Chung-k'ang's Short Day

Did the sun and moon move 180° to Scorpius? Then this was not a solar eclipse?

Reference to the Shoo, Pt III. Books of Hea, Bk IV. paragraph 4 we find this sentence: 'On the first day of the last month of autumn the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously in Fang'. Upon which there was beating of drums, and a general commotion such as the Chinese usually make on the occasion of an eclipse of the sun. It is evident, from the quotation of the passage in the Tso-chuen, that an eclipse of the sun is meant, and also that the record existed in some form or other in the time of Tso K'ewming. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that the genuiness of this part of the Shoo is open to to great suspicion, and in particular, that the phrase lit, "The heavenly bodies were not harmonious in the chamber," looks more like a modern form of speech, than a primitive way of denoting an eclipse of the sun. It occurs no where else; and although no other eclipse is mentioned in the Shoo, in the other classical writings eclipses of the sun are of common occurance, and are uniformly denoted by "the sun was eaten." This seems more likely to be the older phrase. And again, with regard to the character Fang, it is evidently not taken it the Tso-ch'uen for the constellation that now goes by that name, but as equivalent to Shay, any division or mansion of the zodiac. This interpretation seems also to be favored by several later writers. The ancient name of the constellation was Ho or Ta-ho, ie Scorpio, and it is only called Fang in the Book of Rites. Astronomy of the Ancient Chinese, p.101, The Chinese Classics. More specifically Fang probably meant Lupus right below Scorpius.

Notes:

