China's Lunar Calendar 2014 03-28

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT March 30.........................................................................................................March 23 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
八

五期星

Third Month, Twenty-eighth Day

Astral Period Five
Friday, March 28

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

麒三歲
麟合支

Generational Branch
Three Linkages
Phoenix

—————————————————

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

吉凶凶

酉己丑
凶中吉
戌午寅
中吉凶

亥未卯

中吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Inauspicious
19:00-21:00 In-Between
21:00-23:00 In-Between

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
修置買
倉業田

Buying Land
Setting-up Industry
Repairing Granaries

—————————————————  

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
八
戊
戌
木
牛
危

Twenty-eighth Day (Second Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: wuxu (35/60)

Phase (element): Wood

Constellation: Ox (9/28)

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

—————————————————  

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

宜
作交訂
灶易婚
安修納
牀造采
掃動裁
舍土衣
結安立
綱門約
將陰
月月無
虛煞祿

Appropriate Activities

Marriage Engagements
Grain Payments
Cutting-out Clothing
Setting-up Appointments
Trade and Commerce
Repairing and Building
Moving Soil
Positioning Gates
Stove Work
Positioning Beds
Sweeping Rooms
Binding Nets

Yin General

Miscellaneous Information

 Without Emolument
Lunar Balefulness
Lunar Void
————

 Section Seven

Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left) 
丫    
BIfurcation
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information 
(Top to bottom; right to left)
房
栖 牀

House
Perch, Bed