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DOUMU GODESS :
articles from http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/taoism.htm
The seven brightest stars of the constellation are Ursa Major, the Great Bear, also called the Big Dipper.
In Eastern Asia, these stars compose the Northern Dipper. They are colloquially named "The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper" (Chinese: 北斗七星; pinyin: běidǒu qīxīng).
Taoist believe that this star constellation is the seat of the celestial bureaucracy of the gods.
Sometimes there are said to be nine stars - two invisible "attendant" stars, one on either side of the star Alkaid.
The Dipper Mother, Dou Mu (斗母 - dǒumǔ), a star deity and a Taoist adoption of the Tantric deity Marici, is the mother of the stars of Ursa Major, the Big Dipper and is considered to be a personification of light and dawn.
As a saviour and healer, she is invoked through visualizations that unite the adept with cosmic light and “oneness with cosmic principles”. As the cosmic mother of the nine star-gods of the dipper and supposed to be in charge of all star deities, she nurtures and instructs, but the Dipper Mother also maintains her own salvific powers and authority.
Thought to derive from one of the devas (inhabitants of the heavenly realms) of Buddhism, she is associated with healing and childbirth. Often she is depicted as sitting on a lotus throne and wearing a crown. She has a third eye in her forehead, and her eighteen arms hold a variety of sacred weapons and vessels.
Legend has it that many ages ago, a great queen vowed to give birth to children who would help to guide the movements of the Tao. One fine spring day, she disrobed and entered a pool to bathe. Suddenly, she felt "moved," and nine lotus buds rose from the pond. The lotus, a symbol borrowed from Buddhism, signifies purity and spiritual enlightenment since it rises from the mud (representing the physical impurities of the world) to become a brilliant flower. Each of these lotus buds opened to reveal a star, including the seven stars of the Northern Dipper (Big Dipper), one of the most important constellations in Taoism. Subsequently, this queen was deified, becoming known as the "Dipper Mother."
Article from http://www.mysmu.edu/staff/margaretchan/documents/6_THE_TANG-KI_AS_COSMIC_ACTOR.pdf
The Seven Stars (七 星) Constellation:
The Big Dipper, (the tail of the Great Bear or Ursa Major) is referred to in Religious
Taoism as the Seven Stars or the Bushel constellation. The cluster of stars commands a
pre-eminent place in Taoist ritual symbology because it is believed to be the locus of yin
and yang forces and therefore the controller of all order in the universe. A dipperful is a
measure for dry grain, hence the alternate name for the cluster of seven stars as the
Bushel Constellation (Northern Dipper beidou 北斗). The Bushel Constellation (also the
Big Dipper and Seven Stars Constellation) is also linked through this name to the
doctrines of the Way of the Five Bushels of Rice teachings of the Celestial Master.
The Seven Stars constellation occupies a volume of space containing the sun,
although the sun is not a member of the group. It moves around the pole star which is
thus regarded by the Chinese as the pivot of the sky around which all heavenly bodies
revolve. The pole star is the home of Doumu, the Bushel Mother.
In fact the Bushel Constellation according to Chinese lore has a northern and
southern correspondence. These are arguably the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, and the Little
Dipper in Ursa Minor, but a metaphysical explanation is put forward; that the Northern
Bushel (Beidou北斗) is the material substance of the spiritual essence of the Southern
Bushel (Nandou南斗). The Big Dipper is as such the gate to the heavens through which
dead souls must pass to be reborn as bright spirits.
The Seven Stars Constellation is also said to be the chariot of the Heavenly
Emperor. The constellation has also been poetically named the Revolving Pearls of
Heaven and the Balance of Jasper. The latter sense of a balance, as a measuring
instrument, perhaps refers to the belief that a person’s life span is set between the
Southern Bushel star, as ruler of birth, and the Northern Bushel star as ruler of death.
This notion of life being measured out also accounts for the term ‘bushel’ in the name of
the constellation. The bushel is the Chinese measure of rice, and since rice is the staff of
life, the bushel is the measure of life. For this reason, offerings to the Seven Stars are
always found on the tang-ki’s altar. This takes the form of a wooden pail of rice (five
bushels) in which symbolic items including; an abacus, a pair of scissors, a ruler and a
lamp are placed. The lamp represents yang light, the abacus and ruler measures the length
of life that is cut by the scissors (plate 1).
