September 2025
September – the seventh month? (Latin septimus meaning seventh). So, why is it the ninth month, if we start from January? Because it comes before October – the eighth month (octaua Latin for eighth), and it follows that November (Latin nonus for ninth) and December (Latin decimo – tenth) conclude the year. So, January to August are alternative month names in sequence. Incidentally, I will just mention that the name of March comes from Martius, the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. Similarly, August comes from the Latin word augustus, meaning “consecrated” or “venerable,” which in turn is related to the Latin augur, meaning “consecrated by augury” or “auspicious.” In 8 B.C. the Roman Senate honoured Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, by changing the name of their sixth month (Sextilis) to Augustus. It follows that Augury included a Greco-Roman religious practice of observing the behaviour of birds, to receive omens. When the individual, known as the augur, read these signs, it was referred to as “taking the auspices”. “Auspices” can mean “looking at birds”. Auspex, another word for augur, (Latin: auspicium) “one who looks at birds”. It augers well if you do!
September contains the autumn equinox, about the 21st when daylength equals night length. Nature responds by forcing our deciduous trees to decide to shed their leaves, the insects they support either die, or hibernate, as do other animals such as dormice and hedgehogs. Many bird species such as swallows and the various warblers fly back to Africa, at least most of them do. With global heating, more birds are deciding to stay all year round. As insectivores, this means that more insects are also remaining active all year as well. It also follows that the plants the insects feed on are continuing to grow. Am I the only one who has noticed a few roses or primulas still flowering in December? Roses support aphids, which are a favourite insectivorous bird food. As I write now it is August. The world is buzzing with insects, it is frequently hot, and many plants of all sizes are wilting in the drought. The reservoirs are running short of water, and we are told to use it wisely. This spring, I took advantage of the offer by South East Water to purchase another water butt from them at an amazingly low price. It is useful now as I can water my roses etc to keep them alive through the drought. The mosquitos also seem to be benefitting from them as a breeding site. Another SEW initiative was to offer a reduction in our water bills if we have a soak-away (we do) in the garden to cope with surface run-off. It reduces pressure on the drains and can reduce flooding risk, it also keeps rainwater in the garden to support the trees and other plants. Many people may not even realise they have a soak-away, but it may be recorded in the house documents. Auspicium Melioris Aevi. (Latin for ‘Hope of a Better Age’).