The Big Dipper: Origins & Function in Taoism, 9 Steps of Yu

Note: Since it si the turning of the Big Dipper that marks the celestial signals of Earth’s changing seasons,
I am posting this information at Winster Solstice. This si from the Hon Kong Temple translation project. David Palmer, the Taoist scholar based in Hon Kong who oversees the chinese translaators, has accompanied two of my China Dream Trips. On the last one, he had a very powerful experience in the Pole Star cave at the Big Dipper Place used by Taoists to meditate since the Han Dynastry over two thousand years ago.
michael

http://www.eng.taoism.org.hk/daoist-beliefs/immortals&immortalism/pg2-4-3-5.asp

The Big Dipper

Origin of the Big Dipper

The Big Dipper1 is the mother of the stars of the Dipper. Her complete name is ‘Nine-Spirited Supreme Subtle Grandma Primordial Sovereign of the Night Rays and Golden Essence of the White Jade Tortoise Platform”2. She is also called ‘Pure Vital Breath Sovereign of the Big Dipper of Middle Heaven”3, ‘Primordial Queen of Supreme Simplicity, Purple Rays, Bright Wisdom and Kind Benevolence, and Heavenly Lord of Golden Perfected Holy Virtue”4. She is also called ‘Great Perfect Queen of Moonlight”5 and ‘Great Heavenly Healer Sage and Eastern Imperial Sovereign of Benevolent Salvation”6. She is usually simply called the ‘Big Dipper”, or ‘Primordial Sovereign of the Big Dipper”7. As the governor of the Pavilion of Heavenly Treasure8, the Big Dipper, “as the mother of the Dipper Stars, produces the brilliant eyes of all the heavens. She, with the Dipper as her terrestrial spirit and water celestial spirit, is in charge of life.”

Functions

According to the Fundamental Destiny Life-Prolonging Heart Scripture of the Great Sagely Primordial Sovereign of the Supreme, Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper9, the Big Dipper, “with her great merit of medicine and healing, manages and harmonizes the five agents, balances the Vital Breaths10 of Yin and Yang, dissolves the stagnant and eliminates the evil and dark. Under her mercy, those who miss the time of salvation catch up with the time of salvation. In charge of the safety of pregnancy and birth, as well as the healing of diseases, she takes the important role of Heavenly Healer11”. “Seated on her precious throne, the Big Dipper peacefully cultivates divine perfection, refines celestial and terrestrial spirits, concentrates Vital Breath with an empty mind, and enters the Mystery of Mysteries.

Breathing the numinous wind, gathering the purple void energy, she has attained the mysterious and numinous Sublime Dao, and releases infinite subtle rays penetrating the Pool of Essence12. Nine golden lotuses, as incarnations of the rays, give out greater and greater light after seven days in the pood. The light rises to the Nine-Essence Heavens13 and transforms into the Nine Great Treasure Pavilions.” In the pavilions, the Nine Perfect Vital Breaths concentrate and manifest themselves as the Nine Emperors of the Dao Body: the first is the Heavenly Emperor14, the second is Purple Subtlety15, the third is the Lusty Wolf16, the fourth is the Giant Gate17, the fifth is the Store of Wealth18, the sixth is the Civil Chief19, the seventh is the Pure and Chaste20, the eighth is the Military Chief, the ninth is the Troop Destroyer21.

The Nine Emperors of the Dao Body22 are the Nine Stellar Sovereigns of the Dipper. According to the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel23, “the Nine Stars are the numinous root of the Nine Heavens, the bright bridge of the sun and moon, and the ancestral abyss of all things. Therefore, Heaven has nine Vital Breaths corresponding with the Nine Stars as their numinous pivot; the Earth has Nine Prefectures with the Nine Stars as their spiritual master; Man has Nine Apertures with the Nine Stars as their Mansion of Destiny. The Nine Palaces of Yin and Yang refer to the Nine Stars for their doors; the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Holy Rivers24 correspond with the Nine Stars as their abyss and mansion.” The Big Dipper, as the mother of nine stars, is in charge of the production and life of Heaven, Earth and all things.

