See the Future In Onions

Here is a fascinating article in Atlas Obscura about using onions to predict the weather. Here is an excerpt and a way to make your own onion calendar. Enjoy!

On a cold New Year’s Eve in 1967 in Ashley, North Dakota, Donna and Delbert Eszlinger sliced excitedly into a large, round yellow onion. First, they split it lengthwise down the middle. Then, carefully, the couple peeled back the onion’s layers, laying 12 fresh, eye-watering sections side-by-side, and topping each with a teaspoon of salt. The onion wasn’t the makings of a celebratory dish for the new year, but a window into the future. While the ground outside was still frozen, the couple looked to the onion layers to predict the coming year’s weather for their farm.

Early the next morning on New Year’s Day, the couple rose to check their results. How each onion slice reacted to the salt overnight foretold how wet or dry each month would be. They examined each piece in order—the first representing January’s precipitation, the second predicting February, and so on. Some pieces were left with dry salt, indicating a dry month, while the next might have a pool of briny liquid in its center, indicating heavy rains or snow. Caked or crusty salt crystals meant frost, and bubbles hinted at humidity.

The onion calendar, or onion oracle, dates back to the Middle Ages, when onions and other root vegetables were used by farmers to predict precipitation for the year ahead. Some of the oldest records of using onions as an oracle are from the small town of Urbania, Italy, where the tradition is still practiced today.

In Urbania, they do the ritual on the night of January 24, the eve of what’s known in the Catholic calendar as the Conversion of St. Paul, when the man named Saul was struck to the ground by a divine light and decided to become a Christian. Paul had received a sign of things to come on that night, so practitioners believed that the onion could best be read on the magical date.

While the tradition today is best known around Urbania, it can be found elsewhere as well. Australian farmer Halwyn ‘Hally’ Herrmann, for example, used the method for 65 years.

How to Make Your Own Calendar

The practice of making an onion calendar can vary slightly depending on what area you’re in, but the tradition goes something like this:

Step 1: Select a nice round onion. While the color and where it’s grown don’t matter, everyone has their preferences. The Eszlingers prefer yellow. “The yellow one seems to be a sturdier onion,” she says. “So you probably get a better reading that way.”

Step 2: Cut the onion in half lengthwise and carefully separate the six outermost layers so that you have 12 sections total. Lay the sections out in two rows: The first half should be January through June, with January being the outermost layer and June the innermost. The second half represents July (the outermost layer) through December (the innermost).

Step 3: Add a teaspoon of salt in the center of each onion cup.

Step 4: Let sit overnight. Some people keep it inside, but many agree it should be outside to get the most accurate reading.

Step 5: In the early morning—ideally around 5 a.m.—bring the onion inside and quickly jot down your readings before the inside temperatures change the results.

Step 6: Enjoy consulting your onion calendar throughout the year!

Vanderbilt's Fortune Teller

Who knew that Cornelius Vanderbilt relied on a fortune teller to guide him? All was revealed at the reading of his will.

In his opening statement over the dispute of railroad tycoon “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt’s will, attorney Scott Lord proclaimed that Vanderbilt was “a believer in spiritualism” and “clairvoyance and was governed by its revelations.” Lord argued that these beliefs, among other “impairments,” rendered Vanderbilt susceptible to undue influence towards the end of his life while drafting his will. The will allocated the majority of Vanderbilt’s massive fortune to his eldest son, William Henry Vanderbilt, with comparatively modest sums going to the rest of the heirs. The claims of supernatural intervention brought the name of a well-known 19th-century fortune teller, Madame Morrow, into the contentious court battle between William and his siblings.

Read all about it in the book Mortimer and the Witches

Under the pseudonym Q. K. Philander Doesticks, P. B., humor writer Mortimer Thomson went undercover to investigate and report on the fortune tellers of New York City’s tenements and slums. When his articles were published in book form in 1858, they catalyzed a series of arrests that both scandalized and delighted the public. But Mortimer was guarding some secrets of his own, and in many ways, his own life paralleled the lives of the women he both visited and vilified. In Mortimer and the Witches, author Marie Carter examines the lives of these marginalized fortune tellers while also detailing Mortimer Thomson’s peculiar and complicated biography.

Word of the Day - Pythoness

I am always trying to improve my new age vocabulary and just found a new word - Pythoness!

