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The first harvest begins; time to give thanks and celebrate.

Once known as Quintilis, as it was the fifth month of the Roman year. The name Julius, later July is believed to derive from the honour of the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, named by Mark Anthony. It is the seventh month of the year. As part of the seasonal calendar July is the time of the Hay Moon according to Pagan beliefs and the period described as the Moon of the Red Cherries,and Moon when Cherries are Ripe by Black Elk (Black Elk Speaks, Neihardt). July was also known as:

Hooymaand (Hay month)
Old Dutch

Moedd-monath (Meadow month, cattle were turned into the meadow)
Lida oeftevr (Second mild/genial month)
Old Saxon

The last month of Beltane, before Lammas, July is more commonly associated with the healing properties and sanctity of water. Perhaps this is due to the knowledge that July is a month of warmth, of the sun, the scorching heat, and the dryness of the land that comes with the dreaded drought. Man, being so much water, has understood only to well how water is such a vital resource for the body and the spirit. It is no surprise then that water and springs have been universally included in many beliefs, legends and folklore, seen as sacred. Is it not ironic that today modern man is battling with pollution to maintain what has always been viewed as precious. Again like our ancestors we are beginning to value water, but perhaps the reasons and methods are different.

Whilst the ancient practice of divining (See Mystical WWW Divination) is still used the ability of animals to discover a watering hole indicates their closeness and dependency on the earth. There are many instances of this in the teachings of the Celtic church and of the severed head being connected to many of the sacred wells. The head was seen by the Celts to be the place where the soul existed (we can see similarities here with Aries and the head being the power source). The head being detached from the body was seen as the final act of sacrifice given by the sacred king in Celtic mythology, and in the early Celtic church. Placing the head in water was seen to draw on the strength and wisdom of the sovereign, believing that it flowed forth into the waters.

The appearance of a new spring at a site where a king or saint died was also common. The Druids believed that the appearance of a new spring or well indicated a spot where man would find a place acting as an opening or bridge to eternity. It has been suggested also that these sacred sites indicated where the power of light, of positive forces could enter and spring out of the earth Water and wells have also been associated with providing the opportunity to reach eternal life, seen as a sign or mark of that belief when drunk or carried. Indeed we can note the significance within many faiths of water and the ritual of baptism, where it is poured over the body or man is immersed within it. The Chalice Well, at Glastonbury, Somerset, England (See Mystical WWW Glastonbury) is one such site visited by thousands of people, being associated with the Celtic cult of the severed head and the Holy Grail.

Trees growing by water were associated with wisdom, those bearing nuts being especially favoured with the ancients, as these could be gathered and eaten. The fish of the water were also seen to benefit from their proximity, and it was said that anyone eating fish from such waters, where nut trees grew nearby, would receive inspiration and mystical powers to further the third eye. Perhaps connected with this was the belief that sacred waters could also heal sickness, especially of the eye. Wells were viewed as having power of time as well as eternity as has been said here. To have full effect on curing the malady, the person drinking the water had to sleep immediately. Here again we have associations with the many stories that describe man waking by water having received prophetic visions or wild terrifying dreams. The rituals of Well dressing are still widely practised, which is believed to originate from the placing of prayer rags by pilgrims to sacred sites (See Mystical WWW mystical Time : Months January - December for dates, & Folk Calendar). In addition, if you would like to borrow money but don't have a great credit rating, you might want to check out Omacl.co.uk. They offer loans with no credit check and you can borrow up to £5,000. The funds also get sent same day.

In the medieval Middle Ages the use of water as a vehicle for asserting that negative forces, even the Devil existed, was used most effectively by the Catholic church during the Inquisition. Those considered to be in league with such forces were cast into water; should the person float it was taken as proof of their rejection of God, (but we must remember that to prove the presence of God the person should not float which surely resulted in many innocents being drowned).

He gives a drink,
he saves a king,
he doth a noble deed.

