Investing in Gold

Pyrite, or fool’s gold, is the ideal heart stone for people who work with money, anyone who is an investor, banker, or money manager. Stunning and shiny, pyrite has a hardness of six, the number sacred to Venus. Pyrite brings great luck, along with abundance and an atmosphere conducive to joy. Delight everyone at work by keeping a chunk of fool’s gold on your desk. They will think it is a cool decoration, which it certainly is, and may never guess you have it there to ensure business is good with stable income.

Prayer to Venus: Love Goddess Incantation

The Roman goddess of love, Venus, is associated with ultimate femininity, sexuality, fertility, and beauty. The word veneration means to worship Venus, and one way to do that is have a Friday-night goddess party! Ask the women you invite to bring an offering of flowers, candles, and crystals. Light a candle on your altar in tribute to Venus and say the words of this invocation spell: 

    Beautiful goddess of love, we ask you to bless us with your bright energy.

    We ask you to imbue us with your charm and grace.

    We honor your power, in gratitude with love eternal.

    Blessed be thee, so mote it be!

Spend time with your friends discussing how you want to express the love energy of Venus in your lives. When the rite is done, extinguish the candle. Enjoy the rest of your evening, sipping your Love Goddess Cosmopolitans! When everyone goes home, they should take an object from the altar that is not one they brought to keep on their nightstands to imbue their homes with the grace of Venus.

The Magic of Massage

Set the stage for hands-on pleasure before you knead your lover’s body into rapturous bliss. Start with your favorite music. I prefer Indian ragas because they seem to have a naturally sexy rhythm. Whether it is the sound of classical guitar, angelic harps, or an ambient electronic band from Iceland, it should relax and bring pleasure. Light pink, red, and brown candles to create a loving, sexual atmosphere that is strongly grounded. Kindle incense your lover has previously complimented, and lay out towels you have warmed and oils and lubricants you have also warmed. Turn up the heat a bit and turn down the lights to simply create a “spa” feeling for complete unwinding. I have some honey, goose feathers, and an edible raspberry-and-mint rub I like to share as well.

First undress your partner, very slowly and gently. If your partner is open-minded to pagan ways, you should speak this incantation in his or her presence. If not, it is your silent prayer:

    I call on you, Pan,

    god of the woods, goat, man, and boy.

    I ask your blessing on this day of joy.

    I call on you, Venus, Goddess of this night,

    may we find new seasons of delight.

    What I want is here and now.

    And so it shall be.

Start with warmed oil and give a classic massage while your partner relaxes face down on the bed or massage table. The basic principles of magical massage are rhythmic yet sensitive gliding strokes, gradually shifting to deeper strokes. Use your body weight for firmer pressure.

After relaxing your partner’s back, legs, and feet, have him or her turn over. Massage the chest, arms, and hands. Then glide down to the legs, occasionally brushing the genitals with a light touch. After you finish the legs and feet, slide back up the body and very delicately brush the genitals in a teasing way. Draw the tease out as long as you can so the energy builds and grows. Now is the time to start shifting the focus to more explicitly erotic activities.

One of the most important tips for an amazing connection: Look your partner in the eye as you pleasure him or her. Locking the eyes and keeping them open during sex will open up new dimensions of gratification.

Festive Friday Frolic

Venus rules this most popular day of the week. Small wonder that this is the night for a tryst! To prepare yourself for a night out flirting, you should take a goddess bath with the following potion in a special cup or bowl. I call mine the Venus Vial. Combine:

1 cup sesame oil
6 drops orange blossom oil
4 drops gardenia oil

Stir with your finger six times, silently repeating three times:

I am a daughter of Venus; I embody love.
My body is a temple of pleasure, and I am all that is beautiful.
Tonight I will drink fully from the cup of love.

