A.D. Welcome to Imaginarium, Alise, thank you so much for being here! Most of us, have the pleasure to know you from your work but tell us, in a few words, how your journey as a Beauty Witch began.
A.M. Thank you for the opportunity, chérie! I have the utmost respect for you and your work, and am honored to be here. I began making my own skincare potions in my late teens, as a natural segue from becoming vegetarian a few years earlier. This whole idea of plants and herbs as medicine, how what you put inside your body, as well as what you put on it, having a profound effect on your wellbeing just cracked everything wide open, I could see it as all one energy. It was entwined with not wanting to harm animals, and though I couldn’t quite articulate it at the time, I could feel the connection between nature and myself in a profoundly spiritual way. I had been delving into the occult at this point, also, which just crystalized the whole thing for me.
A.D. Who is the Beauty Witch?
A.M. Having the knowledge of plant magick, planetary cycles, and lunar phases in one's cauldron can indeed make you a wise and powerful creature. It has allowed me to concoct beauty potions that can ensure that we are all at our most spellbinding, inside and out, through every stage of life, because they truly work. I've been fortunate to have learned not only how to awaken celestial beauty, but how to reveal it. Though I would never attempt to control the forces of nature, but instead align with them, harmonize with them. I have my beauty goddesses, the stars, and nature to thank for their guidance.
A.D. You are very wise too, I would add. Tell us about your new book. What sort of magick is it?
A.M. This book is a very benevolent form of practical magick which can be utilized by anyone – not to be confused with advanced ritual magicks that should only be practiced by the most experienced Witch. This is about aligning yourself with the lunar cycles, the planets, and the seasons to build your inner strength, which then extends outward. It is about caring for yourself, tending to the body as a temple, and creating high-vibration potions that enhance your beauty inside and out.
A.D. What elements do you use in your craft?
A.M. I work with the elements to align the potions with specific beauty needs. And when I say beauty, I don’t just mean external beauty. I’m referring to wellness as a whole, which shapes the outside. For instance, if you have an eruption on your face that indicates an excess of fire, unreleased and unsatisfied, you would benefit from a potion that has cooling, tempering earth – a dash of water’s softness and fluidity helps too. But then I would always encourage you to face whatever it is that’s causing this reaction in the first place, and take steps to address it, change it, and ultimately, heal it. I also always love a solar/lunar balance in potions. I think we tend toward the lunar, and forget about how important solar energies are.
A.D. As an astrologer, I would like to ask you, do you work with the planetary influences for the potency of a beauty ''potion''?
A.M. Oh yes! I align with the cycles of the sun, moon, planetary influences, and seasons. This gives potions such a special power boost. And more meaning, more efficacy. I can’t imagine not doing it this way.
A.D. It makes sense, really and I am glad you have incorporated planetary influences in your craft. Do you believe that our everyday beauty rituals are a magical process? Does beauty stem from within?
A.M. Absolutement. When we take the time to honor our beauty, we not only release ourselves from misinformation and hype, but we honor that which is sacred. The results are entirely transformational, from how we feel to, literally, how we look. This sends our confidence soaring, and that is the seed of creating what we want in all areas of life. Beauty rituals are actually quite meditative, restful, peaceful…certainly not something to add to your list of chores! Quite the opposite, really. They are petite kisses of pure bliss.
A.D. Relaxing even to imagine it, Alise! I couldn't wait to ask you the following question: would you like to share a Beauty Recipe with us?
A.M. Yes, of course! I’d love to share this one from my book, so purrfect for the “lusty month of May!
