August Moon Manifestation: Last Quarter Moon in Taurus
My dear friends, we have made it to the completion of our lunar journey this month and what a month it has been! As it so often is, this month certainly has been filled with it’s share of highs and lows. We now find ourselves at the phase where it is time to take stock of all that we have learned and experienced; What did you discover about yourself on this journey? What worked best for you and what did not? We have the opportunity now to meditate upon all the lessons we have gained and make decisions on what we want to keep with us for the future and what needs to be cleansed from our lives to help us more forward positively.
Feeling that Taurus vibe
This entire moon cycle we have been focused on the intention of drawing more prosperity and abundance into our lives and we now find ourselves with the last quarter moon being in Taurus. Taurus is a sign that is most notably associated with the adoration of all of the luxuries that life has to offer. Good food, cozy surroundings, and a sense of deep relaxation are all creature comforts that Taurus loves to partake in. That being said, Taurus also knows in order to achieve these delights, you have to put in the work. The grounded, steadfast nature that Taurus embodies is perfect for us to utilize right now as we embark on the phase of our journey where we have the opportunity to do some shadow work to tie up any loose ends.
What is shadow work and why is it important?
The term shadow work is something that in the past years has become increasingly popular to hear spoken about in witchy and non-witchy circles alike. Essentially what it means is to take the time to confront your inner self, especially the parts that you keep hidden away from yourself. Some examples of these things we might try to hide are deep wounds from past or ongoing traumas, negative thought patterns/ learned responses, or personal traits you dislike about yourself. If you are experiencing difficulty with your spellwork coming to fruition the way you intended or perhaps not working at all, internal emotional blockages and imbalance could be stopping you from obtaining the positive energy you’re seeking in your life.
Admittedly, this process can be notoriously difficult and emotionally draining as it forces us to truly look upon and sort out all of the pieces of ourselves that we have rejected or that frighten us, but it is so worth the effort to restore balance and joy in our lives.
Feel free to tap into the deep reserves of strength, stability, and calm that earth based Taurus symbolizes to help ground you as you explore and heal your inner landscape. Remember that you’ve come a long way! You’ve done a lot of hard work to forge who you are and this is a time to celebrate and be proud of all that you have accomplished, as well as accepting that there are things you still have to work on.
Ritual Recipe: Spiced Chocolate Twists
Our last recipe for this month’s moon manifestation series is a super simple dish that appropriately is a nod to our intent to tie up any loose ends. We are going to be using store bought puff pastry sheets and a homemade spiced ganache to create an easy dessert that you can whip up any time you are in the need for a special treat! Let’s take a quick look at some of the intentions that we are going to be working with in this recipe:
Chocolate: If you were to ask my mom, she would say that it isn’t truly a dessert if it doesn’t contain chocolate. Like her, many people all over the globe revere this silky, sweet confection and it takes top billing in many a classic and modern dessert. Eventually, we will be doing a much longer series completely dedicated to chocolate and all of its numerous properties and intentional usages , however in this recipe we are focusing on using it to imbue our dish with a luxurious feel to help us celebrate our gratitude and happiness for a journey well traveled.
Cayenne pepper: We have previously discussed the benefits of other fiery peppers to our intentional dishes for banishment and protective purposes, such as in our Peach Chipotle BBQ Sauce and "Spice Up Your Life" Roasted Pepper Spread . This time around we are mainly focusing on and utilizing the healing energy that cayenne peppers carry in them. Cayenne peppers have excellent anti-inflammatory properties that have been used in the treatment of physical ailments for centuries, but we can also use these peppers intentionally to assist us in recovery and healing from anything negative or heavy that surfaced emotionally throughout our shadow work process.
Cinnamon: The sweet and spicy addition of cinnamon in this recipe is primarily being used to tie back into our intentional goal this month of prosperity, success, and abundance. However, cinnamon also holds energy for healing and protection which will help fortify us as we do the work to obtain closure on this month before we embark on next month’s journey.
Nutmeg: Often seen in autumnal baking spice blends, we are utilizing nutmeg in this dessert to assist us in maintaining clear thought and sight from all of the lessons we have learned this past month. Nutmeg is also great at infusing confidence and luck into our dish, which we can use to empower us moving forward.
Orange Zest (peel): Oranges have long been associated with prosperity and good luck throughout many cultures and are given as gifts to promote these blessings during festive times such as Yule, Christmas and in the Chinese New Year. I adore using orange peel in both sweet and savory dishes for its bright, zesty flavor and mood lifting properties. Beyond that, oranges and orange zest are wonderful for self-purification and to assist in clearing out any stale energy looming around you.
Vanilla: There isn’t a dessert or sweet baked good in my repertoire that does not include vanilla in the recipe because I love it so much. This sweet and ever so slightly floral addition truly brings out the best in all of your other ingredients, flavor wise and intentionally. Vanilla has a gentle, calming energy and helps to promote happiness and clear thinking, which makes it a perfect finishing note in this celebratory dessert.
We truly hope you enjoyed coming on this lunar journey with us! Please let us know in the comments if you like this type of content and what you’d like to see more of from us in the future.
Spiced Chocolate Twists
Ingredients
- 1 box (2 sheets) frozen store bought puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 3.6 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped *see note
- 4 oz. heavy cream plus 2 Tbsp for brushing twists
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- granulated sugar for rolling dough
- coarse decorating sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a heat safe bowl, place your chopped chocolate and vanilla extract and set aside.
- Heat the heavy cream, orange zest, and spices in a sauce pan over low heat until it just begins to steam. You may also warm your cream mixture in a heat safe container in the microwave for 1 minute or until just it just begins to stream.
- Immediately pour heated cream over the chocolate and vanilla extract and stir the mixture until completely smooth and silky.
- Place the ganache into a resealable container and move it into refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow it to set to a spreadable consistency. You may also place in the freezer to set the ganache up more quickly.
- Preheat the oven to 395 degrees F and line two sheet pans with parchment.
- On a clean work surface or large cutting board, lay out your puff pastry sheets and cut each sheet it into three long strips. Cut each of the long strips in half to give you 12 small rectangles.in total.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of granulated sugar out on your work surface and place a puff pastry rectangle down on top of the sugar. Gently take a rolling pin and roll your rectangle out to create a slightly larger rectangle, pressing the granulated sugar into each side of the dough as you roll.
- Evenly spread approximately 1 Tbsp of the firmed ganache onto your dough rectangle and fold the rectangle in half like a book.
- Using a sharp knife, cut three strips into the rectangle approximately 3/4 of the way down, keeping the bottom 1/4 connected. Weave the strips into a braided shape of your liking and place onto your prepared sheet pan.
- Continue this process with all of the rectangles until you have 6 twists on each tray. Brush each twist lightly with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place the sheet trays into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from the sheet trays and allow to cool.
- You can enjoy this dessert with a lovely cup of hot tea or coffee or if you are feeling extra opulent, a mug of hot cocoa!
Notes
- I recommend using a good quality chocolate bar for this ganache as they tend to have less stabilizers and will give you a better, silkier end product. You can use any brand you prefer. I would not recommend using a white or purely milk chocolate as the ganache may not set up or bake properly.
