If you love someone who is not into you as much as you are into him, it can be a downer. It would be wise to just let it go, but that is easier said than done. When love becomes one-sided, there’s only so much you can do. However, there may still be hope if you are desperately in love. Try some of the love potions formulated in Ancient Greece. As long as it does not hurt anyone, it may be worth a shot.
Purpose
The word potion came from the Greek word “poton,” which means “that which one drinks,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. Love potions are said to have medicinal, poisonous or magical powers. The purpose of a love potion is to make the person who receives it fall in love with the giver.
Identification
Love potions often come in liquid form. In some cases, they may also come in a dried, powdery form, which you would mix with a liquid so that it is less noticeable by the unsuspecting recipient. Love potions are easier to ingest in liquid form.
Sources
According to Christopher Faraone, author of “Ancient Greek Love Magic,” love potions may come from special foods, such as bulbs and shellfish. Some early love potions, dating back to Babylonian times, came from honey. Babylonian brides and grooms drank mead, which is honey wine, for a month after the wedding. This ancient practice gave birth to the word “honeymoon,” from the words “honey month,” since the Babylonian calendar was lunar. Hippocrates, a Greek physician, enhanced the honey’s usage by introducing it as a sexual tonic by adding the herbs fennel and licorice to produce a nectar-like taste.
Satyrion (Satirio), a Greek pleasure plant, was an orchid that, when dried and turned into powder, produced potent nectar. Ancient Greeks believed that by adding the powder to wine, it could make the one who drinks it passionately and wildly in love. Satyrion became extinct due to its popularity. Instead of sowing seeds to propagate, people consumed them until there was nothing left.
Other sources of love potions used in Ancient Greece included, but were not limited to edible bulbs, leeks, garlic, onions, lentils, prunes, myrtle extracts, carrots and mushrooms.
Theories/Speculation
Whether love potions are effective or not, many who believe in them theorize that love potions will not work without reciting the proper incantations. Reciting incantations repeatedly and directly at the potion will give it the power to make the person drinking it to fall madly in love with the giver. Believers also speculate that you must trust in the power of the potion or else it will not be effective.
Warning
Love potions used by Ancient Greeks may just be no more than a myth, which means they are not as effective as people may claim them to be. Therefore, it is important to prepare yourself for a negative outcome. Feelings of frustration and disappointment will arise, adding to your stress and detriment. Keep an open mind, and consider love potions as a last alternative. Don’t get your hopes up too high. If using love potions doesn’t work, remember that it is not the end of the world.
Photo Credit
- old red bottle image by Ekaterina Fribus from Fotolia.com