The sun might have moved 180° from Taurus to Scorpius. Autumn began August 25, 45 days before the autumn equinox or at the autumn equinox October 9. Thus the lunar month of October 31 2154 BC may be the last month of autumn. The last month of autumn may begin about 15 days after the autumn equinox October 9. On Joseph/Yao's long day probably March 31 2357 BC the sun moved from Taurus to Scorpius in Spring not Autumn. See ON THE DETERMINATION OF THE PRINCIPLE ERAS IN THE SHOO He and Ho, most likely their descendents, were punished when Chung-k'ang became emperor This eclipse was placed in Chung-k'ang's first year 2158 BC by Sze-ma Kwang - the event that gave him ascension to the throne, or in his fifth year, in the common chronology, according to the Bamboo Books, on the first day of the ninth month (counting from January). No solar eclipse was possible for this period from China. Then this may have been a sun miracle and not an eclipse. If we take Fang for Scorpius: The new moon in China in 2154 BC was October 31. This October 31 must have been day 47 instead of October 29. The lunar eclipse record for day 56/57 August 12 1269 BC can only be true if some days had not been counted to 776 BC when we begin to have days of 60 with solar eclipses that match the days of 60. Before 776 BC we are just guessing every day was counted in the days of 60. Sometime between 1100 BC and 900 BC it was recorded the day dawned twice at Zhang. There is the possibility short days were not counted in the days of 60. The sun must rise suddenly in the east for a 3 hour long day before setting in the west in the series of 4 sun miracles to counter missing time. Thus if there were 2 series of sun miracles that included the sun traveling 180° west and visible from China and were not counted there should be 2 missing days just as we may have the the lunar eclipe record on day 56 August 12 1269 BC. This means the new moon October 31 2154 BC may be this day 47. There was also a sun miracle on the first of autumn day 57 year 50 September 22 2648 BC (some copies read year 57) - likewise this is day 57 on the last month of Autumn. Then in keeping with the missing days this day 57 would be about September 24 2648 BC. New moon January 7 1500 BC was day 5 so count back from then. There are 365.25 days a year in the Julian calendar, leap year is 1 BC and every four years back from then. Yet never is it on the new moon unless the missing days are applied to get October 31 2154 BC. If the sun moved east the sun may set in the east or appear to stand still in the sky. If the sun moved west the sun would set suddenly in the west. Then the sun may have moved 180° and earth flowed into a reverse orbit, whereupon Chung-k'ang was made emperor, then five years later the sun moved 180° back on the same day and earth flowed out of the reverse orbit. The sun passed through Scorpius from September 25 to November 5 2200 BC in earth's normal orbit. That the sun and moon did not meat harmoniously in Libra/Scorpius, Fang, may have meant the sun and moon moved 180°. That the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously in Fang may have meant the sun was now 180° from Fang and the moon would not meet the sun in Fang in Autumn. The moon and planets and sun must shift up or down against the stars, even Fang, to keep earth in the same season.
In Shun's 14th year: "A violent wind tore up houses..When the day declined there came a fine and glorious light; and a yellow dragon issued and came to the altar, bearing a scheme on his back, 32 cubits long and 9 cubits broad, in lines red and green intermingled, the words of which were that he should resign in favour of Yu." The Chinese Classics, p 115 The following event, perhaps the same event, is also attributed to to Yu (Common Chronology when Yu became emperor in Shun's 14th year. Shun shared the throne with Yao from 2287 BC to 2255 BC when Shun became emperor. Then Yu shared the throne with Shun from 2222 BC to 2205 BC when Yu became emperor. Yu was emperor from 2205 BC to 2198 BC. In Shun's 14th, year which may have counted from any of these dates, there was a sun miracle and a sign he should abdicate the throne to Yu.) must be a sun miracle rather than a five planet conjunction or eclipse: "the three Miao tribes were in great disorder and Heaven decreed their destruction. The sun came out at night and for three days it rained blood. A dragon appeared in the ancestral temple and dogs howled in the market place. Ice formed in summertime, the earth split open until springs gushed forth, the [cereal crops] grew differently, and the people were filled with a great terror. Kao Yang gave the command in the Dark Palace, and Yu grasped the jade staff of authority and set out to subdue the ruler of the Miao. Amidst the din of thunder and lightning, a spirit with the face of a man and the body of a bird came bearing a jade baton to wait upon Yu. The general of the Miao was felled by an arrow." Adapted from B. Watson, trans., Basic writings of Mo Tzu, Hsün Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu (New York: Columbia University Press, 1967), Mo Tzu at sect.19, with assistance from E. W. Maeder. That "the sun came out at night" must mean the sun moved 180° east or west to shorten the night considerably. "The climatic events and the jade baton are interpreted as a five planet conjunction in the lodge of Shi (Aquarius)." Douglas J. Keenan Thus this may be another example of a short day. If the sun moved 180° on the equinox the sun would not need to move up or down to keep earth in the same season. Yao's long day was likely March 31 2357 BC (not Autumn) whereupon Yao appointed He and Ho to determine the seasons. However, the sun moving 180° March 31 2357 BC would move from Taurus to Scorpius. And March 31 2350 BC the full moon would move from Taurus to Scorpius and the sun from Scorpius to Taurus. Years later He and Ho or more likely the descendents of He and Ho were executed for not predicting the sun and moon moving 180° on the new moon. This sudden sunset would explain the beating on drums typical of a solar eclipse. The emperor Kuh, who appointed T'ang, Yao, to be his successor, "made blind men beat drums, strike bells and sounding stones, at which the phoenixes flapped their wings,and gambolled." Annals of the Bamboo Books p.111 Isaac died in 2367 BC the year Kuh became emperor and perhaps there was a sun miracle then to mark Isaac's death whereupon Kuh became emperor. The flaming Phoenix may represent drought and forest fire as in the Phaethon legend, possibly from at least some of these events. On Yao's long day and on this short day arrows were shot into the sky. The decendents of Yao's astronomers He and Ho are probably decribed in the sun miracle they failed to predict in 2154 BC: "Now here are He and Ho. They have entirely subverted their virtue, and are sunk and lost in wine. They have violated the duties of their office, and left their posts. They have been the first to allow the regulators of heaven to get into disorder, putting far from them their proper business. On the first day of the last month of autumn, the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously in Fang. The blind musicians beat their drums; the inferior officers and common people bustled and ran about." (Notes: The regulators are the seasons of the year, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the calculations of the calendar.) According to Yao's Canon in the reverse orbit rather Aquarius should be overhead at dusk at the spring equinox and Leo overhead at the fall equinox. "But the vernal mansions go to the west and the autumnal ones to the east, reversing the previous directions of these two seasons, and in opposition to the prevailing notion of the Chinese that the spring belongs to the east, etc." The Chinese Classics III p.94 and a reverse orbit is the only way that is possible. He and Ho or their descendents had allowed the months and seasons to get into confusion. They had correctly determined the signs of the seasons following Yao's rise to power March 31 2357 BC but could not have known the God of the Bible or the seven years of plenty promised to Egypt. Thus confusion on the day the sun moved again March 31 2350 BC. And decided confusion on this more recent sun miracle October 31 2154 BC. See Yao's Long Day. Emperor Yao was previously named T'ang. He was named Yao, Son of Heaven, when he shot the ten suns and became emperor. Yao was "the prince of T'aou and T'ang, who possessed the country of K'e...Yao is not yet the emperor ruling over 10,000 States." Then the sun moving to Scorpius probably was a separate sun miracle about 2154 BC, and earth either flowed into a reverse orbit or out of one. Chinese Classics III, Credibility of the Shoo, p.51 "In his 5th year, in the autumn, in the 9th month, on the day kang-seuh [57th of cycle], which was the first day of the month, there was an eclipse of the sun, when he ordered the prince of Yin to lead the imperial forces to punish He and Ho." p.119
Phaethon: "They nearly wrecked the chariot against the Scorpion; they brought up short and almost ran into the Crab." The sun must have moved 180° to the Crab in October/November then 180° back to Scorpius October/November 2200 BC. Seneca's Thyestes: "and in her fall Libra's just balances will force fierce Scorpion down." The second miracle must happen exactly the same time of year or exactly 6 months later so earth can twist back and keep in the same season. 'In the Tso-chuen: "in the 12th month Scorpio was still visible in the west" is not intelligible, for the sun must have passed through Scorpio in October, and the 12th month was certainly not our September.' Scorpius would still be visible in November in a reverse orbit such as this. If the sun moved from Taurus to Scorpius in April then the 12th month would be when the sun was in Virgo when Scorpius would appear in the west just after sunset. Likewise if the sun moved 180° at almost any time likely Scorpius would be still visible in September in a reverse orbit. The sun would progress through the zodiac in reverse because earth would be in a reverse orbit.
Feng-huang, Phoenix, is a bird that symbolizes the union of yin and yang, a sign of both peace and disharmony.
Before Yao, in earliest times: "In Hwang-te's 50th year, in autumn, in the 7th month, on the day Kang-shin [57th of cycle], phoenixes, male and female arrived." Autumn began 45 days after the summer solstice July 13 2648 BC, thus August 27. Then this sun miracle must have been just after the new moon September 2 2648 BC. Normally day 57 would be September 22. However, There should be about 2 short days not counted. Thus this sun miracle of phoenixes may have been about September 24 2648 BC. Then March 10 2648 BC would be the first month. March 10 would be 36 days before the spring equinox April 15 2648 BC and be close to the 45 days before the spring equinox to be counted as the first month of spring. Many unusual observations were made in Fang, Scorpius, by the Chinese: "In the first month of spring, on the 6th day, the five planets had a conjunction in Fang." - Joshua's long day from China. There was a planetary conjuction recorded in Fang in 1142 BC in Te-sin's 32nd year. You can see this conjunction around Fang near Libra, just before sunrise at 7AM, December 27 1142 BC. All five planets are visible. This might have been noteworthy because all five planets were visible in the west in Fang at sunset as they stood still in the sky for 12 hours for Joshua as recorded in king Wan's dream. All five planets were visible in Fang in the east at sunrise. However, like king Wan's dream what was important was there was a sun miracle on this day. This day may be October 7 day 1 of 60 when the sun was in Fang and the five planets near the sun. Then what may have been recorded was a dimmed afternoon sun allowing the five planets around it to be visible. Sunlight to earth may have been dimmed and not sunlight to the planets. Then there may have been a long day that day the sun being dimmed to not affect the daily coral line, to leave no trace. The sun starting out in Fang/Libra and moving to Mao/Taurus.

