MIX APHRODITE'S OWN APHRODISIAC
article
by Sylvana SilverWitch
aph·ro·dis·i·ac adj. Arousing or intensifying sexual desire. - n. Something, such as a drug or food, having such an effect. [Greek aphrodisiakos, from aphrodisia, sexual pleasures, from Aphrodite, Goddess of love and sex.]
We are always looking for that magickal something to make us more desirable, tempting, alluring, irresistible, enchanting, and I have long been fascinated by aphrodisiacs and the legends around them. I remember hearing about Spanish fly when I was in first grade, around the same time that the rumors of bad men selling children into white slavery were circulating. In the spirit of the scare tactics of the day, we spoke in hushed tones about the powder that supposedly would compel a totally normal woman to impale herself upon a gearshift knob. At that age, I didn't understand what that might mean, but I was titillated even so.
Well, a little bit older and I hope a lot less naive, I now know that "Spanish fly" is one of two things. Typically, it's a joke placebo that you can buy at stores like Love Pantry. The real Spanish fly is a highly toxic ground insect from South America, which if you were to ever encounter you would not want to ingest. It is highly poisonous when swallowed but can also be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes, which isn't necessarily much better. The poisoning that ensues, called cantharidism, can cause severe gastrointestinal disturbances and acute inflammation of the kidney, as well as the urinary tract burning that gave Spanish fly its reputation. This irritation of the urethra, which occurs when cantharidin is excreted by the kidneys, increases the blood flow to the pelvic region and can result in priapism, that is an extended erection. This priapism is probably the origin of the belief that Spanish fly can be used as an aphrodisiac.
Spanish fly has had some famous applications. In 1772, the infamous Marquis de Sade doctored some sweets with Spanish fly and offered them to a number of prostitutes who were to participate in a flogging orgy. No aphrodisiac effect materialized, and instead the women became very ill, ill enough that the Marquis was brought to trial for poisoning them. Doesn't that just make you want to try it for sexual purposes?!
For obvious reasons, I advise against the use of real Spanish fly. Collapse occurs in severe cases of Spanish fly poisoning, and death may follow. A consumption of 1.6 grams of pulverized beetles has led to death after 26 hours. That's death, folks! Not my idea of a good time!
Many other drugs, some safer and some not, have been alleged to have aphrodisiac effects, such as marijuana, acid, cocaine, heroin, MDA and crank. From my experience, the only one of these that actually has an aphrodisiac effect is marijuana - and that in very small doses only. Larger doses tend to put you to sleep before you can get romantic, as does alcohol. But most of these harder drugs are so habit-forming that before long you are not interested in sex anymore, anyway; all you want is your next fix! I strongly advise against the use of all hard drugs.
I've heard recent reports of a few newer drugs that have been tested by friends and found to be somewhat effective. Ecstasy or X, GHB and similar chemical agents induce a relaxed euphoria that is conducive to sexual and romantic interaction. However, X is illegal, expensive and difficult to find, and a lot of what is passed off as X is not what it is reputed to be. GHB has been recently banned, so obtaining it or the chemical expertise to make it from the available ingredients is also difficult. Also, knowing the proper dosage with GHB is very important. If you take a very slight overdose, you will nod off for an hour or two, but if you take a larger one you could vomit uncontrollably for hours, lose fluids, become dehydrated, go into shock and quite possibly die. Oh boy... that again!
The obvious best of the newer drugs is Viagra, a pharmaceutical that was originally marketed as a heart medication and was quickly found to aid erections in men and desire in women. Viagra is available by prescription from your doctor, and from what I've heard, it is very effective as well as easy to get prescribed!
Besides pharmaceuticals, many other substances have been named aphrodisiacs by inquisitive or hopeful seekers. Over the years, I have heard and investigated many of the weird myths surrounding these, from liquor and pot, which are in my opinion probably the best, to more exotic substances such as ground rhino horn, very expensive and hard to come by; snake and bat blood, again not easy to come by and somewhat gross; and monkey brains, just plain icky but a delicacy in some places.
Aphrodisiac effects have also been attributed to some common foods, such as strawberries, cherries, bananas, dates, apricots, peaches, pears, figs, grapes, papaya, pomegranate, artichokes, turnips, asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, celery, avocado, mushrooms, shrimp, caviar, oysters, whipped cream and honey, chocolate, truffles, champagne and many more that I either don't know or haven't heard of yet. I haven't felt a twinge from any of these in addition to their associational effects - fruits, for example, reminding one of slick body parts - or the known chemical effects, in the case of chocolate or champagne.