Pour this potion into a steaming bath and meditate on your evening plans. As you finish, repeat the Venus spell once more. Don’t use a towel, but allow your skin to dry naturally. Dress up in your finest Friday Night Out garb and dab a bit of the mixture on your pulse points. When you are out and about, you will most definitely meet lovely new people who will be drawn to you. You will receive compliments, and indeed, you will be at your sexiest. The rest is up to you. 

Invoking the Goddesses Part II

Isis

Isis is the only goddess who could guarantee the immortality of the Egyptian pharaohs, resurrecting them as she did Osiris. Her worship spread and became an enormous cult that appealed to the entire Roman Empire. She has great appeal as a divine mother. Isis is the daughter of Nuit, the goddess of the sky, and of Seb, the god of earth. The ancients worshipped her as the Queen of Heaven, and she is often depicted with wings.

Isis is the link between birth and death and can be invoked in rituals designed to celebrate existence under our banner of stars.

Juno

She watches over the daughters of the earth, and as such attends nearly every female need and function. The Latin word for a female soul is juno, and as the mother of all women she can be invoked in any woman’s mystery of birth, menses, croning, and death. Some of her aspects include a goddess
of fate, Juno Fortuna; of war, Juno Martialis; of marriage, Juno Domiduca; of bones, Juno Ossipage; of mother’s milk, Juno Rumino. Because Juno is a special protector of brides, you can invent a Juno-centered ceremony to celebrate your own nuptials or those of a friend who espouses women’s spirituality.

Kali

She is the Hindu goddess of the ever-cycling nature of creation and destruction. Kali can be called on to protect and defend women of any age. If you are afraid for yourself, pray aloud to Kali in her destroyer aspect, which wears a necklace of skulls that will scare off any attacker. If someone is recovering from an abusive relationship, Kali can be called on to help with healing and renewing courage and self-esteem. Kali is not to be feared, but respected and admired. One of Kali’s aspects is the Indian goddess, Vac. This incarnation of Kali is the “Mother of All Creation” who spoke the first word, OM, which gave birth to the universe. She also invented the Sanskrit alphabet.

An image of Kali in your office or cubicle will keep trouble at bay and keep you strong and active and fully in your power. Give offerings to her occasionally with your girlfriends in your life with “womanpower” rituals.

Persephone

She is the Greek goddess of the underworld. She spends half of the year, fall and winter, with her husband, Hades, in the underworld, and the other half, spring and summer, above with her mother, Demeter. Persephone is a wonderful deity to invoke once winter has ended, since her return from below marks the beginning of spring. Also, if a dear friend is moving, you can create a pomegranate ritual to ensure regular visits. Persephone is also associated with the element of earth. During equinoxes, you can design rituals with plants, flowers, trees, and fruits of the seasons and acknowledge Persephone’s transition to the other world. This goddess represents the balance between light and dark.

Selene

She is the full moon, another Greek aspect of the lunation cycle. She sheds light on the world and on all of us, inside and out. Her mythology is that as a teacher of magic and all things supernatural, she passed her special knowledge on to her students. She is also a mentor, and her light illuminates our intelligence and ability to think clearly with logic.

Shekina

She is the female deity who is “God’s glory” and the spouse of an ancient Hebrew god. Older rabbinical texts describe her as the “splendor that feeds angels.” She was the only one to get away with being angry with the Hebrew god. She is associated with Sophia and Mari-Anna. Having been redacted from all biblical texts, Shekina was veiled in obscurity until some medieval cabbalists rediscovered her. Glimmerings of Shekina show up in passages of the Talmud telling the story of the exiled Israelis wandering into the wilderness with Joseph’s bones and a second ossuary, or “bone box,” containing “the Shekina” in the form of a pair of stone tablets. Be very creative in designing rituals, altars, offerings, and ceremonies honoring this deity, since you are rebuilding a lost part of goddess history. One daring ritual could include calling a women’s circle and rewriting the tablets of wisdom. Call upon your inner Sophia and inner knowledge for guidance in this highly original approach to ritual.

