SPRING OX 03: HOW MANY SONGS

HOW MANY SONGS...

​Turning over the pages of the peasant calendar, we often look at the peasant's chronology. In the olden day, to know the outline of the year there are methodologies such as:

1. How many Dragons Govern Water幾龍治水、
2. How many Days of Happiness 幾日得辛、
3. How many Oxen Toils the Fields 幾牛耕地、
4. How many Maidens Manage the Silkworms 幾姑把蠶、
5. How many Leaves the Silkworm Eats 蠶食幾葉、
6. Heavenly Marshall Moves Lightning元帥行雷。

These are the way our Chinese ancestors recorded the influence and prediction of the solar terms given by the heavenly stems and earthly branches on the farming for the year. Their main functions are to estimate of rain and sun for agricultural works and harvests for the year.

​How many Dragons Govern Water幾龍治水

According to the first Chen day 辰日of the first month of the year (Chen 辰 is the dragon), it is decided on the first few days. For example: -

1. On the fifth day of the first month, it is called "Five Dragons Water" 五龍治水;
2. On the fourth day of the first month of the 79th Year of the Republic of China 民國九十七年 is the GengChen Day 庚辰日 was classified as the "four dragons to control water" ;
3. It is said that the more the number of dragons, the less rainfall and
4. the less the number of dragons, the more rainfall;
5. the so-called dragon indicate it does not rain; there is a saying "Dragon does not rain" and "The chicken does not lay eggs" 龍多不下雨, 雞多不下蛋;
6. 6-7 dragons, rain is moderate;
7. 10 and above dragons, rain very little.

​How many Oxen Toils the Fields 幾牛耕地

​According to the first few days of the Lunar New Year, the Chou 丑Day is used to determine Oxen Toils the Fields, which is the first Chou 丑Day of the year (the Chou 丑is the Ox). At the beginning of the first month, it is "a few Oxen Toils the Fields " For example, in the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year in the 97th Year of the  Republic of China, the first day of the lunar calendar was DingChou 丁丑日, so it was "one Oxen Toils the Fields." The more number of Oxen Toils the Fields the much better it is for the year.

​How many Days of Happiness 幾日得辛

​It is based on the "Xin" day 辛日 of the first day of the peasant calendar. The meaning of "satisfaction" in Xin also represents the meaning of happiness. The closer the Xin Day to the Arrival of Spring is better. The sooner you get the Xin Day, the more the harvest will come earlier this year. The longer you get the Xin day, the more the harvest will come later.

​How many Maidens Manage the Silkworms 幾姑把蠶

According to the Qing Guangxu’s "Jiaxing Fuzhi" records:

1. The first maiden placed the silkworms with rotten leaves,
2. The second maiden placed the silkworms with quality leaves, and
3. The third maiden placed the silkworm leaves of both rotten and quality.

These maidens has these silkworms based on the year’s earthly branches to define:

1. Yin, Shen, Si and Hai (4 Growths) 寅申巳亥， as the 4 Big Maiden peeling silkworm大姑把蠶;
2. Zi, Wu,Mao and You (4 Cardinals) 子午卯酉，as the 4 Second Maiden peeling silkworm 二姑把蠶;
3. Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei (4 Graves) 辰戌丑未, as the 4 Third Maiden peeling silkworm三姑把蠶.

​How many Leaves the Silkworm Eats 蠶食幾葉

It is based on the first NaYin wood element 納音｢木｣ day of the New Year. To determine the number of leaves to eat. For example:

1. In 1997, the sixth day of the lunar calendar RenWu Day 壬午日is the NayYn wood, coincides with the sixth day from the Spring Festival.
2. It is said that when the leaves are eaten less, the silkworms are thin and small, and
3. When they are eaten with more leaves, the silkworms are large. 

​Heavenly Marshall Moves Lightning元帥行雷

​The ThongShu has recorded this Heavenly Marshall Moves Lightning Method that is to use the twelve marshals to match the year’s earthly branches:

1. Zi Year (Xin Marshall) 子年( 辛元帥)，
2. Chou Year (Deng Marshall) 丑年( 鄧元帥)，
3. Yin Year (Zhao Marshall) 寅年( 趙元帥)，
4. Mao Year (Zhang Marshall) 卯年( 張元帥)，
5. Chen Year (Yang Marshall) 辰年( 楊元帥)，
6. Si Year (Ma Marshall) 巳年( 馬元帥)，
7. Wu Year (Wang Marshall) 午年( 王元帥)，
8. Wei Year (Yin Marshall) 未年( 殷元帥)，
9. Shen Year (Wen Marshall) 申年( 溫元帥)，
10. You Year (Kang Marshall) 酉年( 康元帥)，
11. Xu Year (Yue Marshall) 戍年( 岳元帥)，
12. Hai Year (Zhu Marshall) 亥年 (朱元帥) 。

Very little has been disclosed on to the usage of this Marshall. Does it portend when and where has more rains? More lightning? Or simply deities for the Daoist to pray?