China's Lunar Calendar 2013 10-02

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT October 4........................................................................................September 26 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
日
三期星

  Tenth Month, Second Day

Astral Period Three
Wednesday, October 2

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

母三歲
倉合支

Generational Branch
Three Linkages
Maternal Granary

—————————————————

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

中中中

酉己丑

凶吉吉

戌午寅

中吉吉

亥未卯

凶凶凶

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

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

15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 Inauspicious
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

成造合
服酒醬

Mixing Sauces
Making Liquor
Completing Clothing

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
八
辛
丑
土
軫
定

Twenty-eighth Day (Eighth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: xinchou (38/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Drawn Running Board (28/28)

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

————————————————— 

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

宜
安理會

牀髮友

作修出

灶倉行

置移裁

產居衣

納入納

畜宅財

日復
陽重死
將喪氣

Appropriate Activities  

Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Putting-together Clothing

Capital Outflow

Patterning Hair

Repairing Granaries

Moving Households

Staying Home

Positioning Beds

Stove Work

Setting-up Production

Livestock Payments

Repeated Days

Miscellaneous Information  

Death Vapor
Repeat Mourning
Yang General

————

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

丫 林
Bifurcation, Copse
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information

(Top to bottom; right to left)
廚

厠 磨

Kitchen
Toilet, Mortar
————