Along with the plants already mentioned, here is a short list of herbs readily available on the market,
which traditionally are held to be highly potent in magical love philters and, as such, are employed by
most modern witches, with varying degrees of success. As a novice witch, you will find it well worth
your while to purchase some of these, including the herbs already mentioned, to experiment carefully
with along the lines we have laid out in the preceding chapter.
Useful Philter Components
Fennel
Sea holly root, or Eryngo (Eryngium maritimum)
Cardamom
Dill or anet
Ginger
Cumin
Marjoram
Cowslip flowers (Primula veris)
Endive (when used as a sachet, potency lasts seven days)
Linden or lime tree flowers
Mullein
Grain of Paradise, also known as Egyptian Paradise seed
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca]
Ginseng root (much favoured by our Eastern copractitioners)
Violet petals
Sweet sedge (sweet flag, Acorus calamus)
Verbena
Thyme
Anise
Basil
Rose petals (can be used in form of rose hip syrup)
Apple (either blossom or fruit itself)
Lovage (Levisticum officinale, "loving herbs" of old lore)
Rosemary
Honey
Juniper berries
Valerian
After being consecrated, the herbs can also be made up into love sachets given to the person who
longs to be desired. They should be carried about on the person and tucked under the pillow at night.
Make the sachets themselves of thin white cloth tied up with red ribbon, yarn, or thread; this is the
traditional witch method. (For more detailed information on sachet powders, see the next chapter.)
Finally, here are some twenty extra useful love herbs for use in sachets only which you may care to
experiment with. In all cases the herbs singly or mingled together should be consecrated in the name
of either Habondia or Cernunnos, with the intention of the charm firmly uttered over them while they
are being tied up with the ribbon.
Some of these ingredients should be kept extremely well-guarded and labelled, however, and never
under any circumstances be administered orally as a philter; they can be highly poisonous and the
effects extremely nasty. I have listed them accordingly.
Useful Sachet Powder Ingredients
Lavender
Vervain
Orris root ("love" or iris root)
Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Rue (use for a clear head in love matters!)
Hawthorn blossoms
Periwinkle blossoms (Virica major and minor)
Yarrow (potency lasts seven years - good for marriages)
Dragon's blood reed (more traditional to the United States, brings back straying lovers)
Mandrake root (Bryonia dioica. Don't eat this. Highly suitable for Cernunnos magic)
Olive leaves (calming of strife)
Cowslip flowers
Satyrion root (Any type of orchid. Not advisable to eat. Highly suitable for Cernunnos magic)
Myrtle leaves or blossoms
Balm of Gilead buds
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmarid)
Jasmine blossoms
Violet petals
Bergamot
Lignum aloes
Sandalwood
Marigold
Southernwood (Artemesia abrotanum, or "lad's love")
Most of these herbs can be bought from any shop which specializes in herbal medicines or botanicals.
Make sure the herbs are unadulterated though; many shops try to get away with tricks like substituting
bay for myrtle and so on. Incidentally, a very good amatory herbal bath sachet to be used before any
adventure in love, whether it be an act of witchcraft or a night on the tiles is simply prepared as
follows:
Mix together these dried herbs on a Friday when the moon is waxing:
7 parts lavender
6 parts rosemary
5 parts rose petals
3 parts lovage
2 parts verbena leaves
1 pinch orris root
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch mint
1 pinch sage
1 pinch marjoram
Tie up in a piece of thin muslin or cheesecloth, and steep in your bathwater. This may sound like a
fascinating bouquet garni but I can assure you many witches find it highly potent for chases d'amour!
Rosemary by itself can be steeped in pure water, and the infusion obtained used as an amatory wash
for the hands, or for sprinkling to the four quarters of the room prior to any invocation of romantic
love and Habondia. It tends to be quite unsuitable for Cernunnos, however.
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