谷雨
Gǔ Yǔ · Grain Rain
Each year lands around 4/20 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Duckweed begins to grow
- Doves smooth their feathers
- Hoopoes descend on mulberries
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
Gu-Yu (Grain Rain). The rains nourish all grains. The tail-end of spring; rainfall peaks, growth at its springtime maximum.
Folklore & farming
Around Gu-Yu, tradition warns against deep digging — Wood is already strong, Earth's qi not yet settled. 'Gu-Yu tea' — leaves picked at this time are said to hold the most spring essence.
What it means in a BaZi chart
End of the Chen month — Wood's force is closing, Fire not yet here. The Earth element starts to show its working capacity; Gu-Yu is when soil takes in everything that falls upon it.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.