China's Lunar Calendar 2013 02-20

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 
Today's date:                                    *

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

二
十

三期星

Twentieth Day

Astral Period Three

(Wednesday, February 20) 

———————————————— 
Section Two

Beneficent Stars

四天

相德

Heavenly Virtue

Four Facings

—————————————————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
申辰子

凶中中

酉己丑

吉吉吉

戌午寅

吉吉中

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

07:00-09:00 In-Between
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Auspicious
13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
19:00-21:00 Auspicious
21:00-23:00 Inauspicious

*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 

 忌

遠理

行髮

Patterning hair

Long journeys

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
一

丁

巳

土
軫

平

Eleventh day (first lunar month)

Cyclical day: dingsi (54/60)

Phase (element): Earth

Constellation: Running Board (28/28)

Jianchu Cycle: Even (4/12)

————————————————— 

Section Six
Appropriate Activities 
(and Miscellaneous Information)

宜

平

治

道

途

修

飾

垣

墻

重上
日朔
陽債
將不

Appropriate Activities

Smoothing and Painting Roads

Adornment of Walls 

Miscellaneous Information

Upper First Lunar

Accumulating Not

Repeated Days

Yang General

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
人神
Person, Spirit

————————————————— 

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities
倉

牀庫

Granary

Bed, Storehouse