Star or lunar mansion
Byakuyōgū
白羊宮
A palace listed as one of the twelve palaces; it is also called Yōgū and is described as the same as Aries. The twelve palaces divide the ecliptic, the path of the sun, into twelve, and they were also taken into Buddhist texts on Sukuyō.
This introduction is based on materials from Shōhōin (Tobi Fudō). It is summarized within the scope of the beliefs and traditions those materials convey, and does not present explanations or customs common to all schools, shrines, and temples.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
The name and role of Byakuyōgū
A palace listed as one of the twelve palaces; it is also called Yōgū and is described as the same as Aries. Mars, the color red and copper are given as the things it symbolizes.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院
Dividing the sun's path into twelve
The twelve palaces divide the ecliptic into twelve sections. They were also taken into Buddhist texts on Sukuyō, where names corresponding to the twelve zodiac signs known from Western astrology appear with different kanji. The figures depicted here are images that represent stars or divisions as deities.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院
Reading them as part of the history of Sukuyō
Shōhōin notes that the twelve palaces appear in the Sukuyō-kyō, the Shichiyō Jōsai Ketsu and other texts. They belong to a history in which astronomy and religion meet: reading the positions of the stars, making calendars, and performing prayers to remove misfortune.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院