Tou Mu who is also known as the Goddes of the North Star and the Bushel Mother is venerated by Taoists and Buddhists. In the Taoist pantheon, she occupies
a position similar to that of Kuan Yin the Buddhist bodhisattva. Tou Mu is credited with the attainment of all the heavenly mysteries. Only she alone among the Taoist gods was permitted to pass between the region of the moon and the sun.
Tou Mu is the mother of the so-called Nine Celestial Sovereigns.
In most representations, Tou Mu is seen to possess eighteen arms and three eyes. These symbolize her power to see and accomplish many things. Like the Buddhist bodhisattvas, she is seated on a lotus to denote her
enlightened state. Tou Mu is the keeper of the book of life and death, and those seeking longevity often pray to her. Devotees of Tou Mu usually observe vegetarianism on the third and twenty-third days of each month.
