The Wonderful Month of July

"The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn: the drowsy bee stumbles among the clover tops, and summer sweetens all to me."
- James Russell Lowell 

Hard to believe, isn't it?  We are already in the waning part of the year, and although we are in the height of summer, the days are already becoming noticeably shorter, and nights longer.  Midsummer marks the turning of the Wheel from the light half to the dark half of the year, the transition from growth to death, sunlight to darkness.   And so it is that in the midst of brightness we take our first steps into the darkness.  The wheel continues to turn. 

During the waning half of the year, as the days grow shorter, the Holly King rules and represents withdrawal and rest.   At the Winter Solstice the Oak King "rules" from Midwinter to Midsummer, ie when the length of the day is increasing.  The path of the sun is moving toward darkness.

According to the Gregorian calendar, July is the 7th month.  Until 44 B.C. this month was called Quintilis, meaning 5th month, but this changed with Julius Caesar gave the month 31 days in 46 B.C.  The Roman Senate name it Julius in honor of the murdered Julius Caesar who had been born on the 12th.    While July is usually one of the hottest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it is one of the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.  The sun passes from Cancer to Leo on July 23rd, and  traditionally during the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, Sirius, the dog star, can be seen in the sky.

For those who were born in the month of July the Ruby is the traditional birthstone. The July birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the Ruby is associated - devotion, integrity, courage and happiness. 
It brings peace of mind, stimulates sexuality, removes evil and impure thoughts, and banishes sorrows. The word Ruby is derived from the Latin word "ruber""red" which means , reflecting the color of the stone. 

The July Birth Flower is the Larkspur,  a member of the buttercup family, has the symbolic meaning of ardent attachment and open heart, and unlike any other flower, the  larkspur sends the message of appreciation for a friend or lover’s uniqueness.  Some sources also give the water lily as July's flower.  The water lily is symbolic of pure love. 

"The sun is a huntress young,
The sun is a red, red joy,
The sun is an Indian girl,
Of the tribe of the Illinois.

The sun is a smouldering fire,
That creeps through the high gray plain,
And leaves not a bush of cloud
To blossom with flowers of rain.

The sun is a wounded deer,
That treads pale grass in the skies,
Shaking his golden horns,
Flashing his baleful eyes.

The sun is an eagle old,
There in the windless west.
Atop of the spirit-cliffs
He builds him a crimson nest."

- Vachel Lindsay, An Indian Summer Day on the Prairie

Honoring the Ancestors

Well, the holiday is over, and now it's back to the old grindstone.  It was really hard getting up this morning.  It's a long time before another holiday comes along.  Hoping all my Canadian friends had a had a wonderful Canada Day, and my American friends a joyous 4th of July.  Don't know what it was, but this was a very emotional 4th for me.  I was watching the Macy's fireworks on television, and when the song America came on, I found tears rolling down my cheeks.  I know I can attribute part of it to residual effects of the Cancer (home, family, ancestry) Moon (emotions) , Cancer being my rising sign as well,  and they sure to flow freely yesterday.

 I always make sure to do a little something special on July 4th to honor my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, and it was as I was surfing through Find a Grave and placing virtual bouquets on the graves, it hit me that I had read that my 5th great grandfather was buried in a small cemetery now overrun with weeds, his old headstone a shambles.  It reminded me of that last scene in The Gangs of New York where they are standing over the old gravestone,  and Leonardo DiCaprio turns to Cameron Diaz and says, "No matter what they did, for the rest of time, it would be like no one even knew that we was ever here."

And as they walk away, the city grows around them, covers the graves, and it is as if they really were never there.  By far the most powerful closing I have ever seen.

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row,
Would you be proud of them?
Or don't you really know?

Strange discoveries are often made,
In climbing the family tree.
Sometimes one is found in line
Who shocks the progeny.

If you could see your ancestors
All standing in a row,
Perhaps there might be one or two
You wouldn't care to know.

Now turn the question right about
And take another view.
When you shall meet your ancestors
Will they be proud of you?

