SALTKEEPER: Strawberry Moon x Clutch

There are weeks when the universe queues up the soundtrack ahead of time. And this one? It’s shaping up like a cherry picked dream: a full Strawberry Moon over the Delaware coast, just as I cue up Sunrise on Slaughter Beach by Clutch. I’m not far from the shoreline that inspired it.. and somehow, it feels like this alignment’s been waiting for me.

Clutch has always walked that liminal line.. heavy but thoughtful, mystical but gritty, humorous but soaked in soul. Their 2022 album Sunrise on Slaughter Beach is a masterclass in that balancing act. It’s part fever dream sermon, part sea shanty apocalypse, with lyrics that stretch across myth, masculinity, and a salty kind of Americana.

There’s one line that hit especially hard this week:

“I demand to shuck my clam the old-fashioned way / Under a strawberry moon, bare handed, wearing no clothes.”

Come on. You can’t plan a lyric like, that landing on a week like this. The Strawberry Moon.. named not for its color, but for the wild berries that ripen this time of year..is the final full moon of spring. It’s a moon of abundance, sweetness, and honest to god ripeness. Traditionally linked to fertility, romance, and magic rooted in sensuality and the senses, it’s also astrologically supercharged: this year’s lands in Sagittarius, ruled by fire, freedom, and the kind of truth you feel in your gut. (I plan on living this one out. My personal rising sign!)

Music and magic are in constant conversation. That’s what this moon is reminding me. And if Clutch is preaching at the altar of weird, wise rock and roll.. I’m showing up in my Sunday best (read: barefoot on the beach, headphones on, heart wide open).

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As part of our full moon ritual this month, I’m honored to introduce a new voice to just.cheexie: Jenn Dillin, the heart and soul behind Amber Roots Holistic Wellness. Jenn is, hopefully, an ongoing contributor! Bringing her wisdom in herbalism, astrology, and intuitive nourishment to our table.. literally. Each month, she’ll share a ritual recipe matched to the moon phase and sign, rooted in spellwork, sensory joy, and real nourishment.

Her first offering? Full Strawberry Moon Cupcakes. Honey, rose, and lemon.. baked with intention for self-love, softness, and lunar sweetness? I’m in.

🍓✨ Here’s the full ritual + recipe from Jenn herself:

FULL STRAWBERRY MOON CUPCAKES

by Jennifer Dillin | Amber Roots Holistic Wellness

Sweet and zingy like a Sagittarius—this is a honey cake, bursting with fresh strawberry purée, topped with rose-infused buttercream, and finished off with lemon zest. Perfect for sweetening spells, romantic intentions, or just treating yourself with care under the Lover’s Moon.

🕯️ Total Time: 2.5 hrs

🧁 Serves: 12 cupcakes

🌕 Moon Magic: Strawberry | Honey | Rose | Self-Love

Ingredients, Instructions, and Ritual Details:

“Not only do these recipes taste divine, but they can also be used in spell work or as an altar offering.” – Jennifer

About Jennifer Dillin

Jennifer Dillin, the creator behind Amber Roots Holistic Wellness, has been weaving magic into the mundane since 2020. She combines the physical and the metaphysical through a whole body approach to wellness: blending diet, movement, mindfulness, and energy work.

From handmade teas to Tarot, from tinctures to crystal Reiki, Jenn’s work invites you to reconnect with your own cycles.. through plants, planets, and platefuls of intention.

Follow Jenn, and shop her wares:

https://www.amberroots.com

@amberrootsholisicwellness

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So whether you’re dancing in your kitchen with Clutch in your ears, baking cupcakes for your inner child, or dancing on a beach under the stars: this moon is yours. You don’t have to chase alignment. Sometimes, it just shows up on the tide.

See you in the on the beach, in the moonlight. 🤘🏻