Mystical, magical: Learn lore of love spells and potions

[icymist]

Whether or not they will admit it, most people would rather not spend Feb. 14 alone on their couch with a stack of Adam Sandler flicks.

But just how far will they go to avoid such a scenario?

From herbal elixirs to love spells, the world is full of folklore, superstitions and spells claiming to ignite the fires of love and turn the popular Valentine's Day phrase "Be Mine" into reality.

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One story begins in the 1800s, when young men would leave small boxes full of candies and fruits on their sweetheart's doorstep on Valentine's eve. Foster said if the men dared, they would leave a pickle in the box alongside the candy. If the woman ate the pickle, she would be unable to resist the young man. Others considered the pickle a joke about a rival or previous love.

In hoodoo, African-American folk magic, it is believed that a person can be made to fall in love with you, Foster said.

However, such spells have been known to backfire, "as in 'be careful what you wish for, or you will get it,'" Foster said. "It was much wiser to just get a mojo to draw the right one for you by keeping the focus on drawing love rather than a particular person."

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