Both before and after the act of marriage, love potions are used by many Native American tribes; special plants, herbs and amulets are used in these traditional medicines. It was believed by many that the combination of the spiritual, magical, physical and natural elements would produce success in love and relationships.
Native Indian Use of Plants in Love Potions
Many Native Indian tribes used various plants and herbs in love potions including American Vetch (Vicia americana), Mountain Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica), Moosewood (Viburnum lantanoides) and Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens). Scented Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) was chewed or drunk as a tea in the pursuit of love; Poke (Phytolacca americana) and Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphinicum) were also ingredients of love potions.
The Use of Love Potions by the Iroquois Tribes
The Iroquois Indian tribes used herbs to 'dream results' of love; plants used include Indian tobacco (Lobelia inflata) and blue Lobelia (Lobelia spicata). This 'love potion' was placed under the dreamer's pillow before sleeping to induce the desired result. Lobelia plant species were often used in such love potions. Other love potions included the use of Knotweed (Polygonum arenastrum) and the Pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea).
Native American Marriage Rituals
The tradition of marriage in many Native American tribes symbolizes the union and connection to the spirits, Father Sky and the natural world of Mother Earth. Marriage traditions include blessing the bride and groom with children, long life and good crops. The marriage rites encompass all four key elements of native American ways – body, mind, spirit and nature.
Traditionally, the family of a Hopi Indian bride used to grind many hundreds of pounds of corn in preparation for the bride's wedding; this included all extended family members too. Today, weddings are still a huge family gathering of many family members as preparations are made for the wedding feast.
Native American Ceremonial Wedding Items
Basket weaving tribes such as the Apache, Paiute and Navajo Indian tribes place great emphasis on the creation of a wedding basket; the wedding basket is considered to be a sacred item and designs are traditional, such as circles with stars and points. In particular, the Navajo wedding basket holds much symbolism.
The Navajo Indian Wedding Basket
The Navajo Indian Wedding basket represents the following symbols:
- triangular designs – represent mountains and thunderclouds, with deep valleys in between
- open form of the coiled, flat tray – represents the Earth
- inverted form of the tray – represents the sky dome
- opening in the circle design- represents the East (sunrise, power, beginnings); the power of the East is invited into the bridal couple's life.
The Navajo Indian wedding basket is held by the bridal couple during the wedding ceremony to confirm the bonds of marriage; corn is sprinkled round the basket to bless it. Corn batter is placed in the center and the bridal couple feed each other; this act signifies the rituals of life, strength, healing, spiritual rebirth, fertility and physical nourishment.
The Navajo Union of Earth Woman and Sky Man
The joining of a man and woman in the Navajo Indian marriage ceremony represents the union of the Navajo cosmos, Earth Woman and Sky Man; in sand paintings, Earth woman is shown as blue and from the center of her abdomen radiate the four sacred plants of squash, corn, tobacco and beans.
Sky Man is shown in the color black with the moon, sun and stars radiating from his abdomen; a corn of pollen connects the two mouths, representing inseparability and fertility. Corn is said to be life to the Navajo Indians and the marriage ceremony is the start of the road to life, that of the 'Pollen Path'.
References:
Kavasch, E. Barrie, Baar, Karen 1999 American Indian Healing Arts USA: Bantam Books
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