Sunday, July 2, 2023

Chinese Almanac Astrology July 3 - 9, 2023

   I'm grateful to be a contribution to your life, 

Thank you for your contribution to mine!



Teton Valley, ID
One - Line Drawing & Watercolor

Instagram: @jamieshulander


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 CHINESE ALMANAC ASTROLOGY
In honor and memory of my Teacher, Liu Ming
 To support grace and ease / For the resolution of all beings





Commentary and compilations by Jamie Shulander
All notes from class notes/works by Liu Ming

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 INDICATORS (aka Auspices): Yearly, Monthly, Lunar and Daily

LUNAR YEAR: YEAR of the RABBIT (Native Yin Wood) Discreet
Charged: Gentle, quiet, peace loving, intuitive, intelligent, aesthetic, domestic, social, diverse, dependent, supportive, loving and authoritative.
Deplete: Gossipy, snobby, superficial, paranoid, greedy, scattered, vain, promiscuous, opportunistic, deceptive, conservative, stubborn and lazy.

Image: The Rabbit talked about in Chinese Astrology is well known to all Chinese peasants as the animal that ‘lives in the moon’. The lunar image represents the Rabbit’s strong need to escape the bright light of day - they hate confrontations of all types. Rabbits take charge of situations from the position of subordinate. Once safety and security are established in their lives they show themselves to be capable and successful managers and advisors. They function best at home. Inveterate collectors, they are likely to ‘feather the nest’ with a great many material possessions. Rabbits actually derive energy from objects and often consider them truly precious.

YIN WATER RABBIT (1843, 1903, 1963, 2023, 2083) ‘Forest Rabbit’

“Water Rabbits are skittish, intuitive and untrusting. They sleep very deeply (troubles appear and resolve in the night). They have a paranoid attitude toward others that is not the product of bad experience in this lifetime. They therefore cannot dedicate themselves to any particular relationship to society and drift through various career choices without success. Though they are good at business and frugal with their finances their fortunes wobble. They may have strong ideas regarding the maintenance of their health, but are uneven in applying them. A strong protector in the form of a partner of mentor, whom they trust, can reverse their wishy-washy fortunes. Most illness are caused by spirit possession.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


LUNAR MONTH: YANG EARTH HORSE (1858, 1918, 1978, 2038, 1098) “Corralled Horse”

“Earth Horses are daring, impulsive and strong characters. They often find themselves working against the odds. All their projects are obstructed from time to time. They are likely to meet with disaster and/or injury in their youth. Complications from these early injuries will haunt their health for life. They may experience dramatic catharsis in life - more than once. Their fortune is dark and their struggle only leads to exhaustion. They are prone to excess damp.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


QI NODE: 10 Summer Solstice

Yang Rules

"At Summer Solstice there is the longest day (yang) and the shortest night (Yin) of the year. The sun is at its zenith, directly above us at noon. It is the Yang peak of the year. Activity is highly motivated. Summer Solstice is one of four annual pivots that rectify annual qi.


"The Yang growth, that began in spring, peaks and turns towards its inevitable decline. Flowers blossom and many fruits and vegetables ripen but this explosion of splendor is a gesture of survival (launching seeds). The force of Yang, if not tempered, will destroy rather than ripen. The Chinese character for summer depicts a farmer at rest (idle) - growth in this part of summer needs no nursing. Yang is raging on its own.


"During this qi node the environmental qi is best at Noon. When you wake, practice neigong facing due south. Do not overexert yourself; but sweating is not harmful. Chew well. During the day eat two or three small meals, rest (nap) after lunch, drink green and chrysanthemum tea and in the evening enjoy a light soup. Guard the heart from strain by expressing your feelings, singing, dancing and socializing. Before bed bucket bathes with a final cold rinse. Go to sleep just after dark. Rest, relax, travel (vacation by sea or high mountain), exercise modestly and do not get burned by the sun. Do not work or rest directly in the sun of midday!"

