As the fires of summer rise and the land hums with unseen spirits, June Embertide invites the folk witch to listen, watch, and align. These Ember Days are more than remnants of old calendars, they are liminal portals stitched into the rhythm of the year. For the witch rooted in tradition yet led by intuition, June Embertide is a sacred time to honor prophecy, tend ancestral bonds, and divine the path ahead.
Ember Days, or Quatuor Tempora in Latin, are ancient seasonal observances that began in the early Christian church but absorbed and preserved pre-Christian agricultural rites and seasonal folk beliefs. They mark sacred thresholds tied to the natural world, the spirit realm, and the shifting agricultural calendar.
The Four Embertides (one per season):
- Winter: After the Feast of St. Lucy (December)
- Spring: After Ash Wednesday
- Summer: After Pentecost (June)
- Autumn: After Holy Cross Day (September)
June Embertide Themes & Energies
- Sun and Fire: Reflecting the approach of the Summer Solstice
- First Fruits & Crop Blessings: Acknowledging growth and ensuring protection
- Cleansing & Preparation: Spiritually and physically
- Devotion & Visioning: Prayer, fasting, and connecting to divine wisdom
- Protection of the Home, Land, and Body: Warding against illness, pests, and misfortune
- Connection to the Dead: Especially ancestors tied to land and craft
Traditional Observances
Fasting & Prayer
In Christian and folk magic households, people would fast on Ember Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and offer special prayers. Witches and cunning folk adapted this as a form of spiritual purification and magical preparation, not unlike ritual cleansing before spellwork.
Blessing of Crops
Priests would bless the fields on these days, walking the land in a procession. In folk witchcraft tradition, this was mirrored with:
- Sprinkling blessed salt or water
- Burning protective herbs like rue, mugwort, or vervain in the fields
- Tying red ribbons or corn dollies to trees or fences to guard crops
Reading the Weather
Folk diviners believed the weather on the three Ember Days in June predicted the weather of the next three months:
- Wednesday foretold July
- Friday foretold August
- Saturday foretold September
Fire & Flame Rituals
In Mediterranean and Eastern European traditions, bonfires were kindled during the June Embertide or leading into St. John’s Eve (June 23). This fire was seen as:
- Purifying the people and livestock
- Driving away evil spirits
- Inviting fertility and abundance
Children and animals were passed through the smoke. Embers were saved to protect the home.
Magical Beliefs & Lore
- Dreams during Embertide were said to be prophetic.
- Anointing oneself with herb-infused oils was believed to heighten spiritual sight.
- Witches and healers gathered herbs during this time for maximum potency.
- Divination done on Embertide Saturdays was said to be particularly accurate.
- Some folk believed fae activity increased during these liminal days, and thresholds and crossroads should be protected.
Embertide Herbal Lore
- Mugwort: For dreamwork and purification
- Rue: For protection
- Yarrow: For divination and healing
- St. John’s Wort: For protection and sun blessings
- Vervain: For blessing tools and altars
These herbs were often gathered at sunrise with prayers or charms, and offered to the spirits of the land or hung to dry above the hearth.
Syncretic Blend: Folk + Catholic + Witchcraft
Many traditional witches who lived in rural Catholic communities blended folk Catholicism with Old World pagan traditions, creating Embertide observances that honored Mary, the saints, the land spirits, and the ancestors together. It was common to:
- Say Psalms or novenas alongside spells
- Invoke saints or spirits like St. John, St. Cyprian, or Hekate
- Offer milk, bread, and flowers to crossroads, wells, or graves
(Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost) Embertide marks a sacred threshold in traditional Catholic and folk witchcraft calendars. A time of fasting, prayer, and preparation at the seasonal shift. The Summer Embertide in June occurs around the week after Pentecost, and it carries strong energy for purification, protection, harvest blessings, and fire magic. It was historically observed by rural Catholics, cunning folk, and kitchen witches alike.
Embertide Spellcraft & Traditions
1. Ash & Herb Cleansing Spell (Wednesday)
Burn protective herbs like mugwort, rue, rosemary, and vervain. Let the smoke fill your space, and use ashes to anoint your thresholds for protection. Charm words: "Ash of ember, guard this space, Witch-fire set to cleanse and brace."
2. Fire Offering & Visioning (Friday)
At twilight, write what you're ready to release on slips of paper — fears, blockages, old patterns — and burn them in a bonfire or flame-safe cauldron. Follow it with a petition to your spirits or ancestors asking for insight, then scry into the flames or smoke.
