Sunday 23 October 2011

Of The House of Scorpio, Autumn Leaves and a Walk on the Wild Side

October

 Meister Albert
Zyklus der Monate 

From a group of frescoes in the
  Torre dell'Aquila, Castello del Buonconsiglio di Trento.




Sun enters the House of Scorpio

'The man born under Scorpio shall have good fortune. He shall be a great fornicator, and the first wife he shall have in marriage shall become too religious. He shall suffer pain in his privy members at fifteen years old. He shall be hardy as a lion; he shall be merry and love good company of merry folk. He shall be in danger of enemies at twenty-four years, and if he escape he shall live eighty-four years.

The woman shall be amiable and fair, she will not be long with her first husband, and afterwards shall enjoy with another by her good and true service. She shall suffer pain in her stomach and wounds in her shoulders, and ought to fear her latter days, which shall be doubtful by reason of venom. She shall live seventy years after nature.

Kalendar of Shepheardes 1604





My beautiful ornamental cherry tree, (Prunus sargentii) is almost bare. I'll be sad to see it go into hibernation, but as it will unfold its gorgeous, bronze-red leaves again in March, at the same time as it produces generous clusters of clear pink flowers, I will allow it a well-earned rest. Besides, its chocolatey bark is attractive too. It is a splendid tree for any garden where it can be given a sunny spot. It's fully hardy.

The trees here in the Shropshire Hills have given up early this year. Apart from the walnut tree, which didn't start to leaf properly until mid June and is still green now, all trees in the garden have dropped most of their leaves already. The book of The Knowledge of Things Unknown of 1729 states that about this time in the year leaves begin to fall from the trees and that signs of winter increase.


'when the leaves will not fall from the trees in October, or else when there are a great number of caterpillars on the trees, then followeth after a cold winter'.






Benno and I have been back to our favourite woods this week; it's getting a bit too chilly now to sit here for long. In summer we watch dragonflies and damselflies darting over the same stretch of water, back and forth, picking smaller insects and bugs off the surface of the water and the plants growing in  the muddy pond. They've gone now, the nymphs are possibly already overwintering deep in the mud.

We mainly came to see how the sloes are doing; soon it'll be time to pick the fruits to make wine and sloe gin. There is a blackthorn hedge along a field edge, which was absolutely laden with fruit last year. We usually wait with the picking until after a cold spell, but we'd best not leave it too long; some other creature might discover our secret hoard.




48 comments:

  1. Being a scorpion myself - I enjoyed your little horoscope description. And - what gorgeous color in that tree!

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  2. This is all magical to me. I have no ornamental cherry tree, but would love one. I don't think it would grow here.

    I have no woods in which to walk, but would love to have such a place. I never see dragonflies or damselflies where I live, but would love to see some.

    Now, as far as the sloes go, your secret is safe with me. I most likely wouldn't even recognize the blackthorn hedge because we haven't that here either.

    I did enjoy your thoughts on October. Thankfully, my husband was born two days before having the fate of being born under Scorpio's sign.

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  3. My first husband was (okay, I guess he still is) a Scorpio. Fortunately, someone else will have to put up with the "great fornicator" living until he's 84.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  4. That would be a great place to sit and watch the wood nymphs. When I think of Scorpio men, Heathcliff comes to mind, so dark, mysterious and so very very sexy.
    Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck

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  5. You have my permission to laugh at me. You see, I always thought sloe was some sort of animal perhaps rather like a sloth and that it was slow gin rather than sloe gin. I suppose I figured the gin hit one slowly. Now that I know the secret ways of the English, I may just have to mix up a match of sloe gin and see what happens if I chug it.

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  6. Neat! Thanks for the nature walk, and the interesting quotes and pics - most enjoyable.

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  7. What a gorgeous, dreamy place to sit and observe nature! Here, of course, the place would be loaded with mosquitoes. There, I imagine it's just quiet and paradisiacal.

