《太上洞神五星赞》

The Taishang Dongshen Wuxing Zan (Praise of the Five Stars of the Supreme Dongshen) says that the Year Star of the east is Jupiter, also called “Wadousi.” It governs the east and corresponds to the regions of Qi and Wu.

The Year Star is the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of Wood, and is also known as the son of the Azure Emperor. Its light is brilliant and grand; wherever it appears, that place is regarded as blessed. If the ruler’s De (Virtue/Power) is profound and he constantly practices the Dao (the Way) and righteousness, wind and rain come in their proper seasons, the hundred grains ripen, the ruler enjoys long life and prosperity, the people are wealthy and secure, the state is at peace, and the surrounding peoples come to submit. If the ruler’s government is tyrannical and he loses the heart of benevolence and goodness, the Year Star shows sharp, pointed rays, symbolizing strife throughout the world. If he rejects remonstrance, heeds slander, and violates the norms of reverent and solemn rectitude, this is taken to mean that calamity spreads in every direction, high and low fall into disorder, and brothers contend with one another.

The color and movements of the Year Star are also used to divine good and ill fortune. A reddish-yellow hue foretells much wind and drought; a whitish-black hue foretells flood or war. Conjunction with Venus symbolizes harm to a great general; occultation by the moon symbolizes upheaval involving the empress or consorts; entry into Taiwei Yuan (an ancient stellar office symbolizing the court) indicates sorrow for the ruler; appearance in the Eastern Well symbolizes peace in the land of Qin. Lingering at the Ghost lodge, or meeting it, is thought to bring flood and war, and the state may resort to instruments of punishment. Circling the Emptiness and Rooftop lodges, calamity may befall Qi. Residing in the Room lodge, ruler and ministers are at ease. Lingering in the Heart lodge foretells a rich harvest of millet. Stationed at the Horn lodge, it symbolizes the recommendation of the loyal, good, and worthy. Lingering in the Tail lodge symbolizes the flourishing of the state. Passing the Root lodge, the palace has many joyful events. Passing the Neck lodge, Han and Zheng may send out troops. Entering the Winnowing Basket lodge, the palace may see quarrels. Passing the Dipper lodge, Wu and Yue are at peace.

The scripture then lists the omens for the Year Star’s passage through other lodges. Passing the Emptiness lodge symbolizes disorder in the royal zhaomu, the generational order of ancestors in the ancestral temple. Trespassing on the Girl lodge symbolizes celebrations in the palace. Guarding the Ox lodge foretells hunger and cold, or harm from tigers. Circling the Rooftop lodge, sacrifices may lack sincere reverence. Trespassing on the Encampment lodge symbolizes a disruption of Yin-Yang. Guarding the Wall lodge symbolizes an age of good government like that of Yao and Shun. Entering the Legs lodge, a worthy person may appear. Passing the Bond lodge, someone may set out under orders. Guarding the Stomach lodge foretells famine or disease. In the Hairy Head lodge, it symbolizes the ruler’s use of severe punishments. Retrograde motion is regarded as a sign of calamity and bandits; appearance in daylight symbolizes a weak ruler and overbearing ministers. Lingering in the Net lodge and passing the Bond lodge, calamity may reach the people and their livestock. Passing the Well lodge, there may be anxiety over lawsuits and war. Circling the celestial regions foretells a rise in deaths. Trespassing on the Willow lodge symbolizes abundance of the five grains. Lingering in the Extended Net lodge symbolizes harmony between ruler and ministers. Entering the Wings lodge foretells reduced grain and the scattering of the population. Circling the place called “Wo” foretells mourning and illness in the countryside. Trespassing on the Room lodge, generals and ministers are filled with worry.

The scripture urges rulers and officials who hold fiefs to cultivate De with care, pacify the people, and carry out moral instruction, so as to increase blessings. Divine powers protect the good, punish the wicked, and restrain excessive desire. One should revere the sun, moon, and stars—the “Three Luminaries” (Sanguang)—diligently cultivate virtue, and pray for lasting peace.