Thus the Chinese Classics are accurate. Then in 1126 BC in Te-sins' 48th year the E-goat was seen. Two suns appeared together. The sun rose in the west for emperor Wu as the duke of Lu Yang recited. Thus this sun miracle in Wu's battle may have been in 1126 BC, or probably 1122 BC when Wu went to conquer China and received the appointment from heaven. Probably two sun miracles of a series of four over four years.
Likewise at the sun miracle January 26 2287 BC when Shun became emperor "A brilliant star issued out from the constellation Yih" That is Corvus beside Fang. "In the sixth lunar month of the first year of the Yuanguang reign period - June 22 - July 21 134 BC - "A guest star was seen at Fang".
Emperor Chuen-heuh, 2515 BC, "fixed the commencement of the year in February" Chinese Classics III, p.101 Emperor Yao commenced the beginning of the year in December like it had been from Hwang-te (Huang di) from 2697 BC. 50 years after Hwang-te's sun miracle, perhaps on the same day 2598 BC: "in his 100th year the earth was rent." and perhaps earth flowed out of the reverse orbit and reoriented. Perhaps at the same time: "When Che ascended the throne there was the auspicious omen of phoenixes." Chinese Classics, vol.3, p.109 If the sun moved 180° and earth flowed out of or into a reverse orbit an earthquake at the same time would be expected and is a common observation associated with sun miracles. And sun miracles often precede a change in emperors.

