June Notebook: We Have Plenty of Time
And why rain walking is good for you
Hello,
A very special welcome to the most magical month of the year. And I don’t say that lightly.
I know I use the world magical a lot, but in June it feels entirely justified. The Summer Solstice at the end of this month is an ancient festival that is woven through with a deep magic that seems to spill out and infuse this entire month.
In the cycle of the year this is also a season of growth and abundance, and of intense activity for lots of us.
After the peace of Winter, we all tend to get over-excited now and fill our diaries with plans. Holidays! Picnics! Days out! And usually June is a sun-filled month, that lends itself easily to this. But the weather here in the UK has been damp, to say the least, this year.
If you’re feeling unsettled by this, just read this lovely article on how rain can make you happier, breathe in some of those delicious negative ions and rest assured the sun will return exactly when it’s ready. Because as my three year old tells me, with the profound and unexpected wisdom of small children, “we have plenty of time”.
In this newsletter, we’ll be trying out a Solstice love spell, eating strawberry everything and getting ready to soak up all that beautiful June energy, just as soon as the sun returns. Which it will.
Who’s with me?
Things to love about June
1. Strawberries
Eating seasonally can sometimes be a bit tricky (brussels sprout season I’m looking at you), but in the summer it’s a JOY. Strawberries are at their peak right now and there is very little that tastes better on a warm (or rainy) summers day. Eat them fresh, make them into a Strawberry midsummer cake, make strawberry jam, make strawberry fool, do whatever you like with them, just make the very most of them.
2. Solstice Magic
The Summer Solstice marks the shortest night of the year and has long been considered a time of deep magic. I’ll be sending a Solstice newsletter in a couple of weeks packed with ideas on how to celebrate it. This short night of heat and light has traditionally been a time when magic and mischief was considered to be strong, so bonfires were lit to protect towns and villages, and flower garlands were worn and herbs were gathered for their protective powers.
It’s traditional to watch the sun rise on Solstice morning and you can also watch a livestream of the sun rising over the stones at Stonehenge on the English Heritage Youtube channel to tap into some of that ancient Solstice energy.
3. Roses
Along with strawberries, roses are another beautiful reason to love the month of June. They are the birth flower for June and they are at their scented best right now. They are said to symbolise love, beauty and friendship, and are a key ingredient in many of the love spells traditionally practised at Midsummer.
If you don’t have a rose in your garden, make space for one immediately, If you need inspiration, order the free David Austin handbook of roses, it’s a thing of beauty.
Things to do in June
Feeling suitably June-ish yet? I hope so. Right, here’s your list of things to do, see and eat this month:
1. Make a Strawberry Midsummer cake
A traditional element of Scandinavian Midsummer celebrations, a Midsummer cake, or a Jordgubbstårta is a simple sponge cake covered in fresh cream and seasonal strawberries. It is often the centrepiece of a midsummer feast and it tastes like Summer on a plate. Below are a few recipes to try, depending on your time and skill level.
Classic strawberry cake ('Jordgubbstårta') by Visit Sweden (this has to be the most authentic recipe if it’s on the official Visit Sweden site)
Midsummer cake by Tesco Recipes (this includes an Elderflower-flavoured cream for extra fancy-points)
A Celebratory strawberry cake by BBC Good Food (Seems one of the most straightforward recipes)
2. Gather herbs
Herbs are considered by many to be at their most potent at Midsummer. Traditionally herbs were woven into garlands as protection against any mischievous fairy folk who might be out and about on this night of magic. Herbs were also cut at the time of the Summer Solstice and dried to be used medicinally throughout the Autumn and Winter.
So if you have any herbs in your garden, now is the time to pick them and dry them for the Winter to lock in their medicinal magic.
3. Moon bathe under the Strawberry Moon
June’s full moon lands on the 22nd, just after the Summer Solstice and is pleasingly known as the Strawberry moon in Native American culture. Not because of its colour, but because it marks the start of wild strawberry season. Full moons are always powerful, but this month’s should be especially so as it falls to close to the Solstice. If you want to explore some moon magic this month, take a look at my beginner’s guide to lunar living.
Some other ancient Anglo-Saxon and Celtic names for this moon are believed to be: Rose moon, Mead moon, Honey moon and Flower moon. Have you ever heard of anything more romantic? They certainly beat March’s Worm moon that’s for sure.
June Folklore
Try a Midsummer love spell
Midsummer Eve has traditionally been a time of dreaming, fortune telling and romance. Love spells were practised on the Solstice, the shortest night of the year when the veil between this world and the spirit world was thought to be thin.
Roses are deeply associated with Midsummer and here’s a traditional love spell to perform on the eve of the Solstice:
Pick a rose on Midsummer Eve (or Solstice Eve)
Place a few of the rose petals under your pillow
When you sleep your true love will appear to you in your dreams
The Scandinavian version of this is to pick seven flowers on Midsummer eve and place them under your pillow to dream of your future love.
Herbs picked on Solstice eve were also thought to have extra healing powers, so adding a few soothing herbs, such as lavender or chamomile, under your pillow were also thought to aid sweet dreams on the shortest night of the year.
Give it a go. At the very least, you’ll have a sweetly-scented night’s sleep.
Ok, that’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed your June newsletter and I hope you have a wonderful month filled with Solstice magic, fresh strawberries and sweet dreams.
Now it’s over to you to share your June rituals and traditions in the Comments. I’m really interested to know what your rituals and traditions look like?
I’ll see you next month for a July edition of the Monthly Notebook. We’ll be diving into some cooling, watery rituals and some delicious seasonal recipes. I’ll add a sprinkling of weird and wonderful folklore for you too. Look forward to seeing you there. If you haven’t already Subscribed then just click below to make sure that post arrives safely in your inbox.
Vicky xx
(P.s. This post is free for everyone to read, so if you enjoyed it and fancy sharing it or restacking it I’d be very grateful.)
Thank you for these incredibly soothing and happy rituals! I happen to live in an area with a large number of Finns, and we have a wonderful Finnish bakery - I checked and they do make strawberry cake for Midsummer - already ordered one! Thanks for the inspiration!
The magic within this post! Absolutely beautiful, thank you for sharing all of these rituals and wisdom. I love June, especially the roses and the strawberries and intend to make the most of both. I hope to weave both into our solstice/full moon gathering, thank you for inspiring me further. And yes that rose-lined door, it is the stuff of dreams xx