#i know i presuppose a familiarity with the traditions of the shangqing and lingbao which i doubt many have...

[incarnelia]

an instance of daoist transgender sorcery

there's this old paper by isabelle robinet i reread like half a year ago which around the middle of p. 46 mentions an early medieval daoist text yuanshi wulao chishu yupian zhenwen tianshu jing which contains instructions for talismans which transform your gender. obviously that's pretty cool so here's my go at a translation. (i figured i might as well share it) i will admit i'm only a private student of classical chinese but the language is Relatively easy to follow and i'm reasonably confident in the majority of my translation (nonetheless i beg indulgence for any errors...). not to mention the ctext edition (this is the original with the talismans proper, this is the punctuated version that's the base for my translation) is extremely accessible . so here, i hope you enjoy maybe someone vaguely in my internet circle will get something out of this .

(something of a sequel to that citation on gender transformation as an ill omen in han times)

九天太素陽生符，元始付太上丈人，其文在赤書後劫，見日宮之陽。

The talisman of yang generation of the Great Simplicity in the Nine Heavens was handed down by the Primordial Commencement to the Old Man of the Most High; its text resided in the Red Writings. After an eon, it manifested the yang of the Sun Palace.

玄都紫微宮舊格，丹書白素，方五寸，清齋百日，入室思日精，含而吞之，與日同壽，天地俱存，思靈念真，形自能飛。存濁炁於口，符既出而死也。一名生真券，一名八威龍書。女吞此符後，生為男身。

According to the old rules of the Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital, it is written in vermilion on white silk, five inches square. After pure fasting of a hundred days, enter the chamber and meditate on solar essence. Encompass and swallow it. One will share the same longevity with the sun, persisting together with Heaven and Earth — meditate on numinosity and think on perfection, and one's form will be able to fly of itself. If turbid qi is visualized in the mouth, then the talisman will leave and one will die. Another name is the certificate of generating perfection; another name is the dragon-writing of the Eight Majesties. After a woman swallows this talisman, they will generate a male body.

三天太玄陰生符，元始以付太上大道君，其文在赤書後二劫，見月之上館。

The talisman of yin generation of the Great Mystery in the Three Heavens was handed down by the Primordial Commencement to the Most High Great Lord of the Way; its text resided in the Red Writings. After two eons, it manifested the High Office of the Moon.

玄都紫微宮舊格，黑書黃繒，方五寸，清齋百日，入室思月精；含而吞之，與月同壽。道士欲尸解者，黑書木刀劍，抱而臥，即為代人形而死矣。行此宜精，他念穢濁于口，符即出，身即死。此符一名化形券，一名九陰靈書，男人吞此符後，化為女子。

According to the old rules of the Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital, it is written in black on yellow silk, five inches square. After pure fasting for a hundred days, enter the chamber and meditate on lunar essence. Encompass and swallow it — one will share the same longevity with the moon. Daoists who desire liberation from the corpse should write it in black on a wooden sword, embrace it, and go to sleep; it will take on your human form and die. When practicing this proper essence, if one has other thoughts of filth or turbidity in the mouth, the talisman will leave, and the body will die. Another name for this talisman is the certificate of transforming forms; another name is the numinous writing of the Nine Yin. After men swallow this talisman, they will transform into women.

此二符，陰陽二氣，日月之精，自不精身苦志，慎輕服御，惟清齋合式，即能無窮。

With these two talismans—the Two Qi of yin and yang and the essences of the sun and moon—even if one does not refine one's own body or discipline the will, cautiously making light of clothing and deportment, and only engages in the ceremony of the pure fast, they will be able to be boundless.