Herb Magic for Midsummer

Lock in that solar energy

Photo by Gina Spinelli on Unsplash

Hello,

Two emails from me in two days. What’s going on! It’s nearly the Summer Solstice is what so I’m here to make sure you’re all prepared for the big solar event of the year which happens next weekend (21st June).

Yesterday I shared five ways to celebrate the Solstice at home. Today I wanted to quickly share how best to dry herbs at Midsummer, an ancient practice thought to lock in the healing properties of the plant at the moment of peak solar energy.

You might already do this, or you might have never considered it, but it’s a simple ritual that only takes a few minutes, and feels very satisfying. Picking some herbs and bottling their magic to take with you through the coming year is an ancient practice that can help weave a little wild into our every day. It’s very cottage witch!

Herbs are cheap, easy to care for, smell incredible and I think everyone should have at least one pot on a windowsill or outside the door. If you need a prod to add some more to your garden before the solstice, consider this a nudge!

How to gather and dry herbs at the Solstice

Extract taken from The Solstice Yearbook, 2025. You can buy a copy directly from my shop here (UK delivery only), or find your local retailer here.

With garden herbs at their peak, now is the time to cut and preserve them for use through the rest of the year. Herbs were believed by many to be at their most potent at Midsummer and some cultures thought that herbs acquired extra strong and magical healing powers on this day. Drying herbs at the height of the sun’s power can help you to preserve some of their strong solar energy, allowing you to take it with you into the autumn and winter.

Different herbs will lend themselves to different purposes, from culinary use to fragrance and decoration. If you plan to use your herbs for cooking, first ensure you are very certain of their identification and then clearly label them. Also check their properties to ensure they are suitable for eating.

The same applies to herbs used for fragrance, as each herb has its own unique characteristics and properties, ranging from soothing to invigorating. Although a mixed bunch of herbs might look appealing, always pick and dry herbs separately, to ensure they retain their individual properties and avoid confusion at a later date.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Here are a few steps to follow to preserve your own herbs at Midsummer:

1. Pick your herbs first thing in the morning before the sun builds up too much heat, but after any morning dew has evaporated

2. Choose stems with healthy, intact leaves

3. Cut herbs at the base of each individual stem and group them in small bunches of 5-10 (any more than this and they won’t dry properly)

4. Use elastic bands to tie the stems together (if you use string it will become loose when the herb stems dry out and shrink)

5. Although a mixed bunch looks pretty, always keep different herbs apart, don’t mix bunches as they will be harder to separate when they dry

6. Hang the herbs up to dry somewhere warm but out of direct sunlight.

7. Make sure there’s good airflow and low moisture levels

8. Give them a few weeks to thoroughly dry. When they feel crisp to the touch and a bit crumbly they’re ready

9. Strip the leaves from the stems and store them in clearly labelled airtight containers to keep them as fresh as possible for use in the coming autumn and winter

10. Make a note on the outside of the jar, listing the qualities and properties of each herb along with the date you picked them

11. All done!

Photo by malwina nogaj on Unsplash

Ok, that’s all for now. I’ll see you next month for a July edition of the Monthly Notebook. We’ll be diving into high summer rituals, water festivals and coastal living. Look forward to seeing you there.

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Vicky xx