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Astronomy & CalendarOn the Application and Improvement of Modern Astronomy and Traditional Metaphysics (Part 3): Distinguishing Yin from Mao
From the Determining Sunrise and Sunset formula and the Formula for Determining the Yin Hour, compared via the luopan's twenty mountains: first and ninth months emerge from Yi; second and eighth from Mao; third and seventh from Jia; fourth and sixth from Yin. In ancient times night watches were fixed by flowing clepsydra. Although the clepsydra depends not on celestial phenomena, it remains related to the heavens. The Dipper as natural pointer became the Dipper time-giving calendar using 365.25 degrees.
On the Application and Improvement of Modern Astronomy and Traditional Metaphysics (Part 2)
The previous article mentioned the sidereal zodiac and the tropical zodiac. If you do not remember, look back; if still unclear, just know that one fixes coordinates by the constellations in the sky, and the other by the position of the observer on Earth. Materials discussing the metaphysical arts usually involve the ecliptic and the equator, but this sometimes brings confusion—because the ecliptic used in ancient China is not equivalent to the ecliptic spoken of in modern astronomy. As with many puzzles facing modern anthropology, there is always some hidden connection behind the world that spans time and space.
On the Application and Improvement of Modern Astronomy and Traditional Numerology (Part One)
First published on the WeChat public account Daoist Yinfu Culture, 2020-08-25. Illustrations omitted. As is well known, in traditional Chinese arts of calculation, Qimen Dunjia has the issue of setting the board via the intercalary method, Ziwei Doushu and Qizheng Siyu have the issue of fixing the Life Palace, the Four Pillars of Bazi have the question of when to switch the year and month pillars, and Da Liu Ren and Jin Kou Jue have the issue of changing the monthly general — all of these trace back to astronomy. This series will explain these topics as simply and accessibly as possible, steering clear of jargon, and will discuss many major pitfalls and debatable questions left by the tradition.
Changes in the Sun's Right Ascension and Declination in 2017
Counting from the 2016 winter solstice: Winter Solstice lat:-23.4345373662015 lng:269.999994655047 Minor Cold lat:-22.5911813587045 lng:286.279828913395 Major Cold lat:-20.146398730878 lng:302.180342232811 Start of Spring lat:-16.3332487161178 lng:317.463224776918 Rain Water lat:-11.4699901274027 lng:332.088158058519 Awakening of Insects lat:-5.90839675213845 lng:346.188040355 Spring Equinox lat:3.75087129432163E-05 lng:359.999975893782 Clear and Bright lat:5.90806928523707 lng:13.8124169904995 Grain Rain lat:11.4698920399016 lng:27.9114798603294 Start of Summer lat:16.33295380766 lng:42.5368247544295 Lesser Fullness lat:20.1463302430029 lng:57.8196140811093 Grain in Ear lat:22.5911391776784 lng:73.7200918186321 Summer Solstice lat:23.4344365184489 lng:89.9999796825033 ... It is clearly visible that between the spring equinox and autumn equinox there is an obvious boundary point: after the spring equinox the Sun's declination is positive, while from after the autumn equinox to the spring equinox it is all negative—this accords with the saying that mao and you are the gates through which sun and moon enter and exit, and the coming and going of cold and heat. At the same time one can see that the summer solstice is the highest point and the winter solstice the lowest—this accords with the zi-wu division, also the turning point of yang-to-yin and yin-to-yang. Thus the Chinese astronomical-numerological system is constructed using the equatorial coordinate system. If one switches to the ecliptic and looks at ecliptic latitude, the fluctuations are rather violent and difficult to describe with a simple numerological model.
