Goddess~A~Day 8/9

Seven Sisters Festival (China)

Zhinu

Themes:  Love; Relationships; Unity; Devotion; Divination

Symbols:  Stars; Silver Items

About Zhinu: Zhinu is a stellar goddess in China, residing in the constellation of Lyre, a home from which she tends to harmony within relationships.  According to legend, Zhinu came to earth to bath with six friends, but a herdsman stole her dress.  She could not return to the heavens this way, so she married him.  Later, however, the gods called her back to the stars, and the herdsman followed her.  On the seventh day of the seventh moon, the two are allowed to meet as husband and wife.

To Do Today:  A similar celebration to the Seven Sisters Festival is the Weaving Festival in Japan (July 7), which commemorates the love between two stellar deities who meet in the silver river of the Milky Way one day out of the year.

Follow with custom and cover your altar with rice and melons, both of which can become offerings.  Eat these as part of a meal later to internalize Zhinu's love and devotion.  If you're single, offer her combs, mirrors, and paper flowers to draw a partner into your life.

Burning incense and reading one's future is also common today.  Watch the smoke from the incense  while thinking about a specific relationship.  See if any shapes form in the clouds.  A heart, for example, indicates adoration.  A scale reveals a relationship with a healthy balance, and two interconnected rings indicate unity of mind and soul.

By Patricia Telesco~From "365 Goddess"