中國玄學基礎知識: 二十四節氣

Chinese Metaphysics Basics: twenty-four solar terms or twenty-four seasons

二十四節氣的形成(一) Formation of the twenty-four solar terms(1)

（The English version is available below)

只要大家對玄學有興趣，對二十四節氣一定不會感到陌生，因為中國的玄學大多是以二十四節氣起年月課例的，所以不能，也不會不懂。

即使你沒有玄學根底，也一定聽說過廿四節氣，及參與過與廿四節氣有關的風俗。例如在每年的立春日，中國某些地方的人會吃春卷，有些地方的人則在當天試圖把雞蛋直立起來。到了驚蟄，又會有個打小人的習俗。到了冬至，更會一家團聚吃湯丸。

為何會有廿四節氣？

這是中國史前黃河流域中下游一帶，華夏祖先經歷千百年，透過實踐創做出來的寶貴天文科學，能夠反映一年的氣候及物候的變化，用以掌握農業季節工作的資料，對於古時以農立國的華夏祖先有莫大的裨益。

自公元前104 年，鄧平等以廿四節氣制定〈太初曆〉。自此，廿四節氣正式成為中國曆法，亦奠定了其天文地位。

明白了廿四節氣的歷史，大家又想不想知道廿四節氣是如何產生的？有甚麼作用？如何運用於玄學八字 ? 讓筆者暫且賣個關子，留待下回再跟大家分享！

Chinese metaphysics tools mostly use the twenty-four solar terms in calculations. Therefore, it should not be unfamiliar with you.

Even if you have no background knowledge on Chinese metaphysics, you must have heard about the twenty-four solar terms and the customs related to them. For example, on the first day of ‘Spring commences’ every year, people in some parts of China eat spring rolls. Some people even try to make eggs stand up on that day, which is believed to bring good luck. When it comes to ‘Insects Waken’, there will be the custom of ‘Villain hitting’. And when the ‘Winter solstice’ arrives, families gather to eat glutinous rice balls called ‘Tangyuan’.

Why are there twenty-four solar terms?

In fact, the twenty-four solar terms started around Yellow River in ancient China. The Chinese ancestors created this precious astronomical science through practice. It can reflect changes in climate within a year for agricultural work.

Since 104 BC, "Taichu Calendar" with twenty-four solar terms was formulated by Deng Ping, a then Chinese astronomer. Since then, the twenty-four solar terms have officially become the Chinese calendar.

Do you want to know how the terms were produced and how do they reflect the climate? Most importantly, how to apply them in Chinese metaphysics?

Stay tuned for more of our sharing!