China's Lunar Calendar 2014 01-13

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦

LEFT January 13................................................................................................January 6 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
三
一期星

 First Month, Thirteenth Day

Astral Period One
Monday, January 13

———————————————— 
Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

陽母六歲
德倉合支

Generational Virtue

Linked Days

—————————————————

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

吉吉吉

酉己丑

吉吉吉
戌午寅

中凶凶

亥未卯

凶凶中

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

07:00-09:00 Auspicious
09:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
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

納安出開
采牀財倉
Opening Granaries
Capital Outflow
Positioning Beds
Grain Payments

————————————————— 

 Section Five 
Cosmological Information 

十
三
甲
申
水
畢
危

Thirteenth Day (Twelfth Lunar Month)

Cyclical day: jiashen (21/60)

Phase (element): Metal

Constellation: Net (19/28)

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

————————————————— 

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

宜

倉納髮祭
醞財掃祀
釀修舍入
作造移學
灶動徙出
納土開行
畜上市裁
安樑交衣
葬修易理

俱游刀五
將禍砧離

Appropriate Activities
Venerating Ancestors
Entering Study
Going Out (and about)
Cutting-out Clothing
Patterning Hair
Moving Households
Opening Markets
Trade and Commerce
Capital Outflow
Repairing and Constructing
Moving Soil
Putting-up Beams
Repairing Granaries
Fermenting Beverages
Stove Work
Livestock Payments
Positioning Beds

Miscellaneous Information  

Five Separations

Sword Anvil

Water Calamity

Everything General

————

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 
(right to left)

白 火
White, Fire
————

Section Eight
Miscellaneous Information

(Top to bottom; right to left)

爐 門 占
Furnace, Gate, Divination