Calendar notes

May opens in the 甲辰 (Jia-chen) month. On May 6, Summer Commences (立夏, Lixia) begins the 乙巳 (Yi-si) month, the first fire month of the year.

Fire under earth

The Snake branch 巳 (Si) and the Dog’s 戌 (Xu) share no clash, harm, combination or punishment. With the branches neutral, the five elements carry the reading.

Here the elements are friendly. 巳 (Si) is fire, and fire produces earth. After a clash month, the Dog’s own element now has something feeding it from below.

The stem 乙 (Yi) is wood. Wood controls earth, yet wood also feeds fire, which in turn feeds earth. The stem therefore works in two directions. One way to describe it: the pressure from April has not vanished, but it now passes through fire on its way to the Dog, and arrives as support.

A quieter kind of month

With no branch relation to speak of, May is one of the Dog’s steadier months. That makes it a good time to settle what moved in April and to build habits that suit a summer schedule.

Settling after change

A few practical questions help after a clash month:

  • Which changes from April are worth keeping?
  • Which ones were temporary and can now be undone?
  • Who helped during the shift, and have you thanked them?

Answering them on paper takes twenty minutes and often clarifies a lot.

Focus for the month

  • Finish the April rearrangement. Put the new plan in one place.
  • Start a summer routine. Summer Commences is a natural reset point for sleep and exercise habits.
  • Return a favor. Gratitude fits a month where support comes from below.

One thing to go easy on

Reopening settled questions. When a calm month follows a busy one, it is tempting to revisit every decision. Let the ones that are working stay closed.

More for the Dog

Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.