12/09/2023, 14:27 The Big Dipper | Heathen Chinese
Heathen Chinese
Diasporic Chinese Polytheism
September 8, 2013
The Big Dipper
By Heathen Chinese
(https://heathenchinese.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/big-dipper.jpeg)
The Big Dipper (http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2011/04/BIG-DIPPER.jpeg)
The Big Dipper, an asterism (http://www.universetoday.com/46827/asterisms/) within the
constellation Ursa Major, is an important constellation in Chinese mysticism and religion. It is known
as Bei Dou, the Northern Bushel or Dipper. There are many different stories about these stars, as
befits something of such significance that anyone could look up and see in the night sky.
In Richard G. Wang’s essay “Four Steles at the Monastery of Sublime Mystery
(http://www.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/~asiamajor//pdf/2000b/ch%203%20PRESS.pdf),” one of the four
eponymous steles was sponsored by the Xuanji Association. Curious about what that association
might be about, Wang uncovered the following research, which suggested that the Association may
have been devoted to the Big Dipper:
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12/09/2023, 14:27 The Big Dipper | Heathen Chinese
The term xuanji originally referred to an instrument made of jade, and “unquestionably the term
… came to be applied … to certain stars,” namely, the second and third stars (Celestial Armillary
and Celestial Template) of the Big Dipper.
“Sometimes the two words form a compound used to indicate the group of four stars that form
the bowl of the Dipper.” Thus, the Xuanji Association seems to have been dedicated to the cult of
the Big Dipper, which, as the most potent of constellations, determines one’s fate.
In addition, according to Isabelle Robinet, “The Bushel [or, Dipper] also plays the role of a
vehicle which transports the faithful to the heavens.”
More importantly, xuanji is a name of a type of Daoist ritual (xuanji fa, xuanji zhai) which
appeared in the late Northern Song and was well known and performed in the Ming. The xuanji
rite is associated with the cult of the Big Dipper and its features. The phrase, as well as the rite
itself, is seen to function in various retreats (zhai), liturgies (yi), litanies (chan) and seals (yin), and
sometimes the xuanji rite consumes an entire day. (55-56)
The jade implement known as a xuanji seems to be a “notched disk axe
(http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/4/901/903).”
(https://heathenchinese.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/jade-xuanji1.jpg)
Jade Xuanji
(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bruxelles_Disque_jade_Xuanji_02_10_2011_B.jpg)
Following up on the above-quoted Isabelle Robinet, I found her a preview of her book
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/118584405/Taoist-Meditatiom-The-Mao-Shan-tradition-of-Great-
Purity) Taoist Meditation: The Mao Shan Tradition of Great Purity online. In it, she recounts some of
esoteric magical techniques used by Daoists, that draw upon invisible stars surrounding the Big
Dipper:
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In the Taoist texts under consideration here, the stars of the Big Dipper constellation are
surrounded by a network of stars which cast a “black light” or “light that does not shine.” These
stars are inhabited by female deities who are invoked in many exercises to confer the power of
invisibility.
They are called “(She Who) Hides by Transformation and Escapes into the Origin,” “(She Who)
Changes Her Body and Transforms Her Brilliance,” and “(She Who) Hides Her Traces and
Disperses Her True Form.” These deities are the “Nine Yin of the Lord Emperor.” Celestial
counterparts to the nine subterranean obscurities, they assist in the transformation and
multiplication of the adept, in his “concealment within the eight directions,” and in the “hiding
(of his) body and the closing up (of his) light.”
During meditation, the adept makes these deities merge into a vision of a small child who is called
“Impermanent” (wu-ch’ang) and is given the first name of “Metamorphosis” (pien-hua). Carrying
the sun on his head, the moon in his mouth, and the Big Dipper in his hands, this child sets the
adept’s body afire.
It may furthermore be said that the Big Dipper is particularly associated with transformation.
Thus the stars of the Dipper are called the “moving lights of the seven stars” or the “seven
transformations.”
