Le Cercle de l'Ombelle · Moon 6 out of 12
June — Before flowering
Summer · 11 references pickeds this moon · cutting leaves at their peak
First movement
The harvest
The essentials at a glance
Before flowering · Summer
11 references pickeds this moon, of which 0 contain caffeine.
Cutting leaves at their peak.
June is the pivotal moon of summer. Flowering draws near, and it is just before it begins that aromatic leaves hold the most essential oils: the plant has stored everything to bloom, yet has spent nothing. Lemon balm and mint then reach the height of their fragrance, while lemongrass yields its first stalks of the season. Cutting is done in the morning, once the dew has just dried and before the day's heat has dispersed the essences. It is precise work: a few days too many, the flower opens and the leaf loses its strength. June therefore asks the herbalist to watch for the right moment, that brief instant when the plant is at its fullest without having yielded anything. The moon of leaves at their peak, picked at the very last moment, before summer tips into its great heat.
Around the solstice, the moon barely skims the horizon: the nights are so short that life no longer stops. The hay is cut, this is the hay moon, and aromatic leaves concentrate their oils on the eve of flowering. The almanac recommends picking mint and lemon balm on the morning of a dry day; when evening comes, the insects take over in the lime trees.
Second movement
The moon lesson
This moon harvests 3 plants ; here are their botanical profiles and their rituals.
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis · Lamiaceae
Lemon balm is a perennial member of the Lamiaceae whose crushed leaf smells delightfully of lemon and honey, a freshness that earns it the French nickname of “garden lemongrass”, not to be confused with true tropical lemongrass. Its Greek name, melissa, means bee: its small white flowers attract foragers so strongly that beekeepers once rubbed their hives with it. It is harvested just before flowering, in early summer, because that is when its leaf is most fragrant; once in flower, it loses much of its lemony aroma. Delicate, it needs quick drying in the shade so as not to blacken. As an infusion, it gives a tender, gentle, lemony cup, without the acidity of citrus, a round and enveloping freshness on the palate.
Mint
Mentha · Lamiaceae
Mint is a vast genus of the Lamiaceae family, rich in dozens of species and countless hybrids that cross spontaneously as soon as they grow side by side, so that no two gardens have quite the same one. Spearmint, peppermint, bergamot mint, apple mint: all share menthol, the molecule that brings an almost cold freshness to the mouth. All are harvested before flowering, in early summer, when the concentration of essential oils in the leaves is at its height. The plant is so vigorous that it takes over everything: it is contained more than cultivated. Dried in the shade to keep its colour, it gives a lively, refreshing infusion whose intensity varies greatly by species. The queen of fresh herbs, present on every table from the Mediterranean basin to the Maghreb.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus globulus · Myrtaceae
Eucalyptus is a tall tree native to Australia, of the Myrtaceae family, some species of which are among the tallest trees in the world. Introduced to every continent in the 19th century to drain wetlands and provide fast-growing timber, it has become acclimatised around the Mediterranean. Its tough, elongated leaves are harvested when mature, rich in essential oils with that distinctive camphor scent, the fresh, penetrating fragrance that announces the tree from afar. Unlike tender herbs, its thick leaves withstand drying well and keep their aroma for a long time. As an infusion, they give a lively, balsamic cup with a minty, woody freshness. It is also the almost exclusive food of the koala, whose diet relies on only a few dozen species of eucalyptus, an almost entire tree devoted, in its homeland, to a single animal.
Third movement
Tasting at home
The Moon Basket of June
Lemon balm
Veillée Cannelle & Mélisse Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 15-20 g/L
Lemongrass and cinnamon open this organic, Ayurvedic-inspired evening herbal infusion, with lemon balm, blackberry leaves, liquorice and lemon peel. The dry blend, blond and woody, smells of a winter kitchen with lemon; the golden liquor walks a fine line: the lemony freshness of lemongrass and lemon balm on one side, the round warmth of cinnamon and liquorice on the other, with neither prevailing. Naturally caffeine-free, balanced and serene on the palate, this is the cup for quiet evenings, a book within reach.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Tisane Gingembre Curcuma Curry Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 15-20 g/L
This bold organic herbal infusion pairs lemon balm with ginger and turmeric, whole and ground, with a touch of curry and marigold flowers. The dry blend, gold and green, intrigues with its scent of an Indian spice shop softened by lemon; the golden liquor surprises even more: the earthy roundness of turmeric and the warmth of ginger balance on the fresh lemon of the lemon balm, the curry adding only a distant, savoury echo that gives depth. Naturally caffeine-free, singular and accomplished, this is the cup that rewards the curious.
Mint
Sérénité d'Orient Menthe Cannelle Bio
100°C · 7-10 min · 15-20 g/L
Nearly one third mint, one sixth cinnamon: this organic, Oriental-inspired herbal infusion embraces its contrast, tempered by hibiscus, liquorice, fennel, ginger and orange peel. The dry blend recalls spice market stalls; the copper liquor orchestrates the encounter, immediate minty freshness, cinnamon warmth rising in response, orange and liquorice as mediators, through to a finish where the two registers finally merge. Naturally caffeine-free, expressive and well travelled, this is the evening cup with character.
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Menthe Cannelle Pure Fraîcheur Bio
100°C · 7-10 min · 15-20 g/L
Mint leads, cinnamon answers: around them, lemongrass, ginger, carrot and chamomile weave a gentle base, while turmeric and moringa add green to the weft. The dry blend, green and copper, smells of the garden and of mild spice; the golden liquor unfolds lemony menthol, cinnamon as a warm counterpoint, carrot discreetly sweetening the finish. Naturally caffeine-free, this is evening freshness, in slippers.
Eucalyptus & freshness
Feuilles d'Eucalyptus Fraîcheur Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 13-18 g/L
Pure eucalyptus leaves, from organic farming, with their characteristic grey-blue sheen. Dry, the fresh camphor strikes at once: it is one of the most recognisable scents in the plant kingdom. The infusion yields a yellow-green liquor with a fresh, balsamic taste, almost minty but woodier, with that sensation of a cold breath on the finish that is uniquely its own. A cup of character to drink on its own, as robust as you like, or to pair with mint and lemon in winter blends. Naturally caffeine-free.
Menthe Framboise Pétillante Bio
100°C · 5-10 min · 13-18 g/L
Here mint sparkles with raspberry: lemongrass and rooibos lay the base, apple and hibiscus the fruitiness, the raspberry plant its leaves. The dry blend, green and garnet, smells of fresh berries; the rosy liquor sets menthol sparkling against ripe raspberry, the woody base of rooibos rounding everything out. Naturally caffeine-free, this is playtime in a cup, and a marvel served iced.
A source of pleasure, not a medicine. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, undergoing medical treatment or have a medical condition, seek the advice of a healthcare professional.
The moon's ephemeral
A limited series, available for the duration of the harvest of june. When the moon passes, the ephemeral goes with it.
The Twelve Moons subscription
Every moon, twelve times a year, the harvest basket arrives at your door: 6 references, two per type, making 72 references over the year, the story of the picking and the ritual.
Subscribe to the Twelve MoonsFourth movement
All the moon harvests
The other references picked this moon, to record in your tasting notebook.
Tisane Fraise Basilic d'Été Bio
Tisane Orange Cannelle d'Hiver Bio
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Lune de Gingembre Citron Bio
Surprise Réglisse Citron Vert Bio
⚠ Precautions: Contient de la réglisse. Déconseillé en cas d'hypertension artérielle, de maladie rénale ou cardiaque, et pendant la grossesse. Éviter une consommation élevée ou prolongée.
Menthe Épicée au Gingembre Bio