China's Lunar Calendar 2013 03-11

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

一

一期星

Third month, tenth day

Astral Period One

(Monday, March 11) 

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars

陽歲
德禄
Generational Emolument
Yang Virtue

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

中凶吉

酉己丑

凶吉吉

戌午寅

吉凶中

亥未卯

凶中中

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

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

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

造廚
Kitchen Repairs

Stove Work

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 
三

十

丙

子

水

畢
收

Thirtieth day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: bingzi (13/60)

Phase (element): Water

Constellation: Net (19/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Acceptance (10/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜

交

易

捕

捉

結

綱

針

灸

___________________
咸水

池浪

天班

罡煞

Appropriate Activities

Trade and Commerce

Seizing and Capturing

Binding Nets

Acupuncture and Moxibustion 

Miscellaneous Information

Water Scar

Team Baleful

Widespread Pond

Heavenly Dipper Star

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 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
白 天

White, Heaven

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Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

廚

碓 灶

Kitchen

Pestle, Stove