Herbs of passion: explore hot and heavy heart-opening delights.(Cover Story)

Aphrodisiacs derive their name from the Greek Goddess of love, Aphrodite. Her name means "she who was born of the foam." In Botticelli's depiction of her emergence from the sea on a vulva-like shell, she was naked, seductive, coy, and breathtakingly beautiful. Aphrodite possessed a magical belt described in an Orphic ode. "All magic was contained therein: All love, and yearning for love, and talk of love, which have so often robbed reasonable men of their senses". In honor of the goddess, similar implements of magic and magical concoctions said to have the ability to excite ecstasy where before there was none were named "aphrodisiacs."

Throughout history, aphrodisiacs have been used as tools to manifest many gifts They have been used to induce love, gain power, and prestige by enabling men to please multiple women, and to inspire ecstatic realization of God. To fully understand the capabilities of aphrodisiacs, we must explore the idea of sacred sex. Sexual intercourse is a powerful force that ideally engages all the senses as well as the heart and spirit. In the Indian practice of Tantra, sexual energy is cultivated in order to deepen one's connection with the force that birthed the universe, the union of God and Goddess. Indian herbs such as shatavari and ashwaganda that relax the central nervous system and enhance brain function promote a meditative state ideal for connecting with spirit. Shatavari translates as "she who has a thousand husbands" while ashwaganda, "smells like horse," refers to the …