China's Lunar Calendar 2015 04-26

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
5/1.....................................................................................................................4/23

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
六

日期星

Fourth Month, Twenty-Sixth Day

Astral Period Sun
Sunday, April 26

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

除月天
靈德德

Heavenly Virtue
Lunar Virtue
Discarded Spirits

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Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰子
凶吉吉
酉己丑

吉吉凶

戌午寅
凶中凶
亥未卯
中吉吉

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

07:00-09:00 Auspicious
9:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 In-Between
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
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
安放開
牀水渠

Opening Sluices

Putting-into Water

Positioning Beds

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Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
八
壬
申
金

虛
定

Eighth Day (Third Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: renshen (9/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Void (11/28)

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

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

宜

結開祭
綱市祀
成交祈
服易福 
化安入
靈門學
安入掃
葬倉舍
星火
地月小
 火厭亡空

————
Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune
Entering Study
Sweeping Rooms
Opening Markets
Trade and Commerce
Positioning Gates
Entering Granaries
Binding Nets
Completing Clothing
Changing Spirits
Positioning Graves

Fire Star

Baleful Astral Influences

Small Loss-Void
Lunar Repression
Earth Fire

Section Seven

Inauspicious Stars 
人
Person

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous

倉

廚 庫

Granary

Kitchen, Storehouse