Celtic : The severed head of Conaire.

As part of the astrological calendar, July has many associations. This is the month of the house of Cancer ( June 22 - July 22) and the house of Leo (23 July - August 23).

Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac symbolised by the Crabwhich has since ancient times been associated with conception, fertility and birth. The crab indicates the male and female together whilst the tough shell viewed as armour hides deep emotional feelings. In Roman mythology Juno placed Cancer in the Heavens following its clash with Hercules when it bit the foot of the hero. The qualities of this sign include protection, thriftiness, a strong awareness of the subconscious, sensitivity, nurturing, caring, and home loving with a need for emotional security. There is a strong sense of the importance of the past, of family, of childhood.

The Moon is the ruling planet of Cancer, also known as the Gate of Birth, and as a Goddess has been revered since pre-Christian times as such and also as the Enchantress. The Moon symbolises Motherhood and Water (the Sun being Fatherhood & Fire). Cancer reflects the journey of the fourth life cycle, symbolised by the Cycle of the Moon itself, that is the:

New Moon
(birth and growth depicted as the White Goddess);
Full Moon
(love and war depicted as the Red Goddess);
Waning Moon
(maturity, divination and death depicted as the Black Goddess).

Dreams play an important role for Cancerians and therefore expression of these is also vital often requiring psychological support in the most positive sense. The fourth phase of the journey of the Sun is experienced here, and of the young adult evolving knowledge through emotional experiences. Cancer is a cardinal and negative water sign associated with the statements I feel, I protect,and I treasure loved ones and my home. It rules the breast, stomach and solar plexus.Cancer is associated with Convolulus, Heather, Holly, Water Lily, Lily, Rose, all Rushes and white flowers (See Mystical WWW Plants, & Language of Flowers). Cancer is further associated with all trees rich in sap, and also the Cedar, Hazel, Linden and the Oak (See Mystical WWW Trees). Colours associated with Cancer are blue and silvery blues, cream, sea green, smoky grey, white, iridescence and most pale colours. The main stone associated with Cancer is the Moonstone, whilst the main stone associated with the month of June is the Pearl (See Mystical WWW Mystical Time : Rhymes & Time - Language of Gems).Lucky number is two, lucky day Monday (See Mystical WWW Mystical Time : Days of the Week). Metal associated is silver.

Leo...loves the splendour of power.

El Hagahah, Astrologer.

Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac symbolised by the Lion, the King of beasts,the Great Light and theNemean Lion of Argolis(this is the lion that only Hercules could defeat as the first of his twelve labours).Since ancient times the lion has been associated with fatherhood, religion and kingship. The mystical symbol of the Sun is also strongly connected with Leo representing primal life carrying the seed of life in its centre.

The Sun is the ruling planet of Leo, known as Solto the Romans, bringing a sense of creativity and continual activity. It is important to be aware that the ruler of this sign has been worshipped since ancient times, reflected in all major deities. In ancient Egypt Ra was the Sun God, in ancient Assyria Shamash and to the Persians the Sun God was Mithras. So also we can find in ancient Greek mythology Helios, who came from the Heavens providing light for the day, believed to disappear into the sea at night. The Roman God Apollo too provides vital clues as to the strong temperament of this sign. The qualities associated with the Leo are that of leadership, dignity, pride, ambition, high constant energy, self-confidence, enjoyment and satisfaction. They are also known to be extremely loyal in friendship, indeed honourable to a fault, and faithful in love. Leo will defend a loved one almost to the death abhorring injustice. Here we can see the possibility of danger, as Leo has also been thought to suffer with obstinate fixed attitudes but try to remember they have a big heart. The fifth phase of the journey of the Sun is experienced here, that of the mature adult with a clearly formed personality. Leo is a fixed and positive fire sign associated with the statements I create, I am number one,andI am magnificent.It rules the heart and spine.Leo has many floral associations, with the Celandine, Chamomile, Holly, Lavender, Marigold, Passion Flower, Sunflower and all green vegetables (See Mystical WWW Plants, & Language of Flowers). Leo is further associated with the Almond, Apple, Bay, Hazel, Laurel, Palm, and Walnut (See Mystical WWW Trees). Colours associated with Leo are golden hues, ochre, orange, shades of yellow and browns. The main stone associated with Leo is the Ruby, whilst the main stone associated with the month of July is the Moonstone (See Mystical WWW Mystical Time : Rhymes & Time - Language of Gems).Lucky number is one, lucky day Sunday (See Mystical WWW Mystical Time : Days of the Week). Metal associated is gold.

