As the Lunar World Turns
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
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| [a] Preview RF |
Day Personality
Constellation Personality (Section Five—Character Six)
Today's "constellation personality" is Wings (翌). It is the twenty-seventh of twenty-eight "lunar mansions" (宿) or "constellations." Traditional calendars state that it portends a worrisome negativity, and children born of marriages on this day have difficult lives and be of little use to their parents. Not so hot, right?
Jianchu Personality (Section Five—Character Seven)
The jianchu "personality"
is Fullness (滿). It is the third of twelve characters in the jianchu cycle. It sounds pretty good, right? Well, right up until the heartburn starts. In other words, there is a downside to "Fullness," and that is why it's printed in black ink. That
is the idea of this day personality.
Lucky Stars
(Section Two)
There are two beneficent asterisms today: Generational Branch (歲支) and Exemplary Days (德日). They shine over Lunar World with red-ink wonder.
Auspicious Times
(Section Three)
There are four inauspicious (凶) two-hour periods, two in-between (中) times, and fully six auspicious (吉) times. Having read the calendar for a quarter century, I can say that there is "auspiciousness inflation" going on here. Four of each is standard—every day. No longer.
Things to Avoid
(Section Four)
It's a bad day for Binding Nets (結網) and Mourning Visits (行喪). The calendar won't tell you what they "mean." You have to study history, culture, and literature to understand those matters. There will be more on these issues as we proceed with this series.
Just Plain Counting
(Section Four—Characters 1-4)
It
is the eighth (初八) day of the twelfth lunar month. Yup, the very last day of the (lunar) year. The cycle of sixty character
is #17: gengchen (庚辰). The days cycle—1, 2, 3, 58, 59, 60, 1, 2, 3...—in
perpetuity.
Constellation Personality (Section Five—Character Six)
Today's "constellation personality" is Wings (翌). It is the twenty-seventh of twenty-eight "lunar mansions" (宿) or "constellations." Traditional calendars state that it portends a worrisome negativity, and children born of marriages on this day have difficult lives and be of little use to their parents. Not so hot, right?
Jianchu Personality (Section Five—Character Seven)
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| [b] Fullness RF |
Lucky Stars
(Section Two)
There are two beneficent asterisms today: Generational Branch (歲支) and Exemplary Days (德日). They shine over Lunar World with red-ink wonder.
Auspicious Times
(Section Three)
There are four inauspicious (凶) two-hour periods, two in-between (中) times, and fully six auspicious (吉) times. Having read the calendar for a quarter century, I can say that there is "auspiciousness inflation" going on here. Four of each is standard—every day. No longer.
Things to Avoid
(Section Four)
It's a bad day for Binding Nets (結網) and Mourning Visits (行喪). The calendar won't tell you what they "mean." You have to study history, culture, and literature to understand those matters. There will be more on these issues as we proceed with this series.
(Section Four—Characters 1-4)
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| [c] "Net" RF |
Elemental (and Phased)
(Section Five—Character 5)
Today's slice of the "Five Phases" (sometimes called the "Five Elements") is Metal (金). Ordinarily, the Five Phases weave their way, two-by-two, through the calendar. Yesterday was Soil. Today is Metal, and tomorrow is Metal.
Appropriate Things
(Section Six)
It's a solid day for only four things today: Venerating Ancestors (祭祀), Meeting Friends (會友), Tailoring (裁衣), and Plugging holes (補塞) on your sprawling seventeenth century southeastern Chinese estate.
(Section Five—Character 5)
Today's slice of the "Five Phases" (sometimes called the "Five Elements") is Metal (金). Ordinarily, the Five Phases weave their way, two-by-two, through the calendar. Yesterday was Soil. Today is Metal, and tomorrow is Metal.
Appropriate Things
(Section Six)
It's a solid day for only four things today: Venerating Ancestors (祭祀), Meeting Friends (會友), Tailoring (裁衣), and Plugging holes (補塞) on your sprawling seventeenth century southeastern Chinese estate.
Tuesday's Lunar Calendar
Solar Periods
(Section Six—Upper and Middle)
We are currently in the first of the twenty-four fifteen day solar periods (the
二十四節氣). It is called "Beginning of Spring" (立春) which might seem a
bit ironic, since we are many weeks away from the equinox. Still, there
is a logic to the Chinese calendar dates that begin the seasons. Pay
attention to these posts, and you will begin to see it. In any case,
"Beginning of Spring," began on Monday, February 4, and runs
through Monday, February 18.
We are now in the second of seventy-two
five-day
solar micro-periods (the 七十二候). It is called Dormant Creatures Twitch
(蟄蟲始振), and you will begin to get the idea of "spring" this early by that term. It began on Monday, February 4, and runs through Friday, February 8. You
can learn more about these solar periods by reading Liza Dalby's East Wind Melts the Ice.
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| [d] Heavenly Dog RF |
Fear Your Unlucky Stars
(Bottom of Section Six)
The baleful asterisms (the bottom of section six) are Without Emolument (無祿), Mutual Repression (厭對), Three Mournings (三喪), and Heavenly Dog (天狗). The first means you don't get paid, the second that you don't have friends, the third, well, figure it out...and the fourth is one of the most terrifying unlucky stars of all (not a Lucky Dog). As for this entire section on unlucky stars, my best advice for the non-specialist is to begin thinking of each of them as movie titles (for really scary movies). It works pretty well to get a sense of both the fear and irony built-into these terms. Imagine a movie called No Salary!
Miscellaneous Omens and Activities
(Sections Seven and Eight)
Today's miscellaneous omens are White (白) and Earth (地). The miscellaneous activities are Pestle (碓), Perch (栖), and Mortar (磨). Thirty years of ethnographic fieldwork surrounding this section (asking calendrical experts and ordinary people alike) has resulted in extremely ambiguous answers.
See You Tomorrow
O.k., folks. That's it. Enjoy this eighth day of the Year of the Pig, and I'll see you back here for the next preview soon.
(Bottom of Section Six)
The baleful asterisms (the bottom of section six) are Without Emolument (無祿), Mutual Repression (厭對), Three Mournings (三喪), and Heavenly Dog (天狗). The first means you don't get paid, the second that you don't have friends, the third, well, figure it out...and the fourth is one of the most terrifying unlucky stars of all (not a Lucky Dog). As for this entire section on unlucky stars, my best advice for the non-specialist is to begin thinking of each of them as movie titles (for really scary movies). It works pretty well to get a sense of both the fear and irony built-into these terms. Imagine a movie called No Salary!
Miscellaneous Omens and Activities
(Sections Seven and Eight)
Today's miscellaneous omens are White (白) and Earth (地). The miscellaneous activities are Pestle (碓), Perch (栖), and Mortar (磨). Thirty years of ethnographic fieldwork surrounding this section (asking calendrical experts and ordinary people alike) has resulted in extremely ambiguous answers.
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| [e] Perch RF |
O.k., folks. That's it. Enjoy this eighth day of the Year of the Pig, and I'll see you back here for the next preview soon.
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