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Love, Luck, and Lore
A Guide to Superstitions, Prayers, Spells, and Taking Chances in the Pursuit of Love
By Theresa Hoiles, Elizabeth Carr Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
Copyright © 2006 Theresa Hoiles and Elizabeth Carr
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60925-847-4
CHAPTER 1
Aphrodisiacs and Spells
The word "spell" evokes visions of pointy black hats and cauldrons, while aphrodisiacs elicit visions of the elusive Venus flytrap. The truth is, aphrodisiacs and spells are some of the most fun, creative, and mysterious ways to find love. Tools to bring love into your life are all around you. Flowers and candles at the corner store, the gems in your jewelry box, and even the salt on your dinner table all have the power to bring you visions of love—it's all in the way you use them. The most important thing is to focus your energy on your efforts; this is the time when the strength of your intentions counts as much as the task at hand. Ask yourself, "Who am I really looking for?"
Enjoy titillating your senses with wonderful concoctions and incantations!
Love Is in Bloom
Lady Montagu was the wife of the British ambassador living in Turkey from 1716 to 1718. She is credited with introducing the sophisticated and subtle "language of flowers" to the Western world. This code began in the harem, as a way of sending covert messages. Below are the flowers associated with love, romance, and courtship. Send a covert message to someone you'd like to get to know better.
Amethyst: Admiration
Carnation, red: Admiration
Carnation, striped: I wish I could be with you
Carnation, white: Sweet and lovely
Chrysanthemum: A heart left to desolation; Truth
Chrysanthemum, red: I love you
Daffodil: Unrequited love or regard
Gardenia: Secret love
Geranium, Rose: I prefer you; Melancholy
Heliotrope: I adore you; Devotion
Honeysuckle: Sweet and secret love
Iris: Wisdom; Hope; Your friendship means so much to me
Ivy: Friendship; Wedded love
Jonquil: Desire; Affection returned
Lilac: New love
Mistletoe: Kiss me
Myrtle: Love; Jewish symbol of marriage
Orange blossom: Marriage and fruitfulness
Peony: Happy marriage; Ostentation; Anger
Red rose: I love you
Rosebud: Confession of love
Tulip, red: Declaration of love
Zinnia, purple: Lasting affection
Potent Potpourri
Use the power of perfume to attract a man by creating a love potpourri. Keep some at home, or take some to work. Try mixing these ingredients:
Fresh rose petals (2 handfuls)
Fresh jasmine petals (½ handful)
Ylang-ylang oil (3 drops)
Put it all in a plastic bag, shake it up, and pour it into pretty bowls. Decorate your entrance hall, your bedroom, and your desk at work. It is sure to attract compliments and conversation. You could even put some in a cloth pouch and carry it in your pocket or purse to use the aroma to draw a suitor near.
Lover's List
Roses are the universal symbol of love. Try a love spell with roses to find the love of your dreams.
You will need:
1 red rose
1 white rose
1 pink rose
1 candle in any of the three colors
A piece of parchment paper
A red pen
A pink ribbon
Remove all the thorns from the roses and place them in front of the candle. Light the candle. And say:
I call upon the universe,
To hear my call of love.
On the paper, list all the qualities you want in a man. Think hard, don't forget anything, but be careful what you wish for. Wishing for a "hard worker" could bring a workaholic. Once the list is complete, roll the paper around the stems of the flowers. Tie it with the ribbon. And say:
For the greater good, so mote it be.
Luck and Passion
Carnations have a bad rap. They can be beautiful—you just have to get the dyed blue ones out of your head and think about the meanings associated with the colors of carnations: white for pure love and good luck, red for passion. Reintroduce white and red carnations into your life—on your desk at work or at home by your bed. Here's a spell using both powerful colors:
Put one white and nine red carnations in a clear glass vase and fill it with water. Add four drops of red food coloring. Cup your hands around the flowers, take in the smell, and say:
Flowers red I see you,
Touch you,
Smell you.
Bring me love as tangible as you!
Display the flowers so you can see them every day, and be sure to get rid of them as soon as they start to wilt. Dying flowers don't bring luck.
Food Fantasies
Food has played a part in the act of seduction for centuries. Aphrodisiacs in the form of food have been a part of human culture ever since sexual drive began—so much so, that often the first date is over a meal. Some believe that the effects of aphrodisiacs are simply our minds playing tricks on us. But we think these sexy foods have some love powers within. Here is a list of some of the more unusual foods linked to making the heart pound faster. Keep them in mind when ordering a meal on your next date!
Who knew all this sexual power could be found in the crudites platter? Try:
Asparagus Radishes Mushrooms
Carrots
Tomatoes Cucumbers
Spices that bring natural heat:
Cinnamon Garlic Mint
Curry
Ginger
Sensual fruit with female implications bring inspiration:
Artichokes Mangoes
Peaches
Figs
Pomegranates
Aroma of Love
In addition to having lots of vitamin A, apricots are known to be a potent aphrodisiac. Try making an apricot love sachet to bring about a lover.
