From Round to Square (and back)

For The Emperor's Teacher, scroll down (↓) to "Topics." It's the management book that will rock the world (and break the vase, as you will see). Click or paste the following link for a recent profile of the project: http://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=240813&issue_id=240610

A new post appears every day at 12:05* (CDT). There's more, though. Take a look at the right-hand side of the page for over four years of material (2,000 posts and growing) from Seinfeld and country music to every single day of the Chinese lunar calendar...translated. Look here ↓ and explore a little. It will take you all the way down the page...from round to square (and back again).
*Occasionally I will leave a long post up for thirty-six hours, and post a shorter entry at noon the next day.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Lunar World Preview 2018 05-01

As the Lunar World Turns
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
[a] Cat Preview RF
Well, people, it's just about a perfect...50-50 day. It's extremely bad and extremely good, all at the same time. Seriously, it's the worst day personality meeting an exceedingly good one. It's like that X-Files episode when the two teenagers set the world shaking every time they were in the same room. That's what Tuesday will be like. Let's take a closer look.

Day Personality
(Section Five—Characters Six and Seven)
Today's "constellation personality" is Beak of the Turtle (觜). It's awful. Calendrical interpretations stress that it is a day of exile and punishment. Make mistakes today, and it will end in arraignment at best and capital punishment, at worst. Drive the speed limit.
[b] Turtle Beak RF

The jianchu "personality" is Discard (). It's wonderful. Calendrical interpretations stress that it is a day for sweeping away excess. It is a time of washing and bathing and (healthy) purging. I like to think of it as a day to clean the office, the kitchen, or any other area. Start eating well. Start exercising. Clean it up and move out the excess. Good stuff.

Lucky Stars
(Section Two)
There are three beneficent asterisms today: Generational Virtue (歲德), Linked Days (合日), and Generational Emolument (歲祿). They're good.


Auspicious Times
(Section Three)
There are four inauspicious (凶) two-hour periods, four in-between () times, and four auspicious () times. Back to normal; twice in one week (4-4-4).

Things to Avoid
(Section Four)
It's a bad day for Lawsuits and Litigation (詞訟), Distant Journeys (遠行), and Discarding Clothing (除服). Think about these. What does "distant" mean? What does "discard" mean? What does "litigation" mean?

Just Plain Counting
(Section Four—Characters 1-4)
It is the sixteenth (十六) day of the third lunar month. The cycle of sixty character is #30: guisi (癸巳). The days cycle—1, 2, 3, 58, 59, 60, 1, 2, 3...—in perpetuity. 
Elemental (and Phased)
(Section Five—Character 5)
Today's slice of the "Five Phases" (sometimes called the "Five Elements") is Water (水). Ordinarily, the Five Phases weave their way, two-by-two, through the calendar. Yesterday was Water. Today is Water, and tomorrow is Metal.

Appropriate Things
(Section Six) 
[d] Bathing RF
It's a solid day for twelve different things, including Haircuts (理髮, Bathing (沐浴), and Felling Timber (伐木). By all means, click the links to see the other nine (they're very interesting).
Tuesday's Lunar Calendar

Solar Periods
(Section Six—Upper and Middle)
We are in the sixth of the twenty-four fifteen day solar periods (the 二十四節氣), which began on Friday, April 20 and runs through Friday, May 4. It is called Corn Rain (穀雨). We are in the eighteenth of the seventy-two five-day solar micro periods (the 七十二候). It is called Hoopoe Alights on Mulberry (戴勝降于桑). It began on Monday, April 30, and runs through Friday, May 4.

Fear Your Unlucky Stars 
(Bottom of Section Six)
The baleful asterisms (the bottom of section six) are Short Star (短星), Lower Amputee (下兀), Doubled Days (重日), and Plundered Balefulness (劫煞). They're bad. Very bad.
Miscellaneous Omens and Activities
(Sections Seven and Eight)

Today's miscellaneous omens are Bifurcation (丫) and Person (人). The miscellaneous activities are Divination (占), Bed (牀), and Edifice (房). Nobody knows what they mean.

See You Tomorrow
So, protect your neck from whiplash on this utterly-good-meets-utterly-bad day. Weave your way between the beak of the turtle and discarding things that aren't good for you. I'll see you back here on Tuesday night for a preview of Wednesday in Lunar World.

