China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-27

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

七

三期星

Twenty-seventh Day

Astral Period Three

(Wednesday, February 27) 

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars

進歲

神禄

Generational Emolument

Entering Spirits

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶吉吉

酉己丑

中中吉

戌午寅

凶中吉

亥未卯

凶吉中

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

07:00-09:00 Auspicious
09:00-11:00 In-Between
11:00-13:00 In-Between
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 Inauspicious
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 
除開
服倉

Opening Granaries

Discarding Clothing

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
八

甲

子

金
箕

開

Eighteenth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiazi (1/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Winnowing Basket (7/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Open (11/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜
開祭
市祀
修入
造學
動會
土友
栽出
種行
重喪

 復班

日煞

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Entering Study
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Opening Markets
Repairing and Building
Moving Earth
Planting

Repeat Mourning 

   

Miscellaneous Information

Baleful Squad

Repeated Days

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 Section Seven
Inauspicious Star
白
White

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Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities 
占

碓門

Divination,

Pestle, Gate