Thursday, May 29, 2014

What about the weather? - look up at the stars

There's a very long association between astrology and weather forecasting. Pre-Christian astrologers noted the connection between planetary movements and the cultivation of plants, especially the different effects of the Sun at different times of the day. From the earliest times until the mid-18th century innumerable astrologers specialised in this, and almanacs - particularly in America - devoted many pages to predicting the weather for the year ahead. The aphorisms of Jerome Cardan were respected for at least two centuries - viz., 'When about the beginning of winter Saturn shall dispose of [i.e., have more influence than] the Moon, expect unusual cold with a cloudy season and rain.' One of the earliest English astrological meteorologists was Robert of York, a friar who published in 1235 a word on weather prediction, with rules for predicting rain, frost, hail, snow, thunder, wind and tides. William Merlee, a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, who died c.1347, kept detailed records of weather for seven years and published a discourse which discussed the signs of good or bad weather and interpreted them, using  not only his own observations but those of farmers, seamen and others. A contemporary on the continent, Ennor of Wurzburg, published a very similar work. Many astrologers also attempted to explain such occurrences as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions by movements and connections of the planets - notably Leonard Digges, who in 1555 published A Prognostication of right good effect, fructfully augmented containging playne, briefe, pleasant, chsen rules to iudge the weather for ever . . .' There are few modern pratitioners of astrological meteorology.




-          from Parkers’ Encyclopaedia of Astrology (Watkins, ISBN 978-1-905857-71-5
-          and read Julia’s forecasts for your day at  www.parkeriters.com

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