Definition

Bei Dou Deng Yi (北斗灯仪, Běi Dǒu Dēng Yí) is a Taoist Golden Register (金筕, Jīn Lù) lamp ritual invoking the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper (北斗七星, Běi Dǒu Qī Xīng). The term bei dou (北斗) means "Northern Dipper" — the Chinese name for the Big Dipper constellation — while deng yi (灯仪) means "lamp ritual."

Seven lamps are arranged on the altar in the precise spatial pattern of the Big Dipper constellation, each lamp corresponding to one of the seven stars and its presiding deity. As the priest lights each lamp in sequence, he invokes the corresponding star lord and petitions for specific blessings. Bei Dou Deng Yi is a jinlu (金筕) rite — performed for the benefit of the living — and is the most commonly performed lamp ritual in the Zhengyi tradition.

The Seven Dipper Stars

The Seven Stars of the Big Dipper and their Taoist names, each presided over by a star lord deity.

Classical Sources

The primary source for Bei Dou Deng Yi is the Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (上清灵宝大法), a Song dynasty compendium of Lingbao ritual methods preserved in the Zhengtong Daozang. The text states:

The Big Dipper is the celestial authority governing human life spans and destiny in Taoist cosmology. The seven star lords collectively administer the registers of life and death — petitioning them through the lamp ritual is understood as a direct appeal to the administrators of fate, requesting an extension of life, the removal of illness, and the enhancement of fortune.

Classification

Bei Dou Deng Yi belongs to the jinlu (金筕) lamp ritual category — rites performed for the benefit of the living, as distinct from huanglu (黄筕) rites for the deceased. Its specific purposes include life extension (延寿, yán shòu), disease healing (消灾, xiāo zāi), fortune enhancement (赐福, cì fú), and protection from misfortune.

It is performed as part of major jiao offering ceremonies and also as a standalone rite commissioned by individuals or families seeking the blessings of the Dipper stars for a specific person or household.

Zhengyi Perspective

In the Zhengyi (正一道) tradition, Bei Dou Deng Yi is the most commonly performed jinlu lamp rite. The Zhengyi canon specifies the precise spatial arrangement of the seven lamps to mirror the constellation, the invocation formula for each star lord, and the sequence of lighting. The ritual is considered particularly efficacious for individuals born under specific Dipper star signs, as each person is understood to be governed by one of the seven stars from birth.

The Zhengyi understanding holds that the Big Dipper is not merely a constellation but a living celestial administration — the seven star lords actively govern human fate, and the lamp ritual is a formal petition to that administration, submitted through the medium of sacred light.