Tai Sui
/ˌtaɪ ˈsweɪ/noun
In Chinese astrology and folk religion, Tai Sui is the annual celestial deity associated with Jupiter and the year’s governing influence.
Did you know?Tai Sui began as an astronomical counterpart to Jupiter, whose roughly twelve-year orbit helped shape the traditional Chinese zodiac cycle.
Etymological Timeline
Late Bronze Age China
Old Chinese
太歲
“A calendrical and astronomical expression associated with the great year and the position of Jupiter.”
Han Dynasty, 2nd century BCE–2nd century CE
Classical Chinese
太歲
“A system of calculating the year through Tai Sui, conceived as a counterforce or counterpart to Jupiter’s motion.”
Medieval China
Middle Chinese
太歲
“The annual celestial influence, increasingly personified as a deity governing the year.”
Ming–Qing periods
Chinese
太歲星君
“The Tai Sui Star Lord, a divine official invoked in calendrical worship and protective rituals.”
20th–21st century
English
Tai Sui
“An English transliteration used in discussions of Chinese astrology, geomancy, and folk religion.”