Cut a piece of cloth in a six-inch circle. Place two small dried apricots and a half dozen cloves in the center, and tie it up with a ribbon long enough to wear around your neck. This tantalizing aroma should draw potential lovers your way, leaving men weak in your wake.
Love Stinks
Not only will garlic help ward off vampires, it is also thought to be an herb for protection. And on top of that, it is one of world's great aphrodisiacs. This bulbous clove packs a lot of power.
Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote home during a visit to France, "What do you think? Young women of rank eat—you will never guess what—garlick!"
Put some garlic in your next meal out (and remember to bring breath mints along). See if it attracts a fun-loving guy who wants to protect you too.
Food of the Gods
"Food of the Gods"—you can say that again! That is the loose translation of Theobroma cacao, the name of the tree where the cocoa bean grows, the essential ingredient of chocolate. Since 200 BC, people have been enjoying chocolate treats, and they have become a popular gift of love on Valentine's Day as well as other holidays throughout the year. This popularity caused scientists to take a deeper look at chocolate, and it has now been proven to have mood-enhancing qualities. Next time you are in the presence of an attractive man, indulge in a thick, rich slice of chocolate cake. Remember, men love women who indulge every once in a while. Don't be shy!
Sweet Cherries
These sweet, round, juicy red summer berries are a treat any time, and an aphrodisiac that can lure men from miles around. Could there be a more romantic fruit for love?
Here is a cherry trick that can turn a sweet treat into a chance to find out when you are to marry. After eating a bowl of cherries, count the cherry pits, reciting this little ditty: "This year, next year, sometime, never...." Continue until the last pit gives you the answer.
Another way to turn heads with a cherry is to do this fun bar trick. Order a drink with a cherry in it (try a Manhattan, a martini, or—for you nondrinkers—a Shirley Temple). Take the cherry stem and see if you can tie it in a knot while it's in your mouth. This saucy trick is nothing if not a conversation starter.
South of the Equator
Guarana is a berry that grows in Venezuela. Folklore has it that this berry has magical powers. Brazilians have created a very popular soda from the berry, which, like the kola nut, contains caffeine. Its exotic flower and mystical powers are perfect for this Brazilian love spell asking the Ibeji, the twin gods thought to fulfill dreams and desires, to help you find a lover. You will need:
1 bottle of guarana or any sweet carbonated drink
1 new pen
1 piece of clean white paper
Drink half the bottle. With your pen and paper, write a description of the type of guy you are looking for. Write your name and the name of a guy you are interested in, in the form of a cross. If you don't yet know the name of the man you want, use the word "lover" or "husband" instead.
Then ask the Ibeji:
I ask you, lbeji, with all my heart I ask that you come to my assistance and bring me my soul mate soon. Ibeji, I promise you once my soul mate comes to me, I shall give you the other half of this sweet drink.
Bring your drink and the note to a busy street where people pass by. Put the note under the bottle and leave it there.
Gypsy Style
Gypsies are a mysterious traveling tribe, who are thought to hold the key to many magical secrets. The most sought-after secrets are those that involve love. Here is a Gypsy spell to help draw a lover near.
Sit before a fire with a basket of laurel leaves between your knees. Clear your mind of busy thoughts and focus only on your ideal mate. With your left hand, toss a handful of leaves into the fire, and as they burst into flames, recite the following:
Laurel leaves that burn into night's fire,
Send to me my deepest heart's desire.
Repeat three times, and your man will make himself known to you within twenty-four hours.
Light of Love
To conjure a spell to attract a romantic prospect, you will need:
1 red candle
1 white candle
1 pink candle
A vase
Red, white, and pink flowers (choose your favorite)
Arrange the vase of flowers. Light the three candles. Kneel in front of the candles and the arrangement, close your eyes, and say aloud:
I call upon the goddess of love.
I affirm that my heart is open
To the bounty of love you can bring
So deliver quickly
The man of my dreams.
So be it.
Let the candles burn as long as you can, or until they go out naturally.
Harvest of Love
Do a little backyard gardening to find your man.
Try this spell using barley seeds:
Plant some barley seed under an apple tree and chant these words:
Barley, barley, I sow thee
That my true love I might see.
Take thy rake and follow me.
Key to Your Heart
Keys are a symbol of luck. Make a key pendulum to predict your future. Tie a key to a string, preferably red, white, or pink. Suspend the key over an empty table, holding your hand still. You can ask any yes or no question about your future love life. If the key swings forward and back the answer to your question is yes. If it sways left to right, sadly the answer is no.
Be Jeweled
Gems and stones carry energy, and, charged with a heart's wishes, they can bring the bearer closer to her dreams. Here is a list of the gems and stones known for their powers to attract love: emerald, garnet, malachite, lapis, moonstone, amethyst, jade, rose quartz (get heart-shaped ones), and of course diamonds.
According to stone magic, the emerald secures love and attracts wealth. Wear an emerald or anything that evokes the power of the emerald, like an emerald-green scarf or sweater, and secure yourself a wealthy man.
