Mescalero Apache Song of the Gotal Ceremony

The black turkey gobbler, under the east, the middle of his trail; toward us 

it is about to dawn.

The black gurkey gobbler, the tips of his beautiful tail; 

above us the dawn whitens.

The black turkey gobbler, the tips of his beautiful tail; 

above us the dawn becomes yellow....

... I'm so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Widdershins, and can be found in its entirety here: Mescalero Apache Song of the Gotal Ceremony

Cerridwen Bath Salts

• 1 cup salt
• 8 drops lotus oil
• 8 drops jasmine oil

Lightly mix the ingredients together... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Magickal Apothecary, and can be found in its entirety here: Cerridwen Bath Salts

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.

To Do Today:

The long, hot days of summer are known as "dog days" because they coincide with...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been combined with another, and moved to the Pagan Calendar. It can be found in its entirety here: The Dog Days Begin

The Dog Days of Summer

"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 (heliacal rising), 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.

In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days ran from July 24th through August 24th, or, alternatively, from July 23 through August 23rd...

.. I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be viewed in its entirety here: The Dog Days Begin

Summer Tea

This tea is refreshing on any warm day or after exertion in the garden. It is equally pleasant hot or cold.

• 2 tsp hibiscus flowers
• grated peel of ½ a lemon (optional)
• grated peel of ½ a lime...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Eating To Live, and can be found in its entirety here: Summer Tea

Spells and Rituals for July

July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer) and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter). The second half of the year commences in July. In the Southern hemisphere, July is the seasonal equivalent of January in the Northern hemisphere.

Previously, it was called Quintilis in Latin, since it was the fifth month in the ancient Roman calendar, which traditionally set March as the beginning of the year before it was changed to January at the time of the decemvirs about 450 BC. The name was then changed by Augustus to honor Julius Caesar, who was born in July. In the ancient Roman calendar the ides of July fell on the 15th day of the month.

This page serves as a jumping off point for July holy days, spells, magicks, lore, rituals, superstitions and  more.

General information on the month of July:

• July Magicks
• Magickal History of July
• Correspondences for July
• July Moon Names
• The Full Buck Moon

Astrology and birth signs for July:

(note: some of the dates will overlap with June and August)

• Sun in Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
• Sun in Leo (July 22 - August 21)
• Sign of the Acanthus (June 21 - July 22)
• Sign of the Sunflower (July 22 - August 21)

Celtic and Nordic Tree astrology and signs for July:

(note: some of the dates will overlap each other, and some overlap with June and August)

• Oak (June 10 - July 7)
• Apple (June 25 - July 4)
• Fir (July 5 - July 14)
• Holly  (July 8 - August 4)
• Elm (July 15 - July 25)
• Cypress (July 26 - August 4)

Lucky and unlucky Days in July: 

• Lucky days are - July 9, 15, and 28.
• Unlucky days are - July 3, 10, 17, and 18.
• Fatal days are - July 10 and 13.

Holidays, Feast Days and Holy Days in July:

• 2: Feast of Expectant Mothers
• 3 thru Aug 11: Dog Days of Summer
• 3: Green Corn Dance
• 3: Festival of Cerridwen
• 4: Independence Day
• 5: Poplifugia
• 7: Festival of the Handmaidens - Nonae Caprotinae ("the nones of the wild fig")
• 7: Tanabata
• 7: Rumilia Festival
• 8: New Moon
• 8: Holly Moon begins - 8th month of the Celtic Calendar
• 9: Day of Unn the Wise Person
• 10: Day of Hel
• 10: Festival of Knut the Reaper
• 10: Lady Godiva Day
• 11: Naadam Festival
• 13: O-Bon Festival - welcoming the spirits of the dead
• 14: Uruz - The second rune cycle begins
• 15: St. Swithin's Day
• 15: Day of Rauni
• 16: Feast of Our Lady of Carmel
• 17: Festival of Amaterasu - Shinto Sun Goddess
• 17: The Maidens Fair on Hen Mountain
• 18: Day of Bad Omens
• 19: Feast of Kuan Yin
• 19: Lucaria
• 20: Moon Day
• 21: Sun enters Leo
• 22: Full moon - Buck Moon
• 22: Feast of Mary Magdalene
• 23: Neptunalia - the festival of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
• 23: Sign of the Sunflower Begins
• 23: Saint Anne's Eve
• 25: Furinalia
• 27 - 31: The Five Epagomenal Days
• 27: Birthday of Osiris
• 28: Birthday of Horus
• 29: Birthday of Set
• 30: Birthday of Isis
• 31: Birthday of Nephthys

Additional Spells, Magicks, Rituals, and Lore for the July:

• Day of Horus
• Hela's Day
• Invocation of Osiris
• Is It Raining?
• Liberty Ritual
• Mary Magdalene Rosemary Dream Spell
• Mary Magdalene Sleepover Party
• Meditrina Healing Charms
• St Anne's Eve Marriage Divination
• Tanabata Love Spell
• The God Osiris

Recipes for food, incense, potpourri, and more:

• Red, White, and Blue Salad

For anything newly posted on this subject and not on this list see: July Spells and Rituals

Magickal History Of July

At first the Romans called this month Quintilis, but later renamed it Julius after Julius Caesar. The Greek Olympian was held for about a week in July. This festival in honor of Zeus consisted of competitions in athletics, drama, music, and other activities. During the time of the Olympian, all participants were given safe-conduct to and from the games. The constant petty Greek squabbles were put aside. A victory in the Olympian was a great achievement, both for the individual and for their city....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been combined with another, and moved to The Pagan Calendar, it can be found here: July Magick and Lore

Correspondences for July

• Nature Spirits: hobgoblins (small grotesque but friendly brownie-type creatures), faeries of harvested crops.
• Herbs: honeysuckle, agrimony, lemon balm, hyssop
• Colors: silver, blue-gray
• Flowers: lotus, water lily, jasmine
• Scents: orris, frankincense...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Magickal Ingredients, and can be found in its entirety here: Correspondences for July

Magick Rose Spell For Love

Gather your rose on the 27th of June; let it be full blown, and as bright a red as you can get. Pluck it between the hours of three and four in the morning, taking care to have no witness of the transaction.

Convey it to your chamber, and hold it over a chafing dish or any convenient utensil for the purpose, in which there is charcoal and sulphur of brimstone; hold your rose over the smoke for about five minutes, and you will see it have a wonderful effect on the flower....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Book of Shadows, and can be found in its entirety here: Magick Rose Spell for Love

Bonfires of Saint John

Bonfires of Saint John is a popular festival celebrated around June 24,  (Saint John's day) in several towns in Spain. For this festival, people gather together and create large bonfires from any kind of wood, such as old furniture, and share hot chocolate while teens and children jump over the fires....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Bonfires of Saint John