letter of reverence (tea)

~Tea as healer~

I have been concocting my own brew from wild things around the yard (yarrow, rosehip, raspberry) and spearmint grown in the flowerbed, and it is boosting my immune system:



Tea heals body, mind and spirit.

Green tea can lack flavour, so I tossed in a handful of last fall's rosehips to liven it up a little. 

Tip: don't let green tea brew more than five minutes or it becomes bitter.

My friend Luanne gave me this cool curvy teacup and saucer. 

Wild bergamot grows in roadside ditches and a few fresh leaves can be thrown into your everyday tea. According to Kahlee Keane's The Standing People, "Those of you partial to Earl Grey tea, put a few bergamot leaves in with any store-bought tea and they will impart that special flavour."

Wild bergamot is a member of the mint family and has its square stem. The folk name for wild bergamot is beebalm.

Loose black tea was brewed with yarrow and rosehips gathered around my yard.

Wild yarrow, freshly picked from a flowerbed where it volunteers itself each summer. These flowers fresh or dried, steeped in hot water with, say, some peppermint leaves and/or a few rosehips, seem to kickstart your recovery from a cold or any respiratory affliction. Yarrow is found growing wild in fields and ditches; just avoid picking it from spots where there has been a lot of traffic (i.e. exhaust fumes from passing vehicles).

"Medicinally, yarrow fills many roles. It is a strong, soothing diaphoretic when taken as a hot infusion. By increasing body temperature, opening skin pores, stimulating perspiration, and equalizing the circulation, yarrow is one of the most valuable herbs for treating colds and fevers. The leaves are a 'bitter,' promoting clearance of estrogen from the body through increased urine flow. The flowers have a regulating effect on the menstrual cycle. When applied externally in a salve, yarrow heals tissues and acts as an anti-inflammatory." - Kahlee Keane, The Standing People

A teaspoon of loose darjeeling tea that Scott's sister brought back from India on a recent trip there, with half a dozen of last fall's dried rosehips thrown in, and this steeped beverage is invigorating as well as good for you. Rose hips contain vitamin C.


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I don't read tea leaves, more's the pity. 
I do read TAROT CARDS.