China's Lunar Calendar 2013 12-08

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT December 14............................................................................................December 7 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) 
八
日
日期星

  Twelfth Month, Eighth Day

Astral Period Sun
Sunday, December 8

———————————————— 
Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

天六歲歲
喜合支德

Generational Virtue

Generational Branch

Six Linkages

Heavenly Happiness

—————————————————

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

吉吉中

酉己丑

中吉吉
戌午寅

中凶凶

亥未卯

凶吉中

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

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

動安置買
土牀業田
Buying Land
Setting-up Industry
Positioning Beds
Moving Soil

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
六
戊
申
土
虛
成

Sixth Day (Eleventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: wushen (45/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Void (11/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Completion (9/12)

————————————————— 

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

宜

掃醫納入
舍病采學
作開嫁會
灶市娶友
除交移出
服易徙行
安上理訂
葬樑髮婚
符土
俱大五密
將煞離日

Appropriate Activities
Entering Study
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Marriage Engagements
Grain Payments
Marriage Alliances
Moving Households
Patterning Hair
Physician Visits
Opening Markets
Trade and Commerce
Erecting Beams
Sweeping Rooms
Stove Work
Discarding Clothing
Positioning Graves

Earth Charm

Miscellaneous Information  

Mysterious Days
Five Separations
Great Balefulness
Everything General

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

白 地
White, Earth
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information

(Top to bottom; right to left)

爐 牀 房

Furnace, Bed, House