--Author Unknown--

Each of us inherits a legacy from our ancestors. It is part of our birthright. And we leave a legacy for our progeny. It is part of the inheritance we leave behind. Honoring our lineage honors ourselves. It deepens and strengthens our intuition.

Honoring our ancestors is, then, a form of healing. Hanging pictures on the wall or placing them in scrapbooks is one way to honor your ancestors. Visits to a cemetery are another. Wearing or carrying with you an object that has been passed down through the family and even making a recipe that has been handed down is a way of paying respects.  

Hoping you all have a wonderful day.  And for those of  you who have to work, Labor Day is only a little over two months away.

It's Independence Day

I build my nest on the mountain's crest,
Where the wild winds rock my eaglets to rest,
Where the lightnings flash, and the thunders crash,
And the roaring torrents foam and dash;
For my spirit free henceforth shall be
A type of the sons of Liberty.

Aloft I fly from my aërie high,
Through the vaulted dome of the azure sky;
On a sunbeam bright take my airy flight,
And float in a flood of liquid light;
For I love to play in the noontide ray,
And bask in a blaze from the throne of day.

Away I spring with a tireless wing,
On a feathery cloud I poise and swing;
I dart down the steep where the lightnings leap,
And the clear blue canopy swiftly sweep;
For, dear to me is the revelry
Of a free and fearless Liberty.

I love the land where the mountains stand,
Like the watch-towers high of a Patriot band;
For I may not bide in my glory and pride,
Though the land be never so fair and wide,
Where Luxury reigns o'er voluptuous plains,
And fetters the free-born soul in chains.

Then give to me in my flights to see
The land of the pilgrims ever free!
And I never will rove from the haunts I love
But watch, from my sentinel-track above,
Your banner free, o'er land and sea,
And exult in your glorious Liberty.

O, guard ye well the land where I dwell,
Lest to future times the tale I tell,
When slow expires in smoldering fires
The goodly heritage of your sires,
How Freedom's light rose clear and bright
O'er fair Columbia's beacon-hight,
Till ye quenched the flame in a starless night.

Then will I tear from your pennon fair
The stars ye have set in triumph there;
My olive-branch on the blast I'll launch,
The fluttering stripes from the flagstaff wrench,
And away I'll flee; for I scorn to see
A craven race in the land of the free!

For My Ancestors

Mark Walton, b. 1758 in Pequannock, New Jersey. He was a Captain in the Morris County Militia. He died 22 August 1817.

And his father, Jacob Walton, who went off to the war and was never heard from again. It is possible that he is the Jacob Walton who died in the Battle of Germantown, Pennsylvania.

 

 Colonel William Prescott, Commander of the The Battle of Bunker Hill.

"Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes."--Colonel William Prescott

Oliver Prescott, son of the Honorable Benjamin Prescott. When the war broke out, he enlisted and in 1776, he was appointed Brigadier General.

Josiah Prescott of of Salisbury, Massachusetts, served in Captain John Peabody's company.

My 5th great grandfather, Francis Leighton, b. 22 July 1732 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. His son, Reuben, my 4th great grandfather, b. January, 1762. Reuben enlisted in Company G, 5th Cavalry Brigade. He received the Distinguished Service Award. 

Oliver Hildreth, Jonah Hildreth, Abijah Hildreth from Colonal James Prescott's regiment who 'marched from home for defense of ye Colony, against the ministerial troops and continued in service until ordered back to take care of the Tories in Townsend."

...From Southhold, Long Island: Thomas Bartlett, John Bartlett, John Bartlett, Richard Bartlett, Richard Bartlett, Sr....John, Jonathan, and Nathan Wheeler...

...Captain Cyrus Dehart of Elizabethtown, New Jersey.

Major General Philemon Dickerson, leading General of the Militia of New Jersey. 

My 5th great-grandfather, John Pollard, from Piscataway who served in the New Jersey Continental Line and Regiment. a teamster in Colonel Munson's brigade. And his son, John Bradford Pollard.

