Brewing Love: A Herbal Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
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Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all roses shipped halfway across the world and sugar overload. If you’re someone who loves plants, slow rituals, and meaningful gestures, celebrating with herbs can be deeply romantic—rooted in care, presence, and a little magic.
Herbs have long been associated with love, attraction, sensuality, and heart-healing. This Valentine’s Day, invite them into your celebration and let your affection bloom naturally.
Love Starts with the Heart (Literally)
Many traditional love herbs support the physical and emotional heart. Sharing these herbs—whether in tea, food, or ritual-is a quiet way of saying I want you well, whole, and nourished.
Some classic heart-centered herbs include:
Rose – the ultimate love plant; softens emotions, opens the heart, and invites tenderness
Hawthorn – a deep heart ally, associated with long-term love, trust, and protection
Linden – calming, affectionate, and perfect for easing emotional tension
A simple Valentine’s ritual can be as easy as brewing a pot of rose-and-hawthorn tea, sitting together, and drinking it mindfully-no phones, no rushing. Get your herbs here!
Lover's tea
1 tablespoon of dried rose petals
1 spoon of oats
1 spoon of damiana
2 spoons of hawthorn flowers
This mixture will heal even a broken heart, because hawthorn is an ideal herb for heart diseases. Collect flowers in spring, and red berries in autumn, which go wonderfully well in liqueurs.
Herbal Aphrodisiacs
When I first bought the book Aphrodisiacs by the author Kimberly Gallagher, I was met with embarrassed looks. As if talking about sexuality was something embarrassing. I understand that millennia of moralizing by the Christian church have not been very kind to love and sexuality, and the years of social distancing during Covid have wreaked havoc on human relationships. However, it is more important to talk about love, touch and passion than ever before. Herbal aphrodisiacs don’t work like a switch—they work by increasing circulation, easing anxiety, and helping us feel more embodied and present.
Some gentle, sensual herbs to explore:
Damiana – uplifting, lightly stimulating, and traditionally associated with desire
Cacao – heart-opening, mood-enhancing, and perfect for shared indulgence
Cardamom & Cinnamon – warming spices that encourage circulation and intimacy
Damiana Liqueur
Although this liqueur takes a while to make, the result is amazing. Let 2 tbs of damiana infuse for one week in 2 cups of vodka or other, at least 40 percent, alcohol. Strain, and leave the leaves to infuse for three days in one and a half cups of water. Strain again. Heat the water in which the leaves were infused with honey, remove from the heat and add the alcohol extract from damiana. Put in a bottle and let it mature (this is the hardest part). When serving, add chocolate syrup (purchased or homemade, made from one cup of water, one cup of unsweetened cocoa and one cup of sugar). We can also add rose water, a drop of almond extract or vanilla extract.
Aphrodite's oat cakes
Very tasty and healthy oatmeal cookies, gluten-free and lactose-free.
Mix the dry ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sesame or sunflower seeds
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips
three quarters of a teaspoon of cardamom
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
half a teaspoon of salt
Add 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup tahini (sesame butter used for things like hummus), 1/4 cup chia seeds mixed in 1/2 cup water, one banana, and 1/2 cup coconut fat (what you find on top of a can of coconut milk).
Press the mixture into a square mold and bake at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Chocolate truffles
240 ml of melted chocolate
three-quarters of a cup of full-fat coconut milk
a teaspoon of cinnamon
cocoa and ground dried rose petals
A few notes about chocolate: I always use organic chocolate in my recipes. Why? Because chocolate is a very dirty business that uses the labor of children who have often never tasted chocolate in their lives.
Mix the coconut milk and cinnamon into the melted chocolate and chill in the refrigerator and then form truffles. Coat them in cocoa and rose powder.
Make Something by Hand
There is something undeniably romantic about creating a gift from scratch. Herbal creations carry time, care, and intention—things no store-bought gift can replicate.
Some simple herbal Valentine’s gifts:
Incense
You don't need to buy scent cones. Their production is very simple and fast. All we need is finely ground herbal powder (I use an ordinary blender). An excellent combination is tulsi and rose petals. Mix a spoonful of each herb and add 1 teaspoon of mallow (as a binder). Add water drop by drop and form cones, then leave to dry.
CBD infused Love Butter
This recipe was originally published by the founder of the Cannabis Institute and Wake + Bake who I deeply admire, Corinne Tobias. I tweaked the recipe a bit because I prefer coconut oil to cacao butter but the lube is still amazing. Check out the video here.
Disclaimer: It is illegal to grow and sell cannabis with more than 0.3 percent of THC (the psychoactive compound) in France. Thus, this CBD rich salve does not contain THC. Check the legislation in your country. Store the lube in the fridge. Not intended for use with condoms as the oil can degrade the latex and cause condoms to break.
A Simple Herbal Love Ritual
If ritual speaks to you, keep it simple and grounded.
Light a candle (pink, red, or white)
Hold a favorite love herb (rose petals work beautifully)
Take a few slow breaths and name what kind of love you are celebrating—romantic, self-love, friendship, or devotion
Place the herb near the candle or brew it into tea and drink it mindfully
Love doesn’t need to be dramatic. It needs to be present.
Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just for Couples
Herbal Valentine’s celebrations are perfect for:
Self-love rituals
Friendship appreciation
Family warmth
Honoring the love you’re growing toward
Herbs remind us that love is cyclical, seasonal, and cultivated—just like a garden.
This Valentine’s Day, skip the pressure and lean into something older and softer. Brew the tea. Light the candle. Touch the plants. Let love grow slowly and deeply.