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.

Shea Soother: Light as Air Lotion

Here is a real treat: a light creamy body lotion that glides on and does not feel heavy. Best of all? The delectable scents of almond and grapefruit. Anyone on your gift list will delight in this, as will your household. A mixer is ideal, otherwise use a hand whisk and wooden spoon, a lidded jar, and the following ingredients:

• ½ cup room temperature virgin coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons room temperature raw shea butter
• 2 cups almond oil
• 2 tablespoons red grapefruit zest
• 2 teaspoons tapioca flour

Place the shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, and red grapefruit zest in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium for half a minute. Now, turn to high and whip the lotion for about four minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the tapioca flour and mix for one more minute. Transfer to a jar with a lid and store at room temperature for up to a month.

Once known as “the forbidden fruit of Barbados,” grapefruit awakens the mind and body and speaks to “the soul. Like many other citrus fruits, it is cheering and renowned for what it does for the skin, even reducing cellulite. Almond is beloved for bringing luck in love and is prized as an erotic massage oil. Coconut protects and purifies and enhances confidence. Coconut brings forth your real allure and beauty, so use it carefully!

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.

Lovely Lodestones

Stones, crystals, and gems are regarded as the purest forms of the earth’s abundance. Whenever you get a new piece of jewelry with a stone or gem or decorate your home or garden with rocks and pebbles, show gratitude for these gifts from nature. Sprinkle thyme, daisy blossoms, and ground cinnamon on your garden path and on your doorstep. Also, burn this mix in your incense holder and chant:

“Mother Nature, I thank you for the strength
and bounty of your stones and bones.
Your beauty is reflected now and forever. Blessed be.”

Your gratitude will be rewarded tenfold, and you will enjoy a shower of crystals and gems in your life from Mother Nature, who enjoys getting credit for her good works!

Mystical Crystal DIY: Sweeping Change

To purify your home, you need this special broom. A home purification is handy for clearing away bad energy after a squabble with your loved one, a bout of the blues, or just about any upset you need to get out of your personal space. I would go so far as to suggest that you sweep the negative energy outside every morning in your life. Bear in mind, this is not white glove-type cleaning; it is a symbolic act that is quite effective in maintaining your home as a personal sanctuary.

You can make your own purification broom from straw bound together and attached to a fallen tree branch, or you can add mojo to a store-bought broom. Wrap copper wire around your broom or use it to bind the straw to the stick, as Venus-ruled copper lends an aura of beauty and keeps negativity at bay. Attach crystals to the handle with glue to boost your broom. Recommend crystals for space clearing and purification are:

• Amber for cheeriness;
• Blue lace agate for tranquility; 
• Coral for well-being;
• Jet for absorption of bad energy;
• Onyx for protection;
• Petrified wood for security;
• Tiger’s-eye for protecting your psyche from energy draining powers; and
• Turquoise for relaxation and calmness.

Jewels of Wisdom

• Agate worn as an amulet around your neck will ensure that you speak only your truth. It can also attract favors from powerful people!

• A black agate on a short chain or in a ring will ensure success in business and athletics.

• If you wear moss agate while gardening, you will have a healthy harvest.

• If you wear amazonite while gambling, you will have great luck.

• Amber will attract love into your life and increase sexual pleasure if you wear it during lovemaking.

• If a man wears an amethyst, the stone will draw a good woman to him.

• Apache tear in a pendant will protect a woman in her pregnancy.

• Frog-shaped jewelry is the ultimate traveler’s amulet; pilots, stewards, sailors, and anyone who frequently travels across water should wear aquamarine in frog-shaped jewelry for enhanced safety and protection from drowning.

• Wear bloodstone in court for victory in legal matters.

• Carnelian jewelry will keep you from being struck by lightning.

• Cat’s-eye worn as a ring will retain your youthful beauty and lift any depression.

• Ladies, coral earrings will attract men into your life. Pacific Islanders believe this “nature’s jewel” contains the very essence of life.

• A diamond with a six-sided cut will offer you great protection; set in platinum, it will ensure victory in any conflict.

• Jade carved into the shape of a butterfly will attract love into your life.

• Lapis lazuli beads strung on gold wire will offer health, growth, and protection.

• A diamond set in onyx will overcome sexual temptation and incite the loyalty of a partner.

• Opal earrings will awaken your psychic powers.

• A red pearl ring or pendant will heighten intelligence.

• A dark peridot ring will bring you more money and raise your spirits, allaying any melancholy.

• A geode as jewelry will attract love and help a woman avoid miscarriage.

Sacred Grove Solstice Spell

Celebrating the season of the sun is best done outdoors in the glory of nature’s full bloom. If you have a forest nearby or a favorite grove of trees, plan to picnic and share this rite of passage with your spiritual circle. Covens often have a favorite spot. All the better if a great oak is growing there, the tree most sacred to Druids. Gather the tribe and bring brightly colored ribbons and indelible markers. Form the circle by holding hands, then point to east, south, north and west chanting:

We hold the wisdom of the sun,
We see the beauty of our earth.
To the universe that gives us life, we return the gift. 
Deepest peace to all,
And we are all one. Blessed be.

