Lunar World Preview 2018 03-21

As the Lunar World Turns

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Wednesday's Lunar Calendar 

[a] Checking-In RF

Today's day-column in Lunar World is better than "not bad," if I may say so myself. Now that we're through yesterday's "just avoid doing much of anything" theme, we're ready to dip our toes back into the waters of normalcy. 

The water is warm and inviting, so let's take a dive into Wednesday.

Deep Dive

[b] Five Dive RF

This new space gives me a little bit more room to explain parts of the calendar for dedicated readers, so let me give you a little bit more detail about the calendar before we confront the "personality" matters that we have always covered in this space. Let's take a closer look at section five. The first two characters tell which day it is in the lunar month. Today is 初五, which literally translates as "beginning five," and means something very close to "05," or the fifth day of the lunar month. 

Now, take a look at the third and fourth characters (renzi, 49, today). These are part of an endlessly-repeating sixty-day cycle that moves in the pattern of 01, 02, 03...09, 10, 11...58, 59, 60...01. Forever. And ever. The cycle is so important in "dating" Chinese history, that it cannot be ignored with traditional historiography. It lives on in Lunar World.

[c] Winnowing RF

Finally, observe the fifth character in section five. It is one of the 五行 Five Phases (sometimes called Five Elements). They are Water, Metal, Fire, Wood, Earth, and they repeat for two days before giving way to the next (Water, Water, Metal, Metal, Fire, Fire, Wood, Wood, Earth, Earth...Water, Water...). Once in a while, they will go out-of-order, which keeps us all on our calendrical toes. Today's is Wood (木).

We'll use this "deep dive" space in the future for background information. Feel free to learn more, building your knowledge over time, or skip right to the "personality" information below.

Wednesday's Lunar Calendar

Personality Types

[d] Two Personalities RF

Today, the constellation personality is red-ink "Winnowing Basket" (箕) and the jianchu personality is black-ink "Receive" (收). "Winnowing Basket" is great. It's one of the more positive "constellation personalities" on the calendar. 

And what could be so black-ink neutral-to-bad about "Receive?" That sounds pretty solid, doesn't it? 

Well, (as we discuss often in these previews), all you need to do is read Marcel Mauss's The Gift (one of the classics of the twentieth century) to know that receiving creates a grinding power that compels you to reciprocate. 

[e] Calendrical Snapshot RF

Think about how long it takes you after gratefully receiving a gift to start thinking about how to respond. Yeah, I thought so. This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Evan Connell's novel Mrs. Bridge: "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge were giving a party, not because they wanted to, but because it was time." Yup. How many times have you experience that (in any form, from coffee meetings to dinner parties)? 

So, "Winnowing Basket" meets "Receive." Just plan to winnow that receiving a little bit with a plan for reciprocation, and you're on your way. 

Avoiding...and Appropriate
Avoid opening irrigation sluices, putting things into water, and divinatory inquiries. It's a good day for haircuts, making appointments, and plugging things up on your vast, sprawling, eighteenth century estate in southeastern China. (There are more "appropriate" items, too, so click the links above and below).

[f] Irrigation RF

Solar Periods
And today begins the fourth of twenty-four solar periods (二十四節氣) and this is one of the pivot markers (along with the solstices and the autumn equinox) of the entire solar year (remember that this really is a Luni-Solar calendar, and we use the name "Lunar World" for convenience). 

On top of it all, we have reached the tenth of seventy-two five-day solar micro-periods on the agricultural calendar. This one is called "Swallows Return." I don't know where you live, but they're not returning in my neck-of-the-woods. 

The calendar has a wonderful range of geographical assumptions that keep us on our toes, though, and we'll have more to say about these matters (the seventy-two five-day periods or 七十二候).

See You Back Here Tomorrow (as the Lunar World Turns)
That's a mouthful, which should keep us busy all of the way through Wednesday. Watch out for irrigation (and keep your stuff out of the water...although I think that rubber ducks in the tub should be all right). And make an appointment for that haircut. 

I'll see you back here tomorrow for our Thursday preview.

Wednesday's Lunar Calendar