China's Lunar Calendar 2013 06-29

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
九

六期星

Sixth Month, Twenty-ninth Day

Astral Period Six
Saturday, June 29

———————————————— 
Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

天天天月
醫喜貴德

Lunar Virtue
Heavenly Preciousness
Heavenly Happiness
Heavenly Physician

—————————————————

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

凶凶凶

酉己丑

吉中中

戌午寅

中吉中

亥未卯

凶中吉

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

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
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

祈祭作修
福祀灶廚

Repairing Kitchens
Stove Work
Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
二
丙
寅
火

胃
成

Twenty-second Day (fifth lunar month)

Cyclical day: bingyin (3/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Stomach (17/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Completion (9/12)

————————————————— 

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

 宜
修交納入
倉易采學
栽修嫁會
種造取友
納動醫出
畜土病行
安上開訂
葬樑市婚
忌歸 
陽大白小
   將煞虎亡空＊

Appropriate Activities   
Entering Study
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Marriage Engagements
Grain Payments
Marriage Alliances
Physician Visits
Opening Markets
Commerce and Trade
Repairs and Building
Moving Soil
Erecting Beams
Repairing Granaries
Planting Crops
Livestock Payments
Positioning Graves

Return Taboo

Miscellaneous Information    

Small Disaster-void
White Tiger
Great Balefulness
Yang General

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

(right to left)
人 水
Person, Water

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left) 

爐 灶 廚

Furnace, Stove, Kitchen