How to Read the Calendar

Calendars differ by tradition

The dates of auspicious and inauspicious days, directions, and their interpretation differ according to the tradition and the calendar maker. This page presents the reading of the family learning that our shrine has inherited from Abe no Seimei.

Kami abide in the calendar: the kami of the calendar. The Hoki Naiden (簠簋内伝), attributed to Seimei, teaches that Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王), the kami of Gion, is Tendōjin (天道神), and that his consort Harisaijo (頗梨采女) is Toshitokujin (歳徳神), who abides each year in the auspicious direction (ehō). It relates that the Eight Princes (Hachiōji, the Hasshōjin, 八将神), the kami of the stars who govern the eight directions of the calendar, were born to these two deities.

At our shrine, Tendōjin is revered as the yang manifestation of Taiitsu, and Toshitokujin as its yin manifestation. Our shrine teaches that yin and yang arose from Taiitsu and that heaven, earth and all things then appeared, and reveres these two deities as the deities at the beginning of the calendar, and at the beginning of this world.

The Abe no Seimei Calendar stands at the source of Japan's calendar tradition. It is the only calendar that has been compiled under Taiitsu, the origin of the calendar.

The spirit of reading the calendar

What matters in reading the calendar is to sense the flow of qi that moves through the day, the workings of the kami, rather than rejoice or despair at the name of an auspicious day.

An auspicious day has attitudes and actions suited to its qi. To walk with that flow, it is important to strive for goodness of heart and nurture one's heart each day.

The calendar is not meant to leave the heart at the mercy of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. It is a guide for following nature's cycles and bringing one's heart and daily life into accord with the workings of the kami.

The Goseibai Shikimoku contains these words.

“The kami increase in majesty through human reverence, and people gain fortune through the virtue of the kami.”

Living in accord with the calendar means renewing our reverence for the kami every day. Divine protection and fortune accompany that reverence. This is what the Goseibai Shikimoku teaches.

What the calendar records

Modern calendars focus on dates and days of the week.
The calendars of ancient Japan, however, recorded the state of the qi moving through each day.

For example, the calendar includes the following.

Stems and brancheskanshiThe combination of the ten heavenly stems, expressing heaven's cycle, and the twelve earthly branches, expressing earth's cycle.
Selected dayssenjitsuParticularly noted auspicious and inauspicious days in the calendar, such as Ichiryū Manbaibi, Tenshanichi and Fujōjubi.
Twelve Day OfficersjūnichokuCalendrical notes that guide the day's activities by the names of twelve kami, such as 建神 (Establish), 除神 (Remove) and 満神 (Full).
Twenty-Eight MansionsnijūhasshukuCalendrical notes dividing the celestial path into twenty-eight mansions, read as guides to activities in light of the movements of the sun and moon.
Nine StarskyūseiCalendrical notes reading the day's flow of qi through nine star signs, from One White to Nine Purple.
Twenty-Four Solar TermsnijūshisekkiDivisions for understanding seasonal changes and the proportions of yin and yang.
Auspicious and inauspicious directionsGuides to directions to attend to and directions requiring restraint that day within the cycles of heaven's and earth's qi.

These have long been treasured as clues to understanding what kind of day today is.

Opening the calendar

Opening the calendar means learning the flow of the kami's qi through that day.

Rather than go against that qi,
pray at the proper time, give thanks at the proper time,
and live with restraint when the time calls for it.

The calendar tells us where the qi of heaven and earth is now and how it is working,
and guides us in choosing when to advance, gather in, exercise restraint or pray.

Calendrical notes for different activities

Each day has activities that accord with the cycles of divine qi.

Worship and prayer: Kamiyoshinichi and Tenshanichi; the sacred days of Kinoene, Tsuchinotomi and Kōshin; the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month; and days of your own earthly branch.
New beginnings: Tenshanichi and Ichiryū Manbaibi. Fujōjubi calls for restraint.
Celebrations and family activities: Ten'onnichi and Bosōnichi.
Travel and long journeys: Ōmōnichi, and the directions of Tenichijin, Daishōgun and Konjin.
Moving house, building and earthworks: Bondo, Jika, Tenka and directions. Gattokunichi for putting the home in order.
Gathering in, organising and reviewing: Jōjubi. Jippōgure and Hassen are periods for setting one's footing in order.

