China

In China, a name for the Big Dipper is the Northern Basket. In ancient China, the Big
Dipper's stars were related to the paradise of the immortals, and the palace of the god of
longevity. Sirius was thought of as a wolf guarding the palace. Another legend refers to
the four stars that make up the ladle part of the Big Dipper. These stars were the home of
the god of literature. Back on Earth, a horribly ugly but brilliant literary scholar named
K'uei was to be honored for a scholastic achievement. The emperor himself was to give
K'uei a prize of a golden rose. Unfortunately, like everyone else who looked upon K'uei,
the emperor was shocked at K'uei's uglinesss, dropping and breaking the prize. K'uei
threw himself in the sea to kill himself, but a sea dragon pitied his plight, lifting him into
the night sky to join the house of the god of literature

The Dipper Mother

Legend has it that many ages ago, a great queen vowed to give birth to children who would help
to guide the movements of the Tao. One fine spring day, she disrobed and entered a pool to
bathe. Suddenly, she felt "moved," and nine lotus buds rose from the pond. The lotus, a symbol
borrowed from Buddhism, signifies purity and spiritual enlightenment since it rises from the
mud (representing the physical impurities of the world) to become a brilliant flower. Each of
these lotus buds opened to reveal a star, including the seven stars of the Northern Dipper (Big
Dipper), one of the most important constellations in Taoism. Subsequently, this queen was
deified, becoming known as the "Dipper Mother."
This porcelain sculpture of the Dipper Mother depicts her as a heavenly goddess holding the sun
and moon in her upraised hands. Her remaining 16 hands grasp various ritual implements and
weapons.
Like the Saintly Mother, Heavenly Immortal of the Eastern Peak, the Dipper Mother rose to
prominence in the Ming dynasty. She is still worshiped today in special halls devoted to her at
Taoist temples like the White Cloud Monastery, head of the Complete Realization sect in Beijing.

In the Standard Taijiquan Sword (Jian) 32 Form we find movements called Chief Star Form or
The Big Dipper (#2: Kui Xing Shi: ) and the Little Dipper (#4). In the Classical Yang
Taijiquan Sword (Jian) 55 Form we find movements called the Chief Star or Big Dipper (#3) and
the Little Star of the Big Dipper (#7). The Big Dipper or Chief Star was called "Great Star of the
Literary God" (#3: Da Kui Xing) and Small Star of the Literary God (#7: Xiao Kui Xing) by
Chen Weiming in his book "The Tai Chi Sword" (1928). In the Chen Taijiquan 49 sword form,
there is a movement (#23) named "Zhong Kui Brandishes His Sword" which is very similar to
Chief Star or Big Dipper, except that the left foot is in a toe stance more like the Little Star of the
Dipper (Yang sword #7, 32 Sword #4). The shape of the Big Dipper or Drinking Gourd or
Plough is suggestive of the posture: the long handle of the Big Dipper (standing on one leg), the
upper part of the Big Dipper pointing to the Polestar (the pointing of the the writing brush or
pen), the lower part of the Big Dipper (the left hand raised with finger pointing or holding
something).
There are a number of named movements in Taijiquan sword forms that explicitly refer to
stroke methods used in Chinese calligraphy and some are part of the 13 Sword Techniques, e.g.,
#8 Dian dot, #7 Ti upwards character stroke. A number of noted Taijiquan teachers have
also been master calligraphers. Chen Weiming, a scholar and archivist, would also have had an
affinity for literary attributions and legends and these subtly appear in his popular and influential
1928 book "Tai Chi Sword." Naming movements after popular heroes in folklore, the Taoist or
Buddhist religions, or myths is one method for helping martial arts practitioners remember the
movements, and sustaining Chinese culture and traditions.
In the Taijiquan sword form, the Great Star of the Literary God or Big Dipper or Chief Star is
performed by holding the sword in the right hand above the head, extending the left hand and

pointing upward with the sword fingers, and lifting the left knee in the air. The one leg is the
ladle of the Big Dipper, and the hands form the sides of the cup (ladle, gourd) of the Big Dipper
or Drinking Gourd; and the tip of the sword points to the Polestar or North Star. The Big Dipper
or Chief Star posture is the most frequently depicted posture used to represent the Taijiquan
Sword form.
http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/swordtech.htm#Jiantech

