- Ken Koh
- Aug 13, 2019
- 2 min read
The Chinese Almanac, originated from the Yellow Calendar（黄历）has evolved through time and was last updated during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).
Popularly referred to as ‘Tong-Shu’ （通书）literally translated as the Book of Everything, it was later termed as ‘Tong-Sheng’ （通胜）, a homophone to ‘All about Victories’. A large section of the Chinese Almanac is dedicated to customs, heritage, divination, forecasting and even self-healing processes.
However, the focus and most commonly used information are found in the pages where daily lives are centered around the recommendations of auspicious activities found in certain days.
And so, you will still find good days for fishing, auspicious days to cut your nails, one for visiting the hairdresser and, believe it or not, good days to take a bath ! I say, for heaven’s sake, take a bath everyday, however inauspicious.
While the essence and wisdom of the Chinese Almanac must be preserved, it has not been adjusted or updated for transition of time and changes, both in thoughts and society.
As it stood the test of time for nearly 400 years, the methodologies passed down are still proving to deliver their results. These processes are useful if we can tweak our minds to replace several of the activities described and replace them with our daily routines today.
For example, the start of each year is divisible by twelve different ‘vibes of the day’ which is referred to as the ‘Day Officer’ with differing energies suited for various activities.
Instead of sticking to outdated activities, we can replace them with relevant goals worth achieving. Simply put, we can match certain days for weddings, moving to a new home, renovations, starting on a new job, launching a new product, making an investment decision and even a day to end a toxic relationship.
As customary for most Chinese around the world to plan and look forward to a new year, the current Chinese Almanac is an embodiment in Chinese homes, regardless if we use it or even understand its contents. Such is the affinity, appeal and pride in its ownership.
The first few pages are the encapsulation of what’s in store for the coming year and as with many, it is both a self efficacy and prediction we all anticipate.
Besides the Spring Ox Diagram which tells of prevailing weather conditions, harvest potential of crops, another octagonal diagram called the Eight Trigrams contains information to various directions and locations of a space that come with enhancements and negative energies to watch out for. Above is a tabulation of what is derived from the Page Zodiacs’ Stars.
The 2019 Book of Favourable Days Digital eBook is also now on sale at just $18 (U.P. $38), get your copy here and be guided for the rest of the year while waiting for the release of the pre-orders for next year's edition.