The basic order of reading

Look at the season.Use the Twenty-Four Solar Terms to locate the present turning point in the year.
Look at the day's qi.Check the day's stems and branches and Nine Star.
Look at the guides to activities.Use the Twelve Day Officers and Twenty-Eight Mansions to check which activities suit the day and which call for restraint.
Read the selected days together.Check selected days such as Tenshanichi, Ichiryū Manbaibi and Fujōjubi. The next section explains how to receive selected days that overlap.
Check directions.For activities involving direction, such as travel, moving or building work, check the directions of Tenichijin, Daishōgun and Konjin.

This order is a route through the calendar for those reading it for the first time.

Receiving selected days that overlap on a day

More than one selected day may fall on a single day. For example, Ichiryū Manbaibi and Fujōjubi sometimes fall on the same day.

In such a case, we do not take only one of them and decide whether the day is auspicious or inauspicious. While settling on the good seed you wish to grow ten-thousandfold, do not hurry, and check your motives and preparations once more. That is how the two selected days are received together.

In this way, rather than seeking an answer of good or bad fortune in the name of a selected day, we read how to spend the day by combining the seasonal qi, the day's stems and branches, and what we intend to do. This is the heart of reading the calendar.

An example of reading a day

As an example, let us read 23 August, Reiwa 8 (2026), in the basic order.

SeasonThis day is Shosho, the solar term when the heat begins to subside.

The day's qiThe day's stems and branches are Tsuchinotomi (己巳), and its Nine Star is Seven Red Metal.

Guides to activitiesThe Day Officer is 収神 (Gather), a day connected with gathering in and storing what has come to fruition. The mansion is Bō (房), traditionally regarded as suitable for auspicious affairs.

View the Twelve Day Officers and Twenty-Eight Mansions

Auspiciousness of the Twelve Day Officers

The Twelve Day Officers are determined by the handle of the Big Dipper pointing to the directions of the twelve earthly branches one by one as it turns. The Abe no Seimei Calendar reveres the working of each day as a kami and calls them 建神 (Establish), 除神 (Remove) and so on. From 建神 to 閉神, they turn in one continuous cycle, each kami passing to the next.

Twelve Day Officers	Guide
建神 (Establish)	The kami that begins building things. A day suited to new undertakings, building a house and moving. Refrain from tearing down or other acts of breaking.
除神 (Remove)	“Removing” means stepping back and leaving a place empty. A day that helps 建神 by removing what is not needed and putting things in order. Regarded as a day that removes a hundred misfortunes, it is suited to clearing away hindrances and preparing for construction.
満神 (Full)	A day when the space left by removing fills again. Suited to filling and increasing, such as rites for the kami, building a house, moving, weddings and sowing. Refrain from acts of breaking.
平神 (Level)	A day when what has filled overflows and is levelled. A calm day that divides all things equally. Things tend to proceed without excess or lack, and it is suited to building a house, moving and weddings.
定神 (Settle)	A day when, having been levelled, things settle and are fixed. Suited to Shinto rites, festivals, building a house, moving and weddings. Refrain from starting a new undertaking.
執神 (Hold)	A day to put what has been decided into practice. Suited to carrying out what you have decided. It is good for receiving things; refrain from handing things over. Sowing and starting trade are also said to be best avoided.
破神 (Break)	The kami that stands directly opposite 建神. A day when qi that breaks through things moves. Suited to renewing old things, such as tearing down and clearing up; refrain from new building, moving and sowing. A day suited to prayers that drive away evil qi.
危神 (Danger)	A day to take care with the precariousness that follows a breaking. Pay attention to everything and spend the day carefully, checking as you go.
成神 (Complete)	A day when what has been carefully prepared takes shape and is completed. Regarded as a day when all things are accomplished, it is suited to Shinto rites, festivals, building a house, moving, opening a business and weddings.
収神 (Gather)	A day to gather in and store what has come to fruition. As a harvest is cut and stored in the storehouse, it is suited to taking in and storing. It is also good for moving earth, building a house and filling the storehouse.
開神 (Open)	A day to open what has been stored and use it for others. It is taught that what one has learned, too, has meaning only when it is opened and put to use. Suited to opening the storehouse, weddings and opening fields; refrain from new building.
閉神 (Close)	A day not to open too much but to close and protect. Hold back on giving out, protect your reserves and prepare for 建神, who comes next. Suited to building a grave; other matters are said to be best avoided.

