Love Spells That Work and When to Cast Them

When it comes to magick, there’s perhaps no spell more popular than the love spell.

Because, whether you want to improve your existing relationship, in need of some self love work, casting a spell to attract a partner, or trying make your ex fall back in love with you, almost everyone wants more love in their life.

But, where do you find a real love spell that works? Ideally, quickly? We consulted with Judy Ann Nock, the bestselling author of many books on witchcraft including The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs and the upcoming The Modern Witchcraft Book of Crystal Magic to get her expert input.

She not only suggested some herbs to use in your love ritual, she also provided us with the instructions for two easy love spells.

What Do You Need to Cast a Love Spell?

Every type of spell is different and calls for different herbs, candle colors, or ingredients. Red, pink, and green are popular colors for love spells as they correspond with Mars and Venus, and the concepts of passion, romance, and abundance.

Some popular herbs for love magick include rosemary, basil, lavender, Adam and Eve root, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, rose, and vanilla.

But, the most important thing you need is your calm, focused energy and your belief that your manifesting will work. Before starting, take a few moments to meditate or quiet your mind. If you can, find a peaceful environment. If not, do your best to find peace within yourself.

When Should You Cast a Love Spell?

If you’re looking to attract a relationship or a lover, it’s best to cast your love spell when the moon is waxing. As the moon moves towards fullness, the power of your spell will increase and it will start to gain momentum.

In terms of which day to cast it on, Tuesdays are best for passion, where Fridays are best for romance. That’s because Tuesdays are associated with Mars and Fridays are associated with Venus.

If you don’t want to wait until the timing conditions are just right, you can use the planetary hours to work with Venus or Mars any day of the week. Look them up, adjust it for your location, and you’ll see what your window is for that day.

Are Love Spells Morally Ok?

All spellwork, love magick included, requires some manipulation of what is on the earthly plane. This includes powerful self love magic — though in that case, the work you’re doing is on your self.

Whether or not that’s morally ok is a personal choice. Some see witchcraft — or low magic — as the practice of bending or shaping things to your will. Some use it as a way to connect deeper with the earth and its creatures.

And, others use it and ceremonial magick (also known as high magic) as a method to help heal what lies within the self. One of those paths might feel more in alignment with where you are now. Or, perhaps your path is a blend of all of those.

It’s also worth considering that even if you do a love spell intended for someone else to fall in love with you, it might bring more change within your life than it does in theirs.

What’s more likely than controlling someone’s free will with a love spell is that it will inspire you to work on yourself. Perhaps you’ll transform into a more confident, secure person and as a result, will be more attractive to them. There’s magic in that. And, also in the gods or the universe putting you two together in the right place at the right time.

In addition, it’s important to note that while your love spell may end up working quickly, it might not result in quite what you expected. If it’s successful, it might move certain unexpected things out of your life in order to make room to bring in what it is you desire.

Real Love Spells That Work from Judy Ann Nock

1. Love Spell to Attract a Lover

Ingredients:

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Fresh mint
• Ginkgo leaf (or paper)
• Red thread

“If I were going to attract a lover, I would start with two cinnamon sticks and fresh mint. I would write my name and the name of my target in runes on a ginkgo leaf. Or, paper if you don’t live surrounded by ginkgo trees like I do. Then, just wrap it around those spicy sticks! I would tuck in some fresh mint because it is both stimulating and promotes happiness, then tie it with a red thread.

So I have the charm, the heat from the cinnamon, the happiness from the mint and the big energy from the ginkgo. And, now what? Well, it depends on what kind of relationship I want.

If I wanted to sleep with someone, I would sleep with the charm. If I wanted a dinner date, I would probably simmer it. And if I just wanted companionship and shared experiences, I would give the charm to the person. Anyone who would think that is weird is not someone I need to be wasting my love on.

And the charm is super easy to unbind for when it’s time to move on. Throw in some coltsfoot and get the hell out of there.”

A red mojo bag is great if you’re planning to keep the charm underneath your pillow. You can use a witch bottle if you’re going to keep it on a shelf or gift it to your intended. You just don’t want sleep on something made from glass.

