a1r
2 wordsomitted

The Womans Almanack:


Or,
Prognostication for ever: Shewing the nature of
the Planets, with the Events that shall befall Women
and children born under them. With several
Predictions very useful for the Female Sex.

Three-quarter portrait of a woman enclosed in a oval border
1 wordomitted

By Sarah Ginnor Student in Physick.


London, Printed for J. J. 16591659.

a1v library stampomitted a2r

To the Reader.

Courtious Reader, The gift of learning being
so little set by in these days amongst those of
our Sex, is the chief invitation which harhhath caused
me to publish this final Tract, thereby to stir up
others, not to let their great worth with other
learned Authors of our Sex ly in obscurity. I need
not quote them for I think few of our Sex so ignorant
but they have either read or heard of them,
and though some of them have been abused by the
quacksalvingquacksalving Mountibanks that would engrosse all
knowledge into their own hands, yet have great &
wonderful cures been done by our Sex, after these
paper-sculd Mongrels have left them. Why then
should we suffer these Cater-pillers to eat up our
vine? Let me tell you, it is as lawful for us to be
Judges & pleade our own Causes in our own gowns
as Lawyers to plead for others. Then lets rowse
up our spirits, and show forth our Verues, for the
knowledg in this Art will animate our husbands to
excel us, no doubt but we shall make them sencible
where the sign lies; and make them be in our studies
many times when they would be in an Alehouse;
nay we shall find the nights will be more
comfortable, and the days more pleasant. By this
means we shall be counted instead of Mobs, maps
of modesty, and for tattling Gossips, but Emblems
of vertue, and patterns of civility to all the world.


Yours whilst

S. G.

A2A
a2v

A
rognosticationPrognostication
for ever.

Astrological Observations.

First, I shall begin with what concerns our own
Sex viz. If we find Mercury in a feminine
House with Venus, then we must allow Mercury
a female, in a feminine Sign, and drawing to a conjunction
with Venus, Mercury to a Quartile of
Mars and Pisces and Gemini, denotes some of our
sex (not too much loaded with vertue) have a rare
faculty in scolding, in other some sullenness and
perversnesse.

Venus in the 12 house in exaltation, applying to
combustion with the Sun, denoteth that women
will be more free then usual in bestowing the P—
on their Clients. But if Luna go to Saturn in the
sixth house in Libra, it shews that old covetious
fools will dote on young wenches, therefore beware
of marrying, in the Spring, for if Scorpio be
in the 7th house intercepted, it denotes unseemly
wantonnesse, letchery and lightness in women.

If Luna be in the 7th house in Pisces, it denotes
frequent marrying, and is a fortunate position for
Oyster-omen, Fish-women, & others who are under
the sign Pisces.

If Luna and Jupiter be in reception, the Moon in a3r
in Pisces and Jupiter in Cancer, it is a fortunate
time of marrying, many of our Sex shall obtain gallant
matches, nay some better then they deserve.
If Mercury and Venus be in Cancer, in conjunction
in the eleventh house, to marry a Seaman is fortunate.
If Venus be in Scorpio, the wantons of our
Sex as well as the other sex will be pepper’d with
the P— and then wo to your Noses, for its a fatal
plague to the roof of your mouth besides the
downfal of Narrow-bridge and the drying up your
Fish-ponds by the opperation of malignant fireworks.

For this my Judgement, do not take distast;

But as I am, I wish you all, be chast:

This is the only way, if you desire

To be preserved from the Frenchmans fire

The Names of the Planets and the Dayes governd
by each Planet.

As Saturn stands for Saturday so Luna Sunday,

Mars to Tuesday Sol stands up to Monday,

Jupiter boldly doth to Thursday fly,

To Fryday Venus Wedensday Mercury.

The 12 signs ruling in the body are, Aries, Taurus,
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagitarius Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Monthly a3v

Monthly Observations.

January. If it be on New-years day that the
Clouds in the morning be red, it shall be an angry
yeare with much War and great Tempests. If
the Sun do shine on the 22. day of January there
shall be much wind. If the Sun doth shine on
Saint Pauls day, the 25 day of January, it shall be
a fruitfull year, and if it do Rain or Snow, it shall
be between both: If it be very misty it betokeneth
great death: If thou hear it Thunder that day, it
betokeneth great Winds, and great death and most
especially among rich men that year.

