Originally known as Quintilis, July was the fifth month of the old Roman calendar. It is named after Julius Caesar, the legendary Roman general, who was born around the 12th or 13th of the month. To the ancestors of the Saxon people, the name for July translates, roughly, to foliage month—a fitting description, since flora is especially abundant in July.
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Hosts of golden flowers open up under the sun, swaying in the summer breeze, while barley and wheat bend gracefully in the light. White lilies, with their serene, clean hues, display their purity in pristine glades.
Though it is sometimes known as ‘the mute month,’ due to the birds’ silence, July is vibrant with life. Wrens, swallows, and partridges roost in the fully-flowered trees, tending to their nests. Fishermen gather mackerel and salmon in babbling waters. Farmers watch the brilliant colors of strawberries, cherries, peaches, and apricots ripen before their eyes. On sandy shores, sea lavender and maritime plants spread their collage of color.
July’s birthstone is the ruby, a crimson gem that gleams with energies of success and integrity, and is also associated with the attainment of bliss; the month’s flower is the larkspur, a blossom that radiates joy—believed, by ancient Romans, to have originally been a dolphin (transformed by Neptune, god of the sea).
The astrological signs of the month are Cancer, until the 22nd, and Leo for the remaining days. Loyal and home-loving, Cancers are grounded in tradition and are often fascinated by history. Leos are born leaders, brave and savvy while also loving and sensitive.
