Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"
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.
⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦
LEFT June 12.................................................June 8..................Monthly Information......... 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 OneSolar Calendar Date
(top to bottom; right to left)
十
二
三期星
Sixth Month, Twelfth Day
Astral Period Three
Wednesday, June 12
————————————————
Section Two
Section Two
Beneficent Stars
(top to bottom, right to left)
(top to bottom, right to left)
天進
恩神
恩神
Entering Spirits
Heavenly Kindness
Heavenly Kindness
—————————————————
Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
吉吉凶
酉己丑
戌午寅
中吉凶
中吉中
亥未卯
凶吉凶
01:00-03:00 Inauspicious
03:00-05:00 In-Between
05:00-07:00 Inauspicious
07:00-09:00 Auspicious
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Auspicious
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 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)
灶廚
Activities to Avoid
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
忌
作修灶廚
Kitchen Repairs
Stove Work
Stove Work
—————————————————
Section Five
Cosmological Information
Cosmological Information
初
五
己
酉
五
己
酉
土
軫
軫
平
Fifth Day (fifth lunar month)
Cyclical day: jiyou (46/60)
Phase (element): Earth
Constellation: Running Board (28/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Even (4/12)
—————————————————
Section Six
Appropriate Activities
(and Miscellaneous Information)
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
__________________________
夏
節
__________________________
宜
Appropriate Activities
(and Miscellaneous Information)
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
__________________________
夏
節
__________________________
宜
平沐
道浴
塗理
飾髮
垣掃
墻舍
楊
忌
雞火
口星
道浴
塗理
飾髮
垣掃
墻舍
楊
忌
雞火
口星
SUMMER FESTIVAL
(Dragon Boat Festival)
Appropriate Activities
Bathing
Patterning Hair
Sweeping Rooms
Leveling Roads
Painting and Ornamenting Embankments and Walls
Shrikes Begin Calling
(the twenty-sixth of seventy-two five-day micro-periods in the solar calendar)*
*Five of these periods are actually six days long; this is one of them.
Miscellaneous Information
Fire Star
Chicken Mouth
(Dragon Boat Festival)
Appropriate Activities
Bathing
Patterning Hair
Sweeping Rooms
Leveling Roads
Painting and Ornamenting Embankments and Walls
Shrikes Begin Calling
(the twenty-sixth of seventy-two five-day micro-periods in the solar calendar)*
*Five of these periods are actually six days long; this is one of them.
Miscellaneous Information
Fire Star
Chicken Mouth
—————————————————
Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(right to left)
丫 神
Bifurcation, Spirit
丫 神
Bifurcation, Spirit
—————————————————
Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities
Miscellaneous Activities
(Top to bottom; right to left)
占
門 大
門 大
Divination
Gate, Big
Gate, Big
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