February. On Shrove-Tuesday whosoever doth
Plant or Sow, it shall remain alwayes green.

Item, how much the Sun did shine that day, so
much he shall shine every day in Lent. And alwayes
the next new Moon that falleth after Candlemas
day
, and after that the next Tuesday, shall
be alwayes Shrove-Tuesday.

And when the Sun riseth and shineth early, then
prospereth well all manner of Fruit: if you hear it
Thunder, that it betokeneth great Wine and much
Fruit.

Saint Bede saith there be three days, and three
nights, that if a Child be born therein, the body abideth
whole and shall not consume away untill
the day of Judgement: that is in the last dayes of
January, and the secrets thereof are full wondrous.
And if a Tree be hewed at, on the same day, it shall
never fall.

March. a4r

March.
The more mists that there be in March, the
more good doth it, and as many dayes as be in
March, so many hoar frosts shall you have after
Easter, and so many Mists in August. All manner
of Trees that shall be cut down unto the two last
Holy days in March, shall never fall.

Item, If on Palm Sunday be no fair weather,
that betokeneth to goodness. If it do Thunder
that day, then it signifieth a merry year, and death
of great men.

April. If it rain never so little on the Ascension
day
, it betoken dearth of all manner of food
for Cattel. But when it is fair weather it is prosperous,
and there shall be plenty of Tallow and
much Wooll.

May. If the Sun do shine on the 25 day of
May, Wine shall prosper well; but if it doth rain,
it doth much hurt. Item, if it rain on Whit-Sunday,
it is not good. Item in the last of May, the
Oak Trees begin to bear blossoms, if they blossom
then, you shall have a good year of Tallow,
and plenty of Fruit.

June. If it rain ne’r so little on Midsummer-day,
that is the 24 day of June, then do not the Hasel
Nuts prosper: If the holy Sacraments day of our
Lord be fair, then it is good and causerhcauseth Fruit plenty,
and the Lambs to dye.

July. If it Rain the second day of July, such weather
shall be forty days after, day by day, yet some
imputed it to Swithin the 15.

August. a4v

August. If the Sun do shine on the 15 day of
August, that is a good token, and speciall for
Wine.

September. If thou wilt see and know how it
shall go that year, then take heed to the Oak Apples
about Saint Michaels day, for by then you
shall know how that year shall be: If the Apples
of the Oak-Trees when they be cut, be within full
of Spiders, then followeth a naughty year: If the
Apples have within them Flies, that betokens a
meetly good year. If they have Maggots in them,
then followeth a good year. If there be nothing
in them, then followeth a great dearth: if the Apples
be many and early ripe, so shall it be an early
Winter, and very much Snow shall be afore Christmas,
and after that it shall be cold.

If the inner part or kernall be fair, and clear,
then shall the Summer be fair, and the Corne good
also; but if they be very moist then shall the Summer
also be moist. If they be lean then shall there
be a hot and dry Summer. If it Thunder in
this moneth it presageth plenty of Wine and
Corne that year.

October. When the leaves will not fall from the
Trees, then it followeth after a cold 1 wordobscured, or else
a great number of Caterpillars on the trees.

November. Whether the Winter be cold or
warm, go on Alhollows day to a Beech Tree, and
cut a chip thereof, and if it dry then shall the
Winter be warm: if though wilt try on St. Andrews even, b1r
even, whether it shall be a moist or dry year that
followeth, you shall know by a glass full of water:
if the year shall be moist, and much Raine shall fall,
then shall the Water in the Glass run over. And
if there shall follow a dry year, then shall not the
water arise to the brink thereof.

When there followeth a foggy Night, a good
year after ensueth, that is, when it commeth on the
Thursday Night, or on a flesh day at Night, and not
on the Friday or Saturday, wherein some men will
eat no other meat but Flesh: if there be Thundring,
that betokeneth plenty of Fruit.

December. When Christmas day commeth while
the Moon waxeth, it shall be a very good year, and
the nearer it commeth to the New Moon, the better
shall that year be.

If it come when the Moon decreaseth, it shall
be a hard year, and the nearer the latter end thereof
it commeth the worse and harder shall the year
be. And if any Wood be cut off on the two last
dayes of December, and on the first day of January,
it shall not rot nor wither away, nor be full of
Worms, but alwayes wax harder, and in his age as
hard as a stone.

