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BED
1. The bed should be aligned in the same direction as the
floorboards, to prevent ill luck.
2. It is unlucky to get out of the bed in the morning on
a different side then, which you crawled into bed the
night before.
3. Don't place your bed so that it points North to South,
avoid putting it in a position that will bring evil to
bear upon you.
4. Do not turn your mattress on Sunday or Friday.
5. Do not get out of bed in the morning on the same side
as you got into bed the night before, a person who go out
of bed on the wrong side, will be ill-tempered all day.
6. Never place an umbrella on a bed, this is very unlucky
7. If three people help make a bed, one will become sick
within a year.
8. Bed-wetting can be cured by eating half of a roasted,
minced, mouse.
9. A bed changed on Friday will bring bad dreams.
IT IS A SIGN OF RAIN . . .
If cream in coffee collects at the top edges of a cup.
If dogs suddenly begin to eat grass.
If cats sneeze or lick their fur backwards.
If field mice run wildly in the open areas.
If a pig straightens the "curl" in his tail.
If cattle refuse to drink water in dry weather.
If sheep turn their backs to the wind. (Heavy rain)
If hens spread and ruffle their tail feathers.
If a rooster crows at night. (Rain before morning)
If chickens go to roost earlier than usual.
If robins sing loud near the house.
If ducks or geese become noisy (without reason).
If the rain crow calls loudly in the woods.
If snakes become very active in dry weather.
If flies or mosquitoes suddenly swarm into the house.
If bees cluster near their hives.
If owls hoot in the daytime (or loudly at night).
If dogs or cats carry their young to higher ground.
(Flood)
If horses begin scratching themselves against trees, or
their tails appear extra bushy.
If birds or ducks nest on high ground, expect wet Summer.
(Expect a dry season if nest is close to edge of stream)
If fish swim to the surface of streams. (Storms)
If smoke and soot fall down instead of rising fast.
If terrapins seek high, dry ground.
If spiders crawl aimlessly about, glow worms shine
brigher, or crickets sing louder . . expect lots of rain.
OTHER PREDICTIONS BY ANIMALS
If crows fly unusually high, expect a wind storm.
If cats work busily scratching themselves . . .
windstorm.
If quail sum themselves in coveys, expect 3 days of good
weather.
If deer lose their spots by mid-July, expect an early
Fall.
If butterflies appear late in Autumn, colder weather
soon.
GROUND HOG'S DAY . . . February 2nd is now considered the
official day.
(Before 1900, February 14th was the accepted day.) If the
sun shines and Mr. Groundhog emerges to see his shadow on
this day, he returns to sleep because there will be 6
more weeks of cold weather. (Seeing no shadow foretells
good weather ahead).
"FOGS IN AUGUST" - Old timers say that the
number of fogs in August indicate the exact number of
snows for the following winter. (Small fogs - small
snows, etc.)
SNOW OMENS
If sonowflakes are large, storm will end soon.
If small flakes, expect a heavy snowfall.
If snow continues to lay on gorund and melt slowly, it
may be "waiting for another snowfall."
The number of sunny days between July 1st and September
1st, multiplied by two, indicate the number of freezing
cold Winter days due.
The number of days the first snow remains on the ground.
(3, 4, etc.) foretell the number of deep snows due for
the winter.
The number of days the moon is old (beginning from the
date of NEW MOON) when the first snow falls, indicates
number of snows to expect for winter.
MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS
If rain falls while the sun is shining, expect short
shower.
If raindrops are large, expect brief shower.
If 7 consecutive hot days and nights pass - long dry
spell coming.
A dark, YELLOW sky indicates storm and hail.
SIGNS OF SPRING:
When the first green appears . . .
When the buzzards return . . .
When robins sing . . .
FAITH AND POWER HEALERS
Many people were believed to possess a supernatural
"gift" for curing certain ailments, by using
charms, prayers and magic of various sorts. (Mothers kiss
a child's hurt to "make it well.")
TAKING FIRES OUT OF BURNS - One says she blows on the
burn and mutters "Go out fire, come in frost."
(Various other ways.)
STOPPING BLOOD - One "who has the power" says
he calls the person by name, walks toward the sunrise and
repeats the Sixth Verse, Sixteenth Chapter of Ezekiel (or
reads it from the Bible.)
REMOVING WARTS - (Many different ways.) The conjurer rubs
the wart with a penny and gives it to the boy. As soon as
the penny is spent, the wart goes away.