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  8. I love your olde-fashioned horoscopes. Had to laugh at Kay Davies remarks, but only in commiseration and understanding. Oh yes. And note to Rubye Jack: do not chug sloe gin. Trust me on this.

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  9. Love the shot of the pond. After the rush of summer and fall, I think I will welcome winter. I'm ready for a slower pace. Jim

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  10. We have a favorite tree with pink blooms in spring right outside our picture window that we thoroughly enjoy, but I have never learned its correct name, people around here call them a variety of name. At least the willow tree is gone that was a destroyer of our plumbing lines.

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  11. its a beautiful cherry tree...and i would not mind a sit by the pond...

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  12. Not all horoscopes can be trusted, methinks. I've been 34 years with my first husband and am uncertain about my amiability and looks. I hope that my latter days will not be full of venom!

    I recently read Shropshire, by Ellis Peters and Roy Morgan, and thought of you, living there along the Welsh border. Beautiful countryside.

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  13. The horoscope description of the Scorpio male is very interesting. My brother is a Scorpio, born November 1. He was, indeed, in mortal danger at 24, flying combat missions over North Vietnam. And he did cut a pretty wide swatch with girlfriends over the years, not marrying until he was 58. He will be glad to hear he can expect to live to 84. He has a 2-year-old daughter and would love to live to see her grow up.

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  14. My mother, one sister and my daughter's future MIL are all Scorpios - they can be difficult women, but never boring and generally a lot of fun!

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  15. I always enjoy your almanack. your cherry is merry!


    Aloha from Waikiki;

    Comfort Spiral



    > < } } ( ° >

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  16. Love the ornamental cherry tree!! Gorgeous!
    The horoscope was so funny! I enjoyed reading it!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  17. Hello:
    We do not generally pay attention to horoscopes nor which astrological sign anyone was born under. However, the Scorpio male may be a species to look out for!!

    We totally agree about the Prunus sargentii. Such a generous tree, suitable for many situations and a long period of interest in the garden. Most definitely, it deserves a rest and our only concern about the Prunus family is their generally short-lived nature.

    Amazingly, perhaps, we have never tried Sloe Gin but can well imagine that it packs a punch.Or, so we are told!!

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  18. I've had a couple of Scorpios in my former love life. Now I understand.

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  19. I laughed at Kay's comment - one could read rather a lot into that.

    Yes, magical is the right word. You convey such a sense of calm, quiet contentment and contemplation that my pulse has slowed in response. And I didn't know that sloes were a fruit, although I knew about the alcohol part. Not first-hand, mind you.

    Now I feel all dreamy. Not much will get done today, and it might be all your fault.

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  20. Glad that neither I, nor hubs is a Scorpio. Although I find Heathcliff very sexy too. Still, I prefer Mr. Darcy I think. Does anyone know what star sign he is? ;-)

    The tree is beautiful. So is that spot near the pond. Very tranquil.

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  21. I just did something that made my comment go away, Probably for the best as my envy of your environment and of your skills in photography and writing would probably have been so apparent that I would totally humiliate myself. The Kalendar is a bit scary!

    Have a great week!

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  22. I can see that this is one of your favourite places in the woods. Sitting on that bench must be great.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  23. I do wish my dear son, who was Scorpio and born on November 10, could have lived to 84. He died at 40 and would have turned fifty this year.

    Love your pictures and the brilliant, if sparse, leaves on the cherry tree.

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  24. my first husband was a scorpio and he liked to sting.

    that's a beautiful spot. I could spend lots of time there.

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  25. While obviously not all Scorpio males fit that description, I am happy thinking the wife left early on and found joy with another...oh I wish I could remember the positive pairings that appear on those paper place mats in a Chinese restaurant...

    The little pond setting would draw anyone to it for some quiet reflecting.

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  26. Bring on a cold, deep, dark, stilling winter that we might be born.

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  27. Two of my favorite writers are Henry David Thoreau and John Muir. There's a bit of each in your writing today.