When the Year Star moves into the fenye (“field allocation,” the ancient pairing of celestial regions with earthly provinces and states) that corresponds to a given place, a normal direct course and an azure color are regarded as omens of blessing and celebration, like an increase in office and salary. Retrograde motion, a change of color, or arrival together with Saturn is regarded as an omen of disaster. A person’s fate is also thought to be influenced by the lodge presiding at the time of birth. The method of ritual aversion described in the scripture is to plant five kinds of fruit trees or other trees, hang azure banners, and wear azure clothing, in order to seek good fortune.

The Yinghuo star of the south—that is, Mars—is also called Yunhan and the Penalty Star (Faxing), and is assigned to the Chu and Yue regions of the south.

Yinghuo is the stellar essence of the south and is also called the Penalty Star. It is the son of the Red Emperor (the deity of the south) and has charge of surveying the human world and distinguishing good from evil. Each year, in the tenth and eleventh months, it enters one palace of the Taiwei Enclosure (Taiwei Yuan, one of the ancient star offices, symbolizing the imperial court) and is brought under restraint. When it passes over a state possessed of the Dao (the Way), it does not linger; when it reaches a state that lacks the Dao, it comes and goes and takes up station. If it links with or encroaches upon other stars, it is held to bring calamity; if it circles and wheels about, this too is regarded as inauspicious. Its appearance signifies that war is rising; its disappearance signifies that hostilities are subsiding. Its hovering and lingering signifies disease and mourning.

Such celestial signs are held to arise because the ruler is negligent and indolent, so that those beneath him suffer disaster. Yinghuo advances and retreats by turns, and the scale of its motion shifts without fixed measure; this is held to bring flood or drought, and the harvest will be good in some years and poor in others. Sometimes it appears at dawn and travels swiftly; sometimes it appears in the evening and gradually climbs higher. Its coming and going are irregular, now hidden and now seen; its light now blazes fiercely as if in anger, now flashes with intense brilliance; sometimes it shows a horned form, sometimes it trails a tuft of rays. When it enters the Taiwei Enclosure, the elder sister of Marquis Wen of Wei meets with misfortune; when it encroaches upon the Ziwei Enclosure (Ziwei Yuan, symbolizing the imperial residence), it signifies that the sovereign may die in the wilds. If it stations itself at the star office of Tianjiang, rivers and fords may overflow; if it appears in the Stomach mansion (Wei, one of the ancient Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions), the granaries of the realm may stand empty.

When it passes the star office of Yulin (associated with the palace guard), it may stir unrest among the imperial troops; if it lingers in the Extended Net mansion (Zhang), it signifies a plentiful year and the well-being of the people. If it enters the star office of the Southern Dipper (Nandou), calamity will implicate the chief minister; if it encroaches upon the star office of the Eastern Well (Dongjing), there may be disasters of water and fire. If it stations itself at the star office of Shaowei, reclusive worthies will fall into hardship; if it circles the star office of Tianyuan, the people may suffer famine. If it circles the Ghost mansion (Gui), war and mourning come together; if it enters the Hairy Head mansion (Mao), the Hu peoples may gather in secret. If it halts in the Heart mansion (Xin), the king will be seized with fear on that account; if it draws near the star office of Xuanyuan, the empress and consorts will likewise be anxious and alarmed.

If it encroaches upon the Encampment mansion (Shi), the price of grain may rise tenfold; if it passes the Rooftop mansion (Wei), war may break out in the south. If it halts in the Tail mansion (Wei), ministers and subjects may refuse to obey; if it enters the Horn mansion (Jiao), commanders may be killed or wounded. If it links with the Neck mansion (Kang), cities and towns may be inundated; if it encroaches upon the Ghost mansion, the dead will appear one after another. If it lingers in the Legs mansion (Kui), fathers and sons may grow estranged; if it encroaches upon the Team of Four (Si), ministers may betray their ruler. If it rides over the heavens, the sovereign of the state may take the field in person; if it stations itself at the Net mansion (Bi), armies on the frontier may surrender. If it enters the Wall mansion (Bi), worthy men may go unemployed; if it lingers in the Three Stars mansion (Shen), warfare may spread in every direction.

