chapter 7

Love, Lust, and Beauty Magic

When heading to the market to buy groceries, we’re not usually thinking about love magic … I know that love and broccoli have never mixed well in my mind! But did you know that there are tons of options at the store for casting a spell of love? Of course, we must be very cautious when using magic to find love. This type of working, above all others, must be done with the “for the good of all” intention added to it. You really, really should never cast a love spell to gain the love of a specific person. While it is understood that this is unethical magic, that reason is all too often an insufficient deterrent. The call of “the one,” that strongly yearned-for lover seen only through the idealized haze of their admirer, is frequently so powerful that all common sense is overwhelmed, and we give in to the temptation to misuse our magic and cast a manipulative spell.

If we cast a spell to gain the love of a specific person and we are successful, we are then extremely vulnerable to suffering several different consequences. The first potential consequence we might encounter is that once our idealized haze is pierced by the reality of having “the one” sitting in our living room hogging the remote and burping the alphabet, we may decide that we don’t really like them so much anymore and want to be rid of them … only to find that they are deeply devoted to us and would never leave us, no matter how much we want to end things.

Another consequence of casting a love spell for a specific person’s affection is that if we are casting a spell for him or her with specific qualities that we think we enjoy, it may also attract a great many others who share those same qualities. Yay! Lots of hangers-on who will all be fixated on you! The misery of unwelcome attention.

Perhaps the most difficult consequence is that when a person is “magically captured,” they are essentially bound against their free will. While they do not consciously realize this, they know it subconsciously and will strike out accordingly. It is only natural to resent being bound and enslaved to another’s will. When someone is under magical influence, they are always subconsciously aware of it. Their mind may not be powerful enough to break the spell, but a defense mechanism will kick in, resisting it. This resistance will show itself in continual arguments and episodes of conflict in the “relationship” which will ultimately sour it and create a need for separation.

Don’t I make it all sound wonderful? Well I’m sorry, but it is every witch’s responsibility to warn against the misuse of magic in an authentic manner. It’s better to explain why not to misuse your skills, instead of just giving a blanket “don’t do it,” which explains nothing.

Now for the good news: you can use magic to gain love as often as you wish, but not for a specific person. If there are certain qualities you require a potential love to possess, it is fine to include those as conditions of your spell; just use care. In a love spell, more than any other type, it is imperative that you focus on how you wish to feel when your goal is achieved. If you focus on how you want to feel, the feeling becomes the top priority in the magic. The emphasis on feeling overrides anything in the spell that would counteract bringing it to you. If you combine proper feeling with “according to free will and only for good,” you have created your ticket out of magical mistakes (in most cases). As long as you avoid manipulation or dominance, everything should work out fine.

Okay, enough nagging and warning and guiding and tutoring (and more nagging); time for the spells. Love spells are fun, fabulous, magnetic, sexy, and luckily really easy to make straight out of the grocery store! Let’s start with my favorite magical concoctions, brews.

Brews

Ah, brews. Stirring the cauldron, cackling, tossing in herbs, cackling, watching the steam rise, cackling, charging the mystical infusion, cackling, and, of course, cackling. Okay, maybe not so much cackling. Anyway, there are many liquids that have been associated with love, libido, and sex. Wine is one, as is mulled apple cider. This section is not so focused on the idea of love potions as much as brews that can be used in conjunction with other spells. Administering a love potion to someone in hopes of gaining their love is, as we discussed, unethical magic.

The first recipe is a non-alcoholic cider drink that you can use as a libation or offering in spells designed to bring love into your life. You can also drink it to infuse yourself with loving vibrations and an aura of attractiveness.

Cider of Love

Pour apple cider into a 3-quart pot, cover, turn the heat on medium. While cider is warming, quarter the orange (with the peel intact; stem removed) and add the slices to the pot, along with the spices and brown sugar. Keep covered and heat the mulled cider mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and strain cider away from the orange bits and spices. Charge the mixture with the energy of love. Serve hot or chilled. You can store the cider in the refrigerator in a pitcher, and this recipe makes 8 cups. To increase your chances, drink a cup of it each night for a week during the waxing moon while looking for love.