See Joshua's Long Day

Yang originally meant sunshine and Yin darkness or shadow. The Chinese recorded male and female phoenixes appearing, likewise representing this Yin and Yang from at least 2900 BC in earliest Chinese history. It is sometimes Yang, it is sometimes Yin, reverse and reverse, arrange sequentially or arrange in reverse. The sun's messenger and herald of peace that could always be seen flying high in the sky when a new Emperor ascended the throne. Feng-huang, Phoenix, is a bird that symbolizes the union of yin and yang, a sign of both peace and disharmony. When two dragons are placed together but turned away, they symbolize eternity via the famous Yin-Yang.

Around 2852 BC, (3322 BC by James Legge) the Emperor Fu Hsi wrote of seeing a k'i-lin. He saw markings on the coat of the animal, and perceived those symbols as a written language, thus giving credit to the k'i-lin for the establishment of the written Chinese language." "The unicorn resembles a large stag, but has the body of a musk deer, the tail of an ox, the forehead of a wolf, and the hooves of a horse. It has a fleshly tipped horn extending from its forehead." Things Chinese Click here for enlargement. Depicted as a flaming deer the unicorn's horn may symbolise the sun standing still on the horizon producing a long green flash, the fleshly tipped horn the green tip of the sun showing above the horizon.
These Eight Trigrams were used by emperor Fu Hsi around 2852 BC as the elements of the Chinese language and surround the Yin Yang:

Solid lines on the hexagrams represent Yang (male or sun) and the broken lines Yin. (Female or moon). The Eight Trigrams were doubled into 64 hexagrams by King Wen in 1143 BC who also re-recorded, rehearst, Joshua's long day about the year of his birth. A sun miracle and the appearing of phoenixes was the sign of a new emperor over China. Emperors ofter were assassinated on sun miracles, and new kings appointed. A sun miracle was often a sign for a revolution. Thus the sign king Wan needed to ascert his divine right to be King.