TYPE 4

COUNTRY WISDOM

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1,5

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COUNTRY WISDOM. by Pagan of Coven of the Wheel.

What is country wisdom? You ask, as you wonder about the title of this lesson

& fail to see any connection between it & Wicca. Well, read on dear student

on the path & see for yourself.

Country wisdom can be found in old sayings & proverbs, repeated for centuries

that came about before formal schools came into being.

Things that rhymed were easier to remember & so our Pagan ancestors used this

method to teach their children.

Many ancient spells & chants were also taught by this method, & are still

used today.

As time went by many of these sayings were Christianised by the orthodox

monks, later with the Reformation they were banned as superstitious nonsense,

but fortunately they never died out completely.

Where can Old Country Wisdom be found ?

In old spell books, story books, recipe books, herbals & in songs, folk tales

& nursery rhymes.

It is in the lines of Folk songs sung in the pubs, in Christmas carols, in

poetry, in Wassail songs, & good luck toasts sung at the years festivals,

even those that are now Christianised that we will find what we seek.

In poetry it is found in the verses of authors such as John Clare & Kipling

amongst others, even modern authors & poets repeat them, some are filled with

humour, others are sound advice, they cover all aspects of life & death,

health, healing, religi on, magic, marriage, childbirth, & all things

connected with farming such as when to plant, how to sow, harvesting &

weather lore.

It can be heard in conversations at stock auctions, in fields, pubs & markets

& at Pagan gatherings world-wide.

It can be discovered by asking small holders, bee keepers, vegetable

gardeners, fishermen, dairy keepers or any other country folk about their

life & work & by watching them at their tasks.

Old aged pensioners are also a fountain of knowledge & wisdom & they often

need they company.

These wonderful old sayings came about due to the fact that man lived closer

to nature & lived & worked within a system of cycles / seasonal changes

rather than against them as our modern farmers do today.

Country wisdom forms a basis of old customs observed on certain occasions &

at certain times of the year.

Neo-Pagans & Wiccans recognise the old names for the months / moons, the 8

Festivals, the old Gods & herbs, trees etc. in these old sayings & rhymes &

it can be a fun way to explore our heritage & bond with those who have gone

before. Country wisdom is timeless yet continually evolving.

Every Pagan should collect these old sayings for the future generations of

Pagans, for these sayings are slowly dying out due to the fact that the

modern farmer is educated to exploit the Earth rather than follow Her cycles

& moods.

Here are some examples:

" When the Moon is on its tip, then it will surely drip"

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" If the Oak before the Ash, then there will be a splash!

If the Ash before the Oak, then there will be a soak!"

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" Drunk or sober, sow wheat in October".

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" Look to [after] the top of your soil & Nature will reward you Herself "

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" Sow the corn when She is waxing, never when She wanes"

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††††††††*•桔⁥慦浲

" The farmer should remember that he is only the caretaker of the land for

his lifetime, someone else will be farming after him."

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††††††††*•楌瑳湥

" Listen... & look well, seek not to tame Her.... work well with the land for

a just reward."

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††††††††††‪††††††††*•⁁慦浲牥

" A farmer should live as if he was going to die tomorrow, but farm as if he

were going to live forever."

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" We are only the caretakers of Mother Earth, honour Her Well."

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††††††††*•瑁䠠牡敶

" At Harvest Moon, gifts [give thanks & offering ] to the Wee Folk or face

your doom."

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" If possible plough when She descends for harvest boon "

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" Good ploughing lies at the root of good farming."

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" He that ploughs deep while others sleep, will have corn to sell & keep."

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" Sow wheat & barley at Ostara for Her harvest blessing"

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" A stitch in time saves 9 "

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" Marry in haste & repent at leisure."

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†††††††††‪††††††††*•敍牲⁹獩

" Merry is the Moon of Maie, bringing with the turn, sweet mead & honey

cakes."

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" In Maie [May] is goode sowing thy buck or thy branke." [ Seed- corn.]

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" A snow storm in Maie ,[May] brings weight to the hay."

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If the first snow falls on moist soft earth, it indicates a small harvest.

But if on hard frozen soil there will be a good harvest when the wheel turns

once again."

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" A light Yuletide, a light wheatstaff

A heavy Yuletide, a heavy wheatstaff."

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" Sowe barlie in March, April & Maie

The later in sand, the sooner in claye..

What worse for Barlie than wetness & cold?

What better to be skilful than to be bold."

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" Who with Janus [ January] sows oats, gets gold & groats!"

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" A dry Maie & a rainy June, put the farmers pipes in tune.

A misty Maie & a hot June makes the harvest come right soon."

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" Carry to the front & of a daughter you will boast.

Carry to the back & of a son you will toast!"

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" 4 seeds in a hole, One for the rook, one for the crow.

One to rot & one to grow."

4 seeds in a hole, one for the birds, one for the mice,

Two for the master."

4 seeds in a hole, one for the Maid, one for the Mother,

one for the Crone & one for the good Earth's harvestide. "

BLESSED BE.