Ivan Kupala is a holiday of the Eastern Slavs, dedicated to the flowering of nature and the summer solstice. It is celebrated annually on July 7 according to the new style. The holiday has other names - Midsummer's Day, Kupala Night, Kupala. There are many signs and customs associated with this day.

Kupala signs

This holiday is associated not only with fun, but also with magic. On Kupala night, various rituals were performed. There are also many signs of Ivan Kupala:

1. If the weather is rainy on the holiday, then hot days will come in a week. The heat will last until the end of summer.
2. Seeing a snake means trouble and illness.
3. If the stars are bright at night and there is a lot of dew on the grass in the morning, then there will be a rich harvest of vegetables.
4. You can't eat berries on this day. Our ancestors believed that because of this, deceased relatives would remain hungry in the next world.
5. Herbs collected on Kupala night have magical power.
6. You should not accept gifts or even sweets on Kupala. In the old days they believed that any gift could cause evil. Indeed, during this period, sorcerers and witches acquire special power.
7. Hearing the cuckoo singing on Kupala night means cold autumn. But the singing of a cricket foretells joyful events.
8. You need to leave the Ivan Kupala celebration without looking back. It is believed that if a person turns around to look at the fire, then evil spirits will stick to him and take away his energy throughout the year.
9. To protect yourself from evil spirits and all that is bad, you need to take a swim in the pond at sunset.
10. If the night is clear and starry, then in the fall there will be a lot of mushrooms.
11. A person born on Kupala night is endowed magical abilities. He will be successful and healthy.

Rituals on Ivan Kupala

Kupala night (from 6 to 7 July) is considered one of the most magical nights of the year. At this time, our ancestors told fortunes, cast spells, turned to the forces of nature, as well as to the spirits of the elements of Fire and Water. And today it is customary to carry out various rituals on the day of Ivan Kupala.

It is believed that on Kupala night evil spirits come out to White light. To drive it away, you need to not go to bed, but light fires. You can throw birch logs and wormwood into the fire. A fire helps not only to ward off evil spirits, but also to cleanse oneself. The one who jumps over the fire will be truly lucky. Do you want your cherished wish to come true? Make a wish while jumping, before your feet touch the ground.

If you burn the things of a sick person in a fire, then his illnesses will leave him and he will be healed.

The ancient Slavs competed to see who could jump the highest over a fire. It was believed that this person would have the richest harvest.

To cleanse yourself of negativity and protect yourself from damage and the evil eye, walk around the fire three times clockwise.

If there is a difficult period in life, many problems have piled up, and you cannot cope with them on your own, do not be sad. Write what bothers you the most on a piece of paper, and then burn this letter in a fire.

A ritual with a handkerchief, which you need to purchase in advance, will help you attract good luck into your life. It is advisable that the handkerchief be white. If you don’t find one like this on sale, then sew it yourself from a piece of new fabric. Sitting in front of the fire, wipe your nose with a handkerchief and throw it into the fire, while saying:

“I pay a ransom, I attract luck to myself,

Let everything bad burn in the fire,

And in my life only good things prevail.”

While the handkerchief is burning, look at the fire and think about what you want to achieve in life. Imagine that your cherished desires have come true, and only dear and beloved people are next to you. Ask the fire to take away everything bad from your life so that problems and troubles leave you. Mentally turning to the fire, you can ask it to make your dream come true.

Not only fire, but also water on Ivan Kupala has magical powers. To get rid of acne forever and make your skin smooth and velvety, you need to collect dew early in the morning and wash your face. If you want to rejuvenate and improve your health, then in the morning, run barefoot on the grass on which drops of dew have formed.

To always have prosperity in the house, you need to knead the dough and add Kupala dew to it. Bake a loaf from this dough and divide it among all family members.

“As the dew is clean, so will my house be clean. Amen".

Girls who dream of improving their personal life need to swim in the river at midnight, putting on a white shirt or shirt. This ritual will also help family women improve relationships with your spouse, and even return him to the family.

