July Skies

Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. The sun enters Leo at slightly different times each year, usually around July 22, sometimes the day before or the day after.

  • Symbol: Lion
  • Element: Fire
  • Gemstone: Sardonyx
  • Keyword: I Will

Leos are ambitious, determined, and enthusiastic. They like to do everything in a large way, and express themselves openly, honestly, and confidently. They are proud people who dislike being ridiculed or demeaned. They are generous, magnanimous, and susceptible to flattery. Their enthusiasm means that they sometimes get carried away and exaggerate or distort the truth, as they like to tell a good story. They make good leaders, as they have the ability to inspire and motivate others.

From 365 Goddess, we have this for today:
  • Themes: Devotion; Strength; Sun; Magic; Passion
  • Symbols: Lion; Strawberries
  • Presiding Goddess: Freyja

About Freyja:

In Nordic tradition, Freyja’s name means “lady.” Generally speaking, it is her domain to care for matters of the heart. In mythology, Freyja is stunningly beautiful, a mistress to the gods, and she appears driving a chariot pulled by cats. When saddened, Freyja cries gold tears, and she wears a shining necklace (alluding to some solar associations). Many people in northern climes credit her for teaching magic to humankind.

To Do Today:

In astrology, people born under the sign of Leo are energetic and filled with Freyja’s solar aspect. And, like Freyja, they are ardent, dynamic lovers. If your love life needs a pick-me-up, Freyja’s the goddess to call on. Start with a bowl of strawberries and melted chocolate that you feed your lover. Remember to nibble passionately while biting into Freyja’s sacred food! This will digest Freyja’s energy for lovemaking. If you’re still single, eat a few berries at breakfast to internalize self-love so more loving opportunities will naturally come your way.

To improve love in other areas of your life (the love of friends, love for a job or project, etc), wear gold-toned clothing or jewelry today to emphasize Freyja’s solar powers. This will give you more tenacity, focus, and esteem for whatever you’re putting your hands and heart into.

More About the Sun in Leo:

The Sun is in Leo from approximately July 21 to August 20, depending on the year.

  • Ruler: The Sun
  • Modality: Fixed
  • Season: Summer
  • Metal: Gold
  • Stone: Ruby
  • Color: Orange, Gold
  • Flowers: Gladiolas, Orchid, Sunflower, Lavender
  • Anatomy: The heart.
  • Attributes: magnanimous, generous, hospitable, caring, warm, authoritative, active, open

There’s an unmistakably regal air to Solar Leos. These are dignified—even noble—folk. Leos have a reputation for being conceited, but think again. Leos do feel important, but this generally takes the form of wanting to change the world in some way—to make the world a better place. They are generally motivated by affection for people, and often have big dreams and plans to make people happy.

Generally, Leos are hard-working. After all, they are attracted to the good things in life, and they know they have to work to get them. It is sometimes difficult to imagine Leos as go-getters if you happen to catch them in one of their languid moods. These people can sleep in, laze around, and luxuriate for long periods of time. However, when they do get to work, they do it with intensity and determination. In this way, they are not unlike their symbol, the lion.

The worst thing you can do to a Leo is accuse them of bad intentions. Displaying behavior that makes them think you don’t appreciate them runs a close second. These happy, jovial people become mighty hurt when others don’t see them for their noble intentions.

Loyal, and sometimes rather traditional, Leos are, after all, a fixed sign. They’ll hold on to situations and people for a very long time before they give up. There is an unmistakable idealism to Leo’s view of the world and the people in it. Often, Leos have a very noble inner code that they answer to. Although on the surface, Leos appear rather confident, they can actually be some of the most humble souls around. They are the first to blame themselves when something goes wrong. Once again, it’s the Leonine self-importance at work, and this characteristic works in unexpected ways. Instead of being the conceited, self-absorbed show-offs of reputation, they are usually very self-aware, self-conscious, and, yes, even humble.