Sige

This Gnostic goddess charges us to be silent. In Roman mythology she stands for the secret name of Rome, which could not be spoken aloud, and thus she is depicted as a hooded woman with a finger to her lips. Gnostic texts speak of Sige’s origins as the mother of Sophia. She is the primordial female creator: out of silence came the logos, or the word. The cult, rituals, and folklore regarding Sige were held so strictly secret that we know nothing about them now.

But, since creation comes out of silence, there is complete creative freedom for you to recreate new myths, stories, and celebrations for this obscure deity. Silent celebrations, quiet meditations, and secret spells no doubt have the approval of Sige.

Sunna

She is the ancient Germanic goddess of the sun, proof that our big star is not always deified as male. The Teutons also referred to this very important divine entity as “Glory of Elves.” In the great Northern European saga, the Poetic Edda, Sunna was said to have a daughter who sheds light on a brand-new world. Other sun goddesses include the Arabian Attar, the Japanese Amarterasu, and the British Sulis, “the sun’s eye."

Venus

The Roman goddess of love, Venus is associated with ultimate femininity, ultimate sexuality, ultimate fertility, and all that is beautiful. The word veneration means to worship Venus, and she should be venerated in all the love spells of your own design as well as celebrations and circles taking place on her day—Friday. The lore and mythology of Venus is well known, as she has been imprinted on our consciousness as the beautiful naked nymph on a half shell rising out of the foamy wave of the ocean. Honor her by creating venerable dances on the beach, and write love prayers and poems inspired by the love in your own heart. 

New Potatoes ‘n Parsley

Parsley has somehow become just a garnish, but it is actually the perfect party herbage as it is ruled by both Mercury and Venus and brings eloquence and extra charm. Bonus: it prevents drunkenness and is a proven breath freshener. Potatoes are centering and connote the prosperity principle of stability. New potatoes, especially those grown by your own hand, are optimal, but russet potatoes are fine here, too. This salad should not wait for picnics and parties, it is marvelous for any meal and quite economical, too. All you need is this:

• 6 large scrubbed-clean potatoes, boiled and cubed (with the skin left on for more nutrients)
• 1 large red onion, chopped finely
• Parsley and chives, a nice fresh bunch from the garden
• ¼ cup mustard
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lemon

While the potatoes are cooling, place them in a large bowl and add in the onion. Whisk the lemon, vinegar, mustard, and sugar and then pour in the olive oil bit by bit. Pour most of the herbs and dressing into the still-warm potatoes and stir until the dressing is completely mixed in. Season to taste and top with the leftover herbs. This dish is a lovely tasting reminder of how the earth sustains us all.

Atacamite—Venusian Healer

Atacamite is a rare green crystal from the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Australia, Chile, and Central America. As with other uncommon crystals, atacamite is only now being understood for its healing powers and is thought to be of great help to the genitals, thyroid gland, and nerves. Legend has it that it helps with “Venus diseases”—herpes and other STDs.

Malachite—Stone of Juno

This stripy green stone belonged to the Greek goddess Venus. The Greeks believed it had major magical powers when set in copper jewelry. The Romans switched things around a bit and turned malachite over to Juno, cutting it into triangular shapes to indicate her sacred peacock symbol. My favorite bit of malachite lore is that drinking from a goblet cut from this stone supposedly gave the imbiber understanding of the language of animals!

Emeralds—Popular Protectors

Emeralds are believed to have been brought to Earth from the planet Venus. This precious stone is one of the only ones that retains its value, according to gemologists and jewelers, even if it is deeply flawed. Emeralds have a richly varied mythology attached to their glowing green history. For thousands of years, Hindu physicians in India regarded this stone as a benefit to many stomach-related illnesses—it was an appetite stimulant, a curative for dysentery, a laxative, and a treatment for too much stomach-irritating bile. In India of old, they also believed emeralds could drive away demons or rid a body of ill spirits.

