A Pisces-Inspired Recipe: Jasmine Panna Cotta with Champagne-Poached Pears
This dreamy recipe is inspired by Pisces season featuring jasmine, cardamom, and pears. People with Pisces placements are hard to pin down to one thing or another - even in its symbol, you see the two fishes swimming in different directions. They are typically very sweet and very dreamy, so it seemed fitting to go with a dessert that happens to have a little wobble.
When we integrate zodiac and planetary energies into our kitchen practice, we're participating in one of the oldest forms of practical magic. The kitchen becomes our personal alchemical laboratory—a place where cosmic forces meet earthly ingredients, where intention meets manifestation. This integration creates powerful opportunities to align our nourishment with the current astrological influences and harness specific energies for our magical workings.
Understanding Pisces Energy in the Kitchen
Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac, represents the culmination of all that came before it. As a mutable water sign, it embodies fluidity, depth, intuition, and transcendence. In kitchen witchery, Piscean energy is particularly potent for:
Dissolving boundaries: Recipes that blend flavors seamlessly, where distinct ingredients marry into something entirely new
Enhancing intuition: Dishes that support psychic work, dreamwork, and connection to the collective unconscious
Compassionate magic: Food prepared with intentions of healing, universal love, and spiritual connection
Escapism and transcendence: Creations that transport the senses to otherworldly realms
The wobble of panna cotta perfectly embodies the mutable nature of Pisces—neither solid nor liquid, but something beautifully in-between, just as Pisces exists in the liminal space between worlds.
Neptune's Influence in Culinary Magic
Pisces is ruled by Neptune which is a planet that's only been recognized in more recent times, so you often won't find as many herbs and plants associated with it in older texts. It is considered the higher octave of Venus which basically means that it's kind of like Venus's higher self. Both of these planets are ruled by the element of water and seek to elevate humanity's ideals. Venus seeks to do this through beauty while Neptune seeks to do this through unconditional love and compassion.
When invoking Neptune in the kitchen, consider:
Water as your primary element: Soups, broths, infusions, and water-based desserts like this panna cotta
Beverages that alter consciousness: Non-alcoholic elixirs, herbal teas, or in this recipe, the symbolism of champagne which lifts the spirits
Iridescent, pearlescent, or blue-green presentations: Colors that evoke the ocean depths
Fluid techniques: Poaching, infusing, dissolving, blending
Ingredients associated with dreams and the unconscious: Jasmine, mugwort, lotus, and blue lotus
The kitchen becomes Neptune's temple when we cook with compassion, intuition, and a willingness to transcend ordinary consciousness through our sensory experience of food.
The Magical Properties of Our Ingredients
Jasmine: The Flower of Dreams and Divine Love
Magical Properties:
Element: Water
Planets: Moon, Venus
Zodiac Associations: Pisces, Cancer
Chakra Alignment: Third Eye, Heart
Moon Phases: Full Moon, New Moon
Magical Uses: Love, Dreams, Meditation, Aura Cleansing, Protection
Jasmine has been revered across cultures for millennia as a flower of divine love and spiritual awakening. Its intoxicating fragrance is said to part the veil between worlds, making it perfect for Pisces season when the boundaries between the material and spiritual realms are naturally thinner.
In traditional Chinese medicine, jasmine opens the heart and calms the mind. In Ayurveda, it's believed to balance all three doshas while particularly soothing the emotional body. Ancient Egyptian priestesses wore jasmine to connect with lunar deities and enhance their prophetic dreams.
When working with jasmine in kitchen witchery, harvest or purchase the flowers during the full moon if possible, to enhance their lunar connection. As you add them to your recipes, visualize their fragrance carrying your intentions into the ethereal realm, particularly for workings involving:
Opening psychic channels
Attracting soul-deep love rather than fleeting attraction
Inducing prophetic dreams
Creating a protective barrier around your aura
Deepening meditation practices
The jasmine in this panna cotta serves as both a flavor enhancer and a psychic activator, helping us to dissolve the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious mind—perfect for Piscean dreamwork.
