The Deities Three Feet Above Your Head: Exploring the Three Platforms Star Lords and the Ancient Concept of Harmony Between Heaven and Man ✨

Have you ever heard the saying, “Look up three feet, and there are deities”? 🙏 Behind this ancient proverb lies the traditional Chinese reverence for the Three Platforms Star Lords. 🌟 Today, let’s explore the mysteries of this group of mysterious stars.

Celestial Staircase Deities: The Sacred Status of the Three Platforms Star Lords 🪜

In Taoist mythology, the steps that the Great Benevolent Savior of the Suffering Heavenly尊 treads upon when descending from heaven to earth are composed of a group of deities – these are the Three Platforms Star Lords. ✨ Like other stellar deities, the Three Platforms Star Lords originated from the profound study of astronomy and sacred worship by ancient people. 🔭

Astronomical Position and Structure 🌌

The Three Platforms stars are located above the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). 🐻 The ancients called them “The Great Transformation in the Mid-Heavens, the Canopy of the Big Dipper.” This means the Three Platforms stars are important entities in the celestial court that govern the natural changes of all things, acting like a protective canopy for the Big Dipper. 🌿

The term “Canopy” originally referred to the umbrella-like covering on ancient imperial carriages, symbolizing nobility and protection. 🏺

The Three Platforms consist of six stars, grouped in three pairs of two. ✨ They also have another name – “The Celestial Pillars,” corresponding to the three highest-ranking officials in ancient China. On earth, we call them the “Three Dukes,” but in heaven, they are respectfully called the “Three Platforms.” 👑

Functional Division of the Three Platforms 📜

These three groups of stars each have their own responsibilities:

• Upper Platform (Top two stars) ⬆️: Corresponds to the Deity of Fate, governing human lifespan. ⌛

• Middle Platform (Middle two stars) ↔️: Corresponds to the Deity of the Center, managing affairs of the imperial clan and lineage. 🏯

• Lower Platform (Bottom two stars) ⬇️: Corresponds to the Deity of Emolument, governing military and warfare matters. ⚔️

Celestial Stairs and the Supreme Steps: The Ladder to the Heavens 🌠

In the celestial system, these six stars are known as the “Celestial Staircase.” The Great Benevolent Heavenly尊 travels between the human world and the heavenly realm along these very steps. 🪜 The ancients also called them the “Supreme Steps,” with the character “Supreme” carrying connotations of peace and stability. ☮️

In ancient astrology, “The Supreme Steps are Level” was an auspicious omen symbolizing peace and stability across the land. 🕊️ By observing the brightness and alignment of the Three Platforms stars, the ancients would judge whether the world was harmonious and tranquil. 🔭

The Divine Forms of the Three Platforms Star Lords 🐉

According to records in the Yunji Qiqian, the Three Platforms stars are called the “Heavenly Steps and Observation,” meaning they are the officials in the celestial court who manage hierarchical order. 📜

Astonishingly, the forms of the Three Platforms Star Lords change with the time of day:

• At dawn, they appear as dragons. 🐲

• During the day, they transform into snakes. 🐍

• By evening, they take the form of fish. 🐟

This describes the overall transformation of the Three Platforms deities as a whole. When the six stars are split into three pairs, they form the spiritual incarnations of the Three Platforms:

• Upper Platform Star Lord: Named Xujing, he presides over gold, jade, and precious things. 💎

• Middle Platform Star Lord: Named Liuchun, he is in charge of official promotions and positions. 📈

• Lower Platform Star Lord: Named Qusheng, he governs matters of salary and official emolument. 💰

These three Star Lords are precisely the deities referred to in the saying, “Look up three feet, and there are deities.” 👁️

Heaven-Man Correspondence: The Mysterious Connection Between Stars and the Human Body 🌌👤

The perspective found in the Supreme Mysterious Numinous True Scripture of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life reveals the profound depth of ancient wisdom: the essential nature of the Three Platforms Star Lords is the mysterious essence energy within the cosmic void, and it is also the fundamental True Qi present in both deities and mortals. 💫

From the perspective of correspondence with the human body:

• The Three Platforms Star Lords are connected to a person’s Lung Spirit. 🫁

• They are also the master switch for the three ethereal souls of a person. 🔌

The ancient combination of astrology and traditional Chinese medicine embodies the cosmological view of “Heaven-Man Correspondence” or “Macrocosm-Microcosm correspondence” – the idea that the celestial bodies in the heavens, the True Qi of the deities, and the internal organs of humans are interconnected, forming an inseparable whole. 🌍⇄👤

This wisdom, which correlates the macrocosm of the universe with the microcosm of the human body, remains awe-inspiring even today. 🤯

In the long river of Chinese traditional culture, the veneration of the Three Platforms Star Lords showcases the wisdom of the ancients in observing nature and exploring the cosmos. 🌊 It also reflects the unique philosophical concept of the unity of Heaven and Humanity in Chinese thought. 💭 Next time you gaze at the starry sky, perhaps you can try to find those six mysterious stars that form the Three Platforms and feel the profound depth of this millennia-old cultural heritage. 🌠