China's Lunar Calendar 2016 08-11

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
8/15...............................................................................................................8/8

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
一

四期星

Eighth Month, Eleventh Day

Astral Period Four
Thursday, August 11

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Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

德歲
日支

Generational Branch
Virtuous Days

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

中中凶
亥未卯
中凶吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
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
時栽
插種
Planting and Cultivating
Timely Injections

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Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
九
乙
丑
金
斗
執
Ninth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: yichou (2/60)

Phase (element): Metal
Constellation: Dipper (8/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

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

會
友
捕
捉
牧
養
納
畜
歸牛
忌口
陽火
將星
————

Appropriate Activities
Meeting Friends
Seizing and Capturing
Raising Livestock
Livestock Payments 

Baleful Astral Influences

Ox Orifice
Fire Star
Return Taboo
Yang General 
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Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
人

Person
———— 

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Activities

碓
厠 磨

Pestle
Toilet, Mortar