Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe 驚蟄): dates, pentads and the BaZi month change
Spring thunder rolls and startles the insects sleeping in the soil awake. Its old name was Qizhe (啟蟄), changed in the Han dynasty to avoid the personal name of Emperor Jing, Liu Qi. Temperatures in Taiwan climb, with the occasional spring thunderstorm, but swings between warm and cool days are wide.
Awakening of Insects dates, 2026–2035
| Year | Date | Time (Taiwan, UTC+8) | Month pillar from this moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | March 5 | 21:59 | Xin-Mao 辛卯 month |
| 2027 | March 6 | 03:39 | Gui-Mao 癸卯 month |
| 2028 | March 5 | 09:24 | Yi-Mao 乙卯 month |
| 2029 | March 5 | 15:17 | Ding-Mao 丁卯 month |
| 2030 | March 5 | 21:03 | Ji-Mao 己卯 month |
| 2031 | March 6 | 02:51 | Xin-Mao 辛卯 month |
| 2032 | March 5 | 08:40 | Gui-Mao 癸卯 month |
| 2033 | March 5 | 14:32 | Yi-Mao 乙卯 month |
| 2034 | March 5 | 20:32 | Ding-Mao 丁卯 month |
| 2035 | March 6 | 02:21 | Ji-Mao 己卯 month |
Times computed by our calendar code (UTC+8); they agree with an astronomical calculation to within about a minute. Between 1901 and 2100, Awakening of Insects always falls on March 4–7. Subtract 8 hours for UTC.
The three pentads of Awakening of Insects
| Sign of the season | When | |
|---|---|---|
| First pentad | Peach trees begin to blossom (桃始華) | about days 1–5 after Awakening of Insects |
| Second pentad | Orioles sing (倉庚鳴) | about days 6–10 after Awakening of Insects |
| Third pentad | Hawks turn into doves (鷹化為鳩) | about days 11–15 after Awakening of Insects |
The ancients split each solar term into three pentads (hou 候) of about five days each, and marked them by changes in birds, animals and plants: seventy-two pentads a year. These follow the standard list in Wu Cheng's Yuan-dynasty Collected Explanations of the Seventy-Two Pentads. They were observed in the Yellow River basin, so they do not always match what you see in Taiwan, let alone elsewhere. Some, like hawks turning into doves, record old beliefs rather than biology.
Awakening of Insects in the sky: where the Sun is
The solar terms follow the Sun along the ecliptic: one term for every 15°, and Awakening of Insects is the moment the Sun reaches longitude 345°. In 2027, at Awakening of Insects the Sun sits against the stars of Aquarius (drowned out by daylight, of course).
What Awakening of Insects means in BaZi
Awakening of Insects is a jie (節, "node") term: from this moment the Mao month (卯) begins, the month that roughly matches the 2nd lunar month, and the BaZi month pillar switches to a new pillar. The Mao month's element is Wood, so for people born in it, Wood is usually "in season" and strong in the chart.
BaZi months are not counted from the lunar new moon but from the jie terms: Start of Spring, Awakening of Insects, Pure Brightness, Start of Summer, Grain in Ear, Minor Heat, Start of Autumn, White Dew, Cold Dew, Start of Winter, Major Snow and Minor Cold each open a month. If you were born on the day of a jie term, within a few hours of it, your month pillar (and for the Start of Spring, your year pillar too) can shift by one; it depends on the exact time. See solar term boundaries, and for how the month's heavenly stem is worked out, the month pillar.
Look up the solar terms for any year
Pick a year to list the exact time of all 24 solar terms (Taiwan time, UTC+8) and the month pillar each jie term starts. Add a month and day, such as a birthday, to see which solar-term period it falls in and its month pillar. Everything is calculated in your browser.
The times come from the same calendar code our BaZi charts use; for 1901–2100 they agree with an astronomical calculation to within about a minute. If you were born within minutes of a term changing, see solar term boundaries.
The terms before and after
The previous term is Rain Water; the next is Spring Equinox.
A straight word: solar terms are astronomy; luck is something else
The twenty-four solar terms divide the year by the Sun's position on the ecliptic, and their times can be computed to the second. BaZi uses them to change the year and the month; that is a rule of calculation. A solar term carries no good or bad luck of its own, and no term is a "better" one to be born in: a chart is read as a whole, by its Five Elements and Ten Gods. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Born in the Mao month? See your whole chart
The month branch is the most important pillar in BaZi: it sets how strong each of the Five Elements is. Enter your birth date for a free Four Pillars chart.
Awakening of Insects: common questions
What date is Awakening of Insects in 2026?
In 2026, Awakening of Insects falls on March 5 at 21:59 Taiwan time (UTC+8); in 2027 it is March 6 at 03:39.
Why does Awakening of Insects move from year to year?
A solar term is the moment the Sun reaches a set longitude, here 345°. A year is about 365.24 days, not a whole number, and leap years reset the count, so the date drifts within a few days. From 1901 to 2100, Awakening of Insects always falls on March 4–7.
What are the three pentads of Awakening of Insects?
First: Peach trees begin to blossom (桃始華); second: Orioles sing (倉庚鳴); third: Hawks turn into doves (鷹化為鳩). They follow the standard Yuan-dynasty list.
What does Awakening of Insects do in a BaZi chart?
It is a jie term: from this moment BaZi switches to the Mao month and the month pillar changes.