Chinese Day & month names

In a message dated 2000/05/01 09:28:00 PM, Lao Kuo wrote:

>Perhaps Jonathan can shed some light on some of the historico-linguisitc
>details?
>
*gulp* thanx a lot, Kuo. =}

    Based on the ancient _I Ching_, the Taoists have the concept of "The
Cycle of the Twelve Earthly Forces":

1st month -> "Ein" (element: Yang Wood)   Spring
2nd  "         -> "Mao" (   "   : Yin Wood)    Spring
3rd            -> "Chen" (      : Yang Earth)   Spring
4th         -> "Sze" (      : Yin Fire)    Summer
5th         -> "Wu"  (    :Yang Fire)   Summer
6th         -> "Wei"  (    :Yin Earth)    Summer
7th         -> "Shen"  (   : Yang Metal)   Fall
8th         -> "Yu"   (    : Yin Metal)    Fall
9th         -> "Shu"   (   : Yang Earth)   Fall
10th             -> "Hai"   (  : Yin Water)   Winter
11th        -> "Tze"  (  : Yang Water)    Winter
12th        -> "Chui"  (   : Yin Earth)    Winter

    Everything from _Feng Shui_ to _Dim Mak_ is based on these cycles,
besides the usual basic agricultural stuff. (there are other cycles involved
too: in example, the day has its own cycle... then there is also the Chinese
Zodiac with it's 12 year cycle, etc.).  hehe, Cycles within Cycles upon
Cycles...
    This has its basis in early pre-Taoist thought (late shamanistic Chinese
period
roughly 16th Century B.C.E. & earlier). The Taoists refined the shamanistic
observations & developed an incipient science... out of which arose
acupunture,
gunpowder, paper, printing, etc..

    enuff ethno-musing... hehe, for now...

    zHANg