Renwu Tai Sui General Lu Ming

Renwu Tai Sui General Lu Ming is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who take turns presiding over each year in the sexagenary cycle; he assumes office during Renwu years—such as 2002 and 2062—and oversees human fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities for that year. The zodiac sign associated with the Renwu year is the Horse; folk tradition holds that individuals born in the Year of the Horse experience benming nian (their natal year) during Renwu, while those born in the Year of the Rat encounter chong tai sui (a direct clash with the Tai Sui), making both groups particularly advised to visit Daoist temples to perform the An Tai Sui (‘Stabilising the Tai Sui’) and Bai Tai Sui (‘Worshipping the Tai Sui’) rituals, offering reverent homage to the Tai Sui Star Lord to neutralise unfavourable influences. The Tai Sui cult originates in ancient Chinese astronomy—specifically the Jupiter-based ‘Sui Xing’ (Year Star) calendrical system—and the taboo against disturbing earth where the Tai Sui ‘resides’, encapsulated in the saying ‘Do not dig soil where the Tai Sui stands’. It is believed that the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities rotate annually, acting as celestial overseers who monitor human conduct and moral deeds; thus, during years when one’s zodiac sign clashes with or aligns with the Tai Sui, devout worship is undertaken to dispel disasters, transform misfortune into blessing, and ensure peace, safety, and smooth passage through the year.