Life Before Readers Digest

I often find myself staring at a range of publications in the local newsagents when waiting to be served at the counter.

They are not, as you may be thinking, the glossy top shelf pornographic magazines because they are nowhere near the counter, being at the back of the shop between the wines and spirits, adjacent to the baked goods and opposite a selection of useful domestic items. In fact they are generally out of sight of the staff operating the tills.

Anyway, the published item I am invariably transfixed with is the current edition of Old Moore's Almanac which is always to be found displayed above the chocolates and mints.

I have never summoned up enough courage to buy one, let alone pick one up and browse its contents.
This may be down to the depiction of astrological and zodiacal ephemera in which I have no interest whatsoever. This has not always been the case as in a superstitious phase in my teenage years I did place a lot of emphasis on what the daily horoscope from Russel Grant had in store for me although it was alternately, exciting or mind blowingly boring.

I perceive an Almanac to be something along these lines mixing star signs with magical, moral and practical things. I would liken it to a sort of Wikipedia for those without access to the internet.

Having researched a bit about Almanacs to broaden my understanding I have frankly been fascinated by their origins and development.

In the halcyon days of Almanacs in the 16th and 17th Centuries the many and varied publications were best sellers only bettered by the Bible. The origins have been traced back to Ancient Babylon in pressed and embossed terracotta tablets with State records and advice on domestic affairs, travel and such practicalities as the best time of the year to eat fish.

The actual derivation of the word, almanac is unclear with speculation that it refers to "all months", a calendar or sundial. Most promoted their content on heavenly observations and on the back of astronomy and science came the broader subjects of health, ethnic and folk lore and just about everything else considered to be useful to the masses.

By the 16th Century the most successful Almanacs mixed practicality with wisdom, superstition with history, natural life cycles and using past events to make predictions about the future. To a certain extent this played on the illiteracy and poor education of the majority of the populus who were thrilled by prognostication in particular.

Subjects covered brought certain things within reach of the poor such as a guide to amateur surgery, how to shoe a horse, have knowledge of rights and laws, how to write a will, advice on bills and bonds and managing an apprentice. There was a strong bias towards natural cycles and the rhythm of life with country dwellers, farmers and shepherds referring to an almanac in their daily lives. They could be informed about the best time to plant crops, when rents days fell, the dates and locations of fairs for stock and hiring.

Specialised pamphlets were targeted at seamen, weavers, constables, rural clergy and salesmen as an indication of a wide popularity and reliance on the imparted knowledge. They were cheap and often poorly printed and after reading would find a use as toilet paper, drawer liners or simply discarded.

A readership of 400,000 by the 1570's represented one almanac for every four households of the time which was astounding.

Publications were also entertaining and touched on  taboo issues around wooing, bedroom activities of a sexual nature and informed on historical and predicted events. Circulation also drew in advertising revenues for domestic products, spectacles, false teeth and spurious quack remedies and medicines.

People wanting to understand and appreciate the texts for themselves were encouraged to learn reading and there was an upsurge in literacy in this period.

By the 17th Century the place and popularity of almanacs was struggling.

There had been a big change in the demographic of the country with an exodus to the towns and cities away from the countryside. There was also a perceived failure in previously reliable prognostications and prophecy. Major national events such as the execution of Charles 1st, the English Civil War, Plaque, Fire of London and the 1660 Restoration were unforeseen and confidence waned.

Almanacs had represented an uneasy co-existence between religion, science, astrology and folk-lore but could not survive the fragmentation of these parts as the new discipline of science began to attack longstanding thought and conventions.

In our modern world we expect there to be a year on year linear development of all things but the strength of the almanac was founded in the cyclical processes in nature that were tuned to and balanced with each other.

The Old Moore's publication which calls out to me from the sweetie counter can be had for just over £2. I acknowledge that it  draws together  things useful to a 21st century lifestyle such as Lotto numbers and football pools but I cannot see myself as a purchaser.

Of course, I can see the value of a handy and inexpensive reference work should I find myself needing to remove one of my organs, take my livestock to market (do goldfish count as livestock?), plant that cash crop or when uncertain about the right time to eat fish.