The nighttime luminary holds great significance in the Chinese calendar system. Nowadays, Luna’s passage through the sky is pretty much used to determine cultural and religious Festivals. Tonight’s Frost Moon on 27 November in Gemini (2023) is especially significant to Taoist devotees, with this Full Moon called the Xia Yuan Festival. There are five Full Moon centric festivals of note in the Chinese calendar, two more familiar than the others. The Lunar Lantern festival which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month of the year which signals the end of Chinese New Year festivities (Spring Festival). And the second is the on the 15th day of the eight lunar month, known also as ‘Zhong Yuan’ but more commonly called Mid Autumn or Mooncake Festival. All five Moon festivals occur on the 15th day of a Chinese lunar month.
Read more7th Solar Term :: Beginning of Summer Lixia 立夏
The solar calendar shifts gear into the first Fire governed animal sign of the Yin Wood 乙 Snake ⺒ and Feng Shui energies adjust accordingly. May 5 also heralds the seventh solar term of Lixia 立夏 - 'Beginning of Summer', in the Chinese calendar system which commences 1½ months before comparative late Spring vibes in the Western Calendar. In the lunisolar calendar the fourth lunar month began under the New Moon on 1 May @ 10 Taurus. Known to the Ancient Chinese simply as 'Locust Tree' or 'Cherry blossom' month and depicted in paintings by the swallow and wisteria.
Read more6th Solar Term - Spring Showers (Gu Yu 穀雨)
The last Solar term of Spring is upon us. Indicated by the 6th solar term of Grain Rain or, Spring Showers as it’s also known in the N. Hemisphere, commencing on 20th April. Luna’s third swollen face of the Chinese year will be fullest on April 27th (AEST) at 7° Scorpio. Depicted in Chinese paintings by pairing a Crow with cherry blossom. And we’re currently at the mid-point of Water Dragon month, while in the western astrological system, the sun enters earthy Taurus season.
Read moreQing ming - 5th Solar Term Clear + Bright
The Vernal Equinox was but a fortnight ago. The 5th solar term commences on April 5th 2022 and we usher in the month of Chinese Wood Dragon. This Solar term is the only term whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, known as Qing Ming.
Read moreAugust Blue Moon + Ghost Festival
This month’s Full moon lunation goes by many names*, depending on your domicile and cultural preference. Named the Sturgeon Moon by Indigenous Americans due to sturgeon (a type of fish, famous for Beluga caviar) which is more readily caught in August and early September. Most moon ‘names’ have seasonal references. Chinese and English folk refer to this lunation as Harvest Moon, as it’s the beginning of harvest season in Northern Hemisphere. This year you’ll also hear of a Super Blue moon; the adage ‘once in a blue moon’ offers a clue, simply put it’s two full moons in a Georgian calendar month and the Super bit, occurs when Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth and it’s slightly brighter and larger than a typical full moon. This lunation is in Pisces (times below).
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