We discover the connection between yin and metamorphosis in relation to the feminine deities of
the Big Dipper, which is the northern constellation of the Great Yin. And let us also recall that the
mirror, which causes true identity to appear, was traditionally reserved to women in China. (167)
(https://heathenchinese.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/alcor-a-and-b.jpg)
Follow the link for an explanation of this image, I don’t understand it
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210000851.htm)
Curious about these “invisible stars,” I found out that there is a possible black hole
(http://stardate.org/radio/program/2010-03-23) that seems to be tugging Alioth (in the handle of
the Dipper) back and forth, and also an invisible star
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210000851.htm) next to Alcor (also in the
handle). Alcor B, as it has been named, is a red dwarf that orbits Alcor A. There are some charts
where Alcor is not labelled at all, as it is “overshadowed” by its neighbor Mizar:
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Alcor shares a position in the Big Dipper with another star, Mizar. In fact, both stars were used as
a common test of eyesight — being able to distinguish “the rider from the horse” — among
ancient people. One of Galileo’s colleagues observed that Mizar itself is actually a double, the first
binary star system resolved by a telescope.
Many years later, the two components Mizar A and B were themselves determined each to be
tightly orbiting binaries, altogether forming a quadruple system. Now, Alcor, which is near the
four stars of the Mizar system, also has a companion.
The discoveries of modern astronomy provide some interesting possibilities for what these “invisible
stars” might be.
(https://heathenchinese.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/dou-mu.jpg)
Dou Mu Statuette (http://baharna.com/chant/Do%20Mou%206.jpg)
The importance given to the Big Dipper has even led to the recognition of a Daoist-Buddhist goddess,
Dou Mu (http://www.taoistsecret.com/taoistgod.html#17). Dou Mu, the Dipper Mother, gave birth
to the North Star and the seven stars of the Dipper (there is also a ninth son, possibly
(http://goddesschess.blogspot.com/2009/10/festival-of-nine-gods-sons-of-dou-mu.html) the star
Vega in the constellation Lyra, as the image accompanying this article suggests). The Buddhist
influence is easily noticeable in her common depiction with a lotus throne and multiple heads and
arms.
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 8th, 2013 at 10:01 pm and tagged with Big Dipper,
Buddhism, Celestial Bodies and posted in Cosmology. You can follow any responses to this entry
through the RSS 2.0 feed.
6 responses to “The Big Dipper”
Damocles Loraine
October 9th, 2013 at 9:11 am
This is also fascinating stuff. This is the third time I’ve come back to this post and every time the
“notched disk axe” looks more and more like a gear wheel as found in the Antikythera
mechanism and less like an axe. I don’t believe in visitors from space though it does not seem too
incredible that these heathens of might have had some similar astronomical device
Reply
heathenchinese.wordpress.com
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12/09/2023, 14:27 The Big Dipper | Heathen Chinese
October 9th, 2013 at 11:21 am
Hey Damocles, I’m very glad you’re finding this site useful! And thank you for the comments,
they definitely motivate me to post more!
I didn’t really pay attention to it until you mentioned it, but you’re right: to function, an axe only
requires a single blade. Not that it hurts to have extra, but…the wheel shape is very interesting,
and I’m not sure what to make of it.
I actually hadn’t heard of the Antikythera mechanism before, thanks for teaching me something
new! And again, I hadn’t thought about it before, but the “why” and “how” of the name of a tool
taking on astronomical and religious significance is indeed an intriguing mystery.
Two stars alone don’t seem to suggest a circular axe to me, but then again, a lot of constellations
both Western and non-Western require active use of the imagination.
Reply
Damocles Loraine
October 9th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Glad to give something back. If I had time for a blog it would be on the similarities between
ancient religious beliefs and spiritual practices. In this trade, and it’s main artery “The Spice
Road”, plus the Greeks being relative barbarians, has led me to speculate on an Indian origin
for the first such mechanism.
Just in case your oriental focus has led to your overlooking other western developments; have
you seen the wonder that is Golbeki Tepi?
Reply
heathenchinese.wordpress.com
October 9th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
I hadn’t. It was built by gatherer-hunters rather than farmers, correct? Very interesting…
Pluie d’étoiles filantes – Gothicat World Gazette
December 29th, 2017 at 7:07 pm
[…] Source […]
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Celeste McPherson Shepherd
September 6th, 2020 at 6:04 am
thank you for sharing. If you go to e bay and enter hongshan culture flying discs or chinese jade
ufo. on about half of these discs they have the big dipper on the back side but the second star in
the handle is too low or out of place. I think it might be the secret star? I hope that they are
authentic because I own over 60 of them. I understand that 98% of the jade for sale is
reproductions, and or fakes. I would show you some photos but I don’t know how to do that.
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