Languid Beauty

When the solar rays embrace us in their abundant war mth, a spell has been cast on our bare flesh, so alive with sensations and endlessly caressed by nature. Naked limbs, deliriously lazy with delight, receive every sultry breeze with pure pleasure. It is a time of basking in the vibrancy—the pure, unleashed freedom—of summer, in all her voluptuous beauty. Our vernal seeds have been sewn, spells cast, and actions taken. And now we heave a luxuriant sigh in this leisurely pace of reveling in our good fortune. The ripened fruits and coy flowers will take their leave before long, seducing us with their immense opulence before they depart. Can we possibly take it all in? Bask in it, bottle it, and be thankful, mes amis, because this season of seduction is as lush as she is fleeting. We must store all this life force within us, this potent virility, to carry in our hearts when the wheel of the year once again turns.

In a joyous fête of midsummer allure, the triple goddess of beauty arrives to sprinkle golden stardust on your heavenly body, taking the form of exotic flowers for your sybaritic pleasure—think oceanside bathing, glistening skin and hair, sipping a high-vibration libation! All three are feminine energies ruled by water, to heighten your feminine powers of intuition, creativity, and sensuality. Orchid graces us with her Venusian delights and potent love magic, while feeding our skin and hair with vital minerals and compounds that hydrate, reduce fine lines, and boost the skin’s immunity to signs of premature aging. She also adds significant moisture to heat-stressed hair and protects it from UV/UVB damage. Camellia casts her lunar gaze with money magic and a particular knack for restoring damaged skin and hair (including wrinkles, breakage, and chemical damage). She is noted for promoting new collagen production and forming a protective barrier against environmental damage. Wild pansy is another major love flower, who joins us for her powers of quelling eruptions on the skin, such as seasonal breakouts, acne, psoriasis, and eczema. When added to a hair potion, she alleviates dandruff and calms an itchy, dry scalp.

Conjure and enjoy these potions at Litha, the summer solstice, to bring forth the vibration of abundance, love, and prosperity for the seasons to come—but don’t let that distract you from the reverie of now. It’s just all too decadent, too sublimely hedonistic to miss out on!

VOYAGE EXOTIQUE

Facial Masque
Conjures 2 treatments

¼ cup fresh cucumbers, chopped
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon orchid extract
1 teaspoon camellia seed oil
1 teaspoon sunflower seed oil
1 teaspoon wild pansy extract

Chop the fresh produce and place it in a food processor to purée. About three pulses should do it. Then, in a pitcher or measuring cup, combine the oils (and aloe for the facial) together and slowly pour them into the top opening of the food processor while blending, allowing the mixture to become a bit thicker and take on a creamy consistency.

Apply the masque to clean skin, including neck and décolleté. If you can, apply some to the back of your hands too—they get overlooked all too often! Allow it to remain on your skin for at least 10 minutes, but really you can leave it on as long as you like. Rinse well with cool water, pat dry, and apply crème and sunscreen as needed. Your skin will dazzle with vibrant health, looking smoothed, firmed, and positively glowing!

Sunflower joins both topical potions for a balance of masculine fire energy, bearing gifts of good health, creative potency, wisdom, and wishes granted. He also is a gorgeous oil rich in healing vitamin E, which moisturizes deeply. Moon-ruled cucumber brings more healing energy as she cools summer skin. Rich in vitamin C, she stimulates new cell growth while firming and hydrating. Soothing, lunar aloe firms and hydrates as she offers protection magic and a bit of luck!

Beauty Witch’s Secret: Add a few drops of jasmine or ylang ylang for even more love and beauty magic, as well as the scent of earthly delights.

LUMINOUS LOCKS

Hair Masque

Conjures 1 to 2 treatments
⅓ cup ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon orchid extract
1 tablespoon camellia seed oil
1 teaspoon sunflower seed oil
1 teaspoon wild pansy extract

Note: The papaya works best if it is very ripe and soft. If the papaya flesh is still slightly too firm, add a small amount of water as you blend it to soften and create the creamy consistency you’re after.

In the same style as you concocted the facial, pulse the chopped papaya, then add the oils.

Apply to dry hair, from roots to ends, massaging in the magic and thoroughly savoring the sweetness of gently rubbing your scalp. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes or even longer. Rinse well, then wash with a light botanical shampoo. If your hair is fine or you’ve left on the masque for too long, you may wish to give it a second shampoo. Finish with a light coating of your favorite daily conditioner, then rinse well. Dry and style as you like. Your hair will be beautifully shiny, smooth, defrizzed, and teeming with radiance!

Papaya makes a guest-star appearance here for her tropical charms and her lunar love magic. She strengthens the hair shaft, repairs damage, and feeds your mane with nutrients.

Beauty Witch’s Secret: Lusty papaya has aphrodisiac sorcery, so be sure to nibble the rest of the fruit with sensual pleasure, and offer some to a potential lover. The sweet flavor, succulent flesh, and rich nutrients will spark some interest and give you the energy for … anything.

COCKTAIL À LA MER

Beauty Cocktail
Conjures 2 cocktails

2 tablespoons cut licorice root or three wands of whole root
1 tablespoon whole star anise
1 to 2 teaspoons raw coconut nectar
1 cup spring water
Sparkling water

A magical take on the classic pastis transports you to a balmy Mediterranean café, quenching your formidable thirst with more of Venus’s youthful charms, lusty passion, and a dose of protective energy.

Prepare a tea base by steeping the licorice root and the star anise in hot water. Lightly crush the anise pods first to release the oils in the seeds—this adds to the flavor and aroma. Add the coconut nectar, stir, and allow the tea to steep for 20 minutes.

Let it cool completely. Fill a half cordial or cocktail glass with the tea blend, then top with sparkling water. Santé!

Coconut nectar is a non-glycemic syrup used as a sweetener. It has the texture of honey and pairs well with fruit or herbal flavors. The best part? The magic of coconut that heightens spirituality and intuition.

Beauty Witch’s Secret: Fancy an even more decadent delight? Try swapping the coconut nectar for a teaspoon of pure fig jam—oui! It will add a richer, albeit slightly different, taste. Then savor the Jupiter-ruled abundance (not to mention the sex drive) of fiery fig!