China's Lunar Calendar 2015 08-20

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
8/26.................................................................................................................8/19

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

四期星

Eighth Month, Twentieth Day

Astral Period Four
Thursday, August 20

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

天天合天
醫喜日德
Heavenly Virtue
Linked Days
Heavenly Happiness
Heavenly Physician

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

吉吉凶

戌午寅
凶中凶
亥未卯
中吉吉

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

07:00-09:00 In-Between
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 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
進新置買
水船業田
Buying Land
Setting-up Industry
New Boats
Entering Water

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Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
七
戊
辰
木
奎
成
Seventh Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: wuchen (5/60)

Phase (element): Wood

Constellation: Astride (15/28)

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

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

宜

上開訂祭
樑市婚祀
修修納入
倉造采學
安動裁會
葬土衣友
痕水
血地月上
忌火厭兀

————
Double Seventh Festival

Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Entering Study

Meeting Friends

Marriage Alliances

Grain Payments

Cutting-out Clothing

Opening Markets

Repairing and Building

Moving Soil

Raising Beams

Repairing Granaries

Positioning Graves

Water Scar

Baleful Astral Influences

Upper Amputee
Lunar Repression
Earth Fire
Blood Taboo

Section Seven

Inauspicious Stars 
白 地
White, Earth

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous

栖 牀 房

Perch, Bed, Edifice