For thousands of years, some people have been so desperate to find love that they turned to magic in the hope that a spell or potion on Valentine’s Day will help them meet their future partner. We cannot say whether magical powers are real or not, but we can say that there is a lot to be said about affirmations and the power of positive thinking.

Perhaps magic, from ancient recipes such as the 1300-year-old Egyptian spell decoded a couple of years ago, to modern Wiccan ones, is simply a way of making sure you remember that you put your best foot forward. If you love yourself and put love into the world, you are sure to receive it in return.

Crystals Offer a Simple Start

One of the simplest Valentine’s Day love spells you can perform is to charge a crystal, precious, or semi-precious stone with your intention, and to carry it with you. To charge the stone, hold it in your dominant hand, close your eyes, focus on feeling loved while rolling the stone around in your hand.

If you specifically want romantic love, use a stone such as rose quartz, garnet, malachite, pink agate, or diamond. If you want to attract lust into your life, use carnelian, red jasper, serpentine, or red tiger’s eye. Crystal magic is not limited to romance. You also can keep green aventurine in your pocket for luck when you play Roulette online at home or on the move.

Make a Hoodoo Oil

Hoodoo is a syncretic form of magic that developed in the southern US. Magical oils are a standard part of the practise, and they can be used to anoint yourself, crystals, candles, and just about anything else (watch out for staining).

If you want to make Hoodoo’s classic Come to Me oil at home, be careful: if you are allergic to olive oil, use coconut or jojoba oil instead, and do not use cinnamon oil on your body if you have hypertension, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have a heart condition. To make the oil, mix three parts of patchouli essential oil, two parts of rose geranium essential oil, one part of cinnamon oil, and some dried St John the Conqueror root or rose petals with a bit of olive oil.

Try a Candle Spell

If you make Come to Me oil, or if you have rose, rose geranium, jasmine, or another essential oil that you associate with love, one magical way in which you can use it is by performing a candle spell. Do the spell on Valentine’s Day or at full moon on a Friday, if possible.

Anoint the candle by putting some oil on your fingers, and then rubbing it from either end toward the centre of the candle. You can also roll the candle in lavender blossoms, rose petals, and jasmine flowers that have been dried and crumbled. Put the candle in a holder, light it, and let it burn all the way down while focussing on love coming into your life.