Significant dates from folklore, lunar and meteorological activites this month in green
Selected Events (Harmony Healing and other events as notified) in black
Timings given are UK time (GMT+1), click here to convert to your time zone
August in Britain is school summer holidays. Time for summer camping and outdoor festivals and, our Summer Bank Holiday, this year on Monday 30th August, with typically lots of rain. As someone with a late August birthday I can testify to rain being very common indeed.
The month of August was renamed by Augustus Caesar, after himself. Under Roman rule it was previous called Sextilllia, meaning the 6th month in Latin. This was before January became the opening month of the calendar year, when the Gregorian calendar was established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. To the Anglo-Saxons, it was called Ƿēodmōnaþ meaning ‘weed (or grass) month’.
During August, we have Khemitian (Ancient Egyptian) New Year on 1st - which is also Pagan Lunasa/Lammas, Lion’s Gate (8th) and the Perseid Meteors (9th - 17th August, peaking 11th/12th). Ths year (postponed from last year) we will have the final week of the Tokyo Olympics at the start of the month. We can also look forward to three other annual Egyptian Festivals plus a selection of Chinese, Buddhist and Hindu Festivals as well as a Roman annual commemoration. We have Surrey Forest Bathing events on the 8th & 15th. The Full Moon takes place on Sunday 22nd, with the Sturgeon Moon peaking at 13.02 – there’s no Full Moon Meditation the month because of the holiday season.
Sunday 1st August is the Ancient Egyptian New year, traditionally marking the start of the Nile flood, started by the tears of Aset (Isis) over the death of Asar (Osirus). The exact correlation of the Egyptian New year to the modern calendar is disputed, but I favour the linking with the heliacal rising of Sirius (dawn visibility of Sirius) as this star, known to the Egyptians as Sopdet (pronounced Soppday) was closely associated with Aset.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this is also the Pagan Celebration of Lunasa (also known as Lammas), this is the start of the harvest, season of pregnancy, ripening, transformation and peace. This marks the height of the northern summer, when the Earth is most alive.
Sunday 8th August @ 14:50 is Lunasa New Moon & Lion's Gate.
The New Moon Abundance Ritual should be carried out within 24 hours after the New Moon. It needs to be after the New Moon because the moon should be waxing (getting bigger again) to carry the manifestation energy. There are video instructions on my Facebook Page or You Tube Page.
New Moon is a good time to work on your Vision Board for the rest of 2021.
Sunday 8th August is The Lion's Gate. August 8th (8:8 in numerology) has always been experienced as the Lions Gate doorway opening up a time portal to ancient Egyptian encodings situated between the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza.
It is said to be an energy doorway, which activates through the Solar Lion into the etheric and the Hall of Records (Akasha) and is said to be associated with the marriage of matter and antimatter, where polarities meet and merge.
Encrypted at sacred sites all over the world, but headquartered at Giza Egypt, these long-established data programmes, communicate with our own inner crystalline codes held in our DNA. By tuning in and connecting with these codings we may be able to access a portal ancient truths and wisdoms resulting in an accelerated spiritual awakening.
Sunday 8th August,10.30-1.30pm, Forest Bathing+ with Katie Robinson at Newlands Corner, Guildford, £35 (+ Eventbrite fee = £38.32).
Immerse yourself in the healing elements of nature and connect deeply with all your senses. Spend 3 hours in the woods mindfully connecting to your surroundings and living fully in the present moment, guided by me in simple sensory exercises and a treelaxtion. A deeply relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and which, despite the title forest bathing,does not involve any swimming!
Some of the scientifically proven benefits of spending time in woodland include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle.
This is a 3-hour Forest Bathing+ session which will take place in all weathers except 30+mph winds or electrical storms.
Book at Eventbrite.If the event is showing as full, email to go on a waitlist.
Monday 9th August – Tuesday 17th August may be able to see some Perseid meteors. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 13th (predawn), this year it's worth checking in the early hours of the 9th - 12th August when there may be less light pollution following the New Moon on the 8th.
However, you may be able to see some meteors any time between 17th July and 24th August. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. Look to the northeast after midnight. For more, see diagram left and earthsky.org website, from where the image has been taken.
Wednesday11th August & Thursday 12th August (see entry under 9th August). The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. Look to the northeast after midnight; with the quarter moon presiding - weather permitting - viewing could be reasonable. See earthsky.org website for more.
Thursday 12th August is the Day of the Light of Aset (Isis). On this day Aset (Isis) is celebrated with all forms of light including sun worship, during the day and candles at night. Interesting that it is very close to the date of the Roman Festival of Diana (varies 11th-13th August though mostly shown as the 13th), which no doubt was a development from the Egyptian Festival. Image here of Auset (Isis) is from Wikipedia is by Jeff Dahl [CC BY-SA 4.0]. Informative Egyptian laminated posters by Jacqui Taliesin El Masry (Alkhemi.co.uk) are available from this site - see Harmony Shop.
Friday 13th August, in Roman tradition, is the Festival of Diana, being the date upon which King Servius Tullius dedicated her shrine on the Aventine Hill in Rome in the mid-sixth century BCE. Diana was the hunting goddess, associated with wild animals and woodlands. She later became a moon goddess, supplanting Luna; and the moon was an emblem of chastity.
