June 15, 2026
Here comes the month of the elderflower blooms. Elders are everywhere here and the flowers are a common summer flavoring, especially for drinks. I tend to leave the flowers be so that I can harvest the berries later in the year and make a winter tincture. This time of year also marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, which is quite long here in Scandinavia. In Denmark we celebrate midsummer with Sankt Hans Aften (Saint John’s Night), which has a bonfire at sunset and gathering to sing songs a couple of nights after the solstice. Otherwise, my plans for the Elder moon are to be with my garden and start harvesting the fullness of summer.
The Deer moon was a quiet one for me. I spent a lot of time in the garden and I’m so pleased to have a great vegetable patch going along with a new flower bed. Sitting in the morning sun, drinking my tea, and just breathing the garden in is such a beautiful treat. I also took a long weekend as a “mini-retreat” while my wife was away. Lots of time for reading, meditation, and contemplation while letting the rhythm of the day move as it chose to. The beginning of the Deer moon was very dry here, which had me worried for the Land. In the last half of the moon though, we’ve had regular rains, which have refilled the water barrel and replenished the earth (at least somewhat). I’m very thankful for the rain finally returning.
I hope the wisdom of the Elder and fullness of midsummer charge you up.
Hawthorn Seed 