Dog Days, Part 1

The star Sirius is part of the constellation called the “Large Dog” and is seen during the hot, sultry days of July and August.

The phrase “dog days” refers to the sultry days of summer, especially in mid-late July and August. The Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the “Dog Star” because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog); the association of the star Sirius with summer heat is found in an early Greek poem, Works and Days by Hesiod in 700 BC.

The Canis Major constellation was classically described as Orion’s dog. The Ancient Greeks thought that Sirius’s emanations could affect dogs adversely, making them behave abnormally during the long, hot “dog days.” The excessive panting of dogs in hot weather was thought to place them at risk of excessive dehydration and disease. In extreme cases, a foaming dog might have rabies, which could infect and kill humans whom they had bitten. For the ancient Egyptians, Sirius appeared just before the Nile’s flooding season, so they used the star as an indicator of the flood and associated the star with water and the wet condition of the land. Greeks and Romans, however, associated the appearing of the star with the summer wildfire season when dry fields of crops could easily be set afire by stray sparks. Their association with the star was not wet and watery but hot and dry.

Astrology associates the constellation Cancer with water and those born June 22-July 22 find it hard to achieve anything unless they feel safe and comfortable in their home lives. As such, they tend to be great at creating home environments for those that they love – both emotionally and physically. The constellation Leo (July 23-August 22) is associated with fire and those born during this period are considered theatrical and passionate people who love to bask in the spotlight and celebrate themselves. They are natural leaders.

Western Christian church calendars even noted the Dog Days. According to the 1552 edition of the The Book of Common Prayer, the “Dog Daies” begin July 6 and end August 17. The 1559 edition of the Book of Common Prayer indicates readings for July 7 and end August 18, the beginning and the end of the “Dog Daies.” 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 6 and ending on September 5.

“Happy New Year 2019?!” Annunciation Day

A Coptic icon of the Annunciation, showing the angel Gabriel presenting a lily as he announces the Incarnation to the Mother of God.

A Coptic icon of the Annunciation, showing the angel Gabriel presenting a lily as he announces the Incarnation to the Mother of God.

Lilies are often associated with the celebration of Annunciation. When Eve was driven from Paradise, lilies bloomed wherever her tears fell onto the earth and Gabriel presented lilies to the Virgin Mary when he announced that her Son would re-open Paradise to mankind. Other legends say that lilies blossomed from drops of milk from Hera’s breasts that fell upon the earth and that the lily was therefore the only flower with a soul. Lilies are traditionally considered to drive away ghosts and evil (esp. the Evil Eye) and can break love spells. The first lily of the season strengthens whoever finds it.

Roses are also associated with Annunciation and are used to cast love spells or in healing magic. If you plant roses in your garden, they are said to grow best if you have stolen the seeds from someone else and will then attract the faerie folk.

The Annunciation is celebrated on March 25 (the traditional date of the springtime equinox). Not only was Annunciation — and the equinox — vital to keeping track of time for secular purposes, many ancient and medieval authors claimed that the Annunciation/equinox date were vital at many points of salvation history: the birthday of Adam and the Crucifixion were said to have occurred on March 25 as well. Some also said that March 25 marked the fall of Lucifer, the parting of the Red Sea, as well as the day on which God said, “Let there be light!”

Sometimes called “Lady Day,” the Annunciation was kept as New Year’s Day in many places; the last to give up Annunciation as the New Year’s Day was England and its American colonies in 1752. The correct synchronization of the equinox with the Annunciation is a critical element in the calculation of the date of Easter and the medieval and Renaissance disconnect between the Annunciation and the equinox prompted Pope Gregory XIII to reform the calendar in 1582.

Czechoslovakia is born!

Altarpiece from Hyrov, after 1430; National Gallery of Medieval Art, St Agnes Convent, (Prague, Czech Republic)

October 28, 1918 — The Republic of Czechoslovakia was founded, assembled from three provinces (Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia) which had been part of the former Austro-Hungarian empire.

Bohemia had been a duchy in the Middle Ages and then a kingdom in the eleventh century. “Good King Wenceslaus” of the popular Christmas carol was actually the Duke of Bohemia in the tenth century. Most people no longer remember that Prague–the capital of Bohemia–was the cultural and political capital of Europe for several hundred years, beginning in the 1340s. Art was so important to Czech culture that painters were exempt from military duty!

Bohemian culture always valued individualism and following one’s particular calling or conscience; hence, the association of “Bohemian” with the counter-culture of the mid-20th century in New York City and the United States.

The prophetess Libuse selected the site of the city in the AD 700s and married a local farmer to begin the Czech royal family.

Walpurgis Night is still one of the most popular of Czech holidays. According to the traditional Czech stories, the night of April 30-May 1 was magical. Not only was evil believed to be more powerful at this time, but also those who felt brave enough to go outside could find treasures if they carried with them items such as wood fern flower, wafer or sanctified chalk. It was also believed that during the night witches were flying and gathering for the Sabbath. To protect themselves, villagers burnt bonfires on hills and set fire to brooms, which were then thrown into the air to reveal any flying witch. These celebrations are nowadays accompanied with music and traditional food and mark the opening of the tourist season.

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