Book of Witchery (27 page)

Slowly, allow the image of the expanded pink aura to fade. See your aura pulling in on itself and returning to normal. Now, close the ritual with this line:

By all the powers of land and sea
As I will it, then so shall it be.

When you are finished with your ritual, allow the candles to burn out in a safe place. Keep the stones, shells, or loose beads with you for one week. If you used a piece of jewelry, then wear it for the same amount of time. Try out that rose pink aura visualization whenever you need a bit of a boost. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction you will receive.

Have fun with this inner beauty ritual, and may you walk through life as Aphrodite herself did, proudly wearing a magickal glow and with an irresistible inner beauty.

Potions, Philters & Oils

Love Potion

Here is a philter recipe that works with three of the featured deities of this chapter.This witchery calls on Aphrodite, Freya, and Frigga; this enchanting trio will really give this philter recipe a boost of enchantment. This philter recipe and spell is more about the emotionality of love and less about the sexual act. Besides adding this to your basic romance spells and rituals, some other suggestions on how to use this love- imbued philter include adding it to candles to increase a positive, loving, and romantic vibe in the home. You may add a drop or two to any sachets or charm bags to bump up their positive, loving energies. Think about it . . . where else could your life use a little love, happiness, and charm?

• 1 small decorative glass bottle (look for a heart shape or go for red or pink glass if you can find it)
  
• Base oil (almond works well), approximately
  1
  ⁄
  8
  cup
  
• Clean dropper
  
• 3 drops rose oil
  
• 3 drops rose geranium oil
  
• 1 drop vanilla extract or a vanilla bean
  
• Small rose quartz chip
  
• 6 inches each of thin red, pink, and aqua satin ribbon
  
• 1 small metal heart-shaped charm or talisman
  that you feel coordinates with love
  
• A label and a pen (to list the ingredients and
  to decorate and mark the bottle)
  

Pour the base oil into the bottle so it is filled three quarters of the way full. Add the essential oils one at a time. Next, add the crystal and the vanilla. Close up the bottle with the lid, place your fingers over the lid, and carefully shake up the mixture. Hold up the mixture to the sunlight and allow the light of Friday's sun to illuminate the philter within.

Wipe off the outside of the bottle. Use the label to list the ingredients and the use of this potion. Decorate the bottle by drawing the sigil of Venus (
) or hearts. If you have other magickal symbols that you would like to use for love and romance, then add those to the label. Attach the label to the glass bottle and finish up by threading the metal charm onto the ribbon and then tying the three colored ribbons (the red ribbon for Freya, the pink for Frigga, and the aqua ribbon for Aphrodite) around the neck of the bottle.

As you finish tying on the bow, hold the bottle in your hands and concentrate on the visualization that the aura around your heart is glowing with a brilliant rose pink color (similar to the previous Aphrodite crystal ritual directions). Call on these three goddesses silently and ask for their assistance. See love and romance arriving in your life in the best possible way. Do not focus on any one person in particular; let the universe and the goddesses send who they see fit. Now push all that energy from your visualization into the philter bottle that you hold in your hands. Take a deep breath, hold it for three counts, and then blow it out slowly. Now, repeat the charm below:

Dear Aphrodite, Freya, and Frigga, now gather 'round

Bless this potion with Venus's energies that today abound

Because the best day to work love magick is a Friday

Encourage love and romance in the best possible way

May this philter enhance my loving witchery

For the good of all and by the power of three.

Set aside the bottle, and ground and center yourself. Clean up the supplies and eat a few crackers or do something physical. Make sure to store the love and romance philter in a dark, dry place out of the reach of young children.

Essential Oils

Of course, rose is the classic oil for love and Fridays; however, there are a few others that are easy to find and fabulous to work magick with. Some of the more familiar essential and fragrance oils for today include:

• Apple
  
• Freesia
  
• Geranium
  
• Hyacinth
  
• Lilac
  
• Rose geranium
  
• Vanilla
  
• Violet leaf
  
• Ylang-ylang
  

Please note:
you may also occasionally run across synthetic violet fragrance oil. Before you go dumping it all over sachet bags with abandon, give it a testing sniff. Many folks find the scent of violets to be overwhelming—same thing goes for rose oil, hyacinth, or lilac. “A little dab will do ya” in this case! I know that for myself, too much rose oil makes me feel a bit nauseous. So take it easy on the oils until you learn how the fragrances make you feel. Essential oils and fragrance oils are potent. It only takes a drop to give off a very strong scent. See which scent you prefer and which is most harmonious with your magick. Any of these scents will nicely boost your loving witchery and add to the overall atmosphere of your area.