LM The Way of Three Treasures


LUNAR HEXAGRAM: 14 Dayou: Prosperity

"Through good management, prosperity is established and, through generosity, prosperity is translated into great benefit."

LM Changing: Zhouyi  14 Dayou


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MONDAY July 3, Yang Water Dog 16
Hexagram 43 Guai: Lurch
Lunar Mansion: The Heart / Fox
Solar Indicator: Settle


“Water Dogs are kind, generous and frugal characters. Their material fortunes are very uneven but they are, nevertheless, very generous. Their friends and family love them. They are sentimental and vulnerable to a sad story or a hopeless cause. They are prone to temper tantrums and ecstasy. They never enjoy good health. They are prone to accidents and will be injured or killed by metal weapons or tools.”

LM 60 Characters


Guai tells us when impulsiveness, abruptness and breaking with standard protocol are okay. Success, in the case of Guai, is a timely, but abrupt, escape. Sometimes it is best to immediately quit a situation and/or abandon a relationship because of its excessive restrictions. Guai carries the ambiguous message that misconduct is sometimes appropriate.”

LM Changing: Zhouyi 43 Guai


“It is auspicious to comply with superiors, make offerings to the ancestors, move home and/or immigrate. Only routine work may avoid negativity. Contraindicated activity: If you start a lawsuit (making your case) you will lose everything (imprisonment). If you construct a building, get married or bury the dead, disaster follows. Everything sold today will be at a loss to the seller. Pushing forward (forcing progress) on this day will have three times the negative result of other days.”

LM Notes: The Heart


“Preparedness makes action timely and successful. Tradition, convention, training, education - all forms of readiness, inspire action. Forces join together and new alliances produce unexpected results. Action taken with such thorough preparation is bound to succeed. The qi of the day is stable, progressive and functional. Clarity and calm (yin) are not unseated by action (yang). Focus and repetition succeed. Procrastination and equivocation is contraindicated.” 

LM Notes: Settle


TUESDAY July 4, Yin Water Pig 17

Hexagram: 1 Qian: Heaven
Lunar Mansion: The Tail / Tiger
Solar Indicator: Maintain

“WATER is the native element of the Pig Earthly Branch. Water Pigs are volatile, open-minded and gregarious characters. They enjoy career, personal and financial experiments. Their preoccupation with others goes past caring into jealousy and envy. They often squander their qi hoping to please others. Their volatile emotions make them susceptible to all manner of illness and possibly suicide. Their maternal ancestors haunt them. If they resolve their ancestors’ negativity they have great spiritual potential.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


"Qian is the natural endless progress of time as symbolized by the onset of spring. Time is celestial movement, like the wind in the sky - not the product of human effort. The first hexagram is like the head of a circle; it is the beginning or renewal of a constant and endless cycle of time."

LM Changing: Zhouyi 1 Qian

"Qian is the natural endless progress of time as symbolized by the onset of spring. Time is celestial movement, like the wind in the sky - not the product of human effort. The first hexagram is like the head of a circle; it is the beginning or renewal of a constant and endless cycle of time."

LM Changing: Zhouyi 1 Qian
“It is auspicious to start a building (brings prosperity), get married (brings fertility), bury the dead (resolves karma) and educate the young (secure longevity) on this day. It is a good time to move house (into a city). These actions today cause a person or family and all their projects to flourish. On this day investments increase in value. It is ideal to give or receive (spend) inheritances. Enjoying the arts is appropriate. Lost treasures can be found on this day. It is ideal for self-cultivation, meditation and enjoyment. It is a time of recognizing and acknowledging achievement with rewards. Evening is less auspicious.”

LM Notes: The Tail


“Spontaneous action and inspiration (yang) become the new tradition (yin). Qi assertion (yang) is repeated again and again to hold and harden gains (yin). Establishing a new state is the focus. The qi of practice and the drilling of troops is awesome. Allies appear from all quarters. True majesty succeeds without pressing forward. Today success breeds more success and everyone may be included in the new victories. Generosity is a prophylactic to decline - giving is a sign of strength and cements alliances. It is the sun at noon.”