Supplement: Under the Fixed-Qi Method, the Ninth Year of Tiansheng Indeed Had a Leap Ninth Month
In the Chinese lunar calendar's intercalation, there are two kinds: calendar-principle intercalation and civil intercalation. Calendar-principle intercalation: if the month's new-moon day and the zhongqi (principal solar term) fall on the same day, the month's new-moon time must be before the zhongqi time for that lunar month to contain that zhongqi. Civil intercalation: if the month's new-moon day and the zhongqi fall on the same day, that lunar month contains that zhongqi. In other words, civil intercalation only compares the dates of the new moon and the zhongqi, while calendar-principle intercalation compares the dates, hours, minutes, and seconds of the new moon and the zhongqi. According to the previous article, November 17, 1031, 04:09 was the Minor Snow solar term, and the new moon was on November 17, 1031, 20:52. If according to civil intercalation,
Re-examination and Judgment of the Leap Month in the Ninth Year of Tiansheng
In the early part of the leap ninth month of the Xinwei year, the ninth year of Tiansheng, Commander Li's household was robbed — gold and silver valuables were stolen from a hall in the back garden. On a Xinsi day, Yuan Zhen was invited to divine about it, with the Mao officer and Wei hour. Qing · Gou · He · Zhu. Chou · Yin · Mao · Chen. Xuan · Qing · Gou · Gui · Official Ghost Ren-Wu Gui. Kong-Zi · Si-Teng · You · Chou · Yin · Wu · Wife/Wealth Wu-Yin Gou. Hu-Hai · Wu-Gui · Chou · Si · Wu · Xin · Parents Jia-Xu Chang. Xu · You · Shen · Wei. Chang · Xuan · Yin · Hou. Yuan Zhen judged: The thieves are five; one should be a woman around fifty years of age, formerly a servant girl, with an ailment in one eye, living among graves fifty li northeast of the outskirts — arrest them according to this and none will escape capture. Li again requested a divination. Yuan Zhen said: There is no need to divine again.
Astronomy & CalendarIs the Shou Xing Perpetual Calendar Wrong About the Leap Month in Tiansheng Year Nine?
Today I was writing a calendar program and, consulting the Shou Xing Perpetual Calendar, looked up Tiansheng year nine—that is, 1031—and it showed a small leap tenth month. Yet an old Da Liu Ren case says: "In Tiansheng nine, the leap was at the beginning of the ninth month." Checking the History of Song under "Tiansheng nine": "In winter, tenth month, on bingxu, an edict ordered the dukes, ministers, and high officials to uphold integrity and reputation. On yiwei, an edict ordered that regular attending officials who had already received outer appointments must not memorially recommend candidates. On xinchou, the transport intendants of Yi, Zi, and Guangnan circuits were abolished. In the leap month, on wuchen, Hanlin Reader-in-Waiting Academician Sun Shi requested retirement; he was appointed Prefect of Yanzhou, and a farewell banquet was held for him at the Taiqing Tower." Thus this year should have a leap tenth month; among the Tiansheng era, the only year with a leap ninth month was Tiansheng year one.
Astronomy & CalendarKey Points of True Solar Time and Time Difference Conversion
According to international regulations, time differences are generally calculated based on longitude, with the 0:00 time zone defined as from 7.5° West longitude to 7.5° East longitude. In China, Beijing Time (UTC+8) is commonly used, but due to China's vast longitudinal span, using Beijing Time in practical applications can result in certain errors. Furthermore, during time conversions, issues regarding the change of date may arise. For example, at 23:55 in Beijing, the new day has not yet arrived. However, in Shanghai, the time has already passed 0:00, which, according to time zone regulations, means the new day has already begun. This creates a problem: for a person born in Shanghai at 23:55 on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month according to Beijing Time, should the date be calculated as the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month or the first day of the first lunar month of the following year?
Astronomy & CalendarOn the Winter Solstice: The Big Dipper Pointing North
[caption id="attachment_1757" align="alignnone" width="1440"] 西安为中心冬至时北斗指向正北[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignnone" width="1440"] 北京冬至北斗指向正北，此时为23点[/caption] [caption id="attachment
Astronomy & CalendarPrecise Calculation Formula for Rahu, Ketu, Ziqi, and Yuebei
罗睺、计都指黄道与白道的两个交点，月亮绕地轨道(白道)之降交点,西方称为月亮之南交点（Moon's South Node）；月亮绕地轨道之升交点,西方称为月亮之北交点Moon's North Node。罗睺和计都在推算日月食时使用。 印度古代天文学称北交点为Rahu，南交为Ketu。印度占星认为Rahu为土星之特质，Ketu为火星之特质。这与我国天文学正好相反。我国古时称北交点为计都，南交点为罗睺
The Origin of the Four Residues in the Seven Luminary and Four Residue Astrology
中国古代天文、术数中的四余，多与日、月在天球上有关但在自印度传入之后，其定义渐生变化。四余中的罗喉(Rahu)及计都(Ketu)均为梵 语的音译，传说罗喉本为统领众魔的龙，曾与天神们联合对抗恶魔Ananta，但在高奏凯歌之际，他却趁大家不备，偷喝了圣液，不料其罪行被太阳和月亮看 见，就向众神告发，於是天神Vishnu赶去奋力将罗喉的头切下，然而此时圣液已在罗喉的体内发生作用，令其得以如同星体般永恒
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