If it draws near the Girl mansion (Nü), the price of cloth and silk may soar; if it stations itself at the Ox mansion (Niu), the six domestic animals may collapse and die. If it links with the Willow mansion (Liu), famine and drought may occur, and territory may be lost; if it encroaches upon the Horn mansion, internal disorder may erupt. If it enters the Chariot mansion (Zhen), the people may all be conscripted for service; if it encroaches upon the Bond mansion (Lou), troops may be sent forth in a show of force. When it retrogrades to the Dipper mansion (Dou) and circles the Room mansion (Fang), this signifies that the great ministers who assist the ruler will flee and that fathers and sons will be scattered. When Yinghuo passes across the sky, all under heaven may fall into unrest; if it lingers in the Winnowing Basket mansion (Ji), the people may have nothing to eat but dregs and chaff. How can a lord who holds a fief fail to be vigilant and examine himself?

Restrain oneself so that words and deeds accord with ritual and law, and prosperity will surely follow. Rulers and fathers, standing in the superior place, ought to cultivate virtuous conduct and accumulate blessings; ministers and children, in their actions, ought to be as cautious as if standing at the edge of a deep abyss. In this way, portents and calamities will of themselves recede, and one may long preserve the blessings and emoluments bestowed by Heaven.

When Mars moves into a given fenye (the ancient scheme in which stellar lodges correspond to regions on the earth), that locality is prone to fires, sores and swellings, disputes of speech, upheaval, and alarming calamities in which subordinates plot harm against their superiors. When Mars reaches a person’s natal star position (the star corresponding to the year of birth), it may throw the mind and Shen (spirit) into frenzy and bring on heat illness. One should therefore be cautious in the use of bows and arrows, knives and staves, so as not to be wounded and shed blood, and one should also guard against demonic mischief and the appearance of strange speech.

Ritual methods for resolving calamities of this kind include wearing the feiyi (a garment recorded in the original text, whose precise form is unknown) in order to receive the Fulu (talismans and registers); distributing red adzuki beans to the poor; hanging banners; preparing lamps and accumulating merit; reciting the Golden Slips and Jade Formulas (Daoist scriptural instructions); lighting lamps in sacrifice to the stars; and making offerings to Guanjiatu (thought to be a deity or an object of sacrifice indicated in the Jing [scripture], though the original is not explicit). To do so is regarded as auspicious.

The Suppressing Star (Zhenxing) dwells at the center and belongs to the Jing (essence) of Earth. It is also called Dihou and Jihuan, and it governs the two regions of Zhou and Liang. The Jing further states that the Suppressing Star is the Jing of Earth at the center, a son of the Yellow Emperor, and bears the alternative name Dihou, and that offerings distributed to Guanjiatu are auspicious.

Zhenxing, that is Saturn, is the star that dwells at the center and represents the De (Virtue/Power) of Earth. It is also called Dihou, the Earth Marquis, and legend holds that it is a son of the Yellow Emperor. In the state where it is located, one should not resort rashly to arms. If the region corresponding to it is free of calamity, the five grains ripen and the harvest is abundant. The ruler’s prosperity, peace, and ease come from keeping to what is correct and possessing De.

If the ruler lacks benevolence and righteousness within and only adorns the exterior with splendor, Zhenxing moves out of its proper course and brings disasters and anomalies. High and low at court fall into confused contention, and rebellions break out in the regions. Heaven sends down hail and unbroken spells of gloomy rain; mountains collapse and the earth splits open; ghosts and spirits seem to wail in grief. When Zhenxing clashes with the Wood Star, Jupiter, the empress and consorts may meet with sudden misfortune; when it conjoins with the Water Star, Mercury, the armies suffer defeat after defeat.

When Zhenxing passes the Horn mansion (Jiao), there may be joyful events in the inner palace; when it enters the Neck mansion (Kang), the myriad things find it hard to come to completion; when it trespasses on the Room mansion (Fang), warfare and earthquakes may occur; when it passes the Root mansion (Di), the heir apparent or a deputy may rise to prominence; when it lingers in the Heart mansion (Xin), this shows that a sage and enlightened ruler possesses De; when it enters the Tail mansion (Wei), bandits may run rampant; when it circuits the Winnowing Basket mansion (Ji), floods may occur and the people may scatter; when it enters the Dipper mansion (Dou), the ruler’s accession may be free of strife; when it encircles the Ox mansion (Niu), treacherous ministers may plot harm against the ruler; when it trespasses on the Girl mansion (Nü), someone may suddenly rise to nobility and dominate for a time.

