THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
Planting by the
signs
In this time of
vernal equinox when days grow longer, fresh warm breezes stir the
budding trees, and the sun's rays paint nature with golden newness, we
who had the privilege of growing up on a farm have a built-in system
that hears the call of overturned soil to plant seeds into rows and
watch the miracle of growth.
The "preacher"
in Old Testament days exclaimed: "To everything there is a season...a
time to plant...(Eccl. 3: 1-2).
And when the
story of creation was recorded in Genesis, the writer declared that the
lights created in the firmament would divide day from night and "be for
signs and for seasons, and for days and years" (Genesis 1:14b).
I grew up on a
farm that produced well for our family and others with whom we shared
our bounty. We sold that beyond our needs for money we used to purchase
things not produced on the farm, for improvements to the farm, and for
those annual taxes on the land.
My father
planted and harvested by "the signs." He believed in them, and the
astronomical calculations presented either in "The Old Farmer's
Almanac" (in continuous publication since about 1796) or "Grier's
Almanac" founded by a Georgian, Robert Grier, and in continuous
publication since 1807. These references were frequently consulted at
our house. But what is more, through using the signs and his own
expertise as a farmer, the results of his efforts proved that,
combined, the system worked.
I wish I had
listened more closely to him and my other relatives who planted by the
signs. Was this system just superstition, or was there wisdom in their
assiduous following of the Zodiac to plant and harvest?
I did a little "googling"(you who are computer internet users
will know this is researching via internet). I was amazed at the
plethora of sights that lauded "moon gardening" or "planting and
harvesting by the signs." Likewise, the two almanacs my father used
faithfully when I was a child have numerous sites to applaud their
still sought after wisdom.
In tracing the
history of lunar cycles and "signs" for doing ordinary tasks of daily
living, I discovered that texts have been uncovered for this
astronomical knowledge as far back as 8,000 years, or when the earth
was in the waning stages of the Ice Age. Moreover, the various
civilizations, from the ancient Sumerians, the Mayas, the Chinese, the
classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, the Highland Scots and the
native American Cherokee (who were farmers, as well) had knowledge of
and practiced signs.
Was it folklore
or is there authenticity in "moon gardening"?
It should not
surprise us of the twenty-first century that scientific discoveries
have authenticated the subtle interactions between sun, moon and planet
earth. Our ancestors were not practicing superstition, but proven
methods of gaining the best results through working with Nature. After
all, had the account of creation not said that in the firmament of
light there were "signs" for "seasons...days...years?"
Planting by the
signs can be extremely complicated. But the simplest method is to think
of the phases of the moon as "waxing" (or growing from a sliver at the
new moon to the full moon, first and second quarters) and "waning"
(third and fourth quarters as it grows to a sliver in its last
quarter). In its 29-day journey around the earth, the moon passes
through all twelve signs of the Zodiac. The signs are divided into four
"elemental" groups, either water (Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio), earth
(Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), fire (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius) or air
(Gemini, Aquarius, Libra). The "fertile" signs are when the elements of
water and earth are in the ascendancy. The "barren" signs are in the
periods of fire and air.
Above-ground
crops (or those producing harvest on plants above-ground) are planted
in the waxing (or growing) stage of the moon. Among these are peas,
beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and the like. Underground crops (such
as potatoes, beets, radishes and carrots) should be planted when the
moon is waning.
Even though
you, as I, do not have many elderly forebears still alive to consult
for a lesson on "planting by the signs," we can still purchase handy
references, the well-known almanacs like "Grier's" and "Old Farmer's."
Or we can access interesting articles on internet that show this
long-ago practice of "seeking the signs." Again this method is in great
favor among present-day gardeners. Away back in 1562, a man by the name
of Thomas Tusser wrote in his "500 points of Goode Husbandry":
"Sow pease and
beanes in the dark of the moone,
Who
soweth them sooner, he soweth too soon;
That
they with the planet may rest and arise,
And
flourish with bearing most plentifully and wise."
And remember,
too, that Good Friday, especially in the afternoon of that day, is a
good day for planting. Best wishes, gardeners. May your "green thumb"
follow the signs.
[Ethelene
Dyer Jones is a retired educator, freelance writer, poet, and
historian. She may be reached at e-mail edj0513@windstream.net; phone
478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood Road, Milledgeville, GA
31061-2411.]
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