Sun rituals, Midsummer, happiness, blessings, fertility, strength, courage, action, self-image, consecrating healing stones and gems. Ruled by the sun, the element of fire, and the star sign Leo. Sacred to Apollo, Demeter, Helios, and Venus. [1]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
Blessing, love, Midsummer, fertility. Ruled by the planet Venus and the elements of earth or water. Sacred to fairies, Freya, love goddesses, and mother goddesses. [1]
In parts of Bavaria, it was traditional come springtime to tie little bags or baskets of wild strawberries to the cows’ horns to appease the fairies and elves, and to protect the cows. [2]
Some of the fairies’ preferred gathering places at Beltane are “fairy rings’ – circles of wild mushrooms; as well as circles of lawn daisies, patches of wild violets, patches of wild thyme, and, most of all, swathes of wild strawberries. [2]
Some Native American Indian tribes have long associated wild strawberries with spring and rebirth, as they are the first wild fruits to ripen. They used them mixed with cornmeal to make strawberry bread, which whtie settlers transformed to strawberry shortcake, a traditional Memorial Day weekend dessert.
During meieval times, the strawberry signified perfection and righteousness and strawberry fruits also symbolized esteem, love, purity, passion, health, and perfection, and were a popular embroidery motif. In heraldry, depictions of strawberry leaves were sometimes used to denote rank.
Strawberries are one of Venus’s symbols, due to their red heart shape. Frigga, the Norse marriage goddess, was believe to smuggle dad children to heaven by hiding them in strawberry patches. Both Freya, the Norse goddess of love, and the Christian Virgin Mary have been associated with strawberries.
Dutch early surrealist artist Hieronymus Bosch painted one of his most famous works, the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, in the fifteenth century. It is now housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, and, if you are unfamiliar with Bosch’s work, it is wonderfully strange. The center panel, which represents a lustful earthly paradise, features many oversized strawberries. At the bottom right are two human-sized straberries, one bursting open to emit round blue balls, and the other being used as an exercise ball by a naked woman. One of the men is offering the woman a strawberry as big as a melon. Another giant strawberry, with fairy wings, rides on the back of a naked man, a spiny tail emergy from a slit on its side. [2]
[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2021 to Mabon 2022
Caution: Seeds are poisonous. Wards negative thoughts when used as wind chimes, blessings, power, energy, strength, cleansing, offering, wood NOT to be burned as it is sacred to Hecate, see fairies in these trees at Litha, flowers may be used as an altar offering and as an incense for blessing and consecration, berries may be made into Esbat wine, the flowers may be added to a candle spell addressed to Hecate during the new moon, associated with Monday. [Green Witchcraft]
The dried blossom makes a good fixative for herbal incenses. It can be particularly added to Beltane and Midsummer incense, and is sacred to dryads, fairies, and Venus. The leaves should be gathered on Midsummer morning to add to healing incense. The bark and berries may be collected in the early autumn for crone aspects of the Goddess, including Holda, Hulda, the Elder Mother, and Hel. Ruled by the planet Venus and the element of air. [The Hearth Witch’s Compendium]
Aka Dianthus.
Protection, altar offering for the Goddess, strength, incense for blessing, consecration. [Green Witchcraft]
Celebrations, handfasting, protection, luck, south, Midsummer. Ruled by the sun and the element of fire. Sacred to Jupiter and Zeus.
Meditation, rest (drink in tea), purification, calmness, prosperity, incense for the God, incense for balance, blessing, consecration. [Green Witchcraft]
Regeneration, healing, protection, peace, money, luck, Midsummer. Ruled by the sun, the element of water, and the sign of Leo. Sacred to Cernunnos, Ra, and sun gods. [The Hearth Witch’s Compendium]
Seeds draw money, leaves for protection, flowers for love. [Green Witchcraft]
Protection against witchcraft, clears the mind, protection, cleansing sacred space, Midsummer, Beltane. Ruled by the planet Mercury and the element of fire or air. [The Hearth Witch’s Compendium]
A Grimoire Zettelkasten
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Adana Luna 