Dearest keeper of magic,
The sun is at its highest and that means it is time for midsummer magic.
In Finland, the celebration is today called juhannus, named after the Christian saint John the Baptist. But beneath the modern name, the old magic remains. Midsummer has been celebrated here long before the church arrived: as a feast of the sky god Ukko or as the celebration of the sun in the more ancient times.
The bonfires still burn on the shores. The birch branches still stand by the door. And the shortest night of the year is still, for many of us, the most charged with possibility and magic. We gather to the lake shores and close to the nature to experience the energy of the nightless night.
In this letter, I've gathered nine midsummer charms from the Finnish folklore archives: for beauty, luck, love, and a little mischief. Plus one weather related omen to watch for at sunrise.
For beauty and bright eyes:
Before sunrise on midsummer morning, go into the dewy grass and wash your face and eyes with the dew. (Juva)
For good marriage luck:
Roll naked in the dewy meadow on midsummer night. (Ikaalinen)
To find hidden treasure:
Lie down at the edge of a marsh on midsummer night with your legs knee-deep in the water. A guide to the treasure will appear. (Nurmes)
To keep fleas away for the year:
Sweep the floor at six in the morning on midsummer day and carry the sweepings to a crossroads of three roads. (Pyhäranta)
To steal the harvest luck from your neighbour:
On midsummer night, drag a sheet across your neighbour's field so the dew collects in it, then wring it out onto your own field. (Kauhava)
To keep your hands from chapping:
Wash your hands in three springs on midsummer night. (Pihtipudas)
To become a skilled musician:
Sit on a rock in the rapids on midsummer and play your instrument. The water spirit näkki will teach you. (Härmä)
For a wish to come true:
Gather seven different kinds of flowers on midsummer night, place them under your pillow, and make your wish. (Pori)
Warning:
If you sleep on midsummer night, you will be sleepy all summer. (Kauhava)
For a vision (or meeting) of your future spouse:
Run naked from the sauna along the ditches of a rye field on midsummer night. At the ninth ditch, your betrothed will appear. (Haukivuori)
And one omen:
If the sun rises into a clear sky on midsummer morning, the year will be good. (Suomussalmi)
These little rituals were passed down for centuries. If we can learn something from here, it is perhaps that: collect the morning dew in the midsummer morning, it is a magical substance. If you want to get visions of the future, do your magic naked. And keep your senses open to the spirits of nature. They are especially active in the midsummer.
And a little commercial note in the end: If you feel called to write your own spells and charms, my Spellcraft course teaches you exactly that. It helps you to use the structure and symbolic language of Finnish spell tradition to create magic that is genuinely yours.
May your midsummer be full of magic!
-Ninni
Sources: Vanhat merkkipäivät, SKS