A Letter Before Midsummer

June

A LETTER FOR EARLY SUMMER

Welcome to the fourth edition of A Winter's Tale.

June is here now, a month I don't usually enjoy, hayfever and a dislike of hot weather means it is a month I usually dread, but this year I am determined to look for the beauty in it, rather than merely endure it. May's hot weather saw me retreat to a darkened room but, today, as I write this I have the french doors open and a lovely breeze is blowing in the scent of the roses in the garden and I can hear the Swifts flying high in the sky above. This month we have the summer solstice to look forward to, when the days feel like they will never end and the gardens and hedgerows are bursting with life.

So pull up a garden chair, there are drinks in the fridge.

You are very welcome here.

~ Heidi x

 

 

THE ALMANAC

 

 

🌕 Full Moon : (Strawberry Moon) 11 May

♊ Gemini until 20 June

♋ Cancer from 21 June

✨ Constellation : Lyra

🌷 Flower : Rose - Love and Beauty

🕊️ Animal : Swift - Freedom and Movement

📜 Dates :  ☀️ Summer Solstice - 21 June

                   ☀️ Midsummer Eve - 23 June

                   ☀️ Midsummer Day - 24 June

 

June's full moon is know as the Strawberry Moon, a name given by Native American Algonquian peoples to mark the brief, sweet season when wild strawberries are ready to be gathered.

In Britain, older traditional moon names for June were different. Some historical English and European names included:

• Honey Moon — linked to mead-making and June marriages
• Mead Moon
• Rose Moon
• Flower Moon (sometimes used later than May depending on region)
• Dyad Moon in some Anglo-Saxon tradition

In parts of Britain and Europe, June’s full moon was sometimes known as the Honey Moon, linked to midsummer weddings, mead-making, and the early honey harvest. 

• Mead, an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, was often drunk during wedding celebrations.
• Newly married couples were sometimes given enough mead to last a lunar month, which is one theory behind the origin of the word honeymoon.

 

Gemini ~ brings movement, conversation and curiosity

Cancer ~ home, memory, comfort and belonging

Lyra ~ A small summer constellation containing the bright star Vega, associated in mythology with music, poetry, and storytelling.

Rose ~ a symbol of love, secrecy, devotion and beauty (and also my daughter's middle name and my favourite flower)

In medieval folklore, roses growing over a doorway were thought to bring protection and peace to the home.

Wild roses (especially dog roses in hedgerows) were associated with fairies and midsummer magic.

Rose petals were scattered at celebrations and weddings to encourage love, happiness, and prosperity.

In cottage gardens, roses often symbolised not just romance, but memory and devotion — particularly old climbing roses that returned every year.

 

 Swift ~ one of summer's true signs. They arrive in May from Africa and leave by August, they return to their same nesting places beneath old roofs and eaves every year. Their scientific name is Apus Apus, meaning 'without feet', they spend almost their entire lives in the air, feeding, drinking and sleeping, they do not land if they can help it. They rise to heights of up to three thousand metres at dusk and gradually descend through the night.

They were called Devil Birds, partly for their shrill, otherworldly cry and partly because almost nothing was known about them for centuries. It was once thought they hibernated in British mud! They actually winter in sub-Saharan Africa, travelling further than almost any other British breeding bird.

And then, in August, they suddenly leave, one minute they are there and then they are gone. 

Summer Solstice ~ The longest day and shortest night of the year. The word solstice comes from the Latin meaning "sun standing still", reflecting the moment when the sun appears to pause before beginning its slow journey south once more. For thousands of years, people have marked this turning point in the seasonal year. At Stonehenge, the rising sun aligns with the Heel Stone on the summer solstice, suggesting the date held significance long before written history.

Although the light is at its peak, the solstice also marks the moment when the days begin, almost imperceptibly, to shorten again — a gentle reminder that every season is always moving towards the next. And, although, I'm not wishing the time away, it reminds me that my favourite season is on its way.

Midsummer ~  Logically, you'd expect "mid-summer" to fall in late July or August. But historically, people thought about the seasons differently.

In many old European traditions, including Britain, the year was divided by the solstices and equinoxes. The Summer Solstice marked the middle of summer rather than its beginning. Summer was considered to have started weeks earlier, around May.

The date of 24th June became important because it is the feast day of John the Baptist. When Christianity spread through Europe, many existing midsummer celebrations became associated with St John's Day.

The old celebrations often included:

• Bonfires on hilltops
• Dancing and singing
• Staying awake through the short night
• Gathering herbs and flowers
• Decorating homes with greenery
• Beliefs about luck, love, and fertility

In folklore, Midsummer was one of the most magical nights of the year. It was said that:

• plants gathered on Midsummer Eve held special powers
• dreams were more prophetic
• fairies and spirits were especially active
• hidden treasures might be revealed
• lovers could discover clues about future marriages

This is where a lot of the fairy folklore associated with Midsummer comes from, including the inspiration for A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The solstices and equinoxes always seem such a magical time to me, a link to our ancestors and the rhythms that have shaped human life for thousands of years.

IN THE HEDGEROW

Things to spot this month:

• Roses in full bloom
• Elderflower in the hedgerows
• Swifts overhead at dusk
• Foxgloves beside woodland paths
• Bees among the lavender
• The scent of freshly cut grass
• The longest evening shadows of the year

Also keep a look out for hedgehogs and young foxes at dusk when they are more active. And don't forget to enjoy a huge bowl of strawberries, June is when they are at their best.

 

SEASONAL TABLE

 

Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 4–6

You will need:

• 450g strawberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 50g butter
• 25g caster sugar
• 150ml milk
• Whipped cream to serve

Method:

1. Slice the strawberries and toss with the sugar. Leave for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 200°C.
3. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the sugar and enough milk to form a soft dough.
5. Shape into a round about 2cm thick and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden.
6. Allow to cool slightly before splitting in half.
7. Fill with strawberries and whipped cream and place the top back on.

Serve immediately.

 

Until next month

Thank you for being here for this fourth issue. I hope June brings you fresh strawberries and roses from the garden. And may the longest day bring you a stunning sunset.

Until July...

Heidi x

Midsummer Eve by Edward Robert Hughes (1908)