Ua Neeb Tso Qhua (Releasing the Shaman Spirits)

Every year during the months of October - December, Hmong shamans around the world perform a ritual known as "Ua Neeb Tso Qhua" or "Releasing of the Guides" ritual. The reason why it's during this time is because this is at or towards the end of harvest season, symbolizing the year coming to an end and the new year approaching. During this time, the Hmong would be celebrating our New Year, harvesting the last of our crops, and preparing for a new year.

Ua Neeb Tso Qhua or Releasing of the Guides requires a shaman to release their shaman spirits, release all sacrificed animals to reincarnate, and renew their altar. By renewing their altar, it symbolizes cleansing the home and ridding all bad luck and energy from the whole year. It also means sending shaman guides to their own heavenly "new year." Along with the old year, Shamans will burn the old paper on the altar in addition to the strings on the tools and create new paper for the altar and strings for their tools. The following pictures are from my tso qhua ritual performed this past weekend Sat 12/05/20.

After taking down all the paper on the altar, this is how it looks like. All the strings on the tools are also cut and renewed. All tools are cleaned in boiling water. The shaman's bridge or "choj neeb" is taken down and renewed as well.This is my altar from Saturday 12/05/20.

After recreating the new joss paper, we place them on the altar and this is how it looks like. Every shaman has their own unique way of cutting and designing the joss sheets. I place little people cut outs, known as "moj zeeb." These symbolize shaman soldiers or guardians.

All the bowls of rice with the old joss sticks are thrown away and washed.

New cups, bowls, liquor, and rice are then placed again on the shaman's altar. In addition, new strings are tied to the shaman finger bells or "tswb neeb."

A chicken is sacrificed to the altar to welcome back the shaman guides with the new year. Some shamans have instead used fruits and vegetables. My shaman altar is divided in two, as most Hmong shaman altars are. The side on the left is the shaman altar and the smaller side on the right is the medicine altar or "thaj tshuaj." This altar is also known as "Yus Vaj." Most Hmong shamans are also herbalists and will have this altar.

The Shaman Bridge is renewed as well. It consists of three yarn strings, either black or white, hung on the ceiling starting from the shaman's altar to the front door. There are three bamboo sticks placed on the ceiling, starting from directly on top of the shaman altar, then directly in the middle of the living room, and finally directly on top of the front door.

Then, the shaman will let down the black cloth that follows to the front doors as well. The cloth only comes out during this ritual and following three days after. After the third day, shamans put away the black cloth but the yarn remains on the ceiling all year.

The shaman bridge can differentiate. Some use white instead and some can have two bridges, both white and black. I have two shaman bridges. The black one on the ceiling and during the actual ritual my white shaman bridge is on the floor starting from the altar to the front door. The white one gets put away after the ritual.

Also during this time, a soul calling ritual is performed by the shaman for their shaman guides. At the end of the year, shamans must call their guides home. The bowl contains uncooked eggs and uncooked rice, placed on top of the shaman bench, and with three joss sticks. After the soul calling, the eggs and chickens are cooked. The eggs are placed back into the bowl and then placed back on the altar before the ritual begins.

Tso Qhua happens only once a year. After the ritual, a shaman must perform another ritual known as "tos qhua neeb." This ritual requires the shaman to go pickup their shamans after releasing them. Some shamans do it as they finish the tso qhua ritual and others wait a few days to even one month following. Then, before shamans can go out and heal or perform rituals for outsiders, they must perform a healing ritual or ua neeb kho for their own family or household first.

The first people (outside the home) to ask the shaman to perform a ritual must "qhib thaj neeb" or "open the shaman altar." This requires that person to offer a live chicken to the shaman's guides and $20 (give and take) to the shaman.