Cardamom: The Herb of Passion

This article was originally written for and published in Witch Way Magazine– another publication for which I write.

Cardamom is a lusty herb with properties we can benefit from in both magical and mundane ways. Whether you’re looking to specie things up in the bedroom, attract love, or improve heart health, cardamom has the mojo you need.

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family, adding a hint of spice to many culinary dishes and is often a staple of Indian cuisine. It has similar health benefits to ginger, including the promotion of gastrointestinal health, lowering cholesterol, and promoting circulation, and is generally safe for consumption (though pregnant women should avoid it). It’s no surprise that the health benefits mirror some of the magical benefits of cardamom, as it is an herb of the heart: used to attract love and promote lust.

Cardamom is ruled by the planet Venus and is considered a feminine herb associated with the element of water. It is also a mild, natural relaxant. Cardamom pods are picked from the flowering rhizome plant, and when buying whole pods, always look for the green ones because they are fresh and flavorful. You can leave the seeds in the pods where they will retain their flavor and potency until you are ready to use them for your purposes.

For magical and love purposes of the practical kind, you can add ground cardamom to wine as an aphrodisiac. It can be ground and used as a incense to attract love, or you can use whole cardamom pods in love sachets or mojo bags to attract a lover. Store your cardamom sachets with your sheets or toss it in with your sheets in the dryer to impart the scent. Add cardamom to hot chocolate or coffee for an extra lustful kick and share with someone special. You can add cardamom to many different foods (pies, brownies, etc) and charge the dish with the magical intention of attracting and promoting love, or for extra invigoration in the bedroom.

The sky is the limit on how creative you get with this herb. Remember that when it comes to spellwork, intention is everything. Whether you decide to add cardamom to an anointed red or pink candle to give your love inspired candle magic extra herbal oomph, or you plan to bake your beloved a delicious apple pie spiced with cardamom, you really can’t go wrong.