Valentine’s Day Magic: Spells For Love & Lust

I figure that I write about so many deeply serious and political issues in this column that maybe some lighthearted magick might be in order. For those of you who celebrate Valentine’s Day, here’s a little witchy magick for all acts of love and pleasure!

These ideas can also be used for working with the sex and love deities, including (but certainly not limited to): Aphrodite, Astarte, Ashteroth, Babalon, Erzulie, Freya, Inanna, Ishtar, Isis, Lilith, Persephone, Shakti, Sheela-Na-Gig, Sigyn, Adonis, Enki, Eros, Frey, Osiris, Pan, Priapus, Shango, Shiva, Tammuz, or Hermaphrodite. Each of these deities represents very different concepts of love, lust and sex, so a little research is recommended.

Please use responsibly!

Oils

Dilute ingredients to a 10% concentration in olive oil. If you have an allergy to nuts, substitute jojoba oil or coconut oil. Anoint candles; place a few drops in water in a potpourri burner to scent the air; dab on your Heart and Root Chakras; dab on all of your chakra points; dab your wrists, temples and torso; or use for a sensual massage or a sexy bath!

DO NOT apply ginger or cinnamon oil to your body if you suffer from a heart condition, hypertension, or are pregnant or nursing.

Come to Me Oil

Variations of this recipe have appeared in Voodoo, hoodoo, and witchcraft. It has been used in charms, talismans, anointed candles and perfumes to build desire, win back a lover, attract an ideal mate, or just to improve the energy of lovemaking.

3 parts Patchouli oil
2 parts Rose or Rose Geranium oil
1 part Cinnamon oil
Optional: rose petals, patchouli powder, or St. John the Conqueror root

Priapus Oil

Yes, I mean this for exactly what you think I mean it for!

3 parts Clove or Vanilla oil
2 parts Ginger oil
1 part Cinnamon oil

Sheela-Na-Gig Oil

Yes, this too:

3 parts Patchouli oil
2 parts Ylang Ylang or Jasmine oil
1 part Neroli oil

Open Heart Oil

For healing emotional trauma and opening to romantic love:

3 parts Jasmine oil
2 parts Ginger oil
1 part Neroli oil

Love & Lust Oil

For all of the above. Also suitable for those who do not fall into a biologically binary gender model (natural hemaphrodites, transgender people in transition, etc.):

3 parts Vanilla oil
3 parts Patchouli oil
2 parts Ginger oil
2 parts Jasmine oil
1 part Cinnamon oil
1 part Rose or Rose Geranium oil

Not Vanilla Oil

For kinky sex and distinctly not-vanilla fun:

3 parts Patchouli oil
2 parts Palmarosa oil
1 part Petitgrain oil

Candle Spells

Anoint a candle with any of the following:

Any of the oil blends listed above
Lavender oil
Dragon’s Blood oil
Rose water
Olive oil
Red wine

For Desire: use a red candle. For best results, do the spell on a Friday on a waxing moon.

For Romantic Love: use a pink or a green candle. For best results, do the spell on a Friday or a Saturday on a waxing moon.

When bringing something to oneself, one anoints the candle by dipping one’s finger in the anointing substance, then starting at the top of the candle and the base of the candle, and drawing the liquid towards the candle’s middle. It is best to make sure that the candle is thoroughly covered; I like to place it at three points around a taper and drawing towards the middle, for a total of six strokes of my finger.

Herbal Potions

Unless stated otherwise, the measures provided are for one teapot worth of tea. If you want to make a single cup, I recommend you mix the total amounts in a jar and then take what you need per cup from the total mix. You can easily increase the amount to any amount you wish, as long as you maintain the balance of herbs to one another in the mixture.

Alternatively, you can make a tincture with a very small amount (no more than a teaspoon) added to a small bottle of red wine, sherry, or chardonnay. Let steep overnight. Strain out when ready.

DO NOT TAKE THESE if you suffer from a heart condition, hypertension, or are pregnant or nursing.

Priapus Tea

To combat ED and improve potency for biological males:

1 tbsp Damiana
1 tbsp Gingko
1 tbsp Tribulis Terrestris (Caltrop or Horny Goat Weed)

Dosage: 1 tsp in a teacup, taken at least half an hour to 45 minutes before sex is expected.

Sheela-Na-Gig Tea

To improve sexual function for biological females; a bit more complicated, as I suppose you might expect ;):

1 tbsp Maca powder
1 tbsp Damiana
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Ginseng

Dosage: 1 tsp in a teacup, taken at least half an hour to 45 minutes before sex is expected. Better results will be achieved if it is taken once a day for at least three days prior.

Cold Shower Tea

To reduce desire.

1 tbsp culinary sage
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp chasteberry (for biological males)
1 tbsp valerian root (for biological females)

Dosage: 1/2 tsp in a cup, taken once a day for a week or so.

Crystal Magic

If you believe in the power of crystals, place these around your house, your bedroom, your hearth, or carry them with you; or perhaps try a crystal elixir to attract love or lust into your life!

For Love:

Pink Agate
Diamond
Emerald
Garnet
Malachite
Peridot
Rhodonite
Rose Quartz
Ruby
Pink Tourmaline

For Lust:

Amber
Carnelian
Garnet
Red Jasper
Serpentine
Red Tiger’s Eye
Pink Tourmaline

Charms

For a whole host of magickal charms to improve mostly lust but also love, this link from a Hoodoo supply place called Lucky Mojo is pretty interesting. I can’t condone all of the charms here since some of them are extremely manipulative and as a Wiccan I believe that interfering directly with the free will is maleficence and has consequences; but to each their own.

Making Your Own:

I’m a big believer in making your own spells! Here’s some correspondences to get you started. Think of creative ways in which they can be used.

Day of the Week: Friday

Day of the Year: Valentine’s Day, Beltane (for sex,) Litha/Midsummer (for love,) Lammas (for marriage)

Moon Phase: Waxing, preferably Gibbous

Season: Spring

Planet: Venus (Some break it down to Venus for women & Mars for men; in which case I would say also Mercury for non-binary and possibly the Moon for lesbians and Pluto for kinky people.)

Metal: Copper

Colours: Pink for love, Red for lust, Violet/Purple for kinky lust, Green for fertility

Herbs: Basil, Cinnamon, Damiana, Galangal, Ginger, Ginseng, Sweet Woodruff

Resins: Benzoin, Copal

Flowers: Lavender, Foxglove, Jasmine, Roses (Do NOT ingest Foxglove!)

Foods: Red Wine, Pink Wine, Sherry, Brandy, Honey, Pomegranates, Strawberries, Olives, Oysters.

Animals: Cat, Dove, Swan, Wolf, Serpent.

Tools: Heterosexual – Chalice and Blade, Lance and Cauldron, Wand & Pentacle (etc.); Homosexual Male – Wand and Athame, Staff and Sword, or if preferred, use heterosexual tools; Homosexual Female – Two Chalices, Pentacle and Chalice or Cauldron, Candle in Cauldron; Transgendered or Hermaphroditic: depends on the situation, so I invite you to be creative!; Kinky – Scourge (and Kiss.)