Another antiquated belief about emeralds is that they portended events from the future, rather like scrying, or seeing things in a mirror or the glassy surface of the gem. Emeralds were thought to be foes to sorcerers, a belief stemming from a legend that emeralds vanquished all wizardry in their wake. The ancients loved emeralds and connected them with the eyes. Theophrastus, a student of Plato’s, taught that emeralds protected the eyesight. He was taken so seriously that engravers kept emeralds on their tables to look at to refresh their eyes.

Egyptians valued emeralds almost beyond any other stone and claimed their goddess, Isis, wore a great emerald. Anyone who looked upon Isis’s green jewel was assured of a safe trip to the underworld, the land of the dead. Egypt was the main source for emeralds until the sixteenth century. The Cleopatra mines, south of Cairo, were the mother lode, and emerald traders from as far away as India sought the stones, obtained at great human cost under wretched conditions of extreme heat and dangerous underground shafts. I hope the common belief that these stones also protected people from any poison and all venomous serpents was true here. Emeralds were anathemas to snakes, which would supposedly be struck blind by merely looking upon the stones.

In ancient Rome, emeralds were quite sought after by the wealthy class. Nero watched the games in the Coliseum through a set of priceless spectacles made from emeralds. However, with the capture of South America by Pizarro and Cortés, the Spanish in the 1500s made emeralds more available to the Europeans, who had an insatiable appetite for jewels and gold. The discovery in 1558 of the Muzo mine in Colombia uncovered emeralds of incredible beauty and size, prompting the Spanish conquistadors to take over the mine and declare the natives slaves. Perhaps part of Montezuma’s revenge involved the seizure of the emerald mines. Emeralds were a popular cure for dysentery in the sixteenth century when worn touching the torso or held in the mouth. As with all very valuable stones, the people who actually mine them have no access to them unless they are smuggled out of the mines. According to a recent article in National Geographic, however, this is done more frequently than one might think, especially with larger stones. “Almost every high-quality emerald was smuggled at some point in its history,” according to National Geographic.

Soul Stones: Libra

First Half: September 22–October 6

Dioptase is the power stone for first-half Libras. A deeper green than any emerald, it has an extensive copper content. Venus is associated with the color green, and the intensity of this gorgeous green stone makes it a love crystal for Venus-ruled Libras, enriching both their personal relationships and their higher love for humankind. Dioptase can also awaken the spiritual side of Libras, making the usually attractive members of this sign even more beautiful inside and out. Dioptase is difficult to cut for jewelry because of its brittleness. Use uncut crystal clusters as lovely spirit enhancers all around the home.

Kyanite is the sky-colored heart stone for early Libras and is known as a stone of symmetry, perfect for providing balance. The Greeks favored this aluminum-based rock and called it disthene, meaning “dual strength,” because it is soft (and easily cut) lengthwise but much harder across. Kyanite most commonly occurs in long, bluish- green crystal blades but also in cluttered rosettes with a pearly, opalescent surface. If you’re a Libra, an air sign, keep kyanite around to stay steady and strong and help avoid spreading yourself too thin and succumbing to petty, energy-draining distractions.

Second Half: October 7–October 22

The power talisman for this group of Libras is jadeite, sometimes called imperial green jade. The Chinese have prized this stone highly throughout their culture’s lengthy history and believe it contains all that you need for a happy, long life—courage, modesty, charity, wisdom, and, most important for the Libra scales to be in balance, justice. Jade bookends on your desk are perfect balancers.

Limonite, an icicle-like mineral appearing in long, shiny pieces, is the heart stone for second-half Libras. This represents the striving for higher mind, higher beauty, and higher love necessary for the completion of Libra karma.

Soul Stones: Taurus

First Half: April 19–May 2

The power stone for this group is another gorgeous green stone: malachite, which also corresponds to the planet Venus. An earthy rock, it is befitting for this earth sign of the zodiac and has many magical tales to its name. A malachite heart pendant or paperweight is perfect for early Tauruses.

