July, the Month of Julius Caesar

The Month of Julius Caesar

This month was first called Quintilis, that is, the fifth month, which shows that the year began with March.  In the year 44BCE the name was changed to Julius in honor of Julius Caesar, the founder of the Roman Empire.  The month Quintilis was chosen as the one to be named after the Emperor Julius because his birthday was on the twelfth of that month.

The Angles and Saxons had two names for this month of July: Hegmonath, the hay-month, and Maedmonath, the mead-month.  A third name was sometimes given to it–the “latter mild month”, that is, the second warm month.

The celebrations of this month are wide: July 4 is the Day of Pax, goddess of Peace and Concordia in Rome, and the 7-8 is the oldest of women’s festivals, the Ronae Caprotinau, dedicated to Juno, the Great Mother. The 17^th and 18^th, respectively, are the birthdays of Isis and Nephthys in Egypt. July 23, in Rome, is the Neptunalia to honor Neptune, god of earthquakes. The end of July, in Greece, is the Panathenaea to honor Pallas Athena.

Lore for the month of July: Grass crops should be sown at the Full Moon. Then the hay will dry quickly.

The days from 3^rd July to 11^th August, ‘the hottest part of the year’, were called by the Romans, “dog-days”, because they thought the great heat was due to Sirius, the dog-star.  Sirius was a dog belonging to the giant Orion, who was a great hunter.

July’s correspondences: The colors of this month are silver and blue-grey, while the scents are orris and frankincense. Creatures of this month, whether of this realm of existence or not, are the crab, turtle, dolphin, whale, starling, ibis, and swallow of the animal kingdom, and its nature spirits are hobgoblins and faeries of harvested crops. Plants of this month are the oak, acacia, and ash trees, lotus, water lily, and jasmine, while the herbs are honeysuckle, agrimony, lemon balm, and hyssop. The stones that represent July are the pearl, moonstone, and white agate.

The Moon of July is the Wort Moon. The word “wort” is old Anglo-Saxon for “herb”. This si the time for the gathering of herbs. However, it over the years has come to be known by other names as well: Hay Moon, Moon of Claiming, Moon of Blood (because of mosquitoes), Blessing Moon, Fallow Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Meadmonath (Meadow Month), and Hewimonath (Hay Month).

The power flow of this moon is of relaxed energy; preparing; succeeding. A time for dream-work, divination, and meditating on goals and plans, especially spiritual ones. This esbat is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in the herb garden and to leave them an offering.

The deities that work well to be called upon in this month are Athena, Cerridwen, Hel, Holda, Juno, Khepera, Nephthys, and Venus.

Herbs of Animal Magicks

(Warning: The information contained here is for information purposes only. The author does not condone handling or ingesting any unknown plants or herbs for any purpose, magickial or mundane. Please remember that some plants are deadly if they come into contact with bare skin, not all poisons have to be ingested to cause damage to the body. If you are unsure of a plant, either don't use it or consult a respected authority. There are no physical uses listed herein, and the author takes no responsibility for any negligent activity the reader may partake in.)

(Please do not collect herbs from the wild. Many safe plants have look-alikes that are toxic. In addition, many herbs are endangered species within their wild habitats.)

Herbs of Animal Magicks

Animal Contact

Catnip

Understanding Animal Languages

Cloth-of-Gold

Cat Magick

Catnip

Snake Charming

Horsetail

Snake-Engaging

Milk Thistle

Tying Dog's Tongues

Hound's Tongue
 

Hunting; to aid

American Mistletoe
European Mistletoe
Parosela
Tarragon, French
Yellow Evening Primrose
 

Fishing Magick  

Cotton
Hawthorn

Hummingbirds

For anyone who’s sat on a porch in the summer and heard the distinct humming noise dancing around the red feeders specifically colored to bring in humming birds knows that just because you’ve heard it doesn’t mean you’ll see it. One minute there and the next it’s gone. The ones that continue to come back ever year to my family’s farm are now comfortable enough to actually sit on the feeder and not just fly off at the first hint of movement. Around here that first hummingbird means that summer has arrived, much like the spotting of the robin and spring.

This beautiful iridescent bird is found only in the Americas. There are 300 hundred species of hummingbirds. Except for some large species in the jungles of South America, this creature is extremely small, some no bigger than a bumblebee (a ruby-throat or rufous weights about one-ninth of an ounce). It is the only bird capable of backward flight; its wings can beat 80 times a second. It has a very thin, long beak and a long tongue, making it possible for the bird to feed while suspended in the air.

