6 Midsummer Love Spells

Midsummer is a period of time centered around the summer solstice. It also refers to the northern European celebrations. When I hear "midsummer", I think of Shakespear's A Midsummer Night's Dream and, well, the middle of summer. The other day I was reading this story that mentioned midsummer and it's love spells. 

I did a bit of research and came across this site talking about Finland's culture and how they celebrate midsummer. A lot of it seemed concerned with flowers and the magic of nature. I have a thing for flowers and flower crowns, so here's a picture of me from a few years back with my DIY flower crown:

According to VisitFinland.com:

The traditions of Midsummer go back hundreds of years. In the olden times, people celebrated the god of weather “Ukko” during Midsummer, hoping for good harvest and fertility. Even though the years have passed, the Midsummer spells remain. Even today, young women cast love spells in nature to guarantee success in love and to see who will be their future husband.

There are 6 Midsummer Love Spells and here are my thoughts on them:

1. Roll in dew

If you roll around naked in a wheat field, your future spouse will appear in your life within a year. Dew was believed to have a healing effect and rolling in it was supposed to make you beautiful and healthy. Earlier, dew was even collected in cloths and pressed into bottles for the year to come.

This seemes a bit...inconvenient haha. Imagine rolling around naked on a field! All that grass poking you in places that shouldn't be poked haha

2. Put a spell on a field

Find a four-leafed clover from the yard in the evening. Hide the clover under your shirt, next to your bosom. When the clock strikes midnight, let your hair loose and run to the field. Go around the field three times. When the person of your fancy will eat bread made out of the wheat from that specific field, he will fall in love with you.

At first I though that falling in love after bread was a bit random but you know me, I like to fantasize. Imagine a cafe, eating pastries and falling in love. Love at first sight? More like love at first bite! I smell the romance books and the romcom movies coming already.

3. Collect eight flowers

Collect eight different types of flowers from as many meadows. When going to bed, put the bouquet underneath your pillow. You will see “the one” in your dream.

Flowers and plants have an important role in Midsummer celebrations. Previously, it was common to scatter tree leaves on the floors and build tree houses in the yards. Even cows were decorated with garlands, so as to secure a good year for the cattle and milk production.

This was the "spell" that I came across in the story I was reading, and I think its quite sweet. It kind of reminded me of those superstitions where you can absorb a book if you put it under your pillow, or putting a knife under your pillow can prevent nightmares,

4. Foresee from threads

On the day of Midsummer, go to a field of barley. Tie different coloured threads to sprouts of the exact same length. Each colour of the thread has its own meaning. For instance, black colour signifies sorrow, red - love. You can also decide the meaning of the colours yourself. The next morning, go back to see which one of the sprouts has grown the longest during the night. The colour of that thread will tell your destiny for the coming year.

5. Tie a bath whisk

Bath whisks are always made for the Midsummer sauna. They are usually made out of birch as its fresh leaves are soft and have a lovely fragrance. For your magic spell, the Midsummer bath whisk should be made out of eight different tree and flower types. After the sauna, throw the whisk on the roof of the sauna. Climb up after it and see whereto the stem of the whisk points. That is the direction from which your future fiancé will come.

6. Listen to the first sound

In the wee hours of the night, climb up somewhere high – on a hill, on top of a fell or a big rock. To a place where it is easy to hear surrounding sounds. Your future husband will come from the same direction as the first sound of the morning. If you hear music, it means an approaching wedding. If you hear a child crying, it is a sign of birth.

If I was ever in Finland, Sweden or any European country, I wouldn't mind trying a few of these out to be honest. Not cause I'm despo or anything, mind you, but just for the heck of it. YOLO, right?

As always, thanks for reading!