The Magical Month of June
The Magical Month of June
The summer sun is here and along with it comes a new feeling of hope, life and motivation. We are feeling energized and ready to take on any task at hand! Winter and Spring are now behind us as we can focus on more fun and lightheartedness. June is a very magical month, bringing fabulous holidays such as Father's Day, the Summer Solstice and this year’s Strawberry Moon in Capricorn (all of which we’ll have separate blog posts for coming!)
So what else can we do this month outside of those three holidays? June is filled with so much magic and celebration in itself that comes with the shining sun and warm breeze. In the olden days, when summer came, it was a great symbol of hope and renewal. These days we are so lucky to have things such as heaters in our house, an infinite amount of blankets and snow gear to help us survive the winter.
Our ancestors weren’t so lucky though and winter was something harsh and dark to them. The land was barren, dry and unable to grow food and much reflected in their livelihoods. With winter came hunger, poverty and the cold- but summer was the true end of all things too dry and too cold.
In the springtime, we focused a lot on transition and planting seeds (both physical seeds and metaphorical seeds of what we wish to see grow in our lives), now is the beginning of harvest. If you know anything about gardening or farm crops, then you know that most crops are harvested at different times through the summer and even into early fall. Some of our plants can be harvested many times throughout these months as they continue to produce while some may only be able to be harvested once. That is the beauty and diverse opportunities that come along with summer and the month of June in general.
Blessings for the Ancestors
Praying for our ancestors and the evolution of their souls is a basis for many spiritual practices around the world. Our ancestors walked the earth before us and withstood lives full of hardship (much harder than we can imagine these days) that were full of famine, discrimination and war. But they survived just so we can be here. Oftentimes, because up until recent history, life was a lot harder than it is today in North America. Our ancestors harbour that pain with them, the pain that does inevitably come with life, in their afterlives. Their journey is not finished once they pass away, as many lessons come with the circle of life, even in the afterlife.
In turn, us and our family members still feel the impact of those hardships in us today. Science has confirmed that trauma can be passed down through genes, especially through a maternal line. In turn, praying for our ancestors and healing those hardships they went through in their human life will allow our entire families to heal. Praying for anyone must come from total compassion and selflessness to help heal and evolve their souls. How can we start?
Setting up an ancestor altar can be helpful and these are usually set up in areas of the house that are frequently communed by many family members in the house. The living room, a hallway or even a beautiful set up in the backyard works well for you!
What you will need:
-a white altar cloth
-offering plates or bowls
Begin setting up your altar by cleansing your space with either sage, resin or Liquid Smudge and you can even wipe down your table with things like Liquid Smudge, Florida Water or Rose water to bless the foundation of your altar.
Then you may place your cloth on top of the table and begin placing your candles, offering plates and even personal items or photographs of the ancestors you feel most connected to.
Lighting your candle should always come with a prayer or a mindful thought behind it. Candles on altars can be forms of giving your ancestors energy or even act as an open line of communication or “portal” in a sense. Lighting these candles invite your ancestors into the space and then blowing them out can signal closing that communication for the time being.
Today, we will be including our “first summer harvest” as June is the month of harvesting goods such as strawberries, green beans, onions, cherries, blueberries, tomatoes and asparagus. So, if you are able to, you can make a plate featuring these fruits and veggies (even if you buy them at the store and not from your own garden) and place them on one of your offering plates to be placed on your altar. In this way, you are sharing the first summer harvest with your passed on family.
Along with this harvest and the candle, you can also pour Florida Water or Rose Water in an offering cup for an offering of blessings. As you stand or sit in front of this altar, you can pray in any way that best suits you. These can be already written prayers from your chosen religion or they can simply be words from the heart such as, “I pray for the evolution and healing of my ancestor’s souls. I pray for them to learn all the lessons they must in their soul journeys and to rest peacefully at the highest vibration.”
Praying is a beautiful thing as it can be as subjective and open ended as you wish it to be. It is found in every religion and spiritual practice in the world and spoken words have much energy and power behind them. Voice is a very powerful thing and it is the first step to putting action out into the world.
Iced Tea
It's no secret that over here at Smudge we love tea! Tea is an art that comes in all forms and kinds and this summer we're coming out with our own in house blends of iced tea! So, how can we incorporate them? Summer is the time to relax after a long a and harsh run of short days and cold winds. Now we can sit in our backyards, have picnics, sit on the balcony and find more enjoyment in the little things.
Tea has always brought people together socially and since we gave blessings to our loved ones in the afterlife, it's only fitting to do the same with our loved ones still with us together. Gift giving and acts of service are two very common love languages and we can do this by spending time with them outside, maybe enjoying some fruit and cheese with a big jug of iced tea. Iced Tea is like the drink of the summer. Getting out of the pool, putting together a bonfire or picnic or even just enjoying a class to yourself can bring the properties of these herbal blends to life.
Love Magical Tea 4 Litre
Endless Summer Iced Tea 4 Litre
Cucumber Melon Iced Tea 4 Litre
St. John’s Eve
Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of the feast of the day of Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the very few feast days marking a saint's birth, rather than their death. St. John is said to have been born six months before Jesus was. You can petition St. John for good luck, good crops, fertility and protection from enemies.
Historically, this date has been venerated in the practice of Louisiana Vodou. The famous Voodoo priestess. Marie Laveau was said to have held ceremonies on the Bayou St John, in New Orleans, commemorating St John's Eve. This time of the year and specifically that day is a great one for petitioning him for luck or protection spells! Click here for our Ancestral Money Draw Spell
Buddha Blessings for Money and Good Luck
Prosperity Oil
Money Draw Herbal Blend
There is so much magic and love to be found this time of year! In our next blog posts, we will be sharing how to celebrate Father's Day the magical way and also the Summer Solstice!