Hummingbird battles over territory consist mostly of posturing and bill-pointing; however, we also notice this behavior in all the zooming and chattering when a rival approaches “their” feeder, and they zoom in to chase it off. This instinct to protect their territory and food is so strong that the wars may continue all day.

The Mayans associated the hummingbird with the Black Sun and the Fifth World of their legends; it carries the secrets of duality in its breast. Their deity Quetzalcoatl was considered to be a hummingbird god and, as the Feathered Serpent, wore its plumes. Although the feathers of this bird were used in love charms, the Aztecs had a war god, Huitzilopochtli (“the hummingbird on the left”), who wore a crown of these plumes.

Hummingbird is a character in the legends of the Paiute Indians of North America. He once filled his trousers with seeds and set out on a journey to discover what lay beyond the sun. He ate one seed a day but his journey was so long he had to return since there were no more seeds left in his store. This legend seems to relate to the hummingbird’s habit of eating upon the wing.

For the Anasazi Indians, Hummingbird was a messenger.

In Venezuelan folklore, the hummingbird stood upon a crow and brought the first tobacco seeds from Trinidad.

Superstitions: It is believed by many that hummingbirds migrate by hitching rides on larger birds.

Magickal Attributes: Happiness, love, messages, relaxation. Don’t be so judgmental. Love and happiness in your life. Protecting your home. Stopper of time.

Deity:

Huitzilopochtli (Aztec; god)

Iris (Greek; goddess)

Quetzalcoatl (Aztec; god)

Chant:

Fierce tiny bird of the bright rainbow feathers.

I see you speeding, darting, hovering.

Life a hummingbird I am confident.

I fear nothing, for the Gods are with me.

I flit among the beautiful flowers of life,

Content to do what must be done,

And living my life to the fullest.

(Chant is an excerpt from Animal Magick, by D.J. Conway)

June, the Month of Juno

The Month of Juno

The sixth month of the year, June, was originally called Junonius, after the Great Goddess, Juno; her counterpart among the Greeks was Hera. This month was sacred to her and therefore, according to the Greeks and Romans, was a lucky month in which to be married. This month was called by the Angles and Saxons the “dry month’, and sometimes the “earlier mild month”–July being the second mild month.

This month has enormous energies for calling upon and working with elementals of all types and with the tides of psychic energy flowing freely, enabling even the most staid of people to experience unusual happiness.

The celebrations of this month are mainly about survival and loss. June 1-2 is the Day of Carna, goddess of physical survival, doors, and locks, in Rome. The fourteenth is recognized as the birthday of the Muses. The Night of Teardrop, Feast of the Waters of the Nile, in Egypt, celebrating the goddess Isis and her sorrows is the sixteenth. The Summer Solstice takes place around the 21. June 24 is the Burning of the Lamps in Egypt at Sais, a celebration of Isis and Neith, and in Greece on the 27^th is the Arretophoria, a nymph festival honoring the maiden and Amazon goddesses.

June’s correspondences: The colors of this month are orange and golden-green, while the scents are lily-of-the-valley and lavender. Creatures of this month, whether of this realm of existence of not, are the monkey, frog, toad, wren, and peacock of the animal kingdom, the butterfly of the insect world, and its nature spirits are sylphs and zephyrs. Plants of this month are the oak tree, lavender, orchid, and yarrow, while the herbs are skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, and mosses. The stones that represent June are the topaz, agate, alexandrite, and fluorite.

The moon of June is the Mead Moon. However, it over the years has come to be known by other names as well: Moon of Horses, Lover’s Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Honey Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Moon of Making Fat, Aerra Litha (Before Lithia), and Brackmanoth (Break Month).

The power flow of this month is of full but restful energy; to protect, strengthen, and prevent. A time of Light; Earth tides are turning. A time for decision making, and taking responsibility for present happenings. Work on personal inconsistencies. Strengthen and reward yourself for your positive traits.

The Deities that work well to be called upon in this month are Aine of Knockaine, Bendis, Cerridwen, Green Man, Ishtar, Isis, and Neith.

The fresh smells and sights of summer are what truly evoke the magick of the season. The wonder of a firefly night show, the sweetness of a freshly mowed lawn, or the majestic beauty in a summer thunderstorm with the smell of electricity riding the air all remind us that summer is here, at least for a little while.

Summer awakens all our senses. Freckles dot bronzed skin that once was pale. Blades of grass tickle bare toes. It just makes us happy. It's casual, it's fun, it's carefree, and it's delicious in a way that is different from any other time of year. It's a season to celebrate, and a season to celebrate in. It's time to just take a break.