Discover those five historically well known love potions !
Discover those five historically well known love potions !
Awaken the love witch in you...or not.
When love is unrequited, what can you do ? Whether you’re somewhat of a witch yourself, or a complete skeptic when it comes to love spells & potions, it’s undeniable that they’ve left an impact in our culture.
Though the times, lovers have turned to them to win the hearts of their loved ones.
From legitimately sweet stuff to disgusting mixtures you wouldn’t give to your worst enemy, we got you covered with this summary of the weirdest aphrodisiacs and love potions used through history !
Mandrake : actually an aphrodisiac ?
Mandrake root, perhaps most popular in this day for its appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries, even as far back as Biblical times. It has been used frequently in love magic throughout history, and is even still used for such purposes today.
The root can be ingested in potions, and worn as an amulet for fertility.
The legend even says the Mandrake root screams when pulled from the ground, to the point where it can cause insanity or even death to those who hear it.
Flowers & wine in Ancient Greece
The Ancient Greeks ground up orchids, which they regarded as a powerful aphrodisiac, into a powder and added it to wine. They believed that this mixture could inspire love and desire in whoever drank it. It was such a popular potion among the Greeks that this specific orchid plant, called “Satyrion” , actually went temporarily extinct.
Sweaty Cakes in Medieval Europe
The name is as self-explanatory ( and disgusting ) as it looks. Some medieval recipes advised for cakes to be made from sweat, blood and other fluids, which could be served for lunch or dinner to an intended lover – the hope being that these baked goods would instantly make them fall head over heels in love. Bits of skin and hair from a couple could also be whipped up into a brew to solidify the bonds in their relationship.
Spanish Fly at the Roman Imperial Courts
The Spanish Fly was popularly crushed with herbs and made into tonics. Those concoctions which were incredibly popular at the courts of Roman Emperor Augustus. It would cause feelings of warmth to course through the body, but this was normally due to poisonous inflammation rather than desire. As it turns out, Spanish Fly is actually quite dangerous, and can cause permanent kidney and liver damage.
The most powerful of them all...
We’ve seen how far people are willing to go to win over their loved one, but at the end of the day, all that matters is to be authentically yourself. If your love is unrequited, always remember there’s plenty of fish in the sea. Or as we would rather say, plenty of bats in the belfry tower.
What about you ?
What is the weirdest love potion you’ve heard about ? Have you ever tried making one ?