Berries Are Fairy Fruit: Sweetness for June’s Full Moon
The Summer Solstice looms, and with it, a season of romance, revelry, and ambition blooms.
Folk stories of yesteryear say that our beloved fae folk were quite lively come June. As the moon waxed bigger and brighter, people made offerings to the Otherworld by scattering berries, nuts, and sweetness at the edge of their land. If you weren't sure what the wee ones like to eat, you might turn to the garden and forage for answers amidst the fruits of spring's labor.
In some parts of the Northern Hemisphere, June marks the start of berry season. Known as the Strawberry Moon, Blackberry Moon, Raspberry Moon, or Garden Moon, June's moon rises in tandem with the fruit ripening in the wild. Other nicknames for June’s moon include the Rose Moon, Flowering Moon, Lotus Moon, Mead Moon, and our favorite, the Planting Moon. In our eyes, the sixth moon of the year is a welcome reminder that all things bloom in their own time — just the berries in our garden, the flowers yet to open, and you. Especially you.
Perhaps berries magically appear at Midsummer because berries are fairy fruit.
Scarlet-skinned and heart-shaped, strawberries have long been associated with magick for love and passion. They tell the stories of fertile soil and sensuality, and show up in the gardens of Aphrodite, Persephone, and Lilith. Strawberries are governed by the moon, they are sweet reminders of our earthly desires.
The day we sow the seed is not the same day we prune the leaves or harvest the flowers, but when working with this fairy fruit, time is of the essence. Unlike nuts and roots that can be stored and packed away for another time, freshly picked berries insist that we taste their succulence right away. Just like the things we love, if we tuck strawberries away for another day, their sweetness will spoil.
Ovid said that strawberries were gifts from the wild, growing bigger, heartier, and more desirable if untouched by human hands.
The fairies are our forever muses, and in our upcoming fairy tale, they guide us through enchanted groves to craft wands and meet the trees that grow in the in-between. If you want to get your hands on our latest book (launching Summer 2025!), sign up for our waitlist — you’ll also receive a sample of “The Scavenger Hunt” in your inbox!
Kate Belew is an author, poet, and Witch whose work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. In Chapter 15 of the Pointy Hat Press Podcast, Kate reflects on her childhood muses, libraries as portals, and the first poem she ever wrote. She contemplates the ever-evolving landscape of her creativity and discusses the origin of the Crossroads writing community.
