China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-22

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

廿

二

五期星

Twenty-second Day

Astral Period Five

(Friday, February 22) 

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars

敬玉

安堂

Jade Court

Reverential Calm

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶中中

酉己丑

中吉凶

戌午寅

中吉吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

23:00-01:00 In-Between
01:00-03:00 Inauspicious
03:00-05:00 Auspicious
05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 In-Between
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Auspicious
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.
 

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Section Four
Activities to Avoid 

 忌

作修

灶廚
Kitchen Repairs

Stove Work

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
三

己
未
火
亢

執

Thirteenth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiwei (56/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Neck (2/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜
動祭

徒祀

捕入

捉學

安會

牀友

安出

葬行

楊

忌

陽火

將星

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Entering Study

Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Moving Earth

Seizing and Capturing

Positioning Beds

Positioning Graves 

Poplar Taboo

Miscellaneous Information

Fire Star

Yang General

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 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
白山
White, Mountain

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Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities
占
厠門

Divination
Toilet, Gate