China's Lunar Calendar 2018 05-01

Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 
***Check out the full explanation of today's lunar-solar calendar translation*** 
⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
5/6.................................................................................................................4/29
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-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying 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. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
Section One
Solar Calendar Date
一五
日月
二期星
Fifth Month, First Day 
Tuesday, May 1
————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 
(top to bottom, right to left)
歲合歲
祿日德
Generational Virtue
Linked Days
Generational Emolument

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

酉己丑
中吉中
戌午寅
中中
亥未卯
凶凶
23:00-01:00 Auspicious
01:00-03:00 In-Between
03:00-05:00 In-Between
05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 Inauspicious
9:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 In-Between
13:00-15:00 Inauspicious

15:00-17:00 Auspicious
17:00-19:00 In-Between
19:00-21:00 Inauspicious
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.
                             —————————————————
***Check out the full explanation of today's lunar-solar calendar translation*** 
Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

除遠詞
服行訟
Lawsuits and Litigation
Distant Journeys
Discarding Clothing

Section Five 
Cosmological Information






Sixteenth Day (Third Lunar Month)
Cyclical day: guisi (30/60)
Phase (element): Water
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Beak of the Turtle (20/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)
————
Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information  
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
上安理
樑牀髮
安修沐
門造浴
作動掃
灶土舎
伐堅拆
木柱卸
星短
劫重下
煞日兀
————
Appropriate Activities
Patterning Hair
Bubbling and Bathing
Sweeping Rooms
Unhitching and Unloading
Positioning Beds
Repairing and Constructing
Moving Soil
Erecting Pillars
Raising Beams
Positioning Gates
Stove Work
Felling Timber

Short Star

Baleful Astral Influences
Lower Amputee
Doubled Days
 Plundered Balefulness

 ***Check out the full explanation of today's lunar-solar calendar translation***  
Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(top-to-bottom; left to right)
丫 人
Bifurcation, Person
———— 

Section Eight 
Miscellaneous Activities
(top-to-bottom; left to right)

牀 房

Lunar World Preview 2018 04-30

As the Lunar World Turns
Monday, April 30, 2018
[a] Cat Preview RF
We're back to "normal," again, people. It's 50-50, red-ink, black-ink. It's also the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and there should be a big, shiny, full moon out there. Glorious. Let's take a closer look.

Day Personality
(Section Five—Characters Six and Seven)
Today's "constellation personality" is Net (). Calendrical interpretations stress that it has the sense of catching loads of fish in your nets. By extension, you will catch all sorts of things in your nets if you handle things correctly. It is a good day for building, and even burials. Long life is assured to children born on marriages today
[b] Irrigation RF

The jianchu "personality" is Establish (建). Although it is printed in black ink, it is pretty darned good. Commence new ventures, start business deals—establish stuff. It's a bad day for outdoor activities, though.

Lucky Stars
(Section Two)
There are two beneficent asterisms today: Heavenly Virtue (天德) and Lunar Virtue (月德). They're good.

Auspicious Times

(Section Three)
There are three inauspicious (凶) two-hour periods, three in-between () times, and six auspicious () times. 3-3-6: I call that inflation—auspiciousness inflation.
Things to Avoid
(Section Four)
It's a bad day for Opening Irrigation Sluices (開渠) and Mourning Visits (行喪). Think about these. 

[c] Unloading RF
Just Plain Counting
(Section Four—Characters 1-4)
It is the fifteenth (十五) day of the third lunar month. The cycle of sixty character is #29: renchen (壬辰). The days cycle—1, 2, 3, 58, 59, 60, 1, 2, 3...—in perpetuity. 

Elemental (and Phased)
(Section Five—Character 5)
Today's slice of the "Five Phases" (sometimes called the "Five Elements") is Water (水). Ordinarily, the Five Phases weave their way, two-by-two, through the calendar. Yesterday was Wood. Today is Water, and tomorrow is Water.

Appropriate Things
(Section Six) 
It's a solid day for two things only: Unhitching and Unloading (拆卸) and Sweeping Rooms (掃舎).
Monday's Lunar Calendar
Solar Periods
(Section Six—Upper and Middle)
[d] Storehouse RF
We are in the sixth of the twenty-four fifteen day solar periods (the 二十四節氣), which began on Friday, April 20 and runs through Friday, May 4. It is called Corn Rain (穀雨). We are in the eighteenth of the seventy-two five-day solar micro periods (the 七十二候). It is called Hoopoe Alights in Mulberry (戴勝降于桑), and it begins today, on Monday, April 30. It runs through Friday, May 4.

Fear Your Unlucky Stars 
(Bottom of Section Six)
The baleful asterisms (the bottom of section six) are Generational Destruction (歲破) and Three Mournings (三喪). They're bad.
Miscellaneous Omens and Activities
(Sections Seven and Eight)

Today's miscellaneous omens are Bifurcation (丫) and Ghost (鬼). The miscellaneous activities are Granary (倉), Perch (栖), and Storehouse (庫). Nobody knows what they mean.

See You Tomorrow
O.k., cast your net(s) widely and establish stuff. It's a good day to start our thing we call "the week" (which isn't strictly a part of Lunar World). I'll see you back here on Monday night for a preview of Tuesday in Lunar World.