China's Lunar Calendar 2013 03-07

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

七

日

四期星

Third month, seventh day

Astral Period Four

(Thursday, March 7) 

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars

六歲

日支

Generational Branch

Six Suns

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶吉吉

酉己丑

凶吉吉

戌午寅

中中凶

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 Inauspicious
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
安開
牀渠
Opening Sluices

Positioning Beds

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 
廿

六
壬

申

金
奎

執

Twenty-sixth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: renshen (9/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Astride (15/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜

捕

捉

掃

舍

除

服

安

葬

劫五

煞離

小無

耗禄

Appropriate Activities

Seizing and Capturing

Sweeping Rooms

Discarding Clothing

Positioning Graves 

Miscellaneous Information

Five Separations

Without Emolument

Baleful Plunder

Small Squandering

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 Section Seven
Inauspicious Star
丫 水
Bifurcation, Water

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Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities 

倉

爐庫

Granary

Furnace, Storehouse