秋分
Qiū Fēn · Autumn Equinox
Each year lands around 9/23 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Thunder grows silent
- Hibernating creatures seal their burrows
- Waters begin to dry
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
Qiu-Fen (Autumn Equinox). Day and night balance again. The mirror of Chun-Fen — heaven and earth are once more in poise, but from here yin will deepen.
Folklore & farming
Originally Qiu-Fen was the moon-worship day (祭月); it later shifted to Mid-Autumn (when the moon is fullest). Around now: autumn greens, glutinous rice balls.
What it means in a BaZi chart
Mid-You month — Metal at parity with the celestial qi. Metal-over-strong charts are most at risk of being injured BY their own rigidity; softness, not more force, is the remedy.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.