♦Sacred birth celebrated on the 12th day of the third lunar month ♦
The Goddess of Childbirth (colloquially referred to as “Mother of Childbirth”) is the deity of fertility as well as the deity who protects pregnant and post-partem women, new born children, and the infertile. She is often depicted as holding a book in her left hand and a brush in the right hand, symbolizing the documentation of offspring in each household and family. As recorded in Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), she was created by three female immortals, Yunxiao, Bixiao, and Qiongxiao, all acolytes of the Sacred Mother of the Turtle Spirit. The Goddess of Childbirth is also known as “The Child-Giving God.” Her 12 female attendants are known as the 12 governesses.