China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2023 08-31

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
9/6.....................................................................................................................................................................8/29

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. 

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)

卅

一

四期星

Eighth Month Thirty-First Day

Thursday, August 31

————

 Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

除陰

神德

Yin Exemplarity

Exorcising Spirits

————

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

中吉中

酉巳丑

凶吉中

戌午寅

中吉凶

亥未卯

中中凶

23:00-1:00 In-Between

1:00-3:00 In-Between

3:00-5:00 Inauspicious

5:00-7:00 Inauspicious

7:00-9:00 Auspicious

9:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00  Auspicious

13:00-15:00 In-Between

15:00-17:00 In-Between

17:00-19:00 Inauspicious

19:00-21:00 In-Between

21:00-23:00 In-Between

————

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

忌

造合

酒醬

Mixing Sauces

Making Liquor

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

十

六

辛

酉

木

斗

除

Sixteenth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: xinyou (58/60)

Phase (element): Wood

"Constellation Personality: Southern Dipper (8/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top to bottom; left to right)

宜

拆

卸

掃

舍

元歲

武咸

將池

Appropriate Activities

Unhitching and Unloading

Sweeping Rooms

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Generational Destruction

Widespread Pond

Primal Martiality

Yin General

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" directly below each character)

丫 人

Bifurcation, Person

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

厨

門 灶

Kitchen

Gate,Stove

China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2023 08-30

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
9/6.....................................................................................................................................................................8/29

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. 

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

十

三期星

Eighth Month Thirtieth Day

Wednesday, August 30

————

 Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

德歲

日支

Generational Branch

Exemplary Days

————

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

吉吉凶

酉巳丑

凶吉吉

戌午寅

凶吉凶

亥未卯

中吉中

23:00-1:00 Inauspicious

1:00-3:00 Auspicious

3:00-5:00 Inauspicious

5:00-7:00 In-Between

7:00-9:00 Auspicious

9:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00  Auspicious

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Auspicious

17:00-19:00 Inauspicious

19:00-21:00 Inauspicious

21:00-23:00 In-Between

————

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

忌

作修

灶厨

Binding Nets

Positioning Beds

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

十

五

庚

申

木

箕

建

Fifteenth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: gengshen (57/60)

Phase (element): Wood

"Constellation Personality: Winnowing Basket (7/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Establish (1/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top to bottom; left to right)

中

元

————

宜

安出

門行

作裁

灶衣

納納

畜財

土

府

重猴

喪口

Appropriate Activities

Going Out (and about)

Cutting-out Clothing (Sewing and Tailoring)

Capital Outflow

Positioning Portals

Stove Work

Livestock Payments

Soil Palace

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Monkey Mouth

Doubled Mourning

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" directly below each character)

丫 鬼

Bifurcation, Ghost

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

碓

爐 磨

Pestle

Furnace, Mortar

China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2023 08-29

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
9/6.....................................................................................................................................................................8/29

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. 

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)

廿

九

二期星

Eighth Month Twenty-Ninth Day

Tuesday, August 29

————

 Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

三歲

合支

Generational Branch

Three Linkages

————

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

吉中中

酉巳丑

凶吉凶

戌午寅

中吉凶

亥未卯

凶吉吉

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 In-Between

9:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00  Auspicious

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Auspicious

17:00-19:00 Inauspicious

19:00-21:00 In-Between

21:00-23:00 Inauspicious

————

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

忌

作修

灶厨

Repairing Kitchens

Stove Work

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

十

四

己

未

火

尾

閉

Fourteenth Day (Seventh Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: jiwei (56/60)

Phase (element): Fire

"Constellation Personality: Tail (6/28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Closed (12/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top to bottom; left to right)

宜

丁

婚

動

土

補

垣

塞

穴

血月

支忌

天火

賊星

Appropriate Activities

Marriage Engagements

Moving Soil

Seizing and Capturing

Plugging Caves

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Lunar Taboo

Fire Star

Blood Branch

Heavenly Thief

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars
(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" directly below each character)

白  山

White, Mountain

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

占

厠 門

Divination

Toilet, Gate