Although a line connecting the seven stars draws an image of a dipper, in Taoist
iconography, the constellation is often represented by a zig-zag pattern. Doumu is the
patron spirit of the powerful Taoist Five Thunder Method of Magic, so that it is believed
that dancing following the zig-zag pattern of the Bushel stars creates powerful magic,
which opens the Gate of Life and effects cures. Tang-kis thus dance the Seven Stars
choreography in initiation ceremonies and self-mortification rituals (see chapters five and
six). The tang-ki ritual sword has a double-edged blade engraved with the zig-zag pattern
of the constellation and is believed to be imbued with the very spirit of the star group, so
that the sword is worshipped as a deity in its own right. The zig-zag star motif is one of
the twelve imperial insignias and can be seen printed on all sorts of talismans.
articles from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Daoism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation.html
Some Daoist gods are believed to reside on the sun, moon, planets, and constellations, and the Daoist adept is able to travel to these places during ritual trances. Some of the mystical excursions of Shangqing Daoism, for example, are to astronomical realms. The Big Dipper and its central star, the Pole Star, are especially important to Daoism. The deity Taiyi is believed to have a residence on the Pole Star, and the gods who reside within the body also reside in the (literal) heavens. The origin of these beliefs can be traced to a highly developed astronomical knowledge and religious engagement with astronomical realms that date back to the Shang dynasty (1700-1027 B.C.E.).
Articles from http://eng.taoism.org.hk/religious-activities-rituals/daoist-folk-customs/pg4-8-9.htm
Longevity Offerings
Conducting longevity offerings1 is a popular folk activity. Its earliest origin can be traced back to the worship of the Big Dipper. The ancient Chinese believed that the Southern Dipper2 was in charge of life and the Big (Northern) Dipper was in charge of death. In order to live longer, one needed to pray to the Stellar Sovereign of the Big Dipper to take one's name off the Death Registration3. In early times, Daoism practiced various kinds of star worship. In the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Meng, senior general of the Wu Kingdom, was seriously ill. Sun Quan asked a Daoist priest to plead on Lu Meng's behalf in front of the Big Dipper4. Later scriptures and Offering ceremonies for longevity were related to the East, South, West, North and Central dippers - the constellations of the five directions 5, but the Big (Northern) Dipper was the most important. The Perfect Book of Fundamental Destiny and Prolonging Life of the Supreme Mysterious Soul 6 states that the Big Dipper is capable of dispelling any type of adversity. If entangled with disasters, how can one be rescued? " Hasten to the Big Dipper, give offerings to thank the Perfect Sovereign, turn to the true scriptures, identify one's Stellar Sovereign of Fundamental Destiny. Doing so, one can attain safety and even health and fame." By chanting this scripture frequently, worshipping the stellar gods and giving litanies7, one can protect one's life and achieve longevity. This is a common understanding of believers in Daoism and in folk religions. That's why Longevity Offerings are usually addressed to the Big Dipper.
Longevity Offerings are rich in content and diversified in form.
As far as their content is concerned, Longevity Offerings are described in the Book of the East Dipper in Charge of Lifespans8, the Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Prolonging Life9, the Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Longevity10, the Book of the South Dipper's Six Offices in Charge of Longevity and Salvation11, the Heart Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Longevity12, etc. As for form, there are general offering rituals as well as lantern rituals. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms13 recorded that when Zhu Geliang was seriously ill, he himself arranged a lantern ritual. But Wei Yan unexpectedly stepped on the lantern of his fundamental sovereign. Zhu Geliang could not do anything to undo the misfortune, so he died in the army. Though this is a fictional novel, it has its archetype in real social life. Daoist priests commonly hold longevity lantern rituals among the masses. The Daoist Canon contains the "South Dipper Longevity Lantern Ritual" and "Big Dipper Longevity Lantern Ritual".
Longevity Offerings are frequently conducted for folk believers; they satisfy peoples' longing for longevity, health and peaceful life.
The Chinese have a strong sense of the joy of life. The ancient classic Hong Fan proposed five happinesses; the first of them is long life. So the eminent Daoist Priest and famous doctor Sun Simiao stated that long life was superior to the other four happinesses. Daoism regards life as most important. As a life-cherishing religion, it has whole system of methods to pursue long life, including popular rituals for praying to the stars in order to lengthening one's life span. When common people reach an advanced age or don't feel good, they will think of this special Daoist skill and invite a Daoist priest to conduct offerings for themselves and their relatives.
Nowadays, after several decades of social turbulence, people look forward to stability. Enjoying good health, peace, longevity, and getting rid of illnesses are wishes of people. Those who believe in Daoism regard offerings as significant. Generally speaking, there are two occasions when people conduct offerings14. Firstly, when people get sick, or feel aged and weakened, they go to the temple for offerings. Secondly, when people celebrate their birthdays, they will invite Daoist priests to conduct offerings for them. As modern society is changing rapidly, longevity offering rituals have correspondingly been simplified, and chances for Longevity Lantern Rituals are reduced. The Longevity Lantern Ritual is often conducted at night; it is not convenient to have it done in the cities. There are occasions when people still make longevity lanterns, but move the activity to the daytime.
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