šŸµ Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Tea & Infusions

Itā€™s time for a friendly reminder!

Thank you so much to everyone who has shared about their tea/infusions experiences so far! :heart: If you want to share your reflection but havenā€™t done so already, please know that you have one more day left to do so:

:exclamation: This challenge will close TOMORROW :exclamation:

If you would like to participate and havenā€™t done so already, please post about your challenge experience(s) by the deadline: Tomorrow: March 15th, 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)

Blessed be! :tea::sparkles:

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Iā€™m doing my Witchy Challenge on Dandelion Tea! Since I had so many Dandelions come up in my yard, like, everywhere, I decided to harvest them and make a couple things from them. I am going to dig up the roots and dry them as well, because theyā€™re good for making coffee, plus so many other things.
So first, are Dandelions healthy for you? Yes, they are! Dandelions are full of antioxidants and theyā€™re an anti-inflammatory! They can help lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, and promotes liver health! Is Dandelion Tea Good for You? Pros and Cons, Nutrition Information, and More





How to Make and Use Dandelion Salve
Iā€™m getting the Dandelion oil ready but it has to sit on a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks then I can make the salve. The salve is good for cuts and abrasions, bug bites, and glowing skin.
But back to the tea! I infused the dried dandelions and let it steep for 8-10 minutes. The tea didnā€™t have much of a color and I had to add a lot of honey because it really tasted like the smell of Dandelions, like grass, really. It wasnā€™t bad but definitely needs sweetening :wink:

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Tea has been a challenge for me in general, I have never been much of a hot tea drinker, Iced tea I love but warm tea has taken a lot of getting used to. As did coffee for me as well. I have had to find what I like in both. I have really found that I dont like a lot of the blends from the grocery store, so I turned to Etsy and a local tea retailer as well. Through the Etsy shop I have found several blends that I like but always have to add honey. Some of the tea blends are just too perfumed, I have found what I like, and what I dont. I was really frustrated at first and seconded guessed myself and my practice over my non love of tea, LOL. Again I have since found what works for me. I really enjoy a blend that is called a protection blend, it has Rosemary for luck, Sage and Laurel leaf for Wisdom, Lavender and Nettles for emotional and spiritual protection. It is my favorite.

I have a couple of blends that include mugwort and I HATE them. The taste is just so off putting. I think I will take @BryWisteria idea and bathe with them.

Finding the right tea and the right blend really can be a challenge but its really nice when you find a blend that works for you. I have really been making sure that once my morning meditation is done I really sit with my cup of tea and set my intentions for the day. I have also been working with a sleep blend for dream work as well, it includes my nemesis mugwort lol, so I might have to stick it all in a sleep satchel and put it under my pillow. LOL

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Iā€™m not sure how I missed this till today but I actually have been trying out some new tea recipes from Llewellynā€™s Book of Natural Remedies.

  • Double Mint Herbal Tea for allergies
  • Anti-anxiety tea made from chamomile flowers
  • Migraine herbal tea: any two of the following herbs - feverfew, white willow, valerian root, mullein, yarrow, chickweed, chamomile, or ginger
  • Pain tea: ground valerian root, chamomile flowers, and tumeric
  • Zen tea when I get stressed: chamomile flowers and St. Johnā€™s Wort

There are many others but I have not had to try them yet - abdominal pain, ADHD, PMS, bloating to name a few.

I also received me shipment of teas from Tamed Wild and canā€™t wait to try them out. I ordered the New Moon, Full Moon, and Focus blends. They smell amazing.

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This is my Weekly Witchy Challenge - Tea & Infusions

I started out by gathering my herbs
using a base tea of Green Tea


Using: Green Tea
Fresh Ginger
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Orange peel
Broken Cinnamon pieces
and Honey to taste.

I placed all of these ingredients into my Owl Tea Steeper and let it steep for 3-5 minutes.

I placed a Red Jaster, a Rose Quartz, a Rutilated Quartz by the White Candle.
The Red Jasper gently stimulates the base chakras, stabilizes the aura, and strengthens your boundaries. It provides insights into the most difficult situations. Red Jasper has been used for centuries as a protection stone.

Rutilated Quartz is said to be an illuminator for the soul, and it promotes spiritual growth and cleanses the energizes the aura. It relieves fears, phobias, anxiety, and depression, releasing constrictions and countering self-hatred.

