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In anticipation of Master Wu’s workshop we started doing a little more research into the Big Dipper and Taoist astrology. I found a number of online references and the one that I found most interesting is Master Chia’s Taoist Nine Star Astrology, which I found to be not extremely dense, but more dense than I wanted it to be. The theory as I can best understand it is that the Earth’s movement and energy patterns are based on the energy fields of nine points that comprise of:

• The Vega Star (1 point)
• The Big Dipper (8 points)
• The North Star (1 point)

The North Star is the Earth’s boss star, which the boss changes about every 26 thousand years when the Earth’s axis changes (axial precession). Currently the Earth’s boss star is Polaris, which is considered a yang star. Our next North Star is Vega, which is a yin star. There is also Thuban, which was our last boss star and is considered a neutral star. In this article it also talks about a Nine Star Chi Theory, where it theorizes about nine distinct electromagnetic phases that occurs from a wobbling on the Earth’s axis (not to be confused with axial precession). These slight wobbles changes the relationship of the Earth’s North/South polarities to the nine points (Vega, Polaris, and the Big Dipper), which then affects the human electromagnetic field. Each star has an important and integral part of each of the nine electromagnetic phase, so during each transformation phase certain stars are accentuated. Transformation phases encompases:

• 5 Fire Years
• 5 Earth Years
• 5 Water Years
• 5 Wood Years
• 5 Metal Years

These transformation phase are represented within the nine year cycle, and each year is either a yang or a yin. The article also goes on to talk about a Nine House Astrology, which has something to do with how humans during their lives migrate through the yearly, monthly, daily, and hourly sequences of transformations. The Earth has ten branches, which are five yang energies elements and five yin physical elements. I think these have something to do with the I-Ching Pakua. Nine Directions and Five Elements:

1. Water (+)
2. Earth (-)
3. Wood (+)
4. Wood (-)
5. Earth (+ & -)
6. Metal (+)
7. Metal (-)
8. Earth (+)
9. Fire (-)

Using the Magic Square, these formations can be converted into Sacred Geometry:

4	9	2
3	5	7
8	1	6

This Magic Square has something to do with the movement of the spiraling Universe. The rest of the article goes into mathematical detail how the I-Ching Pakua uses the Magic Square to calculate the nine year cycle of your life. I also found interesting information about the Big Dipper in relation to the Swastika. Of course the Nazis appropriated the symbol for their own cause, but if you don’t know, he Swastika is an ancient religious symbol that dates as far back in Hinduism, which is the oldest known surviving religion in the world.

The Big Dipper Ceremony

Veronica and I first learned of the importance of the Big Dipper in relation to Taoism came from Mantak Chia’s Portland workshop in 2017 and his Awaken Healing Light Meditation where you connect with the Big Dipper and collect it’s red energy into your body. This year we went to Master Wu’s Big Dipper Ceremony on December 8, 2017 at the Motion Massage Studio in Portland, Oregon. This would be the second Master Zhongxian Wu workshop that we have been to.  Just after stepping inside the venue, we were visually greeted with battery powered candles on the floor in a dimly lit yoga studio. The candles were arranged on the floor similar to the graphics of Master Wu’s Chinese Shamanic Cosmic Orbit Qigong book, which looks like two Big Dippers, one mirrored on top of each other. The ceremony consisted of:

1. Sitting mediation
2. Circle walking

In the sitting meditation we used a Big Dipper hand mudra as we repeated a chant from Master Wu, which I cannot remember and was not allowed to record. We also visualized the pattern on floor of two Big Dippers in our tan tien. The circle walking was very similar if not exactly the same to the baguazhang circle walking. Baguazhang is a form of internal martial arts that can be thought of as Tai Chi Chuan, and Hsing-i Chuan. We circle walked around each candle on the floor for as many revolutions as we liked. It was interesting feeling the energy charge of the room change during the ceremony. Veronica especially felt a difference when Master Wu participated in the circle walking. After the ceremony we enjoyed conversations with others in the workshop. We had an enjoyable conversation from someone who came all the way out from San Francisco to participate. For the cost of $50 bucks for the both of us, it was a well worth experience.