The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Signs.

A correspondent desires our opinion
about doing things in the right sign"
whether there is any truth in such
things. He says his neighbOr always
observes the "signs" in planting, butch
ering, making fence, weaving calves, ETC.,
and seems to be successful, in many in
stances, at least.
Our opinion can be given in one short
sentence. In the light of science moth
ing is more ridiculous and so utterly
unreasonable. 1t is relic of heather
divination, with no more foundation in
truth than the belief in witchcraft, tell
ing fortunes, and kindred superstitions.
By the "signs," is meant the moons
place in the twelve signs of the zodiac.
The names of these twelve consultations
were given to them thousands of years
ago, and since that time, by what is
known as the procession of the equinox
es, these signs have retrograded-gone
back-in the ecliptic, more than thirty
degrees; or more than a whole sign yet
they are still marked in the same posi-
tion they always were-Aries at the
head, Taurus next, and so no. Now,
note carefully. and see the ridiculous
ness of the belief In the order Of these
twelve signs, Aries, the head, precedes
Piees, the feet so that when the sign is
said, now, to be in the head, it is actual
Iy in the feet. Cancer, the breast, pre-
cedes Leo, the heart, and the farmer
who puts faith in these signs, and will
not wean his calves unless the sign is
in the heart, really weans them when it
is in the breast, and they do just as well
Ian excellent example of case in
which Ignorance is bliss"
We never understood, properly, just
where the good or bad influence was said
to come from, but we presume it is from
the moon and stars in conjunction. Now
the nearest fixed star is 80 distant, that
light moving at the rate of 192, 900 miles
in second, would be three years in
reaching the earth. Can any one believe
that at such distance, they can exercise
any appreciable influence upon vegeta-
tion and animals, and rail fences, and
roofs of houses, the butchering of hogs
and the weaving of calves q? The moon
can't exert the influence, for it is not
strong enough to affect such a body of
water as Lake Superior, in the way of
producing tides, and certainly it would
be equally powerless on hill Of pota-
toes or a sucking calf.
Notwithstanding the utter absurdity
of this whole "sign" business, it is be-
lieved in to an extent almost incredible.
We were in drug store the other day
when a farmer came in and wanted an
almanac with the signs in it," He was
at once supplied with the valuable art
icle, and he departed with the whole sci
ence of successful agriculture in his
pocket; and it didn't cost him cent, for
it was medical almanac, setting forth
in alternate pages, the virtues of sover-
eign panacea for all human ills. Alman-
az D1dhtEb WC4A hhOH bhC aO5uEhlLJ VI
"signs," and yet they put them in be-
cause there are thousands who consider
the almanac almost worthless without
them. A naked man with his bowels
torn open, is Represented, surrounded by
fishes and goats and rams and scales
and scorpions, etc, with lines or marks
leading from them to the organs Of the
human body they are supposed to inhu-
ence, particularly and then il each
months calendar, the moons place in
/ these'sig is given for every day. Arm
ed and equipped with his almanac, and
following implicitly in the footsteps of
his father, the believer bids defiance to
all adverse elements, and scornfully re-
jects the aid of papers, books, clubs or
Oranges, for all that is necessary, is to
"do things in the right sign."-[Ohio
Farmer.