China's Lunar Calendar 2014 04-30

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT May 3 .......................................  ........April 29.......................Monthly 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
三
十

三期星

Fourth Month, Thirtieth Day

Astral Period Three
Wednesday, April 30

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

六歲
合支

Generational Branch
Six Linkages

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

酉己丑

凶吉凶
戌午寅
凶吉吉

亥未卯

中中吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Inauspicious
19:00-21:00 Inauspicious
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
造合
酒醬

Mixing Sauces
Making Liquor

—————————————————  

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
二
辛
未
土
壁
平

Second Day (Fourth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: xinwei (8/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Eastern Wall (15/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Even (4/12)

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

宜
平
治

道

塗

————

 裁

勝

降

于

桑
————
死月
神虛

Appropriate
Leveling Roadways
Painting Roadways

裁勝降于桑
(A thoroughly perplexing phrase with dollops of tailoring and mulberries; I'll get back to you) 

Baleful Astral Influences

Lunar Void
Death Spirit

————
 Section Seven

Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left) 
白 州
White, Landmass
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information 
(Top to bottom; right to left)
廚
厠 灶

Kitchen
Toilet, Stove