Wudoujing is the collective term for the five supreme star deities who are in charge of the five directions of the celestial stars – the Big Dipper, the Southern Dipper, the Eastern Dipper, the Western Dipper, and the Central Dipper in Taoist belief. They are not individual deities but the leaders of five powerful star deity systems, jointly governing the movement of celestial stars in the universe and dominating human life, fate, fortune, and misfortune. The core functions of the Wudoujing and their system are as follows:
1. Big Dipper Star Deity (Big Dipper Seven-Heavenly-Star Deity)
– Composition: Composed of the Seven Stars of Greed, Gate, Prosperity, Virtue, Integrity, Martial Virtue, and Destruction. It is often referred to as the “Big Dipper Nine Kings” together with the Left Assistant and Right Assistant stars.
– Function: The Big Dipper is located in the middle of the sky and serves as the hub of the universe’s operation. Its most famous duties are “Judging Life and Death,” “Judging Good and Evil,” and “Recording Deaths.” Taoism believes that the Big Dipper records people’s death dates, and worshipping the Big Dipper can eliminate disasters, relieve misfortunes, prolong life, and achieve longevity. In addition, the Big Dipper also governs wealth, honor, and fame, and is highly revered by ancient emperors and Taoist priests.
2. Southern Dipper Star Deity (Southern Dipper Six-Station Star Deity)
– Composition: Composed of the Stars of Heavenly Treasury, Heavenly Appearance, Heavenly Beam, Heavenly Equality, Heavenly Pivot, and Heavenly Intelligence (the specific names vary depending on the classics).
– Function: The Southern Dipper is opposite the Big Dipper and governs “Judging Longevity” and “Recording Lives.” It is commonly known as “Southern Dipper Judging Lives.” It governs the lifespan and fortune of all living beings and is the giver of life and good fortune. Worshipping the Southern Dipper can pray for health, longevity, and prosperous descendants.
3. Eastern Dipper Star Deity
– Composition: Usually refers to the Star of Extended Life and others, governing the Five Stars of the Eastern Dipper.
– Function: The Eastern Dipper governs “Recording and Protecting Life.” That is, it records people’s deeds and calculates their lifespan, protecting their lives. It represents the power of growth and the beginning, corresponding to spring and the wood element.
4. Western Dipper Star Deity
– Composition: Usually refers to the Star of White Banner Emperor and others, governing the Four Stars of the Western Dipper.
– Function: The Western Dipper governs “Recording Names and Protection” (the specific names vary depending on the classics). It provides protection by recording people’s names and conduct. It represents the power of restraint and肃杀 (harshness and suppression)， corresponding to autumn and the metal element.
5. Central Dipper Star Deity
– Composition： Usually refers to the Star of Great Might and others， governing the Three Stars of the Central Dipper.
– Function： The Central Dipper is located in the middle of the five dippers and serves as the hub and summary. It governs “Protecting Life and Establishing Foundations,” that is， summarizing the life records and establishing the foundation of life. It is often regarded as the guardian deity of the literary fortune and the imperial examinations (such as “Qiu Jing”)， being revered as the guardian of the literary fortune and the imperial examinations.
The core and summary of the belief in Wudoujing： The belief in Wudoujing is the peak combination of China’s celestial interaction thought and star worship. They construct the vast sky into a “heavenly temple” that strictly manages human destiny：
– The Big Dipper governs death， and the Southern Dipper governs life， forming the basic framework of the cycle of life and death.
– The Eastern Dipper governs accounting and supervision， and the Western Dipper governs recording names， forming a supervision system for assessing achievements and faults.
– The Central Dipper governs the hub and overall balance， ensuring the overall balance and authority of this system.
Therefore， whether it is the important worship rituals of the Big Dipper (praying to eliminate disasters and prolong life) in Taoism or the folk’s prayers for fate， lifespan， and fortune， ultimately they all point to the worship of Wudoujing. They are not only the embodiments of the stars but also the projection and executor of the celestial laws in the sky， deeply shaping the Chinese people’s “three feet above there are gods， and gods in the sky are stars” cosmic view and fate view.