A Pythoness is a woman who practices divination, a female soothsayer or conjuror of spirits. The word comes from the late 14c., phitonesse, Phitonissa, "woman with the power of soothsaying," from Old French phitonise (13c.) and Medieval Latin phitonissa, from Late Latin pythonissa, used in Vulgate of the Witch of Endor (I Samuel xxviii. 7), and often treated as her proper name. It is the female version of of pytho "familiar spirit;" which ultimately is connected with the title of the prophetess of the Delphic Oracle, Greek pythia hiereia, from Pythios, an epithet of Apollo, from Pythō, an older name of the region of Delphi (see python). 

The Fourth Turning Enters Pop Culture

Last October I wrote about The Fourth Turning which occur every 20-25 years or so. The final one in the cycle of a general human lifespan of 80-100 years is the Fourth Turning, a time of global cataclysmic change bringing an era of destruction, often involving war or revolution, in which institutional life is destroyed and rebuilt in response to a perceived threat to the nation's survival. After the crisis, civic authority revives, cultural expression redirects towards community purpose, and people begin to locate themselves as members of a larger group. The previous Fourth Turning in the US began with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and climaxed with the end of World War II.

They say Steve Bannon is inspired by the Turning concept and now, according to the New York Times, so is pop culture which is weaving Fourth Turning references in plot lines. Here is an excerpt of this recent NYT article:

Close watchers of “The Watcher,” the popular Netflix series about a couple who move to the New Jersey suburbs, only to be stalked in their dream home, may have caught the reference. It comes when one of the main characters, played by Bobby Cannavale, stumbles upon a creepy man in his kitchen who describes himself as a building inspector. After Mr. Cannavale’s character remarks that people are fleeing New York City, the man replies: “It’s the fourth turning.” The puzzlement on Mr. Cannavale’s face invites an explanation.

According to “fourth turning” proponents, American history goes through recurring cycles. Each one, which lasts about 80 to 100 years, consists of four generation-long seasons, or “turnings.” The winter season is a time of upheaval and reconstruction — a fourth turning. The theory first appeared in “The Fourth Turning,” a work of pop political science that has had a cult following more or less since it was published in 1997. In the last few years of political turmoil, the book and its ideas have bubbled into the mainstream.

According to “The Fourth Turning,” previous crisis periods include the American Revolution, the Civil War and World War II. America entered its latest fourth turning in the mid-2000s. It will culminate in a crisis sometime in the 2020s — i.e., now. One of the book’s authors, Neil Howe, 71, has become a frequent podcast guest. A follow-up, “The Fourth Turning Is Here,” comes out this month.

The theory is popular with people at both ends of the political spectrum. It also inspired an acclaimed Off Broadway play, “Heroes of the Fourth Turning,” which features a conservative Catholic writer, Teresa, who is obsessed with the book and its promise of a coming revolution. The play’s author, Will Arbery, 33, said he heard about “The Fourth Turning” while researching Stephen K. Bannon, the right-wing firebrand and former adviser to President Donald J. Trump, who is a longtime fan of the book.

A writer for the HBO show “Succession,” Mr. Arbery said he had also found references to “The Fourth Turning” in modern corporate culture. He described it as “this almost fun theory about history,” but added: “And yet there’s something deeply menacing about it.” Mr. Arbery, who said he does not subscribe to the theory, sees parallels between the fourth turning and other nonscientific beliefs. “I modeled the way that Teresa talks about the fourth turning on the way that young liberals talk about astrology,” he said.

“The Fourth Turning” was conceived during a period of relative calm. In the late 1980s, Mr. Howe, a Washington, D.C., policy analyst, teamed with William Strauss, a founder of the political satire troupe the Capitol Steps. Their first book, “Generations,” told a story of American history through generational profiles going back to the 1600s. The book was said to have influenced Bill Clinton to choose a fellow baby boomer, Al Gore, as his running mate. Mr. Strauss died in 2007, and Mr. Howe has carried on the pair’s work since then.

When it was published, “The Fourth Turning” drew a withering review in The New York Times by the writer Michael Lind, who criticized the authors for cherry-picking facts and lumped them in with “purveyors of pseudoscience.” But when the 2008 financial crisis hit at almost exactly the point when the start of the fourth turning was predicted, it seemed to many that the authors might have been onto something. Recent events — the pandemic, the storming of the Capitol — have seemingly provided more evidence for the book’s fans.

Historically, a fourth turning crisis has always translated into a civil war, a war of great nations, or both, according to the book. Either is possible over the next decade, Mr. Howe said. But he is a doomsayer with an optimistic streak: Each fourth turning, in his telling, kicks off a renaissance in civic life. In the new book, he describes what a coming civil war or geopolitical conflict might look like — though he shies away from casting himself as a modern-day Nostradamus. “This big tidal shift is arriving,” Mr. Howe said. “But if you’re asking me which wave is going to knock down the lighthouse, I can’t do that. I can just tell you that this is the time period. It gives you a good idea of what to watch for.”

