China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2022 02-01

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
2/4.................................................2/1...........................................Monthly Calendar Information

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. 

As for interpreting the translation, 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 (almost any "it" you will see). 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. And do not assume that people from China understand the traditional calendar particularly well, either. I have encountered confusion and furrowed brows for countless items in the calendar. It can seem "remote," in other words, from the world we live in these days, and yet it is printed anew every single year.

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 o

f 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

                                           (top to bottom, right to left)

一二年二二

日月年二〇

二期星

Second Month, First Day

Tuesday, February 1

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

天天四德天歲

醫喜相合月祿

Generational Emolument

Heavenly Lunarity

Exemplary Linkage

Four Facings

Heavenly Happiness

Heavenly Physician

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

吉吉吉

酉巳丑

吉凶吉

戌午寅

中中吉

亥未卯

中凶凶

23:00-1:00 Auspicious

1:00-3:00 Auspicious

3:00-5:00 Auspicious

5:00-7:00 Inauspicious

7:00-9:00 Auspicious

9:00-11:00 Inauspicious

11:00-13:00 In-Between

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 In-Between

————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

忌
進新取田時栽

水船魚獵插種

Planting and Cultivating

Timely Injections

Field Venery (Goin' Huntin')

Garnering Piscinity (Goin' Fishin')

New Boats

Entering Water

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

一

乙

酉

水

觜

成

First Day (First Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: yiyou (22//60)

Phase (element): Water

"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Beak of the Turtle (20/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Completion (9/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

節春

出卯方時天貴

行巳迎亦乙神

噩未貴吉貴西

神時神出人南

死凶東行丑財

門午南宜時神

西未方子福東

北時迎丑星南

五截財寅貴灶

貴路神辰入香

東空大時上宜

北亡吉向吉用

勿不是西寅子

向宜日南辰時

SPRING FESTIVAL

Noble Spirits: Southwest

Wealth God: Northeast

Kitchen Incense: Appropriate Use...

The rest of the column continues in this manner, and 

creates a directional symbolism for thinking about various 

divinatory activities (something that is not in 

the day columns for the rest of the year.

Happy New Year!