Dog Days of Summer ~ Dog Star Sirius

I could do a post on 3 July about the "dog days" of summer, thought I..... The Old Farmer's Almanac, a venerated publication first on the streets of the USA in 1792, has the dog days, summer's hottest, most sultry days, spanning 40 days from 3 July to 11 August. Other, possibly more up to date, sources have the dog days set during a slightly later period of summer. Whatever dates are involved there's a link to the heliacal (at sunrise) rising of Sirius the Dog Star. Movements of Sirius have been noted by inhabitants of planet earth from as long ago as records exist - and probably long before.

Sirius is a binary star system composed of Sirius A and Sirius B; there's supposition of a third star involved, but no proof of this. Sirius shines brightest of all bodies in the night sky. In case of difficulty pinpointing Sirius just look for the three stars in a row, forming Orion's belt, extend the line southeastward - there it is.



I found my self falling down one or two online rabbit holes into realms of myth and wonder while chasing information on Sirius. I resolved that I shall post only what can be seen to be true (ish). Those rabbit hole trips can be fun though.

What I mainly hoped to find was information from astrologers on how Sirius might be viewed astrologically, either in a natal chart on in mundane astrology i.e. affecting world events.

Rob Tillett at astrology.com has this interpretation on Sirius as a Fixed Star. More detail at the link. On the ecliptic Sirius falls around 14 Cancer, depending on the year (in 2010 it was at 14.13 Cancer).

Sirius: Ambition, pride, emotionality, fame, leadership, wealth, fires, drought, danger through impetuosity. Sirius was worshipped in many cultures; its heliacal rising signalled the peak of summer, the annual flooding of the Nile and the beginning of the ancient Egyptian calendar.

The following paragraphs come from a longer and interesting piece on Sirius, written by Denise St.Denis at Souled Out.org

Liberation
Sirius is also associated with liberation; in fact, according to ancient teachings, the very concept of freedom itself resides in human consciousness because of the influence of this star system. Interestingly enough, the time each year our sun conjuncts Sirius at 14 degrees Cancer is close to July 4, America's Independence Day. Bastille Day, the French equivalent of Independence Day is July 14, and Canada celebrates its independence from England on July 1; Dominion Day. Venezuela's Independence Day is observed July 5, while Argentina's is celebrated on July 9. And noting, Iraq's Freedom Day, when the new Coalition government took control, happened on June 28, 2004 (two days earlier than it had been announced).

In 1993–1994, as the "great conjunction" of Sirius A and B approached, a wave of freedom swept our world culminating in the breakdown of the communist rule in Europe and the liberation of the Russian people from the hard-line Communist party. The Berlin Wall fell as the cold war ended ... these events transpired simultaneously with the magnetic forces building to their highest intensity on Sirius. Is there a connection? Perhaps. Conditions on our world may not become as dramatic as previously described; nevertheless, certain major adjustments are likely to occur.

Interesting eh?

The next "great conjunction" of Sirius A and B, will occur in around 50 years from 1993 = 2043. I'll not be around 31 years from now, but if a younger reader passes by and stops to read, do make a note of the year 2043, and watch what happens then!