2. Love Spell to Attract a Soul Mate or Long Term Relationship

Ingredients:

• Your favorite flowers
• An herb your ideal partner loves
• Basil
• Pine
• Burdock seed

“I honestly don’t think I would personally do a spell to attract a soul mate but if I did, I would first get that person’s consent. Manipulative magick that attracts and binds a soul would never work if it wasn’t mutual. So this is a more theoretical answer.

I would take my favorite flowers, something beautiful and delicate like columbines and I would combine them in a bouquet with the chosen herb of my lover and add a culinary herb like basil and pine. I would start fresh and tend it with care.

I would connect the flowers, herbs, and evergreens with burdock seed because if you’ve ever experienced burdock, you know that there is no way those two bundles are ever coming apart!

This herbal charm would impart beauty, happiness, flavor, lasting love, and a serious bond.

3. Ritual Bath Spell for Self Love

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of sulphur crystals
• ¼ cup of sea salt
• 2 cups of magnesium crystals or Epsom salts
• ¼ cup dried lavender
• ¼ cup dried or fresh rosebuds or petals
• Essential oil
• 32 oz. jar
• rose quartz crystal

“My spells tend to be rather involved. They seem very simple to me when I conjure. I get into a flow, channel the method and then in retrospect, I feel that spirit is asking a lot of me.

Self-love is just so d**n difficult, especially for women because we are constantly bombarded with these ideas that we are not enough. This is not true. Each one of us has the capacity for enduring soulful love.

And self love is not a prerequisite for any other kind of love. There have been times when I did not much love myself at all but my capacity to love others was boundless and I was loved in return. Love is one of those states of being that is so purely transcendent, so instantly recognizable that it is unmistakable.

If you have to ask yourself, “Is this love?” it probably isn’t. Turning your capacity for love inward is amazingly heart opening to the point where it can be overwhelming. So I definitely recommend starting with a ritual bath.

My favorite ritual bath for self love is a nourishing combination of minerals, essential oil, herbs, and crystals. Magickally, witches need to extra special care of ourselves as the wondrous beings that we are and this is how I do it:

How to Make a Make a Ritual Bath

1. Start with a candle.

Doesn’t all witchcraft start with a candle? Green to align with the heart, or pink, or red. Light it and work by candlelight and witch out with love.

2. Combine the three minerals [sulphur, sea salt, and magnesium] in a 32 ounce jar.

Shake it, shaking off all your self doubt, hesitation, and insecurities. Mix the minerals and just shake all of the other stuff off. Let it go.

3. Add a few drops of essential oil.

Lavender is my go-to for ritual bath because it’s a traditional cleansing herb and it is instantly calming. Essential oils are highly volatile and should never be applied directly to the skin, so even with a 2½ cup mineral base, you won’t need more than 5 drops.

4. Give the mix another shake and add some dried lavender flowers or rose petals or rosebuds if that resonates with you. Add a rose quartz crystal and prepare your bath.

As you add the herbs and crystals, you are going to acknowledge and accept your beauty, strength, kindness, and capacity for love. Give yourself all of the compliments you have been longing to hear.

Run the water as hot as you can comfortably tolerate and add your mix to the hot water, letting all the minerals dissolve and the herbs hydrate and reconstitute. Herb baths can get a little messy in the tub and the flowers can get in your hair, so if that is a problem for you, transfer the jar contents to some cheesecloth or a big muslin bag before adding to the bath water. This makes the clean up easier.

Your whole body is going to be intensely loved in this bath, but your skin might be hungry for minerals. If you are really mineral deficient, the minerals might give your skin a tingling sensation. The salt also gives you a little buoyancy in the water which makes the bath super relaxing.

Hold the crystal, close your eyes, inhale, and float, letting your knees fall open. Accept the spiritual nourishment of being immersed in the elements: air through the fragrance, mineral infused water, a beautiful crystal from the earth, and the gentle flicker of your candle.
Stay as long as you need to. It’s your magick to weave as you will!”