Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"
⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
10/7..............................................................................................................9/30
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.
10/7..............................................................................................................9/30
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.
三期星
Ninth Month, Thirtieth Day
Wednesday, September 30
————
Wednesday, September 30
————
Section Two
Beneficent Stars
(top to bottom, right to left)
玉時
宇德
玉時
宇德
Timely Exemplarity
Jade Expanse
Jade Expanse
Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
中凶吉
酉巳丑
吉吉吉
戌午寅
吉凶中
亥未卯
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
中凶吉
酉巳丑
吉吉吉
戌午寅
吉凶中
亥未卯
吉中凶
23:00-01:00 Auspicious
23:00-01:00 Auspicious
01:00-03:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 In-Between
05:00-07:00 Inauspicious
07:00-09:00 Inauspicious
9:00-11:00 Auspicious
11:00-13:00 Inauspicious
13:00-15:00 In-Between
15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
19:00-21:00 Auspicious
21:00-23:00 Auspicious
03:00-05:00 In-Between
05:00-07:00 Inauspicious
07:00-09:00 Inauspicious
9:00-11:00 Auspicious
13:00-15:00 In-Between
15:00-17:00 In-Between
17:00-19:00 Auspicious
————
Section Four
Activities to Avoid
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
忌
作修
灶廚
作修
灶廚
Repairing Kitchens
Stove Work
Stove Work
Section Five
Cosmological Information
Cosmological Information
十
si
丙
子
si
丙
子
水
箕
平
箕
平
Fourteenth Day (Eighth Lunar Month)
Cyclical Day: bingzi (13/60)
Phase (element): Water
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Winnowing Basket (7/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Level (4/12)
"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Winnowing Basket (7/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Level (4/12)
————
Section Six
Appropriate Activities
and Miscellaneous Information
(top-to-bottom; right to left)
宜
平
治
道
塗
修
飾
垣
墻
死月
神忌
俱鼠
將口
————
宜
平
治
道
塗
修
飾
垣
墻
死月
神忌
俱鼠
將口
————
Appropriate Activities
Leveling, Smoothing, and Painting Roadways
Repairing and Adorning Embankments and Walls
Baleful Astral Influences
Repairing and Adorning Embankments and Walls
Baleful Astral Influences
Lunar Taboo
Rat Orifice
Death Spirit
Everything General
Rat Orifice
Death Spirit
Everything General
Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left,
but the English translation is underneath each character)
白 天
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read right to left,
but the English translation is underneath each character)
白 天
White, Heaven
————
————
Section Eight
Miscellaneous Items
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
Miscellaneous Items
(the Chinese should be read top-to-bottom, and right-to-left;
the English translation is under the bottom of each character)
廚
碓 灶
碓 灶
Kitchen
Pestle, Stove
Pestle, Stove
No comments:
Post a Comment