Worship in Temples

There are Big Dipper Halls in most major Daoist temples. The Divine image always appears as a female spirit with three eyes, four heads and eight arms. The holy birthday of the Big Dipper is the 20th of the sixth lunar month, or the 9th of the ninth lunar month. On that day, Daoist adepts often hold rituals to pray for longevity and for giving birth to sons.

Author: Chen Yaoting
Translator: Luo Tongbing
Copy Editor: David Palmer
http://www.eng.taoism.org.hk/religious-activities&rituals/talismans-registers&magic-skills/pg4-3-3.asp
Finger Gestures and Pacing the Big Dipper

In the process of conducting Daoist Magical Skills, the ritual master often recites incantations with his mouth, making Finger Gestures with his hands, and Pacing the Big Dipper with his feet. Making Finger Gestures and Pacing the Big Dipper are two kinds of major physical movements of the ritual master as he conducts Magical Skills.

Pacing the Big Dipper 1 was passed down from ancient times.

The Chinese character “Gang” originally referred to the star at the end of the handle of the Dipper and the character “Dou” referred to the Dipper. Later its meaning was extended to the stars of the five directions (the East, the South, the West, the North, and the Center). The ritual master, wearing Cloud Shoes, puts the Diagram of the Big Dipper on ground covering about ten square feet, which symbolizes the nine layers of the heavens. Accompanied by melodious Daoist music, the ritual master visualizes the Nine Heavens, and Paces the Big Dipper according to the positions of the stars and the 28 constellations as well as the diagram of the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams.

It is thought in this way that the souls of the Daoists can ascend to the Nine Heavens to deliver petitions to the spirits, or control the spirits, destroy Hell and invoke Thunder2. Daoists, especially those of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition3, should have the basic ability to conduct Magical Skills, Cultivate and Refine themselves, and Pace the Big Dipper.

It is generally thought that Pacing the Dipper was developed from the Steps of Yu4. But people have different ideas about the relationship between Pacing the Big Dipper and the Steps of Yu. In the Magical Utterances 5 by Yang Xiong of the Han dynasty, the author said that Emperor Yu, when he harnessed the water and the land, suffered from foot disease and walked with a limp because he often scaled the mountains and forded the streams. Many witches imitated Yu and walked with limps as well.

Based on this legend, the Steps of the Big Dipper 6 are regarded as a result of the imitation of Yu’s way of walking. On the other hand, according to the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity and the Book of Original Changes of the Pervasive Divine Eight Emperors7, there was another story about it. When Yu harnessed the water and the land, he saw on the seaside a big bird that was good at Breath Incantations. The bird walked in a strange way and its steps could turn the huge stone upside down. Yu made the strange way of walking an effective magical skill. That is why it came to be called the Steps of Yu. It can be seen that the Steps of Yu appeared quite early in history, and it had something to do with the Art of Breath Incantation 8 of ancient times.

The basic Steps of Yu involved three steps and nine traces9. Later they diversified into different types, called Twelve Traces and Three-Five Traces.

The three steps and nine traces of the Steps of Yu were thought to have the shape of the Big Dipper, so they were associated with Pacing the Big Dipper.

The Book of the Flowing Drops of the Golden Lock10 states that the Big Dipper was the Middle Dipper 11 which was a star. As it descended, it became the Nine Souls12. There were nine traces when Pacing the Dipper by following the diagram of the stars, which was called the Diagram of the Big Dipper13. The nine traces represented the seven stars of the Big Dipper, and the two stars Fu and Bi. The word “Gang” originally refers to the star at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, and later it referred to the Big Dipper. It may have something to do with the understanding of the diagram of the stars, which was considered as the matrix and pattern of a certain area of the heavens.

It is also said that Yu spent three years learning Breath Incantations, for as he harnessed the waters he saw that the bird was good at it. Later he paced the Nine Dippers, and matched his feet with the stars while reciting Breath Incantations. It is usually thought that the Steps of Yu and the pacing of the Big Dipper correspond to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. This is called “the three steps and the nine traces which constructed the Kan Trigram and the Li Trigram”. Since there are so many kinds of diagrams of the Big Dippers, and more and more new Dipper steps were compiled based on ritual contents, so there are a lot of names for them. Pacing the Big Dipper is usually practised together with Finger Gestures. It is said that in the Tang and Song dynasties, there were over 700 kinds of Steps of the Big Dipper and Finger Gestures. That is really fantastic!

