Because this Mesopotamian calendar acts as a supplement to our main Kemetic Reform calendar, which officially starts on July 18th, it begins three months into the Standard Babylonian Year and will end three months into the next liturgical year. Such variations aside, it should present a fairly general idea of regular observances in Mesopotamian – which includes Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian – Pagan practice.
Each month begins with the first lunar crescent. Here, calculated dates (as opposed to estimated sightings) are used. Standard Babylonian month names and major holidays, such as theAkitu Festivals and the Feast of Dumuzi, are given in bold print. In ancient times, major lunar phases marked regular observances that were held in temples; today, simple readings of prayers or offerings can be performed by an individual on the quarter phases. On the eighteenth day of each month, the sun god Utu (Akkadian Shamash) was honored with a prayer and libation.
In the ancient Syrian city of Mari, the sixteenth day of each month seems to have marked a “Hunt” of the goddess Ishtar. How this was honored remains unknown, but simple prayers and offerings could certainly suffice. Here, we are extrapolating the idea of the “Hunt” to include the West Semitic goddess Anat, who shared attributes with Ishtar and could be similarly honored. (Anat came to be venerated in New Kingdom Egypt as well, so Her inclusion fits comfortably into our overall theme.)
Full moons often, but not always, marked the occasion of a Sizkur-Gula or “Great Offering” ritual. The last three days of the month, concluding with the new moon, marked the time when ancestral spirits and departed loved ones were honored with a kispum (or 'kispu') ritual in the home. Surviving kispum prayers invoke Nanna (Akkadian Suen or Sin) to act on behalf of the dead, but personal deities can also be addressed. The kispum does not have to be performed on all three days; once during that time frame is sufficient.
Full rituals and prayers for all of these observances can be found in my newest book, In Praise of Ishtar: Modern-Day Worship of the Ancient Goddess. Inanna-zami - Inanna be praised!
July 21st (Tuesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
July 25th (Saturday) – Babylonian Summer Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Esagila and Ezida
July 29th (Wednesday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
July 30th (Thursday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
August 1st (Saturday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
August 5th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers of lamentations
August 10th -12th (Monday-Wednesday) – Feast of Dumuzi
August 10th (Monday) – Day of Wailing; read lamentations at sunset
August 11th (Tuesday) – Day of Redemption; perform healing or cleansing rites
August 12th (Wednesday) – Day of Dumuzi; host elunum (memorial) feast as part of kispum
August 20th (Thursday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
August 23rd (Sunday) – Day of erum; Wailing (er-gula) for Ishtar begins at sundown
August 24th (Monday) – Day of tirum (“return”) for Ishtar; offer prayers
August 27th (Thursday) – Full Moon; Feast of Abu (Sumerian “Feast of Ghosts”)
August 28th (Friday) – Hunt of Ishtar and Anat
August 30th (Sunday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
September 4th (Friday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
September 9th-11th (Wedneday-Friday) – Maqlu (fire cleansing) rites; days for monthly kispum
September 16th (Wednesday) – Ishtar (Inanna) visits Ninlil
September 18th (Friday) – Ishtar (Inanna) visits Nanna/Suen; First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
September 26th (Saturday) – Full Moon; Feast of Kin-Inanna; purification for Ishtar and other Goddesses; honor historical en-priestesses
September 27th (Sunday) – Akitu Feast of Ishtar of Arbela; Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
September 29th (Tuesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
October 3rd (Saturday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
October 8th-10th (Thursday-Saturday) – days for monthly kispum
October 17th (Saturday) – Day of Sebut Sebim (“Seventh of the Seventh”); purification rites
October 18th (Sunday) – First Quarter; Fall Akitu begins
October 25th (Sunday) – Fall Akitu; Full Moon; read shu-ila (“hand-raising”) prayers
October 26th (Monday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
October 28th (Wednesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
November 1st (Sunday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
November 6th (Friday) – Elunum Feast for the Sacred Mound and the Ancestors of Enlil
November 7th-9th (Saturday-Monday) – days for monthly kispum
November 17th (Tuesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
November 24th (Tuesday) – Full Moon; perform Sizkur-Gula rites
November 25th (Wednesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
November 27th (Friday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
December 1st (Tuesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
December 7th-9th (Monday-Wednesday) – days for monthly kispum
December 10th through 17th – Week of honoring Ishtar
December 12th (Saturday) – Ishtar wears the robes of Marduk
December 17th (Thursday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
December 19th or 20th (Saturday or Sunday) – Brazier Festival
December 23rd (Wednesday) – Full Moon; perform nabru divinations
December 25th (Friday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
December 27th (Sunday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
December 30th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
January 1st (Friday) – Happy 2027!
