China's Lunar Calendar 2013 07-20

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) 
二
十

六期星

Seventh Month, Twentieth Day

Astral Period Six
Saturday, July 20

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

陰歲
德馬

Generational Horse
Yin Virtue

—————————————————

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

中中中

酉己丑

吉凶凶

戌午寅

吉吉吉

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

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

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

嫁理
娶髮

Patterning Hair
Marriage Alliances

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 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
三
丁
亥
土
女
定

Thirteenth Day (sixth lunar month)

Cyclical day: dingxu (24/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Woman (10/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Decide (5/12)

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

____________________________
土
王
用
事
____________________________
 宜

折

卸

掃

舍

 無歲
祿破
死重
氣日

Earth King Attendant Matters
（One of five periods used to denote five segments of the 360 degree solar orbit)

Appropriate Activities
Unhitching and Unloading
Sweeping Rooms

Miscellaneous Information

Generational Disaster
Repeated Days
Without Emolument
Death Vapor
————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

(right to left)
白 人  
White, Person

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
倉
牀 庫
Granary
Bed, Storehouse