When it passes the Emptiness mansion (Xu), wind and cold may appear and the price of rice may rise; when it enters the Rooftop mansion (Wei), corvée labor and calamity may occur. At this point the original text additionally contains the four characters fan huan rong, whose meaning is unclear and cannot be interpreted with certainty. When it enters the Encampment mansion (Shi), palace building may be undertaken on a grand scale; when it circuits the Wall mansion (Bi), the arts of the Dao (the Way) may flourish and become manifest; when it passes the Legs mansion (Kui), a noblewoman may gain power and the waters may rise; when it lingers in the Bond mansion (Lou), deceitful ministers may appear; when it links with the Stomach mansion (Wei), there may be flood, famine, and military disorder; when it links with the Hairy Head mansion (Mao), a general may campaign to the west.

When it trespasses on the Net mansion (Bi), dukes and marquises may be deposed; when it passes the mansion named Zi—the name of this lunar mansion is suspected of textual corruption—fiefs may fall into ruin and the common people may be alarmed; when it encircles the Triaster mansion (Shen), a great minister may be sent on a mission; when it enters the Well mansion (Jing), scorching drought and disaster may appear together; when it enters the Ghost mansion (Gui), subordinates may harbor designs of their own; when it trespasses on the Willow mansion (Liu), the realm may be at peace. When Zhenxing comes to rest, the affairs of the four quarters can all be well governed; when it resides in the Extended Net mansion (Zhang), the harvest of the five grains may be unstable; when it enters the Chariot mansion (Zhen), grain is damaged and warfare arises; when it lingers in the Wings mansion (Yi), the realm may be settled and untroubled.

When Zhenxing and the Iron Axe star (Tieyue) occult one another, great ministers may be put to death; if it trespasses on the Law Star (Faxing), generals and ministers may fear being boiled to death. All who occupy high position ought to perceive what is significant in the subtlest signs, diligently uphold the law, and stand in awe of the blessings and disasters sent down by Heaven; only thus can they extend good fortune to later generations and secure the foundation of the state. At the end of the original text, the passage on Zhenxing occulting the Iron Axe star, together with the exhortation that the ruler attend diligently to government and keep the law, is repeated.

The divine body of Saturn is like iron. When it moves into the region corresponding to a given lunar mansion, if local governance does not practice the administration of De (Virtue/Power), calamity will occur. If Saturn lingers in a broad expanse of celestial palaces and lunar mansions, the calamity may last ten years; there may also be deaths among the feudal lords, and famine and failed harvests among the people. If the state’s decrees do not accord with the Mandate of Heaven, war will be provoked. If the Shen (spirit) who presides over Saturn does not cultivate governance through De, flood and drought will fall out of balance, and insect pests will damage grain and wheat. Those who cultivate blessings and do good may hope for promotion in office and an increase in emolument.

When Saturn moves to the lunar mansion corresponding to a person’s natal destiny, it may bring severe calamity—for example, the death of one’s parents, the scattering of brothers, loss of office and failure in one’s duties, or the recurrence of old disputes and quarrels—leaving a person lonely and without support.

To avert calamities of this kind, one may recite or ritually turn through the Golden Slips and Jade Jing (scripture/classic), wear black clothing and ride a black horse in the rite, burn benzoin incense, distribute foods such as fish and soft-shelled turtles, set up an altar of the Water Bureau, and perform the jiao rite (a Daoist ritual of prayer and sacrifice for blessings), thereby accumulating and cultivating merit and De and praying that misfortune be turned to good fortune.

The Great White Star of the west, also called Venus, Changgeng, or Najie, presides over the Hu peoples of the western borderlands.

The Taibai Star (what the ancients called Venus, the Metal Star) is the Jing (essence) of Lesser Yin (Shaoyin), condensed from the Jing and Qi (vital energy) of the White Emperor, and is also called the Changgeng Star. It presides over righteousness. When the Taibai Star is large and brilliant, it symbolizes a general and means that campaigns of conquest and penal punishments are about to take place. When it is angry, its light grows sharp, as if it were shouting in rebuke; when it is pleased, it draws in its radiance and conceals its form.

