China's Lunar Calendar 2013 08-29

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT September 4........................................................................................................August 28 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
日期星

  Eighth Month, Twenty-ninth Day

Astral Period Four
Thursday, August 29

———————————————— 
Section Two

Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)

德歲歲
日支德

Generational Virtue
Generational Branch
Virtuous Days

—————————————————

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

吉凶中

酉己丑

中中吉

戌午寅

中吉凶

亥未卯

凶吉凶

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

07:00-09:00 Inauspicious
09:00-11:00 In-Between
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

動穿理
土井髮

Patterning Hair
Boring Wells
Moving Soil

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

廿
三
丁
卯
火
井
危

Twenty-third Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: dingmao (04/60)

Phase (element): Fire

Constellation: Well (22/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Danger (8/12)

————————————————— 

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

宜

上嫁祭

樑娶祀

安納祈

牀采福

成徙會

服徙友

安交出

葬易行

符土

 俱五月
將虛忌

Appropriate Activities  

Venerating Ancestors
Inquiring-into Fortune
Meeting Friends
Going Out (and about)
Marriage Alliances
Grain Payments
Moving Residences
Trade and Commerce
Erecting Beams
Positioning Beds
Completing Clothing
Positioning Graves

Earth Charm

Miscellaneous Information

Lunar Taboo
Five Voids
All General

————  

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

白 林
White, Copse

—————————————————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Activities

(Top to bottom; right to left)
倉

門  庫

Granary
Gate, Storehouse