La Notte di San Giovanni is a summertide tradition found in both Italy and the Italian diaspora, with many different sacred traditions at this time. The most known tradition is by far l'acqua di San Giovanni, a rite of collecting local plants and flowers, submerging them in water, and leaving them out overnight to collect the dew in the evening of June 24th.
Some legends say that Saint John himself will bless the water overnight, or that the dew are tears of Salome, crying over the beheading of Saint John the Baptist. The recipes for this water vary from region to region, often containing curative plants, protective plants, cleansing plants, and whatever is accessible. The water is used to wash the face, hands, and feet, and is said to be curative and protective, especially against the evil eye and jealousy. This day is also used to collect plants, which are considered to be their most potent on this day.
The making of waters like these are not just limited to Italy and Italian folk magic - the making of sacred botanical waters is a widespread folk phenomena, and la Notte di San Giovanni is far from just an Italian holiday, however my approach to it will always be rooted into Italian folk magic and folk Catholicism.
The first offering created around La Notte di San Giovanni was Saint John's Blessing Spray, which was reformulated to be captivated in an oil made last year on his day, washed in his waters, and prayed over for a number of days after June 24th.
However, in my relationship with this day over the past five years, the holiday itself has become a rooting point - a grounding point, a day of the high sun and the sun gods, where everything around us is blooming at it's most vital point. Plants are their most potent. The sun is just past it's highest point. Various divinatory methods exist across different folk magics on this day, and there's celebration that occurs as we reach and slightly pass the longest day of the year.
I consider the days between the summer solstice (June 21st this year) and La Notte di San Giovanni (June 24th) to be incredibly important days in my practice. These are fantastic days for harnessing the power of the long days and high sun, calling on spirits to fulfill contracts, doing magic for businesses, cleansing old energy out before the darker part of the year, and calling in blessings and goals you wish to be empowered by the power of the sun.
Gold candles, petitions, and workings from my New Year's Eve Prosperity ritual are revisited, recharged, and fed. Spirits are gifted fresh flowers, and I gather up herbs that will assist me until the next year when this day comes again. Herbal bundles are made, both for smoke cleansing and more, and I enjoy making amaro on this day as well.
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San Giovanni's Blessing Bundle is one that is crafted to bring the energy of this day to a part of your life that may need more attention - cultivating the vitality of the sun, the spirit of one of our longest days of the year, and the blessings that we find when we root into our ancestral traditions.
Each of our limited bundles, including our previous Queer Ancestors Bundle (only one left!) contain a limited-edition oil curated specifically to serve the kit in what we created it for. Our previous, limited-edition oil was "Queer Protection", created by calling in the spirits of protection to specifically assist queer folks to empower, keep away harm, and created with well-known queer ancestors who worked for liberation and protection of queer people called in over it. This oil is fierce in the best of ways, working with queer herbs and allies to bring more protection to those who wear it.
The Blessing Bundle's limited oil is Sole, or Sun oil - made at high noon on the Sun's Day, charged over several solar hours, containing herbs of visibility, victory, and growth.
It pairs with Saint John's Blessing oil, made on La Notte di San Giovanni last year, calling in luck, benediction. I see Saint John's Blessing oil as the perfect companion to not only Sole oil, but when we are removing negativity with Our Lady, Untier of Knots - Unbinding Oil or Curse Breaker Spelled Oil as a chance to invite back in blessings and luck after an intense cleanse and removal of energy.
The herbal mix is made with limited herbs gathered from La Notte di San Giovanni this year, salt, and other herbs to bring in luck, blessings, and vitality, formulated to be used as a floor wash, tool wash, or placed in charm bags to be worn and carried with you.
The candle is dressed with plants harvested from that day, as well as our own in-house Blessing mix - awoken and instructed to assist those who carry it with them or burn the candle to bring in what is wanted.
A few ways to work with this bundle include;
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Taking a representation of the area of life you wish to bring blessings to - a business card, your name, or the name of a friend - and anoint with both oils. Place under the candle, then burn through. This representation can be used in money bowls, as a charm or talisman to bring in luck, or the petition can be kept in a charm bag with the herbal mix and carried with you.
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Write petitions on the candle in sharpie, anointing yourself with both oils. Brew some water and place the herbs in, letting it cool before adding to a floorwash or doorwash. Let the candle burn down while utilizing the wash on the home.
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Place the candle in a money bowl or in a central area of the home to call in blessing.
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Use the oils as needed throughout the duration of the spell, as well as on charm bags, in money bowls, and more.