As autumn unfurls its tapestry of colors, we turn our gaze to the delicate beauty of Asters, wildflowers that speckle the Scandinavian landscape with dashes of purple and white. Their bloom coincides with the time of harvest, a period rich in tradition and transformation, where the bounty of the earth is celebrated, and the cycles of nature are honored.

Asters, with their star-shaped flowers, have become entwined with the season of Michaelmas, known locally as Mikkelsdag or Mickelsmäss. This festival, deeply rooted in agrarian culture, marks a time when communities would come together, the harvest was brought in, and the future was predicted with age-old rites that likely predate even the Viking era.

The day’s connection to Saint Michael the Archangel, a symbol of strength and protection in the Christian faith, hints at the amalgamation of the new beliefs with the old. Yet, the Asters remain, as they always have – steadfast heralds of the season, intertwined with stories of Freya and Frey, deities of fertility and prosperity in Norse mythology.