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Vermilion Bird of the South

The Vermilion Bird of the South represents the South and the summer season. The Vermilion Bird isn’t used solely in Chinese astrology. It is also depicted in many Japanese cartoons and comic books.

The Seven Mansions that make up the Vermilion Bird are the Well, the Ghost, the Willow, the Star, the Extended Net, Wings, and the Chariot.

Each Mansion is then broken up into Asterisms.

The Asterisms of the Well are the Well, the Battle Axe, the South River, the North River, the Celestial Wine Cup, Five Feudal Kings, Accumulated Water, the Pile of Firewood, the Irrigation Official, Water Level, the Four Channels, the Market for Soldiers, the Wild Cockerel, the Grandfather, the Son, the Grandson, the Palace Gate, the Celestial Wolf, the Bow and Arrow, and the Old Man. All of these stars appear in the Western constellations of Gemini, Canis Minor, Cancer, Gemini, Canis Major, Columba, Monoceros, and Puppis.

The Ghost mansion is populated by the asterisms Ghost, Cumulative Corpses, Beacon Fire, the Celestial Dog, the Outer Kitchen, the Celestial Earth God’s Temple, and the Judge for Estimating the Age of Animals. Here in the West, we would know these stars as the constellations Cancer, Pyxis, Vela, and Hydra.

The third Mansion, Willow, has only two Asterisms—Willow and Banner of a Wine Shop. These are parts of the constellations Hydra and Leo.

The Star Mansion is broken out into six Asterisms. They are Star, Celestial Premier, Celestial Cereals, Xuanyuan, Maids in Waiting, and the High Judge. XuanYuan is replaced by the given name of the Yellow Emperor, and these Asterisms are located in the constellations Hydra, Sextans, Vela, Leo, the Lynx, and Leo Minor.

The Extended Net Mansion is split into the Extended Net and the Celestial Temple asterisms. Their stars are in the constellations Hydra and Pyxis.

The Wings Mansion is also broken up into two Asterisms, the Wings and Dongou.

Finally, the Chariot mansion is made up of the Chariot, Changsha, Left Linchpin, Right Linchpin, Green Hill, Military Gate, the Master of Constructions, and the House for Musical Instruments. The constellations for these are Corvus, Hydra, and Centaurus.