Book of Witchery (26 page)

Having trouble choosing between two lovers? An old apple charm tells you to take two apple seeds from an apple that you have just eaten. Then name the seeds, one for each lover, and stick one seed to each facial cheek. Here is a modern version of the apple seed charm:

Apple seed, apple seed, I place you here on my cheek
Show me the love that is true and will be faithful and sweet.

Whichever seed stays on your face longer denotes your true love and a faithful partner.

There are dozens of plant and flower associations for love, the planet Venus, and Fridays. However, I like to keep my witchery practical and write about easy-to-find flowers, trees, and herbs. So what do we do now? Let's take all of this herbal information and whip up a little Friday romance-inducing fertility spell.

The Apples/Strawberries and Roses Fertility Spell

Thinking about increasing your family or perhaps starting one? Call on the goddesses Aphrodite, Freya, or Frigga for a little assistance. These ladies can help you achieve your goal of a successful pregnancy and a safe delivery.

For this spell, you will need two ripe apples, one for you to snack on and the other for your partner. If you do not care for apples, then try strawberries. Strawberries are sacred to Freya, and let's face it—ripe, fresh, deeply red strawberries are a sexy food. (If you choose to go with strawberries, then adjust the spell's opening line accordingly.) You will also need a fresh red rose in a vase to symbolize your love for each other. If you choose, you may add a few rose pink candles to this spell for some atmosphere. How about scattering some fresh rose petals on the sheets? Listen to some music, break out the sexy lingerie, open up a little sparkling apple cider . . . and have a little fun. You know what sets a romantic mood for the two of you, so follow your instincts. For best results, work this fertility spell on a Friday during a waxing moon. You may say this charm together, silently or aloud:

Symbols of the Goddess, apples/berries and a rose of red
We call for fruitfulness to follow us now to bed
A rose pink candle for love and to increase our fertility
We call on Aphrodite, Freya, and Frigga to hear our plea
Love and pleasure are their rituals, this much is true
Goddesses, bless us with a child, make us parents soon.

Afterwards, allow the candles to go out on their own. Keep the rose in the vase until it starts to fade, then return the faded flower to nature by adding it to a compost pile or the recyclable yard waste. Gather up any rose petals from the sheets and let them dry out, then store them away and save them for other spells. (Goddess knows you have just imbued them with a lot of energy and magick.)

Finally, don't forget while you are working toward this goal to be romantic and have fun, relax, and let nature take its course. Trying to make a baby is sexy. Also, if you are shooting for a particular month in which to have your baby, or if you have been trying for a while with no luck, then consider getting those ovulation tests that let you know when you are ovulating. Then, when you are, go at it like bunnies! Or just do the old classic standby: have sex every other day for a month. (It really does work.) If you are ovulating, that should do the trick. Good luck and blessed be.

Colors, Candles, Metals & Crystals

Colors

The colors associated with Friday and the planetary influence of Venus are pink and aqua green. The color pink is often used to promote friendship and affection, and it can also be worked into children's magick.

In all of its shades, green promotes health and fertility. Aqua green works into Friday's magick nicely, as the elemental association for Friday is water—which makes sense, as Venus/Aphrodite rose from the sea, and this hue of sea green is sacred to her.

If you would enjoy incorporating a little color magick into your wardrobe, try pinks in shades from pale to rosy mauves—a silky shirt in a deep carmine pink, a soft sweater in pastel pink, or how about a floaty, flirty dress in bright pink? Ladies, you could coordinate your ensemble by wearing shades of mauve and rose for cosmetics. Men have the options of a pale pink shirt or tie, or go for that aquamarine blue color. If you aren't comfortable wearing pink, try strawberry red or look at various sea green colors. Use your imagination, and see what you can come up with.

