New moon: In Scorpio, Nov. 6
Full moon: In Taurus, Nov. 21 (Beaver Moon)
Visible constellations: Aquarius is visible in the northern hemisphere, as is Cepheus, (“the king”).
Astrological sign: Scorpio, Oct. 23 to Nov. 21; Sagittarius, Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Astrological element: Water
Gem stone: Topaz
Flower: Chrysanthemum
Born this month: James Knox Polk (1795), 11th president of the United States; Newsman Walter Cronkite (1916); singer Joni Mitchell (1943)
Harvard history snippet:
“Many of Harvard’s public buildings were becoming quite antiquated by the time of the Civil War. The town hall had been built in 1828, and the poor farm and most of the district schoolhouses were older than that. In the post-Civil War years the town was faced with a number of construction projects to replace these old structures.”
—from Directions of a Town, by Robert C. Anderson (1976)
Household tips:
- Clean brass by using the water in which white beans were boiled.
- Use plastic bags to store silverware, to slow tarnishing.
- To remove grease or wine stains from a wooden table, rub gently with a mixture of baking soda and linseed or mineral oil, then wipe the eintre surface with linseed oil.
Going green:
- If you have a printer with an option to print in duplex mode, use that option whenever practical to print on both sides of the paper.
- Use an online service such as DoNotMail.org or directmail.com to reduce or eliminate junk mail by requesting to have your name removed from mailing lists.
- If you do receive junk mail and it’s printed on one side, cut it in quarters and use the blank side for writing lists and miscellaneous notes.
What to do in the garden:
- If planning to buy a live Christmas tree in December, dig a planting hole for it now, before the ground freezes.
- Empty all outdoor planters and turn them upside down to keep them from cracking during the winter.
- If you planted late-season crops such as spinach, cover them with remay row covers and secure with garden staples or stones.
- Mulch perennial beds with shredded leaves or straw.
Trivia tidbit: This month in 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote.
According to folklore: As many days old as the moon is at the first snow, there will be as many snowstorms before crop-planting time.
Thought for the month:
“November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.”
—Elizabeth Coatsworth, American author and poet, (1893-1986)
Do you have an almanac tidbit you’d like to share? E-mail to editor@harvardpress.com.