Source: Cafe Astrology

What follows is a list (in alphabetical order) of the names given to the July moon. Also listed is the tradition and/or origin of that moon name:

Blackberry Moon ~other
Little Ripening Moon ~Creek
Blessing Moon ~Dark Janic
Blood Moon ~other
Buck Moon ~Algonquin
Buffalo Bellow Moon ~Omaha, Arapaho
Claiming Moon ~Celtic, Janic (full)
Corn Popping Moon ~Winnebago
Crane Moon ~Choctaw
Dropping Deer Horns Moon ~Kiowa
Ducks Moult Moon ~Cree
Fallow Moon ~other
Grain Moon ~other
Grass Cutter Moon ~Abernaki
Hay Moon ~Cherokee, Algonquin
Horse Moon ~Apache
Hungry Ghost Moon ~Chinese
Little Harvest Moon ~Creek
Little Ripening Moon ~Creek
Mead Moon ~Medieval English
Meadow Moon ~other
Middle Summer Moon ~Ponca, Dakota
Peaches Moon ~Natchez
Raptor Moon ~Hopi
Raspberry Moon ~Anishnaabe
Red Berries moon ~Assiniboine
Ripe Corn Moon ~Cherokee
Ripe Moon ~San Juan, Apache
Ripe Squash Moon ~Agonquin
Ripening Moon ~Mohawk, Passamaquoddy
Rose Moon ~Neo Pagan
Salmon River Moon ~Wishram
Smoky Moon ~Maidu
Summer Moon ~Colonial American, Algonquin
Sun House Moon ~Taos Native American
Thunder Moon ~Algonquin
Wild Red Cherries Moon ~Sioux
Wort Moon ~other
Young Corn Moon ~Potawatomi

Source

meteors-8-12-2015-perseids-matt-dieterich-mount-rainier-natl-park1-e1466808989401

Get set for the meteoritic grand finale of summer. The middle week of August is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.

The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

It peaks this year (2017) on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The waning gibbous moon will block out many of the fainter meteors this year, but the Perseids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show.

Of course, like with any meteor shower, it’s worth starting to watch a few days prior to the peak date. Although meteor streams like the Perseids have been modeled and mapped over the years, there are still lots of surprises out there. Plus, starting an early vigil is insurance that you at least catch some action in the event that you’re clouded out on game day! The Perseids are already active, spanning a season from July 17th to August 24th.

Here’s a sky map:

Source: SeaSky and other sources

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The Delta Aquarids is an average meteor shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Source: SeaSky

July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. It is known as the Hay Moon or the Meadow Moon because the meadows are at their greatest point of growth in this month, and it is a time for hay-cutting. Other names for this month’s Moon include: Blood Moon, Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Herb Moon, Hungry Ghost Moon, Wort Moon.

Native American fishing tribes called it the Sturgeon Moon because sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze.

The energies surrounding this full moon are ones of success, happiness, and fulfilment. We are blessed with the first harvest of the season – a reward for all our hard work. For this reason, July’s full moon is also known as the Blessing Moon. Energy moves into creation. Opportunities for self-reliance and confidence, unity and balance abound.

The Moon at this time brings us feelings of being connected. Connection to Spirit encourages us to first recognize blessings in our own lives, and then pay them forward – thus continuing the cycle of positive energy.

Correspondences:

  • Colors: Green, silver, blue-gray
  • Gemstones: Moonstone, white agate, opals or pearls
  • Trees: Ash and oak
  • Gods: Juno, Venus, Cerridwen, Athena, Nephthys, Lugh
  • Herbs: Mugwort, hyssop, lemon balm
  • Element: Water

This is a great time to do divination and dreamwork. Find a way to incorporate the watery energy of the Blessing Moon into your spell crafting and ritual. Enjoy the relaxing feeling of July’s full moon and use it in your personal meditation.

Celebrating the Full Buck Moon:

  • Wear shades of green to honor the herb harvest
  • Adorn your hair and altar with herbs and greenery
  • Burn sage, lavender or rosemary incense
  • Prepare herbal tea and lavender or lemon balm cookies
  • Bless your herb garden

Collected from various sources

“These are strange and breathless days,
the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.”

