Using the beads to count your spells and reciting reps in Taoism and Taoist magic practise is very common, even in Saam Law Taoism, we have this practise too. Why do we do it? Well, because beads makes it easy for one to count the numbers of spells they have recited so far, and is easier to keep track of what you have done. What's more important is that it is actually a magical tool at the same time!
The magical beads in our lineage needs to be "consecrated" in order to work, meaning that it needs to be activated as a magical tool. After that is done, then your practise with it will count and you will be non stop storing in your powers into the beads. When you are feeling the need for protection during some special times, you can put the beads on your neck or around your wrist, to get yourself some protection power against energy and spiritual attacks, or even sorcery like black magic and gong tau and such.
There are many different colors of beads, but he basic one starts with this rice color (white but tinted to yellow). This beads is used in our heart spells cultivation and here is a YouTube video demo by Lui sifu in our lineage on this.
Some people are very concerned about the amount of beads in a chain, and it MUST be 108, and let me tell you here, nope, it can be other numbers.
Numbers are decoded using our Taoist wisdom such as the 9 star theory, and so any numbers can be used for these beads depending on our need and how we work around them. Be it a 108, 113, 118, 120, whatever it is, it will work too.
Taoist magic is fun, because we don't blindly believe in things, we use the nature's principle and theories to decode things, and so we can make changes according to need and want! Using the beads as your magic cultivation tool can help you put your mind off the counting and so you can focus on the spells only and it will bring you the a deeper state in your practise, leading you to get things done better and quicker.
If you want to get started today to ordain as a Taoist and start learning, feel free to do so. There is no restrictions and requirements to start. To be honest, you will never encounter something like this ever. There are tons of "click to get ordain" stuff online for Taoism, but they are all nothing but a newsletter mail list! You don't get ANY real teachings like that. In Saam Law Taoism, you ordain and you get some real human to human teachings, it's not like those junk mail club! Ordaining in Taoism was pretty crappy for the Internet crowd back then, but it is not anymore with Tin Yat Dragon around the corner!