 

Now dont interrupt me,
Im going to tell you all your faults...
It puzzled her very much at first
But after watching it a minute or two
She made it out to be a grin.

Moveable Celebrations

May to end of August
Wye Dale District, Derbyshire, England : Traditional Well-dressing.

Early July
Tollesbury, Essex, England : Traditional Gooseberry Fair activities.

Summer Months
St. Wenn and district, Cornwall, England : Traditional Cornish Wrestling Championships.

 

 

July, date usually depending on tides
Peel, Isle of Man, England : Viking Festival.

 

 

First Week of July
Llangollen, Denbigh, Wales : International Musical Eisteddfod.

July (dates advertised each year)
Inverness, Inverness, Scotland & Durness, Sutherland, Scotland : Highland Games.

Saturday nearest July 2
Ambleside, Westmorland, Scotland : Traditional Rush bearing Procession.

Thursday after July 4
Vintners' hall to Church of St. James, Garlick Hill, London, England : Vintners' Procession.

 

 

Usually second Saturday in July
Tomintoul, Banff, Scotland : Highland Games.

From Monday in third week of July
The Thames between Blackfriars and Henley, England : Traditional Swan-upping festivities.

Sunday in mid-July
Aikey Brae, near Old Deer, Aberdeen, Scotland : Traditional Aikey Fair.

Last week in July
St. Helier, Jersey, UK : Battle of Flowers.

Last Sunday in July
Annual pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick, Clewes Bay, County Mayo, Ireland : Prayers said to St. Patrick, Patron saint of Ireland.

Annual pilgrimage to St. Patricks Island, Lough Derg, Donegal, Ireland : Penances carried out and prayers said to St. Patrick.

Last Friday in July
Langholm, Dumfries, Southern Scotland : Traditional Common Riding activities.

Days of the Month

 

July 1 : The Day of Emancipation
Canada Day.

Celtic feast day of the holy hermit of the monastery of Culross, on the Isle of May, known as Serf. Fifth century. Associated with Kentigern (13 January). A disciple of Palladius (7 July). Uncle of Lolan (22 September).

Battle of Gettysburg (1-3 July), 1863.

 

July 2 : The Day of the Disconnected Unconsciousness
Celtic feast day of Oudaceus, sixth century, son of Breton nobility. Nephew of Teilo (9 February). Travelled to Wales in 545.

 

 

July 3 : The Day of the Commemorator
Ancient Egyptian : Day of remembrance for Sothis.

Native American : Seminole, Green Corn Dance activities.

Christian festival of St. Thomas.

Celtic feast day of Germanus of Man, fifth century, Bishop of Isle of Man. Worked with Illtyd (6 November) at his monastery in Wales after working with Patrick (17 March) in Ireland. Believed to have been born in Brittany.

 

 

July 4 : The Day of the Great Representative
Whalton, Northumberland, Scotland : Bale Fire celebrations.

Marie Curie died 1934 of over exposure to radioactivity.

 

July 5 : The Day of the Showman
St. Johns, Isle of Man, England : Traditional Tynwald Ceremony.

Phineas T. Barnum, circus impresario, born 1910.

