St. John’s Eve is filled with magic and mystery. Discover the most powerful spells for good fortune, immerse yourself in the legends that have captivated generations and learn the traditions behind the bonfires that light up the night.
St. John’s Spells for Good Fortune, Legends, Stories and Mysteries
This is a date full of folklore and fantasy, where numerous fantastic legends agree that it is a period when the invisible doors to the other side of the mirror open wide.
Access is granted to grottoes, castles and enchanted palaces. The Moorish queens, princesses and captive infantas are freed from their prisons and shackles due to a spell, incantation, or curse. The cuélebres (dragons) roar and the Devil’s little horses fly.
Mysterious female beings come out for an evening stroll by moonlight around their impregnable abodes. Swarms of strange elf spirits emerge, sheltered in the darkness of the night and in the thickets.
Golden hens and chicks, with their dazzling golden plumage, entice some unwary greedy person to attempt to catch them. Young women in love dream and predict who their suitor will be.
The poisonous plants lose their harmful properties and the beneficial ones multiply their virtues (a good day to collect medicinal plants in the field).
Treasures stir in the Earth’s depths and the slabs that hide them reveal part of the treasure so that some poor mortal ceases to be, at least, poor. The dew cures a hundred and one diseases and also makes whoever smears it all over their body more beautiful and youthful.
The Ferns Bloom at the Stroke of Midnight
In short, the atmosphere is charged with a supernatural breath that permeates every magical place on the planet, making it the perfect time to thrill, be excited and tell our children, grandchildren, or friends all sorts of St. John’s Eve stories, anecdotes and jokes we know.
This night opens the door that introduces us to the knowledge of the future and the magical dimensions of reality. It is the night when burials burn, the Devil roams free and the fields are blessed by John the Baptist.
In the morning, very early, people wash their hair and face with holy water and begin to call out, three times in a row:
“St. John! St. John! Give me milcao (potato stew with lard) and I will give you bread…”
St. John’s Eve Traditions
Meanings and Practices for Good Fortune and Fertility
The night before, two of the most important events are the fire dance and the trials. Some of these trials are as follows: if a young woman goes out at dawn and meets a dog, it is said her husband will be as gluttonous as a dog throughout his life.
If she goes out after midnight and meets a black cat, it is bad luck for the future; but if the cat is another color, it means happiness. It is believed that if a cross is made on the trees at midnight, they will produce double the fruit. Also, if you look at the moon and then at the fig tree at midnight, you will see it bloom.
It is said that the fig tree and the “manger” (fern) bloom this night. Whoever possesses one of these flowers will be very fortunate and whoever sees the mint bloom this night will also be lucky, as long as they keep it a secret.
On the eve, the hydrangea flower is planted in a pot with soil and water. Then, a petition is made with faith in the baptism of St. John.
It is advisable to wash your hands with spring water to stay young and to wash your hair to keep it beautiful. It is believed that the waters are blessed by John the Baptist on this night. If it rains that night or the next day, it is said there will be an abundance of apples.
Before sunrise, it is traditional to water the trees with spring water so they bear abundant fruit throughout the year. To ensure a good harvest, a piece of candle must be thrown on St. John’s Eve. Additionally, it is said that to learn to play the guitar, one must place oneself under a fig tree during this night.
From Dawn to Night
How St. John’s Eve Unites Cultures with Rituals and Symbols
The night and the dawn are dedicated to St. John in an effort to Christianize the numerous forces that manifest on this magical day, during which all traditional societies in Europe perform numerous rituals of ancient origin and profound cultural functionality.
The celebration is not exclusive to specific localities but extends throughout Europe and Latin America, adopting various customs and traditions.
Two elements preside over the celebration: a character symbolizing Christianity and a star. On one hand, there is the Sun, which, according to popular tradition, rises dancing on the morning of the 24th. On the other hand, there is the saint associated with the date, St. John, who imparts sacredness to the festival, though he does not occupy a central place in the rituals.
St. John’s Eve
Bonfires, Witches and the Fight Against Evil in This Astral Celebration
With the Sun and St. John as fundamental components of the celebration, during the night and dawn of St. John’s Eve, people use various symbolic instruments to combat the different evils that can affect humans, their activities and their possessions throughout the year.
Being a date of astral transition that announces various changes in nature, it equates to a rupture in the cosmic order that encourages the emergence of the underworld. This is why St. John’s Eve is known as a night of witches, entities that can cause numerous harms to humans.
St. John’s Eve, known for its magical traditions, is characterized by the multitude of bonfires that illuminate the night. Before lighting the bonfire, people throw small objects, spells, wishes and even academic notes into it to ward off evil spirits.
The Water Flower
An Ancestral Rite of Abundance and Healing at the Summer Dawn
The tradition of decorating fountains with branches and flowers is closely related to prosperity, abundance and fertility.
According to tradition, at the dawn of the first day of summer, women would go to the fountains to collect the “water flower,” hoping to find a partner, conceive children, or acquire healing powers. At dawn, as the women headed to the fountain, they sang in honor of the water flower to obtain its favors.