LM Notes: Maintain


WEDNESDAY July 5, Yang Wood Rat 18
Hexagram 1 Qian: Heaven
Lunar Mansion: The Basket / Leopard
Solar Indicator: Destroy


“Wood Rat is the first of 60 configurations of the Stem/Branch system. It is therefore very precarious. Wood Rats are particularly studious, industrious and naive characters. They are extraordinarily clever but also insecure. This may be the result of clinging to trauma (being orphaned or abandoned in childhood). Their rat-like resourcefulness is therefore held back by a lack of depth. Their cleverness and impatience often turns to frivolity, trendiness, deception and cunning. The fortune of wood rat is average and their wealth modest. Endless worrying weakens their constitution and they are prone to injury, skin problems, bowel disorders and arthritis.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


"Qian is the natural endless progress of time as symbolized by the onset of spring. Time is celestial movement, like the wind in the sky - not the product of human effort. The first hexagram is like the head of a circle; it is the beginning or renewal of a constant and endless cycle of time."

LM Changing: Zhouyi 1 Qian


"It is auspicious to marry, work hard, purchase, build and remodel (new door =  new resources) on this day. It is auspicious to continue your routine work, review and reinvest. Acquiring wealth (work, invest and collecting debts) is highlighted. Good for burials, memorials and funerals (rain of blessings from the ancestors). Contraindicated activity: Laziness, gossip and slander."

LM Notes: The Basket


“The successful prince as warrior must now lose his youthful ambitions and develop into a proper king….Today calculated loss (cancellation) succeeds”

LM Notes: Destroy


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LUNAR HEXAGRAM: 48 Jing: The Well

"Jing is about the natural reciprocity in the human relationship to nature. The Zhouyi says that the unevenness of nature (well) mirrors the unevenness of our conduct. If we act inappropriately we ruin our resources (dry well). In the Zhouyi nature is not an almighty god that stands in judgement of us, meting out punishment for our wrongs. Nature is a dialog. ”

LM Changing: Zhouyi  48 Jing


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THURSDAY July 6, Yin Wood Ox 19

Hexagram 43 Guai: Lurch
Lunar Mansion: The Ladle / Griffon
Solar Indicator: Danger


“Wood Ox are particularly humble and naive characters. They do well in school and in any conventional activity involving strength and commitment (romance, marriage and family). They often imagine their own resources (material and emotional) to be more limited than they are and this leads to miserliness and shyness. Their constitutions are strong and they have few illnesses when young. Sleep is a remedy for most ailments. In later life (after 48) they age quickly and may suffer from chronic digestive disorders.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


Guai tells us when impulsiveness, abruptness and breaking with standard protocol are okay. Success, in the case of Guai, is a timely, but abrupt, escape. Sometimes it is best to immediately quit a situation and/or abandon a relationship because of its excessive restrictions. Guai carries the ambiguous message that misconduct is sometimes appropriate.”

LM Changing: Zhouyi 43 Guai


"It is a most auspicious day for Daoist religious rites, initiations and transmission of (esoteric) teachings. It is an auspicious day to start up a business and build a new building (home, temple). It is a safe day to dig foundations (wells, trenches) and get married. New opportunities (news) abound - taking exams and routine work bring great success/reward on this day. It is an auspicious day to bury the dead - they will rest peacefully and benefit the surviving relatives.”


"Contraindicated activity: Hypocrisy, irreverence, breaking taboos and sloth."

LM Notes: The Ladle


“To roust hypocrisy in his new alliances the leader must bait his hidden enemies (yin) by showing vulnerability. This day is a qi expression of true power but all the action is fraught with danger and risk. The games of political power are also the precursors of decline. The power plays show yin to be drawing life from the heart of yang. Success is limited now to a kind of survival. Manipulation and covert action succeed. Elegance becomes the mask of cleverness and intrigue. Doing only what needs to be done is best. Old habits or patterns of pressing forward will invite catastrophe. Beware grudges.”

