Both ancient and contemporary European traditions celebrate midsummer as a potent time for plant medicine & magic. It is debatable whether the Celts of what is now known as the British isles celebrated Midsummer, however Midsummer was and is celebrated by Germanic and Nordic people groups. 

The most cohesive European lore regarding celebrating the summer solstice centers around plant magic. Many traditions, including Druidic lore, detail certain ways of gathering herbs for medicine, divination, or protection. Many of them cite using the left hand, a certain time of day for gathering, and various details that can range from where to look to what to wear. 

Herbs gathered at midsummer are potently effective in all realms - the physical & spiritual notwithstanding. Many herbs from this time of year feature yellow flowers and are best harvested at noontime. Other herbs are moon herbs, and are harvested in the evening, at midnight, or at sunrise. According to Celtic tradition, the day begins at sunset, so we celebrate Midsummer’s Eve just as much as Midsummer’s Day in my tradition.

There are many herbs that are sacred this time of year. Keep reading to learn all about the medicinal and magical properties of our Midsummer herbs.

Midsummer Herbs

When we speak of Midsummer herbs, we are of course speaking of what was in bloom or ready to harvest at this time. Practicing plant magic is local. It is relational. It requires a sense of place, cultivated by noticing the cycles of plants throughout the year. This list of Midsummer herbs may differ from what is in bloom near you, so instead of feeling a need to import “magical” herbs from elsewhere, settle down and look around. There is likely a willing green ally haunting your very own doorstep, waiting to be noticed. 

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Chamomile fills the air with its sweet apple-scent, and is abundantly in bloom this time of year. She teaches the lesson of patience, inviting us to pluck her flowers one at a time over the course of a few sun-soaked hours. 

An English tradition speaks of harvesting Chamomile at noon on Midsummer’s Day. The tea can be used as a wash for divinatory tools, or to relax the mind before engaging in any type of magical practice. 

There is an Anglo-Saxon tradition called the 9 Sacred Herbs Charm. Chamomile is one of these herbs, which tells us that it was considered a strong magical and medicinal herb throughout ancient times. 

It’s medicinal qualities include calming the nervous system, soothing digestion, and inducing sleep. It is a popular herb for fussy or cranky children, or adults when they are overwhelmed and weepy. Chamomile calms fiery tempers and helps the nervous system remember joy.

St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) 

Commonly known as St. John’s Wort, Hypericum is one of our most beloved summer solstice plants. Entire books could be written about its medicinal qualities, and throughout the ages it has been understood as a magical plant of protection and love. 

Tradition has this herb being harvested at noon on the solstice just like Chamomile. However, the recommendation is to harvest it naked, calling in the power of this herb to protect us from the sun. Remedies made from fresh Hypericum a protective against the sun, while remedies with the dry herb can actually increase sun sensitivity.

Multiple green witches, including myself, have heard this plant describe itself as “sunshine in a bottle”, and consider remedies made at this time of year at noontime to be especially effective for staving off winter blues and mild depression that may arise during a dark time.

The pagan summer solstice festivals were eventually replaced by the Catholic church with St. John’s Day, and thus the herb that was extremely important to European pagans was named after the saint. In an act of feminist reclamation I prefer to herald St. Joan when I name this herb. However, the name we can all agree on is Hypericum. 

Hypericum can be made into oil or tincture, always with the fresh flowering tops. The more flowers in your remedy, the more red and potent your remedy will be. It is also used hung about the home to call in protection against harmful forces. 

If you really want to embrace the summer season, than drop your drawers and go pick some St. Joan’s Wort!

Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris/ Artemisia Douglasiana)

Mugwort gets its name from being a popular herb for brewing beer. It is one of the most sacred herbs for the Celts and Germanic peoples alike, so much so that it was eventually called "Mater Herbarum” (The Mother Herb). Where I live in California there is a native species of Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana) that is especially fuzzy and a delight to find stream or lakeside. 

This herb is associated with the Moon, and as such has been used as an herb for dreaming. It is one of the primary ingredients in my Sacred Dreaming Tea Blend. Mugwort can be used to aid dreamwork or daytime divination or visioning practices. You can make a bitter Moon Tea with Mugwort on Midsummer’s Eve and drink it before sleeping to dream with intent. 

It is also a potent protective herb. Traditionally in Europe, a wash with the tea was used as a spell-breaker, and folks would wear a belt of Mugwort picked in the spring to protect their backs from injury during the agricultural year. The belt was also seen to protect against hexes or spells from ill-intended witches. 

Mugwort is extremely bitter, and works to protect and activate the liver. It can give us life and light our digestive fire, increasing energy and helping us process and eliminate what we need to alchemize and let go of efficiently. I love to burn bundles of dried mugwort, and gathering it always leads me on a delightful journey. 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The herb of a thousand leaves, yarrow is another heal-all that is wonderful to include on our home apothecaries. At midsummer the white bundles of blooms can be seen dotting fields, roadsides, and beach paths. When yarrow is in bloom is the best time to gather the plant for medicinal purposes, and the flowering tops can be made into teas, tinctures, oils, and salves.

Yarrow’s myriad uses include relieving infections, activating digestion, reducing inflammation, warding off mosquitoes, tonifying tissues, brightening the skin, and inducing sweat to move fevers, just to name a few. 

Magically it is a protection herb, and was gathered at midsummer by the Celts. There exists a Gaelic incantation that an herb-woman would speak while gathering the yarrow with her left hand, and it goes something like this:

I will pick the smooth yarrow

That my figure may be sweeter

My lips may be warmer, 

My voice may be gladder.

May my voice be like a sunbeam, 

May by lips be like the juice of a strawberry,

May I be an island in the sea.

May I be a star in the dark time.
May I be a staff to the weak one.

Wound can I every man,

And no man shall wound me. 

Merry Solstice

The sun is with us, warming the land and nourishing our skin. I wish you clarity and abundance as you embrace the work of this season. I leave you with this Summer solstice invocation:

As the sun spirals its longest dance, I bless you. 

As nature shows bounty and fertility, I bless you. 

May you live with loving intent, 

To fulfill your truest destiny.

In Love,
Susan Marie

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