Is There Magic Afoot?

Okay....so I'm interested to know how the weather has been where you guys are at in the world. I can't speak for the weather elsewhere, but here in Florida it's been HOT! Unseasonably warm all through Oct, Nov, Dec and now January. We just had our first real 2 day cold snap last week, and now it's back to warm again. My trees are in a state of confusion. They are attempting to bud already. BUT... I knew it was going to be a warmer than usual Winter early on this year. How did I know? Because I'm a Good Witch who can see into the future of course....and, the Wise Old Oaks told me so.

Okay....not exactly. But I did have a little foresight provided by my late Grandfather who was a Wizard.....(or not)! I like to think he had some 'magic' in his blood, but that is just conjecture and never a proven fact. All the same....the man did have some interesting ways to predict future events....like the Winter ahead. Now both my Father and Grandfather were business owners and 'Growers'. They owned greenhouses that shipped indoor plants across the country, back when indoor plants were all the rage. As growers, they held many beliefs about how to predict the growing season ahead, and winter was important since a very cold winter in Florida could do a lot of damage to the citrus, ferns and plants.

So my Grandfather always turned to the Wise Old Oaks for the answer. If the oak trees gave forth an abundant amount of acorns in the fall, then it was sure to be a long, cold winter. However, if they put forth none...then it would be short and mild. That makes sense....the Oaks know! Guess they don't call them the 'wise' old Oaks for nothing...ha! But they do somehow seem to know when to provide lots of food for the birds and squirrels for a cold winter ahead. And when it's as mild as it is here this year....the squirrels have no need to store away food and hide in their nests to keep warm....they are able to be out and about doing their thing as usual. Hence the complete absence of any acorns this year.I'm not sure if that particular forecasting would just hold true here in Florida, or if those are universal beliefs....but as I've grown up, I've found it to be a tried and true method of prediction. Another fun one that my Grandfather used to tell us, pertained to the rain and our swimming pool. Now I realize the ancestors didn't have swimming pools per se, but I'm assuming his theory could have been applied to any small or large body of water. But what he always said was....if the rain makes bubbles on the top of the water in the pool when it rains...it means it's gonna rain all day long, you're in it for the long haul. And don't you know, that it always proves true?! If there are bubbles on the pool, it rains slow and steady all day.... if there aren't, it usually rains and then clears on out. Why is that you ask? I actually have no idea on that one, I just know it always holds true at my house.
And these predictions got me thinking on the Old Farmer's Almanac. Are you familiar with that little annual magazine? It's basically a yearly collection of information on the upcoming year's events such as dates, tides, sun/moon times, phenomenon and weather/crop predictions for the year ahead. They also make known the best times for planting crops, fishing and even when to get your hair cut if you want it to grow or not to grow. It was first invented/published in the 1800's by founder, David Young. The formula used to make these predictions supposedly relies on "sunspots, moon phases and other astronomical and atmospheric factors and conditions." But even more interesting is the fact that this 'formula' is a very closely guarded secret.
But it gets even better...the name/s of the current 'forecaster' is never made known, and they have all gone by the pseudonym of 'Caleb Weatherbee' since the death of the founder, David Young. Also, the almanac refers to its forecaster as a 'prognosticator'. That's one who is a 'seer', 'prophet' or 'visionary'. They 'foretell' the future, but they do so by basing their prediction on current facts or indicators. And in the case of the Farmer's Almanac, those predictions are made by the mysterious 'Mr. Weatherbee', a full two years in advance.

So how accurate are Caleb Weatherbee's predictions? Apparently these almanacs' predictions are said to have about an 80-85% accuracy rate. Considering local weather predictions are accurate up to 65% within a 3-5 day range, and then lessen further to a 55-65% chance as the range goes beyond 7 days.....2 YEARS in advance sounds quite impressive to me. And these 'predictions' were made in the past without the vast technology we have at our disposal today. So what do you suppose is in that 'secret formula' for prediction anyway? And why is it such a closely guarded secret?Honestly, it sounds a lot like the natural methods our ancestors have used for years....relying on Mother Nature herself, and the cosmos above.....the moon, the stars, the sun! All the natural knowledge of any good witch or wizard. Which brings me back to my Grandfather....a man who seemed to me to possess a little magic with his 'knowledge'. He could fix anything , grow anything and invent anything. But beyond that, he was even struck by lightening not once, but twice, and lived to tell the tale. However, my favorite magical thing about him was his ability to 'wish' warts away. Yep, I watched him 'wish' countless warts away from friends and family over the years. I personally got one wart on my pinky finger when I was a young girl. It popped up out of no where, so I asked him to 'wish' it away. He examined it a bit, rubbed it, then told me not to think about it for awhile and it would go away. And within a few weeks it was gone, without any treatment at all. I never had another one before or since. Of course my friends didn't believe me, but the family knew it was true. So I always loved it when I could find a friend who had one so that I could prove to them I was telling the truth. I asked my Grandfather how he did it, and he'd say that he couldn't tell me. But then at a subsequent 'pestering' for the secret, he'd say there really was no trick to it, you just send them away. Once I even made him promise that he'd at least tell one person, preferably ME.....the secret to how it's done before he died. He'd just laugh and agree. But dang him, he took that little bit of magic to the grave with him, wouldn't you know!

So was he magic? Was he a Wizard? Or did he just use the Farmer's Almanac perhaps....we'll never know. But I am quite certain that the old Bertrand Russell quote is true...."the world is full of magical things just waiting for our wits to grow sharper." I believe some of us are able to tap into those magical things....the knowledge of nature, of the cosmos, and even of the unknown! So have any of you ever used the Farmer's Almanac for anything....and did it work?

Images: 1.) Oak - Mystic Lady Tumblr 2.) Squirrel - Wiki Common 3.)Rain - weheartit 4.) Farmer's Almanac 5.) Old Ways - Tumblr 6.) Lightening - Inn at Clearwater Pond