Dearest keeper of magic,
If you haven't found a lover (or sweetheart) by Whitsun, Finnish folk wisdom says you won't find one all summer. (Jos ei heilaa helluntaina, ei heilaa koko kesänä.)
Another source says that a maiden needs to sleep next to a boy on the night before Ascension Day (Helatorstai). If not, they would not find a suitor for the rest of the year either. For that belief, I am afraid, this love spell comes a little too late.
That is, if you want to find one to begin with :)
As for any spell, the goal of love spells is to transform a situation into something different. There are different kinds of spells in the category of love spells, including the ones that lure in suitors for girls, make them more desirable, the ones that strengthen a man's performance in the act of love, and those that aim to extinguish unwanted love.
There are several good timings in the year for love spells. In the autumn around Kekri (Samhain), Yule, around the new years, Helluntai. Midsummer is a popular time, because there are a lot of magical herbs available. On the other hand, before any celebrations or before a promising man would visit the town would be good times for a sauna ritual dedicated to love spells.
In love spells the magic of the words is often combined with sauna rituals. For example, the spell being chanted at the same time as the object of the spell is being treated with a birch whisk.
At Helluntai (Whitsun) a whisk could be made from fresh birch branches. After the sauna, the whisk could be thrown onto the roof of the sauna building. The direction where the handle points is the direction where the future fiance will come from. The closer the whisk lands to the edge of the roof, the sooner the man will arrive.
And before the spell, I just want to say: when we do such spells, we don’t be modest in what we ask. We ask for the best, of course ;) Love and lust that burns like fire, and some sweetness too. From a rich man.
Love spell for finding a man
This spells is from a collection called Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja by Elias Lönnrot (English translation below).
Pala tuli, pala taula,
Pala rätsinä räpäle,
Pala vatsa valkeaisen,
Pala mieli nuorten miesten,
Syän tulehen syttyköhön,
Vatsa ilmi valkeahan,
Ett' ei saisi öissä unta,
Päivissä päten lepoa!
Kuin varahin kukko lauloi,
Niin varahin neien lempi
Urosta valitsemahan,
Pohattoa pyytämähän,
Rikasta rakastamahan,
Rahallista saattamahan,
Yhtehen yhistymähän,
Kielet keikkaloitamahan,
Yhytysten öissä olla,
Päiten päivissä elellä,
Sokuriksi suusta tulla,
Mielestä me'en ma'uksi!
*
Burn fire, burn tinder,
burn the shredded chemise
Burn the belly of the fair one,
Burn the minds of young men,
Let the heart catch fire,
Let the belly burn and flame,
So they find no sleep at night,
And no rest by day!
As early as the rooster crowed,
So early shall a maiden's longing
Rise to choose her man,
To seek out the wealthy,
To love the rich,
To draw the prosperous near,
To be joined as one,
To let tongues tangle,
To twine together through the nights
To live and linger through the days
As sweet as sugar on the tongue,
Mind made sweet as mead
What if there is no sauna available?
If you want to play with love spells and rituals related, you don’t necessarily need a sauna for that. You can make whisk of birch branches and use it to strengthen your spell. Instead of using it to whip the object of the love spell, use it as a kind of a rattle, creating a lovely sound and touching the person gently with the whisk at the same time. If you want the scent of the sauna, boil some water and add some birch leaves in it to brew (or you can even drink some birch leaf tea).
I hope you enjoyed this letter. I sure love love spells, they get so unhinged at times. So much so, that some of the spell collectors of the 1800s censored certain words while collecting them, because they were too scandalous. I have been promising to make a love spell course, and I must apologize that it will not be happening this summer, at least. But I will make one in the future, for sure.
The year of the bear
Meanwhile, I am hosting an online circle about the bear and the bear year on Saturday, May 30th. Join me and the others in exploring the mythology and the energy of the bear.
Read more here.
With warmth
Ninni, Witches’ North
Sources:
Lönnrot, Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja. (Spell translation by me & AI.)
Ilomäki, Loitsun mahti.
SKS, Vanhat merkkipäivät.
Sandholm, Lemmenloitsut – kuka puhuu?.
Taivaannaula.