Celtic feast day of Morwenna, sixth century. A relative of Brychan (6 April). Travelled from Cornwall to Wales. She is believed to have selected her place if work by carrying a stone with her, which some say was portable altar, and cast the stone off a cliff. Where it landed she set up a Celtic settlement.

 

 

July 6 : The Day of Magnetic Desire
Sir Thomas More executed in 1535 for refusing to bless the divorce of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII.

Celtic feast day of Monenna, sixth century, founded A holy well can be found at Killeavy, County Antrim where the nunnery is said to have been established by Monenna. She was attributed to be similar in mind and practices of Brigid (1 February) and Patrick (17 March).

 

 

July 7 : The Day of Imaginative Revelation
Japanese Star Festival, known as Tanabata.

Gustav Mahler, composer, born 1860.

Celtic feast day of Maelruan, monk, Abbot, eighth century, established a monastery at Tallaght, County Wicklow. A disciple of Samthann (18 December). Associated with Oengus the Culdee (11 March). It is said that he advised a vegetarian diet, only water to drink, and avoidance of missionary travel. Died in 792. The following is taken from the Martyrology of Tallaght:

On the nones of July the birds cease
To sing the music of holidays
For Maelruan from Tallaght.

Celtic feast day of Boisil, seventh century, Prior, later Abbot of the monastery of Melrose. Instructed Cuthbert (20 March). Cuthbert is said to have based the practice of his own life and missionary travels on that of Boisil. Died in 661.

Celtic feast day of Palladius, fourth-fifth century. It has been suggested that Germanus of Auxerre (31 July) is the same person and that he established a church at Fordun, Aberdeen, Scotland. Associated with Serf (1 July). Died 432.

 

 

July 8 : The Day of the Dark Pragmatist
Celtic feast day of Urith, date unknown. Born in East Stowford, Devon, England. Murdered. A spring is said to have appeared where she fell.

Celtic feast day of Kilian, monk, Irish, seventh century. Travelled to Germany on missionary work with seven companions where he was murdered

 

 

July 9 : The Day of Wonder
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 10 : The Day of Passive-Active Duality
Lady Godiva Day : Traditional English Festival.

Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen of England to be executed nine days later in 1553.

 

 

July 11 : The Day of the Unsolicited Opinion
Celtic feast day of Drostan, monk, sixth century, established a monastery at Deer (Deara meaning tears in Gaelic), Pictland, Scotland. Drostan has been linked with Columcille (9 June). Believed to be good friends. The place is said to be named after the tears they shed for one another on their final goodbye.

 

 

July 12 : The Day of the Persuasive Presence
Festival of The Old Dances : Tibetan.

 

 

July 13 : The Day of the Taken Opportunity
Reed Dance Day : Day dedicated to festivities in any African communities.

 

 

July 14 : The Day of the Convincing Storyteller
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

July 15 : The Day of Material Induces
Festival of the Dead : Chinese celebration.

Celtic feast day of Donald, seventh century, Scottish, had seven daughters who were reputed to have danced in sacred oak groves in the hope of seeing visions of their future husbands. Followed a monastic way of life following the death of his wife.

 

 

July 16 : The Day of the Rising Tide
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 17 : The Day of Career Concerns
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 18 : The Day of Conviction
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 19 : The Day of Controlled Movement
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 20 : The Day of Ups and Downs
Under research. Mystical WWW welcomes submissions for this day. See Mystical WWW email details on Whats new Main Index.

 

 

July 21 : The Day of Tragicomic Controversy
Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon on this day in 1969.

 

 

July 22 : The Day of Occupational Fluctuation
Christian official birthday of St. Mary of Magdala, Mary Magdalene.

July 23 : The Day of Uncertainty Resolves
Neptunalia Festival : Ancient Roman.

Raymond Chandler, writer, born this day in 1888.