Pyrite, or fool’s gold, is the heart stone for people in this family, who tend to be bankers and money managers. Stunning and shiny, pyrite has a hardness of six, the number sacred to Venus. Pyrite brings great luck to early Tauruses, along with abundance and an atmosphere conducive to joy. Delight everyone at work by keeping a chunk of fool’s gold on your desk.

Second Half: May 3–May 19

Andalusite is the precious soul stone here, a magically metamorphic crystal. Tauruses are deeply rooted to the earth, and andalusite represents that elemental energy through its range of colors, from earthy black to clear and watery. In fact, andalusite comes in nearly all the colors of the rainbow (yellow, green, red, purple, brown, and gray), manifesting another Venusian quality—glamour.

Jadeite, the power stone for later Tauruses, also comes in many colors. Jadeite is a symbol for abundance and permanence. It rings with a lovely tone when struck, representing the natural musical talent possessed by members of this sign. A jadeite bracelet, ring, or bowl is essential for the May-born.

Calling Down the Sisterhood: Invoking Goddesses in Your Spellwork

Below is a group of goddesses you can invoke and honor in your ritual work. I strongly advise placing images of a goddess on your altar when you need her aid, her strength, or her special qualities.

Aradia: Lunar Protectress
She is the Italian “Queen of the Witches” who descends to earth to preserve the magic of the goddess, Diana, her mother. Through Aradia’s lineage, she is also a lunar deity. She is affiliated specifically with Dianic Wicca. Aradia is an excellent goddess to invoke for protection for any moon rituals you perform or create.

Artemis: Queen of the Moon
She is the Greek goddess of the moon. In her Roman form as Diana, she is the deity to whom Dianic witches and priestesses are devoted. She is a bringer of luck, the goddess of the hunt, and a powerful deity for magic and spell work. As the huntress, she can help you search out anything you are looking for, whether it is tangible or intangible. As a lunar deity, she can illuminate you. Invoke Artemis when you want to practice moon magic, and study her mythology further to design original lunar ceremonies. Enshrine her to bring good luck.

Athena: She Who Knows All
She is a goddess who rules both wisdom and war. Athena is a deity to invoke if you are doing ceremonies for peace, learning, protection, or any work-related issues. She can help you overcome any conflict with friends, families or foes.

Brigid: Guardian of Children and Animals
She was a Celtic solar goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing before the Catholic Church canonized her as a saint. Brigid is dually connected to the elements of water and fire. One way to bless water for ceremonies, your altar and home is to pray to Brigid to sanctify the water. She is a guardian for all animals and children, taking care of all matters related to child rearing. Brigid is also a goddess of inspiration. You can create creativity rituals or purification rites that include Brigid.

Ceres: Goddess of Plenty
She is the great Roman grain goddess. Think of her every time you have some cereal, which is named after her. The early summer festival, the Cerealia, honors Ceres for supplying the harvest and an abundance of crops. Any ceremony for planting, growing and cooking could involve this bounty-bringer. If you are going to plant a magical garden, craft a ritual with Ceres and make an outdoor altar to this grain goddess.

Hecate: The Face of the Dark Moon
She is a crone goddess who shows her face in the dark moon. Hecate is the goddess of where three paths meet and as the banisher of evil, which serves us well in rites of closure, “letting go,” and getting rid of any negatively charged aspect of your life. Any time you want to bring something to an end, invoke Hecate for help. Funeral rites or ceremonies of remembrance, especially those for older women, are appropriate occasions for summoning Hecate. As the personification of the dark moon, she is also the goddess of divination and prophecy. Try creating a dark moon prophecy circle, and invite her for deep and wise insight. Design a ritual during the dark moon with Hecate for ultimate feminine wisdom and a fresh new beginning.

