TYPE 4

WEATHER FORECASTING

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WEATHER FORECASTING

OVER THE YEARS, THE CLOSE WATCH KEPT BY COUNTRY PEOPLE OF THE SIGNS WHICH

INDICATE A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER ,LED TO THE INVENTION OF FAMILIAR

PROVERBS. WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF SOME OF THESE & A FEW NATURAL POINTERS, A

REASONABLY ACCURATE PREDICTION OF EMINENT WEATHER CAN BE MADE.

CLOUDS.

THE SPEED OF CLOUDS IS INDICATIVE: IF THEY ARE MOVING IN A LEISURELY

FASHION, THE WEATHER WILL BE STABLE, ONCE THEY BEGIN TO SCUD, LOOK OUT FOR

WIND & RAIN.

IF HIGHER CLOUDS ARE MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION TO LOWER ONES OR TO THE

PREVAILING WIND, A CHANGE IN WEATHER IS COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE

HIGHER CLOUDS & APPROACHING AT THE SPEED THEY ARE MOVING.

BUT THE FORMATION OF CLOUDS IS THE MOST USEFUL GUIDE. DAYTIME CLOUDS WITH

SOFTER EDGES THAT MERGE INTO THE BLUE OF THE SKY MEANS FAIR WEATHER.

CLOUDS WITH SHARPLY DEFINED EDGES MEANS BAD WEATHER IS EMINENT.

IF SMALL CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON MELT AWAY TO WARDS THE SUN SET, FAIR

WEATHER IS ASSURED, IF THEY INCREASE & COVER THE SKY IT MEANS UNSETTLED

WEATHER.

THE HIGHER THE CLOUDS THE FINER THE WEATHER BUT AT THE END OF THE SPELL OF

GOOD WEATHER SMALL CLOUDS FORMING HIGH IN THE SKY OFTEN MEAN THAT IN

APPROXIMATELY 2 DAYS THE WEATHER WILL CHANGE .

BUT THE LENGTH OF WARNING OF ANY CHANGE MAY INDICATE HOW LONG THE CHANGE

WILL LAST.......".LONG FORETOLD, LONG LAST, SHORT NOTICE, SOON PAST. ''

LOW CLOUDS OVER HILLS MEAN RAIN....'' WHEN MOUNTAINS & CLIFFS IN THE CLOUDS

APPEAR, SOME SUDDEN & VIOLENT SHOWERS ARE NEAR.''

'' A ROUND TOPPED CLOUD WITH A FLATTENED BASE, CARRIES RAINFALL IN ITS

FACE.''

IF A CORONA OR THIN VEIL OF CLOUD ROUND THE MOON GROWS SMALLER OR IS REDUCED

TO A HALO IT MEANS RAIN IS COMING, BUT IF IT GETS LARGER IT IS AN INDICATION

OF FAIRER WEATHER.

A LOT CAN BE LEARNT TOO BY THE COLOUR OF THE SKY & CLOUDS. YELLOW IS THE

WORST COLOUR ESPECIALLY AT SUNSET, A FORERUNNER OFTEN BY AS MUCH AS 36 HOURS

OF STORMS & GALES.

COPPER TINTS AROUND CLOUD EDGES ARE A SIGN OF ELECTRICITY & MEANS

THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE AIR.

GREEN IN THE CLEAR SPACES IN-BETWEEN CLOUDS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF

MOISTURE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE & SHOWERY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE.

DARK BLUE SKY ALSO INDICATES STORMY WEATHER, WHILE LIGHT BLUE MEANS GOOD

WEATHER.

VIOLET TINTS IN PUFFY CLOUDS MEAN IT WILL BE COLD & CLOUDY BUT DRY & SO DOES

YELLOWISH GLOOM FROM THE EAST.

RED SKY AT NIGHT CAN MEAN TWO THINGS: A RED GLOW AT SUNSET EVENLY DIFFUSED

ACROSS THE SKY IS A SIGN THAT A FINE DAY WILL FOLLOW, BUT IF THE RED IS

REFLECTED LOWERING MASSES OF RAGGED CLOUDS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY EXTEND ACROSS

THE SKY FROM THE EAST, A DAMP ONE.

