China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2022 08-03

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
8/10...................................................................................................................................,,,,,,,,,,,.......8/3

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 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

                                           (top to bottom, right to left)

三

日

三期星

Eighth Month, Third Day

Wednesday, August 3

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

解金

神堂

Golden Hall

Releasing Spirits

————

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

凶吉中

酉巳丑

吉吉凶

戌午寅

中凶凶

亥未卯

中中吉

23:00-1:00 In-Between

1:00-3:00 Inauspicious

3:00-5:00 Inauspicious

5:00-7:00 Auspicious

7:00-9:00 Auspicious

9:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00 Inauspicious

13:00-15:00 In-Between

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious

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

置買

業田

Purchasing Land

Setting-up Industry

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

六

戊

子

火

箕

執

Sixth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: wuzi (25/60)

Phase (element): Fire

"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Winnowing Basket (7/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Grasp (6/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

宜

沐祭

浴祀

捕出

捉行

結裁

網衣

取理

魚髮

歸

忌

復咸

喪池

Appropriate Activities

Venerating Ancestors

Going Out (and about)

Cutting-out Clothing (Sewing and Tailoring)

Patterning Hair (Haircuts and Styling)

Bubbling and Bathing

Seizing and Capturing

Binding Nets

Garnering Piscinity (Goin' Fishin')

Return Taboo

Baleful Asterisms

Widespread Pond

Repeat Mourning

————

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese should be read left to right）

白 水

White, Water

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese should be read left to right）

房

碓 牀

Edifice

Pestle, Bed