Chinese ritual mastery traditions

Chinese ritual mastery traditions, also referred to as ritual teachings (, sometimes rendered as "Faism"), or Folk Taoism (), or also Red Taoism (mostly in east China and Taiwan), constitute a large group of Chinese orders of ritual officers who operate within the Chinese folk religion but outside the institutions of official Taoism. The "masters of rites", the "fashi" (), are also known in east China as "hongtou daoshi" (), meaning "redhead" or "redhat" "daoshi" ("masters of the Tao"), contrasting with the "wutou daoshi" (), "blackhead" or "blackhat" priests, of Zhengyi Taoism who were historically ordained by the Celestial Master.
Zhengyi Taoism and Faism are often grouped together under the category of ""daoshi" and "fashi" ritual traditions" (). Although the two types of priests have the same roles in Chinese society—in that they can marry and they perform rituals for communities' temples or private homes—Zhengyi "daoshi" emphasize their Taoist tradition, distinguished from the vernacular tradition of the "fashi".
Ritual masters can be practitioners of "tongji" possession, healing, exorcism and "jiao" rituals (although historically they were excluded from performing the "jiao" liturgy). The only ones that are "shamans (wu)" are the "fashi" of the Lushan school.
The "fashi".
The ritual masters ( "fashi") are defined, in opposition to formally ordained Taoist priests, as:
Sarah Coakley (Cambridge University) distinguishes "fashi" as "kataphatic" (of filling character) in opposition to Taoists as "kenotic" (of emptying character), and links them to other Sino-Tibetan indigenous religions:
They are known by different names throughout China, other popular ones being "ritual officers" ("faguan") as they at times call themselves, or "redhead" Taoist priests ( "hongtou daoshi"). There are also localised names, such as "orthodox lords" ("duangong"), "altar masters" ("zhangtanshi"), or "earth masters" ("tulaoshi") in Guizhou.
They are also in competition with other orders who perform similar services: monks and tantric masters under the auspices of Buddhism, and "tongji" medium.
The difference between ritual masters and Deities' mediums is that instead of being subject to territorial gods like the mediums, the ritual masters can marshal the powers of local Deities.
Red Taoist orders.
Lushan school.
The Lushan (Mount Lu) school (, also or ), also known as Sannai school (), is present in Fujian, southern Zhejiang and Taiwan. It is very active nowadays, and is related to the worship of the goddess "Chénjìnggū" ("Old Quiet Lady") the Waterside Dame ( "Línshuǐ Fūrén"), who is very popular in the same area. It is also related to the cult of Wang Laomu, and competing with Maoshan Taoism.
The tradition shows similarities with Yao and Zhuang ritual traditions, and has incorporated elements of Tantra, such as the use of mudra and vajra. Lushan "fashi" perform rituals as the head of celestial troops while invoking the "Three Ladies" ("sannai"): Chen Jinggu and her two disciples, Lin Jiuniang and Li Sanniang. Although Lushan "fashi" are men, in performance they wear the ritual red skirt of Chen Jinggu and a crown or headdress with the words "Three Ladies" painted on it. Lushan "fashi" also practice a shamanic voyage rite called "crossing the roads and the passes" ("guo luguan").
Pu'an school.
The Pu'an school () is present in west-central Fujian, southern Jiangxi and Taiwan. The historical figure of the monk Pu’an is worshipped by the practitioners as their "founding master" ("zushi"). Their texts, rituals and iconography incorporate Tantric themes adapted in a Taoist style, and have elements of the Zhengyi and Lushan traditions.
Xujia school.
The Xujia school () is another form of ritual masters.