W2 wordsobscured Christmas Eve at midnight the wind
waxeth obscured1 word betokens a fruitfull year; and when
the Sun shines on Twelfth day in the morning, it
betokeneth foul weather, if it be fair that day it is
happy and fortunate.

To b1v

To find the time when the Sun shall be Eclipsed, and
when not by his distance from these two sections
called the head and tail of the Dragon.

If the apparent latitude of the Moon at the time
of the visible Conjunction be lesse then 30. min.
40 seconds, there must be an Eclipse.

But if the apparent latitude of the Moon be
more than 34 min. 51 seconds, there can be no
Eclipse.

If the apparent latitude be more than 30 min.
40 seconds, and lesse then 34 min. 51 seconds,
there may be a smal Eclipse, as in this following
Figure.

Image of a sun with a face where the eyes have been eclipsed in darkness. The four cardinal directions are labeled around the sun.

North

South

East

West

Of the Eclipse of the Moon.

If the Moon at the Noon at the time of her
obscured1 word opposition to the Sun, shall be distant from either b2r
either of the two forementioned points, lesse then
10 degrees, 21 min. and 20 seconds, then must the
Moon suffer an Eclipse.

But if her distance be more then 13 degrees 5
min. and 23 seconds then the Moon cannot be
Eclipsed.

If her distance be more than 10 degrees 21 min.
& 20 seconds, then she may Happen to be Eclipsed,
but not necessarily.

I shall not treat further on Eclipses, in regard
the happiness of our Sex doth appear in most splendour,
when the Moon appears so clouded, as in
this following Figure, dark nights being to us as a
fountian, whence flows all our mirth, joy, pleasure,
sports, and melodious recreations.

Diagram of three overlapping circles. The inner circle contains a dark hole in the center surrounded by a border of clouds and stars. The circles to the right and left are shaded and each contains a cresent moon.

Expound you may the piece ’tis but a Riddle,

The pleasure of our Sex lies in the middle.

The b2v

The signification of Moles in these of our sex.

If the Woman have a Mole on the left Breast, it
denotes her undoubtedly wicked. If she have a
Mole on her Belly, it denotes her a Glutton or
great feeder. If a Mole right against the Spleen, it
denotes she shall be often sick. If on the bottom
of the Belly, it argues much debility and weakness.
If near the privy Members it denotes unspeakable
desires after Venery, and unsatiable in coacting.
If a woman have a Mole on the right Knee, it denotes
her honest, if on the left many Children. If
on the Ankle of the foot, she shall take on her the
mans part. Moles on the right side betokeneth honesty
Riches, on the left side Calamity and Poverty.
If on the Forhead, it denotes that she shall
come to high dignity. If she have a Mole about the
overbrow, it argues she shall marry a rich comely
person. But if on the overbrow she shall have five
Husbands. If she have a Mole on the Nose somewhat
Ruddy, and another in the privy place, it doth
shew such a person is over much given to Venerial
acts. If a Woman have a Mole on the neither jaw,
it denotes she shall lead her life in sorrow, which
shall hinder her from bearing Children. if a Mole
on any of the Lips, it doth portend that shees a
great glutton. If on the Chin, it portends wealth.
If a Mole on any of her Ears, it portends she shall
be rich and much reverenced, and hath the like
Mole on her Thigh or Ham. If on the Neck, it
likewise denotes Riches. If a Woman shall have a Mole b3r
Mole on her Loyns, it denotes poor Kindred, and
alwayes wanting. If on the shoulders, it denotes
Imprisonment and sorrow. If she have a Mole on
the Throat, it signifies she shall Marry a Wealthy
and Comely man. If in the Hand a Mole shall appear,
it denotes good Luck and Prosperous Children.
If a Mole on the Breast, it denotes she shall
be harmed by much poverty.

How to know whether a Woman be with Child
of Boy or Girl.

Write the proper names of the Father or Mother,
and of the Moneth that she conceived with
Child, and adding likewise all the numbers of those
Letters together, divide them by seven, and if the
remainder be even, it will be a Girle, if odd, it will
be a Boy.

To know whether the Wife be Honest or no.

Write the name of the Wife, and of her Mother,
and put all the number of those Letters together,
and put to the totall sum 15, and divide it by 7,
and if the remainder be un-even, she is honest, if
even she is dishonest. Alwayes write the proper
names in Latine.

