Essential to understanding Đạo Mẫu is its cosmological arrangement. Deities are arranged into four worlds, called Tứ Phủ, (The Four Palaces， 四府). They are:
1. Thiên Phủ （天府） -Realm of Heaven, represented by red
2. Địa Phủ （地府） -Realm of Earth, yellow
3. Thoải Phủ （水府） -Realm of Water, white
4. Nhạc Phủ （嶽府） -Realm of Mountains, green
This is the original order as determined by early practitioners in Vietnam; however, during Hầu Thánh, the order is slightly altered. Deities descend in the following order:
1. Thiên Phủ
2. Nhạc Phủ
3. Thoải Phủ
4. Địa Phủ
In addition to the Four Palaces, you and I reside in the Human Realm, called Nhân Gian (人間).
Each realm is overseen by a Mother Goddess (Thánh Mẫu 聖母). We will cover the identities of the Mother Goddesses in the next post.
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