Aphrodisiacs are named after, Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, fruitfulness, and beauty. An aphrodisiac is a substance that puts one in the mood for love and can include food, herbs, good conversation, moonlight and lingerie! Aphrodisiacs may have a direct effect on the erogenous zones. Some may stimulate, irritate or act as a diuretic, causing one to experience more sensation.
Aphrodisiacs may affect the mind, cause relaxation and prolong lovemaking. Their shape, texture or smell may be reminiscent of sex. There is an ancient worldwide belief called The Doctrine of Signatures that believes plants give us hints as to what they are good for, by the way they look, smell, taste, and grow. They may be highly nutritious and by improving health, bring about healthier libido. Both sex and food are closely related by being pleasurable and physical.
Aphrodisiacs can be enjoyed anywhere from half an hour to an hour before making love. Best is when they are incorporated into one’s daily life for their health tonifying properties. As good health is essential to sexual vitality, good nutrition is imperative. When we are in poor health, sexual vitality decreases.
Many of the foods mentioned here contain the seeds of life: the design and pattern for creating new life, with the potential to grow into a replica of themselves. For example a pumpkin seed planted, could spread into an awesome vine, bearing several pumpkins, resplendent with nourishing seeds, benefiting the reproductive system. A raw pumpkin seed contains this spark of life, yet a roasted salted one would not grow.
Grains for libido include rice, (no wonder it is thrown at weddings), wild rice, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet and oats.
In Asian medicine, it is the Water Element or Kidney that governs sexual vitality. According to this tradition, black (and blue) colored and salty foods such as chia seeds, miso, black olives, sea vegetables, black sesame seeds and blueberries.
Vegetables play a part in the food pharmacopoeia of sexuality. Some have suggestive shapes like asparagus (a genito-urinary stimulant), which was cultivated by the Arabs and Greeks as an aphrodisiac. English herbalist, Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1654) said that asparagus “stirreth up bodily lust in man and woman.”
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