(Below are brief explanations of a few of the calendar systems that make up the calendar pages of the Mad Farmers' Jubilee Almanack. The calendar pages themselves were unable to make the transition from paper to .TXT and thus, are not included.) Lunar Calendars used in the MFJA The Chinese Calendar: The Chinese calendar year begins on the first new moon after the sun enters Aquarius (Western Zodiac). The Year 4692, Year of the Dog, (Element Wood), 11th year in the 60 year cycle, began February 11, 1994 c.e.. The Chinese calendar does not use the same zodiac as the west, but the fixture of the solstices and equinoxes as marking points in both systems provides for basic calendric similarities. The Chinese calendar is lunar-solar. There are 12 lunar months in a year, with an intercalary month added every three years or so. The months are not named but designated as 1st month 2nd month etc. The solar periods are marked by the 24 Joints & Breaths which mark out 15ø segments on the 360ø ecliptic, coinciding with the solstices and equinoxes as well as the zodiac of the west. The 24 Joints & Breaths: Winter Solstice: Sun enters Capricorn Little Cold: Sun 15ø Capricorn Severe Cold: Sun enters Aquarius Spring Begins: Sun 15ø Aquarius Rain Water: Sun enters Pisces Buzzing Insects: Sun 15ø Pisces Spring Equinox: Sun enters Aries Clear & Bright: Sun 15ø Aries Gardener's Rains: Sun enters Taurus Summer Begins: Sun 15ø Taurus Grain Fills: Sun enters Gemini Ears of Grain: Sun 15ø Gemini Summer Solstice: Sun enters Cancer Slight Heat: Sun 15ø Cancer Great Heat: Sun enters Leo Autumn Begins: Sun 15ø Leo Limit of Heat : Sun enters Virgo White Dew: Sun 15ø Virgo Autumn Equinox: Sun enters Libra Cold Dew: Sun 15ø Libra Hoar Frost: Sun enters Scorpio Winter Begins: Sun 15ø Scorpio Little Snow: Sun enters Sagittarius Heavy Snow: Sun 15ø Sagittarius 12 Animals: The twelve animals are related to constellations on the chinese zodiac, They give their names & representations to the months, the years & the days as follows: Tse, the Rat: Initiating Endeavor Chau, the Ox: Maintaining Endeavors Yin, the Tiger: Aggressive Expansion Mau, the Rabbit: Diplomatic Expansion Shin, the Dragon: Alchemical Mystery Se, the Snake: Contemplative Mystery Wu, the Horse: Masculine Domestic Wi, the Sheep: Feminine Domestic Shin, the Monkey: Skillful Fulfillment Yu, the Rooster: Ambitious Fulfillment Siuh, the Dog: Group Loyalty Hai, the Pig: Group Prosperity The 5 Elements: Wood: creation, inspiration, imagination Fire: energy, excitement, destruction, vitality Earth: stability, practicality, root Metal: resources, conflict, strategy, survival Water: communication, travel, intelligence, change 60 Day Cycle: The combination of the 5 elements with the 12 Zodiacal animals yields a 60 day cycle (also a 60 year cycle). By combining an element with an animal, the "texture" of the day can be imagined. This is the basis of Chinese astrology. Further: Keeping in mind the pairing of Yin/Yang, the 5 Elements and the 12 Animals provides a key to comprehending the essentials of Chinese Cosmology * * * Tibet: The Tibetan calendar , like the Chinese, tells time by the moon and the 12 year cycles of Jupiter. Unlike the Chinese, the Tibetans adjust their calendar for the cycles of the moon by omitting unlucky days, usually repeating the preceding day number. Other times a day is repeated to adjust for the solar calendar. The days that are omitted or repeated are judged for their auspiciousness according to the year cycle and element, divination, and the following criteria. Days of the week: Sunday & Tuesday - Fire: (These days are rather "angry), Monday &Wednesday - Water: (Monday is best, Wednesday is good for receiving things but not for giving away.), Thursday - Air: (One of best days.), Friday and Saturday - Earth: (Saturday is like Wednesday.) Days of the Month: The 1st day is bad for beginning projects or journeys: the 2nd is bad for travel. The 4th day of the month is unlucky for sickness or accidents, as