Yiwei Tai Sui General Yang Xian

Yiwei Tai Sui General Yang Xian is one of the Sixty Jiazi Tai Sui deities who assumes duty during the Yiwei year (e.g., 2015 and 2075), overseeing all human fortune and calamity for that year. As the Sheep is the zodiac sign associated with Yiwei, those born in the Year of the Sheep experience their benming nian (birth-year cycle) and thus sit directly beneath the Tai Sui; those born in the Year of the Ox, meanwhile, clash with the Tai Sui (chong tai sui). According to folk custom, both groups should visit temples to ritually install and respectfully worship the Tai Sui, seeking the deity’s protection and mitigation of adverse influences. The Tai Sui originates from the ancient stellar calendar based on Jupiter’s twelve-year orbital cycle (the ‘Sui Xing’, or Year Star); the saying ‘Dare not disturb the earth above the Tai Sui’ reflects the deep-rooted reverence for the Tai Sui as the supreme celestial sovereign governing the year. Devotees commonly attend Daoist temples on the 8th day of the 1st lunar month to worship the Tai Sui, praying for disaster avoidance, longevity, and smooth passage through the year.