China's Lunar Calendar 2013 08-11

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT August 19.....................................................................................................August 11 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
一
日期星

  Eighth Month, Eleventh Day

Astral Period Sun
Sunday, August 11

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

進陰
神德

Yin Virtue
Entering Spirits

—————————————————

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

吉吉吉

酉己丑

中吉凶

戌午寅

中吉凶

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
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

取栽
魚種

Planting Crops
Garnering Fish

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

 初
五
己
酉
土
房
除

Fifth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: jiyou (46/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Building (4/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)

————————————————— 

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

宜

動祭
土祀
上裁
樑衣
除理
服髮
安掃
葬舍
密
日

咸月
池忌
Appropriate Activities  

Venerating Ancestors
Cutting-out Clothing
Patterning Hair
Sweeping Rooms
Moving Soil
Erecting Beams
Discarding Clothing
Positioning Graves

Mysterious Day

Miscellaneous Information 

Lunar Taboo
Harmonious Ponds

————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

丫 人
Bifurcation, Person

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
占
門 大

Divination
Gate, Big