When the Taibai Star in its course passes Mars, it often portends that baleful disasters and occasions of mourning will follow one upon another; when it conjoins with Mercury, armies may be raised both far and near. If it encroaches upon the Horn mansion (Jiao), there will be war throughout the world; if it enters the Neck mansion (Kang), floods and bandits may appear together; if it remains in the Root mansion (Di), a general may be enfeoffed; if it remains in the Heart mansion (Xin), plagues of insects and outbreaks of fire may spread.

When the Taibai Star is in the Chamber mansion (Fang), it symbolizes a general wielding authority over campaigns of conquest and penal punishments. When, near the Chamber mansion, it passes Mars, this likewise portends that baleful disasters and occasions of mourning will follow one upon another, and if it conjoins with Mercury, armies may be raised. If it encroaches upon the Horn mansion, there will be war throughout the world; if it enters the Neck mansion, floods and bandits may arise together; if it remains in the Root mansion, a general may be enfeoffed; if it remains in the Heart mansion, plagues of insects and outbreaks of fire may spread.

In the Chamber mansion, works of construction and corvée labor may arise, and the state itself will be drawn in. If it encroaches upon the Tail mansion (Wěi), strife may break out because affairs of government have gone awry; if it remains in the Winnowing Basket mansion (Ji), there may be disasters of wind and drought, or an amnesty may be issued; if it enters the Dipper mansion (Dou), calamity will be hard to bring to rest. If it circles the Ox mansion (Niu), the Qi of the earth may leak and disperse outward; if it reaches the Girl mansion (Nü), treasuries and storehouses may be overturned. If it passes the Rooftop mansion (Wēi), a general may lay aside his armor and rest his troops; if it encroaches upon the Encampment mansion (Shi), warriors may cease to go on campaign. If it enters the Stride mansion (Kui), the headwaters of rivers may overflow; if it remains in the Wall mansion (Bi), the state may apply harsh punishments. If it passes the Bond mansion (Lou), assemblies of people dressed in white may appear; if it enters or remains in the Stomach mansion (Wèi), the inner palace may be at peace. If it encroaches upon the Hairy Head mansion (Mao), the armies of the Hu lands may raise troops on a grand scale; if it remains in the Net mansion (Bi), an amnesty may be proclaimed and troops sent forth. If it passes the Turtle Beak and Triaster mansions (Zui and Shen), a change of political power may occur in the open country; if it passes the Well and Ghost mansions (Jing and Gui), ministers and commanders may be troubled together. If it enters the Willow mansion (Liu), the commanding general may receive increased enfeoffment and reward; if it remains in the Star mansion (Xing), officers and soldiers may die in battle and military camps suffer blow after blow. If it links the Wings and Chariot mansions (Yi and Zhen), the feudal lords may send out troops in great numbers; if it enters the Xuanyuan stellar region, the sovereign may set up banners and carry out military dispositions. If it remains in the Celestial Fields region (Tiantian), the common people may obtain noble rank and stipends; if it stands at the Wu position, the Rong peoples of the borderlands may run wild in rebellion.

If the Taibai Star loses the station it ordinarily occupies, this may portend wicked disorder and the rout of armies; if it hides and does not appear, there may be the slaying of generals and the massacre of cities. There may also be mountains collapsing on every side, and corvée labor that harasses persons of high rank, with a sovereign who is weak while his ministers are strong, and armies that shift endlessly from one campaign to another. Should there arise a state of affairs in which men contend with one another for the handles of power, and prodigies, calamities, and omens appear again and again, this is a sign that ministers have failed to hold to their integrity and that the sovereign’s mind has turned to wickedness.

Alas! The sovereign who rules the land and the ministers who assist in the affairs of court ought neither to overstep ritual propriety nor to indulge in greed, and they should stand in awe of the spirits of Heaven. They should govern the state by the principles of the Dao (the Way) and rectify themselves through De (Virtue). Only thus can blessings be left to later generations, and transformative teaching reach the common people.

The Metal Star Taibai—that is, Venus—is the great general who presides over strategy, campaigns of conquest, and military affairs. It completes one circuit of the heavens in eight years, and wherever it passes among the lunar mansions, warfare is apt to break out in that region. When it passes through a person’s natal mansion, the lodge corresponding to the year of birth, that person is prone to improper conduct and may also become absorbed in music. The method of rangjie (ritual supplication to avert calamity) is to train in military affairs and set the banners in order, so as to seek good fortune.

