寒露
Hán Lù · Cold Dew
Each year lands around 10/8 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Wild geese arrive as guests
- Sparrows enter the sea, become clams (a poetic transformation)
- Chrysanthemums show yellow flowers
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
Han-Lu (Cold Dew). The dew now carries cold. 'In the ninth month, dew turns cold and is about to congeal' — what was the pale gleam of Bai-Lu has hardened into chill.
Folklore & farming
Chrysanthemum-viewing season — Double Ninth Festival (重阳) falls near Han-Lu. Tradition: 'climb high, gaze far' (登高望远) — to dispel autumn's dryness.
What it means in a BaZi chart
Han-Lu opens the Xu (Dog) month — Earth re-emerges. Xu is the 'fire reservoir' (火库) — Fire stored within Earth. Fire-deficient charts can access that hidden warmth in Xu.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.