Note: This is the third of a four-part series.
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Planting by the “signs” is the gospel to many of the older folks here in the mountains, and they religiously take direction from the Farmer’s Almanac.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: “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.”
If you do not know about the signs, you should find a source and read about it because there are many facets to this science. A short lesson is: there are 12 signs around the illustration of the Zodiac Man, which are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Each of these signs has a symbol, body part, planet and element.
Each sign is designated either feminine, masculine, airy, dry, barren, fiery, earthy, moist, watery, fruitful. For example, Aries symbol is a Ram, body part is the head, planet Mars,
and the element is fire. It is a fiery sign and is only good for planting onions, beets and tobacco. It is a good time for making jelly and pickles, and for killing weeds. The Almanac will give you the signs for planting your garden and for harvesting.
The head and the heart are death signs, and if you transplant your vegetables during this time they usually will not grow. Also, never have surgery or teeth pulled while the signs are in the head or heart, because the loss of blood may be significant. I was witness to this in the 1980s.
I was scheduled for surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville and on the way there I told my husband that I had forgot to look at the “signs” when I made the appointment. He said it did not matter that people had surgery every day and I would be fine. So, I had the surgery, and while in recovery, I hemorrhaged and lost a lot of blood. I found out the signs were in the heart.
Faye Sherrill and I went to work for Dr. James Vollmer as dental assistants when he moved to Andrews. Faye was also the office manager and scheduled appointments. She continued to caution Dr. Vollmer not to pull teeth when the signs were in the head or the heart if it was not an emergency, but he was a little skeptical. So, after having to come back to the office during the night to pack the extraction with gauze several times for bleeding, he would check with Faye to see where the signs were.
It goes better for you to have teeth pulled or surgery when the signs are in the feet or knees. There will be less risk of infection, less pain and soreness, and less bleeding. If you want your hair to grow and be healthier cut it in Sagittarius, Aquarius, Pisces or Libra.
If the signs are in the feet do not plant your potatoes, because they will have toe like growths on the potato body. Plant potatoes on a dark moonless night in March. Ween a baby under the sign of Pisces, Capricorn or Sagittarius. Taurus is the best sign for canning vegetables and pickles.
In the late 1970s, my cousin Patricia and I decided to can sauerkraut and we bought four dozen new jars. Then we asked Aunt Helen what the procedure was to get started. She said the first thing you need to know is the signs are in the feet and you will have to wait because the sauerkraut will ruin in the jars. But being young and dumb, we thought it would not matter and decided to chop the cabbage. After we got it in the jars it was beautiful so we packed it back in the boxes and a few days later we checked it and it was black as coal. We should have listened.
The Almanac calendars are the best and are easy to read what the signs are each day. Turner’s Pharmacy in Andrews used to have them, and I was given one at Appalachian Derm Center.
The final part four will be “Superstitions and Myths.”
Kandy Barnard is a columnist for the Cherokee Scout. To talk about the Andrews Valley, call her at 361-3268 or email kandybarnard@gmail.com.