Celtic feast day of Conan, date and origin unknown. A church at Washaway, Cornwall, England is dedicated to him. Believed to have been a companion of Petroc (4 June)

July 24 : The Day of Exciting Instability
Celtic feast day of Declan, fifth century established a church at Ardmore, Ireland. He is said to have restored life to a dog after realising that he had been given dog meat to eat by Dercan, a pagan tribal leader. The site of this occurrence is believed to be at Dogs Pass, Comeragh Mountains where there is a megalithic site of standing stones. (For more information on megalithic sites see Mystical WWW Stone Circles). It has been suggested that he visited Ailbe (12 September).

 

July 25 : The Day of Quixotic Exploits
Furrinala Festival : Roman.

Ebernoe, Sussex, England : Traditional Horn Fair activities.

Christian festival of St. James and St. Christopher (patron saint of travellers, mariners).

Traditionally this day is associated with Chicory. (For more information on plants see Mystical WWW plants).

Ebernoe, Sussex, England : Traditional Horn Fair.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, romantic poet and critic, died on this day in 1834.

July 26 : The Day of the Symbolic Herald
Native American : Hopi, Kachina Ceremony.

Aldous Huxley, novelist, born 1894.

Carl Gustav Jung, (1875 - 1961) born on this day in Kesswil, Switzerland. Founder of analytical psychology, and coined the phrase the collective unconscious (1921).

July 27 : The Day of the Decision Makers
Vincent Van Gogh, painter, committed suicide on this day in 1890 aged thirty-seven.

July 28 : The Day of the Winner
Earthquake killed three-quarters of a million people in 1976 at Tangshan, China.

Celtic feast day of Samson, deacon, priest, missionary, sixth century, Welsh. Instructed by Illyyd (6 November). Believed to have founded a monastery at Ynys Pyr, Caldey Island. Known for his missionary travels associated with Kew (8 February). At the time of the yellow plague in Wales, Teilo (9 February) stayed with Samson in Brittany. Died 565. Believed to have been the Bishop of Dol. It is said that his body was cast to sea in a sarcophagus which was blown by a might wind across the Illtut which is associated with Illtyd. Cousin of Armel (16 August). Associated with Ethbin (19 October), Mewan (21 June), Maglorius (24 October), Dyfrig (14 November).
.

July 29 : The Day of Cultural Assessment
The first televised weather broadcast, BBC, 1949.

Celtic feast day of Lupus of Troyes, hermit, monk, Bishop of Troyes, fourth century. Believed to have travelled from the Mediterranean to Gaul. Associated with Germanus of Auxerre (31 July). Died on 478.

July 30 : The Day of Tangible Presence
Henry Ford, car manufacturer, born this day 1863.

Celtic feast day of Crohaun, hermit, Irish, believed to have lived in the fifth century,

July 31 : The Day of the Human Portrait
August Eve .

Wicca : Lammas Eve celebrations, one of four major fire festivals related to Bel.

Tenby, Pembroke, Wales : Traditional St. Margaret's Fair.

Celtic feast day of Germanus of Auxerre, believed to be able to work miracles. Patrick (1 March) was ordained by Amator who is associated with having the same roles in life as Germanus. It has been suggested that Germanus is the same person as Palladius (7 July). Associated with Lupus of Troyes (29 July), Dyfrig (14 November). Ordained Illtyd (6 November). Died in 448.

Celtic feast of Neot, hermit, monk, ninth century. Lived on Bodmin Moor near to the site of Gueryr (4 April), where there is reputed to be a well which provided an endless supply of fish, and also Glastonbury, Somerset (For more information on Glastonbury see Mystical WWW Glastonbury). Died in 877. His relics are believed to be interred at Eynesbury, near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.

Unlucky July Dates

15. 21.

According to the English historian Richard Grafton these certain dates of the month were unlucky as published in the Manual in 1565. Days throughout the year were identified and of course could have related to any day of the week. The date was the most important point to consider. The work was reputed to have some credence with support given by astronomers of the day. Exactly why these dates are unlucky is unclear today but by looking at the calendar of days an idea of the major occurrences can be seen.