The Common Steps of the Big Dipper:

In spite of the huge number of different types of steps, there are only a few types of magical skills of Pacing the Big Dipper commonly used. In the Eastern Han dynasty, the Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness 14 taught the Three-Five Big Dipper Register 15, in which were described the skills of the Pacing of the Dippers of the East, the South, the West, the North and the Center. Later appeared the Skills of pacing the Dippers of the Twenty-Eight Constellations 16 and the Five Big Dippers of the Sun and the Moon 17. They are commonly used.

The most common form of Pacing the Big Dippers is the Big Dipper of the Mysterious Pivot18. On the diagram of the Dippers, there are only seven Dipper stars. The names of the stars are used as the names of the steps to be made by the ritual master during his pacing forward, and the names of the star sovereigns are used as the names of his steps during his pacing back. The pacing of the Twenty-Eight constellations represents the 28 constellations in the heavens. In ancient China, the heavens were divided into 28 areas matched with 28 corresponding signs, which are called the constellations as the symbols of heaven. Pacing it symbolizes turning the Dippers around and crossing the Ji Constellation as well as moving around the heavens. Below are drawings of the two types of Pacing the Big Dippers.

The Dippers of the Twenty-Eight Constellations

The Dipper of the Mysterious Pivot

The basic function of Pacing the Dippers is to symbolize flying over the Nine Heavens, prohibiting evil things, and controlling spirits.

The Big Dipper is also called the Celestial Matrix and the Earthly Pattern. So the first function of the Pacing is to pace the Dipper according to the Diagram of the Stars. It is thought that by pacing it the ritual master, crossing the Nine Quarters and patrolling the universe, has been to the Nine Heavens, flying over the realm of Immortals. A common diagram is the Great River Chart Dipper of the Open Valley 19, which was originally the Big Dipper. The seven stars of the Dippers and the two stars Fu and Bi compose the Big Dipper Diagram regulated by the post-existent positions of the trigrams 20 listed on the River Chart. There are two types of them; one is used after the Winter Solstice and the other after the Summer Solstice. In the former, the ritual master starts from the Kan Trigram and moves to the Li Trigram 21, and in the latter he moves from the Li Trigram to the Kan Trigram.

The nine numbers on the River Chart represent the nine areas of the heavens or the nine constellations: Tianying, Tianren, Tianzhu, Tianxin, Tianqin, Tianfu, Tianchong, Tianrui, and Tianfeng. The ritual master recites the incantations while pacing any one of them, pointing out the directions he is moving to, the symbolic meaning of the specific Dipper, and the power of his magic skill. For example, the incantation used when pacing the Dipper after the Winter Solstice says: “The Dipper is sublime at the 12 two-hour periods, and I take the Big Dipper flying over to exhibit mighty power with Vital Breath like the clouds. The seven stars move to interact with the heavens, so that we know the changes of good or ill luck. Pacing the Dipper by the rhythms, it seems I move into the Dipper, and the constellations through the Heaven Pass with the change of the time.

Moving from Tianying up to Tianren, I feel cold as if the land has sunk down into a deep valley. Leaning by Tianzhu and bracing Tianxin, I ascend to Tianqin from Tianxin. In addition, I pass by Tianfu and look at Tianchong, going into Tianrui and out of Tianfeng. The passage of the Dippers is open, and the strong and weak mutually assist each other. Happiness and good fortune are increased and passed on to the descendants. I have stayed in the darkness for hundreds of years. I follow your steps after the Yang. The Dipper of the Open Valley is divine, so that it can dispel the devils. As a result, one can avoid the evils at the mouth of the Dipper. Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statues and ordinances! Act as regent!” Through this incantation we may see that Pacing the Big Dipper mainly symbolizes flying in the sky, with the supernatural function of dispelling disasters and avoiding evils.

