🍵 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Tea & Infusions

[Susurrus]

Challenge Entry

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 using Chamomile Flowers, Lavender, a honey stick , & sugar with a quick drip of milk (I have to have milk in my teas, so I’m working on not putting it in, I’m down to just a drip … less than a splash really).

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

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.

[anon87969570]

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 (…seems like “watered up” would make more sense, but anyway.

Then I prepared some space in my kitchen and used Francisco’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 didn’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

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.

[Amber.8]

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 ‘coming to tea’. The grownup me now has tea in a special cup that my ‘chosen’ daughter sent to me for my birthday.

My favorite tea is:

Bengal Spice
It’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 parties…. Yes we still do that… but always with a little cream. Makes everything so nice.

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

[Amber.8]

Your tea cup is Moss Rose design. My favorite.

[Amaris_Bane]

@Susurrus, yes! I have a couple of the sabbat teas and heart chakra from my subscription boxes. I love them so they usually don’t last long, lol. I did an order of larger quantity of the two mon teas because I’ve had them with the subscriptions and loved them.

[BrightBear]

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 wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t in love with it) and another one had mugwort, and that was just awful! I don’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 couldn’t stomach it.

I found my mom’s china this week, which had been packed away in boxes for years. I hadn’t even remembered that there was an entire tea set in there! It was even lovelier than I’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 everyone’s posts!

[Sarafeena_Sage]

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!!! I don’t seem to like any tea with licorice in it. It is Krogers Private Selection brand.

I made coffee and everything was good

[BryWisteria]

This challenge is now CLOSED

Thank you so much to everyone who shared about their experiences with tea and infusions this week! I’m working my way through reading all of the entries now, and wow- my notepad is out and I’m jotting things down . 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!

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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!

[Susurrus]

@Amaris_Bane when the bulk tea order shows up from there, I’m telling my husband it was your idea.

[BryWisteria]

@Jessica72 What find, Jessica- congrats on your beautiful new teacup! 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 don’t want to cooperate! ). It sounds like you have a knack for it too, I can absolutely see that dollar sign loud and clear! And it sounds like there couldn’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! Thanks for sharing!

@LadyDennaRahl I love how you use teas and infusions as tools of healing in your practice, and what a lovely deep sleep recipe! Quick question- does “lavender berry” refer to the lavender buds before opening? I’ve never used this one before, very interesting! It sounds like a really lovely and soothing blend before bed- thank you so much for sharing, Charlaine!

@Eliza_01 Ohhh great finds, Eliza- nice haul of new teas! 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 Mother’s Milk sounds interesting as well- I hope you enjoyed all your teas! And agreed, tea is special in meditations and extra special when enjoyed in tandem with others

As for your Tasseography reading, Eliza- congrats! You really jumped in and gave it your all, and I’m very impressed with your reading- and you’ve got a natural skill at finding symbols in the leaves and tea residue! Good luck researching the meanings, but if I may offer a friendly bit of advice- before you do so, I’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 it’s vague, then jump into the traditional associations Thanks for sharing!

@Mary25 I was hoping you’d enjoy the challenge, Mary- after all, it was your comment about being a “Tea Witch” that inspired this challenge and the accompanying badge, so thank you for your creative spark! It sounds like you had a lovely ritual at your altar (may it help you find the justice you seek ) as well as the lovely spice blend you had later- yum! 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 It is a beautiful tea practice you have going, and I think you’ve found some really lovely soothing teas as well Hahaha I can image it is very tasty- you’ve got a great recipe! Great job exploring the theme this week, thank you so much for joinging challenge!

@Kasandra Maybe I am biased (I am haha) but I think every meditation is enhanced with a cup of tea And hibiscus is such a warming and loving one to add to your meditating time! 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!

@Garnet I’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! The course sounds very interesting, I’m learning bits about TCM here and there, but it’s certainly more on the backburner. I’ll have to look into the class! Thanks for sharing

@Jeannie1 White chocolate peppermint tea sounds amazing, Jeannie- 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 Congrats on your tasseography too- that’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 I’m sending you lots of warm thoughts and positive energy as you prepare for your move- many blessings!

@Torista That is so neat how you used tea as a lens to explore your ancestry, Torista- what a creative idea! Tea is wonderful for both it’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 And it is all of these wonderful cultures and hertiages combined to make the wonderful you! 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! Thank you for sharing this one, may every cup you drink be a blessed brew!

@Christine13 Dandelion Tea!!! Oh, what a great tea to explore- I love harvesting dandelions in the spring, they are one of my favorite plants of all time 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 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! We all have our unique tastes and there’s never anything wrong with making a food or drink compatible to your preferences That being said, I’m really proud of you for exploring teas and giving new blends a try- congrats on finding what works best for you! As for the mugwort- yeah, it’s better in the bath lol Thank you so much for sharing- enjoy your new teas and blends, Rachel!