To attract happiness and good luck, fill a bucket with water, and standing barefoot on the grass, pour it over yourself, saying:

“Kupala-Kupala, make sure that happiness prevails in my life. Let luck smile on me and let no misfortunes come my way. Let bad people they bypass me, and only happiness and love come to my house.”

People who are tormented by depression should draw water from a well in the morning on Ivan Kupala and wash themselves with it.

The magic of Kupala herbs

Our ancestors also noticed that medicinal herbs collected on Ivan Kupala have special powers. They are used to heal the sick, as well as to perform witchcraft rituals.

If you are tormented by nightmares or have trouble sleeping at night, then collect a bouquet of fern and thistle leaves at Kupala. Hang this bouquet at the head of the bed, saying:

“May the magical herbs save me from nightmares, give me a healthy and deep sleep, after which I will feel like a million."

To protect your home from damage and the evil eye, in the morning place a sprig of fern and nettle on the windowsills and at the threshold of your house. The next day the herbs need to be burned.

If you want to bewitch your loved one, then roll up his photo into a tube and tie it with a fern branch. If the branch breaks, then you are not destined to be together, and you should not continue to do anything. If everything goes well, then read the words of the conspiracy:

“On Ivan Kupala, I, the servant of God (name), went around all the fields and forests, looked for my dear one, and found a branch of fern. I will tie this twig around a photograph of my beloved (name). Just as a fern will wither and dry, so the servant of God (name) will wither and yearn for the servant of God (name), she will desire me alone, but will not notice other women. Amen".

After reading, tie the package with the photo with red thread and hide it at home away from prying eyes. You don’t need to tell anyone that you made a love spell.

To find out when they will get married, unmarried women need to weave a wreath of different herbs and throw it down the river. If the wreath sinks, then a marriage proposal will not come in the near future. If the wreath floats down the river, you will soon meet your betrothed. The further the wreath floats, the happier your family life will be.

To find out who will become a spouse, on Kupala night a girl needs to pick a plantain leaf and put it under her pillow, saying before going to bed:

“The plantain flower is blooming by the road. He sees everything and knows everything, let him not hide anything from me. Reveal the plantain’s secret to me, show me your betrothed in a dream.”

Girls who wanted to find out if they would get married in the next year went out into the field at midnight and picked grass without looking. In the morning we sorted through the resulting bouquet; if we came across more than 12 different plants, then the wedding was just around the corner.

To prevent your home from being robbed, collect Ivan da Marya flowers on July 7 and place them in the corners of your home, reading the plot:

“Magic flowers can protect my home. There is no way for a thief, he cannot find a way into my house. Let him not notice my house, let him walk around, not set foot on the threshold, but pass by.”

To ensure that your home is always spared from harm, collect leaves of roses, nettles, rose hips and other thorny plants, dry them and burn them, and scatter the ashes near your home.

St. John's wort branches, picked on a festive night and hung at the threshold, will become an excellent amulet for the home.

To maintain good health, you need to steam in a bathhouse with a broom of herbs collected on Ivan Kupala. Unmarried women, after such a procedure they can still find out where their betrothed lives. To do this, when leaving the bathhouse, you need to throw a broom behind your back. Where the broom handle points, wait for the groom from there.

Video: rituals on the eve of Ivan Kupala Day

Kupala night has always been endowed with special magic. On the night of July 6-7, it seems that even the spirit of magic and witchcraft is in the air. Herbalists have long known about this and used it skillfully. After all, a special power permeates herbs and roots on this day, giving them medicinal properties that can heal the most serious ailments.

© DepositPhotos

Editorial "So simple!" will tell you about the magic of Kupala herbs: what plants need to be collected on this day and what ailments they treat.

