Also by Gerina Dunwich
Candlelight Spells
Wicca Candle Magick
The Concise Lexicon of the Occult
Circle of Shadows: Goddess-Inspired Poetry
Wicca Craft
Wicca Love Spells
The Wicca Spellbook
The Wicca Book of Days
The Wicca Garden
The Wicca Source Book
Everyday Wicca
The Wiccan’s Guide to Prophecy and Omens
I dedicate this potion book with love and sincere gratitude to my mother, to Al, to the Circle, and to all magickal folks throughout the world. I especially give thanks to the Goddess for Her abundance of love, healing ways, and sacred gifts.
Live the magickal life, be free, and harm none. Peace, love, and bright blessings to all!
Contents
Also by Gerina Dunwich
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
1: Sabbat Herbs and Elemental Potions
2: Potions and Pantheons
3: Magickal Infusions
4: Mandrake Potions
5: Earth-Healing Ritual and Potion
6: Philtres (Love Potions)
7: Tarot Meditation Teas
8: Weird Potions, Curious Notions
9: Rhyming Spells and Potions
10: Healing Potions
11: The Magick of Oils
12: Kitchen Witchery
13: The Magick of Fluid Condensers
Appendix A: A Glossary of Potioncraft
Appendix B: Where to Obtain Magickal Herbs for Potions
Bibliography
Index
Copyright
The dictionary defines the word potion as “a dose or drink, especially of liquid medicine or poison.” It derives from the Latin potare, which means “to drink.”
Potioncraft (the making and use of magickal potions) has been a talent of most Witches since the earliest of times. It has been dramatized in great works of literature (the most famous being the Witches’ scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth), is mentioned in the Holy Bible, and is without a doubt the forerunner to the world of modern medicine much in the same ways that astrology is to astronomy and alchemy is to science.
Potions have been used to heal the sick, invoke spirits and deities, divine the future, bring harm or death to enemies and rivals, control the weather, and conjure forth the greatest of magickal power. In ancient grimoires (magickal textbooks) there even exist curious potions designed for invisibility, flight, and shapeshifting (physical transformation by supernatural means) as well as potions which are supposed to bring the dead back to life!
But of all potions ever brewed, ancient and modern ones alike, perhaps the one most widely sought after is the philtre (pronounced like the word filter and more commonly known as a love potion). This not only reflects the basic human need to be loved, but also lays the foundation for the popular craft of love magick.
Those of you who are interested in the brewing of love potions will find many to choose from in this book, as well as aphrodisiacs, healing brews, and magickal potions for nearly every imaginable need.
Some of the potions included are intended for drinking, but some are not because they may contain herbs or other ingredients that are dangerous to one’s health. Do not drink any potion in this book if its instructions indicate that the potion is not safe to drink or is followed by the word POISONOUS. The healing teas and other medicinal brews are presented only as a study of Pagan folk remedies and are not intended to be a substitute for professional health care.
It is always prudent to check with your family doctor, pharmacist, or a reputable, certified herbalist before self-administering herbs or herbal-based potions, especially if you suffer from any kind of serious health condition. In the event of a medical emergency or life-threatening illness, it is recommended that you contact a doctor or paramedic without delay!
In this book you will not only be shown how to properly prepare and use potions for magickal purposes, you will also be given the magickal associations of infusions and learn how to invoke Pagan deities, prepare Tarot meditation brews, and use essential oils for healing. Additionally, you will gain insight into the eight seasonal celebrations observed annually by Witches around the world, discover the once-forbidden art of kitchen witchery, and much more.
Throughout this book (as in many of my others) you will encounter the names of herbs and oils and the planets, elements, and so forth, which they are ruled by. For readers who are new to the magickal arts, let me explain exactly what this means: When it is said that an herb or oil is “ruled by” a particular planet, element, or astrological sign, this indicates that the magickal nature of the herb or oil is influenced by the energies associated with that particular planet, element, or astrological sign.
When two or more things are said to be “corresponding,” this simply means that they are sharing the same magickal properties and energy vibrations. For instance, some of the correspondences found in love magick include: red or pink candles, Venus-ruled herbs and oils, all Pagan deities associated with love, heart symbols, love-attracting talismans, Fridays (ruled by Venus), all red fruits (especially apples and strawberries), rubies, and so forth.
In the art of spellcraft, most Witches prefer to work magick with herbs, oils, colors, symbols, gemstones, lunar phases, deities, etc. that magickally correspond to each other because this is believed to greatly enhance the power of all spells.
Enjoy this book, harm none, and trust in the Goddess for She will provide. Blessed be!
The Sabbats
The eight annual Witches’ Sabbats, which collectively are known as the Wheel of the Year, are very special times for circles and solitaries alike. During these Sabbats, many Wiccan covens throughout the world gather to celebrate the season and to pay homage to the Goddess and Horned God. Potions are brewed; candles, incense and bonfires are lit; traditional Pagan foods are feasted upon; Sabbat rites are carried out; cones of power are raised; divinations and sacred dances are performed; and positive energy and love is abundant. For modern Witches, each Sabbat is a night of not only celebration, but also of togetherness, magick, growth, transformation, and thanksgiving.
Contrary to popular misconceptions perpetuated by Hollywood horror movies, folklore, and the anti-Witchcraft propaganda which stems from Christian witch hunts of the past, Witches do not celebrate their Sabbats by eating the flesh of unbaptized newborn babies, sacrificing animals or human beings, riding on broomsticks smeared with hallucinogenic flying ointments, reciting the Lord’s Prayer backwards, casting curses, selling their souls, or paying homage to the Devil—an evil entity which is no more a part of the Wiccan belief system than is the Christian’s patriarchal God. To put it simply, the opposing forces of God and the Devil are the concepts of Christianity, not of Wicca or Neo-Pagan Witchcraft.
The dualism found in the religion of the Witches is not God and Devil, but Goddess and Her consort, the Horned God. These two deities are opposites in many ways, but are not representative of the forces of