Wǔ Rì (戊日) is a Taoist term also known as “Wǔ Bù Cháo Zhēn 戊不朝真,” one of the many prohibitions within Taoist practice. This is referred to as “Avoiding Wǔ (避戊).” Many believers are aware of the prohibition, which means that on this day, people refrain from burning incense, paying homage, holding fasting ceremonies (zhāi 斋) or conducting ritual offerings (jiào 醮).
In other words, no prayer or ceremonial rites for blessings and absolution are performed. In reality, many Taoist temples treat this day as a rest day.
Understanding the Wǔ Rì Cycle
The Liùshí Jiǎzǐ (六十甲子), a sexagenary cycle combining the Tiāngān 天干 (Heavenly Stems) and Dìzhī 地支 (Earthly Branches), generates 60 combinations over a complete cycle. A Wǔ Rì arises from this cycle, specifically when the Heavenly Stem Wǔ 戊 appears. This occurs every 60 days. The Wǔ Rì includes six specific combinations: Wǔzǐ 戊子, Wǔyín 戊寅, Wǔchén 戊辰, Wǔwǔ 戊午, Wǔshēn 戊申, and Wǔxū 戊戌, collectively called the Liù Wǔ 六戊 or Míng Wǔ 明戊.
On these days, presenting petitions (zòu biǎo 奏表) is forbidden. Instead, individuals engage in private repentance (chànhuǐ 忏悔).
How to Identify Wu Days
To identify Wu Days (戊日; Wù Rì), we must first understand the “Ganzhi Date System” (干支纪日; Gān Zhī Jì Rì). This system, as part of the Lunar Calendar (农历; Nóng Lì), combines the Heavenly Stems (天干; Tiān Gān) and the Earthly Branches (地支; Dì Zhī) to form a sixty-day cyclical framework known as the Sexagenary Cycle (六十甲子; Liù Shí Jiǎ Zǐ).
The Ten Heavenly Stems are:
甲 (Jiǎ), 乙 (Yǐ), 丙 (Bǐng), 丁 (Dīng), 戊 (Wù), 己 (Jǐ), 庚 (Gēng), 辛 (Xīn), 壬 (Rén), 癸 (Guǐ).
The Twelve Earthly Branches are:
子 (Zǐ), 丑 (Chǒu), 寅 (Yín), 卯 (Mǎo), 辰 (Chén), 巳 (Sì), 午 (Wǔ), 未 (Wèi), 申 (Shēn), 酉 (Yǒu), 戌 (Xū), 亥 (Hài).
By matching these stems and branches in sequential pairs, the system generates a unique name for each day in a 60-day cycle. The sequence starts with Jia Zi (甲子; Jiǎ Zǐ) and ends with Gui Hai (癸亥; Guǐ Hài), then repeats. Each cycle lasts sixty days.
To find a Wu Day, locate days in the cycle where the Heavenly Stem “Wu” (戊; Wù) combines with one of the Earthly Branches, resulting in:
- Wu Zi (戊子; Wù Zǐ)
- Wu Yin (戊寅; Wù Yín)
- Wu Chen (戊辰; Wù Chén)
- Wu Wu (戊午; Wù Wǔ)
- Wu Shen (戊申; Wù Shēn)
- Wu Xu (戊戌; Wù Xū)
Each of these represents one Wu Day within the sixty-day cycle. Identifying them accurately requires familiarity with the sequence or reference to a comprehensive Ganzhi calendar (干支历; Gān Zhī Lì)
These days are specifically identified by the presence of the Wu stem. This is referred to as “Ming Wu” (明戊; Míng Wù), or Clear Wu, because the Wu character appears clearly in the combination of the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch.