Healing herbs

Collecting herbs for healers was a special act in which many rules had to be followed. Most of them were aimed at protection from evil forces, because it was believed that they did not like it when healers collected medicinal herbs. Healers went to great lengths to prevent evil spirits from touching them: from reading prayers to collecting herbs naked.

Another part of the rituals was associated with thanksgiving. When picking plants, you definitely need to thank Mother Nature for allowing you to use her gifts. To modern man all this may seem like fairy tales, but many healers still believe in the magical power of Kupala herbs. The meadows are already covered with herbs, which means it’s time to collect them. Let's see what exactly you need to collect in your cart.

Ivan-da-Marya
Of course, there are a great variety of herbs, but we will only talk about the most valuable ones. One of these plants has always been Ivan da Marya flower. A very tragic story is connected with him. Brother Ivan and sister Marya fell in love with each other, not knowing about their relationship. When they found out the whole truth, life became not pleasant for them. Ivan (yellow flower) threw himself into the fire out of despair, and Marya ( blue flower) drowned herself.

That’s why people light bonfires on Ivan Kupala, remembering Ivan, and bathe in the river in honor of Marya. This plant is inextricably linked with the summer holiday. So you need to prepare it for the year on this very day. Experienced herbalists always first of all collected Ivan-da-Marya, and not the fern shrouded in legends.

Freshly squeezed plant juice improves hearing and memory. Flowers protect the house from evil forces, and people from the evil eye. For headaches, drink this decoction: 20 g of herb is poured into 200 ml of water at room temperature, then boil for 15 minutes and let it brew. Take one tablespoon 3-4 times a day. Or soak a cloth in the broth and apply it to your head.

In addition, a decoction from the plant serves as a good prevention of atherosclerosis and arrhythmia. Used as a blood purifier. Can be used for external use as an antiseptic.

Lovage
This glorious plant will come to the rescue for gout and rheumatism: boil 5 g of dried roots for 10–15 minutes over low heat, then let it brew for 2–3 hours, strain. Take a tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.

The roots of the plant are used as a seasoning for a variety of dishes. If you use it for cooking constantly, metabolic and digestive processes in the body will improve. Lovage collected on Kupala night has the ability to heal wounds.

Weeping grass
It is popularly considered one of the magical herbs and is endowed with many healing properties. It has several names: loosestrife, weeping root, lady's grass. Flowering time occurs in early July. The herb is known for its hemostatic and sedative properties.

Sagebrush
A plant with a bitter taste and strong odor, used to neutralize evil spirits, as well as for treatment. Previously, girls collected wormwood in the morning on Ivan Kupala and tied it to their belts or wove it into their braids to protect themselves from evil spirits. With its help, people protected their homes by placing burdock leaves, wormwood and alder branches on the roof.

Nettle
Another strong amulet against mermaids, sorcerers and other evil spirits. Nettles were placed on windows, on the thresholds of houses, and hung on doors to protect the house. And before swimming on Midsummer's Day, they threw nettles into the water to protect against mermaids.

Nettle helps with rheumatism: you need to press the sore spot with a stinging plant. You can also make tooth powder from nettle, which will make your teeth strong and your smile radiant.

All these plants are healing at other times, not only on Kupala night. It is simply believed that the energy of the holiday nourishes them and gives them special strength. This way they reach their full potential. If you like to collect herbs, then Midsummer Day is the ideal time for this. Use the magic of this day to the fullest!

Do you believe in magic? Kupala night? Tell us in the comments.

Ivanovo herbs (Ivan herbs, Kupala herbs) - fresh vegetation - herbs, flowers, tree branches, roots, the collection and use of which are included in the ritual complex of the celebration of Ivan Kupala. According to popular belief, various plants during the summer solstice, when nature reached its highest peak, they were filled with extraordinary magical power, which the peasants sought to use. This is also evidenced by stories that tell about miraculous phenomena that happened with flora in this moment. Russians everywhere had a widespread belief that on a magical Kupala night in fields, forests, and gardens, all plants whisper to each other and move from place to place, and “every grass, even ferns, blooms.” Herbaceous plants, on which buds appeared only once a year, on the night of Ivan Kupala, “bloom for three minutes, producing three flowers.” These flowers and herbs, according to people, are magical, they can completely change the life of the person who plucked them, but it is very difficult to obtain the treasured plants, since they are protected by evil spirits. The most popular stories are about the fern flower, which promised its owner happiness, good luck, and magical powers.