On this, a special day of remembrance, know that you are loved and remembered.  Know that you did not fight in vain, for I live and I am free.  Thank you for your service.

In closing, I would also like to say that today I celebrate two years free of cigarettes....my own personal Independence Day, so to speak.


Wishing you all a wonderful, joyous day.  Be safe and be happy.

'Tis moonlight, summer moonlight,
All soft and still and fair;
The solemn hour of midnight
Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,

But most where trees are sending
Their breezy boughs on high,
Or stooping low are lending
A shelter from the sky.

And there in those wild bowers
A lovely form is laid;
Green grass and dew-steeped flowers
Wave gently round her head.

Well, Friday has finally rolled around.  And a three day weekend, to boot.  Been looking forward to this.  I really have no special plans for this weekend.  I do hope to get out and do a little shopping, maybe get a few little things to last me through this summer.  The problem is that the stores move through the seasons so quickly that there are no guarantees that I wil be able to find something.  It was last year about this time that I went out all excited to find some sales and was disappointed to find that the summer items were relegated to a few racks and fall items had already taken over.  

I'm sorry, but that really bothers me.  Time is already passing by so quickly.  For gosh sakes, give us a chance to enjoy it.  It's summer.  Let me enjoy it.  Autumn will be here soon enough, and if the stores want to put their fall items up in August, I won't complain, but July?  Too soon.   I don't know about you, but when its 90 degrees and humid, and the sweat is pouring off me, I can't even look at a long-sleeved shirt, so, for the life of me, I don't understand their logic.  And the holidays....that's even worse.  They'll have Christmas here before we know it.  


But, hey, I'm not going to sit here complaining.  It's a three day weekend, and I am going to savor every moment of it.   Ancestry sent me an email that they've got the records of the Sons of the American Revolution, and I plan to make some time to check it out.  What perfect timing...a three-day weekend, a day to honor those who fought that our country may be free, a day to honor our ancestors...  


...and with that, here's hoping each and every one of you have a wonderful weekend filled with joy, love, and laughter. 

New Moon in Cancer

July 1st  will bring us a New Moon in Cancer, accompanied by a partial Solar Eclipse.  In astrology, Eclipses speed up issues and situations in our personal lives and demand that we deal with them.  They trigger change.
Cancer is ruled by the Moon, which makes this New Moon a powerful one. A Solar Eclipse in Cancer generates sensitivity and feeling. 

The New Moon always signals a time of new beginnings, new cycles, rebirth.  The focus here will be on Cancer related issues such as home, family, our sense of emotional security and belonging.  On a personal level, we might feel a bit more insecure than usual.  As a result, one might have the tendency to be more sensitive and irritable. This watery Moon may also bring up memories of our childhood, and you may find yourself delving deep into your personal history.  And, since Cancer is the sign of motherhood, you may feel a longing to return to a childlike state and be cared for.  This Cancer New Moon provides an opportunity to resolve familial wounds.

 You may also find that your current home is much more meaningful to you at this time.  And, if you are someone who is always on the go, perhaps you may find yourself wanting to hang out at home during this New Moon, finding yourself drawn to deal with family responsibilities. 

Think about everything that is going on in your life right now? Is there anything connected with the sign of Cancer that has become  a major focus in your life?  Home?  Family?  Child care?  Motherhood?  Caretaking?

Superstitions in connection with the appearance of the Moon are numerous; it generally presides over lovers' wishes. In Devonshire, the young people, as soon as they see the first new moon after Midsummer, go to a stile, turn their backs to it, and say:

All hail, new moon, all hail to thee!
I pray thee, good moon, reveal to me
This night who shall my true lore be;
Who is he, and what he wears,
And what he does all months and years. 

Personal Space

“Personal space refers to an area with invisible boundaries surrounding a persons body into which intruders may not come.”--Robert Sommer

We New Yorkers certainly have a thing with space.  Perhaps it is because we have none; hence, we are always ready to do battle for what we consider our personal space, that area around us that we prefer not to be occupied by another person.  Our turf, so to speak.  And when someone invades our comfort zone, we feel uncomfortable and some even react in some negative way. We've all experienced an invader at some time or another. 

