China's Lunar Calendar 2013 07-30

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT August 6.............................................................................................................July 30 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) 
三
十

二期星

Seventh Month, Thirtieth Day

Astral Period Two
Tuesday, July 30

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

十福民
靈德日

People's Days
Fortunate Virtue
Ten Spirits

—————————————————

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

中中中

酉己丑

吉中凶

戌午寅

中吉中

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

07:00-09:00 In-Between
09:00-11:00 In-Between
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 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

進新理
水船髮

Patterning Hair
New Boats
Going-into Water

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
三
丁
酉
火
觜
滿

Twenty-third Day (sixth lunar month)

Cyclical day: dingyou (34/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Beak of the Turtle (20/28)

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

————————————————— 

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

宜

 安交祭
門易祀
作修沐
灶造浴
除動掃
服土舍
安上立
葬樑約
痕水
血灾月
忌煞忌

Appropriate Activities  
Venerating Ancestors
Bathing and Bubbling
Sweeping Rooms
Setting-up Appointments
Trade and Commerce
Repairing and Constructing
Moving Soil
Erecting Beams
Positioning Gates
Stove Work
Discarding Clothing
Positioning Graves

Water Scar

Miscellaneous Information 
Lunar Taboo
Disastrous Balefulness
Blood Taboo

————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

(right to left)
人 山
Person, Mountain

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
門
庫 倉
Gate
Storehouse, Granary