Lieu

Lieu, meaning 'a Willow Branch,' is the seventh Chinese sieu, corresponding to delta Hydrae. Ruled by Saturn, this mansion was said to govern the planets and was worshipped at the summer solstice as an emblem of immortality.

The willow's flexibility and resilience, combined with Saturn's enduring quality, create a mansion associated with longevity, adaptability, and the capacity to bend without breaking.

Lieu belongs to the Red Bird palace. Its association with the summer solstice places it at the peak of the solar year, when yang energy reaches its maximum. Saturn's rulership grounds this peak moment with structure and duration, while the willow's flexibility ensures that the concentrated energy does not become rigid.

When the Moon passes through Lieu, the immortality and governance associations become active. This is a period for long-term planning, establishing traditions, and connecting with enduring sources of authority. The willow's flexibility counsels adaptability within structure.

The Red Bird (Zhu Que), also called the Vermilion Bird, is the celestial guardian of the South and the season of Summer. Associated with the element Fire, the Red Bird represents passion, beauty, joy, and the full flowering of creative energy. It corresponds to the peak of the yang cycle, when the Sun is at its highest and life is at its most abundant. The seven sieu of the Red Bird trace the magnificent firebird from its wings through its body to its tail, forming the most radiant of the four celestial animals.