China's Lunar Calendar 2013 03-09

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

九

日

六期星

Third month, ninth day

Astral Period Six

(Saturday, March 9) 

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars

月德歲

德日支

Generational Branch

Virtuous Days

Lunar Virtue

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

吉凶中

酉己丑
凶吉吉
戌午寅

中凶吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
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
吃出開

犬財倉

Opening Granaries

Spending Resources

Eating Dog

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 
廿

八

甲

戌
火
胃

危

Twenty-eighth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiaxu (11/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Stomach (17/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Danger (8/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜

修嫁祭

造娶祀

動納祈

土采福

上移會

樑徙友

安開出

葬市行 

將陰 

天月月

牢虛煞

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Inquiring into Fortune

Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Marriage Alliances

Grain Payments

Moving Residences

Opening Markets

Repairing and Constructing

Moving Soil

Erecting Beams

Positioning Beds

Yin General    

Miscellaneous Information

Lunar Balefulness

Lunar Void

Heavenly Penitentiary 

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 Section Seven
Inauspicious Star
丫 
Bifurcation

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Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities 

門

栖 碓

Gate

Perch, Pestle