Hestia: Ruler of Hearth and Home
She is the goddess of home and hearth whom the Romans knew as Vesta. Hestia is associated with the element of fire, and is concerned with the safety and security of the individual as well as families. As goddess of the hearth, she rules the kitchen, making it possible to perform magical baking recipes with your mixing bowl serving as a cauldron, enchanting it with spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Hestia is the perfect deity to help design a new house. She is a blessing there to help you with cleaning and purification rituals in your living space and sacred space.

Hokmah: She of the Highest Wisdom
She is the holy spirit, an ancient Hebrew goddess of wisdom, the Gnostic Sophia. Hokmah is also related to Egypt’s Ma’at, mother of creative works of power, from which the universe was formed. It was believed by scholars that bereshith, the very first word of Genesis, really refers to this goddess of wisdom. The book Targum of Jerusalem discusses the first words of Genesis and the goddess of wisdom at length. Bereshith is traditionally translated as “in the beginning.” Hokmah appears often in pre-Christian and early Christian writings, and Philo of Alexandria described her as the spouse of Jehovah. King Solomon himself decreed that Hokmah must be obeyed in “The Wisdom of Solomon,” a chapter not included in the biblical canon and established as apocryphal. Hokmah’s symbol, like that of Venus, is the dove. You can summon the eternal wisdom of Hokmah with an image of a dove on your altar. Ignored and redacted from history, she holds vast beneficial power. You can design a women’s mystery rite by meditating on this ancient spirit. Allow inspiration to come and be literally filled with the holy spirit. Her wisdom will enlighten you and reveal how the rite should be designed.

Isis: The Queen of Heaven
Isis is the only goddess who could guarantee the immortality of the Egyptian pharaohs, resurrecting them as she did Osiris. Her worship spread, becoming an enormous cult that appealed to the entire Roman Empire. She has great appeal as a divine mother. Isis is the daughter of Nuit, the goddess of the sky, and of Seb, the god of earth. The ancients worshipped her as the Queen of Heaven, and she is often depicted with wings. Isis is the link between birth and death and can be invoked in rituals designed to celebrate existence under our banner of stars. Her origins in myth show her to have begun as a sun deity, but her sphere of influence has grown to include the moon.

Kali: Mother of All Creation
She is the Hindu goddess of the ever-cycling nature of creation and destruction. Kali can be called on to protect and defend women of any age. If you are afraid for yourself, pray aloud to Kali in her destroyer aspect, which wears a necklace of skulls that will scare off any attacker. If someone is recovering from an abusive relationship, Kali can be called on to help with healing and renewing courage and self-esteem. Kali is not to be feared, but respected and admired. One of Kali’s aspects is the Indian goddess, Vac. This incarnation of Kali is the “Mother of All Creation” who spoke the first word, OM, which gave birth to the universe. She also invented the Sanskrit alphabet. An image of Kali in your office or cubicle will keep trouble at bay and keep you strong and active and fully in your power. Give offerings to her occasionally with your girlfriends in your life with “womanpower” rituals.

Selene: The Teacher of Magic
She is the full moon, another Greek aspect of the lunation cycle. She sheds light on the world and on all of us, inside and out. Her mythology is that as a teacher of magic and all things supernatural, passing her special knowledge on to her students. She is also a mentor, and her light illuminates our intelligence and ability to think clearly with logic.

Shekina: The Splendor That Feeds Angels
She is the female deity who is “God’s glory” and the spouse of an ancient Hebrew god. Older rabbinical texts describe her as the “splendor that feeds angels.” She was the only one to get away with being angry with the Hebrew god. She is associated with Sophia and Mari-Anna. Having been redacted from all biblical texts, Shekina was veiled in obscurity until some medieval cabbalists rediscovered her. Glimmerings of Shekina show up in passages of the Talmud, telling the story of the exiled Israelis wandering into the wilderness with Joseph’s bones and a second ossuary, or “bone box,” containing “the Shekina” in the form of a pair of stone tablets. Be very creative in designing rituals, altars, offerings and ceremonies honoring this deity, since you are rebuilding a lost part of goddess history. One daring ritual could include calling a women’s circle and rewriting the tablets of wisdom. Call upon your inner Shekina and inner knowledge for guidance in this highly original approach to ritual.

