Love Potions – From Cleopatra to Harry Potter

Love potions have been around nearly as long as men and women. The term ‘aphrodisiac’ is derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and sexuality. Probably the first known sex stimulant was human body odour. The sense of smell was important in human relationships prior to the advent of soaps, showers and perfumes. After all, people were natural. They didn’t have television commercials programming them to buy certain perfumes so they would be attractive to the opposite sex.

Pheromones attract people to one another. It is also what repels us too. It is said that people going through a divorce often report that their spouse smells different to them now, repulsive even.

Marigolds, have been looked upon as a love potion. In fact, marigolds even have a nickname in honour of their sexual properties. They were called “summer brides.” In the Dark Ages, women who suspected that their partner might be straying, would take marigold seeds and place them into the dirt into which their husband’s footprint could be found. It was believed that this practice and only this practice could blind a man’s eye for other women.

In the Middle Ages, alchemists sold an aphrodisiac with gold in it. Known as “potable gold” and taken as a drink, it probably cost a fortune. Did you know that tomatoes were once thought of as ‘apples of love’ for their aphrodisiac qualities?

What is a Love Potion Made From?

Many love potions are blends of essential oils. Essential oils are great for romance because the aroma goes straight from your nose to your brain. Scents cause a chemical response in your brain. Research has shown that the pheromone properties of essential oils have a definite effect on mood and emotions. Scent affects the limbic system which is the oldest part of the human brain. The limbic system is tied to our emotions and memories. The wonderful thing about essential oils is that even after the scent has disappeared, the effect lingers.

Essential oils have the potential to elicit romance on four different levels. Some essential oils offer calming effects such as geranium essential oil, clary sage essential oil, lavender essential oil, marjoram essential oil, that reduce anxiety and self-consciousness, thereby opening the path to intimacy.

Other essential oils are known for their stimulating and inspiring properties such as cardamom essential oil, nutmeg essential oil, clove essential oil, cinnamon bark essential oil can literally spice things up, increasing sexual desire.

Then there are those oils which are arousing such as neroli essential oil, ylang ylang essential oil and rose essential oil as well as those for attracting including sandalwood essential oil, patchouli essential oil, jasmine essential oil and cedarwood essential oil. They activate the sense of smell, which is key to sexual arousal.

Is it a new love you are seeking or simply spicing up the love you have? Just remember the old saying “Be careful what you wish for – you just might get it!”

Rose the ultimate Love Potion (Rosa damascena/Rosa centifolia)

In the tenth century alchemist Avicenna, who designed the refrigerated coil to aid the distillation process of essential oils, is believed to be the first person to distil rose oil. In alchemy, the rose symbolises divine or mystical love.

The rose is a symbol of both Venus and Aphrodite, the goddesses of love.

The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra used a variety of scents, opiates, perfumes and essential oils to create an atmosphere of passion for her relationship with Marc Antony and to seduce her many lovers History has Cleopatra adding to her romantic love making by doing it for the first time with Mark Anthony on a carpet covered in rose petals. Cleopatra ordered that the floors of her palace be covered knee-deep in rose petals. Cleopatra had the sails of her ships and even her clothing soaked in rosewater so that the scent of the rose on the breeze alerted her lover, Mark Anthony of her impending arrival-well before she could be seen.

Ancient Roman and Egyptians scattered rose petals at weddings to ensure a happy marriage, a tradition which has been revived in more modern times. The Greek father of medicine, Hippocrates, recommended steeping rose petals in oil as a remedy for diseases of the uterus. Hippocrates suggested donkey milk and honey could bring back the love.

Roses were popular amongst royalty. The English King, Edward VI (1547-1553) insisted the aroma of red roses day and night scent his rooms day and night. To lure courtiers the women of the court during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I sewed rose petals into their skirts. Queen Elizabeth 1 ordered that a perfume canon of roses be fired when she entertained the Duke of Anjou. The Victorians gave red roses as a proclamation of their love and passion.

Love potion from Harry Potter

Love Potions are even mentioned in the Harry Potter series. Laverne de Montmorency, Fred Weasley and George Weasley invented the following Love Potion which causes the drinker to fall in love with the person who gave them the potion. However, true love cannot be produced through artificial means, and thus the feelings that Love Potions create are more like obsession than affection. It is made using Ashwinder eggs, Rose thorns, Peppermint and Powdered Moonstone. It does have side effects, in that the drinker remembers being under potion’s influence and is typically left embarrassed because of the potent and obvious effects of the potion on the drinker.

The effect that a Love Potion has will wear off over time. In order to maintain the potion’s effect, the giver must continually administer doses, or else the recipient may fall out of “love” with them. A single dose typically lasts up to 24 hours, but the precise duration is dependent on the weight of the drinker, as well as the attractiveness of the giver.

Love Potion will work regardless of whether the giver is present when the recipient consumes the potion. The longer the recipient keeps the potion (or potion-spiked item), the more potent its effect will become, as Love Potion matures over time.

Does Love Potion Number 9 really exist?

If there is a Love Potion number 9, I think it definitely contains Rose Essential Oil. Rose is known as the Love Oil with the highest spiritual frequency of all the essential oils. Rose represents love, sexual enhancement, sexual vitality, psychic powers. The rose is an extraordinarily potent essential oil to use in love potions and rituals. No love potion would be complete without a few drops of rose oil.