China's Lunar Calendar 2013 06-22

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT June 29.....................................................................................................June 22 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) 
廿
二

六期星

Sixth Month, Twenty-second Day

Astral Period Six
Saturday, June 22

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Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

六吉守四
合期日相

Four Facings
Protected Days
Auspicious Temporal-unit
Six Unities

—————————————————

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

吉中凶

酉己丑

中吉凶

戌午寅

中吉吉

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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

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 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) 

忌

成除合裁
服靈帳衣

Cutting-out Clothing
Tying-together Banners
Expelling Spirits
Putting-together Clothing

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
五
己
未

火
女
除

Fifteenth Day (fifth lunar month)

Cyclical day: jiwei (56/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Woman (10/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)

————————————————— 

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

 宜
開交移祭
倉易徙祀
安修理祈
牀造髮福
作動掃會
灶土舍友
安上立出
葬樑約行
兀上
陰勾三長
將陳喪行

Appropriate Activities  
 Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Moving Residences
Patterning Hair
Sweeping Rooms
Setting-up Appointments
Trade and Commerce
Repairing and Building
Moving Soil
Erecting Beams
Opening Granaries
Positioning Beds
Stove Work
Positioning Graves

Upper Amputee

Miscellaneous Information    

Long Star
Three Mournings
Arousing Narration
Yin General

 —————————————————  
Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars

(right to left)
丫 林
Bifurcation, Copse

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

厠 門 占

Toilet, Gate, Divination