Rain and Shine...

Today, I was surprised by some old lore I hadn't heard since the 1980's.  I was in the convenience store and we were discussing the weather.  The woman, next in line said, "it's sunny and raining, so the Devil is beating his old lady."  A bit of old East Tennessee, English (or German or Irish?) misogynistic 19th century folklore, which I never expected to hear again in the 21st. Surprising.  Once the Devil, was thought of as the power of air (Biblical).  In the old South, and England, the Devil and Giants were said to have 'Castles' in the air (i.e. Jack the Giant Killer).  Lightning, was considered a force of God or the Devil, equally, since the Medieval Period.  Therefore, a lightning struck tree was the special repository of 'magia/mantic power', in the South the burned/blackened portion was considered a charm to scare away thieves.  A lightning struck tree could be a special meeting place for Witches ( American Chestnut-Virginia), Oak (Tennessee) or just as easily be seen as an act of God on nature, so special and protective.