2025
Qi Node Correspondences
Spring Season, Air/Wood: Creativity
January 31st: Spring Begins
February 14th: Rain Water
March 7th: Insects Awakening
March 21st: Vernal Equinox
April 4th: Clear and Bright
April 18th: Grain Rain
Summer Season, Fire: Maturity
May 2nd: Summer Begins
May 23rd: Grain Sprouts
June 6th: Grain Ripes
June 20th: Summer Solstice
July 4th: Slight Heat
July 25th: Great Heat
Autumn Season, Metal/Space: Integrity
August 8th: Autumn Begins
August 22nd: End of Heat
September 5th: White Dew
September 19th: Autumnal Equinox
October 3rd: Cold Dew
October 17th: Frost Descends
Winter Season, Water: Nobility
November 7th: Winter Begins
November 21st: Light Snow
December 5th: Greater Snow
December 19th: Winter Solstice
January 9th: Little Cold
January 23rd: Great Cold
Solar Terms
Lesser Cold (Xiao Han)
Greater Cold (Da Han)
The Beginning of Spring (Li Chun)
Rain Water (Yu Shui)
The Waking of Insects (Jing Zhe)
The Spring Equinox (Chun Fen)
Pure Brightness (Qing Ming)
Grain Rain (Gu Yu)
The Beginning of Summer (Li Xia)
Lesser Fullness of Grain (Xiao Man)
Grain in Beard (Mang Zhong)
The Summer Solstice (Xia Zhi)
Lesser Heat (Xiao Shu)
Greater Heat (Da Shu)
The Beginning of Autumn (Li Qiu)
The End of Heat (Chu Shu)
White Dew (Bai Lu)
The Autumn Equinox (Qiu Fen)
Cold Dew (Han Lu)
Frost's Descent (Shuang Jiang)
The Beginning of Winter (Li Dong)
Lesser Snow (Xiao Xue)
Greater Snow (Da Xue)
The Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi)
Meaning
It is rather cold
The coldest moment of a year
Spring begins
It begins to rain
Hibernating animals come to sense
Day and night are equally long
It is warm and bright
Rainfall is helpful to grain
Summer begins
Kernels plump
Wheat grows ripe
It has the longest daytime and the shortest night of the year
Torridity comes
The hottest moment of a year
Autumn begins
Heat hides
Dew curdles
The mid of autumn
Dew is very cold
Frost descends
Winter begins
it begins to snow
It snows heavily
The shortest daytime and the longest night of a year
Qi Nodes
Qi Nodes and Origin Origin of 24 Solar Terms
As early as the Shang Dynasty (17th century BC - 1046 BC), the Chinese ancestors had already established four major solar terms. During the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC), eight solar terms marking the four seasons were established: Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, Start of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Start of Winter, and Winter Solstice. Until the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), the present 24 solar terms was established completely.
The twenty-four solar terms can be divided into three groups:
One group reflects the seasonal changes (including 8 terms): Start of Spring, Start of Summer, Start of Autumn and Start of Winter mark the four seasons; Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice reflect the height changes of the sun from the astronomy aspect.
One embodies natural phenomena (including 4 terms): Insects Awaken, Pure Brightness, Grain Full and Grain in Ear.
The rest reflects the climate changes (including 12 terms): Slight Heat, Great Heat, The End of Heat, Lesser Cold and Greater Cold tell the temperature changes; Rain Water, Grain Rain, Light Snow and Heavy Snow reflect the precipitation levels; White Dew, Cold Dew and Frost Descent reflect the dropping process and degree of the temperature.