The Dipper of the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Big Dippers of the Sun and the Moon represent certain areas of heaven, fairyland, or paradise. The ritual master will visualize these scenes while pacing the Dipper. The Dipper of Bright Stars and Pearls 22 can be paced in two ways: the eight steps and the three steps. The Daoist paces it each time he offers incense. And he recites the following incantation while pacing: ” The imperial order of Jade Clarity is simple, with the separate scenes of the great Brahma. The original Dippers are flowing and changing with the stars and pearls over and around them. Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statues and ordinances as the imperial order.”

While reciting the incantation, the ritual master will visualize the three realms of Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Highest Clarity 23, where the Lordly Spirits of the Three Pristine Ones 24 reside. The incantation of Pacing the Big Dipper mentions that by burning incense, the Daoist seems to have transferred starlight into the mortal world. A Daoist can succeed in doing so with the aid of such an incantation. This sort of Dipper pacing can also represent the Nine Quarters, which refer to the nine regions: Yong, Liang, Yan, Yang, Qing, Xu, Yu, and Ji. The ancient people symbolized the whole territory of China with them, so pacing the Nine Quarters implies the patrolling of all the land on the earth.

Pacing the Dipper has the additional function of prohibiting and controlling the spirits and superhuman powers. Originally the Steps of Yu and the Pacing of the Big Dippers not only indicated flying over the Nine Heavens, but also prohibiting and controlling the spirits and superhuman powers. In the course of their development, their functions became specialized. Some of them were chiefly practised to fly over the Nine Heavens, while others were used to control the spirits. For example, pacing the Dipper for Destroying Hell and Invoking Thunder 25, used as a Thunder Skill, can get rid of the Vital Breath of Yin and give off that of Yang, so that frightening thunder can be heard.

When pacing the Dipper of Spirit Possession 26 as a Skill for Summoning and Interrogating Spirits 27, the spirits will adhere to specific children or other designated persons. Pacing The Numinous Dipper of the Divine Tiger of the Life-invoking Roar28 can invoke the Divine Tiger General29, who can pursue and control souls in the darkness, when holding the ritual of Refinement and Salvation for Destroying the Darkness30.

The major functions of Daoist magical skills lie in transforming superhuman forces and controlling their changes with the aid of supernatural forces. And the immortals worshipped by Daoists live in heaven or in the grotto residences of the immortal mountains. In addition, one must have supernatural abilities if one wants to penetrate their world. Pacing the Dipper is thought to be effective in helping man to enter the immortal world. Therefore it is widely used as a basic type of Daoist skill.

Finger Gestures, which are designated by quite a number of different names, are another one of the basic forms of Daoist Skills. Finger Gestures involve pinching certain parts of the hand or palm with the thumb, or constructing certain fixed gestures with a couple of fingers. It is thought that by so doing, the Daoist can inspire the spirits and destroy the ghosts. Together with Pacing the Dipper, it has become one of the basic Daoist skills and Daoist religious practices.

Daoists make appropriate Finger Gestures when they hold the following rituals: reading Daoist scriptures; reciting incantations; Pacing the Big Dipper; setting up altars; invoking the divine generals; practising Vital Breath Incantations; arresting evil spirits at large; curing illnesses; praying for happiness; and offering sacrifices to avoid disasters or dispel spirits. The Supreme Essential Secret of General Perfection to Help the Empire and Save the People 31 says that Daoists must make Finger Gestures when they walk, inquire about illnesses, harness devils, enter temples, cross rivers, go into mountains, and write talismans.

Finger gesture making has been passed down together with the art of Vital Breath Incantations since ancient times. In the course of the development of Daoism, Daoists changed and corrected the original Finger Gestures, basing themselves on the Daoist Pantheon 32 and theories of Daoist skills, so that finger gesture making became a comprehensive system.

The content of Finger Gestures is the essential element for making them.

This refers to certain points on the palm or on the joint of the finger that represent the Dipper, the 12 – hour periods, the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams, and the 28 constellations. Among the nine joints of the three fingers (the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger), the middle joint of the third finger represents the center of the Nine Palaces, and the rest of them refer to the Eight Trigrams. The corresponding joint implies the content of the specific trigram. According to the positions of the post-existent Eight Trigrams, the root of the fourth finger implies the Qian Trigram, which is the first of the Eight Trigrams. From the second to the fifth finger, each of the joints indicates one of the 12 – hour periods. When a Daoist pinches a certain position, it symbolizes that he controls the Eight Trigrams, the 12-hour periods, and the 28 constellations.

