China's Lunar Calendar 2013 04-19

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT April 23.............................................................................April 15 RIGHT

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
(top to bottom; right to left)  
十
九

五期星

Fourth month, nineteenth day

Astral Period Five

Friday, April 19

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

要官
安日

Official Days
Vital Calm

—————————————————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰子

吉中吉

酉己丑

凶凶中

戌午寅

凶中吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Inauspicious
19:00-21:00 Inauspicious
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 
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

忌

穿栽
井種

Planting Crops
Boring Wells

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

初
十

乙

卯

水

亢

閉

Tenth Day (third lunar month)

Cyclical day: yimao (52/60)

Phase (element): Water

Constellation: Neck (2/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Closed (12/12)

————————————————— 

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

 宜

動祭
土祀
安出
牀行
成開
服市
安修
葬造

陽
將
月血
害支

Appropriate Activities
Paying Respects

Going Out (and about)

Opening Markets

Repairs and Construction

Moving Soil

Positioning Beds

Putting-together Clothing

Positioning Graves  

Yang General

Miscellaneous Information

Blood Branch
Lunar Harm

 ————————————————— 

 Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
人 山
Person, Mountain

————————————————— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

門
磨 碓
Gate
Mortar, Pestle