When observing the stars, the sages chose 28 stars near the ecliptic and equator as coordinates. There are seven nights in the southeast and northwest, connecting each night like an animal.
The horns, health, stones, squares, symplectics, health and auspicious days in the East are seven nights. Horns are like dragon horns, rafters are like dragon bodies, and tails are like dragon tails. They are connected like a soaring dragon, so the sages called them the Oriental Black Dragon.
The well, ghost, willow, star, Zhang, wing and beak in Vitamins, the star is the bird's neck, Zhang is wow, and the wing is the feather purlin in the south. They are connected like birds spreading their wings and flying, so the sages called them South Suzaku.
In the north, there are seven nights of fighting. Cattle, women, air, danger, houses and walls walk slowly like turtles. Because it is located in the north, it is called Xuan. Because of the scales, it is called martial arts. Collectively known as Xuanwu.
There are seven nights in the west, such as Kui, Lou, Stomach, Zan, Bi, Gou and Shen, which are like tigers leaping forward. White tiger is an extinct caterpillar. Shan Hai Jing and Xishan Jing record that there are many white wolves and white tigers in Yushan.
The images of these four animals are called four elephants and four spirits.
As the orientation of the "Four Elephants", it has been recorded in the Book of Rites Quli in the pre-Qin period: "Zhu bird goes forward and then Xuanwu, left Qinglong and right white tiger." "Sparse": "The front south and back north, the right west, the Zhu bird, the Xuanwu, the Qinglong and the White Tiger are also named." Here, Suzaku is Suzaku. The concept of "Zuo Dong owns the West" is different from looking at a map. The current maps are all up north and down south, left west and right east. The map of the ancients was upside down, with the north high and the south low, so it became "due west of Zuo Dong". Mr. Feng Shui applies the "Four Elephants" to the terrain, and uses the images and actions of the "Four Elephants" to compare the terrain, which is accompanied by good and bad luck. "Biography of the Three Kingdoms and Guan Ju" records: "Ge went west with the army, passed the tomb of Wu, leaned against the tree and mourned, and was unhappy. It is said that although trees are lush, they can bloom for a long time. Although the tablet looks good, there is nothing to keep. Xuanwu hides its head, the black dragon has no feet, the white tiger hugs its body, and the rosefinch cries sadly. It is necessary to prepare for the four dangers, so the law will be extinct. But after two years, it should be gone. " This is based on the fact that the four elephants are in a state of four dangers, and it is judged that Wu will be extinct within two years.
Guo Pu also preached this point in "Buried Classics", saying: "Classics, Classics and Classics have four potentials, and qi comes from all directions. So on the left is the dragon, the white tiger, Suzaku in front and Xuanwu in the back. Xuanwu hangs its head, Suzaku dances, Qinglong winds and white tigers tame. If the situation is reversed, it should be against the law. Therefore, the tiger crouched and said the corpse, the dragon crouched and said the Lord was jealous, Xuanwu refused to hang the corpse, Suzaku did not dance, the soil returned to its position, and the jade measured its distance. Those who regard branches as dragons and tigers will stop at hills, such as elbows and arms, which is called embracing. Those who use water as a rosefinch are in line with the shape, and they are afraid of turmoil, which is called weeping. "
"Four Elephants" have a profound influence on folk customs. If we go to see the altar in Beijing Zhongshan Park, we will find that the color of the soil in the altar is different. Because the East is a dragon. The soil color is green; The west is a white tiger, and the soil color is white; The south is Suzaku, and the earth color is red; The north is basaltic and the soil color is black. Earth tone in the middle is yellow, symbolizing people. These soils were specially shipped from Sifang county in Ming and Qing dynasties, which indicated that the four sides paid tribute and the world was at peace.