A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014

The Role of The Complex in Sexual Potency
Workings and Rituals

One of the main uses for Druidic complexes is in the area of personal sexual potency. In this context, an individual’s sexual potency may be looked at as two separate but interconnected capacities. The first element is one’s sexual potency in regard to one’s personal sexual energy and capacity—one’s sexual performance, if you prefer. The second is one’s ability to produce generated energy through one’s orgasm, the type of energy that is channeled in the practice of sex magic rituals.

It is, of course, impossible to address one of these areas without having some effect on the other, but as we shall be looking at the use of Druidic complexes in the facilitation and empowerment of sex magic rituals later, I shall focus here on their use in enhancing the sexual energy and capacity of the individual in his or her everyday relationships.

One’s level of sexual energy and capacity or appetite for sexual activity profoundly affect every individual, both male and female. They influence every aspect of people’s lives and will be one of the determining factors in any relationship they may form. Whether practiced within a permanent loving relationship or as a casual, recreational pursuit, sexual energy and appetite will eventually be the defining elements in the success or failure of the association. Few couples find it possible to remove this aspect from their relationship, and few manage to overcome any great discrepancy in appetite for sexual activity.

This is where Druidic complexes may play a part in redressing the balance of the relationship, by harmonizing the sexual appetites and energies of the partners.

Within the Druidic tradition, ideal sexual relationships—as with all other relationships—are seen to be in a state of natural balance, reflecting the male/female balance of the cosmos as maintained by the collective energy. In any state of balance, its equilibrium depends on its component parts. In the case of a sexual partnership, these component parts are the two individuals involved. It becomes clear, therefore, that the lack of balance may be due to either or to both of the individuals concerned.

It is important in all these cases to explore the unbalance by involving both partners, and in my experience there is no reason to believe that it is predominantly a male or a female problem. It is also fair to say that the use of Druidic complexes is equally effective for both sexes. There are also occasions when it is necessary to treat both individuals simultaneously, but not, perhaps, with the same complex.

This male/female balance suggests that the entire philosophy holds true only within a heterosexual relationship. This is not the case at all. By far the majority of homosexual relationships place the partners in clear “male” and “female” roles, and no matter how loosely these metaphorical roles may be, each partner brings with him or her the energies and attributes of the role he or she fulfills. This same male/female balance is evident inside every one of us; homosexuality is seen within the Druidic tradition as just another way of achieving and maintaining this natural balance.

Complexes crafted from the cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis), the honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymemum), the yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), the marigold (Calendula officinalis), the greater periwinkle (Vinca major), the sweet violet (Viola odorata), and the bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)—used in the example in the last section—all have energies and attributes that affect sexual potency and appetite.

The herbs cotton thistle (Onopordon acanthium), starwort (Stellaria media), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), common feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), bridewort (Filipendula ulmaria), round-leafed mint (Mentha sauveolens), and sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) also contain potent sexually related energies and attributes.

The most potent trees for this use are the crab apple (Malus sylvestris), silver birch (Betula pendula), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), common heather (Calluna vulgaris), ivy (Hedera helix), mistletoe (Viscum album), oak (Quercus robur), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia).

Complexes refined from any of the above will have the capacity to influence sexual potency and appetite; however, each addresses the problem in a slightly different way and brings a wide range of subtleties to the therapy. It is for each practitioner to determine which is the most appropriate complex to use in individual cases.

For guidance, study the tables of physical and magical attributes for flowers/herbs and trees. As a starting point, the flower bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), the herb coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), and the tree oak (Quercus robur) are considered the most potent and are often the first to be employed.

The complex is used in fundamentally the same way for both males and females. Having decided which complex to employ, the method of application will be determined by circumstances under which the complex is used.

The first decision the practitioner must make once the appropriate complex has been chosen is whether there is a need for the complex to be used in a ritual involving the individual or whether it may be used by the individual and his or her partner within the privacy of his or her own home.

This again is a matter for the practitioner’s judgment. If the case is extreme, it is often best to employ the power of a ritual Gathering to reinforce the work of the complex even further. If the case is one that needs long-term treatment, it is best for this to be done at home. This decision will also be influenced by the practitioner’s knowledge of the individual’s personality. There is little to be gained by bringing a shy, introverted person into a ritual environment and focusing the attention of the entire Gathering on him. It is much better to adopt a slow, progressive response to his problem. There are exceptions to this rule of course, and where it becomes necessary to invoke powerful energies to address the problem, this is best done within a ritual Gathering, and it may be necessary to expose the individual to this group work despite his shyness.

If the complex is to be employed during a ritual, it must be crafted during the ritual in which it is to be used and then may be employed in any, or all, of the following ways:

· Include the complex in a libation, given to the individual and shared by the rest of the Gathering.

· Include the complex in an unguent and, with the individual lying on the convocation stone, massage the unguent into the solar plexus, inner thighs, soles of the feet, and inner arms. In the case of a male, the unguent should also be massaged into the scrotum, anus, and penis. For a female, the unguent is massaged into the anus and vagina, particularly the area around the clitoris. As we will see later, if this activity is to be a part of a wider sex magic ritual, the unguent may also be used as a lubricant during masturbation or penetration.

· Include the complex in an evaporation, which is then poured into the center of the priest or priestess’s hand and gently applied to the same areas as described for the unguent. This may be particularly effective for arousal and just prior to masturbation or penetration.

If the complex is to be used during a longer course of treatment at home, it must be crafted by the priest or priestess during a ritual working and given to the individual with precise instructions to use it in any, or all, of the following ways:

· As a concentrated libation—1 part complex to 4 parts wine, beer, cider, or springwater. This to be taken four times a day.

· As an unguent, to be used in the same way as above, only this time applied by the individual’s partner, at least once a day or prior to sexual activity.

· As an evaporation, again applied as explained above, only by the individual’s partner, at least once a day or prior to sexual activity.

All of these treatments may continue for up to two weeks, or less if the benefits become apparent sooner. Very often these home programs are part of a wider course of treatment that may include sexual stimulation exercises, relationship development, and some level of awareness raising.