Shao Siming

The 'Shao Siming' section of the 'Jiu Ge' from the 'Chu Ci' ('Songs of Chu') opens with the evocative lines, 'Autumn orchids and wild angelica—planted thickly beneath the hall,' heralding the arrival of this deity who presides over offspring: 'She raises her long sword and embraces the young; only this fragrant sedge is truly fit to serve as humanity’s righteous guide.' Shao Siming was worshipped alongside Da Siming (the Great Director of Fate), and is traditionally held to govern specifically the destinies of children and infants—shielding the young and overseeing marital unions. The verse 'All the beauties fill the hall—yet suddenly she meets my gaze alone' poignantly captures the bittersweet yearning of human-divine love, while 'No sorrow surpasses parting in life; no joy equals newly found kinship' has become an immortal couplet echoing through Chinese literary history. The people of Chu venerated Shao Siming to ensure abundant progeny and the health and safety of their children, revering her as the most gentle, approachable, and compassionate deity along the Yuan and Xiang rivers.