Cardamom: The Seed of Sacred Relationships
Magical Properties:
Element: Air, Fire
Planets: Venus, Mercury
Zodiac Associations: Gemini, Libra
Chakra Alignment: Heart, Throat
Magical Uses: Love, Lust, Fidelity, Mental Clarity, Communication, Purification
Cardamom creates an interesting counterbalance to the Piscean energy in this recipe. While Pisces dissolves and merges, cardamom—with its Mercury influence—brings clarity and articulation to feelings that might otherwise remain nebulous.
This ancient spice has been used in love potions across the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Scandinavia for thousands of years. Vikings believed cardamom could reconcile warring hearts, while in tantric traditions, it's considered an aphrodisiac that awakens kundalini energy.
The pods themselves represent protected knowledge—the seeds inside contain the magic of communication and connection. By smashing the pods in this recipe, we symbolically release this power to:
Articulate deep feelings that words typically fail to express
Create clear intentions within the dreamy Piscean landscape
Establish boundaries while maintaining compassion
Ensure fidelity and devotion in relationships
Purify communications between lovers or friends
When working with cardamom, consider saving a few whole pods to place under your pillow to receive messages about your relationships in dreams, particularly during Pisces season.
Pears: The Fruit of Hidden Wisdom and Divine Feminine
Magical Properties:
Element: Water, Earth
Planets: Venus, Moon
Zodiac Associations: Taurus, Cancer, Pisces
Chakra Alignment: Heart, Sacral
Magical Uses: Love, Longevity, Fertility, Comfort, Healing, Hidden Wisdom
The pear's shape—reminiscent of the female form—has long associated it with the divine feminine and the mysteries of Venus. In Chinese tradition, the pear represents immortality and wisdom, while Celtic lore connects pears to the otherworld and hidden knowledge.
The Bosc pears specifically recommended for this recipe carry an earthy stability (Taurus) that beautifully grounds the ethereal Piscean energy. Their firm texture, which holds up during poaching, symbolizes maintaining one's core integrity even while absorbing new influences—an important balance during the sometimes overwhelming Pisces season.
In kitchen witchery, pears are especially potent for:
Accessing ancestral feminine wisdom
Connecting with Venus's higher aspects (beauty in service of spiritual love)
Fertility rituals and womb healing
Comfort magic during times of transition
Longevity spells for relationships
The quartering of the pears in this recipe can represent the four elements or the four phases of the moon, creating a symbol of wholeness within the recipe's magical framework.
Champagne: The Elixir of Elevated Consciousness
Magical Properties:
Element: Air, Water
Planets: Venus, Neptune
Zodiac Associations: Libra, Pisces
Chakra Alignment: Crown
Magical Uses: Celebration, Elevation, Transformation, Inspiration, Joy
Though not typically cataloged in traditional herbal grimoires, champagne carries powerful magical associations that make it perfect for Neptunian workings. The process of fermentation itself is alchemical—a transformation of the mundane into the sublime.
The effervescence of champagne represents the spark of divine inspiration rising through water (emotion), creating a perfect metaphor for Piscean spiritual awakening. The golden color evokes solar energy, while the process of poaching—a gentle, water-based cooking method—honors the water element dominant in Pisces.
In modern kitchen witchery, champagne can be used for:
Raising vibrational energy of food and space
Marking transitions and transformations
Invoking celebratory energy into manifestation work
Elevating consciousness to Neptunian realms
Creating a bridge between earthly pleasures and spiritual ecstasy
When using champagne in magical cooking, speak your intentions over the bottle before opening it, allowing the released effervescence to carry your desires upward to the universe.
Honey: The Golden Nectar of Sweetness and Preservation
Magical Properties:
Element: Water, Fire
Planets: Venus, Jupiter, Sun
Zodiac Associations: Leo, Taurus, Cancer
Chakra Alignment: Solar Plexus, Sacral
Magical Uses: Love, Healing, Sweetening, Protection, Preservation, Abundance
Honey bridges worlds—created through the partnership of flowers and bees, it represents the perfect synthesis of plant and animal kingdoms. This makes it particularly appropriate for Pisces season, when boundaries between realms dissolve.
