Jiazi Tai Sui General Jin Bian

Jiazi Tai Sui General Jin Bian is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who rotate annually to preside over the human realm; he assumes office during Jiazi years—such as 1984 and 2044—and oversees all matters of fortune, misfortune, blessing, and calamity for that year. In the Chinese zodiac system, the Jiazi year corresponds to the Year of the Rat; folk belief holds that individuals born in the Year of the Rat experience benming nian (their natal zodiac year) during Jiazi, thereby ‘encountering’ Tai Sui directly, while those born in the Year of the Horse experience ‘clashing’ with Tai Sui (chong tai sui). Both groups are traditionally advised to visit Daoist temples to perform the An Tai Sui (‘settling Tai Sui’) and Bai Tai Sui (‘worshipping Tai Sui’) rituals, offering reverence to the Tai Sui Xingjun to neutralise adverse astrological influences. The Tai Sui cult originates in ancient Chinese astronomy—particularly the Jupiter-based sexagenary cycle—and the taboo against disturbing earth in the direction governed by Tai Sui (‘disturbing the earth above Tai Sui’). It is believed that the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities take turns serving as celestial overseers, monitoring human conduct and moral conduct throughout the year; thus, during years of conflict with Tai Sui, devotees engage in sincere prayer and ritual observance to avert disaster, transform misfortune into blessing, and ensure peace, safety, and smooth progress through the year.