REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 171 



The composite deities of the second chapter illustrate the syncretic 

 tendency of separately evolved gods to fuse into distinct types, or the 

 converse process of one spirit lending his fame to others. 



The last chapter will perhaps be of the most general interest. 

 It would seem that the Tao-Shih and other enthusiasts reasoned that 

 to every astrologic influence there must be an individuality and so 

 they produced a spirit for each factor. 



Thus we have the Sun-god and the moon-goddess, the spirits of 

 the twenty-eight lunar constellations into which the lunar orbit is 

 divided and the gods of the five planets. The influence of each upon 

 the weather in each of the four quarters is mentioned but the author 

 omits to say if it is considered that the moon must be situated in the 

 constellation in question in order to produce that influence. This is 

 quite an important point since without some such provision, the 

 allocation of the influences is meaningless. 



Under the heading of the planets, it is interesting to notice how 

 different the influences are from those which the Greeks attached to 

 these bodies. Individual years are considered to be ruled by the 

 planets, and there is a particular day in each lunar month when the 

 spirit of the planet descends upon earth and should be worshipped. 

 Thus Venus has the 15th, Jupiter the 25th, Mercury the 21st, Mars 

 the 28th and Saturn the 19th. 



Next follow two bad stars, Lo-hou and Ki-tou, which are obviously 

 the Indian Eahu and Kathu, the dragon's head and tail of the 

 European astrologer and the ascending and descending node of the 

 moon's path in modern parlance. 



The spirit of the Star "Tzu-wei" follows next, and then the 

 Five "Tou" of the five cardinal points. That of the North is of 

 course the "Great Bear." 



The titular spirits of 115 stellar palaces then come up for notice, 

 each with their own particular star. Then there are 36 Tien Kang or 

 dominating stars, with their gods, and 72 evil stars which cause baleful 

 influences on earth by virtue of the malignant potency of the beings 

 who possess them. Nine brilliant constellations and seventy other 

 stars, some good and some bad, together with one hundred less im- 

 portant lights complete the list. 



The volume closes with an account of thirty-two romantic genii 

 from a famous magical repertoire and a brief description of the 

 divinities usually to be found in temples. 



All who are interested in Chinese beliefs should secure these books, 

 whose only main defect is an "embarrass des richesses" which may 

 deter the casual reader from properly examining them. 



Herbert Chatley. 