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

@Debra2 Your owl tea steeper is so cute, Debra! He reminds me a lot of the DuoLingo Owl 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! Beautiful work and lovely blessing- so mote it be!

@Marsha You have a very kind heart to offer such love and light to the people of Ukraine, Marsha Beautifully chosen colors and elements to your tea ritual, as well as a lovely tea for soothing and calming 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

@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 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 I know tea isn’t your most favorite thing, so thank you for giving it a try. I’m glad your Christmas teas are finding a purpose, and I hope you can find some blends that you enjoy! 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 Thank you so much for sharing and also for your lovely tea rhymes- I really enjoy them!

@BrightBear Hooray for tea fanatics! 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! I’m glad you rediscovered your mother’ss china and found some happy nostalgia in it 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 can’t tolerate the candy (blegh) but I’ve come to a sort of compromise with licorice when it’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! 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 Thanks so much for joining in the challenge!

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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!

[Amethyst]

@BryWisteria

@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! Thank you for sharing this one, may every cup you drink be a blessed brew!

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

[Eliza_01]

@BryWisteria

I’d look at each thing you found and examine what it means to you personally.

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

“ chamomile/lavender blend I tried before the chamomile overpowered the lavender”

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. I’m going to return it (didn’t open it) and get just opt for a lavender tea.

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

[Garnet]

Good morning beautiful.
I swear, I’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, I’ve been searching online with no luck
much love.
Garnet

[Garnet]

TheTravelWitch_Bry
Thank you lovely girl.
much love
Garnet

[jessica72]

Good morning @Garnet. Unfortunately no my little teacup is not an antique piece of one of the greats like Royal Worcester, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, Royal Copenhagen, Spode, Wedgwood or Minton. I would love to own such a treasure in an antique. Upon buying my little teacup I truly admire just how pretty they actually are. I will truly appreciate them and admire them more when I am out antiquing.

It’s just a humble little piece of Morgan and Finch from Bed, Bath and Table (In the US I think its Bed Bath and Beyond). I did like it because it had an old look antique vibe about it.

We do have a lot of antique porcelain and ceramics in the house… just not in the form of teacups… all our Royal Doulton, Beswick, Royal Worcester, and Royal Copenhagen etc. are dachshund shaped. Mum collects ceramic dachshunds.

So we are always popping into antique shops on the hunt. For mum’s ceramic dachshunds and scent/perfume bottles for me. I honestly wouldn’t mind starting an antique teacup collection now. I have just fallen in love with them as an object. They are so pretty. I wish that the antique ones could talk and tell us their stories.

MISS_Miss Tea Party Tea Cup & Saucer / Blue/Pink Terraz

[Garnet]

Still, like you, lovely.
G

[Sarafeena_Sage]

I don’t think I could ever get where I could tolerate that taste! Did you see the info @Garnet posted about licorice? Maybe it should be skipped! Well definitely if you’re over 40 anyway. I think I will just stick to saying I don’t like it lol

[BryWisteria]

@Eliza_01

You definitely inspired me to do it, tea reading, thank you. It’s truly an art and very joyful interactive experience!

I feel very honored, Eliza- thank you for giving tea reading a try!

I won’t say anything bad about other methods of divination (and I do love tarot very much too!) but there’s just something about tea leaf readings that is so warm, comforting, and homey- I am really happy that you enjoy it too!

As for the tea, perhaps I just have a heightened sensitivity to chamomile, but I often find it to overpower more subtle flavors. If you’re looking for lavender, a lavender-only tea will likely be your best bet to get that soothing, light flavor Good luck and I hope you can find exactly what you are hoping for!

Thank you for the info about the Mother’s Milk blend, it’s interesting to learn about! And yes please, if you feel called to writing about licorice, you are very welcome to do so. I’ll look forward to read about your thoughts on it!

@Garnet

Thank you lovely girl.
much love

The pleasure is mine, Garnet- much love back to you too!

@Sarafeena_Sage

Did you see the info Garnet posted about licorice?

Ohhh nope, not yet- I’ll have to go check it out ! I know licorice is a no-no for anyone with high blood pressure, but as someone with low blood pressure (as well as GERD), it’s actually recommended for me to take licorice haha.

That being said, it is a flavor like a boot to the head (lol) so I completely understand when people avoid it, either for taste or health reasons

Drink what makes you happy and makes you feel good!

[LissaMay222]

Thank you for the reference! @Garnet