Honeyed mead is revered as the drink of choice for the sexy pagan holy day of Beltane. It is an aphrodisiac, and with its sticky sweetness, it is perfect for dribbling on your lover’s body and then licking it off. This is my special recipe for honeyed mead, handed down through generations of Celtic witches. You will need:
1 quart of honey
3 quarts of distilled water
1 packet of yeast
Herbs to flavor
Mix the honey and water. Boil for five minutes. You can add the herbs in proportions to your liking; I prefer a teaspoon each of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.
Add a packet of yeast and mix. Put in a large container. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise and expand. Store the mixture in a dark place and let it sit for seven days.
Here’s a recipe to create exactly the right mood for romance. The verse at the end references the Garden of Eden before the fall. Gather the following:
1 ounce dried hibiscus flowers
1 ounce dried and pulverized rose hips
1⁄2 ounce dried lemon balm
1⁄2 ounce dried mint (ideally peppermint)
1⁄2 ounce dried meadowsweet
Stir ingredients together in a clockwise motion. Store in a dark, lidded jar.
To make tea, add two teaspoons of herbs for each cup of boiled water. Steep for five minutes while visualizing your heart’s desire, and before straining, say aloud:
Herbal brew of love's emotion,
with my wish I fortify.
When two people share this potion
their love shall intensify as in the Olde Garden of Love.
You can mend broken hearts and enchant any would-be love interest with lemon balm. This recipe takes the cake, either one of your own making or store-bought sponge cake. Try a lemon balm version of the above Sweetheart Shortbread and glaze it with the icing; it will be certain to turn anyone who tastes this into your devotee.
6 lemon balm leaves
2 tablespoons water
8 ounces confectioners’ sugar
4 drops vanilla extract
1 lemon
1 candied lemon (using above recipe)
Combine water, vanilla, and lemon balm and soak overnight. Strain out the herbs and add sugar into the liquid. Grate in the zest of the lemon and whisk, squeezing in lemon juice if needed for fluid consistency. Pour this icing over the cake and top with sprinkles of candied lemon and lemon balm. This distinctive dessert is a spell spun of sugar.
Cucumber has aphrodisiac qualities according to recent studies, thanks not just to the veggie’s shape but also its scent. This easy-to-grow delight provides several nutrients essential to maintaining sexual health, including manganese and vitamin C, and it is a tonic for vibrant skin. Here is a short and sweet recipe for a refreshingly cold soup to share with a love on a hot day.
3 large peeled cucumbers
1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Put the ingredients in the blender and puree. This gorgeous green potage makes four cups, enough for two servings for a hungry couple. The only accompaniment you need is crispy herb crackers, an icy beverage, and each other.
Nowadays, weddings are a big business and can be huge productions that take no less than a year of planning. Weddings are one of our most beloved rituals, and while they often cost a pretty penny, they are usually deeply meaningful for every person in attendance. My friend, the esteemed author Daphne Rose Kingma, wrote a lovely collection of ceremonies called Weddings from the Heart that run the gamut from traditional to highly alternative. This book is a great resource for engaged couples celebrating the journey of love.
I have had the good fortune to officiate at two weddings and have created a variation of the classic handfasting which I will share with you here. These are two very happy couples, so it seems that this particular variation of this ritual is effective.
Anthony Gresham
Well, in "The Three 'Only' Things" by Robert Moss: "a coincidence is a meaningful convergence of inner and outer experiences. The sense of meaning co...
Steven Posch
For years, the Honeywell Project here held protest after protest against the Honeywell Corporation, which at the time was manufacturing (ye gods) clus...
Anthony Gresham
I watched an interesting video by that 'Religion for Breakfast' guy on YouTube. It was called "Would Jesus vote Republican or Democrat?" His basic p...
Mark Green
I could not disagree more.Our religions should be SUFFUSED with politics. If we're not here to make a better world, what is the damned point?Other tha...
