| Sexy hexes
Three girls. Three relationship dilemmas. Three spells. Will their supernatural assignment put some magic back into their lives? Louisa Willett reveals all Finding a good man, forming a meaningful relationship and then enduring his quirks is, according to my female friends, part art and part fluke. Of course, none of us is guaranteed long-term compatibility, but must we always settle for a concoction of luck and compromise in our lovelives? Perhaps not. A little white magic could be the perfect way to minimise the mystery in a relationship. I decide to investigate. Equipped with several spell books and a few bottles of wine, I meet two of my closest girlfriends to discuss our mutual men problems and some potential remedies. My two would-be witches, Jo and Cara, are sceptical at first, but soon warm to the idea as we chat about the bits of our relationships that could do with some otherworldly assistance. Jo describes herself as 'a frosty, unapproachable, work-focused bitch' who hasn't had a satisfying relationship in 18 months. She also thinks she Cara has different concerns. She's thinking of moving in with her boyfriend of 11 months, but she's not sure how committed he is to their relationship. She chooses Nicola de Pulford's 'Nurturing the Seeds of Love' spell to boost his fidelity. All the talk of new romance and setting up home makes my own seven-year-old relationship feel a little stale, so I opt for Teresa Moorey's 'Love Ritual', which I hope will put a bit of magic back into my love life. The witches of Chiswick A week later on Friday night we meet again. First, we create a simple altar - a special place where we can focus our energies on the spells we wish to cast. We adorn the altar in each corner with representations of the four elements: a candle for fire, a feather for air, a small pot of earth and a small cup of water. We then place the following items on the altar (according to the book, they are basic love-magic items): red and pink rose petals, apples, Brazil nuts, a bay twig and some quartz crystals. Added to these are some bits and pieces specific to our individual spells. Jo has two delicious smelling roses, one white and one red. On a small scroll of paper she writes a description of her ideal man, then as she rolls up the scroll she places a lock of her hair in the middle. Next, she cuts the flowers in half length-ways and places a white half to a red half with the scroll sandwiched between them; she then binds the lot together with some pink ribbon. We go out into the garden, appropriately lit by moonlight, and watch Jo throw one flower into the pond and bury the other in the earth. Back in the house, Cara prepares her love-nurturing spell. Bizarrely, she has had to take mud from her partner's footstep, which she has brought with her in a little terracotta pot. The spell instructs her to hum quietly and think loving thoughts about him while planting marigold seed in the soil. The flowers, she tells us, are meant to symbolise loyalty and endurance, which will help to strengthen her relationship over time. With my partner's blessing (and a little incredulity), I also begin my love ritual. I clear the altar and place on it a red rose (for passion), a pink rose (for affection) and a pink candle. The first step involves taking a long, hot bath and liberal application of rose water, which I did before the others arrived. Next, I have to evoke the four elements by reciting an invocation. I then ask for special help from fire spirits to bring me passion, and from air spirits to aid communication. To conclude the ritual, I write down my partner's attributes on a piece of paper and then burn it in the candle flame. Then, as instructed, I caress each part of my body (you might want to do this alone) while imagining my partner and thinking about our love and companionship. This will hopefully recharge the sexual energy between us. With all three ceremonies completed, it's time to return to a more familiar kind of restorative magic - the alcoholic kind. We all admit to feeling like silly witches, but the night was definitely a good laugh. Jo - maintaining the 'hard as nails' exterior that has failed to get her a date in recent times - remains sceptical about her love spell. But, after a few more glasses of wine she admits to secretly hoping that it will work. Cara says she'll settle for the company of a nice pot of flowers if her spell fails to bring commitment from her man. I'm happy enough with the lovely smell of roses throughout my house. Magic Moments? We meet a week later to see if there have been any sudden or unexpected changes in our love lives. I report that sex has been great - amazing, in fact - for my boyfriend and I, but I can't say for sure that my ritual is responsible. Jo claims to feel empowered by her experience and is psyching herself up to ask out a man she vaguely knows through work. Cara says that her spell has not done anything for her, but she's decided that it's not the right time to set up home with her partner anyway. So, despite the patchy results, we agreed that the night was anything but a waste of time. We'd spent an evening concentrating on the positive aspects of our relationships, focusing on what we want from them and we'd had a giggle in the process. This, we decided, was far better than ignoring problems or simply moaning