China's Lunar Calendar 2015 10-12

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
10/12...................................................................................................................10/6

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
十
二

一期星

Tenth Month, Twelfth Day

Astral Period One
Monday, October 12

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

天德天
貴合月
Heavenly Lunarity
Virtuous Linkage
Heavenly Nobility

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

戌午寅
中吉吉

亥未卯
中中凶

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

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

15:00-17:00 In-Between
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
進新醞
水船釀
Fermenting Beverages
New Boats
Entering Water

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Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

三

十
辛
酉
木
危
閉
Thirtieth Day (Eighth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: xinyou (58/60)

Phase (element): Wood

Constellation: Woman (12/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Closed (12/12)

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

宜
安沐祭
牀浴祀
作理祈
灶髮福
補掃出
塞舍行
安開裁
葬市衣
痕水
月血上
害支兀

————
Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune
Going Out (and about)
Cutting-out Clothing
Bubbling and Bathing

Patterning Hair

Sweeping Rooms

Opening Markets

Positioning Beds

Stove Work

Patching and Plugging

Positioning Graves

Water Scar

Baleful Astral Influences

Upper Amputee
Blood Branch
Lunar Harm

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

白
White

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous

廚
門 灶

Kitchen
Gate, Stove