July
According to the Gregorian calendar, July is the seventh month. On the Roman calendar, it was the fifth month and it was called 'Quintilis', meaning 'fifth'. Julius Caesar gave the month 31 days in 46 B.C. The Roman Senate named it 'Julius', in honour of Caesar.
The Irish name for this month was Iúil or
an t-Iuchar, the border time. Traditionally during the last two weeks of July
and the first two weeks of August, Sirius, the Dog Star, can be seen in the
sky. The Anglo-Saxon name was Aeftera Litha, "after Litha," or sometimes
Maedmonat, "meadow month." Hewimanoth, "hay month," was
the Frankish name, and the Asatru call it Haymoon.
The first Full Moon is called the Buck Moon.
It is also the Blessing or Wort Moon and the Honey Moon, a name it shares with
June’s Moon. It is also called the Moon of Claiming, Fallow Moon, Thunder Moon,
a name shared with August, and Moon of Blood (due to mosquitoes), a name it
share with October
Birds may be quieter
Butterflies are in abundance as bats are in
some area
Flowers: meadow saffron and autumn crocus
At night young hedgehogs may be about
Birthstone: Ruby
Cerridwen
Dog Days begins (Dog Star Northern Tradition)
Athena
Poplifugia (Roman)
Consualia (Roman –Consus god of the harvest)
Feriae Ancillarum –Festival of the hand maidens
The feast of St. Sunniva was a medieval version
of Sunna, the Norse solar maiden.
Holda, Hela and Skadi
Lady Godiva
Knut the Reaper
Theano
St Swithin’s Day
Olympic New Year celebrating divinities of
mount Olympus
Rowana or Rauni Goddess of the Rowan tree
Adonia in honour of
Adonis
Lucaria (Roman)
Second Lucaria (Roman)
Damo (Greek)
The Neptunalia honoured the sea god Neptune
and his wife, Salacia, goddess of the wide-open salty sea and the mineral water
of springs.
The Feast of St. Christopher, Patron of Travellers
Furrinalia honoured Furrina, an ancient Italian goddess of springs
St James
Sleipnir (Northern Tradition)
St Panteleone –The Patron Saint of Trousers
Thor (Northern Tradition)
St Olaf
July 31
Loki and his consort Sigyn (Norse)