientDynastiesactedasancientWu.InhisresearchintotheShangDynastysWuShangWuarchaeologicalscholarChenMengJiaidentifiesthekingasashamanIntheoracleboneinscriptionsusedinritualdivinationareoftenencounteredinscriptionsstatingthatthekingdivinedorthatthekinginquiredinconnectionwithwind--orrainstormsritualsconquestsorhunts.Therearealsostatementsthatthekingmadetheprognosticationthatper-tainingtoweathertheborderregionsormisfortunesanddiseasestheonlyprognosticatoreverrecordedintheoracleboneinscriptionswastheking.Thereareinadditioninscriptionsdescribingthekingdancingtoprayforrainandthekingprognosticatingaboutadream.Allofthesewereactivitiesofbothkingandshamanwhichindicateineffectthatthekingwasashaman.5TheFunctionofWuThecharacterWucarriesagreatdealofmeaning.ItcontainstheradicalGongworkandRenperson.To-getheritisanimageoftwopeopleworkingtogetheroroftwoshamansdoingtheirritualdance.ThesyllableWuwrittenandintoneddifferentlyalsomeansdancing.ItisnocoincidencethatdancingconnectstheWutotheuniverseandhelpsdeveloptheirShenMing.AccordingtoXiCiaswritteninoneoftheTenWingsoftheYijing6throughdancinganddrummingonecanachieveafullunderstandingofonesownShenspiritandcanalsocommunicatewithhigh-levelbeings.DancinganddrummingaremethodstohelppeopleunderstandtheShen.Eventheshamansoftodayusetheritualofdancingtofacilitateuniversalconnectionssuchasbringingraintodryfarmland.TheancientWuwereabletoelevatetheirspiritstobecomeonewithallotherspirits.SimilarlyintheShangoraclebonestyletheChinesechar-acterWuiswrittenasinFig.1madeoftwointersectingGongradicalsandmeanswork.Literallythisradicalstandsforacarpenterssquareusedformeasuringperfectangles.Thisissig-nificantbecauseinancientWutimeGongacarpenterssquarewasatoolformeasuringtheuniverseanditalsorepresentedordercorrectbehaviorandthelawsofnature.IntheYellowEmperorsClassicofMedicineHuangDiNeiJingGongisusedtomeandoctor.AncientChinesemedicinedoctorswerenodifferentfromWu.Theyhadtheabilitytohelpthebodyhealbecausetheyunderstoodthewayoftheuniverseandthetruthoflife.WuisalsotherepresentationofSiFangthefourdirectionsorfourquadrates.SiFangcanbetranslatedasthefourcardinaldirectionsnorthsoutheastandwest.ThisisthepatternthattheancientWuappliedtothemselvesreferenc-ingtheselfasthecenterthebodywasusedasahigh-techequipmenttoconnectwithandcommunicatewiththeenergiesofthefourdirectionsandoftimeandspace.ItwasthroughthispracticethattheyunderstoodandembodiedtheUniversalWay.TheoriginalfunctionofWuistoconnectwithuniversalenergyorliveinflowoftheDaoandpassuniversalknowledgetoothers.ItisimportanttorememberthatthisWumethodofabody-centereduniverseisthecornerstoneofallourtraditionalcultivationpracticeswhethertheybeDaoistQigongYijing