In the Taoist texts under consideration here, the stars of the Big Dipper constellation are
surrounded by a network of stars which cast a black light or light that does not shine. These
stars are inhabited by female deities who are invoked in many exercises to confer the power
of invisibility.
They are called (She Who) Hides by Transformation and Escapes into the Origin, (She Who)
Changes Her Body and Transforms Her Brilliance, and (She Who) Hides Her Traces and
Disperses Her True Form. These deities are the Nine Yin of the Lord Emperor. Celestial
counterparts to the nine subterranean obscurities, they assist in the transformation and
multiplication of the adept, in his concealment within the eight directions, and in the hiding
(of his) body and the closing up (of his) light.
During meditation, the adept makes these deities merge into a vision of a small child who is
called Impermanent (wu-chang) and is given the first name of Metamorphosis (pien-hua).
Carrying the sun on his head, the moon in his mouth, and the Big Dipper in his hands, this child
sets the adepts body afire.
It may furthermore be said that the Big Dipper is particularly associated with
transformation. Thus the stars of the Dipper are called the moving lights of the seven stars or
the seven transformations.
We discover the connection between yin and metamorphosis in relation to the feminine deities of
the Big Dipper, which is the northern constellation of the Great Yin. And let us also recall that
the mirror, which causes true identity to appear, was traditionally reserved to women in China.
(167)
n his site, Vabien explains Her coming into being in simple terms, She was an energy that was created
after the manifestation of San Qing (The Pure Ones) and way before the formation of the Universe. Only
after the collision of energies of Dou Mu (extreme negative) and Dou Fu (extreme positive), the universe
was formed and this is when the star lords are being manifested from the collision. This is why, She is
the mother of all star lords.

http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/symbol-swastika-and-its-12000-year-old-history-001312

http://taijiyang.wordpress.com/2007/11/20/the-sword-form-flying-through-myth-and-legend/

The Big Dipper represents the Celestial Mechanism and symbolizes the internal process through
which the Original Spirit comes into being.
As above so below and as within so without.
-- Hermes Trismegistus (legendary Egyptian mystic)
The shallow may take the I Ching to be a book of divination, but the profound consider it the
secret of
the celestial mechanism.
-- Lu Dongbin (The Taoist I Ching)
But this celestial mechanism of practicing reversal in the midst of accord has a secret, which is
communicated verbally and instructs the heart; one must seek the guidance of the true teacher,
for it cannot be known through arbitrary guesswork. Although it is called reverse action, in fact it
is action in accord with principle. It is called reversal because it goes contrary to the course of
action of ordinary people. -- Liu Yiming (18th c. Taoist master) Inner teachings of Taoism

The big dipper rotating around the North Star during the four seasons, creating a Swastika
The Big Dipper rotating around the North Star symbolizes turning around the light internally,
which can also be translated as circulating the light. The North star, unmoving and unwavering
in space, symbolizes the center on which one focuses.
But the heavenly heart in the head, does it ever move, even slightly? You ask, can't the heavenly
heart move? I answer: How can the true intent in the square inch move! If it really moves, that is
not good.
-- The Secret of the Golden Flower, chapter 2 #3

The Big Dipper consists of seven stars. Seen from the Earth, stars are little sparks. In ancient
times, the stars were the main means of navigation at sea during the night (the state of
psychological darkness, in which the Golden Flower is not shining) and guided one to one`s
destination. Internally, stars symbolize reminders to turn around the light and guide one to the
Original Spirit.
http://www.thesecretofthegoldenflower.com/dipper1.html

Heaven refers to an internal state of peace and true happiness. Everyone is looking for happiness
in their life. Most people think that external things such as money, power, status or relationships
will make one happy. When people understand that true happiness comes from within, and
cannot come from externals, they become interested in religion or spirituality. Those who are
fortunate, know that happiness is an internal state of conscious awareness, in which one is freed
from one`s inner demons.
Happiness as a path is all a matter of compliance; the way to bring about happiness is to be able
to act in accord with the time. When one acts in accord with the time, the yang energy expands,
so that all demons flee. The life-giving potential continues increasing, and the earth is always
covered with yellow sprouts, the world blooms with Golden Flowers. Wherever one may walk,
everywhere is the Tao. No happiness is more delightful than this. -- Liu Yiming (The Taoist I
Ching, Hexagram 16 Joy)