Magical Love Wine

Mix and empower the spices and add them to the wine. Add the vanilla extract and re-cork the bottle. Let the wine sit for at least three days in a cool, dark place before serving. This wine can be served to one you love to increase the loving feelings between the two of you, served with someone’s knowledge and consent, of course. This wine makes a good compliment to a romantic dinner, but can also be used by one person alone—drink it to enhance your attractive nature. If you intend to use it by yourself, it is probably best to cut the recipe in half or take as one small glass a day for a week or until the wine is gone.

Tea of Desire

This potion increases lust and passion and can be consumed by couples to increase their desire.

Heat the water to just under the boiling point (bubbles appearing at the bottom of the pot), add all the ingredients, and remove from heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes and charge with your intent. Strain, sweeten if desired, and serve.

Coffee Aphrodisiac

If you prefer coffee to tea, you may want to try this recipe. Some people have sensitive stomachs, and they may be bothered by coffee’s acidity. If you are not a regular coffee drinker, now would not be the time to start. There is nothing more unsexy than an upset stomach. For those who enjoy coffee, this recipe is rather simple to prepare.

Mix the coffee grounds and cardamom together in a small dish and charge them with your aphrodisiac intent. Next, place the mixture in the filter of your coffee maker and fill it with 6 cups of water or your preferred amount. Turn on the coffee maker. Once the coffee has brewed, pour into two mugs and sweeten to taste with the honey, adding creamer as desired. Sip the coffee slowly and relax.

Chamomile Attraction Bath Brew

Brew the chamomile tea and add it to your bath water. Bathing in chamomile increases your attraction and draws potential lovers to you.

Love Perfume

To make a love perfume, you will need a bottle of ethyl rubbing alcohol (not isopropyl), which can usually be found in the health and beauty aisle of most large supermarkets or chain pharmacies. You will also need some cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and powdered cloves. To save money and time, just grab one of those little bottles of pumpkin pie spice, which is a combination of those spices. In a jar, mix a teaspoon of spice to a half cup of alcohol. Seal the jar and keep in a cool dry place for two weeks, shaking the bottle daily to mix the spices. After two weeks, strain the liquid through a coffee filter to get the spices out and rebottle the brownish liquid. Charge the liquid to be a perfume of attraction. Afterwards, you can place a dab on each of your pulse points and an aura of attraction will surround you.

Oils

As previously noted, magical oils are a very versatile product. You can use magical love-drawing oils as perfume, to anoint charms, or to anoint candles or papers used in spellwork. The following oil is a simple love oil, easily made for use in all your love magic.

Love Oil

Simmer the peel, coriander, and strawberry leaves in the oil until their scent is transferred, then let the oil cool. Strain the oil and charge it with the intent to draw love. Bottle for use.

Oil Spells

Aside from using a love-drawing oil as a perfume to anoint the body to give yourself a magical aura of attraction, there are other uses for the oil, like candle magic.

Bond of Love

Note: This spell should only be done by heterosexuals unless properly modified (see below). It is designed to work with that polarized energy. To cast this spell, you will need the following items.

Before casting this spell, take a cleansing bath and focus only on the feeling of the love you want to bring into your life. When you are finished bathing, go to your altar table, lay out the tablecloth, and charge the bottles of spices: the nutmeg with the power of feminine sexuality and love and the cinnamon with the power of masculine sexuality and love. Now pour and mix the spices together in the bowl or cruet. If using the funnel, slowly pour the mix of spices through the funnel; if using the cruet, simply pour the spices from it. Either way, slowly pour the spices into a lemniscate (sideways figure 8) shape on the cloth.

Make the figure 8 shape large enough to fit the candles inside the loops of the 8. Next, on the blue candle carve the male symbol ( 33416.png ) and on the pink candle carve the female symbol ( 33418.png ). Hold the female candle in the left hand and the male candle in the right hand and squeeze them until you can feel your hands pulsing. Mentally pour the energy and desire to bring love into your life into the candles while you hold them. When you feel ready, anoint each candle with love oil and set the female candle in the left loop of the figure 8 and the male candle in the right loop.

