(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 