Candles

Candle colors for this romantic day once again will be shades of pink and aqua green. If you'd like to experiment with a little magickal candle aromatherapy, then look to floral- and rose-scented candles. These scents will encourage love and romance and will promote a relaxed atmosphere. Also, see if you can find any pale green, apple-scented candles. The scent of apples is a good one to promote love and healing. It also dispels bad vibes and negativity. The apple has ties to our featured goddesses for the day. If you are petitioning one of these ladies, this should help to gain their attention and their help.

Drawing Love and Romance Spell

This candle spell is designed to draw a little romance and love into your life. Fridays are linked to the planet Venus and to all the love deities, and this is the most opportune day of the week to work your witchery for love and romance. Like always, remember not to target anyone specific here. We want to pull a little romantic fun and excitement into your life, not take away another's free will.

Gather the following supplies:

• 1 pink floral-scented votive
  
• 1 pale green, apple-scented votive
  
• 2 votive cups
  
• A rose and a bud vase or fresh, loose rose petals (match the color of the flower to your magickal intention: see
  pages 196-197
  )
  
• Lighter or matches
  
• A safe, flat surface on which to set up the spell
  

Arrange the candles and the flower or flower petals in a way that pleases you. Try scattering the petals in a circle around the outside of the votive cups or setting the flower in a bud vase off to the side. Please note that you can call on either the Norse goddesses Freya and Frigga or you may petition the Roman Venus or the Greek Aphrodite with this spell—whoever you feel more of a connection to. Light the candles and repeat the following spell three times:

Roses and candles, symbols of desire and love

Venus/Freya, hear my call, send your help from above

Send to me a lover who is fun, faithful, and true

Guide my magick and assist me in all that I do.

Close the spell by saying:

For the good of all, with harm to none
By candle and rose, this spell is done!

Let the candles burn until they go out on their own. Keep the rose in the vase until it begins to fade, then crumble apart the petals and allow them to air-dry. If you used loose petals, allow those to dry out as well. After the petals have dried, you may add them to a charm bag and keep it with you to encourage loving vibrations or return them to nature as an offering to the Goddess.

Note:
If you decide to reword this spell to suit your own needs, then please be very specific. If you go overboard on the “love me” theme and work for an existing spouse or lover to become more passionate or devoted to you, you could suddenly find yourself with an obsessive partner who never leaves your side. They may become jealous or never allow you any privacy. And no, I am not trying to spook you. Just think of this as a friendly reminder and consider yourself warned—and be very careful what you spell-cast for, especially when it comes to love.

Metals & Crystals

The metal for Friday is copper. Copper has the magickal correspondence of the planet Venus and the element of water. Copper has become an increasingly popular metal these days in magickal jewelry, so take a look around and see what you can find. Copper is a warm and receptive metal. It conducts electricity, which explains why wands made of copper tubing are so popular. It is a lucky metal and one that encourages and draws love into your life.

The crystals and stones linked to Friday and the planetary influence of Venus are the ones that draw love, healing, and power: the emerald and coral. We also have a few other rather obvious crystals to consider for our witchery: the rose quartz to encourage loving vibrations and warm fuzzies, and the amber, which is Freya's special stone. (If you recall, we went over amber's magickal properties in Sunday's chapter too.) Now, while these last two featured stones do not traditionally fall under the planetary influence of Venus, they certainly harmonize with our theme of the day. Both of these stones are fairly easy to obtain and are a great magickal link to the featured Friday goddesses.

Emerald:
The emerald is a green variety of beryl. The best emeralds are brilliant grass green in color and contain an undertone of blue. This is a receptive stone that corresponds to the planet Venus and the element of earth. Its associated metals are copper or silver, which works out beautifully, as copper is also linked to the planet Venus and love magick. Emeralds set in either one of those metals are rumored to be especially powerful. Emeralds are the birthstone for the month of May. They are thought to improve your memory and your clairvoyant talents. When any type of emerald jewelry is worn, it promotes love and happiness, which makes sense when you think about it. As the heart chakra is often depicted as an emerald green color, why wouldn't the emerald gemstone itself boost all those
loving
energies?

