Dog Days of Summer— Then and Now
August tends to be brutally hot, and rain is all-important. all-important. According to tradition, these dog days are the scorching, sluggish weeks that begin in early July and continue throughout early September. These are some of the hottest days of the summer months; they tend to run in cycles, and their times may vary, of course, depending upon the region in which you live. So where did the term “dog days” originate from? From the Pagan Greeks and Romans.
The ancient people believed that when the dog star Sirius rose with the sun during this time of the year that it added its own light and power to the summer heat. The star Sirius gets its name from the Greek word seirios and means “glowing” or “scorcher.” However, the Greco-Romans weren’t the only ancient people to notice this star. To the ancient Egyptians, the star Sirius showed up just before the start of the Nile’s flooding season and the beginning of the sacred year. This was a vitally important time to them, as the floods brought new, fertile soil to the valleys.
Meanwhile, back in ancient Rome, the dog days were marked between July 23 and August 23. Apparently the word on the street was only a dog would be crazy enough to go out in the heat in old Rome at that time. This star’s extra power was thought to make plants wilt and the flaming passions of humans to run amok— which is where the term “star struck” may have originated from.
Even The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the traditional time of the dog days is from July 3 to August 11. They stick to this date because, interestingly, these dates match the ancient timing of the rising of the dog star Sirius over the eastern horizon.
Sirius is still the brightest star in the heavens, next to the sun. Now, before someone starts to hop up and down, thinking they have found a mistake, keep in mind we are saying stars, not planets. So, yes, Venus and Jupiter may be brighter in the heavens— but they are planets, not stars.
Now to the technical bit: Sirius is found within the constellation of Canis Major, or Big Dog. This constellation is thought to represent one of Orion’s hunting dogs. By following an imaginary line to the southeast (or to your left and slightly down) from the three stars of Orion’s belt, the brilliant star Sirius can be found in the night sky.
The months of July and August are typically hot, steamy, and intense. I always figured it was summer’s way of getting the last word in before the autumn season swept in. Some folks will claim it’s due to climate changes… I’m betting it is a combination of both the summer and a dose of Sirius’s power.
Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch
Ellen Dugan
Witches Of The Craft® 