China's Lunar Calendar 2013 05-08

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT May 9.....................................................................................May 2 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)  
八
日

三期星

Fifth month, eighth day

Astral Period Three

Wednesday, May 8

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

不德歲
將日支

Generational Branch
Virtuous Days
Not General

—————————————————

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

中凶中

酉己丑

中吉吉

戌午寅

中凶吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 In-Between
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

作出開
灶財倉

Opening Granaries
Capital Outlays
Stove Work 

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
九

甲
戌

火
參

執

Twenty-ninth Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiaxu (11/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Mixing (21/28)

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

————————————————— 

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

宜
築髮祭
堤沐祀
安浴祈
牀醫福
捕病嫁
捉修娶
安造納
碓動采
磨土理

天小火
賊耗星
 
Appropriate Activities

Paying Respects
Inquiring-into Fortune
Marriage Alliances
Grain Payments
Patterning Hair
Washing and Bathing
Doctor Visits
Repairing and Building
Moving Soil
Building Dikes  
Positioning Beds
Seizing and Capturing
Positioning Mortar and Pestle

Miscellaneous Information

Fire Star
Small Squander
Heavenly Thief

 ————————————————— 

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

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

門
栖 碓 

Gate
Perch, Pestle