At a glance
- Number of labels
- Twelve labels, from Establish to Close
Definition and scope
The twelve officers are cyclic almanac categories rather than twelve astronomical bodies. Their arrangement relates a month’s branch to the day branch. It is not simply an uninterrupted twelve-day count from a Gregorian starting date. Month-boundary conventions matter, particularly near solar-term transitions in sources that use those boundaries.
Structure and details
The sequence is Establish, Remove, Full, Level, Settle, Hold, Break, Danger, Complete, Receive, Open and Close. A historical rule begins Establish on the month’s branch and advances through the branches. Verbal associations help explain the labels, but Open does not guarantee business success and Danger does not predict an accident.
Example and history
Under the historical convention of a Yin first month, a Yin day is Establish, a Mao day Remove and a Chen day Full. This demonstrates arrangement rather than advice for a particular date. The source also records disagreements in auspicious judgments, making it useful for comparing a classification rule with differing interpretations.
Contexts and limits
The officers show how almanacs organize time and activities; they do not assess character, ability or destiny. A calendar tool should state its month boundary and source. Necessary arrangements should not be delayed solely because of a label. Historical records should preserve the full date and original category rather than only saying auspicious day.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 欽定協紀辨方書（四庫全書本）／卷04Primary / tradition source
Historical source for the twelve day officers and their month-branch rule; it records disagreements about auspiciousness.
- 欽定協紀辨方書（四庫全書本）／卷09Primary / tradition source
Historical discussion of differing almanac rules and tabulation.