Close your eyes and focus ONLY on the feeling you want to have when in a perfect, happy relationship. Feel your desire fully and immerse yourself in this energy. Imagine yourself spending time with your ideal mate (remember, no specific people; keep it general) and when you are energized and strong in your power, light the candles, first left then right, and chant the following spell as you pour out the desire and energy toward your goal (imagine spending time with your ideal mate and send the power to this image):

Spirit cord, seal the bond.
Perfect balance, figure eight;
Magic power bring to me
My heart’s great joy; true love’s mate.

If possible and safe to do so, allow the candles to burn out completely on their own. If not, let them burn for as long as possible before extinguishing them, starting with the left one using a candle snuffer or the back of a spoon. When the candles have completely cooled, gather up the corners of the cloth with the candles and spices contained inside and bury them in the ground with thanks.

To modify: Use only a single color for the candles (pink, blue, or lavender, if you prefer) and use nutmeg (for lesbians) or cinnamon (for gay men) only, without the other spice, in which case you will need two jars of the chosen single spice. The chant can remain as is and all other steps remain the same.

Charms

Love charms are a classic magical item. Luckily, there are loads of options at the store for creating charms so we don’t have to go hunting for bird feathers, shells, crystals, or rare herbs, or forge our own sigil on metal medallions (not a skill of mine). In the past, gathering exotic magical ingredients was a sign of your sincerity and determination to reach your goal. While this does have validity, these days, even though we may be quite determined and very sincere, we are often too busy to go on a drawn-out quest for ingredients and then do a complex ritual with what we’ve gathered.

I know that I, for one, almost never have a full day with nothing else to do other than the magic or ritual I have planned. There are always so many other mundane obligations to wade through first. That’s why I always include a shopping list at the end of each chapter; all we need to do is add those items to our normal grocery lists and get everything bought all at once. It’s also usually far less expensively than if we bought items at specialty stores individually. Consider your convenience and cost issues (mostly) solved.

Now, on to love charms. There are a few different options; the first is an herbal charm bag.

Charm Bag

Love Charm

If you wish to make a charm bag to attract love, then we have two stops to make. First, go to the aisle that has dried herbs and grab bottles of basil, cinnamon, and oregano. Next, go and get a box of chamomile tea. When you get home, open the chamomile tea bag carefully and pour the chamomile into a bowl. Add a pinch of basil, cinnamon, and oregano to the bowl. Mix everything around with your fingers. Charge the herbs to bring you love. Now place the mixed herbs back in the tea bag and either re-staple or tie it closed with pink cord or ribbon. Carry the bag with you wherever you go.

Pennies of Love

This charm is designed to bring an ideal mate to you. For the pennies, you have two options; the first one is to use shiny new pennies from the current year and the second option is to use pennies minted in the year you were born. Either way, doing so will boost your luck in finding love. The basic mechanics of this charm consist of blessing the pennies and joining them together with the wax from both candles. Three days before you begin this spell, soak the pennies in blessed saltwater to remove any previous energies they may contain. On the day you wish to create this charm, gather together all the items needed and place them on your altar table. Wash off the pennies to remove the saltwater and dry them completely. Charge the candles with your desire for love. Set the red candle on the left side of the plate and the pink one on the right side. Go into a meditation while holding the pennies, and visualize the type of person you wish to meet. When you have a clear mental image built up, make sure to focus on how you want to feel in the relationship. Mentally transfer this feeling into the pennies, visualizing pink light flowing through your arms and into the pennies.

When you feel ready, set the pennies on the plate and light the candles, starting with the red one. As they flame up, focus on a warm, contented feeling of happiness. Continue to think about the type of person you want to attract. When the candles have burned and some wax has melted, carefully pick up the red candle and drip a little wax onto one penny. Set the red candle down and pick up the pink candle. Drip some pink wax on the other penny. Set the pink candle down and before the wax hardens completely, pick up the pennies and press them together, wax sides in. Set the pennies back on the plate and pick up the red candle and drip red wax all over the top of the joined pennies. When it is completely covered, set the red candle down and turn the pennies over. Pick up the pink candle and drip wax all over the other side of the pennies until it is completely covered as well. When finished, you should no longer be able to see the pennies, just wax with one side red and the other side pink.