" IF THE SUN IN RED SHOULD SET, THE NEXT DAY SURELY WILL BE WET."

" RED SKY IN THE MORNING, A SHEPHERDS WARNING."

" RED MOON DOTH BLOW, WHITE MOON DOTH SNOW, PALE MOON DOTH RAIN."

THE WAVES.

WAVES ARE AN INDICATION OF HOW CLOSE A STORM MIGHT BE. MOST WAVES ARE THE

RESULT OF THE ACTION OF WIND ON WATER.

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS SUCH AS TIDAL WAVES PRODUCED BY EARTHQUAKES UNDER THE

SEA. BUT THE WAVES MOST OF US KNOW BEST ARE WIND WAVES, AN OBSERVER SITTING

ON THE BEACH CAN MAKE AN INTELLIGENT GUESS WHETHER THE SURF SPILLING OUT ON

THE SHORE BEFORE HIM H AS BEEN PRODUCED BY A GALE CLOSE OFFSHORE OR BY A

DISTANT STORM.

YOUNG WAVES ONLY RECENTLY SHAPED BY WIND HAVE A STEEP PEAKED SHAPE EVEN WELL

OUT TO SEA. FROM FAR OUT ON THE HORIZON YOU CAN SEE THEM FORMING WHITE CAPS

AS THEY COME IN, BITS OF FOAM SPILLING DOWN THEIR FRONTS & BOILING & BUBBLING

OVER THE ADVANCING FACE, & THE FINAL BREAKING OF THE WAVE IS A PROLONGED &

DELIBERATE PROCESS.

BUT IF A WAVE ON COMING INTO THE SURF ZONE, REARS HIGH AS THOUGH GATHERING

ALL ITS STRENGTH FOR THE FINAL ACT OF ITS LIFE, IF THE CREST FORMS ALL ALONG

ITS ADVANCING FRONT & THEN BEGINS TO CURL FORWARD, IF THE WHOLE MASS OF WATER

SUDDENLY PLUNGES WIT H A BOOMING ROAR INTO ITS TROUGH- --THEN YOU MAY TAKE IT

THAT THEY HAVE TRAVELLED LONG & FAR BEFORE THEIR FINAL DISSOLUTION AT YOUR

ALWAYS USE A TIDE TABLE BEFORE DOING ANY RITUAL ON THE BEACH. FULL MOON IS

BEST, AS VISIBILITY CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE & MAGICAL TOOLS IF YOU HAVE POSITIONED

YOURSELF INCORRECTLY. USING THE ENERGY CREATED BY WAVES, RAIN, WIND &

ESPECIALLY THUNDER STORMS C AN BE A POWERFUL AID TO ANY MAGICAL RITE. THOSE

OF THE CRAFT OF THE WISE KNOW THAT LEARNING ABOUT WEATHER PATTERNS FORMS A

LARGE PART IN WEATHER MAGIC WHETHER IT IS CALLING RAIN, CALMING THE WIND OR

RAISING IT. CONSECRATING & EMPOWERING TOOLS OR TALI SMANS OR DOING VARIOUS

RITES, FOR THOSE WHO DO THEIR SABBAT & ESBAT RITES OUT DOORS WATCHING THE

WEATHER PATTERNS DEVELOP BECOMES SECOND NATURE.

WEATHER, BIRDS, ANIMALS & PLANTS.

FORTHCOMING WEATHER CAN BE TOLD FROM THE BEHAVIOUR OF BIRDS, ANIMALS &

PLANTS, EVEN SOME INSECTS WILL INVADE YOUR HOME WHEN BAD WEATHER IS ON THE

WAY EG: ANTS & SPIDERS. [Rain or cold ]

MANY OF THE OLD SAYINGS ARE BASED ON ACCURATE OBSERVATIONS.

" SEAGULL, SEAGULL SIT ON SAND, ITS NEVER GOOD WEATHER WHILE YOU ON LAND."

