Lunar World Preview 2018 03-20

As the Lunar World Turns

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Tuesday's Lunar Calendar 

[a] Checking-in RF

Well, people, Tuesday is about as tricky in Lunar World as any day you will see in the coming months. It's a 100% red-ink "personality" day, and the news looks so good that it is difficult to see how there could be anything other than a little blip of a downside. Let's look at the overwhelmingly good news first, and then see how that boffo-upside could possibly be undermined.

[b] Multiple Personalities RF

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This new space gives me a little bit more room to explain parts of the calendar for dedicated readers. Let's start with something that I haven't been able to explain on Facebook, since the posts were all too long for that medium, as it was. You see, there are twenty-eight "constellations" (二十八宿) that circle around in endless fashion, 1-28, and then start over again. These were among the most important factors in how readers in earlier times (in China and Japan) interpreted the calendar.

The jianchu (建除) cycle is an endlessly-repeating cycle of twelve “personalities" that have become prominent in the last century or so. When I first taught this course many years ago, one of my students excitedly raised her hand and said "So that's why my aunt calls my mother and tells her 'Don't let Suzy go to the dentist today!'" I'll have much more to say about these cycles (for dedicated readers), but let's leave it there for today.

Tuesday's Lunar Calendar 

[c] Decide RF

Remember: there are 28 Constellation "personalities," and 12 jianchu "personalities." It's like two people with distinctive traits are "in charge" of your day.

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Today, the constellation personality is red-ink "Tail" (尾) and the jianchu personality is one of the very best of all—Completion (成). Remember what I say almost every twelve days? You decided four days ago, and now it is time to bring things to completion. At the risk of sounding like a skipping CD, what if you followed that sequence every twelve days, thirty or thirty-one times a year? It could change your life. 

[d] Completion RF

Decide...then complete. 

Then do it all again twelve days from now.

So (I hear you cry), that sounds absolutely terrific! Let's just dive straight into a wonderful Tuesday, right?

Well, no, but let's take a quick look at the activities to avoid and those to embrace before I give you the bad news.

[e] Separation RF

Avoid mixing sauces and getting married. It's a good day (big, happy characters) for taking a big, warm, bubbly bath, as well as sweeping the floors (I would suggest doing the sweeping first).

So, as long as you don't spend your day making soy sauce (or getting married), you're in the clear, right?

Um, no, you're not.

You see, there is a warning, right below the positive activities that warns that the day is ruled by the Four Separations (四離), all other activities are not to be recommended. 

Huh? Such a good day, and you're all dressed up and ready to hit the town, right? And now you are told to stay put—just do nothing (other than sweeping and bathing...and not mixing sauces and not getting married). 

All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Damn.

[f] Long Star RF

It's that kind of day, people. Lunar World has its perverse charms, doesn't it?

Let's wrap this up with a quick look at the baleful asterisms, though. One of my favorites is back, the one I call the "the unlucky star of Texas." It's Long Star (長星), and the little joke only works in English (Lone Star). It's all deep in the heart of Texas for me, though.

Well, mind your own business, and keep your nose clean on Tuesday. Watch this space later on Tuesday for a preview of Wednesday in Lunar World.

Tuesday's Lunar Calendar