As a horticultural courtesan, your lover will come to appreciate more than just your green thumb! Try cultivating a few of love’s most captivating blossoms.
•Wallflower: Cheiranthus cheiri, “Flower of Fidelity”
•Hawthorn: Crategus oxyacantha, “Flower of the Heart”
•Yerba Santa: Eriodyction glutinosum, “Flower of Emotional Release”
•Cranesbill: Geranium maculatum, “Flower of Constancy”
•Honeysuckle: Lonicera caprifolium, “Flower of Unity”
•Evening Primrose: Oenothera biennis, “Flower of Silent Love”
•Rose: Rosa, “Flower of Love”
•Clary Sage: Salvia sclarea, “Flower of Grace”
•Periwinkle: Vinca, “Flower of Closeness”
•Ginger: Zingiber officinale, “Flower of Paradise”
For a passionate pick-me-up, drink this tasty tea with your lover.
In a pint of distilled or spring water, heat the root of ginseng no less than an hour. Simmer, don’t boil, under cover and don’t dare stir. Pour yourself a cup for love’s sure power.
Before you drink this lustful libation, simply say:
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Gift of the goddess and magic of moon,
may the flower of our love come to full bloom.
•
Shared between two lovers before a tryst, this enchanted potion will give great endurance for a memorable encounter.
At the next full moon, make a vow, alone or with your partner, to bring forth all erotic powers. Begin with a blissful bath in oil-scented water; this essential oil must be the one that makes you feel sexiest. For me, it is an equal mix of vanilla and amber, which I call “Vamber;” it has never failed me. When I wear this unguent, I feel as if a cloud of sensuality surrounds me.
Sit in a darkened room, encircled by flickering jasmine, musk, or “vamber” candles. Raise a cup of jasmine tea or a glass of wine from a vintage that represents a lucky year for you, and speak this spell aloud:
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Now I awaken the goddess in me.
I surrender to love’s power.
Tonight, I will heat the night with my fire.
As I drink this cup, my juices flower.
I am alive! I am love! And so it is.
•
You will radiate passion and be intensely drawn to your lover.
I always giggle when I see over-the-counter sesame body oil in the pharmacy. Unknowingly, a woman will apply the oil and never understand why she feels so much sexier and attracts more glances her way. While that marketplace version will do in a pinch, a potion you’ve made yourself will be ten times as effective. You can use it as a skin softener or a massage oil.
In a cup of almond and sesame oil, add twenty drops of musk, sandalwood, or orange blossom oil. Shake well and heat very slowly and carefully. I use a clay oil warmer with a votive candle beneath, but the stovetop will do.
While you are tending the concoction, look into the candle or gas flame and whisper:
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My lover’s eyes are like the sun.
His body like the land.
His skin is soft as rain.
Tonight, we are one.
•
When the oil is a perfect temperature to your touch, pour it into a pink bowl and place it beside the bed. Tenderly undress your lover and gently lay him down on clean sheets or towels. With each caress, you will deepen his desire for you and raise his temperature. Tonight, two lovers will slide into ecstasy.
A tea of mandrake root, when mixed with the sweat of a lover, can be sprinkled around the bedroom to heighten ecstasy if accompanied by this chant:
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Brew of mandrake, brew of desire,
enchant this bed with passion’s fire.
Cast a spell of ecstasy.
This is my will. So mote it be.
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Tantra, a greatly overused and gravely misunderstood term, comes from the Sanskrit meaning “Ritual, Meditation, and Discipline.” It involves a form of mutual worship of the Godhead (lingam) and the Goddesshead (yoni), in which divinity is achieved through simultaneous erotic and emotional union. This exquisite approach to deepening the love between you and your partner requires you to share mutually held intentions.
At the nearest greenhouse or floral show, buy as many gardenias as your purse will allow. Ten or twenty of these heavenly flowers will fill your bower with a sweet, seductive air. Place some of the flowers in crystal-clear bowls of water and some in a warm footbath, and scatter some petals in your bed. Undress and light a single gardenia-scented candle at the head of the bed. Crush some of the petals and rub them into your skin and hair, then chant this love spell:
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From the soles of your feet to the holy lingam
to the hair that crowns you, I will worship you tonight.
Love and God, on this evening, I share my entire being in ecstasy.
So mote it be.
•
Wearing nothing but one of the priceless blossoms behind your left ear, greet your lover at the door. Sit him in the bower bed and worshipfully wash, dry, and anoint his feet. The lovemaking that follows will reach new heights of sustained passion and spiritual intensity.
For men, this oil stimulates desire and prowess. In a favorite bottle or jar, ideally red or pink, mix together the following recipe with a silver spoon:
•5 drops rosemary oil
•5 drops patchouli oil
•10 drops yohimbe extract1
•A pinch powdered ginseng root
•2 tablespoons sesame oil
Use the oils on your fingers to anoint candles or to