The Beauty Witch: MAY

When the earth reappears as a verdant catwalk
adorned with the very latest in blossom chic
Spring takes the runway
as the ultimate Femme Vitale –
petals opened
to the sun, to the wind
to the stars above

Though Spring arrived several Moons ago, she has played more the elusive guest than the gracious hostess. Until now. This month, the May Queen opens her doors wide with delight and a warm embrace, inviting us into her world of colors as full participants, signaling la danse de Printemps to finally, truly begin. Grasses are high, touched with jade, emerald, and turquoise. Flowers sway in the night sky, parade their colors to the sun, and fill the air with their giddy scent. For this all-too-brief spell, all the world quivers with the sensuality of velvet-perfumed moss woven with threads made from love, and life.

The Witches Sabbat of Beltane blooms fully on May 1^st, conjuring fertility rites, sexual potency, and an unabashed lust for conjuring. As its ritual fire roars within us, the creative vibes of Spring reach their peak. Aries manifestation energy, so intense last month, will now give way to the more grounded permanence of earthy Taurus, allowing us to solidify what we brought to life in April. This is a beautiful thing, my Pretty Ones, that can only be bestowed upon us by the cosmos.

We have the most magnificent New Moon in Taurus for doing just that on May 4^th (6:45pm EST.) The steadied reliance of the bull is also one of focused determination, so this Moon is poised to give heavenly back up to the ritual wishes you expressed at the last New Moon. Now that you’ve given birth to a great passion, you can stabilize it with endurance. There is one little caveat, though: spells cast under a Taurus Moon are notoriously, frustratingly difficult to undo. Make sure what you are creating is really what you want. This is for the long haul, my Loves, so be clear, be specific, and be certain.

Taurus Power Card: The Hierophant  Seek divine wisdom. You will find strength through endurance, persistence, and inspiration.

As The Hierophant directs you to seek higher wisdom, consider calling upon both the forest spirits and Venus herself, for they are both center stage right now. To help you tap into the love you will need to get your manifestations in order, I’ve concocted a facial ritual honoring the rites of Spring, the rootedness of Taurus, and the power of the New Moon. Remember that all emotions are derived of either love or fear, so we need to look at our wishes with an honest heart in order to make them real. Lucky for us, love is always the stronger energy. Always. Create some space for a beauty ritual to connect on a deeper level to what is truth. The time you take for yourself in this way will be worth its weight in pure gold.

My favorite cohorts this month are a Triple Goddess of Gorgeousness: a tried-and-true Witches herb, a mysterious ingredient you may not have heard of, and an adored potion standard. Together they conjure love, peace, healing and absolutely stellar beauty. May I present to you:

Lavender This sorceress’ classic is instantly calming and soothing to both the skin and the spirit alike. A gentle, effective cleanser for all skin types, it also eases tummy troubles when ingested. Magically, lavender promotes love, peace, and happiness ensconced in strong protection.

Tocotrienols A super-powered form of vitamin E, “tocos” provide tremendous beauty benefits inside and out with a cosmic dose of age-defying antioxidants to prevent and repair cellular damage.

Almond Pretty little gifts of Mercury, almonds contain high doses of vitamin E to add even more beauty magic as they bring abundance directly to you.

Traditional gommage is a creamy cleanser that sits on the skin, then is gently rolled away, leaving your face fresh and gorgeous. As many of you know, I love a masque that doubles as a non-abrasive exfoliant – now you have a cleanser that does just that! I also love a potion that sheds, then feeds, so here you have one that does it all while smelling delicious, and containing major magic. As you create this, sit with it on, and then slough away, visualize and really feel whatever might be blocking your ability to move forward (hint: it’s fear) and open up to the beauty that will be evident when the negativity is cleared away.

