From Round to Square (and back)

For The Emperor's Teacher, scroll down (↓) to "Topics." It's the management book that will rock the world (and break the vase, as you will see). Click or paste the following link for a recent profile of the project: http://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=240813&issue_id=240610

A new post appears every day at 12:05* (CDT). There's more, though. Take a look at the right-hand side of the page for over four years of material (2,000 posts and growing) from Seinfeld and country music to every single day of the Chinese lunar calendar...translated. Look here ↓ and explore a little. It will take you all the way down the page...from round to square (and back again).
*Occasionally I will leave a long post up for thirty-six hours, and post a shorter entry at noon the next day.

Sunday, November 29, 2020

China's Lunar Calendar 2020 11-30

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
12/06................................................................................................................................11/29

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-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution tha"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 calendarSome 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. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
Section One
Solar Calendar Date
一期星
Eleventh Month, Thirtieth Day
Monday, November 30
————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)
六歲
合支
Generational Branch
Six Linkages

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left

申辰甲
中中
酉巳丑
戌午寅
亥未卯
23:00-1:00 Auspicious
1:00-3:00 In-Between
3:00-5:00 In-Between
5:00-7:00  Inauspicious

7:00-9:00 In-Between
9:00-11:00 Inauspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
13:00-15:00  Inauspicious

15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
19:00-21:00 In-Between
21:00-23:00 Auspicious
 ————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 


行理
喪髮
Patterning Hair (Haircuts and Styling)
Mourning Visits

Section Five 
Cosmological Information
滿
Sixteenth Day (Tenth Lunar Month)
Cyclical Day: dingchou (14/60)
Phase (element): Water
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Danger 
(12/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Fullness (3/12)
————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 
歸月
忌厭
大三
煞喪
————

Appropriate Activities
Meeting Friends
Patching Embankments
Plugging Caves
Binding Nets

Baleful Astral Influences
Lunar Repression
Three Mournings
Return Taboo
Great Balefulness

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left, 
but the English translation is underneath each character)

丫 山
Bifurcation, Mountain
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Items 
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
廁 庫
Granary
Toilet, Storehouse

China's Lunar Calendar 2020 11-29

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
12/06................................................................................................................................11/29

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-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution tha"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 calendarSome 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. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
Section One
Solar Calendar Date
廿
期星
Eleventh Month, Twenty-Ninth Day
Sunday, November 29
————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)
天吉官
馬期日
Official Days
Auspicious Time-Slice
Heavenly Equinity

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left

申辰甲
酉巳丑
戌午寅
亥未卯
吉中中
23:00-1:00 Auspicious
1:00-3:00 Auspicious
3:00-5:00 In-Between
5:00-7:00 In-Between

7:00-9:00 Inauspicious
9:00-11:00 Inauspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
13:00-15:00 In-Between

15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
19:00-21:00 Auspicious
21:00-23:00 Auspicious
 ————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 


除作修
服灶廚
Repairing Kitchens
Stove Work
Discarding Clothing

Section Five 
Cosmological Information
Fifteenth Day (Tenth Lunar Month)
Cyclical Day: bingzi (13/60)
Phase (element): Water
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Void 
(11/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)
————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 
元下
————
上移出
樑徙行
安理訂
牀髮婚
安開裁
葬市衣
池咸
復伏暗
喪斷金
————

Later Primacy (Xia Yuan Festival)
(a traditional festival celebrated on the full moon of the tenth lunar month)

Appropriate Activities
Going Out (and about)
Marriage Engagements
Cutting-out Clothing (Sewing and Tailoring)
Moving Residences
Patterning Hair (Haircuts and Styling)
Opening Markets
Raising Beams
Positioning Beds
Positioning Graves

Widespread Pond

Baleful Astral Influences
Dark Metal
Prostrate Severance
Repeat Mourning

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left, 
but the English translation is underneath each character)

丫 火
Bifurcation, Fire
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Items 
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
碓 灶
Kitchen
Pestle, Stove

Saturday, November 28, 2020

China's Lunar Calendar 2020 11-28

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
11/28..................................................................................................................11/20

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-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution tha"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 calendarSome 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. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
Section One
Solar Calendar Date
廿
六期星
Eleventh Month, Twenty-Eighth Day
Saturday, November 28
————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)
合歲
日德
Generational Exemplarity
Linked Days

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left

申辰甲
吉中吉
酉巳丑
戌午寅
亥未卯
中吉吉
23:00-1:00 Auspicious
1:00-3:00 Auspicious
3:00-5:00 Auspicious
5:00-7:00 Auspicious

7:00-9:00 In-Between
9:00-11:00 Inauspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 In-Between
21:00-23:00 In-Between
 ————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 


嫁栽
娶種
Planting and Cultivating
Marriage Alliances

Section Five 
Cosmological Information
Fourteenth Day (Tenth Lunar Month)
Cyclical Day: yihai (12/60)
Phase (element): Fire
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Maiden 
(10/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Establish (1/12)
————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 
重短
日星
土月
府忌
————
Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Going Out (and about)
Bubbling and Bathing
Establishing Rooms

Baleful Astral Influences
Short Star
Lunar Taboo
Doubled Days
Earth Palace

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left, 
but the English translation is underneath each character)

白 神
White, Spirit
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Items 
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
牀 磨
Pestle
Bed, Mortar

Friday, November 27, 2020

China's Lunar Calendar 2020 11-27

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
11/28..................................................................................................................11/20

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-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution tha"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 calendarSome 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. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
Section One
Solar Calendar Date
廿
五期星
Eleventh Month, Twenty-Seventh Day
Friday, November 27
————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)
四月
相德
Lunar Exemplarity
Four Facings

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left

申辰
酉巳丑
戌午寅
亥未卯
23:00-01:00 In-Between
01:00-03:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 
Auspicious
05:00-07:00 Auspicious

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

15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00  In-Between
21:00-23:00 In-Between
 ————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 


出開
財倉
Opening Granaries
Capital Outflow

Section Five 
Cosmological Information
Thirteenth Day (Tenth Lunar Month)
Cyclical Day: jiaxu (11/60)
Phase (element): Fire
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Oxen 
(9/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Closed (12/12)
————

Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 
————
————
火上
星兀
————
Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Positioning Beds
Patching and Plugging

Heaven's Vapors Rise; Earth's Vapors Recede and Fall
(the fifty-ninth of seventy-two five-day solar micro-periods on the agricultural calendar)

Baleful Astral Influences
Upper Amputee
Fire Asterism

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left, 
but the English translation is underneath each character)

白 地
White, Earth
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Items 
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
栖 碓 
Gate
Perch, Pestle