1. Affirmations. Affirmations help to seal the ethereal field from emitting negative and doubtful energies. By doing affirmations, you are affirming yourself, the way you feel about who you are, and the imperfections you think you possess. An affirmation sends your message to the universe, and the universe listens and responds with positive manifestations.

   When you do an affirmation, you must believe in what you are affirming. Make sure your affirmations are sincere and from the heart, and that you believe in what you are saying without fear. You are worthy to affirm your wishes, because you want to love and trust yourself and accept who you are.

   An affirmation works in the same way as positive visualization. By speaking aloud an affirmation, you trigger your subconscious mind into thinking and feeling positively about yourself. More often than not, people tend to speak and think more negative words and ideas than they do positive ones. Affirming a positive thought enables us to achieve what we want. An affirmation may work straightaway or it may take some time to process through the subconscious mind; it depends on how long you've been thinking negatively about yourself.

   Affirmations should be said first thing in the morning, when your mind is at its freshest and not yet polluted with negative thoughts, and they should also be said at any time you wish during the day. Repeat an affirmation right after you think negatively about yourself. Remember that the more you say your affirmations, the more chances you'll have to start thinking positively about yourself. Think of your mind as a computer; you're installing an "I love myself" program and uninstalling an "I don't like myself" program. Always remember to affirm in the present tense. You want to love yourself now and for always, not just in the future, because you want romantic love and you want it now.

   Affirmation for self-love and acceptance:

   I love me because I am me.
   Inner beauty resides within me.
   I'm the light of love that radiates warmth and self-acceptance.
   And the person I'm most comfortable with is me.

2. The self-love pouch spell: Now that you have your affirmation, you are going to put together a pouch that you can carry with you or hang around your neck. It doesn't matter what material you use for the pouch as long as the color is pink.
   In addition to the pink pouch, you will need:
   • 1 rose quartz
   • 1 small piece of blue paper (write on it "I love [your name]")
   • Wooden shavings from a sharpened pencil (no lead)
   • 1 cooking clove
   • 2-3 drops of rose essential oil
   • 1 small twig full of rosemary leaves
   Once you have gathered all of the above, place each item separately into the pouch. As you put each item in the pouch, visualize self-love and loving yourself for who you are. This may be a good time for you to say your affirmation over and over again. By doing so, you will be sending to the universe your thoughts of love for yourself, and at the same time you will be energizing your pouch. Once you have finished your pouch, wear it or have it with you at all times and at night place it under your pillow.

   Rid of the old self bath spell: A bath is a good way to utilize the water element to its fullest potential. Water is our emotions, the emotions that run through our veins and through our everyday thoughts. These are the emotions we carry deep within us, emotions we keep hidden from the rest of the world. To obtain self-love, you are going to wash out those old thought patterns because there isn't any room for them when you want romantic love.
   You will need:

   • 1 black candle
   • 1 white candle
   • 1 teaspoon of wheat germ oil
   • 1/2 cup of rock salt
     
     

   Rub the olive oil on the black candle and visualize all that you wish to let go about yourself that you don't like. Then rub the rose oil on the white candle while visualizing the love you want for yourself.

   Now light both candles and place them inside the bathroom. Draw a warm bath, and add the rock salt with the wheat germ oil to the bathwater. Once you are in the bath, submerge yourself and think of all you wish to let go about yourself. Wet your hair, relax under the water and let your fears penetrate the water. (But make sure the salty water doesn't get into your eyes or mouth.)

   Once you've finished, don't rinse. Pat yourself dry instead. Look at the water, and in the water see all that you have just let go of and never wish back. Pull the plug and wave goodbye to your old ways and smile because you are now a different person, a person who loves who they are. Don't wash your hair or your body for a full twenty-four hours, as you want to stop that which you have just let go of from ever coming back.

Excerpted from White Spells for Love, by Ileana Abrev