Rose Quartz is known as the love stone, the heart stone, and the stone of universal love.
Rose Quartz encourages unconditional love. This stone helps in strengthening oneā€™s relationships at home, in the workplace, and most importantly with oneā€™s self. The Rose Quartz works to open the heart, thus making it a good choice in working through matters which tend to close the heart, loss, grief, uncertainty, trauma, heartache. Rose Quartz neutralizes negative thought forms and creates space for forgiveness, acceptance, and growth.

I placed my Tea on the Altar, lit the candle,
I placed my intention, under the cup of my Tea Cup,

and said a Tea Blessing from Spellss8:

You have grown by favor of the Sun,
The Moon, and of the dew.
I make this intercession with you herbs
I ask you to be a benefit to me and my rite (intention)
For your virtues are unfailing
You are the Dew of all the Gods
The Eye of the Sun
The Light of the Moon
The Beauty and Glory of the Sky.
The Mystery of Terra.
I purify you so that
Whatever is crafted with you may,
In all its powers,
Have a good and speedy effect with good success.
Be purified by my prayer and be powerful!
So mote it be!

After the Tea Prayer was done and I had a sip of my Tea, I then lit my Intention on fire, from the candle on the Altar.

So shall it be, as above and as below!
So mote it be! :pentagram:

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Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Tea & Infusions

:tea: :teapot: :dove: :ukraine: :butterfly: :unicorn: :peace_symbol: :magic_wand:

I am a witch and a healer and I have been doing ceremonies for peace every day since the war began in Ukraine. And of course, I thought this was the perfect time to do a tea ceremony for peace. Itā€™s also the first time I have used tea in my ritual.

For my Weekly Witchy Challenge entry, I have a picture of a white dove with a blue and yellow background, a white candle, crystals, an Oracle Card from The Magic of Unicorns by Diana Cooper, a magic potion for harmony, and a cup of Camomile tea.

:heart:

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Challenge Entry :herb: :hibiscus: :ocean:

I decided to mix up the poultice blend that I got with my Tamed Wile subscription in November. It contains Comfrey & Arnica (do not apply to broken skin) & is used for aches, pains, wounds. Then you put them in cheesecloth or I used a dampened paper towel to apply to my knees & ankles when they were bothering me. (through the last couple of weeks of New England struggling over which season it wants to be involved with right now.)

It also came with herbal steam (natural Vicks for allergies & colds) that contains Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Wintergreen) & you steam the herbs & inhale the steam from the hot water.

I have been anxious today & through the weekend really, so before I made up my nest on the couch with my pup Alphie, I made up some tea :tea: using :herb: Chamomile Flowers, :hibiscus: Lavender, a honey stick :honey_pot: , & sugar with a quick drip of milk (I have to have milk in my teas, so Iā€™m working on not putting it in, Iā€™m down to just a drip :droplet: ā€¦ less than a splash really).

I hope everyone had a great time with their challenge entries! :confetti_ball:

Side note:@Amaris_Bane I have the Heart Chakra tea right now & the sabbat teas are usually really good too. I love their tea blends. :heart_eyes:

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Well, my tea challenge was pretty simple, but I did something different and explored in a new direction.

First, I fired up my chime fountain (ā€¦seems like ā€œwatered upā€ would make more sense, but anyway.

Then I prepared some space in my kitchen and used Franciscoā€™s Tea Ritual.

I drank my tea listening to the chimes and and quietly contemplating my treatment of myself and what I can do to be kinder to myself. I didnā€™t get around to making my kerfuffle, though one I am likely to try. Since today is Pi day, there is a blueberry pie behind the scenes :wink:

Finally, here is the set of 96 teas that I got at the work Christmas party. I tried the Vanilla Almond Black Tea for the ritual. It was surprisingly more flavorful than I expected. I think I may have been adding too much water.

The biodegradeable tea bags will be returned to the earth through my compost pile.

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When I was a little girl my mother would make weak tea and serve it in my Moss Rose Doll Dishes, which I still have. I also have a matching set of dinnerware I found at an antique store. I would have my favorite dolls sit down to tea with me. My mother fixed jelly rolls out of white bread spread with grape jelly. Crusts cut off and rolled up. Then she cut them in small circles. Such a lovely memory. She passed when I was eight years old.