January 5th-7th (Tuesday-Thursday) – days for monthly kispum
January 10th (Sunday) – Babylonian Winter Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Ezida and Esagila
January 15th (Friday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
January 22nd (Friday) – Full Moon; Awakening of Ishtar or Fire Festival, perform nabru-divinations
January 23rd (Saturday) – Observe Awakening of Ishtar; Fire Festival of Uruk; Hunt of Ishtar and Anat
January 25th (Monday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
January 29th (Friday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
January 30th (Saturday) – Feast of the Boat of Heaven
February 4th-6th (Thursday-Saturday) – days for monthly kispum
February 14th (Sunday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
February 20th (Saturday) – Full Moon; Feast of the Early Grass; honor personal Goddesses
February 22nd (Monday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
February 24th (Wednesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
February 28th (Sunday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
March 6th -8th (Saturday-Monday) – days for monthly kispum
March 15th (Monday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
March 22nd (Monday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
March 24th (Wednesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
March 26th (Friday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
March 30th (Tuesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
April 5th-7th (Monday-Wednesday) – days for monthly kispum
April 10th-11th (Saturday-Sunday) – Observe Spring Akitu ritual
April 13th (Tuesday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
April 20th (Tuesday) – Full Moon; perform Sizkur-Gula or Enthronement Rites
April 23rd (Friday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
April 25th (Sunday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
April 28th (Wednesday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
May 4th-6th (Tuesday-Thursday) – days for monthly kispum
May 13th (Thursday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
May 20th (Thursday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (“hand-raising”) prayers, perform Sizkur-Gula rites
May 22nd (Saturday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
May 24th (Monday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
May 28th (Friday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations; Gusisu Feast (actual date)
May 29th (Saturday) observe Gusisu Feast for Ninurta; perform divinations, offer beer to Ishtar
June 2nd -4th (Wednesday-Friday) – days for monthly kispum
June 11th (Friday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
June 12th (Saturday) – Sizkur-Gula for Ishtar and Gula, Blessing Brick Molds observed
June 14th (Monday) – Sizkur-Gula for Ishtar of Uruk; Blessing of the Brick Molds (actual date)
June 18th (Friday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
June 20th (Sunday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
June 22nd (Tuesday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
June 27th (Sunday) – Last quarter; read prayers or lamentations
June 30th (Wednesday) – Sizkur-Gula for the Goddess Gula (actual date)
July 2nd-4th (Friday-Sunday) – days for monthly kispum
July 10th (Saturday) – First Quarter; read lamentation hymns
July 15th (Thursday) – Babylonian Summer Solstice; honor the Sisters of the Esagila and Ezida
July 18th (Sunday) – Full Moon; read shu-ila (hand-raising) prayers
July 20th (Tuesday) – Hunt of Ishtar, Anat
July 22nd (Thursday) – Honor Utu/Shamash
July 26th (Monday) – Last quarter; read prayers of lamentations
July 31st-August 2nd (Saturday-Monday) – Feast of Dumuzi
July 31st (Saturday) – Day of Wailing; read lamentations at sunset
August 1st (Sunday) – Day of Redemption; perform healing or cleansing rites
August 2nd (Monday) – Day of Dumuzi; host elunum (memorial) feast as part of kispum