China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-17

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
七

三期星

Fourth month, seventeenth day

Astral Period Three

Wednesday, April 17

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

合歲
日德

Generational Virtue
Linkage of Days

—————————————————

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

吉吉吉

酉己丑

吉吉吉

戌午寅

凶中中

亥未卯

凶凶吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
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

開詞
倉訟

Litigation
Opening Granaries

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
八

癸

丑

木

軫

收

Eighth Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: guichou (50/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Running Board (28/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Acceptance (10/12)

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

土
王
用
事 
_____________________

 宜

補

捉

作

灶

納

畜

河八
魁專
俱五
將虛

Earth King Use-Matters
(a residual/overlap category to mark the eighteen degrees beyond
seventy-two...after the beginning of a seasonal period—in this case 立春, "beginning of spring") 

Appropriate Activities
Seizing and Capturing
Stove Work
Livestock Payments

Miscellaneous Information
Eight Specialities
Five Vacancies
River Stalwart
Exceptional General

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
白 神 
White, Spirit

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

房
厠 牀  
House
Toilet, Bed