China's Lunar Calendar 2013 07-18

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT July 21.............................................................................................................July 13 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

Seventh Month, Eighteenth Day

Astral Period Four
Thursday, July 18

———————————————— 
Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

福三歲
德合支

Generational Branch
Three Linkages
Fortunate Virtue

—————————————————

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

吉吉吉

酉己丑

吉凶凶

戌午寅

中中吉

亥未卯

凶中凶

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

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

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

進新栽
水船種

Planting Crops
New Boats
Going-into Water

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
一
乙
酉
水

斗
滿

Eleventh Day (sixth lunar month)

Cyclical day: yiyou (22/60)

Phase (element): Water

Constellation: Dipper (8/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Fullness (3/12)

————————————————— 

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

宜
結修祭
綱造祀
成動沐
服土浴
化靈掃
靈門舍
安作裁
葬灶衣

不債

 血灾水
忌煞痕

Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Bathing
Sweeping Rooms
Cutting-out Clothing
Repairing and Building
Moving Soil
Positioning Beds
Stove Work
Binding Nets
Completing Clothing
Transforming Spirits
Positioning Graves

Debt Not 

Miscellaneous Information

Water Scar
Baleful Disaster
Blood Taboo
————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

(right to left)
人 山 
Person, Mountain

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
門
磨 碓
Gate
Mortar, Pestle