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise, which is no longer true, owing to procession of the equinoxes.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year with the least rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere.

These canicular days get their name from the Dog Star, Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. At this time of the year Sirius disappears into the Sun’s glow. Both heavenly bodies are in conjunction, rising and setting at around the same time. Ancient stargazers thought that the heat from Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, combined with the heat of the Sun produced the hottest weather of the year! Even though Sirius is hotter than our Sun it is much too far away to warm our planet.

In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days ran from July 24th through August 24th, or, alternatively, from July 23 through August 23rd. The period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. In many European cultures (German, French, Italian) this period is still said to be the time of the Dog Days.

Since its rising also coincided with a time of extreme heat, the connection with hot, sultry weather was made for all time:

“Dog Days bright and clear indicate a happy year.
But when accompanied by rain, for better times our hopes are vain.”

The ancient Egyptians saw Sirius as a giver of life for it always reappeared at the time of the annual flooding of the Nile. When the star sank in the west and disappeared from the night sky, it remained hidden for 70 days before emerging in the east in the morning. This was viewed as a time of death and rebirth. The Egyptians copied this period in their funeral ceremonies. When a king died, his body was mummified, then interred in a pyramid or other tomb. By custom, burial took place 70 days after death, when the king was “reborn” in the stars.

Sirius was astronomically the foundation of their entire religious system. It was the embodiment of Isis, sister and consort of the god Osiris, who appeared in the sky as Orion. This is the period of time Sirius disappears from the sky — sequenced in the myth when Isis is hiding until the birth of her son, Horus — eventually the star reappears after Horus is born — resurrection.

On the first day of Sirius’ reappearance the ancient Egyptians expected an abundant harvest, if the star appeared bright and clear. If Sirius appeared dull and red, a poor harvest would result.

The Dog Star, Sirius is also known as our Spiritual Sun, esoterically the cosmic heart of our physical Sun. During the Dog Days when Sirius disappears into the Sun’s glowing light, it could be said that our physical Sun is embracing our Spiritual Sun! After such a celestial union a rebirth or resurrection can be expected.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time according to Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813:

“the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.” 

The 1552 edition of the The Book of Common Prayer, way the “Dog Daies” begin July 6th and end August 17th. This corresponds very closely to the lectionary of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible (also called the Authorized version of the Bible) which indicates the Dog Days beginning on July 6th and ending on September 5th.

 Note:

A recent reprint of the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer contains no reference to the Dog Days. In the Southern Hemisphere, they typically occur in January and February, in the midst of the austral summer.

Honoring the Dog Days

  • Themes: Fertility; Destiny; Time
  • Symbols: Stars; Dogs
  • Presiding Goddess: Sopdet
About Sopdet:

The reigning Egyptian Queen of the Constellations, Sopdet lies in Sirius, guiding the heavens and thereby human destiny. Sopdet is the foundation around which the Egyptian calendar system revolved, her star’s appearance heralding the beginning of the fertile season. Some scholars believe that the Star card of the tarot is fashioned after this goddess and her attributes.

Note: The dog days and the dog star Sirius are also associated with the Egyptian Goddess Hathor..

To Do Today:

The long, hot days of summer are known as “dog days” because they coincide with the rising of the dog star, Sirius. In ancient Egypt this was a welcome time as the Nile rose, bringing enriching water to the land. So, go outside at dawn, and welcome the Sun. Make an offering of water, and whisper a wish to Sopdet suited to her attributes and your needs. For example, if you need to be more timely or meet a deadline, she’s the perfect goddess to keep things on track.

If you’re curious about your destiny, watch the eastern region of the sky in the evening and see if any shooting stars appear. If so, this is a message from Sopdet. A star moving on your right side is a positive omen/ better days ahead. Those on the left indicate a need for caution, and those straight ahead mean things will continue on an even keel for now.

Nonetheless, seeing any shooting star means Sopdet has received your wish.

Source: Wikipedia and Almanac.com and 365 Goddess

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