3. Land Blessing Ritual (Saturday)
Sprinkle holy water or moon-blessed water along the perimeter of your home or garden. Carry iron keys, salt, or protective herbs and chant:
"Spirits of land, of root, of stone, Bless this house and all it owns."
You can also bury a protective talisman at the entrance of your home or garden.
4. St. John's Wort & Midsummer Protection
Since Embertide leads toward St. John’s Eve (June 23) and Midsummer (June 24), start harvesting and drying St. John’s Wort, lavender, mugwort, and yarrow now. Hang them over doors or burn them in a protective incense as the days grow longer.
5. Folk Fast & Candle Prayer
Dedicate yourself to a magical fast, skipping one meal per Embertide day or refraining from indulgences. Light a single white candle, and say:
"Three days to clear, to cleanse, to see. Let all that’s false fall away from me."
6. Ancestral Vigil
Offer a simple meal of bread and milk or honey to your ancestors during one of the Embertide nights. Leave it near their altar or by a tree. Say:
"At this Ember’s turning flame, Ancient ones, I call your name."
Prophetic Dream Spell with Mugwort
For use on Ember Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday following Pentecost
Purpose:
To open your psychic senses through sacred sleep and receive a clear prophetic dream or spirit message aligned with your path.
What You’ll Need:
- Dried mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
- White, blue, or black candle
- Small pouch or dream pillow (natural fabric preferred)
- A piece of jet, amethyst, or moonstone
- Your own hair or breath (to link the spell to your body)
- Pen and dream journal
- Florida water, moon water, or rosewater (for spiritual washing)
Spell Steps:
1. Preparation (Twilight or Evening)
On the Embertide night, bathe or wash your face, feet, and hands in mugwort-infused water (or sprinkle yourself lightly with Florida water). As you do, say:
"As the sun dies, I cleanse my sight. Through leaf and dream, I wake the night. Spirits close, now veil and lift. Send truth to me on dreaming shift."2. Anointing & Fire Blessing
Light the candle and hold the dried mugwort in your hands. Breathe your intent into it. Say:
"Mugwort of moon, of maiden and crone, Show me what is mine to be known. Let visions rise through sacred sleep, Secrets of shadow I will keep."3. Create the Dream Charm
Place the mugwort, your chosen stone, and your hair (or picture) into the dream pouch or pillow. Add any optional herbs. Tie it shut. Hold it to your heart and whisper:
"By the moon’s glow and the Embertide door, May spirits whisper, dreams outpour. I seek no harm, but truth and light— Come through my dreams this Embertide night."4. Sleep & Dreaming
Place the charm under your pillow. Fall asleep in silence and receive.
5. Upon Waking
Immediately write down everything you remember, even strange sensations or feelings. Don't try to interpret it yet, let it unfold throughout the day. Check back in three days; the meanings may shift.
June Embertide Tarot Spread
Focus: A season of prophecy, power shifts, and sacred insight
Ember Wednesday – The Winds of Change
Wednesday is ruled by Mercury – expect omens, conversations, and mental realignments.
- What is shifting around me now?
- What message do my spirits or ancestors want me to receive?
- What clarity or decision must I make this month?
Wednesday is ruled by Mercury – expect omens, conversations, and mental realignments.
Ember Friday – The Waters of Emotion
Friday is ruled by Venus – expect insights into love, pleasure, beauty, or self-worth.
- What emotional theme or relationship will rise in July?
- Where is healing or softness needed in my heart?
- What desire or blessing is flowing toward me?
Ember Saturday – The Roots of Power
Saturday is ruled by Saturn – expect karmic lessons, stability, and opportunities to claim your power.
- What must I commit to for long-term success?
- Where do I need boundaries, protection, or strength?
- What powerful outcome can I harvest by summer’s end?
Whether through mugwort dreams, sacred baths, or whispered prayers over tarot cards, this is a season to read the signs, cleanse what clings, and set intention for the coming harvest. The witch’s power lies in observance as much as action, and Embertide reminds us that true magic is cyclical, quiet, and deeply woven with the earth. Let your spellwork be prophetic, your protection firm, and your spirit attuned to the winds of change. Embertide is here! Watch the smoke, stir the pot, and listen for the voice that only witches can hear.