August was named for the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar (23 September, 63 B.C.E.--29 August, 14 C.E.).

August 2--The anniversary of the death of the second Norman king of England, William II Rufus, who was killed in 1100.

August 4--Commemorates the Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbria, Oswald, who died in battle in 642 C.E.

August 12--Ancient Egyptian festival of Lights of Isis, which was later changed to the Christian day of St. Clare.

August 15--Day of St. Mary, the continuation of the Great Mother goddess in her fertile aspect. Later changed to the Christian festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Also marks the end of the dog days of summer, the hottest period of the year.

August 17--The first day of Odin's ordeal on the world tree Yggdrasil, where he hung for nine days and nights, which led to the discovery of the runes.

September is so called because it was the seventh month of the old Roman calendar. The goddess Pomona, patroness of fruit and fruit-bearing trees is the ruling deity of September. The backwoods moon of September is the Harvest Moon.

September is most notable for containing the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 23rd.

September 20--Alexander the Great was born on this day in 356 B.C.E. Famous writers born in September include Stephen King, September 21, 1947 and Terry D. Scheerer, September 26, 1949.
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