    Love the shrub. Gotta check it out. Dianne

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  28. Beautiful pictures. I'd love to sit by that pond. It looks like the perfect spot for daydreaming.

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  29. I would love to sit there at that pond and just take in the beauty!

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  30. You have beautiful woods to walk in - what a pleasure that is when the days grow shorter and there's a sharpness in the air.

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  31. Lovely little place to take in the quietness... I just love the dragonflies and damselflies. So much pleasure watching them flit from here to there.

    Your cherry tree is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing such a contemplative piece.

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  32. The sloes are really fat and juicy round here this year. A neighbour brought me enough for 2 bottles of sloe gin this week. Hope you manage to find enough. x Jo

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  33. Happily I'm not a Scorpio, nor do I have a single one in the family.

    Your ornamental cherry tree is such a glorious blaze of colour. It puts me in mind of my hedge which turns the same red, and then, almost immediately sheds all its leaves. This year, I was just in time to pick a few leaves and I have pressed them as a reminder.

    Anna

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  34. I love your and Benno's secret spot! I have no idea what sloe wine is, so would pose no threat to your private hoard, but will now have to educate myself by doing a quick Google search. Thank you for the delightful comment I found on my blog :)

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  35. Wow!!! Thank you so much for sharing such beauty.

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  36. I've always been the girl fond of woodland creaturs. Perfect spot.
    ~Mary

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  37. As a scorpio woman, I was intrigued to read that the first marriage may not last long -- my husband and I have been married for 46 years, which seems like a pretty good length to me!

    However, my first serious boy friend was a scorpio, and he was very much a sleaze. The woman who did finally marry him is welcome to him. As far as I'm concerned, I was saved from a horrible fate when he dumped me!

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  38. Fiko, let me first let you know that as I went past Central Park on a bus today, I saw that the only leaves that have done their color turning had opted for yellow.

    The neighbors down the street with the rosebushes in front of their brownstone house have cut them back. No more 2011 rose blooms there.

    No frost here yet either. The apartment's radiators to hiss overnight, bringing warmth that might not quite be needed yet.

    Sloe. Never think that I have seen these on the twig, but know that they might contribute to other potions.

    Mid this comment, Friko, I think I might just be rambling. Guess what my erratic typing might be trying to say is that once again, I do hope that we will meet up for that cup or glass.

    By this time in 2012. xo

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  39. I love these "seasons" posts. You weave such a lovely, and often humorous, spell with them. I couldn't help but wonder, on reading the quotation from the Kalendar of Shepeardes, how they came upon such precise predictions: "He shall suffer pain in his privy members at fifteen years old." I kept imagining all those 15 year old scorpios . . .

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  40. Thank you for the birds eye view of such a paradise as this. I have a strong sensation that this year we are in for a very cold winter, here too.

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  41. Gorgeous images, backdropped by the realistic mournfulness of your words--kind of a "I'm sad to see it go, but it'll be back again, so why feel sad?" tone that captures autumn for me.

    I LOVE the fresco you start with. Wow.

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  42. I am Scorpio. Oh dear. Still surviving reasonably intact, however.

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  43. So the sloes are there for the taking? I recall you making something with them last year. The scene at the pond is something right out of a faerie illustration, minus the faeries! Or maybe they are only hiding.

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  44. A fabulous post and a beautiful image. It was a most enjoyable read and I do thank you for it.

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  45. I really enjoyed this post Friko. I'm going to have to find that book you mentioned!

    Regards

    Ben

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  46. Lovely blog post and the last photo of the pond is very beautiful. I have many friends who are Scorpios :-)

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  47. PS: Off to investigate Meister Albert's "Zyklus der Monate" as I have a fascination with the calendar!

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  48. Your cherry tree looks magical - almost on fire! Love a walk in the woods, specially at this time of year, that damp woody mossy smell, sublime!
    Di
    x

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