about our men, which is what we usually do. Making it work for you If you are considering love magic, make sure you read as much as you can about the spells before attempting them. Only perform rituals that you are entirely comfortable with, and make sure you carry out the procedures in their entirety. Above all, approach them with an open mind and positive intentions, and who knows what might happen? Essential reading The Book of Spells by Nicola de Pulford Spells and Rituals: A Beginner's Guide by Teresa Moorey Enchanted by Titania Love Magic by Sally Morningstar Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise by Scott Cunningham The Love Spells Jo's spell: Magic Rose, from Nicola de Pulford's The Book of Spells, p.52 An old Germanic spell to attract the man or woman of your dreams. You will need: a red and a white rose, a scroll of paper, a lock of your hair, a short piece of pink ribbon. This spell originates from old Germany, where roses were emblems of silence. A white rose, or sometimes simply a symbol of a white rose, was worn by those wishing to speak secretly to each other. In Germany and other parts of the Low Countries, a rose was often sculpted or painted over the banqueting tables; words spoken beneath it were not to be revealed. Amorous chatter, in particular, would remain secret as the rose was sacred to Venus, the goddess of love. She is said to have blushed when Jupiter caught sight of her bathing, hence the idea of turning a white rose to red. Perform this spell in June at the time of a waxing moon. Method Obtain a red and a white rose; they should not be fully open. Older varieties with a luscious scent are preferable, such as 'Mme Hardy' or 'Boule de Neige' white roses, and 'Souvenir de Docteur Jamain' or 'Cardinal de Richelieu' red roses. On the scroll of paper, write a description of the ideal lover you would like to attract. Wrap the scroll around the lock of your hair. Take the two roses and cut them both in half. Place a white half to a red half, enclosing both the scroll and the lock of hair between them. Bind the two halves together with the pink ribbon, kiss each half, then cast them into running water, such as a stream or a fountain. Bury the remaining halves of the roses together in the earth, asking Venus to bless your spell. Cara's spell Nurturing the Seeds of Love, from Nicola de Pulford's The Book of Spells, p.54 A spell from Eastern Europe to ensure your partner's fidelity. You will need: some soil, a small terracotta pot, a handful of marigold seeds. The marigold (calendula officinalis) has long been a symbol of endurance. The word 'calendula' comes from the Latin 'calends', which means the first day of the month. In the Mediterranean, the marigold's native climate, this cheerful flower blooms on the first day of every month of the year, giving it an affinity to women and their cycle. In Britain, the marigold used to be called 'husband's dial', or 'summer's bride', and was often used in wedding garlands and strewn before the bride's cottage door. The marigold has been described as the 'comforter of the heart and spirits'. Method First you must secretly dig some earth from your lover's or partner's footprints. It need not be enough to fill the pot completely, but a portion of the soil must come from this source. On a full or waxing moon, when the lunar power is at its height, in late spring or summer, sow your seeds in the pot. As you sow them, hum or sing gently, thinking loving thoughts about your partner. Place your pot by a sunny window, and water and nurture with care. These are special plants and should not be picked, or the strength of the spell will be sapped. In the fall, gather the seeds together and save them to plant the following year in the same way. If you have a garden, choose a special patch for these seeds of love. Marigolds will self-seed for many years to come, symbolizing constancy and endurance as well as beautifying your garden. Louisa's spell Love Ritual, from Teresa Moorey's Spells and Rituals: A Beginner's Guide, p. 49 Choose a Friday, when the moon is waxing or, preferably, full. Place roses on your altar - choose red for passionate love, pink for affection. Place Venus herbs there, also, if you wish, such as thyme. Have candles of rose pink. Enjoy a long bath first and anoint yourself with rosewater or ylang-ylang oil. Call on Aphrodite to help you. After you have invoked the elements, ask for the special help of the salamanders, or Fire spirits, to bring you passion; the Water spirits, the undines, to bring emotional fulfilment; the Earth spirits, or gnomes, to endow you with earthy sensuality and knowledge of the senses; and the Air spirits, or sylphs, to bring you communication. In my view all are operative, but you might like to focus on one aspect. Then you may proceed to a specific ritual, such as empowering a special crystal. While in your circle, clearly visualise the love you want. Perhaps write down all the attributes of the lover and burn the paper in the flame of a candle. Touch each part of your body, caressing and loving it, imagining that a lover will soon be doing the same to you. Affirm that the love you want is now entering your life. Don't forget to let the energies go and close down firmly, because this is the sort of spell that can linger, sapping your energies by unfulfilled desire. |