Gengchen Tai Sui General Dong De

Gengchen Tai Sui General Dong De is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who take turns presiding over each year in the sexagenary cycle; he assumes office during Gengchen years—such as 2000 and 2060—and oversees human fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities for that year. The zodiac sign associated with Gengchen is the Dragon; folk tradition holds that those born in the Year of the Dragon experience benming nian (their zodiac birth year) during Gengchen, while those born in the Year of the Dog encounter chong tai sui (direct astrological conflict with the reigning Tai Sui). Both groups are advised to visit Daoist temples to perform the An Tai Sui (‘Stabilising Tai Sui’) and Bai Tai Sui (‘Worshipping Tai Sui’) rituals, offering reverence to the Tai Sui Star Lord to mitigate adverse influences. Tai Sui veneration originates in ancient Chinese astronomy—specifically the Jupiter-based ‘Sui Xing’ (Year Star) calendrical system—and the taboo against disturbing the earth where Tai Sui was believed to reside (hence the saying ‘disturbing the earth above Tai Sui’). It is believed that the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities rotate annually, acting as celestial overseers who monitor human conduct and moral conduct; thus, during years of tai sui conflict, devotees engage in sincere prayer and ritual observance to dispel misfortune, transform adversity into auspiciousness, and ensure peace, safety, and smooth progress throughout the year.