In the picture, is one of my childhood books showing ā€˜coming to teaā€™. The grownup me now has tea in a special cup that my ā€˜chosenā€™ daughter sent to me for my birthday.

My favorite tea is:

Bengal Spice
Itā€™s so nice
Kind of sweet
What a treat.

Introduced to this tea by an artist friend probably 15 years ago. Still my favorite. Especially inviting on a cold morning. We serve at tea partiesā€¦. Yes we still do thatā€¦ but always with a little cream. Makes everything so nice.

The beauty of tea
are the memories
it brings back to me.
Blessed be!

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Your tea cup is Moss Rose design. My favorite.

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@Susurrus, yes! I have a couple of the sabbat teas and heart chakra from my subscription boxes. I love them so they usually donā€™t last long, lol. I did an order of larger quantity of the two mon teas because Iā€™ve had them with the subscriptions and loved them.

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This has been such a fun challenge! I am such a tea fanatic and do tea rituals almost daily. Some days I do coffee rituals instead, but even when I do, I still drink at least one cup of tea per day. I ordered some new teas specifically for the challenge, and I was thrilled that they arrived on Saturday! Someone mentioned a shop on Etsy (@mary25, maybe?) called Bohemian Tea Peddler, and I ordered a few of their teas. I had two tea firsts this week- a tea with rosemary (which wasnā€™t bad, but I wasnā€™t in love with it) and another one had mugwort, and that was just awful! I donā€™t know if I can drink that one again even though I have most of the bag left. I like the idea (it was a divination blend), but I just couldnā€™t stomach it.

I found my momā€™s china this week, which had been packed away in boxes for years. I hadnā€™t even remembered that there was an entire tea set in there! It was even lovelier than Iā€™d remembered, and it was nice to be able to connect with my mom through it. I miss her a ton, and it was just nice to have that extra level of closeness. There were also some of my favorite teacups in the box that I had purchased in antique stores and on eBay, and it has been fun to drink out of a new (old) one each day. Overall, this was an enjoyable challenge, and I loved reading everyoneā€™s posts!

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I tried a new tea today. I did not like it at all! It sounds good but the ingredient label is where I found it, Licorice!!! :face_with_raised_eyebrow: I donā€™t seem to like any tea with licorice in it. It is Krogers Private Selection brand.
IMG_20220315_002109

I made coffee and everything was good :wink:

:pentagram:

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This challenge is now CLOSED :exclamation:

Thank you so much to everyone who shared about their experiences with tea and infusions this week! :star2: Iā€™m working my way through reading all of the entries now, and wow- my notepad is out and Iā€™m jotting things down :writing_hand: . So many amazing tea blends to try, exciting infusion work, recipes and more- this challenge has been a delight to see, thank you all so much! :heart:


A Props and Presents post will soon appear with shout-outs and prize details. Please keep an eye on the main page of the forums.

Note : This post will remain open for continued discussion for a few more days, but no additional prizes will be given after today.

Blessed be! :tea::sparkles:

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@Amaris_Bane when the bulk tea order shows up from there, Iā€™m telling my husband it was your idea. :rofl: :wink:

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@Jessica72 What find, Jessica- congrats on your beautiful new teacup! :heart_eyes: And a huge congrats to you for giving Tasseography a try, it can be tricky to get the hang of at first (and I admit I still mess up the liquid to leaves ratio sometimes- sometimes the tea leaves just donā€™t want to cooperate! :laughing:). It sounds like you have a knack for it too, I can absolutely see that dollar sign loud and clear! :moneybag: And it sounds like there couldnā€™t have been a more appropriate card than Littlefinger to jump out of the deck for this reading- gosh, this deck really vibes with you, Jessica- you found a great one! :grinning: Thanks for sharing! :heart:

@LadyDennaRahl I love how you use teas and infusions as tools of healing in your practice, and what a lovely deep sleep recipe! :sleeping: Quick question- does ā€œlavender berryā€ refer to the lavender buds before opening? Iā€™ve never used this one before, very interesting! :star_struck: It sounds like a really lovely and soothing blend before bed- thank you so much for sharing, Charlaine! :heart:

@Eliza_01 Ohhh great finds, Eliza- nice haul of new teas! :heart: Chamomile is a favorite of mine, but in the chamomile/lavender blend I tried before the chamomile overpowered the lavender- I would love to hear what you think of this blend by Traditional Medicinals! And Motherā€™s Milk sounds interesting as well- I hope you enjoyed all your teas! :blush: And agreed, tea is special in meditations and extra special when enjoyed in tandem with others :handshake:

As for your Tasseography reading, Eliza- congrats! You really jumped in and gave it your all, and Iā€™m very impressed with your reading- and youā€™ve got a natural skill at finding symbols in the leaves and tea residue! :clap: Good luck researching the meanings, but if I may offer a friendly bit of advice- before you do so, Iā€™d look at each thing you found and examine what it means to you personally. If these things remind you any people, places, or memories. If not or if itā€™s vague, then jump into the traditional associations :grinning: :+1: Thanks for sharing!

@Mary25 I was hoping youā€™d enjoy the challenge, Mary- after all, it was your comment about being a ā€œTea Witchā€ that inspired this challenge and the accompanying badge, so thank you for your creative spark! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: It sounds like you had a lovely ritual at your altar (may it help you find the justice you seek :pray:) as well as the lovely spice blend you had later- yum! :yum::coffee: Thanks so much for sharing and wishing you the best with your justice spellwork!

@Phoenix_Fire You have a really lovely tea schedule, Danni- I think it is awesome how you incorporated the magickal properties of each day of the week with the tea of the day :calendar::tea: It is a beautiful tea practice you have going, and I think youā€™ve found some really lovely soothing teas as well :relieved: :tea: Hahaha I can image it is very tasty- youā€™ve got a great recipe! :yum: Great job exploring the theme this week, thank you so much for joinging challenge! :heart:

@Kasandra Maybe I am biased (I am haha) but I think every meditation is enhanced with a cup of tea :grinning: And hibiscus is such a warming and loving one to add to your meditating time! :hibiscus: :blush: Great job with your meditation work and also on your studies- stay strong, Kasandra, you are doing great and every day your goals become closer and closer, you can do it! :star2:

@Garnet Iā€™m always up for learning more about natural medicines and plant healing- thank you for sharing this, Garnet, I think it definitely relates to the theme of teas and infusions! :tea: The course sounds very interesting, Iā€™m learning bits about TCM here and there, but itā€™s certainly more on the backburner. Iā€™ll have to look into the class! Thanks for sharing :heart:

@Jeannie1 White chocolate peppermint tea sounds amazing, Jeannie- yum yum! :yum: And what a lovely tea ritual as well, may your spellwork help to invite in the prosperity and good luck that you seek :pray: Congrats on your tasseography too- thatā€™s a very good reading! As someone who works with Hecate, I think the crossroads, happy face, wind, and dog all point to a bright journey in good company, watched over by Hecate. It sounds like things are looking up for you, Jeannie, and Iā€™m sending you lots of warm thoughts and positive energy as you prepare for your move- many blessings! :house_with_garden: :sparkling_heart:

@Torista That is so neat how you used tea as a lens to explore your ancestry, Torista- what a creative idea! :heart_eyes: Tea is wonderful for both itā€™s unique forms across the globe, but also how it brings people together no matter where in the world they are- there is something delightfully universal about tea and how it brings people together :earth_asia: And it is all of these wonderful cultures and hertiages combined to make the wonderful you! :heart: Great reflection, thank you very much for sharing!

@Amethyst Everytime you share a blessing or chant I have to read through it a couple times- every time I do, I feel the emotion your words carry. I know I say it a lot, but you always have such amazing chants and blessings, Amethyst! :heart: Thank you for sharing this one, may every cup you drink be a blessed brew! :blush:

@Christine13 Dandelion Tea!!! :heart_eyes: Oh, what a great tea to explore- I love harvesting dandelions in the spring, they are one of my favorite plants of all time :sun_with_face: So strong, so tenacious, and also so useful in the kitchen! You have a beautiful harvest here, Christine- great work! May your dandelions become lovely oil, salve, and tea :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Enjoy, thanks for sharing!

@Rachel21 There is nothing at all wrong with adding honey or sugar to tea to make it palatable, Rachel- I had to drink tea with large amounts of sugar for years to be able to drink it at all! :joy: We all have our unique tastes and thereā€™s never anything wrong with making a food or drink compatible to your preferences :+1: That being said, Iā€™m really proud of you for exploring teas and giving new blends a try- congrats on finding what works best for you! :tada::heart: As for the mugwort- yeah, itā€™s better in the bath lol :laughing: Thank you so much for sharing- enjoy your new teas and blends, Rachel!