Ancient Egyptians used honey in their embalming practices, recognizing its preservative qualities that transcend time. In Greek mythology, honey was food for the gods, associated with prophecy and divine knowledge. Across magical traditions, honey is used to sweeten dispositions, situations, and relationships.
The addition of honey to this recipe creates:
A binding agent for your magical intentions
A preservative for the emotional bonds you wish to maintain
A sweetening influence on dreams and psychic work
An offering to deities associated with Venus and Neptune
A symbol of the abundance that flows from spiritual alignment
When incorporating honey into kitchen witchery, consider its source—different floral honeys carry the magical properties of their parent plants. Clover honey brings luck, orange blossom honey attracts joy, and wildflower honey connects to untamed natural energies.
Ritual: Creating Sacred Space in the Kitchen
Panna Cotta is one of those delightfully deceptive desserts that looks super impressive but is a total breeze to whip up. It's pretty much full proof especially when you keep it in the container you make it in which is why I chose to use these vintage rocks glasses. It's kind of like a milk pudding but the consistency is somehow lighter and creamier IMHO. It packs a punch in richness with whole milk and heavy cream as the base but not super sweet which I love.
Before beginning this recipe, consider creating a Pisces-inspired kitchen altar with:
Blue or sea-green candles
A bowl of water with a drop of essential oil (jasmine or neroli)
Seashells or pearls
Images of fish or the Pisces constellation
Amethyst or aquamarine crystals
As you prepare each stage of the recipe, work with mindful intention.
Ingredients
For the panna cotta:
1 1/2 C whole milk (represents nurturing and the moon)
1 1/2 C heavy cream (represents abundance and Venus)
1/3 C sugar (represents sweetening energy and Jupiter)
3 T jasmine flowers (represents dreams and Neptune)
1 tsp vanilla extract (represents love and Venus)
1 packet gelatin (represents transformation and Pluto)
3 T water, cold (represents intuition and the unconscious)
For the poached pears:
3 pears*, peeled, cored, and quartered (represents the divine feminine and Venus)
1 C champagne (represents elevation and Neptune)
1 C water (represents emotion and the Moon)
1/2 lemon, juiced (represents clarity and Mercury)
3 T sugar (represents attraction and Venus)
3 T honey (represents sweetness of life and Jupiter)
1 T cardamom pods, smashed (represents protection of love and Venus/Mercury)
Expanded Ritual Process
Begin with the poached pears. As you combine the champagne, water, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and cardamom pods in a large saucepan, visualize each ingredient releasing its magical essence into the liquid. The champagne bubbles carry your intentions upward, the water holds your emotions, the lemon clarifies your purpose, the sugar and honey attract sweetness, and the cardamom protects the love you wish to manifest.
Heat until the sugar is dissolved, observing how separate elements merge into a unified whole—a perfect metaphor for Piscean unity consciousness.
Add the pears into the liquid, and top with a parchment circle. The creation of this parchment circle is a magical act in itself—as you cut the circle, envision it as the full moon, and the X-slit or hole in the middle represents the doorway between worlds that you're creating. This practical step of allowing steam to escape becomes a metaphor for releasing obstacles to your spiritual work.
As the pears simmer, they absorb the magical properties of your poaching liquid. The transformation of the firm fruit into something tender represents the softening of boundaries that occurs during Pisces season. Press down on the paper occasionally, affirming your intention to remain immersed in spiritual awareness.
The pears are done once you can push a paring knife through with little resistance—this test becomes a divination of sorts, showing that resistance in your life is dissolving. Remove the pears from the liquid and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, concentrating both flavor and magical potency. Pour over the pears and allow everything to cool to room temperature before placing them in the fridge, affirming that your intentions need time to settle and manifest.
Now it's on to the panna cotta! As you add the milk, cream, sugar, and jasmine flowers to a large saucepan, recognize that you're combining lunar energy (milk), Venusian luxury (cream), Jupiterian abundance (sugar), and Neptunian dreams (jasmine). Bring the mixture close to boiling without reaching a boil—maintaining that edge between worlds where magic is most potent.
Remove from the heat, add the vanilla (another Venusian ingredient), and allow the jasmine to steep for 5-10 minutes. During this steeping time, close your eyes and set your intentions for the dreams, intuitions, or spiritual connections you wish to enhance through this dessert. Visualize the jasmine flowers releasing their essence into the milk mixture, carrying your intentions into the physical realm.
