Conference hydra::dejavu

    I once tried planting some corn at the new moon.  It was the best
    it ever turned out...
    
    Elizabeth

    I have been reading about this recently.  There was a time when
    this is what many peoples based there plantings on, this and nature
    believe it or not ;-).  The Foxfire books have made references
    as well I believe.  Let me look into this and see if I can find
    some interesting quotes.

    Thank you.  I'd like to know more of the Foxfire books.
    Mary

    To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under
    the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,
    and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
    
    					Ecclesiates 3:1-2
    
    Every day of the month is dominated by one the the twelve signs
    of the zodiac. Each of the twelve appears at least once a month,
    and then for a period of either two or three days.  All good planting
    calendars label each day with the sign that rules over it (depending
    on which constellation is foremost in the sky at the time), the
    part of the body and the planet associated with the sign, and the
    element it is most closely akin to.
    
    THE RULES:
    
    PLANTING:	Planting is best done in the fruitful signs of Scorpio,
    Pisces, Taurus or Cancer (when the signs are in the loins, feet,
    neck or breast).  
    
    Plow, till, and cultivate in Aries.
    
    Never plant anything in one of the barren signs.  They are good
    only for trimming, deadening, and destroying.
    
    Always set plants out in a water or earth sign.
    
    Graft just before the sap starts to flow, while the moon is in its
    first or second quarter, and while it is passing through a fruitful
    watery sign, or Capricorn.  Never graft or plant on Sunday as this
    is a barren hot day (the sun's day).
    Plant flowers in Libra which is an airy sign that also represents
    beauty.  Plant them while the moon is in the first quarter unless
    you need the seeds, in which case use the period between the moon's
    second quarter anf full.
    Corn platned in Leo will have a hard, round stalk and small ears.
    Crops planted in Taurus and Cancer will stand drought.
    Plant beans when the signs are in the arms (Gemini).
    Root flower cuttings, limbs, vines, and set out flower bushes and
    trees in December and January when the igns are in the knees and
    feet.
    Never transplant in the heart or head as both these signs are "Death
    Signs" (Aries, Leo).
    If you want a large vine and stalk with little fruit, plant in Virgo
    - "bloom days".
    Don't plant potatoes in the feet.  If you do, they will develop
    little nubs like toes all over the main potato.  The best time is
    a dark night in March.
    Plant all things which yield above the ground during the increase
    or growing of the new moon, and all things which yield below the
    ground (root crops) when the moon is decreasing or darkening.
    
    
    Oops, I got carried away.  I study horticulture at UCLA and am also
    a student of the old ways so I really got into it here...sorry.
    I've got MORE!  if you're interested mail me at LAGUNA::THOMAS_TA.
               :::
    -Tade-     \:   
                |/

    Any information about the old ways is most welcome here Tade.  Thank
    you.

    Re: .4
    
    Yes, Tade, this is fascinating!  I've studied astrology, but
    "specialize" in the humanistic aspect of the art.  I'd not made
    any replies here because I have virtually no knowledge of the old
    ways of planting astrologically.
    
    A question:  when you write an instruction like "Plant in the sign
    of Scorpio", do you mean:  plant when the Moon is in Scorpio, when
    the Sun is in Scorpio, or when Scorpio is prominent in the night
    sky?  Or something else altogether?
    
    Marcia

    Each of the signs is known as being either masculine, feminine,
    airy, dry, barren, fiery, earthy, moist, watery, fruitful, or very
    fruitful.  In general, any activity that requires a dry atmosphere,
    such as painting, should be done in one of the dry signs; an activity
    requiring moisture, such as some of the planting, should be done
    on one of the moist or fruitful signs.
    
    The best time of all, of course, to conduct any activity is when
    a day falls on both an ideal sign and a good phase of the moon.
    
    Over the years, a more specific set of rules has grown up around
    the zodiac which governs such activities as planting and harvesting.
    These rules take into account both the sign governing the day and
    the phase of the moon on that particular day.  At the beginning
    of the planting season, for example, the farmer consults his calendar,
    picks out one the fourteen favorable days that occur every month,and
    plants only on one of these fourteen "fruitful" days.  Should he
    miss and plant his crops on one of the "unfruitful" days, his crops
    will not produce at half their ability, say the believers.  T. E.
    Black (he made farming calendars and charts) even goes so far as
    to say that a few hours can make the difference between success
    and failure, and many of his followers agree.
    
    I use the "Old Farmer's Almanac".  This great book a listing of
    planet alignment for each day to the degree, and also interesting
    (and wierd) stories for each month.
    
    More facts: Never plant on the first day of the new moon, or on
    when the moon changes quarters.  In the fourth quarter turn sod,
    pull weed, and destroy.
    
    This month's moon:
    
    1/3/88 = full moon
    1/12/88 = last quarter
    1/19/88 = new moon
    1/25/88 first quarter
    
    Most of the above information is from the first Foxfire book and
    The Old Farmer's Almanac.
    
    DO YOU WANT MORE??????
    		     
    

    yes+:-)

    You're insatiable!  More this afternoon then.

    Reaping and Harvesting:
    
    Pick fruit like apples and pears in the old of the moon (while it
    is decreasing or shrinking).  This will cause the bruised spots
    and blemishes to dry up rather than rot.  They will rot if the fruit
    is picked on the increase or rising of the moon or on the new moon.
    Harvest most crops when the moon is growing old.  This will cause
    them to keep better and longer.
    Dig root crops for seed in the third quarter of the moon.  They
    will keep longer and are usually drier and better.
    Gather root crops in the last quarter of the moon when the signs
    are in the knees or the feet.
    Can vegetables, cook preserve and jelly, and make pickles in the
    right sign during the last quarter of the moon.
    
    Sign	Symbol	 Body Part	Planet	  Element
    Aries	Ram	 Head		Mars	  Fire
    Taurus	Bull	 Neck, throat	Venus	  Earth
    Gemini	Twins	 Arms, chest	Mercury	  Air
    Cancer	Crab	 Breast, stomach Moon	  Water
    Leo		Lion	 Heart, back	Sun	  Fire
    Virgo	Virgin	 Bowels		Mercury	  Earth
    Libra	Balance  Kidneys	Venus	  Air
    Scorpio	Scorpion Loins		Mars	  Water
    Sagittarius Archer	 Thighs		Jupiter	  Fire
    Capricornus Goat	 Knees		Saturn	  Earth
    Aquarius	Waterman Legs, ankles	Uranus	  Air
    Pisces	Fish	 Feet		Neptune	  Water
    
    I know that the above chart is real elementry but I like it because
    it lists body parts and elements that relate to the other info.
    Tomorrow I will write up a chart by T. E. Black mentioned previously.
    Do I have a captive audience or what?