The Five Lunar Mansions

black tortoise button

Black Tortoise (Mercury)

white tiger button

White Tiger (Venus)

vermilion bird button

Vermilion Bird (Mars)

azure dragon button

Azure Dragon (Jupiter)

yellow dragon button

Yellow Dragon (Saturn)

 

The Seven

Constellations of

the Vermilion Bird

Well
Ghost
Willow
Star
Extended Net
Wings
Chariot

 

Interesting Links and Sources:

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7 Moon Stations of the South

Steven L. Renshaw

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The Lunar Mansions

Vivian E. Robson

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What Is An Asterism?

button Arabic Star Names

 

Vermillion Bird and Vermlion Bird

are common alternate spellings

for the Vermilion Bird

 

 
chinese astrology workbook

The Chinese Astrology Workbook: How to Calculate and Interpret A Chinese Horoscope

Derek Walters

The Secrets of

Chinese Astrology

Derek Walters

 

Moving Near Children Does the Shoe Fit?

 

 

  vermilion bird button

The Vermilion Bird

In Ancient Astrology

 

Mystery of the Vermilion Bird

 

Actually not much has been written about the Vermilion Bird, though the other ancient constellations all have several myths and stories. The Vermilion Bird Constellation was originally identified by ancient Chinese Astronomers in about 3800 BC. Over time other cultures and and more modern Asian Astrologers called this constellation the "Red Phoenix" or the "Red Dragon."

 

The seven positions or stations of the Vermilion Bird are known as "mansions" and they represent groupings or asterisms of stars. These are called Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings and Chariot.

 

There are some mysterious aspects to the original Vermilion Bird and clues include the planet Mars, and Cinnebar, which is mined in China and used to make the orange-red (vermilion) laquer so prized by Chinese artisans. Read on...

 

mars cinnabar box
Cinnabar Orered temple

 

To the naked eye, Mars appears as a bright point of light, like a star. The motions of this planet were charted by ancient Chinese Astrologers but it is very difficult to see without the lenses of binocculars or a telescope. They were somehow able to identify it as "Vermilion" the color of Cinabar, mined in China during those times.

 

The Vermilion Bird of Summer

 

Sometimes called the Red Bird of the South, the Vermilion Bird was chosen by the earliest Chinese astronomers to represent the planet Mars, and seven positions of the moon against certain stars in the northern sky. These seven collections of stars all together look like a bird on the wing.

 

The Vermilion Bird also represented the element "fire" to Ancient Chinese Astrologers. Ancient Astrologers from Arabia and India developed their own interpretations. There are many similarities and some interesting differences.

 

vermilion bird star chart

Vermilion Bird Star Chart by Steven Renshaw and Saori Ihara

 

22=Well, 23=Ghost, 24=Willow, 25=Star,

26=Extended Net, 27=Wings, 28=Chariot

 

 

 

Vermilion Bird Encompases Seven Positions of the Moon

 

The seven positions or stations of the Vermilion Bird are known as "mansions" or "palaces" because they represent groupings or asterisms of stars. The moon moves through these asterisms during summer time. Chinese Astrology is based on five cardinal points; north, south, east, west and center. The Vermilion Bird represents the south, summer and fire.

 

 

Black Tortoise

 

Black Tortoise

 

 

White Tiger

 

White Tiger

 

 

Vermilion Bird

 

Vermilion Bird

 

 

Azure Dragon

 

Azure Dragon

 

 

Yellow Dragon

 

Yellow Dragon