The Palace of the White Tiger: Xiu 15 – 21

CHINESE LUNAR MANSIONS 15 – 21

LEGS, BOND, STOMACH, HAIRY HEAD, NET, BEAK, ORION

The Mansions of the White Tiger

Western Palace

Season: Autumn

Element: Metal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIU 15, LEGS/ASTRIDE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 13Ari32 – 1Tau06 (3 Apr – 21 Apr)

Chinese Name: K’uei [奎 (Kuí)]

Element: Wood

Planet: Jupiter

Day: Thursday

Animal: Wolf/Weasel

Deity: None cited.

Determining Star: η Andromedae

Auspice: Unlucky. One should not engage in construction on this day or riches will not come to the house. Digging will be flowed by a succession of misfortunes. Likelihood of family quarrels and discord among acquaintances. Lawsuits are lost. Sickness takes a firm grip. Burial on this day will produce the mysterious death of another.

Comments: The form of the constellation is supposed to resemble the sole of a shoe, also said to represent a man with his legs astride. It represents the arsenal of the Emperor. Wash old clothes on this day and double the thickness of the lining within garments, against the coming cold of winter.

From China Fetching: This mansion is located in the legs of the White Tiger, and is in charge of the army and water conservancy. People of Leg Wood Weasel Mansion are fortunate, wealthy, honest, friendly, genuine, romantic, talented, sometimes stubborn. They may encounter setbacks in the middle-age period, but if they could be strong and persistent, to avoid speculation and gamble, everything will be regained.

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XIU 16, BOND/MOUND

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 1Tau06 – 13Tau38 (21 Apr – 4 May)

Chinese Name: Lou [婁 (Lóu)]

Element: Metal

Planet: Venus

Day: Friday

Animal: Dog.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: β Arieti

Auspice: Lucky. Building today is like building the gates of heaven. The family will be richer, everything will prosper, and there will be many joys. Funerals will lead to social promotions and marriages will lead to complete harmony.

Comments: This constellation is associated with the harvest and its attendant rites and sacrfices.It presides over gatherings, assemblies of people, and harmony, as in music, choirs or orchestras. It presides over reunions and meetings. A clear presentation of the constellation presaged a good harvest and peace within the Empire.

From China Fetching: This is the place to raise livestock and store collections in heaven, and correspond to the prosperity of the whole nation. If the main stars of this mansion are bright and stable, it symbolizes people are living in peace and wealth; if they are gloomy, it indicates wars and unstable lives. The people of Bond Gold Dog Mansion are energetic, smart, curious, efficient, diligent, reliable, sometimes capricious. They may experience something unpleasant or difficult in childhood and early years, but as long as they are down to earth, they would be fortunate and settled since middle age.

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XIU 17, STOMACH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 13Tau38 – 28Tau46 (4 May – 19 May)

Chinese Name: Wei [胃 (Wèi)]

Element: Earth (in the ancient texts, Metal)

Planet: Saturn

Day: Saturday

Animal: Pheasant. To those who build on this day all comes like a wind blowing precious glory, fortunes and many joys. Marriages will be of flourishing harmony and funerals will bring social promotion.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: 35 Arieti (the three main stars in Musca Borealis)

Auspice: Lucky, a sign of good fortune. The accumulation of wealth. A lucky day for building or burial. Children born of marriages contracted on this day will be familiars of the Emperor.

Comments: The constellation actually refers to a storehouse instead of a stomach. It is the Celestial Granary. It signifies riches, but was also known for imprisonment in the old texts.

From China Fetching: This is the stomach of the White Tiger, and the stars there are in charge of grain, warehouse, and hunting. People of Stomach Earth Pheasant Mansion are strong, unbending, competitive, ambitious; some of them might be irritable and extreme. They are likely to experience many ups and downs in life; but if they could try and be caring, sensitive, and build good relationships with others, they can get a stable, happy life.

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XIU 18, HAIRY HEAD/PLEIADES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 28Tau46 – 19Gem10 (19 May – 30 May)

Chinese Name: Mao [昴 (Mǎo)]

Element: variable

Planet: Sun

Day: Sunday

Animal: Rooster. To build on this day is to let the buffalo into the paddy field. Funerals lead to worry. To start anything will lead to calamities and marriages will be miserable.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: Pleiades, 17 Tauri

Auspice: Unlucky. Presages lawsuits and death within the family. The results of misjudged actions, as in construction or diging, heralds unhappiness, when little children will be as close to the grave as old men with long beards. Marriages contracted on this day are woeful, with the separation of the partners.

Comments: The Pleiades are the determining constellation of the Western Palace. When the Pleiades flickered it presaged invasion by barbarians. If clear and bright, legal proceedings will be dropped. In general it indicated military involvement, and touched on untimely death.

From China Fetching: Located in the center of the White Tiger, this mansion is believed the guard of the royal palace. Hence, emperors would hold sacrifice ceremonies to worship the Hairy Head Solar Rooster. The people of Hairy Head Solar Rooster Mansion are kind, generous, eloquent, fortitude, thrifty, and talented. If they can conquer the weak points of their personalities, most of them could get a good life.

