Copyright © 2008 Gerina Dunwich
Rye is a popular herb in Gypsy love magick. When baked into bread and then served to a loved one, rye seeds are believed to secure the affections of that person.
The pimento is another plant associated with Gypsy love magick.
The continental Gypsies, according to Scott Cunningham, have used it in their amatory spells and sachets for hundreds of years.
When enchanted and secretly put in the food of another, it supposedly causes that individual to develop deep romantic feelings for him or her.
A love charm popular among the English Gypsies is mentioned in Charles Godfrey Leland’s book of Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling. It calls for an onion or a tulip bulb to be planted in a clean and previously unused pot, while the name of one’s beloved is recited. Every day at both sunrise and sunset, the following incantation should be said over the pot:
“As this root grows
And as this blossom blows,
May his [or her] heart be
Turned unto me!”
As each day passes, “the one whom you love will be more and more inclined to you, till you get your heart’s desire.”
There is an old belief among Gypsies that willow-knots (willow twigs that have naturally grown into a knot) are twined by fairy-folk, and to undo one invites bad luck. To recover stolen goods, a Gypsy man will often tie a string around a willow-knot and say: “With this string I bind the thief ’s luck!” But if it is the love of a particular woman that he desires, he will cut the willow-knot and hold it in his mouth while, at the same time, turning his thoughts to the woman and reciting the following spoken charm:
“I eat thy luck,
I drink thy luck,
Give me the luck of thine,
Then thou shall be mine.”
To add even more power to the spell, the willow-knot should then be hidden in the desired woman’s bed without her knowledge of it.
If a man wishes to make a certain woman fall in love with him, an old Gypsy love spell instructs that he should secretly obtain one of her shoes, fill it with rue leaves, and then hang it over the bed in which he sleeps.
Magickal powers are attributed to the roots of trees, particularly the ash and the alraun, and it is said that many Gypsy-Witches cunning in the art of love enchantment know how to use them in the preparation of love philters (potions).
An old Gypsy recipe to make an aphrodisiac calls for the fresh roots of an asparagus plant to be boiled in red wine. It is said that if any man or woman drinks the wine for seven consecutive mornings (in place of breakfast), he or she will be overcome by lustful urges.
Many Gypsies also believe that beans are powerful aphrodisiacs when eaten, and function as sexual amulets when carried in one’s pocket or in a putsi, a special silk or chamois pouch or charm bag used by Gypsies in the same manner that a mojo bag is used by a hoodoo “doctor.”
This book provides you with everything you need to know about the Pagan lore of plants and how to practice powerful magick utilizing roots, flowers, leaves, and bark. It reveals the well-guarded secrets of herbal enchantments from centuries past, touches on many of the intriguing folkloric beliefs connected to herbs, and provides a satisfying helping of east-to-follow spells for many purposes
Herbal Magick - A Witch's Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore and Divinations by Gerina Dunwich.