The first full month of summer, July, is named after Julius Caesar, who with the help of Alexandrian sages, took the previously chaotic calendar to form the Julian Calendar in 46 bce and used in the west for the next 1600 years, current in Britain until 1752, while replaced in Catholic countries by the Gregorian calendar in 1582. To commemorate his work, his name remained as the seventh month, July.

 

July Highlights
3

Dog Days begin
Loki's Brand

Northern Tradition

Dog Days Begin which is a reference to the Dog Star, Sirius; Loki's Brand is the Northern Tradition.

5

Julian the Blessed

 

Roman, Emperor

Sacred to Mother Earth in her fecund aspect.Flavius Claudius Julianus (331-363) known as Julian the Blessed, a learned philosopher in his own right, restored Pagan religion to the Roman Empire.

7
 Consualia
Caprotina
Feriae Ancillarum		 Roman Festival Fig trees venerated Festival of Handmaids
The festival of Consualia commemorates Consus, the god of harvests, which will begin later in the month; Caprotina, an aspect of the goddess Juno and associated with Fig trees, were venerated by feasting beneath them. Feriae Ancillarium, the Festival of Handmaids was a day when the maids of Rome were beyond the control of their mistresses.
8

Sunna (St. Sunniva)

Norse
Sunna, the Norse sun maiden morphed into the medieval feast of St. Sunniva
10

Holda, Hela and Skadi
Knut the Reaper

Northern European/
Scotland and Scandinavia

Sky-clad Lady Godiva said to ride on a her procession at Southam, near Coventry including the images of two goddesses, one the white Holda and the other the black Hela.
With the symbol of the scythe, Knut the Reaper is also worshiped today as the scathing destroyer goddess Skadi, patroness of Scotland and Scandinavia.
11

Theano

Greek

Commemorates Theano, wife of the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who was a philosopher in her own right and sometimes seen as patroness of vegetarianism.

15

Rowana or Rauni

Northern European
Rowana or Rauni, the rowan tree goddess, is patroness of the secret knowledge of the runes.
19

Adonia

Greek

 

Marks the high point of Adonis's six month presence in the world through the summer half of the year and is celebrated with a sacred drama of the wedding of Adonis and Aphrodite.

21

Damo

Greek

Damo, a seeress is venerated today as the daughter of the Greek sage Pythagoras, who entrusted all of the secrets of his philosophy to her at his death.

23
 Neptunalia and Salacia
Aegir and Ran		 Classical
Northern European
Neptunalia celebrates Neptune, the sea god divinity and Salacia, goddess of the wide open salty sea. She rules over the springs of highly mineralized waters. The goddess Sulis, an aspect of Salacia is worshiped at the sacred hot springs at Bath.
In northern Europe, the Norse god Aegir and his consort, Ran are equivalent to Neptune and Salacia.
25

Furrinalia

Italian

The ancient Italian goddess Furrina, celebrated today was a festival celebrating springs, and closely related to July 23. In a time of drought, this is when the value os springs is appreciated to lessen the "bite." This is a very wonderful day in which to celebrate and remember our vital reliance on sources of water.
26

Sleipnir

Northern European

Sleipnir represents a shamanic steed that can be used to travel to other levels or states of consciousness. Asatru an associated festival commemorate Odin's eight-legged steed which takes the rider between the three worlds from Asgard, the world of the gods through the middle one Midgard onto the underworld of the shades, Utgard. (Summer sounds like allot of fun from this perspective and makes you wonder what exactly these people were using.)

27

St. Pantaleone

Earthlings

Patron saint, among other things, of trousers is worshiped today.

28

Domhnach Chrom Dubh

Irish

Sacrificial god connected with the festival of Lammas, as is John Barleycorn, personification of grain, who is killed by being cut at this time.

29

St. Olaf
Thor

Northern Tradition

This honors the god known to the Anglo-Saxons as Thunor and to the Norse as Thor. Thorn, representing the time of ascendant powers and orderliness. The day also honors the Norwegian king, Olaf, slain around Lammas Day.

31

Lammas Eve
Loki and Sigyn

Norse

Loki, the Norse trickster god and his consort Sigyn are honored today.

     

 

 
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