Auspiciousness of the Twenty-Eight Mansions

Rank	Mansion	Guide
Greatly auspicious	角 (Kaku), 房 (Bō), 斗 (To), 壁 (Heki), 畢 (Hitsu), 觜 (Shi), 鬼 (Ki)	Building, housebuilding and farm work increase blessings and resources, and the household prospers. Good for all affairs; marriage and sake brewing are greatly auspicious.
Moderately auspicious	心 (Shin), 尾 (Bi), 奎 (Kei), 婁 (Rō), 胃 (I), 張 (Chō), 翼 (Yoku), 井 (Sei)	Moderately auspicious, good for rites for the kami, entering a home, moving, building work, weddings and entering a household. Cutting kimono cloth and burial, however, are said to require restraint.
Slightly auspicious	箕 (Ki), 女 (Jo), 虚 (Kyo), 危 (Ki), 室 (Shitsu), 星 (Sei), 軫 (Shin)	Slightly auspicious, with benefit for matters such as acquiring farmland. In general, however, moderation is considered the wiser course.
Inauspicious	亢 (Kō), 氐 (Tei), 昴 (Bō), 参 (Shin), 柳 (Ryū), 牛 (Gyū)	An inauspicious day for restraint in all affairs. Betrothal, marriage, paying in money, opening gates and building work are regarded as greatly inauspicious.

Selected daysThis is an Upper Kamiyoshinichi and Tsuchinotomi, a sacred day of Benzaiten. It is also Fujōjubi.

DirectionsIf a long journey or move is approaching, check directions as well.

Reading togetherWe can read this as a day closely connected with worship and thanksgiving; a day to heed Fujōjubi's restraint in new beginnings: do not hurry, and check your motives and preparations; and, for storing and putting things in order, a day on which 収神 comes round. On top of this comes the alignment between your Nine Star and the day's Nine Star (Seven Red Metal). You can check it in the Seven Red column of the Nine Star compatibility table in the next section.

The alignment of your Nine Star with the day

The selected days of the calendar come to everyone alike. Yet the state of qi differs with the qi of the person receiving them, that is, with the alignment between the Nine Star of their birth year and the Nine Star of the day. Even on the same Ichiryū Manbaibi, each person receives it differently.

Apart from the example day above, suppose a Seven Red Metal day is an Ichiryū Manbaibi. It is received as follows.

Your Nine Star	Relationship with the day	How to receive Ichiryū Manbaibi
One White	Seiki	A day of tailwind. It supports new beginnings.
Six White / Seven Red	Hiwa	A day when it is easy to ride momentum. Do not overdo it; keep to moderation.
Two Black / Five Yellow / Eight White	Taiki	A day that turns out well when you put your strength into helping others.
Nine Purple	Shiki	A day when your intentions carry through more easily. Do not force things; stay calm.
Three Azure / Four Green	Sakki	A day to pause for a breath and settle things at an unhurried pace.

Not only on Ichiryū Manbaibi but also on Tenshanichi, on Fujōjubi and on every selected day, we receive it together with our own alignment with the day. The words in the table are an example for Ichiryū Manbaibi; when the selected day changes, the way of receiving it changes too.

See your alignment with today

Date of birth　 Year Month Day

In our family learning, stems and branches are read from the birth day, and the Nine Star from the birth year. A birth before Risshun (around 4 February) is assigned the previous year's Nine Star.

See all the compatibility tables (Nine Stars, ten stems, twelve branches)

Where your row meets today's column is today's alignment. Today's column is highlighted in the tables.

Compatibility of the Nine Stars

Me ＼ The day	One White	Two Black	Three Azure	Four Green	Five Yellow	Six White	Seven Red	Eight White	Nine Purple
One White	Hiwa	Sakki	Taiki	Taiki	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Sakki	Shiki
Two Black	Shiki	Hiwa	Sakki	Sakki	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Hiwa	Seiki
Three Azure	Seiki	Shiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Shiki	Sakki	Sakki	Shiki	Taiki
Four Green	Seiki	Shiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Shiki	Sakki	Sakki	Shiki	Taiki
Five Yellow	Shiki	Hiwa	Sakki	Sakki	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Hiwa	Seiki
Six White	Taiki	Seiki	Shiki	Shiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Seiki	Sakki
Seven Red	Taiki	Seiki	Shiki	Shiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Seiki	Sakki
Eight White	Shiki	Hiwa	Sakki	Sakki	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Hiwa	Seiki
Nine Purple	Sakki	Taiki	Seiki	Seiki	Taiki	Shiki	Shiki	Taiki	Hiwa

