Photography by Steve Parke
In this moment, the sun stretches over the open sky, glowing golden before its descent into night. The wind sways the high grass on this hidden hill in a dance. The barn swallows sing their last songs of the day, as the monarch butterflies follow their own curving invisible paths on the breeze.
We walk together in silent reverence of the spectacle of nature around us, the bare soles of our feet touching the earth. Identical woven circlets of hemlock branch adorn our necks. Our fingers intertwine as we journey further up the sloping hill. I look to the horizon, and at that moment I see it, the true purpose of our sunset adventure. In the wide-stretching field before us, a fifty-foot entity stands alone. Ancient and regal, the tree curls its gnarled branches like spell-casting wands aiming skyward. This wooden giant has been struck by lightning more than any other tree on the hidden hill of Ashfield, and the power of those electric bolts run through the rings of its core. We walk to its feet, roots curving beneath the ground, when we both notice a large severed branch before us, at our feet, a magical gift.
As a couple, as best friends and lovers, we connect through magic, through creativity and imagination. These elements, entwined through our days, are the foundations of our bond. David is an alchemist, a raconteur, and a mystical visionary. His imagination moves quickly to manifest his thoughts into actual treasures in reality. He hoists the seven-foot blue lichen-crusted branch over his shoulder, and we journey back to the farm, laughing and sharing visions of hand-cutting the branch into small discs and burning runic symbols on them.
By morning, he is leaning over a crosscut bow saw and slicing the discs from the knotty branch, and I am on the porch in the sunshine, sanding the tiny circles smooth. Our first rune appears a few hours later, a deep brown X, the sign for unity and true partnership connected.
While doing solitary magic is powerful and beautiful, it can be endlessly enriching to work magic with your romantic partner. For this special witch issue, David and I share stories, secret spells, and enchantments so that you too can create your own hot, wild romance with magic
Water Spell, Veronica
Have you ever been on a date and found your heart pounding in your chest? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself having feelings for someone and wanted to create a deeper connection? Or maybe you’ve been in a relationship for a while and you want to reconnect and spice things up? Come a little closer, and let me whisper the old Czech Romani spells of my ancestors into your ear.
This water spell is one of my very favorites of my Grandma Helen’s love rituals, and all you need is a bowl of water, a citrus oil (orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit), and rose petals. According to the Czech Romani tradition, the story of our lives is held within the lines of our palms. So when you gently submerge your love’s hands in the waters of citrus and rose and massage the lines of their palms, it is a love and connection spell to bring “sweetness” into their life story.
Here’s how to create your own water ritual:
Fill a bowl of warm soothing water and add nine drops of your choice of any one of the citrus oils listed above. Peel off petals from a red rose to add to the water. Take your ring finger of your left hand and use it to stir the water. Our fingers are our own versions of magic wands (which is why I love to decorate them with crystal rings and black glitter nail polish). Your ring finger is your “fire” finger and stirs up the passion and action in your life in spellcraft. In old myths, it was believed that it was the only finger that had a vein connected directly to the heart (which is why we wear engagement and wedding rings on that finger). Stir with your ring (or fire) finger eight times deosil (clockwise) and whisper words of sweetness and love into the water so the breath of your words causes ripples. Then stir one time widdershins (counterclockwise) to put an enchantment on the water.
Place the bowl between you and your partner and gently take their hands in yours to submerge them into the fragrant water. Encourage them to close their eyes and relax to receive the full calming and powerful properties of this spell. Then, slowly, with intention, massage the lines of their palm. Take your time. Imagine them vibrant, happy, and filled with love. Lastly, bring the open palm of their dominant hand to your mouth to kiss at the end. The sweet love spell is sealed! Then switch and have your partner do the blessing for you.
Earth Spell, David
My form of magic is deeply connected to my relationship to the earth, the natural world, and the power of creativity. There is power all around us, life and energy, messages and meanings … and within these forces you can, with your partner or alone, harness and use that power. Here is a spell to grow your bond and create a deeper sensual connection. It does require that you set aside a bit of time together, but it will create a magic that will last quite a while and can always be repeated.
