Library

(January)
Lichun (Start of Spring): First pentad, the east wind thaws the ice; (When gentle yang arrives, solid condensation dissipates.) Second pentad, hibernating insects begin to stir; ("Zhen" means movement.) Third pentad, fish ascend and bear the ice. ("Zhi," pronounced zhi, means to rise or ascend. Yang qi has already moved, and fish gradually swim upstream near the ice.)
Yushui (Rain Water): First pentad, otters offer fish as sacrifice; (Fish are fat and active at this time, so otters sacrifice them before eating.) Second pentad, migratory geese fly north; (From south to north.) Third pentad, grass and trees begin to sprout. (This is the season for plowing.)

(February)
Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects): First pentad, peach blossoms begin to bloom; (Gentle yang arises, becoming increasingly vigorous from here on.) Second pentad, orioles sing; (Orioles.) Third pentad, eagles transform into doves. (Eagles are birds of prey. At this time, eagles transform into doves, and in autumn, doves transform back into eagles.)
Chunfen (Spring Equinox): First pentad, swallows arrive; (Swallows come.) Second pentad, thunder begins to sound; (Thunder is the voice of yang. When yang is trapped within yin and cannot exit, it struggles violently to produce thunder.) Third pentad, lightning begins to appear. (Lightning is the light of yang. When yang qi is weak, its light is invisible. When yang is strong and desires to emerge but is suppressed by yin, its light bursts forth, hence "lightning begins.")

(March)
Qingming (Clear and Bright): First pentad, paulownia flowers bloom; Second pentad, field mice transform into quails, peonies bloom; ("Chun," pronounced like chun, belongs to the quail family. Mice are yin creatures. When yang qi is abundant, mice transform into quails; when yin qi is abundant, quails transform back into mice.) Third pentad, rainbows begin to appear. ("Hong," pronounced hong, is the qi of yin-yang intersection. Pure yin or pure yang produces no rainbow. If clouds are thin allowing sunlight to leak through, and sunlight passes through rain shadows, a rainbow appears.)
Guyu (Grain Rain): First pentad, duckweed begins to grow; Second pentad, turtledoves flap their wings; (Flapping wings while flying indicates the urgent time for farming.) Third pentad, hoopoes descend onto mulberry trees. (A weaving bird, also named Hoopoe, descends on mulberry trees to signal silk farmers, thus saying "when women's work begins, the Hoopoe sings.")

(April)
Lixia (Start of Summer): First pentad, mole crickets chirp; (Mole crickets; what is referred to as earthworms here is not these.) Second pentad, earthworms emerge; (Earthworms are yin creatures that emerge upon sensing yang qi.) Third pentad, Trichosanthes kirilowii grows. (Trichosanthes kirilowii is red, symbolizing yang overcoming yin.)
Xiaoman (Grain Buds): First pentad, bitter herbs flourish; (Fire flares upward and tastes bitter, hence bitter herbs flourish.) Second pentad, delicate grasses wither; (Such as Thlaspi arvense.) Third pentad, the harvest season for wheat arrives. ("Autumn" refers to the period when grains mature. Wheat ripens at this time, hence called "Wheat Autumn.")

(May)
Mangzhong (Grain in Ear): First pentad, mantises hatch; (Commonly known as knife-mantis, named Jufu in Shuowen Jiezi.) Second pentad, shrikes begin to sing; ("Ju," pronounced juxu, is the shrike.) Third pentad, thrushes fall silent. (The common nightingale/thrush.)
Xiazhi (Summer Solstice): First pentad, deer antlers shed; (Deer are yang animals; they shed antlers upon receiving yin qi.) Second pentad, cicadas begin to sing; ("Tiao," pronounced tiao, is the cicada.) Third pentad, Pinellia ternata grows. (A medicinal herb name. At this time, extreme yang generates yin.)

(June)
Xiaoshu (Minor Heat): First pentad, warm winds arrive; Second pentad, crickets dwell in walls; (Also called Cu Zhi; their wings are not yet fully grown, so they stay by the walls.) Third pentad, eagles begin to strike. ("Zhi," pronounced zhi. Eagles sense yin qi, develop a killing intent, and practice striking skills.)
Dashu (Major Heat): First pentad, decaying grass transforms into fireflies; (Li Ming reaches its peak, so dark creatures transform into bright ones.) Second pentad, soil becomes moist and sultry; ("Ru," pronounced ru, means moist.) Third pentad, heavy rains occur frequently.

(July)
Liqiu (Start of Autumn): First pentad, cool winds arrive; Second pentad, white dew descends; Third pentad, cold cicadas sing. (Cicadas that are small and reddish-green.)
Chushu (Limit of Heat): First pentad, eagles sacrifice birds; (Eagles are killers of birds. They do not eat first, showing respect for origins.) Second pentad, heaven and earth begin to become crisp and austere; (Clear and austere.) Third pentad, crops begin to ripen. (Broomcorn millet is the head of the five grains, ripening first at this time.)

