Pictures of Lord Bei Dou aka Bei Dou Xing Jun (消災七元北斗星君)

Bei Dou Xing Jun (消災七元北斗星君) aka Lord Bei Dou, Bei Dou Qi Yuan Xing Jun (北斗七元星君) or The Nine Emperors of the Northern Hemisphere (九皇星君大天尊).

In Taoism, besides Lord Emperor Chang Sheng Da Di (南極長生大帝) and Lord Nan Dou (延壽六司南斗星君), Bei Dou Xing Jun are the Deities that one self can pay respect to for prolonging of one's life, delaying of the death period and eliminating of one’s debts & sins (延生, 消災﹐注死).

Since our Heavenly Master Zhang Dao Ling (張天師) started his promoting of Taoism, Lord Bei Dou was one of the important Deities that Taoists must pay respect to and because in Taoism, we were a Religion & a form of Teaching that greatly depended on the movement of Stars, Lord Bei Dou was then being highly respected by All Schools, Sects and Taoists (due to the Centered Position of where Lord Bei Dou was being located).

Together with Lord Zuo Fu (左輔) & Lord You Bi (右弼), Lord Bei Dou formed the Nine Emperors Group which was believed to be the 9 sons of Dou Mu Yuan Jun (斗姆元君).

In some contexts, Lord Bei Dou was also being recognized as the Star Lord that being appointed to look after the Element of Water (水行). And so, in some of our Taoist Mantras that associated with the Element of Water, Lord Bei Dou would be mentioned, etc.

As mentioned earlier, due to the position of Lord Bei Dou in the Universe, Lord Bei Dou was being highly respected by Taoists and all Taoist Sects. And because of him position, he was also being appointed by the San Qing (三清道祖) aka The Three Pure One to assist Jade Emperor (玉皇大天尊) in controlling the movements of the Sun, Moon and the Five Important Planets in the Universe (Pluto, Mercury, Mars, Venus & Saturn) – these 7 Planets are being addressed as Qi Zheng (七政) in Religious Contexts.

In Taoist Rituals/Ceremonies, Li Dou (禮斗) or Bai Dou (拜斗) is one of the many Rituals/Ceremonies that is being dedicated to Lord Bei Dou and the other Star Lord Groups.

During the Li Dou or Bai Dou Ritual/Ceremony, the Leading Priest will evoke the energies from Dou Mu Yuan Jun, Lord Emperor Zi Wei (北極紫微大帝), Lord Emperor Tian Huang (西極天皇大帝) and the Nine Stars to be emitted in-order to bless onto the devotees who joined in the Rituals/Ceremonies.

Usually after the evoking of the energies, names of the devotees will be recited to all the Deities that being evoked in-order for them to give the necessary blessings.

In Taoism, once oneself is being claimed that the life-span is going to end soon, by doing a Petition Report to Lord Bei Dou and by placing the 7-Stars Lamp Formation (七星延生燈法), oneself's life-span will somehow be prolonged (according to the merits and cultivation of the oneself, etc).

So who are the 7 Stars in the Lord Bei Dou Group?

Here they are:

1st Star: Tian Shu Yang Ming Tan Lang Tai Xing Jun
天樞陽明貪狼太星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Rat
子年生人屬之)

2nd Star: Tian Xuan Yin Jing Ju Men Yuan Xing Jun
天璇陰精巨門元星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Cow, Pig 丑亥年生人屬之)

3rd Star: Tian Ji Zhen Ren Lu Cun Zhen Xing Jun
天機真人祿存貞星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Tiger, Dog
寅戌年生人屬之)

4th Star: Tian Quan Xuan Ming Wen Qu Niu Xing Jun
天權玄冥文曲紐星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Rabbit, Rooster
卯酉年生人屬之)

5th Star: Tian Heng Dan Yuan Lian Zhen Gang Xing Jun
天衡丹元廉貞綱星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Dragon, Monkey
辰申年生人屬之)

6th Star: Kai Yang Bei Ji Wu Qu Ji Xing Jun
闓陽北極武曲紀星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Snake, Goat
已未年生人屬之)

7th Yao Guang Tian Chong Po Jun Guan Xing Jun
瑤光天衝破軍關星君
(In charge of the Luck-movement of Horoscope: Horse
午年生人屬之)

In order for each Horoscope to get the necessary blessing each year, a Mantra dedicated to each individual Lord will be needed to be recited to stay in close connection with the Lords.