Oak groves were especially sacred to her. She was praised in poetry for her strength, athletic grace, purity, distinct beauty, and hunting skill. Despite her virginal status, Diana was also a Goddess of Fertility.
Friday 13th - Sunday 15th August is Obon (also known as Bon); a Buddhist festival to honour dead loved ones. Celebrated through the lighting of bonfires, sacred meals, paper lanterns and dancing. See more at japan-guide.com.
Sunday 15th August,11am - 2pm, Forest Bathing+ in the grounds of Harry Edward's Healing Sanctuary, £35 (+ Eventbrite fee = £38.32).
Immerse yourself in the healing elements of nature and connect deeply with all your senses. Spend 3 hours in the woods mindfully connecting to your surroundings and living fully in the present moment, guided by me in simple sensory exercises and a treelaxtion. A deeply relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and which, despite the title forest bathing,does not involve any swimming!
Some of the scientifically proven benefits of spending time in woodland include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle.
This is a 3-hour Forest Bathing+ session which will take place in all weathers except 30+mph winds or electrical storms.
Book at Eventbrite.If the event is showing as full, email me on j to go on a waitlist.
Wednesday 18th August is the Egyptian Feast of Wagy. Taking place seventeen days after the Egyptian celebrations of New Year's Day, there was the more sombre feast of Wagy, when families paid respect to their ancestors. They came to the tombs of the deceased, with offerings, performing rituals, specifically "fumigations" - producing fumes - smoke. The ceremonies were often followed by a funerary meal.
Thursday 19th August is the Festival of Tehuti (Thoth) marking the occasion on which Tehuti (Thoth) ordered the healing of the eye of Heru (Horus). Image right of Tehuti (Thoth) is from Wikipedia is by Jeff Dahl [CC BY-SA 4.0].
An MP3 Meditation to visit the Akashic Records with Tehuti is available from the CDs and Meditations section of the Harmony Shop. This is a meditation to visit your personal Akashic record (which the Egyptians believed were housed in the Halls of Amenti) to see if hidden blockages to your spiritual growth and wellbeing may be revealed at this time. The totality of the Akashic records are said to contain and describe all knowledge of human experience as well as the history of the cosmos; so they could be described as the DNA of the Universe. This meditation was devised for 19th August or 19th September (both being Festivals of Tehuti) would add emphasis, but can be used anytime.
Saturday 21st August is the Roman Festival of Consualia, to honour Consus, the god of counsel, and the one who protects the harvest, which was in storage at the time of the festival. Mars, as a protector of the harvest, was also honoured on this day, as were the Lares, the household Gods that individual families held sacred. During the celebration horses, mules, and assess were exempted from all labour, and were led through the streets adorned with garlands and flowers. Chariot races were held this day in the Circus Maximus, which included an odd race in which chariots were pulled by mules.
Sunday 22nd August @ 13:02 (Hazel Sturgeon Moon, Blue Moon by old definition, Sun enters Virgo at 22:35). Theres no Full Moon meditation this month because of the holiday season.
Between this date and the next New Moon is considered as a good time energetically for detoxing the body.
Click here for Angela McGerr's Full Moon Angelic Meditation with Gabriel.
Image of Gabriel by Richard Rockwood from Angela McGerr's Harmony Angel Cards.
Sunday 22nd August is Raksha Bandhan, the Hindu festival honouring the bond between brothers and sisters. Celebrated on the day of the Full Moon in August, see Wikipedia for more on this.
Sunday 22nd August is the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, this is the Buddhist Festival of All Souls or the Festival of Hungry Ghosts, when offerings are made until before the next New Moon (7th September) to spirits who have not yet found rest.
Monday 30th August is the Summer Bank Holiday in the UK.
Harmony Healing Blog updates can be emailed to you
The Harmony Healing regular Blog update can be emailed out with more information as the events above happen (updates are headed with a title detailing the occasion so you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance. See https://harmonyhealing.co.uk/blog for typical Blog entries. Sometimes Blogs will appear on successive days and at other times there will be no messages for a while. The sender e-mail address is j (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.
Acknowledgments
Celestial Forecast is compiled by Joanna Bristow-Watkins of Harmony Healing, the original is published at Joanna's Monthly Celestial Forecasts. It is created using many sources but notably the Moonwise Calendar and Lia Leendertz's 2021 Almanac. Whilst considerable effort is made to ensure accuracy, this is not an exact science and sources are sometimes contradictory!
These monthly Celestial Forecasts (CF) are generally uploaded to the Harmony Healing website a fortnight ahead and can be accessed via the drop-down box on the right. They are sent out to the main mailing list and CF subscribers a few days before the month starts.
Extracts from the Celestial Forecast are reproduced in Glyden Magick, an online magazine offered via Gylden Fellowship which is a fabulous resource for Neo-Pagans (particularly in the South of England when physical meet-ups can resume).
Extracts also appear in Jovi Hoonjan's Alchemical Voice magazine, an initiative to support small businesses in the UK. Jovi is a Shamanic Healer & Reiki Master, do visit her love2meditate.com website. Try Jovi's free online shamanic drumming guided meditation, the levels of consciousness for all her meditations have been calibrated as equal to Enlightenment.