(August)
Bailu (White Dew): First pentad, wild geese arrive; (From north to south. Another view: Large ones are Hong, small ones are Yan.) Second pentad, swallows return; (Swallows leave.) Third pentad, flocks of birds store food. ("Xiu," meaning food/grain. Storing food to prepare for winter.)
Qiufen (Autumn Equinox): First pentad, thunder sounds cease; (Thunder sounds in February amidst yang, and ceases in August amidst yin.) Second pentad, hibernating insects seal their holes; ("Pi," pronounced pei. "Pi Hu" means reinforcing the hole entrances to prepare for hibernation.) Third pentad, water sources begin to dry up. (Guoyu states: When Chen Jiao appears, rain ends; when Tian Gen appears, water dries. After rain ends, roads are cleared; after water dries, bridges are built. Chen Jiao refers to the Horn Mansion. Tian Gen refers to the area between the Root and Room Mansions. "Appear" means seen in the east at dawn. Chen Jiao appears in early September, Tian Gen in late September, spanning over twenty-one days.)

(September)
Hanlu (Cold Dew): First pentad, wild geese arrive as guests; (Guest. Those arriving first are hosts, those arriving later are guests, implying the end of the journey.) Second pentad, sparrows enter large waters and transform into clams; (Flying creatures transform into diving ones, representing yang changing to yin.) Third pentad, chrysanthemums bloom yellow. (Other flowers are not mentioned specifically, but this one is, because it blooms in yin and flourishes uniquely in autumn.)
Shuangjiang (Frost Descent): First pentad, jackals sacrifice animals; (In early autumn, eagles sacrifice birds; flying creatures are small, and killing energy is just budding. In late autumn, jackals sacrifice beasts; walking creatures are large, and killing energy is abundant.) Second pentad, grass and trees turn yellow and fall; (Yang qi departs.) Third pentad, hibernating insects all lie low. (Fu means hibernating/lying still.)

(October)
Lidong (Start of Winter): First pentad, water begins to freeze; Second pentad, ground begins to frost; Third pentad, pheasants enter large waters and transform into giant clams. ("Shen," pronounced same as Shen or Shen, belongs to the clam family.)
Xiaoxue (Minor Snow): First pentad, rainbows hide and are unseen; (In late spring, yang overcomes yin, so rainbows appear. In early winter, yin overcomes yang, so they hide and are unseen.) Second pentad, heavenly qi rises, earthly qi descends; Third pentad, closure forms winter. (Yang qi hides underground, yin qi seals and solidifies to form winter.)

(November)
Daxue (Major Snow): First pentad, Hanhao Chong does not sing; ("Zhao," pronounced hedan, a bird that sings at night seeking dawn, also called Hanhao Chong, belonging to yin but seeking yang. Now that one yang is born, it stops singing.) Second pentad, tigers begin to mate; (Tigers are essentially yin creatures, mating upon sensing one yang.) Third pentad, Iris lactea emerges. (Li, also known as Malin, leaves resemble irises but are smaller, roots can be used as brushes.)
Dongzhi (Winter Solstice): First pentad, earthworms curl up; (Yang qi has not moved, head curls down; when yang qi moves, head turns up, thus curling into a knot.) Second pentad, elk antlers shed; (Elk are yin animals; they shed antlers upon receiving yang qi.) Third pentad, springs and wells flow. (The yang of Tian Yi begins to generate.)

(December)
Xiaohan (Minor Cold): First pentad, geese fly north; (In the annual cycle, geese migrate four times. Geese flying north in December are large geese, the parents. Migratory geese flying north in January are young geese, the offspring. Wild geese coming in August are also large geese, parents. Wild geese arriving as guests in September are also young geese, offspring. Generally, those leading are large, those following are small. This theory comes from Gan Bao of Jin Dynasty, cited by Song people as definitive.) Second pentad, magpies begin to build nests; (Magpies know the qi has arrived, so they build nests for the coming year.) Third pentad, pheasants crow. ("Zhi," pronounced gou/yi, means pheasant crowing. Pheasants belong to fire livestock, making sound only after sensing yang.)
Dahan (Major Cold): First pentad, hens incubate eggs; (Hens are water livestock; they lay eggs and nurture young upon receiving yang qi, hence called "nursing".) Second pentad, migratory birds become fierce and swift; (Zheng Niao, referring to eagles and falcons; killing energy is at its peak, so they are fierce, swift, and skilled in striking.) Third pentad, the center of water and marshes freezes firmly. (Yang qi has not reached, east wind has not arrived, so the center of water and marshes freezes firmly.)