Midsummer Herbal Lore
by Sarolta G. DeFaltay

Cedar: Consecration, longevity (Fire)

Chamomile: Determination, loyalty; use in ritual bath, cup, or
incense.(Fire)

Chickweed: Love herb, worn or imbibed to attract or enhance love

Elder: (Flowers) Clairvoyance, magic, divination. To contact devas
and faeries, use in ritual cup. (Venus, Air)

Fennel: Confidence, courage, fertility. Use in cooking to protect
all who imbibe.

Frankincense: All purpose solar incense, for consecration,
spirituality and success.

Heather: Brings one in touch with inner beauty and divinity; dip a
sprig in consecrated water and sprinklearound temple space to purify.

Holly: Represents the Waning half of the year, which begins at
Midsummer.

Larkspur: (Delphinium) Flowers on altar symbolize generous,
altruistic leadership.

Lavender: Love, harmony, domestic tranquility, and mental clarity.

Meadowsweet: Good luck, domestic tranquility, harmony. (Jupiter, Fire)

Mugwort: Magic, longevity, clairvoyance, psychic empowerment.

Oak: Represents the Waxing half of the year, which ends at Midsummer.

Rose: Love, compassion, beauty; an aphrodisiac attributed to Venus.

St. Johns Wort: Courage, confidence, magic, success (Sun, Fire)

Vervain: love, magic, aphrodisiac, consecration (Earth, Venus)

These herbs can be utilized in ritual by making an incense, or anointing candles with essential oil. They can be sewn into a charm bag and consecrated (dedicated to a single purpose), and worn or carried when needed.

Midsummer Potpourri
1 cup oakmoss
2 cups dried lavender
2 cups wisteria
2 cups verbena
25 drops lavender oil
(or lemon oil)

Midsummer Mixing (c) 2007 Patti Wigington

From Hearth & Home Witchery

Use a mortar and pestle to blend and powder your herbs when making incense or other magical concoctions.

Midsummer is a great time for herb gardens, because there are buds and blooms everywhere. This is a powerful time to gather herbs, and also to prepare and use them. Any fresh herb can be dried simply by picking it and tying it up in small bundles in a well-ventilated area or you can buy dried herbs. Once they are completely dry store them in airtight jars in a dark place. To make your own magical summer incense, first determine what form you'd like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can always adapt it for stick or cone recipes. As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. In this particular recipe, we're creating an incense to use during a Litha rite -- and since Litha is all about the sun and its strength, we're going to make this a fiery and powerful incense. You'll need:

* 3 parts myrrh
* 1 part apple blossoms
* ½ part bay leaves
* ½ part cinnamon bark
* 1 part chamomile flowers
* 1 part lavender flowers
* 2 parts mugwort
* ½ part rosemary

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation, such as:

Balance of the heavens and earth below,
The power of the sun in this incense grows.
Cinnamon, mugwort, apple and bay,
Fire and water, on this longest day.
Herbs of power, blended by me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

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