Stephanie Tourles - Making Love Potions: 64 All-Natural Recipes for Irresistible Herbal Aphrodisiacs

Kisses from heaven

The room under the stairs

The deep silence of the cabin

Lightning bouncing across the bay

Waves lapping on the shore

Foghorns

Birch polypore incense

Tree pee

Silky, warm coconut oil

Full moon on the misty meadow

Dang blueberries

Chasing Pissah

That rogue mosquito!

Three-day musk

Bellies full of laughter

Damiana wine

Homemade clam dip & thick rippled chips

Moon-bathing on the deck as fingers of sea smoke rose from the ocean below

A most delectable memory...

No author writes a book alone it takes a village, so to speak and I would like to acknowledge and thank those who have contributed their unique fibers into the weaving of this beautiful tapestry that delves into the sensual side of herbs. First, I am especially beholden to all the men and women friends, family, clients, fellow herbalists, acquaintances, and even total strangers who, over the years, have shared their secrets for enkindling, exploring, and experiencing pleasurable moments with their beloved partners through the enjoyment of the senses interlaced with libido-enhancing and nourishing herbs, intoxicatingly aromatic essential oils, fragrant spices, and luscious, herb-infused foods and beverages.

Deep appreciation flows readily to Lisa Hiley and Nancy Ringer, editors extraordinaire, vocabulary masters, and tightening professionals with regard to reining in my profuse run-on verbiage. Somehow, in spite of having to cut thousands of my words, you two still managed to keep my voice and message intact! Thanks, indeed! I also wish to thank Deborah Balmuth, Storeys publisher, for offering encouragement and direction in my writing pursuits over the past two decades and giving me the opportunity to share the sensual realm of the herb world with my dear readers. Additionally, much gratitude goes out to the entire Storey Publishing staff an amazing group of talented people whose support and energy have fueled the growth and strength of my career. I would not be where I am without you!

Love (English), amore (Italian), liefde (Dutch), rakkaus (Finnish), amour (French), gra (Irish), dragoste (Romanian), cariad (Welsh), Liebe (German) however you say it, love is a universal language expressed in myriad ways, through the spoken and written word, through song, by gifts of jewelry or flowers, with a smile and a wink, by dancing slowly cheek to cheek, by holding hands, by kissing, by passionate lovemaking, and sometimes simply by just being there to comfort, console, listen to, and cry with your beloved. Its a language understood by everyone. Love feels good. It is a balm for the soul. Love works magic on the human heart, quenching deep emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

It is my own belief that a fulfilling, loving, joyful, intimate relationship between two people (whether or not it involves sexual relations) is one of the most potent and powerful healing forces in the universe. Research has, in fact, proven that positive emotions, especially the giving and receiving of love, strengthen and invigorate our immune system. On the other hand, feeling unloved or unhappy lowers our resistance to all manner of physical ailments. And people can actually die of a broken heart such is the power of love.

But we dont always give love the care and attention it deserves. When unrelenting day-to-day stress piles up, its easy to take our relationships for granted, to neglect those we love and put their needs on the back burner. When life gets busy and demanding, we lose sight of the importance of love and with it all the biochemical, social-emotional, and soul-nurturing benefits it bestows upon us. So dont ignore it. Make time to pause, play, discover, rediscover, encourage, and enrich the enchantment that is love. This book can help.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;

love does not brag and is not arrogant,

does not act unbecomingly;

it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:48

From our most ancient beginnings to modern times, humans have spent a great deal of effort searching for the perfect aphrodisiac. Different cultures around the world have their own particular favored remedies, potions, and charms that are said to inspire the mood for love, invigorate sexual performance, or enhance physical sensitivity. If you look hard enough, you can probably find some folk belief proclaiming the stimulating, enticing, alluring, or seductive properties of just about any substance you can think of.

But do any of these aphrodisiacs really work? Skeptics abound, but we cant underestimate the power of those substances that relax our bodies, open our minds, excite our senses, stimulate our nerves, and thereby inspire feelings of amore. In fact, the arena of love offers a supremely fertile realm for the ambrosial power of herbs, fragrances, and succulent foods. Though they may never be officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration, they have time-honored, proven-in-the-real-world abilities to arouse, enhance, and energize romance and passion.

Perhaps the best aphrodisiac of all is vibrant health, physical and mental. If youre stressed out, your mind is buzzy and your body is wired. If youre tired or feeling low, your body just wants to hunker down and hibernate. Either way, your love life loses: that electric feeling of arousal wanes, and your anticipation of and pleasure in sexual activity diminishes. Heres where herbs can really shine. Some support and enhance overall good health and well-being, while others more directly target the sexual impulse.

In fact, many familiar culinary herbs such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne boost circulation, and with better blood flow to all the important regions... well, lets just say that these herbs spice things up in more ways than one.

Aphrodisiacs, as a category, can be different things for different people. They can stir the senses on many levels, not merely the physical, but also through scent, touch, taste... In short, anything that inspires or deepens the feelings of sexuality, sensuality, intimacy, joy, and contentment between you and your partner can be considered an aphrodisiac.