is the 14th and 24th. Generally, counting on one hand: thumb, hollow between thumb and forefinger, forefinger, ..any day that counts in the hollow is bad (i.e. 2nd, 8th, 14th,etc.). The House God's Position: The Tibetan House god is similar to the Chinese Kitchen God. He is anthropomorphic with a piggish head and flowing robes and is called the "inside-god" of the class "Earth Masters." He is placed in a different location around the house with every changing month. Month-Name-House Place: 1st & 2nd Months - called "The Gel-Thun house god"-He occupies the center of the house, the fire grate must be removed to a corner of the room and no dead body placed there. (through April 10th); 3rd & 4th Months- called "The Door-God of the House and Yak"- He stands in the doorway. No bride or bridegroom may come or go nor any corpse. (April 11th - June 9th); 5th Month- called "ya-ngas-pa" and stands under the eaves. (June 10th - July 8th) * February 11, 1994 began the Wood-Dog (Male) year. It is the 968th year of the 17th cycle by the Tibetan astrological calendar and the 2121st year of the historical calendar. * * * Hindu Calendar: There are around 30 calendars in use in India, generally with twelve months of 30 days. An intercalary month is added whenever two new moons occur in the same solar month. The Hindu Months: 1) Chaitra 2) Vaisakha 3) Jaistha 4) Asadha 5) Sravana 6) Bhadra 7) Asvina 8) Kartika 9) Agrahyana 10) Pausa 11) Magha 12) Phalguna The Hindu Calendar is based on the Sidereal Zodiac as opposed to the Tropical Zodiac of Western Astrology, otherwise there is very little difference. The Hindu Solar year begins when the sun enters Aries by Sidereal Reckoning (around April 13th or 14th). The 12 signs are the same as in the west. Approximately every 63 days, two days are made to share one 24 hour period, keeping the lunar month of approximately 291/2 days, from slipping out of alignment with the solar days. The intercalation is not random, but is based on a lunar day called a Tithi, which is slightly shorter than a solar day. When two tithis begin during the same solar day, the tithis (which is what this calendar actually counts) share a solar day. * * * Islamic Calendar: The Islamic calendar is purely lunar, taking no account of the solar revolution. As such it's year is 354 days long, 11 and 1/4 days shorter than the solar year. Every 2 or 3 years one day is intercalated to account for the error encountered when measuring the lunar cycle in earth days . The years contain 12 months of alternately 29 & 30 days. The last month has 29 days normally 30 in leap years. The Months: 1) Muharram 2) Safar 3) Rabi I 4) Rabi II 5) Jumada I 6) Jumada II 7) Rajab 8) Sha'ban 9) Ramadan 10) Shawwal 11) Dhu al-Qada 12) Dhu al-Hijjah The Islamic month begins on the new moon, when two "responsible witnesses" observe the first crescent and convince the qadi of their sighting, who in turn informs the mufti who announces the beginning of the month. The days of the month given in the almanac are tabulated dates and should be confirmed by actual lunar sightings. The tabulated days begin at sunset on the day before they appear on the calendar, ending at sunset on the day given. * * * The Jewish Calendar: Is a lunar solar calendar, each year contains 12 months of either 29 or 30 days. An Intercalary month is added every few years. The month is measured from the moon's exact conjunction with the sun, which occurs every 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 1/2 seconds. The day consists of 24 hours, each hour divided into 1,080 parts, equal to about 3.3 seconds each. The calendar dates are tabulated dates, beginning at sunset the evening before the calendar date indicated & ending at sunset on the day given. (For practical purposes the day is considered to begin a 6:00pm.) The Months in 5754 Anno Mundi: Tishri (30 days) Sept. 16 1993 Marshevan (30 days) Oct. 16 Kislev (30 days) Nov. 15 Tebeth (29 days) Dec. 15 Shebat (30 days) Jan.. 13 1994 Adar (29 