CURING A BABY'S "THRASH" - A person who never
saw his father (due to death or otherwise) may blow into
the baby's mouth three times and cure the condition.
TO KEEP WITCHES AND "SPELLS" OUT OF THE HOUSE:
A horsehoe was hung (prongs up) over the door for best
pretection. OR, three nails, placed in a triangle, were
driven outside the door.
GARDEN CROPS AND SIGNS
Calendars and Almanacs were important to farmers and
housewives who knew the signs of the Zodiac and planned
their work "when the signs were right." Many
explanations for this practice (for and against) have
been offered, but few scientific proofs exist. Long-time
believers simply say, "The signs work."
MOON SIGNS
What is "DARK of the moon?" . . . This refers
to waning, or that period of darkening nights between the
FULL moon and the NEW.
What is "LIGHT of the moon?" . . . the waxing,
or period of days between the NEW and the FULL moon. (As
the size increases.)
LUCKY TO PLANT IN THE "DARK OF THE MOON" (Root
crops)
Potatoes Onions Beets Turnips Readishes, etc.
LUCKY TO PLANT IN THE "LIGHT OF THE MOON"
(Crops above ground) Beans Peas Tomatoes Corn, etc.
OTHER SIGNS
(In early times, people named signs for areas of the
human body rather than Astrological Constellations, but
their meaning was the same.) (See Almanac.)
Thus, Pisces was refeerd to as "Signs in the
Feet".
Aquarius ......................................"In
the Legs"
Capricorn ....................................."In
the Knees"
Sagittarius ..................................."In
the Thighs"
Scorpio ......................................."In
the Sex Organs"
Libra ........................................."In
the Kidneys"
Virgo ........................................."In
the Bowels"
Leo ..........................................."In
the Heart"
Cancer ........................................"In
the Breast"
Genini ........................................."In
the Arms"
Taurus ......................................."In
the Neck" ("The Bull")
Aries ........................................."In
the Head"
"Never pull teeth when the sign is 'in the
Head.'" (Might hemorrhage.)
Operations more successful if sign is "In the Feet
or Legs."
FULL MOON causes "moon madness" in people; Cuts
bleed more freely.
from Pat L.
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THE
JOURNEY
"You shall not worry, for worry is the most
unproductive of all human activities.
You shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear
never come to pass.
You shall not cross bridges before you come to them,
for no one has yet succeeded in accomplishing this.
You shall face each problem as it comes
because no one has ever been successful in handling
more than one problem at a time.
You shall not take problems to bed with you
for they make very poor bed partners.
You shall not borrow other people's problems
because, believe it or not, those other people are,
if they choose to be,
capable of taking care of their own problems
without your help.
You shall not try to relive yesterday, it is gone.
concentrate on what's happening in your life today.
You shall remember to count your blessings, never
forgetting the small ones,
for a lot of small blessings usually add up to where you
are
in this journey called life.
You shall try to be a good listener, for only when you
listen
do you hear ideas different from your own.
It IS very hard to learn something new when you're
talking.
You shall not become bogged down with frustration, for
90% of frustration
is rooted in self pity and self pity will only interfere
with
the positive action you know you are capable of
making."
I've learned that you should never tell a child her
dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more
humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she
believed it
I've learned that your family won't always be there for
you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to
can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust
people again. Families aren't biological.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend someone is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you
must forgive them for that.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven
by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive
yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may
have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for
who we become.
I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm
forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.
I've learned that just because two people argue, it
doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because
they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I've learned that sometimes you have to put the
individual ahead of their actions.
I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we
understand that friends change.
I've learned that if you don't want to forget something,
stick it in your underwear drawer.
I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a
secret. It could change your life forever.
I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones
with the most holes in them.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your
children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt
in the process.
I've learned that there are many ways of falling and
staying in love.
I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who
are honest with themselves, get farther in life.
I've learned that many things can be powered by the mind,
the trick is self-control.
I've learned that no matter how many friends you have, if
you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at
the times you need them most.
I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.
I've learned that even when you think you have no more to
give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the
strength to help.
I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease
emotional pains.
I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that
is offered to us.
I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you
a decent human being.
I've learned that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.
I've learned that although the word "love" can
have many different meaning, it loses value when overly
used.
I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw
the line between being nice and not hurting people's
feelings and standing up for what you believe.
