China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-01

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT January 5..................................January 1..........Monthly Calendar Information 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) 
一一年一二
日月     四〇
三期星

 First Month, First Day

Astral Period Three
Wednesday, January 1

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

(top to bottom, right to left)

天月六歲

喜德合支

Generational Branch

Six Linkages

Lunar Virtue

Heavenly Happiness

—————————————————

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

凶吉吉

酉己丑

吉吉吉
戌午寅

中凶凶

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
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

動安放開
土牀水渠
Opening Sluices

Putting-into Water

Positioning Beds

Moving Soil

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
一
壬
申
金
箕
成

First Day (Twelfth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: renshen (9/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Winnowing Basket (7/28)

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

————————————————— 

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

宜

上理出祭

樑伐行祀

作掃嫁祈

灶舍娶福

成開納入

服市采學

安交移會

葬易徙友

符土

陽大無水
將煞祿痕

Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune
Entering Study
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Marriage Alliances
Grain Payments
Moving Households
Patterning Hair
Sweeping Rooms
Opening Markets
Trade and Commerce
Putting-up Beams
Stove Work
Putting-together Clothing
Positioning Graves

Earth Charm

Miscellaneous Information  

Water Scar
Without Emolument
Great Balefulness
Yang General

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

白 地
White, Earth
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information

(Top to bottom; right to left)

爐 庫 倉

Furnace, Storehouse, Granary