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August

Fairest of the months!
Ripe summer’s queen,
the hey-day of the year
With robes that gleam
with sunny sheen
sweet August doth appear.

Combe Miller

August  was originally named Sextilis, as it was the sixth month in the ten month Roman calendar.  After January and February were added to the calendar, this month was renamed to honor the first Roman Emperor, Augustus.  Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, Octavius was adopted by Julius Caesar as his son and heir.  The Roman Senate bestowed the title of Augustus to him in honor of his illustrious status.  August is a pinnacle month, a time for ripening and abundance.  The freedom brought to us from last month grows into a fullness of self.  In August, we know who we are and the direction on our life’s compass.  August, in her golden glimmer, illuminates the path ahead. Prepare for what’s next, because the flower has turned to fruit with all the lush ripeness that goes along with it.

Birth Customs of August

August Flower

Gladiolus proud and tall
adorn the August garden wall. 
There the fragrant flowers glimmer 
in the sunlight’s golden shimmer.

August Zodiac

In August fair the lion rules
And Leo doesn’t suffer fools
Next Virgo shines her starry face
To close the month with her sweet grace

August Stone

Wear a Peridot or for thee,
Or no conjugal fidelity,
The August born without this stone,
`Tis said, must live unloved; alone.

Magic of August

Correspondences

Herbs: Chamomile, Orange, Bay
Totems: Lion, Phoenix
Stones: Cat’s Eye, Carnelian
Birthstone: Peridot
Birth Flower: Gladiolus
Celtic Trees: Vine & Ivy
Nature Spirits: Wisps & Djinns

Spellwork

Strength
Ripen
Illuminate
Power
Gather

Aromatherapy

Fresh Laundry

3 drops Cypress
3 drops White Fir
1 drop Peppermint

Meditation

Time ripens all things.

François Rabelais

Science of August

Astronomy

Name: August
Length: 31 Days
New Moon: August 1st
Perseids Meteor Shower: August 12th
Full Moon: August 15th
New Moon: August 30th
Zodiac: Leo & Virgo

Full Moon

Colonial American: Dog Day Moon
Celtic: Dispute Moon
Chinese: Harvest Moon
Choctow: Women’s Moon
Old English: Women’s Moon

Calendar of August

About Tu Fu

I met Tu Fu on a mountaintop
in August when the sun was hot.

Under the shade of his big straw hat
his face was sad–

in the years since we last parted,
he’d grown wan, exhausted.

Poor old Tu Fu, I thought then,
he must be agonizing over poetry again.

Li Po

August

When the blackberries hang
swollen in the woods, in the brambles
nobody owns, I spend

all day among the high
branches, reaching
my ripped arms, thinking

of nothing, cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth; all day my body

accepts what it is. In the dark
creeks that run by there is
this thick paw of my life darting among

the black bells, the leaves; there is
this happy tongue.

Mary Oliver

Calendar of August

August 1st: Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs

Ruff-ly 3.3 million dogs enter animal shelters in the US each year.  Sadly, its im-paw-sible know when their birthdays fall.  So to give these pups the howl-iday that they so much deserve, the first of this month has become recognized as DOGust 1st, the official birthday for all shelter and rescue dogs.  Let’s not fur-get all the joy and love we get from our bone-ified best friends.

August 5th: Underwear Day

August 5th is Underwear Day. While I am NOT an advocate of posting pictures of oneself in their underwear on the internet, I am a fan of pausing to reflect on one’s undergarments. The media is full of images of what we ‘should’ look like. But how often do we celebrate the elements we like about our bodies? Invest in underwear that makes you smile or laugh, that makes you feel attractive or references your secret self.

August 9th: Book Lover's Day

George R.R. Martin said, “I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read.” On August 9th, we celebrate Book Lover’s Day. Opening a book, helps open your mind. So expand your horizons, go on an adventure, fall in love, solve a mystery or travel in time. All of that and so much more is only a good book away.

August 12th: Middle Child's Day

This special holiday is for all the wonderful middle children in your life.  Full disclosure, I am a middle child.  I also have a middle child.  The stereotype is that middle children are more introverted and perhaps can be overlooked.  My sweet Crush thrives on flying under the radar.  Therefore I thought it would be fun, maybe even fair and fitting that we celebrate by quietly shining a soft light upon all the marvelous middle children today. 

August 25th: National Parks Day

Congress created the National Park Service on August 25, 1916. Our National Parks were established “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to … leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” At this time, we have 417 national park sites in the United States for us to enjoy. Visit the National Park website to find a park near you.

August 26th: National Dog Day

The dog day’s of August open and close by celebrating these amazing creatures.  National Dog Day honors both family dogs and working dogs, pedigrees and mutts, dogs of all shapes and sizes.   At home, our pups keep us safe and bring us comfort.  They make us laugh and make us healthier.  Working dogs put their lives on the line selflessly.  For law enforcement, for their blind companion, for the traumatized veteran, for doctors diagnosing cancer, dogs have insights that we are only beginning to understand.  Today is all about the amazing creature that is a dog.