China's Lunar Calendar 2015 05-20

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
5/21................................................5/18....................Monthly Calendar Information

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
二
十

三期星

Fifth Month, Twentieth Day

Astral Period Three
Wednesday, May 20

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

合天
日德

Heavenly Virtue

Linked Days

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

吉吉凶

戌午寅
吉中凶
亥未卯
凶吉中

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
19:00-21:00 Auspicious
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
安作
牀灶
Stove Work
Positioning Beds

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Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
三
丙
申
火

箕
平

Third Day (Fourth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: bingshen (33/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Winnowing Basket (7/28)

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

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

宜
移會

徙友

開出

市行

動嫁

土娶

上裁

樑衣

水

痕

復重

日喪

————
Appropriate Activities
Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Marriage Alliances

Cutting-out Clothing

Moving Households

Opening Markets

Moving Soil

Raising Beams

Water Scar

Baleful Astral Influences

 Repeat Mourning
Repeated Days

Section Seven

Inauspicious Stars 
丫 天
Bifurcation, Heaven

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous
廚

爐 灶

Kitchen

Furnace, Stove