China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-16

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT April 23.............................................................................April 15 RIGHT

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
六

二期星

Fourth month, sixteenth day

Astral Period Two

Tuesday, April 16

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

天月天歲
喜德德祿

Generational Emolument
Heavenly Virtue
Lunar Virtue
Heavenly Happiness 

—————————————————

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

凶吉吉

酉己丑

中吉吉

戌午寅

凶凶吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
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

進新放開
水船水渠

Opening Sluices
Setting-out-into Water
New Boats
Entering Water 

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
七

壬

子

木

翌

成

Seventh Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: renzi (49/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Wings (27/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Completion (9/12)

————————————————— 

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

 宜

上醫出祭

樑病行祀

修開嫁祈

倉市娶福

安修納入

牀造采學

安動裁會

葬土衣友

煞班

下鼠歸水
兀口忌痕

Appropriate Activities
Paying Reverence

Inquiring-into Fortune

Entering Study

Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Marriage Alliances

Grain Payments

Cutting-out Clothing

Doctor Visits

Opening Markets

Repairing and Building

Moving Soil

Erecting Beams

Repairing Granaries

Positioning Beds

Positioning Graves  

Baleful Grouping

Miscellaneous Information
Water Scar

Returning Taboo

Mouse Mouth

Lower Amputee

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
白 地 
White, Earth

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

碓 庫 倉 
Pestle, Storehouse, Granary