Besides champagne, some other alcoholic beverages have been said to be especially potent aphrodisiacs, including several liqueurs developed in monasteries of old. These liqueurs include Chartreuse (especially the green variety) and Benedictine. I do not have a clue why monks should be so interested in aphrodisiac liqueurs, since monks are supposed to be celibate. But if they know some secret that enables them to make aphrodisiacs, I won't argue!
Another alcoholic beverage said to be potent is absinthe, consumed as an aphrodisiac frequently around the end of the nineteenth century by many Europeans, especially French artists and intellectuals. The French poet Paul Verlaine was a driving force behind this Bohemian absinthe cult. Absinthe is largely an alcoholic extract of wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, a plant which is known to be quite toxic, rich in compounds such as the essential oils thujon and thujol. The main lethal culprit is thujon. Its use on a moderate scale as a remedy against intestinal worms might be justified. Habitual use, however, can be devastating, with blindness, cramps, nerve injuries and death being among the possible results. Absinthe was prohibited in France in 1915 and is now banned in most of the world because of its toxicity and addictiveness.
Another liqueur found in various incarnations that has been called aphrodisiac is based on Turnera aphrodisiaca, common name damiana. You'll note damiana's alleged aphrodisiac quality even made it into the plant name. I've been told a liqueur produced in Guadalajara, Mexico, and marketed under the name Crème de Damiana increases libido and counteracts impotence. I have never tried it myself.
I have tried another damiana liqueur from Mexico, a light liqueur made with damiana herb that grows in the Baja California area. It is quite mixable and tastes great as a shooter. The bottle is shaped like a goddess - or as they describe her, a pregnant woman - and is supposedly modeled after the Incan goddess of fertility.
This brings me to my very own aphrodisiac of Aphrodite, Sylvana's Damiana Liqueur, affectionately known as Love Potion #13. I created this recipe and have developed it over a number of years, experimenting with it as I went... research, hee hee hee! All in the name of research!
It works well as a love potion, so beware. Do not use it lightly! A now exlover of mine, after ingesting only about 1&fraq12; ounces of the liqueur, described the feeling as "being pulled across the room by my now rock-hard penis, almost against my will, but no one was touching me." I was what he was pulled toward on the other side of the room - and after that, a good time was had by all!
I advise that people use this liqueur with lovers that they are already close to for best results. Or, use it to draw closer to a lover with whom the fire has dimmed but not gone out. You never want to use Love Potion #13 on an unsuspecting victim, or one who is not already in a romantic or sexual relationship with you. This magick has a way of coming back and kicking your ass when you use it in an unethical way, so be careful what you ask for! Use good judgment, please.
This recipe formally takes a moon to complete. Part of its effectiveness is the magick that you instill into it, so don't cut corners. It will only be as good as you make it, so make it very, very good!
Begin on the first Friday after the new moon, when the moon is waxing. Make sure to meditate on the liqueur and shake up the mixture each subsequent Friday until one full month has passed. Mark the task on the calendar if you have trouble remembering.
Love Potion #13 Ingredients: + 1 fifth of decent brandy + 3-4 ounces fresh damiana herb + 2 ounces fresh lemongrass + 4 ounces fresh cinnamon sticks + 1 teaspoon nutmeg + 1 teaspoon cloves + 1 cup honey + 1 ounce tincture of marijuana (optional) + Cheesecloth Tools: + A big, large-mouthed decanter + Pink and red candles, candle holders + Tantric sex incense, or Pan and Aphrodite incense + Charcoal and incense burner + Pink paper with red pen + Anointing oil, such as Aphrodite, Love or Come to Me + A blank book or journal to record the effects
Don't use really expensive brandy for this potion, as you will be adding a lot to the liquor and will just pollute the taste of a really good bottle. If you use a moderate bottle, you will add to its flavor.
To make the potion, first gather all of your ingredients together.
Next, anoint and light a red or pink candle (or both), light some of the incense and spend some time meditating on Aphrodite and the purpose of the liqueur. You should light incense and candles and do the visualization each time you add to and mix the potion. Your intentions for the results are important to hold in your conscious mind. Getting focused specifically on the love and sex aspects of the goddess Aphrodite and what she means to you personally is a big part of the magickal effects.