The deep red garnet is believed to provide guidance in the night and protection from nightmares. Most importantly, it is the stone of compassion and love. It has been said that women who wear garnet can attract their true love. Go out on the town wearing garnet jewelry or a garnet-colored dress. Let the stone's color guide you toward the love you deserve!
Take two rose quartz stones shaped like hearts and hold one in each hand as you meditate on your true love and what he will bring to your life. Bring the two stones together and bind them with a red string. Place this talisman on your nightstand so it will be the last thing you see before you go to sleep and the first thing you see in the morning. Keeping that love in your mind will help the universe bring him into your life.
Dream On
For centuries, in almost every culture around the world, people have been interpreting dreams. Even if you are a dream-interpreting novice, this dream method can help you locate your true love.
Put a thimbleful of salt under your pillow tonight and you will dream of your future lover. When you wake up tomorrow, write down your dreams and look closely to see where that boy might be hiding!
Yew and You
When the yew tree blossoms, it produces a small berry-like seed. The yew tree is considered sacred and is often found in graveyards and churchyards.
Go to a churchyard you have never visited, and cut a sprig of yew. (Do not eat this plant—it is very poisonous.) Put the sprig under your pillow and you will dream of your future husband.
Tall Drink of Water
Here is an egg superstition that is sure to bring insight into your love life.
After removing the yolk from a hard-boiled egg, heavily sprinkle the white part with salt and eat it before you go to bed. That night your destined husband will bring you a drink of water in your dreams.
Moonlight Prophecy
The moon is responsible for the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides. If the moon can control something that big, how about asking the moon for some help in love? This chant is usually identified with the full moon, but it should also work any time.
Moon, moon, come play your part
And tell me who's my sweetheart,
The color of his hair, the clothes he shall wear,
And on what day he shall appear.
With any luck, tonight you will dream of your future beau.
Gypsy Dreams
Here is a Gypsy trick to dream of your true love. Take a bowl of water and a flat stick. The bowl should be earthenware, and the water should come from a flowing stream (use bottled water if you are not near a stream). A flat stick or piece of wood is laid across the bowl from one edge to the other, forming a bridge. Place the bowl and stick under your bed. As you drift off to sleep, imagine the stick as a small footbridge across an active stream. Imagine yourself crossing the bridge and falling into the stream halfway over—don't worry, someone will rescue you in your dream. The trick is to remember, when you wake up, who rescued you and pulled you from the water. He is the one!
Sweet Dreams
Sweet corn in the summer can bring you sweet dreams. Here's a three-day trick to glimpse a vision of your future husband, using the last of the summer's corn.
Go into a barn at midnight with a colander filled with corn kernels. Leaving the barn doors open, scatter the corn throughout the barn. Do the same thing for the next two nights, and on the third night, you will have a vision of your future husband.
Midnight Fires
This is a spell for you and your girlfriends to do together. On the third day of any month between March and September, an odd number of girls (fewer than nine) string the same number of acorns as there are girls on individual strings. Each girl then attaches her string to a stick and places it in a fire at midnight. They sit in silence until every acorn is burnt. Then, each takes some of the ashes and goes to bed. Repeat this charm:
May love and marriage be the theme
To visit me in this night's dream;
Gentle Venus, be my friend,
The image of my lover send;
Let me see his form and face,
And his occupation trace;
Be it symbol or a sign,
Cupid, forward my design.
It is said that you will all dream about your future husbands.
She-Holly
Here's a holly divination that is sure to tell you who your future lover will be. Gather nine holly leaves with rounded points (the she-holly leaves). Place them in the center of a three-cornered handkerchief or scarf. Tie nine knots in it to secure the leaves, and place it under your pillow before going to sleep. Your future spouse will appear in a dream. It is important that complete silence be observed from the moment you gather the leaves until the moment you wake up the next morning.
Sow the Seeds of Love
In days gone by, women used hemp seed to help them see their future spouses. Go to a churchyard at midnight, hemp seeds in hand. As you throw them over your left shoulder, recite:
Hemp seed I sow, hemp seed, grow.
He that is to marry me,
Come after me and mow.
A spectral apparition of your future mate will appear with gardening tools in hand, helping you to plant those seeds.
Look Skyward
Too often we wander through life without taking the time to look around at all the wonders in the world. Look up at the sky and see how many shapes you can find in the clouds. Do you see a heart anywhere?
Tonight, if you want to dream of your future husband, go outside and find a star. Stare at it for a long time and then blink three times. Sweet dreams!
Folklore and Superstition
See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! Sayings like this have taken root in cultures near and far. Superstitions are not scientific. They are oral traditions that have been handed down through generations and passed between various cultures. So much so, in fact, that nobody really knows who started "the wrong side of the bed" theory. They may seem goofy and strange, but once you hear them you never forget them, and everyone wants to observe them.
Superstitions are often called "old wives' tales." Hey, if you are looking to be a wife or to find a hot date, why not listen to an experienced wife?
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Love, Luck, and Lore by Theresa Hoiles, Elizabeth Carr. Copyright © 2006 Theresa Hoiles and Elizabeth Carr. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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