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XIU 19, EXTENDED NET

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 19Gem10 – 23Gem49 (30 May – 14 Jun)

Chinese Name: Pi [畢 (Bì)]

Element: varies

Planet: Moon

Day: Monday

Animal: Crow. There will be light on those who build. Paddy building and silkworm rearing will bring years of plenty. Luck and fortune will come to your home. Marriages and funerals will bring doubled longevity.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: ε Tauri (Hyades)

Auspice: Lucky

Comments: The connotation of the constellation (Hyades) is that of a net catching all manner of fish and game. It is therefore a fortunate sign. It is fortunate for building and internemnet, the former bringing fortune, the latter bringing honors. Long life is assured to children born of a marriage performed on this day.

From China Fetching: This mansion corresponds to troops guarding on borders. Hence, it is an important mansion of the White Tiger section. People of Net Lunar Crow Mansion are modest, firm, idealistic, brave, wealthy; but sometimes might be overconfident, indecisive, and lack adaptability. Because of their lack of persistence and sometimes over idealistic, they are possibly missing good opportunities sometimes; if they can overcome those shortcomings, they are likely to achieve success.

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XIU 20, THE TURTLE BEAK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 23 Gem 49 – 24 Gem 56 (14 Jun – 16 Jun)

Chinese Name: Tsui [觜 (Zī)]

Element: Fire

Planet: Mars

Day: Tuesday

Animal: Monkey. Building today will bring a lawsuit. A funeral will lead to the collapse of the house, with at least three deaths to follow and food reserves will dwindle.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: λ Orionis

Auspice: Unlucky. Presages punishment and exile, a fatality in a yin year (Tiger Year), the necessity to sell property, arraignment for murder and a death sentence. These would, of course, all be the results of wrongdoing.

Comments: The name of the constellation refers only to its form and is unassociated with the quadrant of the Black Tortoise/Dark Warrior. The auspices of this mansion should be taken as a stern warning against wrongdoing instead of any kind of fait accompli. The constellation presided over flocks, herds and people under protection.

From China Fetching: It is located in the position of White Tiger’s mouth, and the stars of this mansion formed a pic that looks like a lip, hence, this mansion is in charge of eloquence and gourmet. The people of Turtle Beak Fire Monkey Mansion are discreet, talkative, polite, sometimes might be overconfident or rebellious. Based on personality, the people of this mansion might be super fortunate or adverse. Hence, sticking to moral standards and self-cultivation helps be successful and well.

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XIU 21, ORION (‘THE THREE ASSOCIATES’)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiacal longitude: 25 Gem 53 – 5 Can 34 (16 Jun – 27 Jun)

Chinese Name: Shen [参 (Shēn)]

Element: Variable

Planet: Mercury

Day: Wednesday

Animal: Ape. Build today and prosperity will come. The star of a lettered man will give light. Irrigating the paddy field and business will be fruitful. But marriges and funerals will break up the family.

Deity: None cited

Determining Star: ζ Orionis

Auspice: variable, depending on one’s actions.

Comments: Orion presides over decapitations, executions, massacres, fortresses and frontiers. The luck varies according to one’s actions. For those who build today there will be rewards.beginning new ventures presages success. It is not a lucky day for winding up affairs or burials, as these will be followed by sickness or the death of a distant relative. Nor is it a good day for marraiges pr betrothals, which will end in the separation of the parties. For other new ventures, however, dignities will be conferred. Industry is the keynote.

From China Fetching: Three main stars of this mansion formed the chest of the White Tiger, and are in charge of the penalty and justice. People of the Three Water Ape Mansion are talented, trustworthy, calm, discreet, adventurous, impatient, sometimes impulsive, rebellious, and greedy. Their lives are full of challenges; if they can build good interpersonal relationships and take wise suggestions, they can obtain wealth and stability.

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Picture credits for all Xiu:

The White Tiger Palace pic and beautiful carvings of the deities of the Xiu are from China Fetching.

The stone plate/star charts are by the author. The photos of the stone plates are from 2009 and were done in a hurry. Not all of them could be photographed completely, a few of them being covered by pipes. They were in an unused back part of the Qingyang Gong Temple in Chengdu, China. As such, they are a sort of curiosity, especially as to why they were placed in such a manner, as if they were an attempt at exhibiting something from that era and then put aside. They are interesting for the star charts and for the figures. Eventually the present ones in these pages will be replaced by better renderings of the plates. The scribblings to the side of each plate are from a larger study I was doing at the time into Chinese astronomy. They are included to show the relative positions of each of the asterisms in the indicated Xiu.

Note: Days and zodiacal degrees for the ingress and passage of the Sun into and through each Xiu are taken from 21 Jun 2022. Generated by Solar Fire astrology software, from Esoteric Technologies, Australia. Hat tip to Graham and Steph, the developers, who were kind enough to include the Xiu in their software.

Sources:

The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology, by Derek Walters, quoted in the ‘Comments’ for each Xiu

Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen

Chinese Animal Symbolisms, Ong Hean-Tatt. The comments following the animal for each mansion are taken from this book, which in turn is quoted from the Tong-Shu (Chinese almanac).

The stone plates under the names of each of the Xiu are from the  Qingyang Gong Temple in Chengdu, China. Hat tip to Adrienne Barkla, who pointed them out to me while stopped in Chengdu on the way to Tibet.

https://www.chinafetching.com/vermilion-bird-and-white-tiger