This spell can be started at any time of day, but make sure you and your partner are as relaxed as possible. You might light a candle together or burn some incense before beginning. Embrace, look each other in the eyes, and acknowledge that you are taking a journey together. The intention is to bring more magic into your lives and your relationship.
Sit cross-legged on the floor across from your partner. Your knees should be touching. Reach out and hold each other’s hands, and let them rest comfortably on your knees. Tell your partner to think of a natural place that they love that is close by, and you’ll do the same. Close your eyes and feel the energy slowly become more powerful between you. After a few minutes, you will feel each other’s pulses. Enjoy the feeling of the energy flowing between you. When it feels like it has been a while, open your eyes and instruct your partner to do the same.
Once your eyes are open, reveal the places you were imagining. Discuss them both and decide which one you’d like to visit this time. Next time, you will visit the other person’s choice.
Now for the adventure. Visit that place and find an object (a stone, a stick, a leaf, etc.) that feels special to you both, something that will fit easily in your two hands. Take your time, but this is not a quest for a magical object, merely something that you both agree is special. Then bring that object home.
Once you are home, take a piece of cloth, sit in the cross-legged position again, eyes closed, and hold the cloth together. Repeat these words slowly and quietly three times: “Creation together brings us closer to the wonder of nature and the power of love.” When done, lean forward, touch forehead to forehead, and take three deep breaths. Wrap your object back in the cloth, bind it with twine, and place it near or under your bed. Every night, just before sleep, look into each other’s eyes and visualize your creation. The spell will strengthen your creativity, your connection to nature, and your sensual and loving bond.
Fire Spell, Veronica
In magic, it is the element of fire that drives the passion in love spells. Is it any wonder why simply striking a match and lighting candles really does set that sensual mood?
Here is a fiery love spell that David and I worked together:
Get two red candles for love. Write your name on the back of one with any kind of carving tool and have your partner carve their own name in the back of the other one. Place the two red candles in the center of a pie plate, side by side, and sprinkle this love spell herbal-blend mixture both on and around the candles: honeysuckle (creativity and protection), jasmine flowers (wild passion), orange peels (happiness and joy), and rosebuds
(deep connected love). Then strike one match to light both of the candles at the same time.
As the candles melt into each other in hot red wax, kiss your partner, sensually and slow. Take your time and brush your lips across theirs. Now take a red silk ribbon that is six feet long and each of you hold one end. Take turns whispering words of the past, present, and future to each other. Speak to each other of shared memories, gratitude for your relationship today in this moment, and also the dreamings of future manifestations. With every wish or gratitude, the speaker ties a knot seven inches from the end of their ribbon. Do this four times each, sharing and then tying knots seven inches away from the last one, so there are eight knots. Then in the middle for the ninth and final knot, make a wish for your union together. Tie a loose knot in the center, blow life into it, and then simultaneously pull the ends to tighten the knot and pull each other in for a kiss. Afterward, in the glow of our candles melting into each other, you can also seal the spell with kissing or love making.
Air Spell, David
Scent is the most powerfully evocative of our senses and, when combined with magical intention, can offer exciting possibilities. Some of my first practices in traditional magic included lighting cauldrons, incense, resins and other spirited scented elements, and woods, and to this day I use air and scent magic more than any other for my daily needs and desires. When I need to reset my day or a fresh start, I light a cauldron with herbs and incense and let the smoke and smells wash over me. Often I walk it throughout my home. Veronica and I even started creating our own organic wood powdered incense blends to offer personalized options designed to honor the various moon cycles.
Here is a simple magical air spell that will fire up the passion and attraction between you and your partner:
Write short love notes to each other on small pieces of paper. Make sure to put your partner’s name on your piece of paper, as names are very powerful. Fold each paper five times, once for each of the directions and once for the cosmic direction. In a small cauldron, light a piece of charcoal and wait until it is glowing red. Add frankincense and myrrh until smoke billows out. Drop in your notes and with each add a pinch of rose petals, and when that is smoldering repeat together five times, “The air we breathe, these words manifest,” as you let the smoke fill your faces and bodies. Give each other a long kiss as the smoke pours over you. The next part is up to you, but I promise, what happens next will be made more magical for the ritual you’ve just shared.