The ancient people often used Finger Gestures to represent the functioning of the universe, the mystery of nature, the positions of space, and the changes of time. Therefore, as the Book of Secret Correspondence states, by making Finger Gestures, the Daoist feels that the universe and the transformations of things are under his control, and a contracted scene of the universe is visible on his hand. Usually the practise of a simple type of Finger Gesture involves pinching one finger joint, but complicated ones involve pinching different finger joints simultaneously. For instance, when flying over the Dipper, the ritual master must pinch promptly the seven finger joints that symbolize the seven stars. Sometimes he has to use several fingers together with his palms, even with his two hands.

Below are listed the Finger Gestures of the 12 – hour periods:
Zi: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb.
Chou: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb.
Yin: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb.
Mao: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb.
Chen: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb.
Si: pinch the end of the index finger with the thumb.
Wu: pinch the end of the middle finger with the thumb.
Wei: pinch the end of the ring finger with the thumb.
Shen: pinch the end of the little finger with the thumb.
You: pinch the second joint of the little finger with the thumb.
Xu: pinch the first joint of the little finger with the thumb.
Hai: pinch the joint between the fifth finger and the palm with the thumb.
And below are the Finger Gestures of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces:
Qian: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb.
Kun: pinch the second joint of the ring finger with the thumb.
Kan: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb.
Li: pinch the second joint of the middle finger with the thumb.
Gen: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb.
Zhen: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb.
Xun: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb.
Dui: pinch the first joint of the ring finger with the thumb.

The various types of Finger Gestures 33 are based on the Daoist Pantheon. Since there are so many different types of Finger Gestures, the different Daoist sects often drew diagrams or charts of them in order to impart and practise them.

The different types of Finger Gestures based on the immortal Pantheon embody the typical features of Daoism and show the differences between Daoist skills and the sorcery scattered among the folks. The Daoist Pantheon is a very great system, and it varies from sect to sect. As far as conducting rituals is concerned, there are three major types of Immortals: the Lordly Spirits, the Patriarchs, and the Divine Generals, for which there are corresponding Finger Gestures. The Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are the Jade Clarity Finger Gestures34, the Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures35, the Highest Clarity Finger Gestures 36, and the Northern Emperor Finger Gestures 37.

The Jade Clarity Finger Gestures are also called Highest Emperor Finger Gestures38 or Jade Emperor Finger Gestures39. Such Finger Gestures are made when offering petitions, and when commanding the heavenly immortal warriors and horses as well as the Messenger of Spreading Illness40. Highest Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at the second joint of the middle finger in order to invoke Highest Clarity warriors and horses, by pinching the nail of the middle finger when inquiring illness. Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at
the first joint of the middle finger.

Sometimes Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are not directly called by their names, but represented by their horses or their magical instruments. For instance, during the Refinement and Salvation Ritual, the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven is invited to descend to the altar. The ritual master makes the Finger Gestures of the Lion 41: the two palms are crossed, the thumb of the left hand folded and the other nine fingers straight, for there are nine horses for the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven to ride. Similar to those Finger Gestures are the Finger Gestures of the Lotus42, of the Treasure Lotus43, and of the Pig Head44 as well. Making these Finger Gestures symbolizes the descending of the Big Dipper45. Because the Big Dipper often sits on a lotus, and because the divine animal that draws her carriage is named Horned Pig46, therefore images of the lotus and of the pig are used to welcome the Big Dipper to descend.

The most important of the Patriarch Finger Gestures47 are the Celestial Master Finger Gestures 48 and the Native Master Finger Gestures 49 which represent the descending of the Celestial Master or the founder of a specific sect. Sometimes they are practised when the ritual master visualizes himself as the Celestial Master commanding the divine warriors to dispel the spirits. The method of making that Finger Gesture is to pinch the first joint of the index finger on the left hand. There are so many Divine Generals in Daoism that the Finger Gestures representing the Divine Generals are the most numerous of the various types of Finger Gestures. Besides, the different sects prefer to use different Divine Generals while practising Magical Skills.