Compatibility of the ten stems (the upper character)

Me ＼ The day	甲	乙	丙	丁	戊	己	庚	辛	壬	癸
甲	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki
乙	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki
丙	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Sakki
丁	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki
戊	Sakki	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Kangō
己	Kangō	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Shiki
庚	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki
辛	Shiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa	Taiki	Taiki
壬	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa
癸	Taiki	Taiki	Shiki	Shiki	Kangō	Sakki	Seiki	Seiki	Hiwa	Hiwa

Compatibility of the twelve branches (the lower character)

Me ＼ The day	子	丑	寅	卯	辰	巳	午	未	申	酉	戌	亥
子	Hiwa	Shigō	Hei	Kei	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Gai	Sangō	Ha	Hei	Hei
丑	Shigō	Hiwa	Hei	Hei	Ha	Sangō	Gai	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Kei	Hei
寅	Hei	Hei	Hiwa	Hei	Hei	Kei	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Shigō
卯	Kei	Hei	Hei	Hiwa	Gai	Hei	Ha	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Shigō	Sangō
辰	Sangō	Ha	Hei	Gai	Jikei	Hei	Hei	Hei	Sangō	Shigō	Chū	Hei
巳	Hei	Sangō	Kei	Hei	Hei	Hiwa	Hei	Hei	Shigō	Sangō	Hei	Chū
午	Chū	Gai	Sangō	Ha	Hei	Hei	Jikei	Shigō	Hei	Hei	Sangō	Hei
未	Gai	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Hei	Hei	Shigō	Hiwa	Hei	Hei	Kei	Sangō
申	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Shigō	Hei	Hei	Hiwa	Hei	Hei	Gai
酉	Ha	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Shigō	Sangō	Hei	Hei	Hei	Jikei	Gai	Hei
戌	Hei	Kei	Sangō	Shigō	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Kei	Hei	Gai	Hiwa	Hei
亥	Hei	Hei	Shigō	Sangō	Hei	Chū	Hei	Sangō	Gai	Hei	Hei	Jikei

Guide to the terms

Terms in the stems and Nine Stars tables
Kangō (stem combination)	A harmonious bond in which yin and yang draw together.
Seiki (nourishing qi)	The day's qi sustains and nourishes your qi. A day for receiving strength.
Taiki (outgoing qi)	You pour out your qi to sustain the day's qi. A day suited to giving.
Hiwa (same qi)	The same qi overlaps. Momentum grows, but attention to imbalance is also needed.
Shiki (controlling qi)	Your qi restrains the day's qi. You can exert influence, but it takes effort.
Sakki (restraining qi)	The day's qi restrains your qi. Receive it as discipline, exercising restraint and putting things in order.
Terms in the twelve branches table
Shigō (branch combination)	Harmony in which branches unite.
Sangō (threefold combination)	A bond in which a group of three branches supports one another.
Hiwa (same qi)	The same branch overlaps. Momentum grows, but attention to imbalance is also needed.
Jikei (self-penalty)	Among identical branches, Dragon, Horse, Rooster and Boar can produce excessive qi. Proceed carefully, without being carried by momentum.
Chū (opposition)	A strongly moving cycle in which directly opposite branches face one another.
Kei, Gai and Ha (penalty, harm and break)	Combinations prone to friction. Proceed carefully, without haste.
Hei (neutral)	An even cycle without a particular relationship.

The stems and branches may show different aspects. When they overlap, follow the approach described in the section “Receiving selected days that overlap on a day”.

The meanings of calendrical notes

There are days when divine qi opens and nurtures, and days for restraint and ordering. Which divine qi moves on which day? Our shrine's calendrical notes are set out below.

Calendrical notes of opening and nurturing qi

Tenshanichitenshanichi: The calendar's foremost auspicious day, when the heavenly kami forgive all faults.We receive it as a day to reflect on and amend our faults, and step towards good actions.
Ichiryū Manbaibiichiryū manbaibi: A day when the kami nurture a single seed of good action into an eventual ten-thousandfold harvest.Rather than wish only for profit, we sow good seeds of unseen virtue, compassion and good deeds that we wish to nurture ten-thousandfold.
Kamiyoshinichikamiyoshinichi: Days connected with traditions concerning the kami and buddhas. Upper, Middle and Lower Kamiyoshinichi are all regarded as auspicious.
Volume Three of the Hoki Naiden contains entries on Kamiyoshinichi linking traditions of divine appearances, manifestations and shrine founding to the day's stems and branches. Here, “manifestation” (suijaku) means buddhas and bodhisattvas appearing in the form of kami within the teachings that combine Shinto and Buddhism.

