Whether you’re planning a wedding or are already mated, June is the perfect month to read this treasure trove of ancient Celtic marriage lore.

Learn how to do a traditional divination to see if you will marry your lover, find out which herbs Wise Ones used to increase passion and ensure fidelity, read some good-luck Celtic wedding customs, and more. It’s all here:

To See if You Will Marry Your Lover:
Drop two acorns in a pan of water. If the nuts come together, a match is certain.

Celtic Marriage Traditions
Weddings are often held under the marriage oak, or inside stone circles within which the participants dance. Newly married couples might circumambulate a stone while asking for fertility, or pass naked through a large hole carved out of a stone (symbolic of rebirth into their new life).

A bride was thought to be the earthly representative of spiritual treasure, which must be fought for with determination and courage. She symbolized the Otherworld and a previously unexplored region of the groom’s psyche. The groom embodies the assertive male energy that must accomplish worldly deeds. Spiritually and physically, the couple must overcome the obstacles to their union in order for each to become whole.

For these reasons, displays of mock hostility, the blocking of entrances and gates, and the creation of rope barriers to test the couple’s determination are often part of the rite. Hostile spirits are dispelled by loud noises. A relative of the bride might carry her off, with the groom and his party in hot pursuit. When everyone tires of the game, the groom is “allowed” to claim the bride, and the celebrations and feasting begin.

An alternative to the horseplay might be to challenge the groom to solve a riddle. Or the bride’s people and the groom’s people can challenge each other to a contest in verse. And old Welsh custom is for the bride to disguise herself; one of the groom’s men is supposed to pick her out of the gathered crowd.

After the ceremony, an old woman meets the bride and presents her with a bag of hazelnuts–symbolic of the wisdom and the creativity she will enjoy in her new life’s passage.

Traditional Marriage Herbs
Because they are an herb of protection, said to avert evil, the Ancient Romans baked ANISE SEEDS into wedding cakes.

APPLES AND APPLE BLOSSOMS are symbolic of love, healing, and immortality. Burn the blossoms as incense, wear the perfume, and make them into herb candles.

BROOM FLOWERS bound with colored ribbons are carried at weddings. Couples may choose to “jump the broom” as they make their transition to a new station in life.

CARAWAY SEEDS are often added to love potions to keep lovers faithful. They are said to inspire passion when baked into cakes or breads, so put some in the wedding cake, or throw it at the bride and groom instead of rice (it’s much better for the birds!)

ELDERFLOWERS are used to bring blessings and luck to married couples.

LAVENDER is a classic ingredient of love charms. If worn, it helps protect against spousal abuse.

LEMON VERBENA is worn to increase one’s attractiveness to the opposite sex.

LICORICE brings fidelity and passion to a sexual union.

MARJORAM brings joy and is a common ingredient in love spells.

ROSES are ancient symbols of love. Strew them before the bridal pair, use them on the altar, wear them, and place them on the marriage bed.

ROSEMARY, an herb of consecration and remembrance, is often added to incense, placed in the chalice, and distributed to guests.