Chinese astrology Chinese astrology is based on traditional Chinese astronomy and the Chinese calendar. Chinese astrology flourished during the Han dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theor ...

, the symbolic stars, also translated as star spirits or calendar spirits, ( zh, c=, p=shén shā) represent beneficial and baleful influences believed to be present during particular times (including the year, month, and hour), typically in relation to the specific positions and interactions of the

heavenly stems The ten Heavenly Stems (or Celestial Stems) are a system of ordinals indigenous to China and used throughout East Asia, first attested during the Shang dynasty as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in Shang-era ritual ...

and

earthly branches The Earthly Branches (also called the Terrestrial Branches or the 12-cycle) are a system of twelve ordered symbols used throughout East Asia. They are indigenous to China, and are themselves Chinese characters, corresponding to words with no co ...

used in traditional Chinese timekeeping and the

sexagenary cycle The sexagenary cycle, also known as the gānzhī (干支) or stems-and-branches, is a cycle of sixty terms, each corresponding to one year, thus amounting to a total of sixty years every cycle, historically used for recording time in China and t ...

. Although they do not correspond to any particular observable stars visible in the night sky, they are described in similar terms to observable

astronomical object An astronomical object, celestial object, stellar object or heavenly body is a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists within the observable universe. In astronomy, the terms ''object'' and ''body'' are of ...

s with the actual influence of any particular symbolic star at a given moment involving multiple cosmic factors, including its relationship to other such "stars" (whether in harmony or in opposition), its phase ( ascendant or descendant), its aspect, and the time of its

apogee An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. The line of apsides (also called apse line, or major axis of the orbit) is the line connecting the two extreme values. Apsides perta ...

, in addition its relationship to the

Five Phases ( zh, c=五行, p=wǔxíng), usually translated as Five Phases or Five Agents, is a fivefold conceptual scheme used in many traditional Chinese fields of study to explain a wide array of phenomena, including terrestrial and celestial rela ...

and

Yin and Yang Originating in Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (, ), also yinyang or yin-yang, is the concept of opposite cosmic principles or forces that interact, interconnect, and perpetuate each other. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary an ...

which are also used to characterise the influence of observable celestial objects such as the seven luminaries. The term "" is sometimes translated literally as "gods and devils", but in-fact they do not relate to any ghosts or celestial beings; in this case, () means beneficial influence and () means baleful influence. The calculation of the symbolic stars is logically connected to the () melodic elements theory, Ten Gods () theory, Twelve Gods of Longevity (), etc. The symbolic stars are like the “leaves” of the heavenly stems and earthly branches in the big tree of Chinese astrology and can provide a very specific information in the horoscope analysis. The symbolic stars are used in many methods of Chinese astrology and metaphysics: Four Pillars of Destiny, Zi wei dou shu,

Da Liu Ren Da Liu Ren is a form of Chinese calendrical astrology dating from the later Warring States period. It is also a member of the Three Styles () of divination, along with Qi Men Dun Jia () and Taiyi (). Li Yang describes Da Liu Ren as the high ...

Feng Shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

, Wen Wang Gua. In Chinese astrology, there are more than 180 symbolic stars.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Symbolic Stars Chinese astrology Taoist divination

See also

References

Bibliography