China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-15

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 
Today's date:                                                                                                                *

This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar calendar, along with basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying lunar calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing. There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years. 

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar.

 

Section One
Solar Calendar Date

十
五

五期星

Fifteenth Day

Astral Period Five

(Friday, February 15) 

———————————————— 
Section Two
Beneficent Stars

生合天歲

氣日德禄

Generational Emolument

Heavenly Virtue

Concatenation of Days

Pure Vapors

—————————————————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶吉吉

酉己丑

中吉吉

戌午寅

中凶吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉
23:00-01:00 Auspicious
01:00-03:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 Auspicious
05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 Auspicious
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 In-Between
21:00-23:00 Inauspicious

*The hours above are for Hong Kong. It is up to you if you want to recalibrate or to assume that the cyclicality of the calendar "covers" the rest of the world. This is a greater interpretive challenge than you might think.
 

————————————————— 

Section Four
Activities to Avoid 

 忌

取問放開

魚卜水渠

Opening Sluices

Placing Water

Divination Inquiries

Grasping Fish 

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 
忌 初 己
丙 六 時
午 壬 天

庚 子 乙

午 木 貴
生 鬼 人

人 開 吉

Sixth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: renzi (49/60)

Phase (element): Wood

Constellation: Ghost (23/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Open (11/12)

————————————————— 

Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜 
動裁出祭

土衣行祀

 上移訂祈

樑徒婚福

置開納入

產市采學

納修嫁會

畜造娶友

將陰

天灾班大

  火煞煞 ☐＊ 

 *The computer programs I use do not contain the character noted by the asterisk (it is used exclusively for prognostication and divination). If you wish to see it, look at the Chinese text, above.

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Inquiring into Fortune

Entering Study

Gathering with Friends

Going Out (and about)

Engaging to Marry

Paying Taxes

Marriage Alliances

Cutting out clothing

Moving residences

Opening Markets

Repairing and Manufacturing

Moving Earth

Erecting Beams

Setting Up Industry

Livestock Payments  

 

Miscellaneous Information
Yin General

Great Vacancy

Baleful Squad

Baleful Disaster

Heavenly Conflagration  

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
丫
Bifurcation

————————————————— 

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities
碓 庫 倉

Pestle, Storehouse, Granary