The northern Chenxing, also called Mercury and Di, belongs to the north and holds sway over the lands of Yan and Zhao.

The northern Chenxing is also called the Jing (essence) of water. It is the son of the Black Emperor, and in form it resembles a deputy general. What it governs is attentive inspection: it surveys the circumstances between ruler and ministers, together with the troubles portended by the position it occupies. If the sovereign is prudent in laws and institutions, makes his commands clear, keeps far from slanderers and the wicked, draws near loyal and upright ministers, and does not give himself over to pleasure, the state will enjoy blessing. If the sovereign fails to maintain the city walls and palace gates, does not employ worthy ministers, acts willfully in all matters, and favors petty men, the heavens will display warnings, and disaster will spread to the surrounding lands: the five grains will fail, wind and rain will fall out of measure, Yin-Yang will lose its proper order, and hunger and cold will follow one upon another.

When Chenxing conjoins with Venus, war may be provoked; if it is encroached upon by Saturn, the omen is distress for the commanding general. By observing its pointed rays, one can judge how great or small a calamity will be; by examining whether it is hidden or manifest, one can discern signs that ruler and ministers will suffer censure and punishment. When waters surge in flood and the star’s color is blue-black, it portends a great mourning; when its color grows faint and white, this expresses accordance with the season. Its appearance at dawn in spring and at dusk in autumn likewise carries corresponding prognostications. A warm winter and a cold summer, Chenxing drawing near the sun and being obscured by it, or its meeting with the Qi (vital energy) of shaoyin, the lesser yin—all these are regarded as anomalous signs.

The omens differ according to the mansion or stellar region in which Chenxing remains. If it guards the Jiao mansion, punishments come swiftly and floods arise; if it lingers in the Kang mansion, the price of grain soars. If it stands in the Xin mansion, all under heaven is at peace; if it guards the Fang mansion, treacherous ministers plot rebellion. If it stands in the Wei mansion, the Tail, rivers, lakes, and seas overflow; if it enters the Ji mansion, persons of high standing are filled with dread. If it offends the Xu mansion, parched red earth stretches for ten thousand li; if it passes the Dou and Niu mansions, the rivers become choked. If it draws near the Nü mansion, the price of cloth and silk doubles; if it guards the Wei mansion, the Rooftop, rebellious ministers appear one after another. If it coils about the Kui mansion, subordinates are imprisoned; if it guards the Wei mansion, the Stomach, war and flood bring sorrow to the people. If it circles past the Bi mansion, the Net, fighting suddenly breaks out on the frontiers; if it stands in the Mao mansion, those who hold power suffer punishment or demotion. If it trespasses on the Zi mansion, military disaster follows; if it enters the Jing mansion, the Well, water and earth contend. If it passes through the Shen mansion of Orion and enters the Gui mansion, flood, armed disorder, and pestilence give rise to anxiety. If it lingers in the Liu mansion, eminent ministers incur guilt; if it guards the Zhen mansion or the Yi mansion, it is fitting to repair the ancestral temple. If it draws near the Taiwei Enclosure, the ministers harm one another; if it guards the region of Xuanyuan, the consort clan is full of enmity. If it enters the Bi mansion, the Wall, high and low at court are seized with alarm; if it encroaches on the Di mansion, the Root, lawsuits drag on. If it stands in the Zhang mansion, the powerful and the noble monopolize the government of the state; if it offends the Shi mansion, the power of the consort clan is arrested. If it guards the Lou mansion, flood destroys all things; if it stands at Jianxing, the Establishing Star, the ministers who assist the throne can find no peace.

Only by honoring the De (Virtue/Power) of Earth, acting with reverence and care, remaining constantly vigilant, treating times of security as though peril were at hand, and diligently cultivating moral virtue can blessing be obtained.

Mercury is the stellar luminary that presides over crucial affairs. It has charge of the Celestial King’s secret essentials and is also connected with the enfeoffment of marquises and earls and with salaries and emoluments. Mercury completes one circuit of the heavens in a year. Wherever its course reaches a region’s stellar field, floods, warfare, or wild rumors that mislead the people are likely to occur; it may also leave people unsettled in mind and spirit and fond of pungent and sour foods. The way to avert these unfavorable influences is to build city walls and fortifications and to dig ditches and canals to channel water, so that the outcome may turn auspicious.