Page 329 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book

A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols 322
but it is recognised as the plant for all seasons, perhaps because, at least in the South of
the country, it blooms all the year round.
As in Europe, human life is compared to the four seasons: up to 15 years
of age we are in the spring of life, from 16 to 29 in its summer, from 30 to
39 is our autumn, and from 40 to 50 or even 60 our winter. Interestingly
enough, the Chinese reckon human life from the moment of conception –
i.e. a newly born child is already a year old.

SevenSeven

qi

When a Chinese speaks of the ‘seven stars’ (qi xing) he means the sun, the
moon and the five planets. This is an Indian or Near Eastern concept which took
root in China. The idea of a seven-day week, though known, never caught on until the
introduction of the Gregorian calendar in the 20th century.
Qi xing may also refer to what is called ‘the Plough’ in the West – i.e. part of the
constellation of Ursa Major ( bear). The 7th day of the month in the old lunar
calendar is the day of the waxing half-moon, and on the 7th day of the 7th month is held a
festival which is one of the biggest events in the Chinese year, especially as far as women
and girls are concerned ( Spinning Damsel and Cowherd).
As an uneven number, seven is a yang number, but in numerology it is associated with
women as a yin element. This is because the rhythmic development of the female
organism appears to be based on the number seven. At seven months, a baby girl gets her
first teeth which she loses when she is seven years old. At 2 × 7 years = 14 ‘the yin path
opens’ (i.e. onset of menstruation). Finally, at 7 × 7 years = 49 the menopause ensues.
Analogously, the male organism is supposed to develop in factors of eight.

Seven is of particular significance in the cult of the dead. The term zuo qi
= ‘make seven’ refers to the seven-day periods following a death, during
which the soul of the deceased gradually severs itself from this world and
from its relatives. On each seventh day certain sacrifices are made and
ritual ceremonies held, often with the participation of Buddhist monks
who recite sutras. The whole process takes 49 days: by then the soul of the
deceased has made its way to the world beyond.