Wu Days in 2025 (明戊日表)
| Gregorian Date | Lunar Date |
|---|---|
| January 9, 2025 | 10th day of the 12th month (Jiǎ Chén Year) |
| January 19, 2025 | 20th day of the 12th month (Jiǎ Chén Year) |
| January 29, 2025 | 1st day of the 1st month (Yǐ Sì Year) |
| February 8, 2025 | 11th day of the 1st month |
| February 18, 2025 | 21st day of the 1st month |
| February 28, 2025 | 1st day of the 2nd month |
| March 10, 2025 | 11th day of the 2nd month |
| March 20, 2025 | 21st day of the 2nd month |
| March 30, 2025 | 2nd day of the 3rd month |
| April 9, 2025 | 12th day of the 3rd month |
| April 19, 2025 | 22nd day of the 3rd month |
| April 29, 2025 | 2nd day of the 4th month |
| May 9, 2025 | 12th day of the 4th month |
| May 19, 2025 | 20th day of the 4th month |
| May 29, 2025 | 3rd day of the 5th month |
| June 8, 2025 | 13th day of the 5th month |
| June 18, 2025 | 23rd day of the 5th month |
| June 28, 2025 | 4th day of the 6th month |
| July 8, 2025 | 14th day of the 6th month |
| July 18, 2025 | 24th day of the 6th month |
| July 28, 2025 | 4th day of the intercalary 6th month |
| August 7, 2025 | 14th day of the intercalary 6th month |
| August 17, 2025 | 24th day of the intercalary 6th month |
| August 27, 2025 | 5th day of the 7th month |
| September 6, 2025 | 15th day of the 7th month |
| September 16, 2025 | 25th day of the 7th month |
| September 26, 2025 | 5th day of the 8th month |
| October 6, 2025 | 15th day of the 8th month |
| October 16, 2025 | 25th day of the 8th month |
| October 26, 2025 | 6th day of the 9th month |
| November 5, 2025 | 16th day of the 9th month |
| November 15, 2025 | 26th day of the 9th month |
| November 25, 2025 | 6th day of the 10th month |
| December 5, 2025 | 16th day of the 10th month |
| December 15, 2025 | 26th day of the 10th month |
| December 25, 2025 | 6th day of the 11th month |
Dark Wu Days (暗戊日)
On the other hand, Dark Wu Days (暗戊日; Àn Wù Rì) refer to the days when the Wu character is absent from the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches pairings. These days are considered forbidden for certain activities, especially in spiritual practices, because they are seen as days when the Wu character is “hidden” or “obscured.” This is referred to as “An Wu” (暗戊; Àn Wù), meaning Dark Wu, as there is no Wu visible in the stem-branch combination.
For those engaged in spiritual practices like chanting scriptures, incense burning, or rituals, these Dark Wu Days are to be avoided. However, they do not pose any significant impact on ordinary daily activities for the general public.
Dark Wu Days in 2025 (暗戊日表)
| Gregorian Date | Lunar Date |
|---|---|
| January 8, 2025 | 9th day of the 12th month (Jiǎ Chén Year) |
| January 20, 2025 | 21st day of the 12th month (Jiǎ Chén Year) |
| February 7, 2025 | 10th day of the 1st month (Yǐ Sì Year) |
| February 19, 2025 | 22nd day of the 1st month |
| March 6, 2025 | 7th day of the 2nd month |
| March 18, 2025 | 19th day of the 2nd month |
| April 5, 2025 | 8th day of the 3rd month |
| April 17, 2025 | 20th day of the 3rd month |
| May 9, 2025 | 12th day of the 4th month |
| May 21, 2025 | 24th day of the 4th month |
| June 6, 2025 | 11th day of the 5th month |
| June 18, 2025 | 23rd day of the 5th month |
| July 6, 2025 | 12th day of the 6th month |
| July 18, 2025 | 24th day of the 6th month |
| July 30, 2025 | 6th day of the intercalary 6th month |
| August 11, 2025 | 18th day of the intercalary 6th month |
| September 1, 2025 | 10th day of the 7th month |
| September 13, 2025 | 20th day of the 7th month |
| September 24, 2025 | 3rd day of the 8th month |
| October 6, 2025 | 15th day of the 8th month |
| October 18, 2025 | 27th day of the 8th month |
| October 27, 2025 | 7th day of the 9th month |
| November 8, 2025 | 19th day of the 9th month |
| November 26, 2025 | 7th day of the 10th month |
| December 8, 2025 | 19th day of the 10th month |
| December 24, 2025 | 5th day of the 11th month |
Origins of “Wǔ Bù Cháo Zhēn”
The prohibition of Wǔ Bù Cháo Zhēn has ancient roots. The famous Taoist scholar Gé Hóng 葛洪 documented in the Bào Pǔ Zǐ 抱朴子:
“When the heavens and earth meet Wǔ, movement occurs. Military campaigns on Wǔ days lead to harm. Snakes do not advance, and swallows do not carry mud on these days.”
Similarly, the Yún Jí Qī Qiān 云笈七签 records:
“If a day falls on Wǔchén, Wǔxū, or Wǔyín, there is no need to pay homage to the true gods. Taoists avoid these days.”
Contemporary Views on Wǔ Rì Practices
There is ongoing debate about what can or cannot be done on Wǔ Rì. For regular lay believers (jūshì 居士), strict adherence is not necessary. The prohibition primarily applies to temple residents, fire-dwelling Taoists (huǒjū dào 火居道), and ordained Taoist disciples.
The Nǚ Qīng Tiān Lǜ 女青天律 states:
“If Taoist officials and practitioners burn incense, chant scriptures, or present petitions on a Wǔ day, their sins double. However, those who respect the prohibition gain boundless merit.”
