Countless plants have been used in love potions since time immemorial and have usually been administered as teas and juices and many are every bit as tasty and hopefully as effective today as they were many centuries ago.
Venus, the planet associated with the Italian goddess of love and beauty, has its own set of herbs and foods believed to stimulate feelings of love and desire, making them alleged love potions: coltsfoot, marshmallow, mint, plantain, thyme, vervain and yarrow.
Use the following common modern day ingredients to make your own aphrodisiacal teas and juices: * Agrimony Agrimony is believed to benefit the entire system and to treat debility and low libido.
It is a particular favorite of Native Americans who also use it for treating bowel complaints and simple diarrhea.
Make a tea by adding a pint of boiling water to one ounce of the dried herb and leave to stand for five minutes before straining and serving.
A little honey or pure maple syrup can be added to improve the taste.
* Alfalfa Alfalfa is one of the oldest healing and aphrodisiacal herbs, being used by the ancient Arabs who dubbed it 'Father of all foods'.
Sixteenth-century herbalist Gerard prescribed it for upset stomachs and other digestive disorders and throughout the world it is used as a reliable treatment during convalescence.
Make a tea or juice by adding one teaspoonful of the dried leaves to a cupful of boiling water.
Stir well and leave to stand for a couple of minutes before straining and drinking warm as tea or cold as a juice.
* Angelica Long ago angelica was given to women who were frigid, again testifying to its long-standing quality as a powerful aphrodisiac.
The plant is said to be named after the Archangel Raphael who appeared in a vision to a tenth-century monk, during which he revealed the plant as a cure for the plague.
Today the crushed root is added to liqueur to provide taste and increase passion and durability in lovemaking.
Make a tea from one ounce of the seed or herb steeped in a pint of boiling water left to stand until cool.
Take in wineglassful doses half an hour or so before lovemaking.
* Coriander The dried seed of coriander has a euphoric effect and as a love potion is traditionally administered in wine.
Ask your herbalist to recommend a suitable preparation for you.
The crushed seed can be added to wine or sprinkled lightly over food.
Alternatively, make a tea by adding a teaspoonful of the crushed seed to a cupful of boiling water and leave until properly brewed.
Strain and serve hot as tea or leave to cool as a juice.
* Fennel A teaspoonful of crushed fennel each day keeps the body healthy and helps increase energy and sexual prowess.
Roman soldiers chewed fennel on long marches when they were unable to stop for food, considering it one of the finest foods for increasing strength and endurance, hence adding to its credibility as a long-standing powerful aphrodisiac.
Add one teaspoonful of dried seeds to each cupful of boiling water and leave to stand in a teapot until properly brewed.
Strain and leave to cool.
Take as tea or juice about half an hour before making love.
* Salep This is the name given to the parboiled dried root of several species of the orchid family.
The similarity between the roots and testicles of some animal species gives rise to the plant's reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac.
In fact, the name derives from the Arab 'khusa ath-tha'lab' meaning fox testicles.
A classical preparation is to boil milk with salep and cinnamon, cloves and ginger and to drink while warm.
* Vanilla Vanilla is the cured fruit of the orchid 'Vanilla Planifolia' and derives from the Spanish word 'vainila', a diminutive of 'vaina' meaning vagina or pod.
Vanilla is a long-standing love potion, being mentioned in ancient texts and being recommended in the Swedish Pharmacopoedia of 1849.
Add vanilla essence to the bath to produce a stimulating effect, especially when partners bathe together.
The dried herb can be added to a cupful of boiling water and left to stand until properly brewed, then taken as tea or left to cool as juice.
* Ginger Early herbalist Jerome Cardan wrote of ginger "It helps a lustful nature" and for countless centuries ginger has been used in love potions, mainly for its spicy stimulating effects.
Make a tea by adding the crushed root, amount according to taste, to a cupful of boiling water.
Leave to brew and strain before serving hot as tea or leaving to cool as juice.
In excess ginger can irritate the skin and digestive tract.
* Clove Clove is the dried flower bud of Jambosa Caryophyllus and has wide applications in food and perfumes.
It is considered a most powerful aphrodisiac both helping to reduce fatigue and giving the body energy and strength.
The plant was used in love potions as early as the 3rd century, B.
C.
in China and some parts of Asia.
Make a juice by adding two or three drops or clove to a glass of honey water.
Take first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
* Mustard Mustard has been used throughout the centuries, mixed with honey, as a powerful aphrodisiac, likely to irritate and cause a burning sensation in the urinary organs that some people find stimulating.
Mustard, added to bathwater creates a warm stimulating atmosphere which is conducive to sex especially where partners bathe together.
The herb can be added to most meals and some drinks.
It is particularly stimulating added to red wine and other heady forms of alcohol.