Boston and the Chinese solar calendar

Pentads: 鸡乳 · 征鸟厉疾 · 水泽腹坚

closing and storing (閉藏 bì cáng). Go to bed early and rise late — wait for the sunlight. Leave the cold, stay near warmth, and do not let the skin sweat open.

This is the response to winter qi — the way of nourishing the storing (養藏). Going against it is said to injure the kidney, so that spring brings weakness and collapse and there is less to carry the bringing-forth.

Su Wen, 'Four Qi Regulate the Spirit' (素問·四氣調神大論); pentads from the Yue Ling Qi Shi Er Hou Ji Jie

• This fortnight's advice was written for a place averaging 34.0°F at this point in the year. At Logan Intl, MA the 1991–2020 average is 29.5°F — cooler by 4.5°F.
• 'Major Cold' is a phenological marker from the Yellow River valley — what observers saw, not a temperature threshold. The nearest thing your own record has to it: at Logan Intl, MA the last freeze of spring does not clear until April 6, still 76 days off. This fortnight typically carries about 11.8 days at or below freezing.

If Yang deficiency came out high for you. Traditional theory associates Yang deficiency with feeling the cold sooner than the people around you. That is a theoretical association drawn from the classical literature, not a research finding. Your average low this fortnight is 22.4°F, and about 11.8 days typically fall to freezing or below. Whether any of it matters for you is something to observe, not something this page can tell you.

Pentads: 桐始华 · 田鼠化为鴽 · 虹始见

the bringing forth of what was stored (發陳 fā chén). Go to bed late and rise early; walk broadly in the open, hair loose, body unhurried.

This is the response to spring qi — the way of nourishing life (養生). Going against it is said to injure the liver, so that summer brings cold changes and there is less to carry growth forward.

Su Wen, 'Four Qi Regulate the Spirit' (素問·四氣調神大論); pentads from the Yue Ling Qi Shi Er Hou Ji Jie

• This fortnight's advice was written for a place averaging 58.8°F at this point in the year. At Logan Intl, MA the 1991–2020 average is 47.3°F — cooler by 11.5°F.
• This is the fastest-warming fortnight of your year: 5.7°F above the one before it.

If Qi stagnation came out high for you. Traditional theory associates Qi stagnation with mood that moves with the season; the classical texts tie autumn's gathering-in to it in particular. That is a theoretical association drawn from the classical literature, not a research finding. Daylight at your latitude is 12h 49m, up 47 minutes from two weeks ago. Whether any of it matters for you is something to observe, not something this page can tell you.

Pentads: 雁北乡 · 鹊始巢 · 雉雊

Same seasonal passage as above — the classical text gives one instruction per season, not one per fortnight.

• This fortnight's advice was written for a place averaging 33.1°F at this point in the year. At Logan Intl, MA the 1991–2020 average is 30.0°F — cooler by 3.1°F.
• 'Minor Cold' is a phenological marker from the Yellow River valley — what observers saw, not a temperature threshold. The nearest thing your own record has to it: at Logan Intl, MA the last freeze of spring does not clear until April 6, still 91 days off. This fortnight typically carries about 12.0 days at or below freezing.

If Yin deficiency came out high for you. Traditional theory associates Yin deficiency with internal dryness and a sense of heat from within. That is a theoretical association drawn from the classical literature, not a research finding. Your average high this fortnight is 36.8°F, and 38.3% of days typically see measurable rain. Whether any of it matters for you is something to observe, not something this page can tell you.

Pentads: 桃始华 · 仓庚鸣 · 鹰化为鸠

Same seasonal passage as above — the classical text gives one instruction per season, not one per fortnight.

• This fortnight's advice was written for a place averaging 48.0°F at this point in the year. At Logan Intl, MA the 1991–2020 average is 37.1°F — cooler by 10.9°F.

If Damp-heat came out high for you. Traditional theory associates Damp-heat with damp and heat arriving together, rather than either one alone. That is a theoretical association drawn from the classical literature, not a research finding. This fortnight runs to an average high of 44.3°F with rain on about 37.6% of days. Whether any of it matters for you is something to observe, not something this page can tell you.