Gorgeous Gommage
Facial Grains

1-2 treatments

1/2 tablespoon tocotrienol powder
1/2 tablespoon coconut powder
1/2 tablespoon lavender
½-1 teaspoon almond milk

To begin, pulse the lavender in a spice/coffee bean grinder to bring it to a finer, more powdery texture. Next, whisk together all dry ingredients, taking care to smooth any lumps, then add the almond milk and stir until creamy. The consistency should be thin enough to spread across the face, neck, and décolleté effortlessly, but be thick enough to stay put. (Add more milk if needed.) If you have dry skin, or wish to add an extra boost of age-defying action, add a few drops of your favorite oil just before using – I personally love a little grapeseed oil added in for extra radiance. To use, soak a washcloth in very warm water, wring out the excess, then apply to your face, holding it on to really feel the heat opening the pores and preparing the skin. It feels incredible! Now apply gommage onto skin in a thin layer, and allow it to sit and work its magic for ten minutes or until air dried. Slowly roll gommage downward with your fingers to remove, taking with it all traces of the dead cells that dim your wattage. What’s left? Fortified, smooth skin, and an entirely refreshed and renewed face! No need to rinse – just swipe toning mist across skin with a cotton pad to remove any traces of gommage, followed by your favorite serum and moisturizer.  Now you’re ready to take on the world!

Coconut  Ruled by the Moon, luscious coconut purifies and heals with essential fats for well-hydrated skin. Expect heightened intuition and psychic prowess whenever tapping into the magic of coconut.

Beauty Witch Secret: Make a large batch of dry ingredients and store in a beautiful, airtight glass jar – just spoon a little out as needed, add almond milk, and you’re set for starglow! This method is gentle enough to use up to three times weekly.

As Taurus reaches her Venusian finale later in the month, she is crowned by the Full Hare Moon in lusty Scorpio on May 18^th (5:11pm EST.) The Hare Moon shines brightly on flower faeries, tree spirits, and other enchanted beings with the vibration of pure creativity. It’s such a magical Moon! But oh, my Sweet Ones, this is another one that occurs during a void-of-course motion, making it unwise to work magic until she settles into optimistic Sagittarius later in the evening (9:21 EST.) Just like last month, you can take advantage of both signs by utilizing Scorpion forces the night before, when the Moon is truly at her most intense, then, if you like, you can collaborate with Sagittarius late on the 18^th, or even into the next day. It really depends on what your goal is. Though both are sexy signs, Scorpio will aide your darker, more erotic tastes, while Sag supports travel and adventure. Mmm…are you conjuring the voyeur or the voyager? Perhaps both? Either way, be aware that Scorpio is incredibly intense, feeling everything to the highest degree, while Sagittarius is a pro at shrugging off anything that feels too heavy. The opposites can work for you, just be careful. But aren’t you always?

No matter what, hold the Goddess of Love close, and you won’t go wrong. In keeping with the spirit of Spring, and the notion of clearing away what is harmful to make way for all good things, whip up this really yummy brew to toast the Moon, and to enjoy whenever you want to feel fabulous. Though I don’t usually recommend anything of a detoxing nature when the Silver Lady is at her peak, this potion is so full of nutrients I find it a great balancing brew for when energies can be conflicting and emotions need sorting. With flower power at your side, you can do anything with grace.

Love Street Latte
Brew
Per serving

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon dandelion root
1 teaspoon lavender
1 vanilla bean, seeded
stevia to taste

Pour almond milk into a small cauldron (or saucepan) adding in the dandelion and lavender. Whisk lightly clockwise. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean directly into the potion, light a low flame, and keep whisking. Heat the potion well, but take care not to boil. When it’s ready, remove from the flame, strain into a vessel worthy of its magic, and sip with intention. Add stevia as you wish, and try it iced too – either way, you are drinking your powers.

Along with the magic of lavender, tocos, and almond, this pair of natural beauties have been summoned for your delight:

Dandelion Considered by some to be a lawn pest (!) happy dandelions are fantastic detoxifiers that also boost your immune system, soothe digestion, and balance blood sugar. Oh, and they grant wishes, too.

Vanilla Taurus-ruled vanilla is a sweet, sensual bringer of love. The magical little seeds inside carry high levels of antioxidants that delay the signs of aging, with anti-inflammatory agents and healing powers to spare.

Beauty Witch Secret: A Witches brew is an exciting way to spice up your mornings, especially if you are trying to take a break from caffeine, or avoid it altogether. If you are weaning off, try adding coffee to your brew so you have a half-and-half ratio, gradually decreasing the coffee and increasing the magic!

Well, my Loves, I’m off to prepare for Beltane. I think I’ll just wear flowers. Or maybe nothing at all.

Enjoy every moment of Spring, and don’t forget to pick up your new issue of Enchanted Living before they’ve all disappeared into thin air – magical things can do that, you know!

Love and Stardust,

Xo Alise