Tarot Card Associations

The tarot cards related to Friday and the qualities of love, fertility, beauty, and relationships are typically from the suit of Cups, which in some decks may be called Cauldrons. No matter what the title, this water-associated suit symbolizes love, fertility, intuition, dreams, and emotions. All of the following tarot cards link up with Friday's theme quite nicely. Remember that the suit of Cups/Cauldrons tends to focus mainly on family and relationship themes.

The Lovers

The Lovers is one card that even folks who only have a passing acquaintance with a tarot deck know about. The symbolism is fairly obvious. The Lovers card symbolizes an important emotional commitment may be in the future, perhaps a wedding. But what most folks don't realize is that while this card can signify a romantic relationship, it also represents choice.

This means that when this card shows up in a reading, there is a choice to be made. It may be between two individuals, or it could be between two opportunities. This card would be a good prop to add to the apple seed charm that was listed earlier in this chapter. The Lovers is a symbol of options, decisions, romance, sex, and emotional commitments.

Two of Cups

Two of Cups is a card that mainly deals with emotions and relationships. When this card pops up in a reading, it represents an upcoming engagement, a love affair, or a marriage. This card may also signify a close friendship, a mother and child, a good business partnership, or a reconciliation. This card is all about commitment. It shows that there is someone special in your life, someone you trust and to whom you turn for emotional support when the chips are down. This card is a wonderful tool to add to any spells designed to promote friendship, partnership, love, and marriage. It also makes a good prop for “let's kiss and make up” types of magick.

The Empress

The Empress card can represent the Mother aspect of the Goddess. This is a favorable and sensual card. This card represents the power to bring new life into the world. It is the classic motherhood card. It appears in readings when the client has pregnancy in their life (it might be their own or a loved one's pregnancy). The Empress card also celebrates the ability to be sexual and vibrant while also being nurturing, strong, and wise, all at the same time. While many believe it is strictly a card for women, that is not always the case. After all, the Goddess is not a single mother; she has a partner in the God. Don't forget that men can be nurturers and caregivers while also being strong, sexy, and wise too.

Classically, the Empress card depicts a woman in a ripe field of grain or in a natural and fertile environment such as in a forest next to a stream. The woman is surrounded by grains, flowers, and fruits; often she is shown as pregnant to denote her fertility. She has a “Mother Nature” look about her, and this card symbolizes a happy home, comfort, and a loving marriage. It also represents love, sex, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood.

Try adding the Empress card to the fertility spell that was listed earlier in this chapter. If you are already pregnant, set up this card next to a white candle and focus on the symbolism. Meditate on the idea of the Mother aspect of the Goddess, and ask her to protect you and your unborn child throughout the pregnancy. If you would like to work a spell to safeguard your pregnancy and to ensure a safe delivery, try this tarot spell below.

A Tarot Spell for Pregnancy and Childbirth

Frigga is the Norse goddess that is associated with childbirth, motherhood, and the home. She is a powerhouse of maternal energies and gentle wisdom, which makes her the perfect goddess to call on for this type of spell. Gather the following supplies:

• 1 green or white candle with matching holder or a plain seven-day candle
  
• The Empress and the Two of Cups tarot cards
  
• Grains (dried barley or stalks of wheat, or a bit of whole wheat flour)
  
• A cauldron, cup, or small bowl to hold the grains
  
• An item of sympathy for the baby, like a baby bootie or an ultrasound photo
  
• 12 inches pink and baby blue satin ribbon to tie around the candle holder
  
• An item of sympathy for the mother, such as a small lock of her hair or a photo of her or the two of you taken while she's pregnant
  
• Fresh flowers in a vase (use whatever is in
  season
  , in the garden, or affordable)
  

If your due date is fast approaching, you might want to set up this spell where you can see it every day—try the top of your dresser or on a shelf in the living room. If you prefer, try one of those large seven-day types of candles (you know, the kind that comes in a tall glass jar). That way, you can light and relight the candle as the mood suits you. If you are working this spell for your partner, make sure to get their permission and try working the spell together as a couple about to become a family.