Thus, lay practitioners may chant scriptures and recite the holy names of the Heavenly Lord (Tiānzūn 天尊) without issue.
Historical Background and Folk Practices
The earliest records of Wǔ Rì prohibitions trace back to the Hàn Wǔdì 汉武帝 period. The Jiǔ Tiān Shén Xiāo Wǔkǒu Jìnjì 九天神霄戊口禁忌 states:
“Western Queen Mother (Xī Wáng Mǔ 西王母) advised Hàn Wǔdì to observe six Wǔ days annually, forbidding agricultural activities to avoid natural calamities.”
This tradition introduced an early concept of “rest days,” emphasizing harmony with natural rhythms.
The earliest recorded mention of Wu Days dates back to the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. According to The Nine Heavenly Records of Wu’s Taboo:
“Emperor Wu, a devotee of Taoism, experienced a divine visitation by the Queen Mother of the West during the first year of the Yuanfeng era on the full moon of the seventh lunar month. He inquired about the calamities plaguing his kingdom, including droughts, floods, and locust infestations. The Queen Mother explained that these disasters resulted from people ignoring the celestial prohibitions of the Wu Days.”
She detailed the consequences of violating these days, explaining that they are inherently sacred. Labor, such as tilling soil, was said to disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang, bringing natural disasters as punishment.
Taoist Observances and Prohibition of Wu Days
From the Tang and Song dynasties onward, the observance of Wu Days became more structured, particularly within Taoist monasteries. Texts like the Nvqing Heavenly Precepts and Peng Zu’s 100 Taboos emphasized the severe repercussions for priests and lay practitioners who violated these prohibitions.
For Taoist adherents, avoiding ceremonial activity on Wu Days aligns with ancient cosmological wisdom and maintains harmony with natural cycles.
The earliest records of Wu Day (戊日; Wù Rì) and its associated prohibitions date back to the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
According to the “Nine Heavens Divine Mysteries Wu Prohibition” (九天神霄戊口禁忌), the story unfolds as follows:
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was deeply interested in Taoism and seeking immortality. On the full moon of the seventh month in the Yuanfeng year, he experienced a divine revelation, sensing the arrival of the Queen Mother of the West (西王母; Xī Wáng Mǔ).
Emperor Wu asked her: “The world is facing many calamities—locust plagues, floods, and droughts—causing great suffering for the people. Why is this happening?”
The Queen Mother replied: “Do not blame us immortals. These disasters are caused by the people themselves. In the four seasons of the year, there are six Wu Days that are forbidden. On these days, the people must rest. If they engage in activities such as plowing the land or moving earth, they will be violating the Yin-Yang Taboo, and natural calamities will follow. This will lead to water shortages, droughts, poor harvests, and, in turn, the people will suffer hunger.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wu understood and asked further: “Since these Wu Days are so dangerous, how can we avoid or resolve these issues? I will teach everyone how to avoid such mistakes.”
The Queen Mother responded: “The Wu Days prohibition is very serious and cannot be easily avoided. It is not just about locusts, floods, and droughts; different seasons bring different disasters if the taboos are violated. Be cautious. On the Wu Days, no fertilizing or irrigation should be done, as it disturbs the earth’s spirit. In spring, violating the Wu Days will shorten life and reduce offspring. If earth is moved, it violates the Emperor Star. In summer, violating the Wu Days will lead to blindness, frequent accidents, and misfortune. Moving earth during this time violates the Household Star, and will bring no protection. In autumn, violating the Wu Days will bring plagues and illnesses. Moving earth will offend the Five Mountains and Four Classics. In winter, violations bring lawsuits, arguments, and financial losses. Moving earth violates the Hou Ji, the Emperor of Agriculture. If everyone respects the heavens and avoids breaking the Wu Day taboos, then harmony will reign and food will be plentiful.”
After imparting this wisdom, the Queen Mother flew away.
Thus, since the Han Dynasty, a tradition has been established in Chinese culture: on Wu Days, people should refrain from moving earth, working, or performing labor, and instead, take the day off to rest.
This practice appears to be a very scientific folk custom, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of balancing work and rest, as early as 2,000 years ago.
Of course, the folk reverence for these Wu Day taboos is not only due to Emperor Wu’s inquiry with the Queen Mother. In the text “Bao Pu Zi Nei Pian – The Ultimate Principles” (抱朴子内篇·至理), it is mentioned: “The crane knows the midnight hour, and the swallow knows the Wu and Ji days, yet it has not mastered other matters.” This suggests that swallows are sensitive to the Wu and Ji days and do not build their nests on those days, as they are attuned to the natural flow of life around them.
Furthermore, the Taiping Guangji (太平广记·禽鸟·千岁燕) also records: “Between Qi and Lu, the swallows are called ‘Yi’. They build their nests to avoid the Wu and Ji days, as these are associated with the earth. Wu and Ji represent the center, and swallows know not to carry mud on these days to avoid offending the earth.”
