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#Pre-Qin Ritual System #Frost's Descent and Reversed Woman #Ice Thaw and Killing Cease #One Coitus in Ten Days #Rites of Zhou

The Frost's Descent and the Reversed Woman: An Inquiry into the Ritual, Heavenly Way, and Moderation of Pre-Qin Marriage Regulations

This article deeply interprets the twelve characters, 'The Frost's Descent and the Reversed Woman, Ice Thaws and Killing Ceases, One Coitus in Ten Days,' tracing their origins in Pre-Qin classics like the *Rites of Zhou* and the *Book of Rites*. It analyzes the underlying principles concerning temporal restrictions on marriage, Yin-Yang philosophy, agricultural governance considerations, and sexual moderation, aiming to reconstruct the core of Pre-Qin ritualistic thought.

Tianwen Editorial Team February 7, 2026 54 min read PDF Markdown
The Frost's Descent and the Reversed Woman: An Inquiry into the Ritual, Heavenly Way, and Moderation of Pre-Qin Marriage Regulations

Appendix 3: Vestiges of Ancient Collective Mating

The allowance for "eloping couples not being forbidden" in mid-spring may be a relic of much older, collective seasonal mating rites, indicating the deep antiquity of basing reproductive timing on seasonal cues.