In addition to arousing sexual passions, the mandrake is believed to ensure an everlasting love between a couple when both partners carry with them a piece of root from the same plant. Fern seeds are also a staple in the art of Gypsy love magick. Men traditionally give love potions brewed from the seeds of a male fern to the women they desire, while women traditionally give those brewed from the seeds of a female fern to the men whose hearts they wish to win over. Vervain is also another plant favored by the Gypsies for the drawing of love, as well as for the attraction of good luck. It is said that vervain must be gathered on the first day of the new moon before sunrise or it will not be magickally effective. Carry its dried flowers in a putsi or place them beneath your pillow before you sleep and, according to Gypsy legend, the love of another you will invite. Gypsies are well aware of the intense powers that thei

Many who wish to keep themselves immune from such amatory bewitchments or counteract the magick of any unwelcome love enchantment used upon them have been known to wear over their heart a small putsi made of white silk and filled with seven leaves from the angelica plant. Earth-Spirit Spell Earth-Spirit Spell rt S l rt S t Spe l t Spe It is believed among many Gypsies that if a baby refuses to feed from his mothers breast, a female spirit of the earth has secretly sucked it. To cure this, according to Leland, an onion is placed between the mothers breasts and the following incantation is repeated: Gypsy Herb Magick 97 Earth-spirit! Earth-spirit! Be thou ill. Let thy milk be fire! Burn in the earth! Flow, flow, my milk! Flow, flow, white milk! Flow, flow, as I desire To my hungry child! Gypsy Witch-Drum Divination ps it ti n psy Witc D tion y W c D o In Hungary, Gypsies are said to be able to divine the death or recovery of any ill person or animal, as well as discov

Described by Leland as a kind of rude tambourine covered with the skin of an animal, and marked with stripes which have a special meaning, a witchdrum is traditionally made from wood that is cut on Whitsunday. The way in which this instrument is used for divination is as follows: First, nine to 21 thorn apple seeds are arranged on top of the drum and then the tambourine is tapped by a small hammer that is held in the diviners left hand. (Some diviners simply use their left hand, instead of a hammer, to do the tapping.) After this is done, the position that the seeds take on the markings is then interpreted. Chapter 9: Magick in Bloom Great minds have puzzled over exactly why Spells and Rituals work as they do, and the only answer which has been reached is that although they undeniably do work with a mysterious efficiency, the reasons for this have yet to be discovered.Frater Malek, The Mysterious

Grimoire of Mighty Spells and Rituals Like the art of magick itself, herbs can be used to heal or to harm. They can inspire dreams or provoke nightmares. They can summon angelic beings or the most demonic of entities. Herbs can also please the palate, soothe the spirit, and fire the imagination. Herbs can be found in bubbling cauldron brews or burning aromatically upon altars at the witching hour.