With its help it was possible to take possession of others magical plants, each of which usually possessed one of the properties attributed to the fern. The presence of Ararat grass in a person also gave him access to magical herbs. It was distinguished by its characteristic flowers of yellow and blue flowers . You can find Ararat grass only at midnight on Ivan Kupala or on the day of Ivan Kupala between matins and mass. When obtaining the herb, a number of rules had to be followed, otherwise its magical power would be lost. Tradition prescribed to draw a circle around the plant with a knife against the sun and pull its stem. If the grass comes out with a circle of earth, then it can be used to search for magic herbs, if not, then it is useless. The difficulty also lay in the fact that “ararat” grass, according to the Vyatka peasants, grew only in one place, where the waters of two rivers - the Oka and Moscow - merge. Magic herbs also included tear-grass, also known under the names “lomotsvet” (Vologda), “spryk” (Vyatka). Like a fern, it blooms at midnight and blooms for as long as it takes to read the Lord's and Virgin's prayers. Its fiery flowers have the property of making a person invisible, but its main purpose is to destroy all barriers, even metal ones, and to open any locks and constipations. To get this plant, you need to go to a remote wasteland at midnight on Ivan Kupala and mow the grass there until the metal part of the scythe breaks - this is a sure sign that the grass has been mowed. All cut grass from the place where the scythe was broken is thrown into the river and its behavior is carefully observed. Unlike other grasses, rip-grass does not sink and floats against the current. According to legend, thieves who have taken possession of the rip-grass hide it in the finger of their hand, having first made a cut on it. By touching any lock with such a finger, a thief can easily open it; touching a person entails the death of the latter. The tear-grass can lose its magical power only if it is thrown into a latrine. On the Kupala night they also looked for the magical invisibility grass - it was used to become invisible - flight-grass, overpower-grass. Not only individual herbs were considered magical, but also a whole heap of grass cut on Kupala night. According to the Russian settlers of Siberia, with its help you can find happiness and wealth. For this purpose, the Ivanovo mop was left untouched until the “terrible evenings” (see Christmastide). According to legend, devils must live in it. To force the devils to obey oneself, one had to go around the haystack on one of the Christmas nights with prayer and draw a circle around it with a “cinder” from the first torch lit in the fall. The devils living in it will offer to fulfill all wishes in exchange for a promise to leave them alone. There was an idea among the people that any plant plucked or dug up on the day of Agrafena the Bathing Suit, Ivan Kupala, had miraculous powers; according to the Siberian peasants, at this time “any grass is useful.” The best, but also the most dangerous, time for collecting Ivanovo grass was considered the night of Ivan Kupala, or rather midnight. As a rule, at this time, plants were mined that had healing properties and were also used in fortune telling and witchcraft. Only “knowledgeable” people could do this, which included those who mastered magical practice, i.e. sorcerers, healers, witches. In a number of places medicinal herbs collected by elderly women, usually widows, who were considered, according to popular belief, “pure”, because they could no longer bear children and were no longer sexually active. In tradition, there were certain rules for collecting medicinal and witchcraft herbs, ensuring the preservation and increase of their magical power. So, women who were engaged in harvesting medicinal plants, fasted before the holiday for several days, and during the gathering they removed pectoral crosses. Sorcerers, witches, and healers, going into forests and fields at night, tried to leave the house unnoticed. When getting down to business, they often undressed, even throwing off their shirts. In Vyatka province. It was forbidden to pick some plants bare hand, otherwise they will lose their healing power. An indispensable part of the ritual of preparing herbs were spells. When plucking plants, healers and sorcerers usually said: “I, slave (name of the rivers) or slave, tear flowers from the grass, roots from the earth; for what they are useful, that’s why I tear them.” In Siberia, “knowledgeable” peasants specially placed plants collected at night under the “Midsummer Dew”, believing that in this case their magical properties would increase. For the same purpose, herbs, mainly medicinal, were carried to church for consecration. The Ivanovo herbs brought home were distributed to fellow villagers on the same day or dried and stored in a place that was interpreted in the traditional worldview as a border space: in a pipe, under a stove, under a threshold. Subsequently, they, as well as fresh ones, were offered to peasants for the treatment of diseases, exorcism and as a talisman, for use in love magic. Each variety of herbs was consumed with specific purpose. Thus, the herb "chaffinch" helped against children's screaming and insomnia, and shepherd's purse was used as a hemostatic agent. Chernobyl was universally known as the best remedy to improve health. In addition, according to legend, he guarded the Kupala night household. The plantain was tied into bunches and hung in the yard for protection from all sorts of reptiles. The herbs Diviy Sil and Mary Magdalene were recommended to be used for melancholy; the herb of the Mother of God was fumigated for calving cows. About the properties of some Ivanovo herbs used in medicinal purposes and in divination, it was also known among the people. The peasants themselves could prepare them, but unlike “knowledgeable” people, they preferred to collect these herbs during the day or, better, at sunrise, “under the dew,” trying to preserve droplets of night moisture on the leaves. Wanting to increase the healing power of plants, they, like sorcerers, plucked them with the sentence: “Earth, mother, bless me, brother herbs, and the grass is my mother.” Other techniques were also known aimed at preserving the magical properties of Ivanovo plants. So, Chernobyl grass was braided into lashes and placed under Ivan’s dew, saying: “Mother earth, father sky, give your slaves health from this grass.” The owner of the herb known as "plakun", considered the best amulet from evil spirits, he had to come to the temple, stand at the altar, less often in the altar, facing the east, or so that the root of the grass that he was holding in his hands was facing the east, and pronounce the spell: “Weeping, weeping! You cried for a long time…". As a result of these actions, the “tearful” power of the magical plant was directed against various harmful manifestations to protect its owner. A cross was also made from the consecrated plakun, which was tied to a cross on a gaitan (beaded decoration) or to a silk belt. It was believed that in this case he drives away demons and evil spirits from the owner. In Siberia, the owner of each house in the evening, on the eve of Ivan Kupala (Kupala night), walked around his yard three times with prayer and threw nettles crosswise at the gate so that “the witch would get burned and would not enter the house.” The herb "terlich" was used in love magic. To attract guys, girls were advised to put it in their bosom and say: “Terlich, terlich, call the boys!”

