China's Lunar Calendar 2013 08-17

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
七
六期星

  Eighth Month, Seventeenth Day

Astral Period Six
Saturday, August 17

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

五益
合後

Latter Advantage
Five Linkages

—————————————————

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

吉中吉

酉己丑

凶凶中

戌午寅

吉中凶

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

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

穿栽
井种

Planting and Growing*
Boring Wells
*Note the first use this year of the simplified character 种 (種).

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
一
乙
卯
水
女 
危

Eleventh Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: yimao (52/60)

Phase (element): Water

Constellation: Woman (10/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Danger (8/12)

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

宜

理祭
髮祀
安求
牀嗣
成會
服友
安嫁
葬娶
土
符
五四
虛廢

Appropriate Activities  

Venerating Ancestors
Seeking Posterity
Meeting Friends
Marriage Alliances
Patterning Hair
Positioning Beds
Completing Clothing
Positioning Graves

Earth Charm

Miscellaneous Information

Four Abandonments
Five Voids

————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

白 林
White, Copse

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities
(Top to bottom; right to left)

門
磨 碓

Gate
Mortar, Pestle