处暑
Chǔ Shǔ · End of Heat
Each year lands around 8/23 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Hawks present their prey (as if offering)
- Heaven and earth begin to sober
- Grains begin to ripen
The 'three hou' (三候) is the traditional five-day-each observation pattern within a single solar term — fifteen days in all.
What this term marks
Chu-Shu (End of Heat). 'Chu' means 'to stop' — the heat is ending. But the 'autumn tiger' (秋老虎) — heat's last surge — often comes around now.
Folklore & farming
The Ghost Festival (中元) falls on the 15th of the 7th lunar month, often near Chu-Shu — rites to honor ancestors and to release wandering spirits.
What it means in a BaZi chart
Mid-Shen month — Metal strengthens. Water depends on Metal as its source; charts low on Water can benefit from the metal-strengthens-water dynamic in these weeks.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.