Finally, hold the penny charm in both hands and send pink light into it one more time while strongly visualizing being in a happy relationship. When you feel empowered, chant this spell to bind your intent into the charm:

Magic of Venus, copper coins,
Bring to me an ideal mate.
Real love, hearts enjoined,
Hurry forth; end this wait.
Charm of love, my desire impart,
Currents of love draw her/him to my heart.

Carry the penny charm with you in a red or pink charm bag if possible, and/or sleep with it under your pillow at night.

Bath Salts

To infuse yourself with loving vibrations, you can make bath salts charged with loving energy. To do this is a bit complicated though. First, you need Epsom salts (check the health and beauty aisle), some regular salt, and baking soda. You also need red food coloring and a small bottle of Love Oil.

Love Bath Salts

Mix the Epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda together. Now, add the oil a few drops at a time, being careful not to add too much. The consistency should be fairly dry, like damp sand, not oily salt-soup. Once you have added enough oil, put a few drops of red food color in and mix. The bath salt should come out looking pink. Once made, the bath salt should be charged to bring loving energies to anyone who uses it. To use, add ¼ cup to ½ cup to a warm bath and relax in the water, soaking in the loving energy.

Beauty

Beauty-Enhancing Scrub

Pour the sugar into a small container, and add the olive oil. Stir with the forefinger (pointing finger) of your strong hand, and empower the mixture with your desire for enhanced beauty.

To use: Apply the mixture to the facial area slowly (and gently) in circular motions to exfoliate and moisturize the skin. After you have finished scrubbing your face, rinse the sugar mixture off in tepid water and wash your face with your usual facial soap.

Glamour Spell for Makeup

You can magically enhance your normal, everyday makeup and skincare products to create a powerful energy of attraction and beauty around yourself every time you wear them. To do so, take the chosen makeup to your altar-table. Anoint a pink candle with Love Oil and light it. Settle yourself before the altar and go into a meditation while holding the makeup. When you are relaxed, imagine a powerful magnetic, glimmering energy pouring through you, into your hands, and from them into the makeup. Visualize this energy building in the bottle until you feel the bottle pulsing with magnetic energy. When you feel the makeup is full of the energy, chant the following to program the energy and activate the glamour:

Faery magic, velvet haze;
Wrap me in your shimmering light.
Glittering aura, beauty amaze,
Blemishes blurred; glamour takes flight.
For good of all, by my true will,
Makeup charged; promise fulfill!

Whenever you use this makeup, it will help create extra beauty and attractiveness around you. This effect will last for as long as you are wearing that application of makeup. When you wash it off, the glamour fades, and when you reapply, the glamour is restored. You can use this spell on all your makeup and skin care products, if desired.

Foods

There is of course a lot of food at a supermarket, and some of it can be used to draw love to you. Keep in mind, however, that it is a bad idea to try to manipulate a specific person into loving you. Using food in love magic is best left to creating or keeping loving harmony between existing loved ones as opposed to drawing in new loved ones. Some of the more popular foods of love are oysters (barring allergies, of course) chocolate, strawberries, vanilla, and red wine. Any food made to have a magical effect must be charged to do so, otherwise its effect will be minimal.

Aphrodisiac Recipes

These foods when prepared alone or in combination increase attraction, sexuality, and the bonds of love when consumed by a couple. Since I am a Leo and most of us are dessert-first kind of people, I will start with recipes for a banana split and a magical chocolate cake.

Banana Split (of Love)

Cut the banana lengthwise and place in a dish. Place the three scoops of ice cream in between the banana halves and spoon one topping on each scoop according to taste. If the jams are too thick, you can warm them in a sauce pan to create a more syrupy texture. Hold your hands over the completed banana split and charge it with your desire to increase love. Then, it’s time to eat!