The Finger Gestures which are comparatively important are as follows. The Finger Gestures of the Supreme Commander 50 stand for the commanders of the Thunder Agency. The Finger Gestures of the Inspector 51 represent the Inspectors of the Warriors and Horses 52 which control the divine warriors. The Finger Gestures of the Heavenly Warrior 53 stand for the Strong Warriors of Heaven54. The Finger Gestures of the Office 55 symbolize the officers who invoke the divine ones to manage the files. There are some other Finger Gestures which symbolize the Sun Sovereign, the Moon Sovereign, and the Dippers of the Five Directions.

The number of Finger Gestures designed for different objectives and for different rituals is hard to calculate, because there are so many kinds of magical skills for refinement and salvation as well as for curing illness, dispelling evil, and praying for avoiding disasters. For example, the Tiger Finger Gestures 56 and the Ghost Finger Gestures 57 are named after evil spirits. Some other types of Finger Gestures such as the Finger Gestures for Dispelling Ghosts58, for Controlling Ghosts 59, and for Controlling Thunder 60 are named after the purpose of the ritual. And the Finger Gesture of the Fork61, the Finger Gesture of the Sword62, and the Finger Gesture of the Golden Bridge63, are named after the divine instruments held by the ritual master or the methods that he uses at the rituals. In the corresponding skill system, all the Finger Gestures are drawn in diagrams or charts. The ritual master must follow them when conducting rituals. The contents of the Finger Gestures are so many that only some major types are mentioned here. According to the symbols of the Finger Gestures, the purpose of making Finger Gestures is mainly to invite or invoke spirits, to control ghosts, or to spread the divine Vital Breath.

Talismans, incantations, and Finger Gestures using swords, seals, numinous streamers, numinous charts, mirrors for observing the evil spirits, and other magical instruments consist of the major means of conducting Magical Skills.

Author: Liu Zhongyu
Translator: Ginny Yue

Tian Feng, Tian Rui, Tian Chong, Tian Fu, Tian Qin, Tian Xin,
Tian Zhu, Tian Ren, Tian Ying

Celestial pivot
Celestial rotating jade
Celestial shining pearl
Celestial balance
Jade sighting-tube
Opener of heat
Twinkling brilliance
Assistant

Feng shui energy:
outer limits being the two stars Vega and Polaris
and the inner stars being the seven stars of the Big Dipper constellation.

http://www.fivearts.net/index.php?topic=149.msg1003
9 Heavenly stars in qi men dun jia
Tian Ying: Heavenly brave or magnitude.
Tian Qin: Heavenly birds.
Tian Peng: Heavenly loose or disheveld.
Tian Fu: Heavenly assist or auxiliary.
Tian Ren: Heavenly assign or duty, responsibility.
Tian Rui or Rui Xing: Heavenly small.
Tian Zhu: column /?/ or place in Guizhou.
Tian Xin: Heavenly heart/mind.

http://www.sociologyesoscience.com/asia/chinainthepast.html
Star Secret Name Trigram Position Element
T’ien feng Tzu ch’in k’an 1 water
T’ien jen Tzu ch’ang ken 8 earth
T’ien chung Tzu ch’iao chen 3 wood
T’ien fu Tzu hsiang hsün 4 wood
T’ien ying Tzu ch’eng li 9 fire
T’ien ping Tzu hsü k’un 2 earth
T’ieng chu Tiu chung tui 7 metal
T’ien hsin Tzu hsiang ch’ien 6 metal
T’ien ch’in Tzu chin k’un 5 earth

http://www.qi-whiz.com/archive/animals.html
The Mandate of Heaven — the xuangui or “dark scepter” that symbolized a clustering of all five naked-eye planets — was given to Yu, whose dancing pattern performed the Big Dipper, in the Dark Palace (Xuan Xu, in the longitude of xiu sector Yingshi, linked with alpha Pegasi) on February 26, 1953 BCE, a date that corroborates the Bamboo Annals. In the Songshu it says a “river diagram” of red and green “writing” was presented to Yu by the same “spirit” that announced the transfer of power for Shang and Zhou. Because of this astronomical portent the Xia supplanted the Miao. (In many ancient cultures, a calendar out of sync with precession created dire political and religious consequences — it portended the fall of dynasties and spiritual movements.)