LM Notes: Danger


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QI NODE: 11 Slight Heat

Yang Declines

“In Slight or Small Heat qi node Yang begins its inevitable decline but growth is extended. The weather turns mild. Fruits and vegetables are abundant. Cicadas and crickets choruses are heard day and night. Twilight is beautiful. Barns bulge with the abundance. The Prince ascends the throne (yang matures) and becomes King. What will Yang’s legacy be? Is it survival at any cost (brutishness) or the fullness of true and elegant majesty (wisdom)?

“The name “Slight Heat” refers to the mild heat that appears as the yang of the year begins its decline. In this and the next Qi Node (“Great Heat”) the declining yang partners with the inter-seasonal earth and creates damp (or mucus) – that is thick and sometimes sticky qi and fluids. During this node, hot wind continues to prevail and may cause dry Lungs, coughs, hemorrhoids, constipation and fevers. It can aggravate existing (chronic or constitutional) heat conditions like insomnia, heart irregularities and low- grade systemic inflammations of the blood (eczema, dental infections, yeast infections, herpes, skin rashes). Yang qi is past its abundant stage and clings to earth causing damp. Contagious diseases that “rode the hot wind” in the Summer Solstice now take root. Anxiety may crowd into dreams.

“Flowers blossom and fruits and vegetables can be harvested and continue to ripen but this explosion of splendor is about survival. It is the time when many plants extend their qi to produce strong roots and fertile seeds (create future). The Chinese character for summer depicts a farmer at rest (idle) – growth in this part of summer needs little or no nursing (prayer is common). Fall harvests will dependent on this Qi Node being mild. Mild winds can clear damp (avoid mold). Strong summer-style activity takes much more qi to maintain. Though sustained activity is recommended (wind clears damp) it is becoming important to pace oneself. Summer storms can destroy crops and excess activity can purge yang before its Autumn harvest.

“During this qi node the environmental qi (Heaven/Earth) is best at 1pm. When you wake practice neigong facing due South. Do not overexert yourself (sweat); let the qi move the blood and transform nutrients. Dress lightly, untie your hair and stroll about to avoid the damp.
Chew well. During the day eat two meals, rest (nap) after lunch, snacks of fruit (melon) are good on hot days. Drink green and chrysanthemum tea and in the evening enjoy a light savory soup. Guard the heart (shen) from strain by modestly expressing your feelings – it is natural to feel a bit anxious (sudden decline of yang) – but avoid drama/anxiety. Before bed bucket bathe (cold salt rinse) and go to sleep at dark. Rest, relax, travel (vacation by sea), exercise (modestly) and do not get burned by the sun. Do not work or rest directly in the sun of midday!!!”
LM The Way of Three Treasures


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FRIDAY July 7, Yang Fire Tiger 20
Hexagram 14 Dayou: Prosperity
Lunar Mansion: The Oxboy / Ox
Solar Indicator: Danger


“Fire Tigers are risk-takers and landmines of emotion and passion. Uncontrolled drama and half-baked scheming make their lives calamitous and their fortune dark. They are suited to warfare, but do not make good soldiers (lack education, discipline and respect). Many Fire Tigers die with more fate entanglements than they had at birth. A teacher/mentor can be a savior. They are likely to die young from wounds or accidental injury. If they live long their powerful constitutions make them insensitive to minor signs and symptoms that accumulate to crippling respiratory and circulatory illness in later years.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


"Through good management, prosperity is established and, through generosity, prosperity is translated into great benefit."

LM Changing: Zhouyi  14 Dayou


“It is auspicious to stay home, guard resources, meditate and focus. It is auspicious to initiate austerity, enter retreat, recover and economize.”

LM Notes: The Oxboy


“To roust hypocrisy in his new alliances the leader must bait his hidden enemies (yin) by showing vulnerability. This day is a qi expression of true power but all the action is fraught with danger and risk. The games of political power are also the precursors of decline. The power plays show yin to be drawing life from the heart of yang. Success is limited now to a kind of survival. Manipulation and covert action succeed. Elegance becomes the mask of cleverness and intrigue. Doing only what needs to be done is best. Old habits or patterns of pressing forward will invite catastrophe. Beware grudges.”

