China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-12

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"  

From right to left: 

LEFT April 14..............April 10 RIGHT        Monthly Calendar Information

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
(top to bottom; right to left)  
十
二

五期星

Fourth month, twelfth day

Astral Period Five

Friday, April 12

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

六歲歲

合支德

Generational Virtue

Generational Branch

Six Linkages

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰子

吉吉中

酉己丑

中吉吉

戌午寅

凶中凶

亥未卯

凶吉中

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

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 Auspicious
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.

————————————————— 

Section Four
Activities to Avoid 
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

忌

除安置

服牀業
Setting-up Industry

Positioning Beds

Discarding Clothing

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
三

戊

申

土
鬼

定

Third Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: wushen (45/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Ghost (23/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Decide (5/12)

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Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

 宜

動合祭
土帳祀
安理祈
門髮福
安沐冠
碓浴帶
納掃裁
畜舍衣
星火

復復債
日喪不

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Inquiring-into Fortune

Capping Ceremonies

Putting-together Clothing

Making Banners

Patterning Hair

Bathing

Sweeping Floors

Moving Earth

Positioning Doors

Positioning Pestles

Livestock Payments

Fire Star

     

Miscellaneous Information
Debt Not

Returning Mourning

Returning Days

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
白
White

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 
房

爐 牀
House

Furnace, Bed