TRUE, SEAGULLS REGULARLY FLY INLAND IN FRONT OF ADVANCING STORMS.

WHEN BIRDS, ESPECIALLY ROOKS FLY HIGH IT IS SAID TO MEAN GOOD WEATHER, WHEN

LOW BAD.

" IT WILL RAIN MUCH IF BATS CRY MUCH & FLY INTO THE HOUSE."

" WHEN SNAILS IN THE ROAD YOU SEE, THEN RAIN ON THE MORROW YOU WILL SEE.'

SNAILS WILL ALSO CLIMB HIGH UP A WALL OR INVADE YOUR HOME WHEN A LOT OF RAIN

IS ON THE WAY.

" BEFORE A STORM THE CRAB HIS BRINY HOME, SIDELONG FORSAKES & STRIVES ON LAND

TO ROAM" THIS MEANS VERY ROUGH SEAS ARE CLOSE AT HAND.

SOME FLOWERS CLOSE UP AT THE APPROACH OF RAIN, A DAISY IS ONE & SO IS THE

SCARLET PIMPERNEL, OFTEN KNOWN AS THE PLOUGHMANS WEATHER GLASS.

THE LEAVES OF LADY'S BEDSTRAW & THE TREFOILS BECOME INFLATED WHEN RAIN IS ON

THE WAY & THE WHITE POPLAR TREE SHOWS ITS DOWNY UNDERSIDE OF ITS LEAVES WHEN

RAIN IS IMMINENT.

MANY WICCANS KEEP A FROND OF SWEET TANGLE, LAMINARIA SACCHARIA HANGING

OUTSIDE THEIR BACKDOORS, KNOWN AS THE POOR MANS WEATHER GLASS, THE FROND

BECOMES SOFT & LIMP AT THE APPROACH OF RAIN & BRITTLE & DRY IN WARM WEATHER.

SEAWEED MAY BE USED IN THE SAME WAY.

PLANTS & ANIMALS ARE OFTEN GOOD LONG TERM PREDICTORS TOO.

WHEN LEAVES WITHER ON THE BOUGHS INSTEAD OF FALLING & WHEN BRANCHES SNAP &

CRACK IT IS A SIGN OF A DRY ATMOSPHERE.

A WARM RELATIVELY DRY SUMMER OFTEN FOLLOWS WHEN ROOKS BUILD THEIR NESTS

HIGHER UP THAN NORMAL, THOUGH BIRDS THAT LIVE ALONG RIVERS & IN FLOOD PLAINS

WILL BUILD THEIR NESTS HIGHER THAN USUAL WHEN SET IN RAIN, WHICH COULD CAUSE

FLOODING IS DUE THAT SEA SON.

WHEN MIGRATING BIRDS FLY FURTHER SOUTH THAN USUAL, A COLD WINTER IS ON THE

" WHEN THE DEW IS ON THE GRASS, RAIN WILL NEVER COME TO PASS."

" MIST IN THE MORNING IN SPRING & SUMMER MEANS A FINE DAY WILL FOLLOW, IN

AUTUMN, A BAD ONE."

"PLANTS & TREES WITH BERRIES---SPARSE A MILD WINTER, ABUNDANCE, LONG COLD

BITTER ONE."

SMOKE FROM CHIMNEYS DESCENDING TO THE GROUND INDICATES HIGH HUMIDITY AS DOES

CLARITY OF VISION.

" THE FARTHER THE SIGHT, THE NEARER THE RAIN."

" A SOUND TRAVELLING FAR & WIDE, A STORMY DAY WILL FOLLOW."

" IF IT RAIN BEFORE SEVEN, IT WILL LIFT BEFORE ELEVEN"

" RAINBOW TO WINDWARD, FOUL THE DAY,

RAINBOW TO LEEWARD, DAMP RUNS AWAY."

"HOAR FROST & GYPSIES NEVER STAY 9 DAYS IN ONE PLACE."

" MOONLIGHT NIGHTS HAVE THE HEAVIEST FROSTS."

" THE THINNER THE NUT SHELL, THE MILDER THE WINTER."

BLESSED BE.