LM Notes: Danger


SATURDAY July 8, Yin Fire Rabbit 21
Hexagram 34 Da Zhuang: Great Strength
Lunar Mansion: The Maiden / Bat
Solar Indicator: Complete


“Fire Rabbits are quiet, but stiff and regal. They think very little of the knowledge or teachings of others and have a high opinion of their own opinions and thoughts. They are painfully idealistic. Their lack of trust conflicts with their strong sexual appetite and this often leaves them isolated and lonely. They marry more than once. Despite repeated calamities in their lives, they have good fortune and will be comforted by wealth and position. Though strong, they often acquire unusual diseases - difficult to diagnose and treat. They are particularly susceptible to pernicious cold.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


“The wise use great strength with great caution, because the know it is costly (great injury). In general, the authors of the Zhouyi give great strength no value, unless it is paired with wisdom.

However, it is also observed that even the weak, when in a desperate situation, naturally possess great strength - the will to survive. The force or instinct to survive has great strength and can have a successful result. This kind of great strength should not be confused with belligerence or mere violence."

LM Changing: Zhouyi 34 Da Zhuang


“It is auspicious to stay home, enjoy the arts, self-reflect, do inner planning and practice austerity (meditation, fasting and rest). It is beneficial to guard your health and conserve your qi. It is favorable to support others. Building may be safe but not profitable.”

“It is not auspicious to take risks, medical treatments, bury the dead (cause epidemics, bowel disorders). To initiate industry (dig earth) and production on this day invites calamity.” 

LM Notes: The Maiden


“It is a day for resting on your laurels. Success is established and secured and the new state seems to govern itself. Enemies are few. It is a time for inward reflection (yin) on the bare face of reality (yang). Struggle (yang) is no longer possible or necessary (yin). Decline is not feared and success not celebrated. Wisdom approaches and withdrawing succeeds. Art is the demonstration of confidence, dignity and wisdom - be artful. No more accumulating - decorate with modesty. The way of perfecting power is austerity and restraint. Do less, have less, show less and seek nothing. Enjoy what is already manifest.” 

LM Notes: Complete


SUNDAY July 9, Yang Earth Dragon 22
Hexagram Consult the Oracle
Lunar Mansion: The Void / Rat
Solar Indicator: Harvest


“Earth is the native element of the Dragon Earthly Branch. Earth Dragons have a distinguished and regal character. They are powerful, popular and broad-minded and suited to leadership. Their fortunes rise and fall. They achieve power, wealth and position but indulge in the rewards of success to excess. Their troubles are that they cannot stay within ordinary (social, political) boundaries and cannot listen to advice. Their physical constitutions are iron-clad. They are rarely if ever ill.”

LM Notes: 60 Characters


“It is auspicious to stay home, strengthen family ties and protect your children. Sleep and rest are recommended (be cautioned by your dreams).”

“On this day it is not auspicious to marry (your children will be delinquent or handicapped), bury the dead or make offerings to ancestors (ghosts/dead will become demonic - causing illnesses for 3 years!). Extra-marital affairs begun on this day will eventually ruin your family, reputation and health. Medical treatments today can cause injury and expose constitutional weakness.”

LM Notes: The Void


“What makes this day smooth is a sense of fearlessness. It is not so much how it goes (yang) as what it shows (yin). Rise and fall are no longer the point - the wide view can be taken. Ease is possible - effortless continuity on all sides. The qi seems to float us forward quite naturally - ebbing and flowing are both acceptable. The lessons of early life are found in both maturing and declining. Everything succeeds. Cleverness and survival give way to courage and directness. Be like a beloved monarch not an ambitious merchant. Let new resources and assistance come forward by standing back.”

LM Notes: Harvest


Jamie Shulander

Instagram: @jamieshulander 

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