Today is the 22nd day of 11th month of the lunar calendar
And the third day of the 4.5-day period called Circling
Submitted to the power of the Ox-(boy) constellation (niu),
The unlucky sign, Metal, Friday, Venus, Ox. . .

This constellation is known as the Draught Ox –
Imagery of the ox-boy leading his ox to pasture or market
Has led to the association of this constellation with roads,
Paths, fields, and barriers. Such an interesting background
Is very badly served by its modern astrological symbolism:
It presages discord, broken marriages, and disappearance
Of provisions. Perhaps these woeful tidings are in commiseration
For the Ox-boy, forever separated from his true love in the heavens.
The idea of barriers and the ox is adopted from the old traditions
To warn against leaving doors open, and the advent of sickness
And starvation for animals.

Speaking from the point of today’s stellar indication,
Which emerges from the ancient Book of Rites (Li ji),
It is the Ruin (po), indicates conflicts, face-to-face arguments,
And quarrels. This is a good day for going fishing and
Punishing criminals. Other things would be unseemly.

Not a fortunate day for most things, but all accounts.
Pack up and go fishing seems to be the almanac's best advice –
It's going to be that kind of a day. Avoid conflicts of all kinds,
Not least with the law; it appears to be a good day
For catching criminals. As the Stratagem No. 22 directs:
‘Shut the doors to catch all the bandits in their den’ or
‘Disband the bandits by capturing their leader first.’
(Stratagem No. 18; The 36 Chinese Stratagems)

The First Half of the Day under the Metal Element

As the Canon of Triad (Tai Xuan Jing) suggests,
On a richly ornamented belt with a heavy iron buckle
(Image of a high-ranking official, symbol of strict regulations)
Hangs a ring of the flawless nephrite, token of the supreme authority
Placed just above one’s head (Earth of the second half of the day,
Which begets Metal). Girding his belt with an iron buckle,
He commits himself to self-restraint. The ding-dong sound
Wakes his mind up every single moment of life.

A belt without buckle is simply unable to perform its function;
And a buckle without belt is useless, as well. Similarly,
By means of the metal buckle the leather belt circled around
On the waist is used to limit one's desires (the body's belly
Represents vitality). Here, the belt is an evidence
Of one’s true intention to do his duty as it should be properly done.
Starting from himself, he limits his own desires (belly)
And adjusts the way of life as a worthy exemplar
For his followers and henchmen.

The image of Circling comes up here firstly as the belt
Encircling the waist; secondly as the belt looping around
Its iron buckle; and thirdly as the nephrite ring,
A symbol of authority and a mark of pertaining to elite.
In a sense, nephrite, a true token of virtue, is mostly similar
To a lotus flower in the tradition of Hindus, symbol of pureness,
Which grows up in a marsh mud. As is believed from of old,
Due to its tubular structure, this highly valued gem
Is a perfect transmitter of the celestial energy.
Om mani padme hum!

The Second Half of the Day under the Earth Element

His Grand House is surrounded with high earth mound;
He travels in his heavy vehicle equipped with metal footboards;
He is regularly warned by Heaven of all upcoming changes.
He dwells in fully protected chambers of his enormous place;--
There is no way for the petty men to get close to him
And to harm him by stealth, pouring some poison in his tea,
As he is always forewarned. Truly, ‘Forewarned is Forearmed.’
As an old saying goes, ‘If you wish peace, be alert for warfare.’

Even being at the very center, the place which provides him
Heaven's protection, he does not cease his self-cultivation,
Supporting his excellent mental and physical shape,
Remembering of danger in safety. O boy!
His position in the very center, as well as his influence
On periphery, constitutes and adjusts the directing force
Of his loyal men. Besides, he centralizes all movements
Occurring around, remaining to be relatively motionless,
Like an axis of his heavy vehicle that is though unmoved
Due to the wheels fast rotation, while his men undergo
Radical transformations, by themselves,
Without visible influence from his side. It is by virtue
Of his central place that he oversees a full round of activities
Related to his orderly governing in the land between
The capital and provinces with their numerous tribes and peoples.