 

A version of this article appears in print on July 9, 2023, Section ST, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: A Doomsaying Theory Resonates in Pop Culture.

 

 

 

 

The Dos and Don'ts of Psychic Reading Preparation

Learn the essential dos and don'ts of psychic reading preparation to maximize your chances of having a fruitful conversation that yields useful insights.

 

The Do's and Don'ts of How to Prepare for a Psychic Reading

 

By Emily Hicks, Guest Columnist

 

Preparation for a psychic reading can be a thrilling and enlightening adventure in and of itself. Your psychic reading will be more fruitful if you go into it with the right state of mind, the right expectations, and an idea of psychic etiquette.And it is even more important when going for an online psychic reading session.

 

Remember, things may look a bit tricky for online psychic readings because the setting is not always that comfortable. However, it is not always true for every online psychic website, especially like https://asknebula.com/, where you can use different modes of communication and even try free psychic chat to get a feel for the whole process.

 

Nevertheless, it makes great sense to learn a bit about some dos and don'ts of psychic reading before going for your appointment.    

Do's of Psychic Reading Online

 

Before you go for your session, whether it involves tarot psychic reading or psychic mediums, here is what you should do.

 

Do Give Some Thought to Your Goals

 

Take your time and carefully consider your goals for making the appointment before proceeding. Consider the questions you have and the areas of your life where you feel most confused. Knowing what you hope to gain from your reading will help you and your psychic connect more successfully.

Do Find a Reliable Psychic

 

Choose the free psychics who focuses on your questions, whether they have to do with love, work, enlightenment, or the afterlife. Do your homework on the many types of psychic readings available so you can select one that fits your personal preferences and needs.

Do Create a Comfortable Space

 

Setting up a distraction-free space is essential, as it directly affects how receptive you are during your psychic reading. If you are taking part in a remote reading, you should ensure your internet connection is stable and eliminate any distractions like phone alerts or ambient noise.

Do Come with an Open Mind

 

Be prepared to have your previous thoughts and desires challenged throughout your psychic reading; so, it is important to keep an open mind. Remember that psychics communicate with the spiritual world, thus their responses may not always make sense. Have faith in the procedure and consider the advice you may receive.

Do Ask Targeted Questions

 

Knowing the questions to ask a psychic matters a lot. Be sure to ask direct, open-ended questions that encourage precise responses to get the most out of your reading.

 

Try rephrasing your query as "What can I do to attract a loving relationship?" as an alternative to "Will I find love soon?" Asking your psychic these types of questions can help them provide you with useful advice.

 

Don'ts of Psychic Reading Online

 

Just like knowing what you should do, it is equally important to learn what to avoid before and during your psychic reading session.

Do Not Expect Instant Responses or Resolutions

 

It is important to keep in mind that psychic readings are meant to be a guide, not a magic bullet. It is unrealistic to expect the psychic to solve your problems the minute you sit down for a session.

 

Instead, take a growth-oriented stance. It means you should welcome new information and use it as a springboard for further development. In order to have a more fruitful psychic encounter, it is important to listen carefully to the advice given rather than looking for quick fixes.

Do not Be Closed Minded and Dismissive

 

You will not get anything from your reading unless you go into it with an open mind. Your ability to communicate with the psychic will be hindered if you have a dismissive or closed attitude.

 

 It is vital that if the information you get contradicts your prior views, you accept it with an open mind and do your research.

Don't Be Shy to Ask for Clarification

 

If you do not understand anything in a psychic's reading or need further explanation, do not be afraid to ask questions.

 

It is completely fine if something does not make sense or seems to be missing. Do not end your session feeling more confused.  A genuine psychic will go into greater depth with you to make sure you thoroughly understand their readings. So, ask for clarification whenever you want.

Do Not Focus on Timeframes Only

 

While it is natural to want to know more about a given time period, doing so obsessively can cause you to miss out on the bigger picture.

 

You should keep in mind that psychics may not always be able to provide you with accurate dates and times because in the spiritual realm, time is a more complex concept. Put your attention where it needs to be: on the psychic's actual messages, insights, and recommendations.  

 

Conclusion

 

The truth is, deciding what you want out of a psychic reading will not magically make all your problems disappear. More crucial is understanding what you should and should not do before and throughout your reading. Knowing what to do and avoid can go a long way to making your session as productive and enjoyable as possible.