The Dog Days Of Summer

As if the heatwave (in Europe) wasn’t enough already, we are now also in what is known to antiquity as the hottest period of the year. The dog days of summer cover the 3rd of July until the 11th of august every year. Nowadays it’s associated with the hazy hot days of summer in the northern hemisphere, but it far surpasses the saying and is actually tied to quite a lot of folkore. Besides this period and the folkloric ties can also be worked with in witchcraft. 

The star Sirius 

The history and folklore surrounding the dog days are rooted in Sirius, the dog star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major, also known as the Greater Dog, hence the name dog star. During the period of the dog days, Sirius follows the same path in the sky as the sun does, rising and setting with the sun. Making the star alongside the constellation Orion, which is situated right next to Canis Major in the night sky, invisible to the naked eye during the summer months. On July 23rd Sirius is in conjunction with the sun. 

Sirius is also known as the brightest star in the night sky. As a result of this brightness and it’s track in the sky, the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the star actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth. According to them this caused the long stretch of sultry weather. They called the 20 days before and after the conjunction* “Dog days” after the dog star. The Romans believed that this period amplified feelings of aggression, upset, stress and anger. The Ancient Greek even blamed this period for fever and catastrophe. The Illiad references Sirius as Orion’s dog rising, associating the star with war and disaster. 

The Ancient Egypts believed that the heliacal rising of Sirius signaled the annual Nile flood, which would help with the drought. This period was often associated with the goddess Sopdet. Northern European folkmedicine and beliefs stated that purging (bloodletting & induced vomiting) should be avoided during this period as one would be made weaker. Another folkbelief is that men’s bodies will sweat at midnight as they do at midday, and so if they got hurt it’d be a near death situation. It was therefore adviced that men abstained from women during this time and to watch out for violence.

*Slight side note: The date of the conjunction has shifted slightly since Roman times because of axial precession, however folk calendars and farmer almanacs still hold the original dates. 

Modern interpretations

Nowadays other explanations are given for the dog days of summer, often times associated with dogs going mad. Others reference it to hot hazy summer days, making them unfit for a dog.  Although the meaning has been lost, the phrase and period has prevailed time. The belief of the Greeks and Romans actually hold truth in that these were the hottest days of summer, with even the period being accurate. Though, it has nothing to do with the star Sirius, and everything to do with Earth’s tilt.

During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun’s rays hit the earth at more of a direct angle as a result of the earth’s tilt during this period. This also occurs during a longer period of time throughout the day (aka longer, hotter days). Although this tends to happen on the summer solstice, it takes time for oceans and the land to warm up, which is why peak temperatures arrive in late July to early august. This is also referred to as thermal lag. 

Working with the dog days

want to briefly prequelize this paragraph by stating that the following information is purely personal gnosis (own experience) and what works for me. Feel free to adapt this information as you see fit to your practice. 

There are many ways to work with the dog days in our practice. Cosmically speaking, you could use the conjunction of Sirius and the Sun as a heightened energy source. One could make sun water on this day, in the same manner one would during the summer solstice. The energy captured would be one of  fierceness, anger, upset and catastrophe. Therefore it would be suitable as a substitute for war water and can be used for baneful workings. 

Another implementation of the dog days, is to amplify workings done on the summer solstice. This ties into the scientific explanation for the dog days of summer. The thermal lag causing the dog days is perfect for giving workings a final push. If a spell/ritual done on the summer solstice for example has yet to manifest, use the energy of the dog days to add additional energy. 

Of course one could also work with the folklore of the dog days. The dog days are tied to hysteria, catastrophe, anger, stress and upset. This energy can be utilised in baneful magic, or one can do protection spells to protect from these feelings. 

A more modern approach is to use the lethargic interpretation and energy of the dog days to slow things down, create monumental pauses or let things simmer. Once the dog days are over however, a bigger outburst of what has been paused or let simmer could occur. So thread carefully.

Lastly, workings can be done for when the dog days are over. Once the dog days are over a period of relief and release begins. Spells or rituals to relief yourself of anger/stress/upset etc. can be done after the dog days. In fact, in August I plan to post a spell I have done myself for this purpose, so stay tuned for that.  

That’s it for today, thank you a lot for reading and if there are any questions please let me know :)! 

Have you heard before of the dog days?