linga [Communal Blog]

The Three Enclosures are the Purple Forbidden enclosure (紫微垣, Zǐ Wēi Yuán), the Supreme Palace enclosure (太微垣, Tài Wēi Yuán) and the Heavenly Market enclosure (天市垣, Tiān Shì Yuán). The Purple Forbidden Enclosure occupies the northernmost area of the night sky. From the viewpoint of the ancient Chinese, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure lies in the middle of the sky, and is circled by all the other stars. The Supreme Palace Enclosure lies east and north to the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, while the Heavenly Market Enclosure lies west and south. The Three Enclosures are separated by "walls", which are asterisms with their shapes resembling their namesakes. [edit] The Twenty-Eight Mansions The zodiac is listed below, Four Symbols (四象) Mansion (宿) name pinyin lit. translation vicinity in western sky The Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍) Spring 角 Jiăo Horn Spica (alpha vir) 亢 Kàng Neck Virgo 氐 Dī Root Libra 房 Fáng Room Libra 心 Xīn Heart Antares 尾 Wěi Tail Scorpius 箕 Jī Winnowing Basket Sagittarius The Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武) Winter 斗 Dǒu Dipper Sagittarius 牛 Niú Ox Capricornus 女 Nǚ Girl Aquarius 虛 Xū Emptiness Aquarius 危 Wēi Danger, Rooftop Aquarius/Pegasus 室 Shì Room, Encampment Pegasus 壁 Bì Wall Algenib Pegasus The White Tiger of the West (西方白虎) Fall 奎 Kuí Legs Andromeda 婁 Lóu Bond Aries 胃 Wèi Stomach Aries 昴 Mǎo Hairy Head Pleiades 畢 Bì Net Taurus 觜 Zī Turtle Beak Orion 參 Shēn Three Stars Orion The Vermillion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) Summer 井 Jǐng Well Gemini 鬼 Guǐ Ogre/Demon, Ghost Cancer 柳 Liǔ Willow Hydra 星 Xīng Star Alphard 張 Zhāng Growth, Extended Net Crater 翼 Yì Wings Corvus 軫 Zhěn Strongly (as of emotion), Chariot Corvus