@Amaris_Bane Ohhh those all sound wonderful- looks like youā€™ve found a great reference book for medicinal and magickal teas! :blush: Thank you for sharing- I hope you enjoy the teas you got from Tamed Wild! :two_hearts:

@Debra2 Your owl tea steeper is so cute, Debra! He reminds me a lot of the DuoLingo Owl :owl: :books::laughing: I love him! Such a lovely tea recipe and ritual you put together, thank you for sharing both the ingredients and also their magickal properties, it is very helpful to learn from! :blush: Beautiful work and lovely blessing- so mote it be! :heart:

@Marsha You have a very kind heart to offer such love and light to the people of Ukraine, Marsha :ukraine: :heart_decoration: Beautifully chosen colors and elements to your tea ritual, as well as a lovely tea for soothing and calming :tea::blossom: Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt entry to the challenge- I am also praying that peace comes soon for all those affected by the terrible war :pray:

@Susurrus Bravo on your healing work this week, Siofra- everything looks so lovely! May all your wonderful new goodies and beautiful spellwork help to heal and soothe :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Thank you for sharing!

@anon87969570 Drinking blessed tea to the sound of chimes and meditating on self care sounds so nice- what a great thing to do for this challenge, Ron! And blueberry pie is probably just as good as kerfuffle, so good for you for treating yourself to something tasty and celebrating Pi Day :pie: :yum: I know tea isnā€™t your most favorite thing, so thank you for giving it a try. Iā€™m glad your Christmas teas are finding a purpose, and I hope you can find some blends that you enjoy! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Thanks so much for sharing your entry!

@Amber.8 The picture you shared along with your written experience is just full of warm nostalgia and happy feelings- my mom used to do something similar when I had a tough day as a kid. A lovely cup of tea in a favorite teacup served with yummy snacks- very happy memories indeed :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Thank you so much for sharing and also for your lovely tea rhymes- I really enjoy them! :heart:

@BrightBear Hooray for tea fanatics! :partying_face: And oohhh good for you for indulging in some exciting new tea blends! As for the mugwort, it seems like many of us are on the same train of thought about how it tastes haha- but no need to toss it, it makes a lovely spiritual bath blend! :bath: :sparkles: Iā€™m glad you rediscovered your motherā€™ss china and found some happy nostalgia in it :teapot: :heart: Thank you very much for joining the challenge and for your lovely entry!

@Sarafeena_Sage No worries, Sarall- I hated licorice for years! I actually still canā€™t tolerate the candy (blegh) but Iā€™ve come to a sort of compromise with licorice when itā€™s in tea and mixed with other herbs too. It sounds like it may have been overpowering in this blend, a shame! But good for you for trying a new tea- proud of you! :clap: Not all tea is good tea haha, and it sounds like you found your happy end to the challenge in a beloved cup of coffee, so it is all good :grinning: :coffee: Thanks so much for joining in the challenge!


The Props and Presents post for this week is now live and badges have been awarded to all entries!

Thanks again to everyone for joining in! :tea::heart:

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Aww, thank you for saying that. It makes me all warm and fuzzy!

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Advice very much welcomed, and needed, and will do! You definitely inspired me to do it, tea reading, thank you. Itā€™s truly an art and very joyful interactive experience!

ā€œ chamomile/lavender blend I tried before the chamomile overpowered the lavenderā€

About the chamomile overpowering the lavender. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, with that, I feel that will happen in what I purchased as well. Iā€™m going to return it (didnā€™t open it) and get just opt for a lavender tea.

Motherā€™s Milk, got it for the fennel, being it tastes like licorice (I enjoy itā€™s weird taste) but there was no licorice blends, so it was second choice. Itā€™s a nice tea. Used it in last week group meditation. For this challenge was reading a bit on licorice, itā€™s pretty cool. Iā€™m going to share a post about licorice (even explore itā€™s magical properties as well, if any) but just for informative purposes.

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Good morning beautiful.
I swear, Iā€™ve seen this style cup. Is there any printing on the bottom?
It appears to be very old and you definitely have a treasure there.
You may also have a very valuable treasure. Let me know, Iā€™ve been searching online with no luck
much love.
Garnet

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TheTravelWitch_Bry
Thank you lovely girl.
much love
Garnet

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