Each member of the circle should speak their wish for the world, themselves or loved ones and write it on a ribbon. One by one, tie your ribbon to a tree. Each flutter of the wind will spread your well-wishes.

Glamour Gloss Enchantment: Anointed Lips

From time immemorial, witches have enchanted with their magical beauty. That is because we know how to supplement Mother Nature’s gifts. Before a special evening, employ a “kiss of glamour” by adding one drop of clove oil to your favorite pot of lip gloss and gently stir in, saying aloud three times:

The ripest fruit,
The perfect petal
Each kiss is a spell of utmost bliss 
And so it is.

This will make your lips tingle in a delightful way and give your kisses a touch of spice. The lucky recipient of your affection will be spellbound.

Pomona’s Skin-Preserving Potion

Pomona is beloved as the apple goddess and protectress of orchards. Associated with abundance, the flowering of nature, youth and beauty, her splendor is still celebrated every year in European festivals. One way to retain our blossoming beauty is to take good care of our skin and heighten the health of our complexions with this goddess-blessed prescription for eternal youth. Add the following essential pure oils into six ounces of scentless base oil, such as sesame:

• Two drops apple

• Two drops sweet almond

• Two drops rosemary

• Two drops chamomile 

• Two drops eucalyptus

• Two drops rosemary

• Two drops lavender

Combine thoroughly and place the mixture into a dark glass jar with a secure lid; shake it before application. Before you anoint your skin each night, utter this spell:

Pomona, blessed goddess of the groves, 
We thank you for the fruits of the trees 
And the flowers of the fields.
Bringer of honey, bounty and beauty. 
We thank you for the flower of youth 
From this day forward. So mote it be.

Attraction Action – A Group Rite

Here is a beautifully simple way to attract money to you and your circle. Be sure to pass on some of the good fortune that has shone on you in order to keep the flow of abundance in circulation. This ritual is most effective performed at midnight on a full moon. Ask the participants to bring a green candle with their name scratched into the wax. Find the biggest green candle you can get and light it at the stroke of midnight.

Ask each ritualist to step forward and recite their name, lighting their candle from the large one. Pray aloud:

Holy Moon on this bright night! 
Now is the time for fortune to shine. 
Mother Moon, lend us your power 
In this midnight hour.
Full moon bright, full moon’s light,
Grant to us, our wish tonight.
Let abundance flow from this rite. 
With harm to none, so mote it be.

Allow the candles to burn out on their own.

As they flicker under the full moon, gather the circle in a comfortable spot and talk about what you want to manifest in your lives. The more specifics in the discussion, the better. This rite bears repeating every once in a while to renew the power.

Pomona’s Skin-Preserving Potion (Full Moon Phase Optimal)

Pomona is beloved as the apple goddess and protectress of orchards. Associated with abundance, the flowering of nature, youth and beauty, her splendor is still celebrated every year in European festivals. One way to retain our blossoming beauty is to take good care of our skin and heighten the health of our complexions with this goddess-blessed prescription for eternal youth. Add the following essential pure oils into six ounces of scentless base oil, such as sesame:

• Two drops apple
  
• Two drops sweet almond
  
• Two drops rosemary
  
• Two drops chamomile
  
• Two drops eucalyptus
  
• Two drops rosemary
  
• Two drops lavender
  

Combine thoroughly and place the mixture into a dark glass jar with a secure lid; shake it before application. Before you anoint your skin each night, utter this spell: 

Pomona, blessed goddess of the groves, We thank you for the fruits of the trees And the flowers of the fields.
Bringer of honey, bounty and beauty. We thank you for the flower of youth From this day forward. So mote it be.

Goddess Glow (Waxing Moon Phase)

Many witches prefer whipping up their own healing beauty magic. Here’s a simple recipe for a homemade salt rub. The beauty of this recipe is that you can change the essential oils to suit your mood. For example, if you are feeling romantic or preparing for a big date night, use rose and amber oils.

Combine the following:

• Three cups Epsom salts
• One tablespoon glycerin
• Four drops lemon essential oil
• Two drop jasmine oil
• Two drop vanilla
• One drop neroli oil (made from orange blossoms)

Mix well and store in a colored glass jar with a tight lid. Use these salts with the Salt of the Earth body purification ritual to help exfoliate your skin and give you a goddess glow.

Teutonic Tonic

You will notice that many a witch appears ageless. There is a good reason for this; we manifest a lot of joy in our life, including creating potions to take excellent care of our skin for goddess-like youthfulness. This refresher is inspired by the eternally strong and beautiful deity Freya.

Combine these oils in a sealable dark blue bottle:

• 2 ounces sweet almond as base oil
• 2 drops chamomile
• 2 drops rosemary
• 2 drops lavender oil

Shake very thoroughly and prepare to anoint your skin with this invocation:

Goddess of Love, Goddess of Light, hear this prayer,
Your youth, beauty and radiance, please share. So mote it be.

Clean your skin with warm water, then gently daub with the potion. You can also make a salve or balm using my recipe if you want to turn the clock backwards. Prepare to be asked for your beauty secrets.