Posted on June 21 2024
We had the Summer Solstice yesterday (20th) and today (21st June) holds the first full moon of the summer, otherwise known as the Strawberry Moon. So why should you care and how to use it to your advantage? Many who take notice of the moon, to cycles of nature and perhaps their inner cycle (menstrual or mood), find a great deal of comfort and transformation with each full moon.
THE FACTS
🍓A full moon mirrors the sun’s position in the sky, and a Strawberry Moon gets its name from the age-old theory that Strawberries are at their best in the month of June, tracking back to Native American origins.🍓Strawberries were used medicinally amongst Ingenious people to support fertility, whilst the leaves made great detoxifying elixirs. This full moon, and in fact the whole month of June is said to be the best harvest time, as well as the potency of strawberries and their benefits.
🍓It is large and golden in colour - spoiler: it won’t appear strawberry pink!
THE BELIEFS
🍓As with any full moon, it is believed that a reset is due, a renewed connection to your intuition, perhaps a release of emotions and energy that no longer serve you. This full moon in particular, when acknowledged and with intention applied, can be a wake-up call for maturation and discipline in all areas of our lives.
🍓It is thought to foster a spike in responsibility and action towards the desires of your heart, your career ambitions and your determination for your life goals.
🍓According to certain beliefs and traditions, this moon is the moon that symbolises love, purity and prosperity.
🍓Linked closely to the heart chakra, the Strawberry Moon offers an opportunity to open your heart, express your love and gratitude for yourself as well as those you love. It is thought to put us in perspective of the magnitude of the universe, and to feel healed and loved by it.
🍓 THE RITUAL 🍓
Enter Summer with an open heart and mind, tap into your intuition and trust it.
One practice we found at Mama Medicine is the following:
Gather together:
A glass or clear bowl of water
1 cup of wild strawberries (substitute for organic strawberries if this is not possible)
1 pot of wild strawberry leaf tea
A journal and a pen
When the moon is visible, go outside and gaze into the full moon. (You can still work with the full moon’s energy up to 24 hours after the moon is full.)
For at least six minutes, breathe deeply in silence and stillness, imagining that the moon is sending her visionary energy to your third eye, the space between your eyebrows.
If you can’t see the moon, close your eyes, slow down your breathing, and tune into the full moon’s energy internally.
Take out your journal and note any insights coming through and if you are called, ask yourself:
What visions are coming through for me at this time?
What needs to be purified or detoxified in order for me to create a supportive environment to nurture these creations.
Leave your water vessel on a window sill or under the moonlight overnight.
The next morning or after the water has been infused with a few hours of moonlight, brew a pot of wild strawberry leaf tea. Run a bath for yourself at the temperature of your choosing, adding the strawberries, and all but one cup of the wild strawberry leaf tea into the bath along with your moon water.
Dunk your head underwater, close your eyes, and imagine your visions being fully supported with all that you need to create them for the highest good of all involved. Involve your senses, imagining what it would feel like to bring your visions to life.
Soak in the energy of your visions for at least 10 minutes of silence.
After the bath, drink one cup of strawberry leaf tea while journaling any visions that have revealed themselves, remembering not to rush or force them into being.
Share the water from your bath (provided you have not added any salt to it) by pouring it into the earth as a thank you for her creations. Thank the moon for teaching you how to grow, change, and evolve.
