China's Lunar Calendar 2013 08-27

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT August 27........................................................................................................August 20 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) 
廿
七
二期星

  Eighth Month, Twenty-seventh Day

Astral Period Two
Tuesday, August 27

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

三歲
合支

Generational Branch
Three Linkages

—————————————————

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

吉中吉

酉己丑

吉凶吉

戌午寅

中中凶

亥未卯

凶凶吉

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

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

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

時栽
插種

Planting Crops
Timely Injections

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
一
乙
丑
金
觜
執

Twenty-first Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: yichou (02/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Beak of the Turtle (20/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

————————————————— 

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

宜

會
友
捕
捉
牧
養
納
畜
下火
兀星
牛歸
口忌

Appropriate Activities  

Meeting Friends
Seizing and Capturing
Tending Flocks
Livestock Payments

Miscellaneous Information

Fire Star
Return Taboo
Lower Amputee
Ox Mouth

————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

人     
Person          

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
碓
厠 磨

Pestle
Toilet, Mortar