Origins of Kamiyoshinichi in the Hoki Naiden

乙丑 (Upper and Lower): The day when Dharmakāya Dainichi manifested, softened its light (wakō) at the upper reaches of the Daibonji River in Dewa Province, and appeared as Yudono Gongen.

己巳 (Upper): The day when the three daughters of Shinko-ō flew to Japan and manifested at Itsukushima, Chikubushima and Enoshima.

庚午 (Middle): In traditions concerning Empress Jingū, the day when the kami of heaven and earth were worshipped for seven days and nights in Usa District, Buzen Province, Tsukushi.

壬申 (Upper): The day linked to two kami lowering the heavenly inverted spear from Takamagahara to form Onokoro Island, then descending to Mount Tsukuba and appearing as a man and a woman.

癸酉 (Upper): The day linked to Susanoo-no-Mikoto travelling to Izumo, defeating Yamata-no-Orochi and taking a wife.

甲申 (Upper): The day linked to the opening of Amaterasu Ōmikami's heavenly rock cave.

乙酉 (Middle): The day linked to the tradition of Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto subduing the peoples called 夷 in the eastern lands and renaming the Murakumo sword (紫雲剣) as the Kusanagi sword.

甲午 (Lower): The day when the three Kumano Gongen came from a foreign land to Kii Province and established Gyokuhōden (玉宝殿).

甲辰 (Middle): The day when the sacred hall in Ise Province was rebuilt.

乙巳 (Middle): The day when Nisho, Mishima and Wakamiya Hachiman were established; also the day when Fuji Gongen manifested in Japan from a foreign land.

戊申 (Middle): The day linked to the Fujiwara Grand Minister's construction of Kasuga Shrine and the flourishing of his descendants.

戊午 (Lower): The day linked to Minister Kamatari's founding of Tōnomine and his ascent to the Grand Shrine (大神宮).
Ten'onnichiten'onnichi: A day to give thanks for the blessings of the heavenly kami.We receive it as a day to value joyful activities and a heart that nurtures and helps others.
Jōjubijōjubi: A day to bring accumulated efforts to completion under the protection of the kami.We devote our hearts to completion.
Tentokunichitentokunichi: A day to accumulate good deeds, following the virtue of the heavenly kami.We value helping others without leaning towards selfish desires.
Gattokunichigattokunichi: A day when lunar divine qi moves, for setting home and daily life in order.As a day of lunar virtue, we repair our homes and tools and put daily activities in order.
Gattokugōgattokugō: A day when lunar divine qi harmonises with the day's qi, for tending relationships and harmony with others.We receive it as a day when lunar virtue and the day's qi harmonise.
Bosōnichibosōnichi: A day when the kami nurture the roots of life and activity as a mother would.We revere as “mother” the working that generates and nourishes the season's qi, and tend the roots of life and activity.
Sanrinpōsanrinpō: A day to offer thanks to the kami of heaven and earth and ancestral spirits.We revere the source of all things in heaven and earth and give thanks for the blessings received.
Shanichishanichi: A day to worship the kami of the land.In spring we pray for the growth of the five grains; in autumn we give thanks for the harvest.

