The Story of Chang ‘e, the “Fair Lady” of the Moon
On January 25, 2022, my husband Patrick and I will resume teaching our fourth season of Moonlight Qi Gong, a beautiful series of six movements dedicated to the Goddess of the Moon.
There are many tales in Chinese folklore about Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, including a well-known story given as the origin of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.* In a very distant past, ten suns had risen together into the skies and scorched the earth, thus causing hardship for the people. The archer Yi (or Houyi) was asked by the Emperor to shoot down nine of them, leaving just one sun. He was given the elixir of immortality as a reward. He did not consume it straight away, but let his wife Chang’e keep it with her, as he did not want to gain immortality without his beloved Chang’e. However, while Yi went out hunting, his apprentice Fengmeng broke into his house and tried to force Chang’e to give him the elixir; she refused and to prevent him from getting it, drank it. Chang’e then flew upward toward the heavens, choosing the Moon as residence, as she loved her husband and hoped to live nearby him. Yi discovered what had transpired and felt sad, so he displayed the fruits and cakes that Chang’e had liked, and gave sacrifices to her.
We were told the story by our Qi Gong teacher, Nianzu Li of the SongHo Health Center, who developed this particular version of Moonlight Qi Gong, which we keep alive by teaching to our students. As far as we know, this is the only place where students can learn this particular form of Moonlight Qi Gong. You will be able to experience the gestures described below as you practice the movements and feel the energy of the moon in your body.
When Chang ‘e (pronounced “Chang Ur”) was flying up to the moon, her husband was so distraught that he tried to shoot her down – seen in the first of six movements called “Gaze at the Moon.” He kept drawing back his arrow and then releasing it without shooting because he loved her and could not kill her. The second movement is called “Fair Lady” and represents Chang ‘e’s beauty as she moves and flies. The third movement – “Fly to the Moon” – represents her travel to the moon. The fourth movement is “Yearning,” her offering to the moon and longing for her husband’s safety. The fifth “Dancing,” shows her delight in living in the Moon. The sixth movement “Blessing” honors the moon, but also shows her strength and determination in choosing to continue to live close to her husband.
Pat and I gain tremendous energy and inspiration from practicing Moonlight Qi Gong, so we are dedicated to sharing its rich benefits for physical and mental health with our students.
Join us if you wish – only 30 minutes from 7:30-8:00pm (EST) on Tuesdays from January 25 to March 15. Register TODAY at Moonlight Qi Gong II (Virtual)
*Related stories: Chang’e also appears in Wu Cheng’en’s novel Journey to the West and in a lovely illustrated book Houyi Shoots Down the Suns, adapted by Wang Zhiwei (Beijing: Dolphin Books, 2005).
Power of Love 