Meanwhile, place the water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over top. This transformation of gelatin—from granular to dissolved—represents the alchemical process at the heart of all magical work. The seemingly mundane becomes extraordinary through intention and process.
Remove the jasmine flowers from the milk, thanking them for their contribution to your magical working. Return the saucepan to the stove over low heat, adding in the gelatin and water mixture. As you whisk until completely combined, affirm that you are similarly integrating your spiritual insights into your daily life.
Once everything is dissolved, pour it evenly into your chosen vessels. The vintage rocks glasses add a connection to the past, honoring ancestral wisdom. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set for at least 6-8 hours, recognizing that like all magical workings, manifestation requires patience and the right conditions.
When you're ready to serve, the thinly sliced pear quarters represent the fruits of your spiritual practice. The fanning out creates a sunburst pattern—the divine light that emerges from Piscean depths. Pour over some of the reduced poaching liquid, creating a final seal for your magical intentions.
As you enjoy this dessert, eat mindfully, recognizing that you are consuming the magical properties you've infused throughout the preparation process. With each bite, affirm that you are integrating the lessons of Pisces season: compassion, spiritual connection, intuition, and transcendence.
Go with a firm pear for this recipe so it can hold itself together during the poaching process. I went with Bosc pears for this recipe.
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Aligning with the Cosmic Calendar: Timing Your Magical Cooking
To enhance the potency of this recipe, consider preparing it during:
Pisces Season (approximately February 19 - March 20)
During a Full Moon (to enhance psychic receptivity)
On a Monday (ruled by the Moon, enhancing the jasmine properties)
On a Friday (ruled by Venus, enhancing the love aspects)
During Neptune retrograde (for deep inner work and spiritual insight)
For an even more personalized approach, consider making this recipe when the Moon is in Pisces or when Neptune makes a favorable aspect to personal planets in your natal chart.
Kitchen Witchery: Beyond the Recipe
This jasmine panna cotta is more than a dessert—it's a gateway to understanding how we can work with zodiac and planetary energies in all our kitchen practices. As you become more familiar with astrological correspondences, you might create your own recipes that honor:
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) through spicy, quickly cooked, or flame-grilled dishes
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) through hearty, grounded, slow-cooked meals
Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) through whipped, layered, or multi-element compositions
Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) through soups, infusions, or water-based desserts
Similarly, planetary energies can be incorporated:
Sun - citrus, sunflower seeds, honey
Moon - dairy, white foods, foods harvested at night
Mercury - herbs, infusions, quick-cooking techniques
Venus - sweet flavors, beautiful presentations, aphrodisiacs
Mars - spicy foods, red ingredients, grilled preparations
Jupiter - abundant platters, international cuisines, festive presentations
Saturn - aged foods, traditional recipes, slow-cooking methods
Uranus - unexpected combinations, modernist techniques, fusion cuisines
Neptune - beverages, infusions, foods that dissolve boundaries
Pluto - fermented foods, buried/hidden ingredients, transformative cooking methods
By aligning our kitchen practice with these cosmic energies, we participate in a tradition as old as humanity itself—recognizing that the macrocosm of the universe is reflected in the microcosm of our daily sustenance.
May this panna cotta recipe serve as both a delicious treat and a gateway to deeper magical practice, honoring both the hearth that grounds us and the cosmic mysteries that expand our spiritual horizons.
May your kitchen and all who gather around your table be blessed.
Meet the High Witch
Erin Harker
I'm Erin Harker, a practitioner of ancestral magic and student of Druidry whose path weaves together Irish, Scottish, and German heritage with modern spiritual practice. My journey began in childhood with candlelit spells and family traditions, growing into a devotion to sacred hospitality and community care. Today, I serve as a bridge between worlds—helping others reconnect with their own magic through Magick Makers community, workshops, and spiritual guidance. Whether you're just beginning your journey or returning to a practice long forgotten, you'll find a welcoming space here where ancient wisdom meets modern needs.
Let's brew some tea and explore the magic that's uniquely yours.
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