小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ: Minor Heat

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ, translated as Minor (Lesser) Heat, is the 11th solar term of the Ancient Chinese Solar Calendar and the 5th term of the summer season.

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ: Minor Heat

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ, translated as Minor (Lesser) Heat, is the 11th solar term of the Ancient Chinese Solar Calendar and the 5th term of the summer season. This year it starts on July 6th and continues through July 21st. Minor Heat begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 105° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 120°.

“A sudden breeze of warm air as the Minor Heat arrives.”

– Chinese Proverb

Let’s look at the meaning of 小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ:

小 Xiao: minor, lesser, slight
暑Shu: heat

“A gentle breeze brings forth lotus fragrance
 Dew drops fall from bamboo leaves.”

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ gradually escorts in the hottest days of the year. Outside the temperatures and humidity continue to rise in parts of China, however, the hottest days of summer are yet to arrive.

“Xiǎo Shǔ (Minor Heat) is followed by Dà Shǔ (Major Heat), steaming you first and boiling you afterward”

– Chinese proverb

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ, represents the warmest and dampest period of the year which many call 三伏 San Fu. Fu in Chinese means lying down, suggesting that it is best to lie down during the heat of the day.

“All at once
Wafts of heated wind blow
The foot prints of Xiǎo Shǔ
They follow
Rustling bamboos
Forecast the rain
Gloomy mountains
Anticipate the thunderbolt.”

-folklore from the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907)

Each of the 24 solar terms is further divided into 3 pentads. The 小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ pentads are:

1st pentad – 温风至 melting temperatures are approaching
2nd pentad – 蟋蟀居宇 crickets abandon the fields for greener, cooler yards
3rd pentad – 鹰始鸷 eagles train their young to hunt (soaring high in the sky keeps you cool)

Fireflies During 小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ, or Minor Heat solar term announces the arrival of fireflies.

Driven rains cannot douse your light
Winds will only fan it brighter
Suppose you’d set off to fly away, very far
Surely beside the moon you’d be a star

-by poet 李白 Li Bai (701-762) of the Tang Dynasty

It is a popular activity to take children outside in the evening and allow them to play with the fireflies.

Fireflies are like lanterns flying to west and the east. They can escort children home by lightening the darkness.

Lovers often turn to a popular folk song Chóng ér fēi, or Fireflies to express how they feel.

The dark sky hangs low
Studded by bright countless stars

The fireflies fly here and there
Who are you longing for

Stars in the sky begin to cry
Roses on the ground begin to wither

The cold wind blows here and there

Nothing matters as long as you are by my side

Fireflies fly while flowers sleep
So beautiful to be a pair

I fear not the darkness, but only a broken heart

Doesn’t matter if I’m tired

Ignoring everything around.

-Chóng ér fēi

 
 

Interesting Fact: Jasmine Flowers!

In ancient times Chinese women would pick fresh jasmine flowers and rub the petals on their bodies to manage unpleasant scents produced during the heat of the summer season.

茉莉花 Mo Li Hua, or Jasmine Flower from the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912), is a Chinese song popular both in the East and the West. In 2013 Celine Dion performed this song in Mandarin as part of the Chinese New Year Gala show welcoming in the Lunar New Year. This song even became associated with the Jasmine Revolution in China.

Flower of jasmine, so fair
Flower of jasmine, so fair
Budding and blooming here and there
Pure and fragrant all do declare
Let me pick you with tender care
Sweetness for all to share
Jasmine fair, oh Jasmine fair.

-Mo Li Hua 

小暑 Xiǎo Shǔ In Practice

Continue to use acupoints  外關 San Jiao 5 (Wai Guan) accompanied with 大椎 Du 14 (Da Zhui) to start the body’s ability to activate its Warming Principle and Yang Qi.

Also consider using formulas that will build 正氣 Zheng Qi like:

玉屏風湯 Yu Ping Feng Tang
補正氣湯 Bu Zheng Qi Tang
桂枝湯 Gui Zhi Tang and other associated formulas that will build 正氣 Zheng Qi.

In the realm of Chinese food therapy consider olives or pumpkin at this time to enhance people’s ability to activate the Warming Principle as we hit the autumnal equinox.

May you harmonize the center and stay in balance with the equinox.

If you have any further questions, you can setup a 15 minute Q&A session with me here when you sign up for a Si Jin Bao PRO account.

Picture of Kamal Polite, D.O.M., A.P., C.H.E.

Kamal Polite, D.O.M., A.P., C.H.E.

Founder & Chief Herbaceutical Engineer

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大暑 Dà Shǔ: Major Heat

大暑 Dà Shǔ: Major Heat

大暑 Dà Shǔ, translated as Major Heat, is the 12th solar term in the Ancient Chinese Solar Calendar and the 6th and final term of the summer season.

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