As the hush of winter drapes over the skies like a shimmering velvet cloak, we prepare not only for the stillness but also for the awakening of the Lunar New Year. Though we enter the darker months with a need for a hibernation of sorts, there is undeniable electricity behind the veil, which we can choose to ignore, but really … why ever would we? We have several opportunities during the calendar year to embrace the cosmic divine reset—and this is one of them. After we settle in from the dizzying blur of winter holidays (muggle and otherwise) amid the fabulously sparkly Sagittarius spell, the ambitious Capricorn vibes appear and are simply too powerful to ignore as we prepare for the lunar year shift. It’s been intense, these last few rounds, for sure. Looking back at the sheer potency of the Year of the Snake, with all its turn-you-inside-out-and-round-again metamorphosis energy, so many of us have taken major karmic leaps. These transformational times are down deep, embedded in our deepest core selves: They’re scary and overwhelming, though ultimately beautiful. So much so that often we just duck as they ride roughshod over us. It’s kind of like winter, really.
You can choose to sit this one out, or you can take the calculated risk—the challenge that you know, in your very bones, you must rise to.
One thing for sure, it takes a staggering amount of inner fire to shed our old heavy skin and make that massive shift. But once we do, we find that what’s on the other side is actually our truth, our growth … and our new skin is absolutely gorgeous.
And once that breathtaking new beauty emerges, how do we steer it? Ah, well, the Year of the Horse shows us how it’s done. We enter the next new lunar year ready to gallop into our creative pursuits with raw power, strong ambition, bravery, grace, and, yes, beauty! All the energy you need will be accessible to go where you want, with freedom, independence, and a generous dash of the charm you will need to help you along.
Mes chérs, how do you celebrate this cosmic gift? By being ready. By letting go of the past versions of you (and all that goes with them) that simply have no place, no business whatsoever, in your new life. Do the work, and the horizon is endless.
Of course, I want to help you get there, and when you do, I want to see you so beyond empowered and gorgeous that it would be impossible to ignore! My offerings to you in this season of both rest and reinvention arrive by way of our beloved ancient goddess Chang’e, bathed in the glow of her moonlight, charged with her eternal beauty, and powered by her courage to make a massive cosmic leap, potions in tow. Though she’s celebrated in fall festivals, her magic stays with us all through the dark nights of winter, so be sure to hold her close in your vision and in the glow that courses through you during each lunar phase. Trust me, your energy will sustain, and your incandescent radiance will not go unnoticed.
The star couple in these offerings are time honored Eastern beauty foods that heal, replenish, and strengthen, feeding your beauty inside and out. Wolfberry or goji berry has long been revered in traditional Chinese medicine as a balancing, healing fruit which strengthens kidneys, assists joints and bones, and improves eye health—all with voluptuous amounts of vitamin C and an ancient reputation for age-delay beauty magic. I also love the association with January’s Wolf Moon this time of year. Chinese Red Plum joins the soirée with rich antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support skin and overall well-being. They’re ruled by Venus and carry the magic of beauty, love, sexual magnetism, and protection.
You can find them in their dried form—which is perfect for these recipes—online and in specialty shops, and they keep well as long as their packages are sealed tightly.
Let the celebrations begin by conjuring this absolutely delicious, aromatic brew for the first time during a restful waning moon, and then invite it into your daily repertoire for its honeyed, rich flavor and balancing vibe—you can literally feel the magic in you!
BOISSON DE LUNE
Beauty Brew
Conjures 4 servings
4 cups water
6 to 8 Chinese red plums, pitted (preferably dried)
1 to 2 inches ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon wolfberries (preferably dried)
Begin by heating the water to a simmer—do not boil it. Place the red plums and wolfberries into the hot water and turn off the heat. Allow them to soak 10 to 15 minutes, covered. Add the ginger and bring the brew to another simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. When the fruit and ginger are very soft, remove from heat, and pour into a glass jar through fine-mesh tea strainer (or cheesecloth). Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon or pestle so all the extract gets into the liquid. Reserve the pulp for another use.
Now you’re ready to drink the most gorgeous elixir! The flavor is strangely decadent, subtly sweet, and beyond fortifying. Warmed during the chilly days, it is equally excellent enjoyed cold during summer months. I love to drink this as part of my daily beauty brews all year round—the benefits are amazing for your skin, cognitive function, beauty sleep, digestion, metabolism, and immune boosting! Ginger ups the potency here as a revered power root, known for its fire magic, protection, and ability to bring good health. A warming spice, it increases circulation, relieves nausea, and lessens pain.
NECTAR DE LUNE
Body and Bath Potion
Conjures approximately 7 ounces 6 ounces avocado oil
4 Chinese red plums 1 teaspoon wolfberries
3 thin slices ginger
6 drops myrrh essential oil
This one was made for full moons! Of course, you can use it any time at all, but, oh, the luxury of bathing in precious drops of this under a white-hot moon, then massaging your body with it! Simply spellbinding.
In a gorgeous vessel complete with stopper, place the fruit and ginger, then pour the avocado oil over them. Drop in the myrrh and give it a good, gentle, clockwise swirl. Let it all rest, with your glorious intentions, beneath the light of the nearly full moon. I like to allow it three evenings of absorption. Now you are ready for its magic.
Classical myrrh finishes our collection on a splendid note: The female consort of frankincense has a similar high spiritual vibration to its solar partner, also bringing potent age-delay properties alongside healing and protective energy.
PEAU CLAIRE DE LUNE
Facial Exfoliant and Masque
Here we go with that sensuous pulp! I particularly love this potion during a new moon, though you can use it any time—just keep that energy of renewal with you as you conjure it.
Conjures 1 to 2 treatments
1 tablespoon Boisson de Lune pulp
1 teaspoon brown rice flour
½ teaspoon avocado oil
¼ teaspoon sandalwood powder
In a precious little bowl, combine all the ingredients, whisking in a clockwise direction. Make sure to mash down the pulp until the mixture becomes creamy. Apply to a clean face, massaging in circular motions to activate the exfoliation of the rice flour—don’t forget your neck and décolleté! Next, apply a second layer, and allow it to sit and work its sorcery while you relax for 10 to 20 minutes. To remove, wipe away with a warm, wet facecloth, then rinse well with water. Pat dry, and apply your favorite serum or moisturizer, though you won’t need much—this decadent masque leaves your skin soft, smooth, glowing, and plumped!
Our cohorts in this particular concoction are powerful beauty allies: Sandalwood has been long prized in Eastern traditions for its ability to fight visible signs of aging while keeping skin clear and smooth and lightening hyperpigmentation. White sandalwood is lunar ruled, with strong properties of healing and protection. Sandalwood powder can be purchased in Eastern groceries and online, but it is sacred and endangered, so please check your sourcing—the most sustainable right now comes from Australia, New Caledonia, and Hawaii. Brown rice flour has an amazing polishing effect that sloughs a bit deeper than the softer flours, but still remains gentle and nutritive for sensitive skin. It can also help lighten hyperpigmentation over time. Brown rice carries the energy of both the sun and air, aiding abundance, creativity, and sex, all with a protective shield. And one of my all-time faves, avocado oil, has long been associated with beauty and love magic. Ripe with good fats, this Venusian gem is an excellent moisturizer high in vitamin E, fighting the signs of aging and feeding your skin while soothing inflammation and breakouts.
Beauty Witch Secret: You can add brown rice flour to any homemade masque for an effective but still gentle exfoliating treatment that gives you a bit more of a polishing when needed. The addition of oils and fruits will soothe and nourish the skin.
