The magical herbs of St. John

St. John's Eve is, in the popular tradition of numerous cultures, a magical moment. The pagan and Christian calendars often overlap: this is how, a few days after the Summer Solstice, the Saint who baptized Jesus is celebrated. It is the shortest night of the year, the moment when sunlight triumphs over darkness.

"On June 23rd, the sun reaches its highest point: it is common knowledge that St. John's Eve is the time when planets and zodiac signs combine to imbue stones and herbs with virtue. It is a magical night, a night of the impossible, of wonders."

There are countless propitiatory rites and divinatory practices that are traditionally performed: from purifying bonfires to collecting dew, to the practice, by maidens, of breaking an egg into a glass of water to understand the future husband's profession from the shape of the egg white.

One of the most frequent practices is the gathering of new herbs: these plants, thanks to the singular position of the planets, are said to be enriched with healing virtues that make them true talismans. Although these popular traditions are forgotten and considered obsolete, at their base lies a great knowledge of phytotherapy and a good use of the properties of plants. This type of knowledge, closely linked to Nature and rural life, is a very rich heritage to discover and recover.

Let's look at some herbs to gather on the night of June 23rd:

• • First of all is Hypericum, also known as "St. John's wort" or "devil's bane": keeping it on oneself all night or hanging it outside the door would protect against misfortunes.
  • Rue, perhaps precisely because of its cross shape, would ward off devils.
  • Verbena, a symbol of peace and prosperity, would cure illnesses.
  • Currants are also gathered, called "St. John's berry".
  • Artemisia would protect against lightning and the evil eye.
  • Garlic, the protector par excellence, if gathered before dawn, would be a powerful amulet against witchcraft.

Among the magical herbs of St. John, we also find some aromatic plants from the Labiatae family that we know very well and that characterize the entire Mediterranean.

Mint

Mint was widely used by Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It was said to be able to drive away snakes, a demonic symbol in Christian tradition: for this reason, it was believed to protect against darkness and evil. By analogy with John, the ascetic saint who lived in the desert and who in the Gospels was therefore called "vox clamantis in deserto," or "voice crying in the wilderness," Mint has always been considered a good remedy against voice loss. If gathered on St. John's Eve, it would guarantee a long life.

Rosemary

Rosemary was a symbol of immortality for Egyptians and Romans, who used it in funeral rites. Its salty and invigorating scent recalls the solemnity of Frankincense; it was not by chance that it was burned as a pledge to the gods. During the Middle Ages, its healing virtues overlapped with the sacred uses of the plant: it was believed to be a tonic panacea for the body and protective against diseases. It was said that this plant contained the soul of the earth and that the soil in which its roots were rooted was sacred, so much so that Charlemagne in 812 imposed by edict that all peasants in the kingdom cultivate it. Tradition holds that Rosemary gathered on St. John's Eve, if hung outside the door, wards off devils and witches from the house.

Sage

The genus name Sage derives from the Latin salvus: healthy, safe, healed. Among the Greeks and Romans, Sage already enjoyed the reputation of a healing plant, so much so that it was given an almost sacred value: mythology tells that Zeus, newly born, was suckled by a goat in a Sage bush, which conferred divine power to the animal's milk. In Roman times, this plant was recommended not only to those suffering from spiritual afflictions to ward off their demons, but also to women, due to its properties related to the menstrual cycle and conception. Salvia Salvatrix was the name by which the aromatic plant was known at the Salernitan School of Medicine: Cur moriatur homo, cui salvia crescit in horto? or "Why should a man die, when sage grows in his garden?" was a recurring aphorism. A salvific plant, a panacea for the body and spirit to which many legends and popular traditions are linked: with it, amulets were made to maintain good health and free oneself from evil influences and night terrors. An ancient custom is to gather a few sprigs at dawn on St. John's Day (June 24).

Lavender

Lavender is associated with virtue and purity, and consequently, with Baptism and St. John. Its spike is an amulet against misfortunes and a propitiatory talisman of fertility. Traditionally, it is used in sachets to perfume linen and trousseaux: this use is also associated with the balancing properties of Lavender, which strengthens and brings serenity, working particularly on feminine aspects. In fact, trousseaux, which passed with maidens from their father's house to their husband's, if scented with Lavender, would have helped the girl face the responsibilities and changes of the new home to be built with greater serenity, favoring their maturation. If gathered on St. John's Eve and placed in linen and drawers, it would protect the whole family.

With these herbs, gathered on the night between June 23rd and 24th and left to soak in a basin of water outside the house until morning, St. John's water was made. This water was believed to have the power to promote beauty, ward off illnesses, and protect against the evil eye.

Live on St. John's Water

https://youtu.be/_XkZvXZYu9w

Light, purity, protection.

Like a luminous dew that protects and purifies, with the subtle energy of plants traditionally gathered during the summer solstice, on St. John's Eve.