For example, last night I rode the train home from work with a co-worker.  While waiting for the train, we had been discussing our reactions to a recent visit by the CEO of our company and how we felt that he was trying to pacify us when we expressed our concerns about our new office space.  When the train arrived, we found two seats across the aisle from each other, and since both of us are older ladies, we both chose to sit rather than carry on our conversation.  Resting our weary tootsies was more important than carrying on with our gossip.  I felt the lady I sat next to stiffen a little and move may 1/2 inch away,  but as soon as my co-worker sat down, the woman in next seat rather hastily jumped to her feet and moved off to the side, all the while glaring at my co-worker for invading what she perceived to be her a violation of her personal space.  

I've had worse happen to me.  I was at the register at a Rite Aid preparing to pay when one of my items fell to the floor.  As I bent to retrieve it, I barely brushed against the lady behind me, and she went off on me.  And when I say she went off, I mean she went off.  She shouted called me all kinds of names and brushed off her arm like I gave her cooties or something. The woman would not stop. Screamed at me until I paid and left the store.Talk about boundary issues!!!  It's actually quite funny when I think of it now, but, at the time, it was pretty embarrassing to say the least.

Now, granted, she was a rather extreme example, and there was obviously something wrong with her, but don't we all do it?  Don't  we all surround ourselves with a protective fence which forms an invisible boundary around us?  It's a perfectly normal human reaction to feel uncomfortable when someone moves into our space.  I know, myself,  when I am seated on the subway and someone squeezes into the seat next to me, I feel my body tighten.  It's an automatic reaction, but it's up to me how I react.  I always take a deep breath and try putting myself in the other person's place;  after all, I have a seat, and there is a seat next to me that is empty,  so why shouldn't they be able to sit?  Why, they've probably had just the same busy day as I have.  Somehow, I always feel better when I trade places with the other person....although, I have to admit,  it can be a little frustrating when the person begins rifling through their bag, eating something, or rattling the newspaper , but that's another story.  There are other things, too, that violate one's personal space.  Here are a few of mine:

I don't know about where you work, but in my place of work it seems we all have our same seats when it comes to lunch or staff meetings.  Even clients seem to sit in the same seats, group after group.  It seems as if I begin to feel strangely homeless when someone takes my seat in our staff meeting or lunch room, and I find myself forced to see elsewhere.  I want to cry out, "That's my seat",  but, the truth is, it is not.
 
Or, how about  when a stranger sits at  your table when other tables are available?  Why do they have to do that?  They don't attempt to chat with you, so they are not trying to be your friend.  They are just invading, pure and simple.
 
Hearing someone's cell phone conversation. On my subway ride home the train comes up out of the tunnel for two stops before diving back down again.  As soon as the first sign of light, people are dialing their phones and talking about what time they will be home or what they are having for dinner.  Who cares?  I have my own worries.  And I especially hate those 'beep beep' things where you hear both sides of the conversation.  Is nothing sacred anymore?
 
Loud people, or music.  Worse yet, why wear headphones if you are going to blast your music so loud that I am going to hear it anyway?
 
Spammers on my blogs.  Oh, do ever feel invaded when that happens.  My blogs are my sacred place.  I don't violate others' space, so please don't do it to mind.  And, with the American Woman Hater making his rounds, I think a lot of us are feeling this way right now.

So, what are some of your pet peeves?
 

Look to This Day

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the verities
and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendor of achievement,
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today well lived makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness
And tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
Such is the salutation to the dawn.

Ancient Sanskrit Poem

Didn't sleep very well last night so thus far today I have been moving around in a fog.   Should have called in sick today.  Don't know why I didn't.  Sometimes I am just a glutton for punishment.   Needless to say, I am here, and I am trying very hard to stay focused on the day as the poem above says, but truth be told, all I can think about is crawling into my bed tonight. 

Hoping you all have a great day.  I'm going to try my best to make the most of mine.