The Dog Days of Summer

The Dog days of summer
 

The dog days of summer are upon us but what does that actually mean? You might think that they have something to do with hot and humid weather and though this is part of the meaning behind the phrase, the term has astrological roots. The dog days of summer are July 3 through August 11 during which those days are the 20 days before and 20 days after the “Dog” star Sirius rises and falls in conjunction with sun. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellations Canis Major. The ancients Romans believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. During the time between July and August the “dog” star rising with our sun made the ancients think the heat of two stars where making us hotter. In modern times we know that there is no heat generated from this very distant star, but the term stuck. So even in modern times we consider the hot and muggy time of the summer between late July and mid-August as the dog days of summer.
 
And what does the dog animal medicine have to teach us? Dog medicine asks you to look at how readily your sense of loyalty is countermanded by your need for approval.
 
Be loyal to yourself. Be true to others. Bolster your integrity. 
 
Source: Sams, Jamie and Carson, David. Medicine Cards (Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988).

 
|| \\  Jessica McDonald  // || is this week's featured BTH Tribe member. Jessy is always a source of inspiration and creativity in my life. 
 
I met Jessica when I interned with her at ACATCM during my second year of clinic in my Acupuncture program. Jessica was the class year before me and I had the incredible opportunity to follow and learn from her in clinic. I always looked forward to the days spent practicing with Jessica and learned and was continuously inspired by her warmth and compassion for each individual patient and her desire to create succinct, individualized and effective treatment plans for all of her patients. 
 
In addition to Jessy being a talented practitioner whom I turn to often for my own clinic feedback, she is always such a great energy to be in company with. She has a very sacred space created at her Sunalta clinic and in addition,  she is a very active contributing member to the greater community volunteering time to work with local groups providing community treatment for PTSD, providing treatments at an addictions treatment centre as well as delivering many health and wellness talks to the local community.
 
Check out some fun Q&A time with Jessica and contact her if you are looking for an engaging, supportive, and compassionate Acupuncturist

Q&A Time
 
Top 5 songs on your playlist right now
Relaxing, spa music (always playing in my treatment room)
Anything catchy and summery on the radio
 
Podcasts are my new favorite thing to listen to…currently following:
The Failure Factor
 Mentoring Moments: Women Mentors
Girlboss Radio.
 
Inspiring women are my jam!
Click here to check out a playlist dedicated to BTH Tribe Vibes.
 
The summer event you are counting down the days until
Folk Festival! This is my favorite Calgary event of the whole year. I love the collaborations, the energy, and it’s all outdoors! 
 
3 core desired feelings resonating with you right now
Contentedness, Joy, Inspiration 
 
When and/or where do you feel the most alive, most like yourself?
I feel the most alive when I am creating. It could be creating a point prescription or treatment plan for a client, an experiment in the kitchen, a plan for my future, or simply creating space for fluidity in my life.
 
If you could create your own spirit animal, what would it be and what does that represent to you?
The first thing that comes to mind is my dog, Willa. We rescued her from a high-kill shelter in CA, but I think she is the one who rescued me. She represents strength, resiliency, hope, empathy, compassion, and the purest of pure love. 

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