Each of the chosen sauces as well as each of the possible ice creams are naturally filled with energies attuned to love magic. The banana, though tuned more toward abundance, has a shape that could be said to evoke thoughts of passion. And abundance in love is a good thing, anyway.

Chocolate Cake (of Love)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the eggs. Mix gently with a fork to bring a bit of the dry ingredients into the eggs. Now add the milk and mix lightly again just to combine a bit more. Add the softened butter, and use an electric hand mixer (if desired) to mix the rest of the way. Continue beating on low until thoroughly mixed, then increase speed to medium for two minutes. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Pour half of the cake batter into each pan. Trace either a pentagram or heart shape into the batter while charging with your intent and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pans. Allow each cake to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

Add first five ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate squares. Once they are completely melted, stir in the egg yolks. Remove from heat and combine in the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. With large fork or hand mixer at medium speed, beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, you can add one more tablespoon of milk. Smooth out the surface then trace a pentagram or heart shape in the frosting while charging with your intent before using.

The active magical ingredients in both the cake and frosting are flour, since wheat is related to fertility; milk and eggs, which are also related to fertility; sugar, since it is dedicated to Venus, the goddess and planet of love; chocolate, a powerful aphrodisiac; butter, a symbol of transformation tied to the faery realm; and finally, vanilla, a classic ingredient for both love and lust. As you can see, this recipe combines several strong ingredients, and when charged with magic to focus their intent, a simple chocolate cake becomes an amazing love and passion-enhancing food.

Pesto (of Love)

Mix all ingredients in a blender on medium until well combined. Pour the pesto into a bowl. Hold your hands over the bowl and charge with your desire for peace, love, and happiness. Olive oil promotes peace, basil and nutmeg promote love, and the garlic, salt, and parsley promote purification and healing. This mixture is very good to add to pasta or chicken dishes when trying to promote love and goodwill, and also when trying to reconcile after an argument.

Tomato and Leek Soup (of Love)

Tomato, basil, and leek soup is a classic Italian dish. Luckily for us, these ingredients—specifically the basil, leeks, tomatoes, and carrots—are perfect for inspiring feelings of love and romance.

Crush tomatoes in a bowl, retaining the juices. Chop all the vegetables and set in separate bowls. Charge the ingredients with your intent for love and romance, then begin cooking. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and potato. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add tomatoes with the reserved juice, broth, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer covered for 25 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

While the first part of the soup is cooking, wash the chopped leeks thoroughly. Heat the other tablespoon of oil in a pan. Sauté the leeks over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until leeks are firm/tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

After the 25-minute cooking time is up, add the basil leaves to the soup and remove from heat. Purée soup with a stick blender or hand mixer until creamy, then add the leeks and season to taste. Return to heat and cook an additional 5 minutes to warm before serving.

Shopping List

Here is a list of the ingredients used in the recipes in this chapter.

❏ Allspice

❏ Cinnamon

❏ Mint (spearmint preferred)

❏ Apples

❏ Cloves

❏ Nutmeg

❏ Apple cider

❏ Coffee

❏ Olive oil

❏ Apricot jam

❏ Coffee creamer

❏ Onions

❏ Baker’s chocolate squares

❏ Coriander

❏ Oranges

❏ Baking cocoa powder

❏ Eggs

❏ Oregano/marjoram

❏ Baking powder

❏ Epsom salt

❏ Parmesan cheese

❏ Baking soda

❏ Ethyl rubbing alcohol

❏ Parsley

❏ Bananas

❏ Flour

❏ Potatoes

❏ Basil (fresh and dried)

❏ Food coloring (red)

❏ Salt (sea salt and regular)

❏ Black pepper

❏ Garlic

❏ Strawberries

❏ Black tea

❏ Ginger

❏ Strawberry jam

❏ Butter

❏ Honey

❏ Sugar (granulated, powdered, and brown)

❏ Candles (red, pink and blue)

❏ Ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and/or strawberry)

❏ Tomatoes

❏ Cardamom

❏ Leeks

❏ Vanilla extract

❏ Carrots

❏ Lemon

❏ Vegetable broth

❏ Chamomile tea

❏ Milk

❏ Wine (red)

❏ Chocolate sauce

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