The Four Heavenly Ministers (), also translated as the Four Sovereigns, are four of the highest

sky deities The sky often has important religious significance. Many religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic, have deities associated with the sky. The daytime sky deities are typically distinct from the nighttime ones. Stith Thompson's ''Motif-In ...

Daoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

and subordinate only to the

Three Pure Ones The Three Pure Ones (), also translated as the Three Pure Pellucid Ones, the Three Pristine Ones, the Three Divine Teachers, the Three Clarities, or the Three Purities, are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon. They are regarded as pure ...

(). They assist the

in administering all phenomenon of the universe.

Four Sovereigns

The Four Heavenly Ministers are: # the Great Jade Emperor # the Great Emperor of the North Star (Polaris) in the Purple Forbidden enclosure at the center of Heaven (''Tian'') # the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of the Curved Array (Little Dipper) # the Empress of the Earth The ''Great Jade Emperor'' is the head of all

and presides over the heaven. The ''Great Emperor of the North Star'' assists the

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

in managing the sun, the moon, stars, and the climate of the four seasons. The ''Great Emperor of the Curved Array/

Little Dipper Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

'' oversees all matters in heaven, earth, and the human world. The ''Empress of the Earth'' is in charge of fertility, land, rivers, and mountains. The four heavenly ministers are often worshiped in Daoist temples.

Six Sovereigns

In some later Daoist accounts, this group is extended to six. The Six Heavenly Ministers () include, in addition to the prior four: * the

King Father of the East King Father of the East, also known as Dongwanggong (東王公), is the tutelary deity of the Taoist immortals. Legends say that the King Father of the East is the consort of Queen Mother of the West. He is the manifestation of yang energy. Leg ...

, also called the Sovereign of the Eastern Florescence * the

Queen Mother of the West The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times. From her name alone some of her most importan ...

, also called the Primordial Lady Golden Mother Other accounts instead add: * the

Old Man of the South Pole The Old Man of the South Pole (in or ja, 南極老人) is the Taoist deification of Canopus, the brightest star of the constellation Carina. It is the symbol of happiness and longevity in Far Eastern culture. Description The Old Man of the S ...

* the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery, also called the East Pole Emperor of Blue Essence

Notes

References

External links

道教文化资料库

星座探奇

神祇列傳-紫微大帝

地母

后土皇地祇－地母元君
 Chinese gods Sky and weather gods Deities in Taoism {{Deity-stub

Four Sovereigns

Six Sovereigns

See also

Notes

References

External links