Solar term 8 of 24 · Earth · summer
Minor Heat 小暑
Heat arrives properly, and the ground holds it.
Xiǎoshǔ · begins 7 July 2026 · approximately fifteen days
The second Earth month: damp heat, heavy air, and the season's one genuine risk to sleep. The body is not being dramatic when it slows down in these fifteen days — it is managing a load.
The three micro-seasons
Every term divides into three pentads of about five days.
- Warm winds arrive
- Crickets move indoors
- Eagles take to the sky
What to do in these fifteen days
- Cool the room before you cool yourself. Shade and cross-ventilation beat air conditioning.
- Eat your main meal earlier; digestion is slower in the heat.
- If you wake at 3am, get up for ten minutes rather than lying there. It shortens the episode.
On the table
Lotus root · Cucumber and vinegar
One question
What does your body do in heat that you usually blame yourself for?
Seasonal and cultural information only. Not medical advice, and no claim is made about treating any condition. See method & limits.