据两周金文以及文献记载分析,东周礼书记载的“外事以刚日,内事以柔日”,尚丁日、亥日,“子卯日禁忌”等择吉礼俗,其形成是在春秋时期,而西周时期尚无此礼规.周礼体系的择吉法被数术择吉法所代替,这是两周祭祀诹日的演变轨迹.战国中晚期的社会,居于主流地位的祭祀诹日择吉法,非礼书所载的规定,而是各种数术择吉体系.
According to the bronze inscriptions of Zhou dynasty as well as documents, the selection of auspicious dates recorded in some ritual books such as the Book of Rites, originate in the Spring & Autumn Periods, and there is no such strict ritual rules, including Gang date and Rou date, date zi (子) and Mao (卯) taboo, etc. The selection of auspicious date for sacrifice in Zhou ritual system was replaced by a soothsaying system, which prevailed in mid and late Warring states periods.