Sige: The Primordial Female Creator
This Gnostic goddess charges us to be silent. In Roman mythology she stands for the secret name of Rome, which could not be spoken aloud, and thus she is depicted as a hooded woman with a finger to her lips. Gnostic texts speak of Sige’s origins as the mother of Sophia. She is the primordial female creator: out of silence came the logos, or the word. The cult, rituals and folklore regarding Sige were held so strictly secret that we know nothing about them now. But, since creation comes out of silence, there is complete creative freedom for you to recreate new myths, stories and celebrations for this obscure deity. Silent celebrations, quiet meditations and secret spells no doubt have the approval of Sige.

Sunna: Shedding Light on the World
She is the ancient Germanic goddess of the sun, proof that our big star is not always deified as male. The Teutons also referred to this very important divine entity as “Glory of Elves.” In the great Northern European saga, the Poetic Edda, Sunna was said to have a daughter who sheds light on a brand-new world. Other sun goddesses include the Arabian Attar, the Japanese Amarterasu and the British Sulis, “the sun’s eye.”

Venus: Daughter of the Moon
The Roman goddess of love, Venus is associated with ultimate femininity, ultimate sexuality, ultimate fertility and all that is beautiful. In Western early myth, the planet Venus was seen as “Daughter of the Moon” and all of the early Venusian goddesses have Neolithic roots as lunar deities. The word veneration means to worship Venus, and she should be venerated in all the love spells of your own design as well as celebrations and circles taking place on her day—Friday. The lore and mythology of Venus is well known, as she has been imprinted on our consciousness as the beautiful naked nymph on a half shell rising out of a foamy wave of the ocean. Honor her by creating venerable dances on the beach, and write love prayers and poems inspired by the love in your own heart.

Love Goddess Invocation

The Goddess of Love, Venus, rules this most popular day of the week, Friday. Small wonder this is the night for a tryst. To prepare yourself for a night of lovemaking, you should take a Goddess bath with the following potion in a special cup or bowl. I call mine the Venus Vial. Combine:

• One cup sesame oil

• Six drops orange blossom oil 

• Four drops gardenia oil

Stir with your fingers six times, silently repeating three times:

I am daughter of Venus, I embody love. 
My body is a temple of pleasure,
And I am all that is beautiful. Tonight,
I will drink fully from the cup of love.

Pour the Venusian mixture into a steaming bath and meditate on your evening plans. As you rise from your bath, repeat the Venus spell once more.

Don’t use a towel, but allow yourself to dry naturally. Your lover will compliment the softness of your skin, and indeed, you will be at your sexiest. The rest is up to you.

Sacred Space for Love: Altar of Affection

To prepare for new relationships and deepen the expression of feeling and intensity to your love life, create a center from which to renew your romantic spirit. Here you can concentrate your energy, clarify your intentions and make wishes come true. If you already have an altar, incorporate some special elements, such as red candles or red crystals, or anything associated with Venus, like copper or a seashell to enhance your sex life. Your altar can sit on a low table, a big box, or any flat surface dedicated to magic. One friend of mine has her sex altar at the head or her bed. Begin by purifying the space with a sage smudge stick—a bundle of sage that you burn as your pass it through the space. Then cover your altar with a large red silk or silk-like fabric. Place two red candles at the center of your altar and place a soul mate crystal—two crystals naturally fused together—at the far right corner of the altar. These are widely available at metaphysical stores. Anoint your candles with jasmine and neroli oil. Also keep the incense you think is sexiest on your altar. Place fresh Casablanca lilies in a vase and change them the minute they begin to fade. Lilies are heralded as exotic and erotic flowers, prized for their seductive scent.