China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-13

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
三

六期星

Fourth month, thirteenth day

Astral Period Six

Saturday, April 13

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

不進六

將神合

Six Unities

Entering Spirits

Not General 

—————————————————

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

吉吉吉

酉己丑

中吉凶

戌午寅

凶吉中

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

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

成除動

服靈土
Moving Soil
Dispelling Spirits
Putting-together Clothing

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
四

己

酉

土
楊

執

Fourth Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiyou (46/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Willow (24/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

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

 宜

上裁祭
樑衣祀
醞理祈
釀髮福
作醫訂
灶病婚
安掃嫁
畜舍娶
喪重

土五大
    符虛亡空＊
*This "character" does not appear in any standard word-processing software. 
The combination of "loss/disaster" on the right and "void" on the left is usually used in astrological and calendrical texts.
 

Appropriate Activities

Paying Reverence

Inquiring-into Fortune

Marriage Engagements

Marriage Alliances

Cutting-out Clothing

Patterning Hair

Doctor Visits

Sweeping Floors

Erecting Beams

Fermenting Alcoholic Beverages

Stove Work

Positioning Graves   

Repeat Mourning

     

Miscellaneous Information
Great Void

Five Vacancies

Earth Charm

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
丫
Bifurcation

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 
占

門 大
Divination

Gate, Big