Tai Sui is a Chinese name for stars directly opposite the planet Jupiter () in its roughly 12-year orbital cycle. Personified as deities, they are important features of Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Taoism, and to a lesser extent Chinese Buddhism.
The 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac were based on divisions of the Jovian orbital cycle, rather than as in the western zodiac—the apparent motion of the sun relative to the celestial sphere. The star thought to oppose Jupiter during each year of the cycle was personified as a or cycle god and was believed to help the Jade Emperor control the mortal world.
By the Warring States period, the Tai Sui had become gods in the popular astrology; but no written records have been found of their worship prior to the Han dynasty. The earliest such record is found in Wang Chong's first-century Lunheng. There are several legends related to the Tai Sui, usually about people suffering disaster after disrespecting or ignoring them.
Their number later quintupled to sixty based on combinations of the twelve divisions (reckoned using the earthly stems) with the five Chinese elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each of the gods' features and attributes signifies the well-being or mishap of that year. For example, if the Tai Sui of a year holds a pen, this signifies political unrest for that particular year. On the other hand, a Tai Sui of the year who holds a spear or sword, signifies a need to work hard and excel in that year.
Yin Jiao, leader of the sixty Taisui Xingjun () gods, doesn't govern any specific year in the 60-year cycle, and all of them were governed by one of the 60 subordinate Taisui. Yin Jiao in this context is called Taisui Tongling Yin Yuanshuai (, lit. Commander of the Tai Sui, General Yin). In Japan and Japanese folklore, however, "Taisui Xingjun" is just one singular god.
Practices
In Taoism, those whose birth signs or other features clash with the Tai Sui of the year face misfortunes or disturbances for that year. This applies in each year to people born under four of the twelve animal zodiac signs. In 2017 for example, it applied to people born in the years of the rat, rabbit, horse and rooster. In Taiwan, as the lunar year begins, people go to temples to seek peace and protection and drive away bad influences. This ceremony is known as "An Tai Sui" () or pacifying the Tai Sui of the Year. In return, worshipers will receive a protective talisman from the temple which will give the person one year's spiritual protection. This tradition is also practiced by other overseas Chinese communities.
In Chinese culture it has been traditionally considered taboo to build a house facing Taisui (or in the directly opposite direction) in the corresponding year of the Chinese zodiac. A similar belief is associated with moving houses and the line drawn through the old and new dwellings. No./ Order/
YearYang/ Yin Years (30 Yang +
30 Yin Years)Secret Name Talisman of the Tai Sui (the Balance and Order
of the current Yang/ Yin Years)Sexagenary Year of Tài-Suì
(Star God-Deity Presiding Over The Year)Name of Dà-Jiāng-Jūn (Heavenly Guardian General)Associations (Five Elements)ADBCCurrent CycleYin Talismans
– Name used
those born in
Yang Years
(in black)Yang Talismans – Name used
those born in
Yin Years
(in red)Ten Heavenly
StemTwelve Earthly
Branch
(Chinese Zodiac)Heavenly Stem-Earthly Branch Combination
(Mandarin Pinyin)Mandarin ChinesePinyin (Surname – Birth Name)1 Yang (Rat) Yang Wood Rat45719842 Yin (Ox) Yin Wood Ox55619853 Yang (Tiger) Yang Fire Tiger65519864 Yin (Rabbit) Yin Fire Rabbit75419875 Yang (Dragon) Yang Earth Dragon85319886 Yin (Snake) Yin Earth Snake95219897 Yang (Horse) Yang Metal Horse105119908 Yin (Goat) Yin Metal Goat115019919 Yang (Monkey) Yang Water Monkey1249199210 Yin (Rooster) Yin Water Rooster1348199311 Yang (Dog) Yang Wood Dog1447199412 Yin (Pig) Yin Wood Pig1546199513 Yang (Rat) Yang Fire Rat1645199614 Yin (Ox) Yin Fire Ox1744199715 Yang (Tiger) Yang Earth Tiger1843199816 Yin (Rabbit) Yin Earth Rabbit1942199917 Yang (Dragon) Yang Metal Dragon2041200018 Yin (Snake) Yin Metal Snake2140200119 Yang (Horse) Yang Water Horse2239200220 Yin (Goat) Yin Water Goat2338200321 Yang (Monkey) Yang Wood Monkey2437200422 Yin (Rooster) Yin Wood Rooster2536200523 Yang (Dog) Yang Fire Dog2635200624 Yin (Pig) Yin Fire Pig2734200725 Yang (Rat) Yang Earth Rat2833200826 Yin (Ox) Yin Earth Ox2932200927 Yang (Tiger) Yang Metal Tiger3031201028 Yin (Rabbit) Yin Metal Rabbit3130201129 Yang (Dragon) Yang Water Dragon3229201230 Yin (Snake) Yin Water Snake3328201331 Yang (Horse) Yang Wood Horse3427201432 Yin (Goat) Yin Wood Goat3526201533 Yang (Monkey) Yang Fire Monkey3625201634 Yin (Rooster) Yin Fire Rooster3724201735 Yang (Dog) Yang Earth Dog3823201836 Yin (Pig) Yin Earth Pig3922201937 Yang (Rat) Yang Metal Rat4021202038 Yin (Ox) Yin Metal Ox4120202139 Yang (Tiger) Yang Water Tiger4219202240 Yin (Rabbit) Yin Water Rabbit4318202341 Yang (Dragon) Yang Wood Dragon4417202442 Yin (Snake) Yin Wood Snake4516202543 Yang (Horse) Yang Fire Horse4615202644 Yin (Goat) Yin Fire Goat4714202745 Yang (Monkey) Yang Earth Monkey4813202846 Yin (Rooster) Yin Earth Rooster4912202947 Yang (Dog) Yang Metal Dog5011203048 Yin (Pig) Yin Metal Pig5110203149 Yang (Rat) Yang Water Rat529203250 Yin (Ox) Yin Water Ox538203351 Yang (Tiger) Yang Wood Tiger547203452 Yin (Rabbit) Yin Wood Rabbit556203553 Yang (Dragon) Yang Fire Dragon565203654 Yin (Snake) Yin Fire Snake574203755 Yang (Horse) Yang Earth Horse583203856 Yin (Goat) Yin Earth Goat592203957 Yang (Monkey) Yang Metal Monkey601204058 Yin (Rooster) Yin Metal Rooster160204159 Yang (Dog) Yang Water Dog259204260 Yin (Pig) Yin Water Pig3582043 Images of the Deities of the 60 Heavenly General of Tai Sui in correspondence to the previous detailed table above (refer to the Year number to Tai Sui and Heavenly General, e.g.: Year 1 – ). 60 Heavenly Generals of Tai SuiYear12345678910Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()Year11121314151617181920Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()Year21222324252627282930Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()Year31323334353637383940Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()Year41424344454647484950Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()Year51525354555657585960Name of Tai Sui ()/ Name of Heavenly General ()
See also Doumu (斗母元君) Sexagenary cycle Heavenly stems & Earthly branches Chinese folk religion
References
External links
Yearly Tai Sui sector list for Feng Shui Yearly Tai Sui information – Indonesia language