Coral:
Often referred to as “precious coral,” this “gemstone” is actually a marine coral, the skeleton of deepwater branching corals called the
cnidarians
. Being an ocean organism, it's not too hard to figure out why it became associated with the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus. Precious coral comes in a range of colors, from a warm reddish pink to pale pink and deeper reddish tones. Coral has been worked into beads, jewelry, and deity statues for thousands of years. The ancient Romans believed that coral beads protected children from harm and could heal wounds. According to gem folklore, coral earrings were once worn to attract men; I don't see why that bit of information couldn't be used successfully today by any Witches who are looking to bring some romance into their lives. This is a gorgeous stone and one worth owning and working magick with. This gem's classic magickal correspondences are the planet Venus and the element of water.

Amber:
This a healing “stone” that is classically linked to the sun and the element of fire. Amber is especially sacred to Freya, which is why it is getting another nod in Friday's chapter. It promotes beauty and strength, and it is actually a fossilized resin from coniferous trees. Amber is typically warm to the touch and is a powerful natural treasure utilized for almost every magickal purpose. From love and fertility magick, to prosperity, to increasing personal power and protection, amber's got it all covered.

Rose Quartz:
This gorgeous pink stone is a type of quartz, and so it carries the classic correspondences of the sun and the moon and the elemental associations of fire and water. Rose quartz is considered to be receptive in its energies, which means that it helps to “draw in” and to attract. Rose quartz may be semitransparent or opaque, and it comes in many shades of pink. It is also used to open up the heart center, and it promotes joy, harmony, and a comfortable romantic relationship. The rose quartz crystal encourages a feeling that is best described as the warm fuzzies. The rose quartz is a perfect gift between two friends, and it also encourages the love of self, which is a wonderful thing, as it's hard to have someone love you if you don't even like yourself. So change your outlook! The rose quartz will boost your aura and make you feel more lovable and attractive. Check out this crystal ritual below and try it for yourself.

Aphrodite's Crystal Beauty Ritual

This ritual calls for an inner beauty—the sort of loveliness that just shines right through, sort of a magickal sparkle. With this thought in mind, Aphrodite can help you learn to love yourself just as you are, curvy and voluptuous or athletic and angular. Take a look at those old statues and paintings of the goddesses sometime. Notice anything different? They have curves! Real people have curves; learn to embrace yours, and don't worry so much about your clothing size. Beautiful, bewitching, and enchanting women (and men, for that matter) come in all different shapes, colors, and sizes. The Aphrodite image that is so popular depicts a woman with rounded thighs and a curved tummy, and she is a knockout. So take a hint from Aphrodite, and be voluptuous, sexy, and proud of who you are!

Start off this Friday-night ritual by taking a relaxing tub bath. Toss a few teaspoons of sea salt into your water for its cleansing properties. If you wish, you may light a few floral-scented candles and sprinkle a few rose petals on the water. After you've indulged in a nice long soak, step out of the tub and dry off. Slip on a robe or comfortable outfit. Gather together a few supplies, and settle down in your favorite magickal space.

The supplies to gather include a rose quartz tumbled stone, coral beads or a stone (an inexpensive coral beaded bracelet would work out great), a pink or aqua green candle, a few seashells (to represent Aphrodite, a sea-born goddess), a white flower in a vase, and a rose or other white garden flower (use whatever is handy).

Arrange the components of this witchery however you would like. Don't be afraid to personalize and set up this ritual however you prefer. Once you have things arranged, light the candles and visualize a rose pink aura sparkling brightly around you, making you smile. It shimmers and radiates warmth and joy. Feels great, doesn't it? Hold this image firmly in your mind for the next few moments. Feel that positive energy hovering an inch or two above your skin. Then repeat the following spell verse three times:

With seashells, candles, a rose quartz, and coral beads
Aphrodite, your assistance I do now seek
A white rose for magick and to boost my Friday-night spell
I now create a rose pink aura, and all will be well
Make my eyes sparkle and bring a glow to my skin
As I deepen the beauty that comes from within.