 |
| Tea as an Offering |
Tea is a wonderful thing. It’s one of my favorite beverages and there’s something deeply soothing, healing, and even spiritual to it. Indeed, many cultures have surrounding tea drinking with ceremony. What about Druids?
Based on how many folk remedies from Europe involve herbal tisanes, I don’t doubt that Druids knew about hot infusions. Who knows if they ever tasted actual tea plants from Asia. Many modern Druids, on the other hand, love tea. Black, green, white, red, herbal… Yum, yum! The Maple Tree: Canadian Druidry recently posted about how tea is such an important part of the author’s hospitality (an extremely important virtue to Druidism)*. It made me contemplate the other ways Druids (or Pagans in general) can use tea. Healing, calming, tasseomancy, hospitality….
A few days ago, I had a nasty headache but I couldn’t sleep. I like to keep busy so I found some sewing to do. Now, whenever I do arts and crafts, I make offerings to Brighid as she is my patroness and deeply connected to inspiration and craftsmanship. I usually light her some incense but I was worried it would aggravate my head. I was in the process of brewing myself a cup of tea to help alleviate my pain, and I thought it would be perfectly appropriate to make a cup for Brighid. I used a small cup I have and some dried, floral herbs for the offering to be sure a pleasant scent rose to her on the steam. It really is a wonderful offering for a deity associated with flame and healing waters! I usually make offerings of “fiery” scented incense – cinnamons, amber, etc. Perhaps next time, I will make a cinnamon flavored tea for her! I will certainly be on the lookout for a special teacup for Brighid.
* The Maple Tree's entry also goes into how to brew an excellent cup of tea in the British tradition. Some great tips there! I also encourage you to read about the many other ways different cultures prepare tea. The ritual behind it all is so interesting.
Author M. A. Phillips 
Reblogged this on Adventures and Musings of a Hedgewitch and commented:
I like this. A cup of tea for Brighid.
I think this is a really interesting concept. I know sometimes I leave coffee for Ares in the morning. I like to think even gods need a pick-me-up sometimes
Thanks for sharing! I know a few people who have a cup of coffee with their ancestors in the mornings.
I love this idea! I like to offer whatever I can, and some days I don’t have time for ‘traditional’ offerings. This seems more meaningful as well, in certain ways.
Precicly the reason I am going to be adding herbal teas to my website soon!
Wonderful!
That is such an awesome idea! I usually say a small prayer to Her whenever I start creative things, or (if I can–house mate doesn’t like incense at all) light some incense for Her. But herbal tea–especially sweet smelling–is a great idea! I may have to borrow that~ 😀
Publishers have obsessively churned out memoirs over the
past several years, but among shelves of mostly bland, self-righteous and poorly written duds, Tammet’s
book soars. When the head of your electric toothbrush needs to be replaced you only need to
buy a new head for the electric toothbrush. I have a friend, Barry, who spends time pondering questions that wouldn’t even occur to normal folks.
When you use the air, to say, inflate a tire it comes out of
the air tank. With the reservoir filled, plug the
spray gun into either an electrical outlet or an air compressor.
The longer that you use for tools for, the bigger tank
size you want to have.
The grid can usually be mounted at different heights. They do
not disappoint when it comes to durability. Get rid of the debris that
is clogging it and test the igniter again.