The Alchemy of Tea

It was refreshing to read Kiva Rose's post on "The Primal Allure of Tea". She put to words what every Wise Woman and tea drinker feels deep inside. She also reminded me how important tea is to me. I've had a long relationship with herbs and I can't see a day go by without having my ritual 3 cups of tea.

Beyond the fragrance and the taste, beyond the nourishment and medicine, there is also the sense of timelessness and instant well-being. A cup of tea is a cup of joy: I am always looking forward to preparing a cup of tea either from 1 herb or one of my blends. I know that after pouring the hot water in the cup, inhaling the scent and waiting a little, I will enjoy my magical brew and I will feel better no matter what. Time will stop for a few minutes. No more worries, no more problems, no more pain...No more nothing. Just me and my tea, allowing my mind to wander and to connect with the Great Mother & All That Is, with Past, Present & Future, the Above & the Below as well as the Inner Worlds.

When I need deeper nourishment, I prepare some nourishing herbal infusions...I do this only when I feel that my body needs is (though lately I haven't been needing much. I guess I have been getting all the nourishment my body needs...I have also been enjoying nut milks).

Some people may wonder how can a few leaves, flowers, roots, barks and spices do so much for you? To me tea is a complex alchemy: each herb is charged with the forces of Nature. The Elements, Earth & Sky, Sun & Rain, the Seasons, Sun, Moon & Stars, Planetary influences, Time passing by, Faery Blessings...You get all that in a cup of tea!

Some of my favorite herbs are: rooibos, nettle, wild thyme, elder blossoms & berries, hawthorn, roses & rosehips, blackberry & strawberry leaves (and fruits), rosemary, lemon balm, plantain, oatstraw, mallows, dandelion, warming spices such as ginger & cinnamon...

Tea talks to us in a subtle level: it nourishes our body, it uplifts our mood/spirit, it heals our heart, it soothes our mind, it heals & strengthens our soul...Tea blesses us with health & wholeness!