Tai Sui

Tai Sui is a Chinese name for stars directly opposite the planet Jupiter (木星 Mùxīng) in its roughly 12-year orbital cycle. Personified as deities, they are important features of Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Taoism, and to a lesser extent Chinese Buddhism.

The 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac were based on divisions of the Jovian orbital cycle, rather than as in the western zodiac—the apparent motion of the sun relative to the celestial sphere. The star thought to oppose Jupiter during each year of the cycle was personified as a heavenly general or cycle god and was believed to help the Jade Emperor control the mortal world.

By the Warring States period, the Tai Sui had become gods in the popular astrology; but no written records have been found of their worship prior to the Han dynasty. The earliest such record is found in Wang Chong's first-century Lunheng. There are several legends related to the Tai Sui, usually about people suffering disaster after disrespecting or ignoring them.

Their number later quintupled to sixty based on combinations of the twelve divisions (reckoned using the earthly stems) with the five Chinese elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each of the gods' features and attributes signifies the well-being or mishap of that year. For example, if the Tai Sui of a year holds a pen, this signifies political unrest for that particular year. On the other hand, a Tai Sui of the year who holds a spear or sword, signifies a need to work hard and excel in that year.

Yin Jiao, leader of the sixty Taisui Xingjun (太歲星君) gods, doesn't govern any specific year in the 60-year cycle, and all of them were governed by one of the 60 subordinate Taisui. Yin Jiao in this context is called Taisui Tongling Yin Yuanshuai (太歲統領殷元帥, lit. Commander of the Tai Sui, General Yin). In Japan and Japanese folklore, however, "Taisui Xingjun" is just one singular god.