What we did last month
October WI meeting : Astrology - does it work and, if so, how?
Graham Birchmore opened his talk at our October meeting by sharing a horoscope and asking if we believed it was true. In fact, it was one that he had penned for a newspaper and, in common with all that may be found in the media, was designed solely to entertain and was completely false!
Graham went on to explain that he had been studying astrology all of his life, including Indian and Chinese astrology. He now lectures on the subject which dates back over 7000 years to Babylonian times.
In order for a horoscope to be accurately tailored to an individual, a highly structured and complex study is required, employing a skill that takes many years to learn. Graham firstly illustrated how the sun, moon and planets move through the twelve constellations that form the signs of the Zodiac. To work out an accurate horoscope, he uses the time and date of birth and the position of the sun, moon and planets at that time. These determine the facets of a person which may influence their future.
At the simplest level, the key elements of fire, water, air and earth are each associated with three of the twelve Zodiac signs. Those born under the fire signs tend to be lively, ambitious and highly motivated. The earth signs bring a tendency to be practical, supportive and sensible. Birth under an air sign leads to being a good communicator and having a busy mind, while those with water signs tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves and to be controlled by their emotions.
A horoscope helps you to understand your individuality and know where your strengths lie. This, in turn, supports you in making wise choices. Graham illustrated this by sharing horoscopes for King Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer.
Walking Group
On what threatened to be an awful day weather wise, four members boarded a train to Reading, where they enjoyed a 3 mile walk.
They also met Paddington Bear but, as he refused to share his sandwich, they had to find their own lunch. And the weather wasn’t too bad after all.
September WI meeting
Did you know that Malshanger Farm, home to the Colman family (think mustard) for the past 100 years, is home to the “Peppermint People”? It was news to us, even those who have lived in this area their whole lives. Well, we were in for a treat as Ian Margetts who’s the farm manager there gave us an insight into how they grow, harvest, and distil a very special type of peppermint.
They grow Black Mitcham peppermint, a plant originally developed by a farmer in Surrey. Every four tons that’s harvested at Summerdown produces around 12 kilos of peppermint oil. It’s decanted, sealed, and left to mature for a couple years which gives it time to mellow, like a fine wine. Summerdown are very proud to have won the BBC Best Drinks aware in 2022 for their Peppermint Tea.
After Ian’s talk we were able to buy some of the Summerdown products at a really good discount; many of us went home with boxes of chocolates, peppermint tea and some with fragrances and candles. And they brought along some free samples of the chocolates for us to try – they were delicious!
We hope to arrange a visit to Summerdown sometime next year, when we can have a tour and perhaps a bite to eat.
Walking Group
On National WI Day, 16th September, the weather was glorious. It was a great day for the walk led by Carole and Gill – Whitchurch was the chosen venue this time. Yes, we have pounded the pavements and paths around Whitchurch once before, but this time we took a different route, which included the nearby village of Tufton.