The same may be to know whether a Man or his
Wife shall dye first, only add not the number 15,
but divide by seven, if even the Woman shall dye,
if odd the man.

b3v

What Thunder signifieth every Moneth.

Thunder in January signifieth the same year
great Winds, plentifull of Corn and Cattel peradventure.
Thunder in February, signifieth that
same year many rich men shall dye in great sickness.
Thunder in March, signifieth that same year great
Winds, plenty of Corn, and debate amongst people.
Thunder in April signifieth that same year
to be fruitfull and merry, with the death of wicked
men. Thunder in May, signifieth that year need,
scarcenesse and dearth of Corn, and great hunger.
Thunder in June, signifieth that same year that
Woods shall be overthrown with Winds, and great
rageing shall be of Lyons and Wolves, and so like
of other harmfull Beasts. Thunder in July, signifieth
that same year shall be good Corn, and losse of
Beasts, that is to say, their strength shall perish.
Thunder in August, signifieth the same year sorrow,
wailing of many, for many shall be sick.
Thunder in September, signifieth the same year
great Wind, plentifull of Corn, and much falling
out between man and man. Thunder in October
signifieth the same year great Wind, and scantness
of Corn, Fruits and Trees. Thunder in November
signifieth that same year to be fruitfull and merry,
and cheapnes of Corn. Thunder in December, signifieth
that same year cheapnesse of Corn, and
Wheat, with peace and accord among the people.

Some b4r

Some memorable Accidents happened since 16391639.

  • The Parliament began the 1639-11-033 of November,

    1639


    and continued 12 years.
  • The Rebellion in Ireland began 1641-10-2323 October,

    1641

  • Earl of Stafford beheaded 1642-05-1212 May,

    1642

  • Earl of Essex made Gen. 1642-07-12July 12

    1642

  • Battel at Edg-hill 1642-10-20Octob. 20. and at Brainford 1642-11-1212
    November
    ,

    1642

  • Newbury fight 1642-09-2323 Sept.

    1642

  • Scots enter into England 1643-01-16Jan. 16.

    1643

  • Bishop of Cant. beheaded 1644-01-10Jan. 10

    1644

  • Lord Fairfax made General 1644-12-31Decemb. 31.

    1644

  • Marestmore fight, 1644-06-14June 14,

    1644

  • House of Lords and King voted down,

    16481648

  • King Charles began his reign 1625-03-2727 March 1625 and
    beheaded 1648-01-3030 January,

    1648

  • Colchester taken, and Lucas and Lisle shot to
    death, 1648-08-28Aug. 28,

    1648

  • Scots routed in Lancashire 1648-08-07Aug. 7.

    1648

  • Ormond beaten from Dublin 1649-08-02Aug 2,

    1649

  • The K. of Scott routed at Worcester 1649-09-033 Sep.

    1649

  • Scots routed at Dunbar 1651-09-03Sept. 3.

    1651

  • The long Parliament dissolved by the Lord Protector,
    1653-04-20April 20

    1653

  • Victory against the Dutch, 1653-01-23Jan. 23

    1653

  • The Protector having Governed four years, three
    months, and 5 days, departed his life the 1658-09-03third
    of Sept.

    1658

Some b4v

Some Signs of mirth for our sex.

When the Dragons head is in Scorpio, and he
upon the Cusp of the 7 house, the Moon being in
Cancer, and Venus applying to a Sextile or the
Moon, ther’s hopes of abundance of satisfaction in
the gallant recreation of night sport by a stranger,
which questionless will make the merry wantons of
our age tittle with laughter, at the tryal of the
fundamentall Point of Mars, who shall venter to
beat up their quarters to his own prejudice.

When Mars sits at home to wash the dishes and
skim the Pot, and Venus walks the Exchange, it
denotes great change in household government.

When men come sober home, and go to bed by
day-light, our sex are in election to be merry at
Candle-light.

When men grow blind and can’t see to tell mony
at home, then our sex may be merry abroad.

When husbands are jealous over night, it shews
a fit time for outour sex to go to St. Tantlins next
morning.

If a man be fortified strongly with the Scepter
of Mars, it denotes a fit time for Venus to lye
down, that mirth may be produced by the Turks
entrance into Constantinople.

Yet after mirth, I wish our Sex may mend,

And Vertue guide them whilst I make An End.