Plants, among which the most common ones were Ivan da Marya and bathing plant (yellowhead), were brought to the village in armfuls. In churches, dwellings and courtyards, and in a number of places and near them, herbs were scattered on the floor or on the ground, placed near windows and icons. In Novgorod province. there was a custom to make a bouquet during a ritual bath from resin flowers taken with you. Some plants brought into the house were given special significance. Thus, the Tver peasants, in order to acquire happiness and wealth, tucked rich Ivanovo grass behind the matitsa - the main supporting beam of the ceiling. In Vologda province. 46 grasses were tucked under the prince's log, which served as a connection to the roof slopes, so that the house “would not be opened by bad weather and struck by lightning.” In general, the decoration of the hut and yard with consecrated, and sometimes unconsecrated, Ivanovo grass was understood in many local traditions as a talisman for the house and its owners on Kupala night from evil spirits.
Ritual Ivanovo greenery, as well as bouquets, wreaths and brooms made from it, used for decoration, were usually dried and stored after the holiday, using the magical power attributed to them in the future. On their basis, infusions and powders for fumigation were prepared, which were used when people were ill and animals. Preserved grass was thrown into the oven during a thunderstorm to protect the house from lightning strikes. It was recommended to put the Ivan da Marya plant in the corners of the hut; in this case, “the thief will not enter the house: the brother and sister will talk; the thief will wonder what the owner and the mistress say.” Bouquets, wreaths, and brooms were used in fortune telling, like Trinity wreaths. They were launched into the water and wondered about marriage, about life and death, or about the future. On the night of Ivan Kupala, girls and young women specially collected grass for fortune telling. To find out about your groom, you had to pick 12 or 24 types of herbs at midnight. Among them, the most common were plantain, wormwood, thistle, fern, nettle, companion plant, sedge, wheatgrass, chickweed, turtle dove, and quinoa.

