China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-18

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
八

四期星

Fourth month, eighteenth day

Astral Period Four

Thursday, April 18

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

生時陽驛
氣陽德馬

Post Horse
Yang Virtue
Timely Yang
Birth Vapor

—————————————————

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

凶吉中

酉己丑

吉中中

戌午寅

凶凶吉

亥未卯

凶吉中

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

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

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
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

祈祭出開
福祀財倉

Opening Granaries
Cash Outlays
Paying Reverence
Inquiring-into Fortune 

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
九

甲

寅

水

角

開

Ninth Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiayin (51/60)

Phase (element): Water

Constellation: Horn (1/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Open (11/12)

————————————————— 

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

 宜

開交移入

渠易徙學

作修理會

灶造髮友

置動醫出

業土病行

成上開裁

服樑市衣

對厭
血招八楊
忌搖專忌

Appropriate Activities
Entering Study
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Cutting-out Clothing
Moving Residences
Patterning Hair
Doctor Visits
Opening Markets
Opening Sluices
Stove Work
Setting-up Industry
Putting-together Clothing  

Miscellaneous Information

Willow Taboo
Eight Specialties
Ostentation Swing
Blood Taboo  

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
人 火 
Person, Fire

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

爐 門 占 
Furnace, Gate, Divination