Well, let me tell you about them Taoist priestesses. Now, this ain’t somethin’ you hear every day, is it? But back in them old times, especially during the Tang dynasty, there were a whole bunch of royal princesses who became Taoist priestesses. Yep, you heard me right—princesses! About twenty-eight of ’em, to be exact. They wasn’t just sittin’ around, waiting for their prince to come. No, ma’am, they went through the same kinda ceremonies and wore the same kinda clothes as them menfolk who became Taoist priests. Only thing different was their fancy hats, which they called a female hat, or ‘nu guan’—pretty neat, huh?
Now, these priestesses weren’t just about lookin’ pretty in their fancy clothes. Oh no, they was smart too. Some of ’em even wrote big ol’ poems and stuff, callin’ themselves priestess-poets. And if that ain’t somethin’ to be proud of, I don’t know what is! There were even priestess-artists who could write calligraphy that made people go, “Wow!”—I mean, real talented folks. They was not just sittin’ on their behinds, waiting for things to happen. They was out there making things happen, showin’ their talents, just like them men folk.
Now, when it comes to Taoism, it’s mighty interestin’. You see, the female Taoist priestess, she wasn’t just followin’ some old traditions. Oh no. She was mixin’ it all up, takin’ bits and pieces from other powerful women gods. Like the Queen Mother of the West, Xiwang Mu. She was a big deal in Taoism. Some folks even say the whole idea of Taoist priestesses and adepts came from her. That woman, she had a lot of influence, let me tell ya. The female priestess combined all them strong qualities, like the goddess herself. A woman, but powerful just like a man, if you know what I mean.
And if you think women didn’t have power back then, well, think again. Not only did the emperors get to be Taoist priests, but women from the royal family—yes, real high-up women—could do it too. These women were no small potatoes, they was important in the big ol’ world of Taoism. They even taught them high-level scholars and officials how to practice Taoism, showing ’em the ropes and all that. You had women founders of Taoist schools, too, startin’ their own movements and changin’ how people thought about religion and power.
But here’s where it gets real curious. Now, some Taoist practices, they started lookin’ a little like them Buddhist ones. You know, vegetarian eatin’, no marryin’, and buildin’ them big ol’ monasteries where they could live and practice. This way of Taoism came to be known as the Quanzhen school, or the Complete Perfection school. It was a little different from the old Taoism that let priests get married and live together in communities. But still, them women were breakin’ ground and startin’ something new, showing they could handle both the spiritual and the practical sides of life.
In the end, these Taoist priestesses didn’t just sit in the background. They played a big role in how Taoism grew and how people saw women in religion. They wasn’t just followin’ the rules—they was makin’ their own rules and creatin’ new ways to practice their faith. So the next time someone tells ya that women can’t be powerful in religion, you can tell ’em about these priestesses. They sure did prove ’em wrong!
Keywords: Taoist priestess, Tang dynasty, Xiwang Mu, female Taoist divinity, priestess-poets, Quanzhen, Complete Perfection, Taoist traditions
Tags: [Taoist priestess, female Taoist priestess, Tang dynasty, Xiwang Mu, female divinity, Quanzhen school, Complete Perfection Taoism, priestess-poets, Taoist art]