Rituals for Ivan Kupala associated with herbs

It is on this night that herbs and flowers collected before dawn have magical healing powers. Herbs and flowers collected on Midsummer's Day were kept under the Bathing dew. Then they dried it in the sun and stored it. Such dried herbs were used to fumigate rooms and sick people, and helped fight evil spirits, have been used in various magical rites and simple household needs.

The main magical flower on Ivan Kupala is the fern. According to legend, treasures are associated with this flower. It was believed that if on the night of Ivan Kupala a person finds a fern flower (and it blooms only on Kupala Night), then it will certainly lead to a treasure.

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By old recipes herbalists create tinctures and balms, herbal teas and health drinks. And a special place in this kingdom useful plants certainly occupy Kupala (Ivanovo) herbs.

LEGENDS ABOUT FERN

Of course, the most important plant of the magical night on the eve of Ivan Kupapa was considered the famous fern - Perunov Fireflower, Fireflower, Cupid or Devil's Beard, as it was popularly called. He inspired people, on the one hand, with admiration for his unheard-of magical power, and on the other, with superstitious fear of everything unknown and dangerous. And the fern, indeed, was known as a dangerous, mysterious and incomprehensible natural phenomenon, especially when it bloomed on the night of the summer solstice.

And not everyone decided to go in search of him into the depths of dark impenetrable forests. This fantastic plant blooms for just a few moments, and you need to seize that very short moment in order to pick a bright fiery bud and become omnipotent - understand the language of animals, become invisible, bewitch your loved ones and find any treasures.

While waiting for the fern to bloom, in order to protect itself from the evil spirits guarding the flower, it was necessary to draw a circle around oneself with a Vasilievsky cinder - the remnant of a candle or torch lit on Vasiliev's (New Year's) night, or an Easter candle, a rowan stick, a knife or an ax. Then take the wormwood in your hands and read a prayer, walking around the fern backwards three times.

They say that at the stroke of midnight, a ripe bud opens with a bang and explodes into a golden and sometimes bloody dazzling flame. The plucked flower must be wrapped in a tablecloth so that an invisible hand cannot carry it away, otherwise the glowing bud will begin to move throughout the forest, and you will no longer be able to catch it. So if you pick it up, hide it in your bosom and run away without looking back, otherwise disaster will happen. After all, the fern is hunted not only by the human tribe, but also by all sorts of Navi entities: terrible and dangerous spirits of the forest, the night and the underworld.

Another legend claims that the owner of a flower, returning from the forest to the village, must immediately go to church and hide the flower under the throne. And you can pick it up from there only at Epiphany, when the people go to Jordan. A demon will appear on the river for a flower - and ask him for the flower whatever you want.

There is one more Slavic legend. It says that the god Yarilo gave people a magical fire. And every year on the night of June 23-24, he sends it to earth, where it flares up in the form of a fern flower.

In fact, the fern has never bloomed even once during its entire existence on Earth, and it appeared on our planet more than three hundred million years ago! In Ireland they say that it does not bloom because the plant was cursed by St. Patrick, and in some areas of Great Britain the fern is generally called the “devil’s brush.”

