All About Love Magic

Love Magic Folklore

Love and its pursuit have driven us for millennia. It should come as no real surprise that most modern-day magical practitioners will tell you that hands down, they get more requests for love spells than anything else. And why not? Love magic has been the staple of the wisewoman, the cunning man, and the village herbalist for ages. Read through any account of rural folklore, and you'll find frequent references to charms, talismans, potions, and amulets that people have used to draw love their way. Here is a look at some of the best-known, and most popular, forms of love magic from around the world.

• In some traditions of hoodoo and rootwork, those in love are advised to obtain a piece of their intended's hair. Wrap it in a piece of cloth and then carry the cloth in your shoe, and you will attract the person's love.
• Many magical traditions encourage the use of bodily fluids to attract a person you're in love with. Like many magical customs, if this goes against your personal code of ethics, then you may want to skip it.
• According to folklorist Vance Randolph, in parts of the Ozarks a man can make a woman love him by hiding the "dried tongue of a turtle dove in [her] cabin." Likewise, he says that a woman can make a powerful love charm by taking a needle which has been stuck into a corpse, covering it with dirt, and wrapping the whole thing up in a strip of winding sheet (Ozark Magic and Folklore, Dover Publications, 1946).
• In many European countries, apples are considered a great form of love divination. By using the peels, the seeds, and even a few chunks, you can tell a lot about the identity of a potential lover!
• Virgil and Hesiod both write of the ancient Greek practice of using hippomanes as an ingredient in love potions. The word Hippomanes applied variously to the semen of a stallion, the vaginal discharge of a mare, or a specialized herb.
• Animal parts were popular in love potions of days gone by. During England's medieval period, girls were encouraged to make a liquid including–among other things–hare's kidney, a swallow's womb, and a dove's heart. Blood and wine was added to make it drinkable (see Rosemary Guiley's Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft for more on this).
• Make a love magic bag. Create a small drawstring pouch out of fabric–preferably a piece of your lover's clothing. Fill it with cinnamon, rosemary, and a piece of rose quartz. Add a magical link of some sort to the person you're in love with. Wear the bag around your neck or carry it in your pocket, and it will attract the person to you.
• Some folk magic traditions call for a woman to grind up a piece of her own hair or fingernail clippings into a fine powder, and then brew it into the tea or coffee of the man she is in love with. This will draw him to her.

Ethics of Love Magic

Love spells. They're one of the things that often draws new folks to Wicca and Pagan religions. However, there's a lot of question within the Pagan community about the ethics of casting a love spell on someone else. After all, if you're performing magic on someone without their knowledge, aren't you messing with their free will?

Gods and Goddesses of Love and Marriage

Throughout history, nearly all cultures have had gods and goddesses associated with love and marriage. Although a few are male–Eros and Cupid come to mind–most are female, because the institution of marriage has long been viewed as the domain of women. If you're doing a working relating to love, or if you wish to honor a particular deity as part of a marriage ceremony, these are some of the gods and goddesses associated with the very human emotion of love.

Chocolate, the Magical Aphrodisiac

How many time have you bitten into a piece of chocolate and found yourself moaning from the sheer pleasure of it? How often have you joked about why chocolate is as good as–or better than–sex? Believe it or not, there is a scientific link between chocolate and sexual arousal. Why not use a bit of chocolate in magic?

In 2004, researchers at a hospital in Milan, Italy, questioned nearly two hundred women about their consumption of chocolate and their feelings of sexual fulfillment.

The results are impressive. Women who consumed chocolate daily reported a higher degree of sexual satisfaction. The study, which was funded by a university for academic purposes, and not by a chocolate company, indicated that even women who normally had a lower libido reported an increase in their sex drive after consuming chocolate.

From a scientific standpoint, chocolate contains both Serotonin and Phenylethylamine, which are mood-lifting hormones found naturally in the human brain. When we consume chocolate, we increase our normal levels of both, which leads to that feeling of excitement, as well as an increased level of energy.

So although chocolate may or may not be a true aphrodisiac, it certainly does have some aphrodisiac properties. After all, it makes us feel good all over–much like being in love!

In some magical traditions, food and magic go hand in hand. It stands to reason, then, that a great way to bring someone closer to your heart is to give them a gift of chocolate!

The Romance of Spring Flowers

As spring arrives, our gardens begin to bud and eventually bloom. For hundreds of years, the plants that we grow have been used in magic. Flowers in particular are often connected with a variety of magical uses, particularly involving love and romance. Keep an eye out for some of these flowers around you, and consider the different romantic applications they might have!

Interfaith Relationships

So, you're Wiccan or Pagan and your spouse/partner/lover/significant other/fiancé is ... something else. Is there a way the two of you can manage to find balance? Or are you doomed to a lifetime of worrying whether every little disagreement will end with someone throwing out the “Oh yeah? Well, your beliefs are STUPID!!” trump card? Learn some simple strategies for maintaining an open and respectful relationship with your mate, even if he or she doesn't understand your religious viewpoints.

Handfasting: A Pagan Wedding Primer

Handfasting was common centuries ago in the British Isles, and then vanished for a while. Now, however, it's seeing a rising popularity among Wiccan and Pagan couples who are interested in tying the knot. Find out where this custom came from, and what brought it back. Also, we've got tips on how to have a successful ceremony, where to find an officiant, and even a sample ceremony you can use!

Make a Love Magic Mojo Bag

The use of a mojo bag or spirit bag in love magic spans a variety of cultures and societies. It's found in hoodoo, Appalachian folk magic, and a number of European societies. Here's how to make a simple one, as long as it's not against the guidelines of your tradition.