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卦气正月为泰，天气下降，当为雨水；二月大壮，雷在天上，当为惊蛰，先雨水而后惊蛰，亦宜也，惊蛰者，万物出乎震，震为雷也；清明者，万物齐乎巽，巽为风也，巽洁齐而曰清明，清明乃洁齐之义；谷雨三月中，自雨水后土膏脉动，至此又雨，则土脉生物，所以滋五谷之种也；小满四月中，先儒云：小雪后阳一日生一分，积三十日，生三十分而成一昼，为冬至，小满后阴生亦然。至若三月中谷雨，五月中芒种，此二气独指谷麦言，谷必原其生之始，谷种于春，得木之气，残于秋，金克木也；麦必要其成之终，麦种于秋，得金之气，成于夏，火克金也；六月节小暑，六月中大暑，六月中暑之极，故谓大，然未至于大则犹为小也；七月中处暑，七月暑之终，寒之始，大火西流，暑气于是乎处矣，处者，隐也，藏伏之义也；白露八月节，寒露九月节，秋木属金，金色白，金气寒白者，露色，寒者，露之气，先白而气始寒，固有渐也，九月中霜降露寒，始结为霜也；立冬后曰小雪、大雪，寒气始于露，中于霜，终于雪，霜之前为露，霜由白而始寒，霜之后为雪，雪由小而至大，皆有渐也；至小寒大寒，《幽风》云：“一之日徉发，二之日栗烈”，徉发风寒，故十一月之余为小寒，栗烈气寒，故十二月之终为大寒也。
大抵合而言之，上半年主长生，曰雨曰雷曰风，皆生之气，下半年主生成，曰露曰霜曰雪，皆成之气。下半年言天时，不言农时，农时莫急于春夏也。
San Ming Tong Hui (The Compendium of Three Fates) discusses the four seasons and solar terms, revealing the deep connections between solar terms, hexagrams, and the generative and restrictive cycles of the Five Elements:
Core Pattern:
The first half of the year🌱 (rain, thunder, wind) governs the qi of growth, while the second half🍂 (dew, frost, snow) governs the qi of maturation. Agricultural timing emphasizes spring and summer, hence the solar terms in the second half focus more on celestial timing rather than specific farming activities.
The solar term system is a microcosm of the concept of "the unity of heaven and humanity": it integrates astronomy (celestial phenomena), geography (phenology), and human affairs (agricultural timing) into a unified framework, revealing the synchronicity between cosmic rhythms and life cycles. The ancients' use of a "gradualist view" (e.g., Xiaoxue → Daxue) to understand the world offers insightful lessons for addressing the "instant gratification anxiety" prevalent in contemporary society.
| Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Hexagram-Qi Theory | A Han Dynasty Yijing (I Ching) theory that pairs the Eight Trigrams with the solar terms of the four seasons. |
| Five Elements Generative & Restrictive Cycles | Wood generates Fire → grains receive spring qi; Metal restricts Wood → grains wither in autumn. |
| Antares (Dahuo Xing) | Alpha Scorpii (Heart Star Two), an ancient astronomical marker ("the fire star flows westward in the seventh month"). |
| Waxing and Waning of Yin and Yang | The pattern of yin-yang transformation after Xiaoman and Xiaoxue. |
Further Reading
Modern Research