Although in other counties of Foggy Albion, the shield plant, or male fern, on the contrary, is considered magically strong and is called “ lucky hand", as it has the property of protecting, healing and arousing love. If, on the eve of Midsummer's Night, all undeveloped leaves, except for five, are cut off from the shield plant, you will get an amulet in the form of a human hand - the “hand of Kupala”, or “Ivan’s hand”, capable of protecting the house and family from evil eye and damage.

In general, the fern is not only an excellent amulet, but also a talisman of the highest standard: it protects a person from witchcraft (if worn on a naked body), a house from lightning, and a field from hail. Opens all locks, doors and vaults, reveals buried treasures throughout the earth, gives a person the ability to know the past, present and future, read minds, talk to animals, predict events and generate love in the heart of another.

TRAGEDY OF IVAN AND MARYA

On the magical Midsummer night, herbalists were one of the first to collect the Ivan-da-Marya plant, which had special qualities and was covered in ancient legends and traditions. Brother Ivan and sister Marya (Kostroma and Kupala) fell in love with each other, unaware of their relationship. But when they found out about this, they no longer wanted to live in this world. Out of despair and pain, Ivan (yellow flower) threw himself into the fire, and Marya (blue flower) drowned herself in the river. Therefore, in memory of his brother and sister, on the night of Ivan Kupala, bonfires burn everywhere in honor of Ivan, and at dawn people wash themselves with transparent healing dew in honor of his beloved sister Marya.

Maryannik, Adam and Eve, brother and sister, yellowhead, Kupala flowers (yellow and purple) - as many people have called the Ivan-da-Marya flower, praising its magical properties. Firstly, if you keep a flower with you, it will help you escape from any pursuit. Secondly, freshly squeezed plant juice treats hearing and memory. Thirdly, maryannik flowers protect the house from evil spirits, and the owners from damage and the evil eye. In addition, they improve marital relationships.

SMELLY WREATH OF KUPALA

Kupala herbs were plucked not only for medicinal purposes, but also for fortune telling, sorcery and witchcraft. The young people really wanted unmarried girls find out about her future lover and what fate awaits her with her beloved. And those who suffered from unrequited love dreamed of bewitching their loved one with the help of magic grass, winning his heart, endowing themselves with not only attractive feminine power, but also longevity and unprecedented beauty. To find out about your groom, you were supposed to pick 12 or 24 types of herbs at midnight!

So, our ancestors believed that clover carries great power love, happiness, beauty and youth. Its leaves were collected, dried and then always carried with them in a clean piece of paper or in a handkerchief. And in the morning they went out into the clearing and collected dew from the clover. They poured it into a small vessel, then put three branches of clover in it for the whole day. At night we washed our face with this water, using it instead of anti-wrinkle cream.

According to legends and traditions, the weeping grass, which was called the mother of all herbs, also had enormous magical power: if, holding it in your hands, you collect other herbs, then the magical and healing power automatically passes to these plants. They say that this herb grew from the tears of the Mother of God shed during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. She pacifies the demons of evil spirits, destroys the spell of sorcerers and witches.

A huge number of legends and myths surround another Kupala plant - marsh rosemary (swamp stupor, forest rosemary, hemlock). They say that the Swamp Lord was in love with a forest nymph, but no matter how hard he tried to attract her to him, he failed. One day, in great anger, he began to smash everything around, which caused a spark that ignited the swamp. The smoke from the burnt rosemary stupefied the nymph's head and, not remembering anything, she herself came to the Swamp Lord.

Since then, it has been believed that the mist is placed on the bolt by the ruler so that the nymph who has regained her sight will get lost and will not be able to escape from it. But if the swamps are on fire, it means that the nymph managed to escape from the hateful kidnapper, and he is trying to lure his beloved back with fire. Medicinal properties Ledum has always been revered by the people since the time of Hippocrates - with its help they got rid of unnecessary pregnancy and even were cured of cancer.