days) Feb. 11 Nissan (30 days) Mar. 13 Iyyar (29 days) Apr. 11 Sivan (30 days) May 11 Tammuz (29 days) Jun. 9 Ab (30 days) Jul. 9 Ellul (29 days) Aug. 7 * * * Other Calendars in the Almanack The Illuminati Calendar is based on five seasons (due to the Law of Fives.) The names of the seasons, their meanings & equivalent dates are as follows: Verwirrung: Season of Chaos Jan. 1 - Mar. 14 Zweitracht: Season of Discord Mar. 15 - May 2 Unordnung: Season of Confusion May 27 - Aug. 7 Beamtenherrschaft: Season of Bureaucracy Aug.8-Oct.19 Grummet: Season of Aftermath Oct. 20 - Dec. 31 * Each of the 5 Seasons is divided into 5 months, producing a year of 25 months. The first 3 months of every season (known as the tricycle) each have 15 days. The last 2 months of each season (the bicycle) have 14 days. The last day of each season is called Eye Day and is celebrated in foul and mysterious ways. Everything is dated from the year 1 A.M. (Anno Mung), which is 4000 B.C.E. - The Year Hung Mung first perceived the Sacred Chao and achieved illumination. * * * Iceland: The Norse settlers in Iceland found a calendar of two seasons, Winter & Summer, suitable for their needs. Originally months were insignificant. The year counted as 52 weeks, making a year of 364 days. Winter was assigned 25 weeks & 5 days, Summer 26 weeks & 2 days. Every few years, an extra week, the :Summer Supplement" was intercalated, to keep the measured year seasonal. Legislation from the twelfth century codified the calendar & introduced the use of months: Seasons divided into months of 30 days, with four (5 on leap years) extra days inserted between the 3rd & 4th summer months. The Summer Supplement was added after the extra summer days in every year ending on a Monday (years measured by the Julian/Gregorian calendar), and on years ending on Sunday if followed by a leap year. The Supplement is added a day later in a leap year. * * * The Mayan Earth Calendar: The Mesoamerican "Mayan" Earth Calendar or Tzolkin has been in continuous use without missing a day for several thousand years. Its development has been attributed to the observational cycle of Venus, the human gestation period, the Sun's passage through the tropics & a universal vibratory harmonic. The 260 day cycle of the Earth calendar is created by combining 20 Day Names with the numbers 1 through 13 (20 X 13 = 260). The two cycles run concurrently, for example 1 Dog, 2 Monkey, 3 Tooth, etc. Any combination of a number & a Day Name occurs every 260 days. The Earth Calendar marks Sacred Time, Ritual Time. 260 days is said to be the distance in time between a dream & its manifestation, or between any conception and subsequent birth. The 20 day names equal the number of a human being's fingers and toes (the Quiche Mayan name for people means "Twenty Digited Beings") & the number 13 symbolizes unity & completion. Mayan Numerology: The meanings of the numbers one through thirteen are similar to other numerology. One important aspect of the mayan numbers is that the low numbers signify beginnings and are s "weak", the middle numbers are considered balanced & harmonious, while the higher numbers (10 - 13), are increasingly powerful & unstable, even "dangerous" Mayan numbers are written as combinations of Dots  (=1) and Bars -- (=5) Day Names: (Yucatec Mayan & English with meaning;) Imix: Crocodile,source, primal energy Ik: Wind,breath, spirit, inspiration Akbal: Night, darkness, mystery Kan: Net, burden, abundance Chiccan: Snake, power, poison Cimi: Death, transition, question Manik: Deer, strength, swiftness Lamat: Rabbit, abundance, fruitfulness Muluc: Jade, illness, catharsis Oc: Dog, indecision, guidance Chuen: Monkey, luck, skill Eb: Tooth, destiny, penetration, road Ben: Reed, family, culture Ix: Jaguar, transformation, vision Men: Eagle, need, fulfillment, nobility Cib: Wax, the soul, release Caban:Thought, movement, innovation Etz'nab: Knifedge, conflict, sacrifice Cauac: Storm, destruction,cleansing Ahau: Hunter, travelling, arriving