After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Prohibition of Wu Day Began to Enter Religion
The “Nv Qing Tian Lv” (女青天律) states:
“If a magistrate or Taoist burns incense and recites scriptures on a Wu Day, without observing the prohibition of Six Wu days, and rings bells and drums, offering memorials to the heavens, their crime is doubled. However, those who observe the prohibition of Wu Day will accumulate immeasurable merit.”
This indicates that if a priest or Taoist performs rituals or burns incense on a Wu Day, they are committing a grave transgression, and the punishment is more severe.
Thus, it is customary in temples and monasteries to refrain from burning incense or using ritual instruments on Wu Days. Devotees who unknowingly go to temples to offer incense on these days will also notice that the bells or drums are not sounded.
The Significance of Observing this Prohibition
“Magistrates, Taoists, and others who burn incense and recite scriptures, build altars, or offer sacrifices on the Six Wu Days will suffer physical harm and reduced life. If they knowingly violate this, it will bring disaster upon their ancestors and will not be forgiven, with no room for atonement. If someone not affiliated with the priesthood violates this, the punishment is reduced by three levels. However, for Taoists, the penalty is severe, and there will be no leniency for violating the Wu Day prohibition.”
This text warns that if rituals are performed on Wu Days, calamities will follow. If the violation is intentional, it will bring even greater consequences, affecting the violator’s ancestors and causing permanent harm. However, if someone who is not a Taoist priest breaks this taboo, the punishment will be less severe. For Taoists, though, the penalty is strict and unforgiving.
Additionally, in the Peng Zu Bai Ji (彭祖百忌) (the “Hundred Taboos of Peng Zu”), it is also mentioned that on Wu Days, one should avoid divination or feng shui practices, as doing so will bring misfortune.
As a result, Wu Days have become recognized official holidays where people refrain from work and rituals—ironically, a time to rest.
The Two Types of Wu Days: “Ming Wu” and “An Wu”
The opposite of Ming Wu is An Wu (暗戊), which can be determined using a set of specific hand gestures to identify these days. Generally, people only need to observe the Ming Wu Days. For practitioners of Taoism, however, An Wu days are also important to avoid.
The mnemonic for An Wu days is:
“Zheng Yang (Wei Day), Er Quan (Xu Day), San Zai Chen (Chen Day), Si Yue Qi Jian Bu Fan Yin (Yin Day), Wu Wu Liu Zi Qi Ji (You Day) Wei, Ba Yue Zhou Liu You Dao Shen (Shen Day), Jiu She (Si Day), Shi Zhu (Hai Day), Shi Yi Tu (Mao Day), Shi Er Niu Tou (Chou Day) Chong Qian Jin.”
This means that the An Wu days include:
- In January, avoid Wei Day
- In February, avoid Xu Day
- In March, avoid Chen Day
- In April, avoid Yin Day
- In May, avoid Wu Day
- In June, avoid Zi Day
- In July, avoid You Day
- In August, avoid Shen Day
- In September, avoid Si Day
- In October, avoid Hai Day
- In November, avoid Mao Day
- In December, avoid Chou Day
On these An Wu days, Taoist practitioners must refrain from rituals such as burning incense, chanting scriptures, or performing other Taoist ceremonies.
Wu Day Selection for 2025: The Geng Shen Day Table
2025 Geng Shen Day Table:
| Gregorian Date | Lunar Date |
|---|---|
| February 20, 2025 | 23rd of the First Month (Jiashen Year) |
| April 21, 2025 | 24th of the Third Month |
| June 20, 2025 | 25th of the Fifth Month |
| August 19, 2025 | 26th of the Leap Sixth Month |
| October 18, 2025 | 27th of the Eighth Month |
| December 17, 2025 | 28th of the Tenth Month |
| February 15, 2026 | 28th of the Twelfth Month (La Yue) |
“Yun Ji Qi Qian” Volume 82 Records:
In Volume 82 of the Yun Ji Qi Qian (云笈七签), it is recorded:
“Often on Geng Shen Days, one must stay awake throughout the night, facing the dead, cutting off their life force. On subsequent Geng Shen Days, the dead should not return, and the soul is sent to its final resting place. If the three souls are completely extinguished, the Life Registrar will remove the individual’s name from the death register, and their name will be recorded in the Longevity Register, allowing them to join the immortals in the heavens. This is most effective on the Geng Shen of June and August.”
This refers to specific Taoist rituals and practices that take place on the Geng Shen Day in order to deal with the soul and achieve longevity or immortality.
Written and Translated by Daoist Liu Cheng Yong, German Daoist Association.