China's Lunar Calendar 2017 10-12

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
10/19...............................................................................................................10/12

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

四期星

Tenth Month, Twelfth Day

Thursday, October 12

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

生驛四歲
氣馬相德

Generational Virtue
Four Facings
Postal Horse
Engendered Vapor

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

中中凶
亥未卯
中吉凶

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

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 Inauspicious
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
進新安開
水船牀渠

Opening Sluices

Positioning Beds

New Boats

Entering Water

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

廿
三
壬
申
金
奎
開
Twenty-Third Day (Eighth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: renshen (9/60)

Phase (element): Metal
Constellation: Astride (15/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Open (11/12)

————

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

宜

上開裁祭
梁市衣祀
栽納移祈
種財徙福
置修理人
產造髮學
除動醫出
服土病行
星火
厭五水月
對離痕忌
————

Appropriate Activities
Venerating Spirits
Inquiring-into Fortune

Entering Study

Going Out (and about)

Cutting-out Clothing

Moving Residences

Physician Visits

Opening Markets

Tax Payments

Repairing and Building

Moving Soil

Raising Beams

Planting and Cultivating

Setting-up Production

Discarding Clothing

Fire Star

Baleful Astral Influences

Lunar Taboo
Water Scar
Five Separations
Mutual Repression

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
人

Person
———— 

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Activities

爐  庫 倉

Furnace, Storehouse, Granary