The Almanac
— ✦ —
July
2026
TODAY is Saturday, July 18th, the
199th day of 2026, and there are 167 days left in the year. The moon is in Virgo and the season is Summer (element of fire - peak energy, passion, and illumination).
The next sabbat, Lughnasadh, is in 15 days. Today's moon is waxing (4.8 days old) and 24% full. The full moon for this phase is on Wednesday, July 29th, and the new moon will be on Wednesday, August 12th.
In the Native American tradition, the July moon is named the Buck Moon. 
Mercury is currently retrograde - this shadow period runs through July 23rd (5 days remaining). Communication, intellect, and awareness are all within Mercury's domain, as are logic and reasoning, our manner of thinking, and how we create and express our thought processes. Remain flexible, allow extra time for travel, and avoid signing contracts until Mercury is direct again.
- Today's Correspondences -
- Sun Sign
- Cancer (element of water)
- Color
- black (negativity and banishment) / deep purple (ambition and power)
- Planet
- Saturn (elements of water and earth)
- Incense
- myrrh, civet, and ironwood
- Herb
- mullein
- Stone
- obsidian
- Tarot Card
- Five of Swords
- Gods
- Saturn and Hecate.
- Keywords
- psychic ability, meditation, and communication with spirits.
- Rune
- ᛞ Dagaz - Dawn and breakthrough - the transformative threshold between night and new day.
- Today's Activity -
Your activity is to burn black candles to absorb negativity and burn purple ones to increase your magical wisdom and boost your spirituality. Close up the final day of the bewitching week with a bang by calling on Hecate for protection and guidance. Put up a barrier to keep the unwelcome out, eliminate the things that make you miserable, and wash your hands of anything other than your hopes, dreams and goals.
- Weather Lore -
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
- Seek the Cards -
Draw three cards and let the deck speak. Playing Card Divination — free cartomancy readings using a standard deck, with full interpretations and suit progressions.
- Also -
Mercury is currently retrograde - this shadow period runs through July 23rd (5 days remaining). Communication, intellect, and awareness are all within Mercury's domain, as are logic and reasoning, our manner of thinking, and how we create and express our thought processes. Remain flexible, allow extra time for travel, and avoid signing contracts until Mercury is direct again.