If you want to be really effective, you may anoint the candles by using them for masturbation or ejaculate onto them while envisioning your purpose. Sympathetic magick works!
After meditating for a sufficient time, write with the red pen on the pink paper. Make a list of what you wish to create with the magickal liqueur. In the past, I have included such things as emotional closeness and bonding, awesome sex, fantastic sexual appeal and for myself to feel incredibly sexy. Include at the end a caveat: "This or better, for the best and highest good of all." The caveat will help to protect you and ensure your intentions produce the best result.
After you have finished listing your intentions and raised a bit of sexual energy by thinking about them, or more, it's time to anoint the bottle. It's not a bad idea to create your own label and glue it to the bottle that you will create the potion in, if you have the means to do this. Do so ahead of time.
Then slowly pour the brandy from its original bottle into the decanter, until the decanter is about 2/3 full, all the while thinking about your lover, your sexual juices and your blood flowing hot with desire. When you are finished, think about how fulfilled and satisfied you will be when you are once again in your lover's arms!
Next, add the damiana herb, slowly and by hand, as if feeding a delectable treat to the goddess. Damiana has a minty flavor, so think about the cool freshness of the breeze on your naked bodies, cool water washing over you or a surprising and refreshing drink of cold clean water. After adding a bit, swirl the liquid deosil around in the bottle; as you swirl think about the many possibilities of awesome sex that you are creating, and let yourself get steamed up! Focus on your very best times together, your most intense bonding experiences and your most powerful orgasms.
After finishing with the damiana herb, it's time for the lemongrass. While adding the lemongrass, think about the sour parts of yourself and how you might use them in a whole new way. Think about how the contrast of sweet and sour is analogous to that in life and love, how the sourness of a fight causes making up and making love to be so much sweeter. Focus on your best "make-up sex," the kind where you forgot what you were mad about altogether! Remember to swirl the bottle deosil after each portion of lemongrass is added.
Then, one by one, add each cinnamon stick, whole. Insert them into the mouth of the bottle, simulating penetration or the symbolic Great Rite. You may play with this addition as much as you'd like! Think about being penetrated or penetrating your lover, think about the union of the God and Goddess and the divine connection that creates. Swirl some more.
Next, add the spices... is this one too obvious? Imagine the spicy taste of your lover's skin or sexy body parts! Think of how this potion will help you "spice up" your relationship and sex life, and how hot it will make both of you! More swirling here; make sure to mix the spices well.
Okay, now for the honey. Add the honey slowly, imagining the sweetness of your love, of your partner, of your sex together. Think about how very much sweeter it can be with the help of this potion and the effort and magick you are putting into it. Then, if you have chosen to add the marijuana tincture (which you should know is actually illegal, so I am not recommending it), add one quarter of it. The rest you will add over the next three Fridays.
When you are finished, seal the bottle well with a cork and shake, shake, shake! Dance around, swirling the bottle of liquid and herbs around and around, as if in a frenzied dance with the Goddess or God or your lover... aren't they the same, anyway? When you're satisfied that the mix is complete and you have put enough energy into the potion for the time being, put the bottle away in a dark place to sit (or on your altar, as long as it's not in sunlight).
Take the potion out on Fridays and do the mixing dance again, imagining and fantasizing about all the wonderful love, sex and romance you will have. Don't forget the candles and incense! If you used the marijuana tincture, add an additional quarter each Friday until it is done.
On the last Friday when you do the dance, raise some extra sexual energy to seal it, either by fantasy or masturbation. Whether or not you do masturbate and come to orgasm, send that energy into the liqueur along with your intention.
Let the liqueur sit for a few hours to settle, while you rest, then strain the mixture slowly through a couple layers of cheesecloth into a clean container. When it is strained so it has little or no residue, decant it again into a decorative bottle that you have created and anointed for this purpose. Make sure that you squeeze the herb-filled cloth so that as much of the liquid is removed as possible!
Love Potion #13 is meant to be enjoyed by two or more lovers, sipping from a cordial glass in the proper, romantic environment: by candlelight, with sensuous music playing in the background and aromatic incense burning.
Dosage per person is 1 to 2 ounces or about a shot glass full. The taste is sweet, spicy, strong,, sensuous, musky and a bit minty. If you sip slowly, you can feel the heady effects begin to wash over your body in a few minutes.
Remember to use discretion; please do not drink and drive! Have a great time, lots of love and awesome sex!
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