Calendrical notes of restraint and ordering heart and actions

Fujōjubifujōjubi: A day when the kami counsel us not to hurry, but to put our footing in order.We review motives, preparations and oversights. It does not mean that everything will fail, nor does it reject good activities already under way.
Tenkatenka: A day when heavenly fire's divine qi moves and the kami teach care around sources of fire.We attend to the movement of fire qi and carefully review activities involving fire.
Jikajika: A day when earthly fire's divine qi moves and the kami caution against earth-moving activities.We attend to fire qi within the earth and review the arrangements and safety of building work.
Ōmōnichiōmōnichi: A day when seasonal divine qi changes and the kami counsel us to check the route of a long journey.Before a major journey, we thoroughly check the itinerary and safety.
Jippōgurejippōgure: Ten days when the cycles of divine qi are difficult to read, for relying on the kami and putting our footing in order.We put plans, communications, timing and immediate safety in order.
Hassenhassen: Days when heavenly and earthly divine qi overlap and the kami caution against narrowness of vision.Rather than fear the strength of qi, we guard against bias and keep an open heart.
Sanpukusanpuku: Three days when summer's fire divine qi reaches its height and the kami teach care for the body.These are Shofuku, Chūfuku and Mappuku, turning points of summer at which to care for oneself.
Bondobondo: A period for revering the earth kami and refraining from digging or moving soil.During Ōbondo and Kobondo, we check our respect for the land and our safety.
Gessatsunichigessatsunichi: A day when lunar divine qi wanes and the kami counsel care over major beginnings.It is allocated by month; its name alone does not make every part of the day inauspicious.
Gōsatsunichigōsatsunichi: A day when the kami caution against forceful conduct.We do not rush for gain, but value harmony with those around us.
Saisatsunichisaisatsunichi: A day when the kami teach preparedness for misfortune.Rather than assume and fear disaster, we put the safety of our surroundings in order.

Directions for attending to the kami's movements

Ehōehō: The direction towards which the virtue of Taiitsu's divine qi turns in that year.It is the direction where Toshitokujin abides, formerly also called Aki-no-kata. It has favourable connections with activities facing that way, such as the New Year Ehō pilgrimage. The year's Ehō is shown in the directional chart at the beginning of the calendar.
Tenichijintenichijin: Tenichijin, a star kami, protects the directions while travelling through heaven and earth.During forty-four days on earth, Tenichijin visits the eight directions in sequence for six or five days each; we refrain from travelling towards the occupied direction. For sixteen days from Mizunotomi (癸巳), Tenichijin ascends to heaven. This is called Tenichi Tenjō and is received as a period of lighter directional restraint. During it, we keep the home, especially its centre, clean and orderly.
Daishōgundaishōgun: Daishōgun, the star kami guarding Taiitsu's palace, governs each direction for three years.We refrain from major building work or moving towards Daishōgun's direction. During yugyō, when the kami leaves the year's dwelling and visits each direction for five days, this restraint is said to ease.
Konjinkonjin: Konjin, the powerful kami presiding over metal qi, changes direction each year.Since ancient times, great restraint has been observed against encroaching on Konjin's direction. During yugyō, when Konjin travels away from the dwelling, this restraint is said to ease.

Days connected with the kami and buddhas

甲子kinoene: A day when the bond with Daikoku deepens.Kinoene (甲子), returning every sixty days, is Daikoku's sacred day. The year's first Kinoene is called Hatsu Daikoku. We offer thanks for harvests and the blessings of the home.
己巳tsuchinotomi: A day when the bond with Benzaiten deepens.Days of the Snake are Benzaiten's sacred days. Tsuchinotomi (己巳), returning every sixty days, is especially valued. We cherish connections with wealth and the arts.
庚申kōshin: A day connected with Taishakuten, for restraint in conduct and reflection on the heart.Kōshin (庚申) returns every sixty days. The ancient custom of Kōshin-machi, observing restraint throughout the night, has been handed down for this day. We reflect on our conduct and purify our hearts.

Daily guides to activities

Twelve Day Officersjūnichoku: Twelve kami, such as 建神 (Establish), 除神 (Remove) and 満神 (Full), move through the days and guide activities.A day for establishing, a day for purifying, a day for filling. In keeping with the meaning of each name, we read which activities suit the day and which to refrain from.
Twenty-Eight Mansionsnijūhasshuku: The twenty-eight stellar mansions around the heavens are assigned to the days, one per day.They are recorded by mansion names such as Bō (房), Ki (鬼) and Kei (奎). Whereas the Twelve Day Officers are determined by the monthly cycle, the Twenty-Eight Mansions follow the sequence of stars. They are read as guides to the auspiciousness of activities.
Nine Starskyūsei: The qi of nine stars, from One White to Nine Purple, circulates through days, months and years.Each star bears the qi of one of the Five Phases, such as water for One White and fire for Nine Purple, and indicates the day's qi palace.

None of these calendrical notes decides the whole of a day by itself. We read the way in which divine qi and human qi come into harmony by combining the seasonal qi, the day's stems and branches, the Day Officer and lunar mansion, and what we intend to do.