Creating A Love Altar

An altar is a place of power – your personal power – where you can make magic. It should be an expression of your deepest self, filled with artifacts that hold personal resonance. Allow your altar to be a work-in-progress that changes with the seasons and reflects your inner cycles.

To create your love altar, find a small table or other flat surface (desktops, shelves, dresser tops, and fireplace mantels all make great altar spaces) and drape it in richly colored, luxurious fabrics – perhaps red satin or a burgundy velvet scarf. Then take one red and one pink candle and arrange them around a sweet-smelling incense such as amber, rose or jasmine. Decorate your altar with tokens that represent love to you: a heart-shaped piece of rose quartz, potpourri made with rose and amethyst, a photo of your lover, fresh flowers, Valentine's cards, or even a list of traits you would like to find in a partner would all be wonderful!

Fridays are the time for spelling love; right before dawn if you can manage, but any time you feel magically romantic will do. Before you light the candles, anoint them with an oil or perfume which puts you in a romantic, loving mood – some good choices would be rose, lavender, or jasmine scents. Scent your wrists, your throat, and your left breast over your heart with the same oil. Then, light the candles on your altar and think of the sort of lover you would like to have in your life – think of individual traits, NOT of a specific person or of physical appearance – things like “Someone who will appreciate my offbeat sense of humor,” or “Someone who loves animals,” are a good place to start.

Once you have spent some time thinking of your intended lover, speak this spell to create loving magic:

“Venus, cast your light on me,
A Goddess for today I'll be.
A lover, strong and brave and true
I seek as a reflection of you.”

Once you have found that perfect love, don't let your love altar gather dust! Take some time each week to tend to your altar as you would tend to your love. Continue to add special tokens of your relationship – gifts, cards, love letters, and photos would be beautiful.

~ Adapted from “Witch's Brew Good Spells for Love” by Witch Bree ~