Mystic Chocolate - Facial Masque & Exfoliant
For when only a lusty indulgence will do – a rich, nutritious, reviving facial that lifts away impurities as it infuses skin with bewitching gorgeousness and a scent you will want to devour. Accept this as an offering by the cacao god to the glamour goddess, and revel in its dazzling effects on both your mood and your complexion.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon raw, unsweetened cacao powder
1 teaspoon almond flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon almond oil
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Intention: Polish, firm, nourish, boost
circulation
Lunar Phase: New to Full
Conjures: 1-2 treatments
In a gorgeous little bowl, blend the cacao powder together with the almond flour, stirring in a deosil (“of the sun”) or clockwise direction. Next, add the cardamom, almond oil, and cinnamon, and stir until fully blended. Speak gently to each ingredient as you add it, connecting with its vibration and its properties, both beautifying and magickal. Hold a strong vision of yourself as radiant, confident, alluring, and receiving all good things. As you see it, it is most important to also feel it: How does it feel to glow? To radiate confidence and light? Got it? Mmm-hmm. Keep that going as you apply it to a cleansed face, neck, and decollete, in delicate, circular motions to gently exfoliate. Then, allow the masque to rest on your skin for 10-20 minutes. If you need a bit more, feel free to layer a little more on. Now, ma beauté, kick up your heels and lounge a while as your potion works its sorcery, and keep that vibration strong! When you are ready, carefully remove with a warm, damp cloth, then rinse clean any remaining masque. Pat dry, then apply mist, serums, and cremes as desired.
I would always recommend organic, small farm and/or local ingredients wherever possible, which are getting easier and easier to find, and though they are a bit more costly, it is wholly worth it.
Cacao is a wellness deity, full of antioxidants, protein, minerals, and essential fatty acids, all of which contribute to supple skin, shiny hair, and strong nails. This love food increases blood flow and serotonin levels, which enhance mood and stir sexual desire.
Cardamom is another powerful antioxidant, rich in skin-loving vitamin C, and anti-bacterial properties to keep blemishes at bay. This ancient, fiery aphrodisiac spice increases circulation both in the body and on the skin’s surface for a vibrant, youthful glow. It also aids digestion, the single most important factor in health and beauty.
Almond is rich in calcium and vitamin E, to strengthen bones, repair damaged skin, lessen fine lines while preventing new ones, protect against UV damage, and feed you from head to toe. Magically, almond brings wealth and protection. They are ruled by air, which gives potions a lightness of energy surrounding the intellect, reminding you to ease up on the kind of worrying that wreaks havoc on your face.
Cinnamon was highly regarded in ancient Egypt as medicine, and we continue to reap its plant power today. It stimulates the blood flow to the skin, plumping and smoothing fine lines, and keeps pores clear with anti-microbial power. Internally, it helps to build new collagen, essential in fighting the signs of aging. Cinnamon is also sacred to the beloved goddess Brigid.
A.D. I am so looking forward to try this! What are your plans for this year?
A.M. This year is a wild one! There’s the book, of course, and all the promotion it will require, but there’s so much more. I’m still producing my monthly column and features, new beauty products will be added to my collections, lots of filming and photo shoots, travel…and a new book is in the works, which I’m madly in love with.
A.D. New book! Wow, exciting times! Was this book a result of the lockdown? What made you write it? What personal need does this book satisfy?
A.M. Oh, no no, by lockdown I was shopping the book – it had been written the year prior. Then I went straight into the photos, revisions, and preparing whatever was needed to go to print. The whole process of getting a book out into the world takes a lot of time, which is funny, because I am notoriously impatient.
I wrote it out of a need to release what I can only describe as an enormous internal fire – I see it like a volcano erupting – fueled by a desire to share some of what I know with anyone and everyone who might benefit from it. It’s the first in a series, so it felt somehow urgent to get it out there, to share it, and to lay the foundation for the other books.
A.D. What message do you want to convey with this book?
A.M. I want to tell the world that beauty is your birthright. You are a powerful, stunning creature. You have a unique contribution to make in this life, and by taking sublime care of yourself, you can have the confidence, the magnetism, and the energy to see those contributions come to life. And, in doing so, you cast a love spell upon yourself, which shows others how you are to be treated. And, finally, true beauty comes from within. Your job is to nurture it, adorn it, and allow it to radiate outward to dazzle and inspire!
A.D. Thank you much, Alise! It has been really a pleasure to have this interview with you. I wish you best of luck with the book and all your future endeavours.
The interview was published in Imaginarium Magazine 13 - May 2022
For more check: Imaginarium 13 | Imaginarium (imaginariumworld.co.uk)