Blessings to You at the Strawberry Moon
Also Known As: Mead Moon, Hawthorn Moon, Moon of Horses, Lovers' Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Honey Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Brachmanoth (Break Month), Rose Moon, Moon of Making Fat
Element: earth
Nature Spirits: sylphs, zephyrs
Herbs: skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, mosses, mugwort
Colors: orange, golden-green, gold, yellow, red
Flowers: lavender, orchid, yarrow, rose
Scents: lily of the valley, lavender, rose
Stones: topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite
Trees: oak, maple
Animals: monkey, butterfly, frog, toad
Birds: wren, peacock
Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Neith, Green Man, Juno, Cerridwen, Bendis, Ishtar, Persephone
Power Flow: Full but restful energy; protect, strengthen, and prevent. A time of Light; Earth tides are turning. Decision-making, taking responsibility for present happenings. Work on personal inconsistencies. Strengthen and reward yourself for your positive traits.
Mantra: My life reflects the joy in my heart.
Info on This Moon From About Dot Com: In June, the sun has taken over and the fields are growing. Flowers have bloomed, we're beginning to see some early summer fruits and vegetables (a great time for strawberry crops!), and the days are getting longer and longer. It's a far cry from the darkness of winter, and we typically try to spend as much time outside as possible. It's a time for bonding with friends and family, and forging what connections we can. Nurture your relationships, your garden, your career, and your soul this month.
This is the month where magical workings are well suited to maintaining and enhancing things you already have. Weed your garden, prune the bushes, give your lawn all the tender loving care it needs. Take time to let your personal life blossom as well -- focus on things that improve your job or education, as well as your relationships with family and friends.
BY THE BOOKS
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine A. Gleason
Also known as the Strawberry or Rose Mon, the Lover's Moon brings with it energy for love, marriage, and success. Is it any wonder that in some traditions this Moon is called the Honey Moon? This is a time to nurture your garden and marvel at its beauty and abundance. If you have taken that new job, now is the time to make sure you have everything running smoothly. And you might want to keep your eyes open to see how you can move into a more desirable position.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism by Carl McColman
JUNE (Dyad Moon)-- Sacred to faeries and nature spirits. Honor the growth in fields, like a pregnant woman's belly.
The Craft - A Witch's Book of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison
Name: Mead or Honey
Cakes & Ale: lemon cookies and honey-sweetened tea
Colors: bright hues of yellow and amber
Altar Decor: yellow or orange candles,flowers, shed feathers, and butterfly cocoons
Incense frankincense and myrrh
Esbat Purpose: Celebrate life anew, metamorphosis
Try Drawing the Circle With: a fallen feather
Witch's Brew: Good Spells for Peace of Mind by Witch Bree
June heralds the Strawberry Moon with the Solstice and the sweetness of life.
Witches Datebook by Edain McCoy (2002)
The Oak Moon offers us security, vigor, courage, and healing energy. The old Irish word for oak has often been translated as "door," giving us a glimpse into its power as a portal between all worlds.
To attain strength or healing during the Oak Moon, you will need two oak twigs and two acorns. Hold a twig in each hand. Close your eyes and feel yourself being pulled to the center of all places as each twig leads you to a different world. When you feel you are at the oak's doorway, take an acorn in each hand; visualize one giving you strength, and the other taking away weakness or illness. Bury the acorn you feel is taking away your weakness-- preferably at the base of an oak tree-- and carry the other as a talisman of strength and well-being.
Witches Datebook by Edain McCoy (2003)
The Oak Moon marks the halfway point in the lunar year, and carries us across the threshold of the peak of the solar year. Just like a major midlife crisis or the sagging middle in a badly written movie, halfway points compel us to reflect on where we've been and where we're going.
Use the power of the Oak Moon to renew your commitment to your Deities and spiritual path. For this ritual, you will need three acorns and six candles. Under the moonlight, charge the acorns to represent your body, mind, and spirit. Light each candle to represent the six remaining Moons of the lunar year. Call out to your Deities and rededicate yourself to Them and Their service. Ask for the strength you need to continue on Their path throughout this year, or to change the direction of your path to correct an error in your ways. Bury the acorns to symbolize the planting of your rediscovered commitment.
Witches Datebook by Ellen Dugan
June is the traditional month for weddings. One of the oldest names for this month's Full Moon is the "Mead Moon." The term "honeymoon" arose from an ancient northern European wedding custom. For the first month of marriage, newlyweds drank a daily cup of honeyed wine called mead to promote fertility. So during the Mead Moon, tap into its energies. Cast spells to promote fertility, desire, or loving relationships.
Call upon Freya, the Norse Goddess of love and sexuality. Her magical correspondences include amber, strawberries, and primrose. Light a golden candle for Freya, add coordinating magical items, and repeat this spell under the Full Moon to pull a little love your way:
Flowers and candles, symbols of desire and love,
Freya hear my call to you and answer from above.
Bless my relationship, keep our love lasting and true,
Guide my magic, and assist in all I do.
For the good of all, bringing harm to none,
Under the Moon of Mead, this spell is done!
Witches Datebook by Dallas Jennifer Cobb
With summer's warmth almost upon us, June's Full Moon is a time for peaceful relaxation. The seeds already sown, the flowers opened, the fruits not yet ready to harvest, this natural lull in farming meant time for other traditions. June was a time of weddings and honeymoons-- a time to enjoy the fruits of love, romance, and success. Knowing the crops were thriving, the new mother cradles her healthy child in her arms, at her breast. The babe is peaceful, the mother thankful, time now in a delicious rest. Summon restful energy to care for yourself, strengthen your health, and be your best. Gather flowers to make mead wine, to weave a celebratory wreath, or to store for future magical use. Rest and reward yourself with a sip of life's sweetness.
Lovers' Moon, Honey Moon, Rose Moon sweet,
Flowers, herbs and fruits our sacred treat,
Isis, Juno, Ishtar, Neith,
Weave love and strength in a protective wreath.
A safe and happy holiday to all who celebrate~!
NOTE ON THIS PARTICULAR MOON: It's a super moon! Watch for it extra big in the sky, perigee!