Every year I make it a point to buy a T'ung Sing/Tong Sheng (通胜)or Chinese Almanac for the New year. I refer to it once in a while to look for auspicious dates. If you look at the first page of the Almanac, you'd seed the picture of an ox and a cowherd. Now this is referred to as the Spring Ox Picture (春牛图) in the Annual Chinese Almanac. This picture is a staple in the almanac and always appears on the first page. So what does it represent?
Actually, the picture contains lots of information on the Yin-Yang (阴阳) nature of the year, the Heavenly Stem(天干) and Earthly Branch (地支) for the year and that for the Spring Day (Li Chun Day 立春日), Na Yin Wu Xing (纳音五行), etc.
Predictions regarding the weather and the agricultural harvests for the year are also hidden in the illustration. They are in the form of seven character-line poetry (七言诗) and appear on both sides of the spring ox image.
There will be two Spring Ox pictures in the Chinese Almanac. The image at the front is for the year while the other one at the end of the calendar is for the following year.The Spring Ox and Cowherd of the Chinese Almanac 1
The Spring Ox was originally a clay figure for ceremonial purposes. In the old days, royal officials would whip the Ox on the first day of spring (Lup Chun) to signify the start of a new solar year.
There are rules governing the relative dimensions of the Spring Ox and the Cowherd. The height of the Ox is four units of length to represent the four seasons. The length of the Ox is eight units of length to represent the eight seasonal nodes while the tail is 1.2 units of length to represent the twelve months of a year.
The length of the branch that the Cowherd uses as a wand is 2.4 units of length to represent the 24 knots and qi of a year. Finally, the height of the Cowherd is 3.65 units of length to represent the 365 days of a year.
For the Spring Ox diagram to convey weather information effectively it should be in color. Nowadays as society become less dependent on the illustration, it is shown in black and white on most almanacs.
What kind of information does it convey?
The color of the head of the Ox tells the element of the Heavenly Stem of year. In a Wood year (Jia or Yi), the color of the Ox’s head is green. In a Fire year (Bing or Ding) it is Red while in an Earth Year (Wu or Ji) it is Yellow. During a metal year (Geng or Xin) it is white while in a Water year (Ren or Gui) it is black.
The color of the body of the Ox tells the element of the Earthly Branch of the year. In the Wood years of the Tiger or Rabbit (Yin or Mao) it is green while in the Fire years of the Snake or Horse (Si or Wu) it is Red. In the Metal Years of the Monkey and Rooster (Shen or You) it is white while in the Water Years of the Pig and Rat (Hai or Zi) it is black. Finally in the Earth years of the Dragon or Goat or Dog or Ox it is yellow.
The color of the Ox’s stomach denotes the The Na Yin (received notes or hidden) element of the year. It is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black water.
The color of the Ox’s horns, ears and tail denotes on the element of the Heavenly Stem of the first day of Li Cun (Start of Spring – usually on or around 4th Feb). The color of the Ox’s knees denotes the element of the Earthly Branch of the first day of Li Chun. Again it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
The Na Yin element of the first day of Li Cun is denoted by the color of the hooves of the Ox.
The Yin or Yang of the year is denoted by the side to which the Ox’s tails bend. It bends to the right in a Yin year and to the left in a Yang year. In addition, the Ox’s mouth is shut in a Yin year and opened in a Yang year.
Even the texture and color of the rein tells denotes something about the Stem and Branch (or animal sign) of Li Chun (first day of spring). If the first day of spring is a Rat, Rabbit, Horse of Rooster day, the rein is made from hemp. For an Ox, Dragon, Goat or Dog day it is made of silk. Finally for a Tiger, Snake, monkey or Pig day it is made of linen.
The color of the rein is determined by the element of the day. As usual it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
To learn more about the symbolism the picture carries, please visit the following links.
For the Spring Ox diagram to convey weather information effectively it should be in color. Nowadays as society become less dependent on the illustration, it is shown in black and white on most almanacs.
What kind of information does it convey?
The color of the head of the Ox tells the element of the Heavenly Stem of year. In a Wood year (Jia or Yi), the color of the Ox’s head is green. In a Fire year (Bing or Ding) it is Red while in an Earth Year (Wu or Ji) it is Yellow. During a metal year (Geng or Xin) it is white while in a Water year (Ren or Gui) it is black.
The color of the body of the Ox tells the element of the Earthly Branch of the year. In the Wood years of the Tiger or Rabbit (Yin or Mao) it is green while in the Fire years of the Snake or Horse (Si or Wu) it is Red. In the Metal Years of the Monkey and Rooster (Shen or You) it is white while in the Water Years of the Pig and Rat (Hai or Zi) it is black. Finally in the Earth years of the Dragon or Goat or Dog or Ox it is yellow.
The color of the Ox’s stomach denotes the The Na Yin (received notes or hidden) element of the year. It is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black water.
The color of the Ox’s horns, ears and tail denotes on the element of the Heavenly Stem of the first day of Li Cun (Start of Spring – usually on or around 4th Feb). The color of the Ox’s knees denotes the element of the Earthly Branch of the first day of Li Chun. Again it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
The Na Yin element of the first day of Li Cun is denoted by the color of the hooves of the Ox.
The Yin or Yang of the year is denoted by the side to which the Ox’s tails bend. It bends to the right in a Yin year and to the left in a Yang year. In addition, the Ox’s mouth is shut in a Yin year and opened in a Yang year.
Even the texture and color of the rein tells denotes something about the Stem and Branch (or animal sign) of Li Chun (first day of spring). If the first day of spring is a Rat, Rabbit, Horse of Rooster day, the rein is made from hemp. For an Ox, Dragon, Goat or Dog day it is made of silk. Finally for a Tiger, Snake, monkey or Pig day it is made of linen.
The color of the rein is determined by the element of the day. As usual it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
To learn more about the symbolism the picture carries, please visit the following links.
INTERPRETATION OF THE OX AND COWHERD PICTURE FOR THE DRAGON YEAR.
Here is the illustration of the Ox and Cowherd picture in the T'ung Shu for the coming year. After reading the article above, what can you interpret from it?
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