The mandate passed to the Yin because of precessional shift, noticed in 1576 BCE when the xuangui appeared in Sagittarius. The scepter passed again to the Zhou in 1059 BCE, and for the occasion King Wen composed “Song of the Phoenix.” In the Mandate of the Zhou, the “spirit” was the star that formed the “beak” of Red Bird due to precessional shift. Mozi said that Red Bird held the scepter in its beak and landed on Mt. Qi (that is, Red Bird’s timing and azimuth of setting on the northwest horizon created this effect.)

http://www.universal-tao.com/article/astrology.html
(and on hard drive as Nine Star Dipper Astrology (?) or something like that.
Taoist Nine Star Astrology is the essence of the all the Taoist practices and is based on the Pole Star (Yang), the Big Dipper (7 Points), and the Vega Star (Yin). All movement and energy patterns on Earth are based from energy fields of these 9 points. Every 26,000 years completes one cycle of Light (Yang) to Darkness (Yin), and presently shifting the Pole Star (Yang) (Center of Galaxy) to the Vega Star (Yin), which there about 2,000 years after in this cycle before the shift.
(1) Vega (Yin) * (9) North (Pole) Star *
*(2)
*(3)
*(4)
*(5) *(8)
*(6) *(7)
Although our planet’s polar axis is tilted at 23 degrees with the Star Polaris in Ursa Minor above its northern pole, this is not a constant. Modern astronomers know that approximately every 26,000 years the earth flops to a position where the star Vega in the Constellation Lyra becomes the Pole Star. This shift is fairly dramatic, however, there is less dramatic wobbling that our planet makes on its axis, a wobbling that invariably alters the North-South Polarity, as with the body channels, the Positive Governor Channel an Negative Functional Channel, and how this affects the human electromagnetic field. Sages of the past were able to observe nine distinguishable electromagnetic phases in this wobbling. Astrology and astronomy have determined that as there are Nine Stars in the Northern Sky closely centered around the northern end of the earth’s polar axis. Polaris, Vega and the Seven Stars that make up Ursa Major, the Big Dipper.

They are responsible for the slight electromagnetic shift that occurs. As Nine Star Chi Theory has it, each star is integrally a part of and responsible for each of the distinguishable electromagnetic phases. When our planet is under the influence of one of the particular electromagnetic phases, one of the transformations phases or transformations mentioned earlier becomes accentuated, thus there are five fire years, earth years, water years, wood years and metal years with all elemental transformation phases represented within a nine year cycle and each year is positive or negative (yin or yang). In Nine House Astrology a man or woman is not simply born in a particular house, bur during his or her lifetime migrates through the yearly, monthly, daily and hourly sequences many times.

The belief behind this is that man can and should become perfectly balanced as possible through facing and overcoming all the varied experience presented to him as a result of the influences of the various houses. People follow different patterns because of the influences permanently imprinted upon them at their particular times of birth. The rules that carry them through these cycles remain constant, and it depends upon their state of wisdom as to how well they apply them. The different situations different people face, are determined by their state of evolution at the time they re-enter this world. The strength and intensity of troubles or good fortune depend on the strength and (cosmic) maturity of the individual.

With the Earth there are 10 Branches based on the 5 Elements, which are 5 Positive Elements (Yang Energetic) and 5 Negative Elements (Yin Physical).
(1) Water (Kan-Water) Yang within Yin (+)
(2) Earth (Kun) Yin (-)
(3) Wood (Chen-Thunder) Yang (+)
(4) Wood (Sun-Wind) Yin (-)
(5) Earth (Tai Chi Symbol) Yin & Yang (+ & -)
(6) Metal (Chien-Heaven) Yang (+)
(7) Metal (Tui-Lake) Yin (-)
(8) Earth (Ken-Mountain) Yang (+)
(9) Fire (Li) Yin within Yang (-)

This formation is converted into Sacred Geometry using the Magic Square:
4 9 2
3 5 7
8 1 6