Tea & Spirituality

While the exact origins of tea drinking are unknown, most sources point to ancient China and Emperor Shennong, who is commonly credited with unintentionally discovering the concept of tea when a leaf fell into his water as it boiled. Over time, drinking tea evolved from medicinal purposes, to social purposes, and is now commonly done for both. 

Tea as a whole represents refinement, introspection, and the beauty of every day life. In literature, tea is often a symbol of peace, hospitality, and social grace. The four core fundamentals within Japanese tea ceremonies are Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility. Drinking tea provides a way to slow down, center oneself, find peace and balance, and reconnect with nature. This has allowed tea to become a cornerstone of not only cultural practices, but of spiritual practices as well. It offers a way to quiet the mind, and center the soul. Tea certainly reminds us of the importance of keeping our inner selves warm with passion for our beliefs and intentions, all while taking time to pause and reflect on life's simple moments. 

Tea magic combines the intentional brewing of herbs, flowers, and spices to promote healing, protection, transformation, and divination. 

Preparing tea involves each of the natural elements: Earth provides the leaves, Water acts as the solvent, Fire boils the water, and Air cools and steeps the tea. In Wuxing philosophy, the element of Wood is also incorporated by the tea plant itself. It also engages the five senses: Sight to admire the shape of tea leaves, Taste when drinking, Smelling the scent of the leaves and herbs, Touch when noticing the leaf texture, Sounds of boiling and pouring water and even kettle whistles. 

When practicing tea magic, intention setting and mindful meditation are done while brewing and drinking the tea. As water pours, visualize and meditate on the concept of your intentions filling your cup. When drinking, drink mindfully to absorb the intention. 

Ritual brewing may involve creating a sacred space and using specific tools to enhance the magic. Select ingredients that correspond with your intention, or use loose tea (you can cut open tea bags) within other spells and rituals. Charge your tea accordingly: stir clockwise to attract, and counterclockwise to banish.

Some things to consider when practicing tea magic:

• the type of tea and herbs used: different types of tea have different properties, same for herbs
• the vessel and tools you use: your cup, pot, saucer, spoon, etc. - all these can hold spiritual weight to you if you'd like
• how you prepare: how you prepare your space, the steps you plan to follow, incorporating other potential elements like candles, cloth, etc. 
• the words and symbology used: words have power; you can use a mantra, affirmations, sigils, runes, or other words and symbols in your magic

**Yes, iced tea can also be used in tea magic. The cold preparation of iced tea (solar infusion) can align with intentions of cooling, relaxation, and to match energies of the summer season. 

Tasseography

The ancient fortune-telling practice of reading and interpreting tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments, for divination purposes. As popular as tea is across cultures, reading the leaves is just as popular, though probably most commonly thought of in Romani practices. 

The art of reading tea leaves evolved into new ways of divination, including readings from splattered candle wax, lead, and even jewelry charms. 

The Process

A cup of tea would be made using loose-leafed tea (tea that is not held in a bag) and then drank until there is only a small amount of liquid left. The cup is then swirled three times and then upended onto its saucer to drain the remaining liquid. Once drained, the cup is righted and the shapes of the tea leaves are then revealed and read.

The handle of the cup represents the seeker; the one who's fortune is being read. The rim of the cup represents the near future, and the bottom of the cup represents the distant future and deepest issues. The walls of the cup thus provide a gradual timeline of future events. In some practices, the cup is viewed as an astrological chart,  and the placement of the leaves connecting to the corresponding astrological sign. 

Interpretation

There seems to be no set interpretation for the shapes that are seen in tea leaves. Some interpretations are very literal, and some are much more symbolic. A few common categories of symbols include: 

• Animals - usually representing fears, or a comforting presence
• Objects - usually representing daily life
• Nature - usually representing influences
• People/body parts - usually representing specific people that play a role in the future event
• Numbers - usually represent time, date, or place

While a simple tea cup can be used in this process, some tasseographs prefer to use a specific fortune telling cup that better labels the parts of the cup and saucer for easier readings.

Reflection

• What tea ritual would you like to incorporate in your spiritual practices?
• How else can you incorporate tea into your practice?
• What teas would you like to try?

** For all my non-tea drinking readers, stay tuned for Coffee Magic!

Navigating A Negative Witchcraft

As with everything else in life, the craft also has its own light and dark. There’s a million articles you can read about white vs black magic, but I want to take a look at a different duality of witchcraft: the duality of its reputation. Throughout history, the negative reputation witchcraft carries stems mostly from religious persecution, scapegoating, misconceptions, and a lot of misunderstandings. 

• RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION: historically Christianity viewed magic performed outside of the church as something to be feared, even associating it with working with the devil, and “reverse Christianity.” Various other religions share similar views of witchcraft, but Christianity is arguably the most notable. 
• SCAPEGOATING: historically witchcraft has been used to explain misfortunes such as illness, death, crop failure, and more. This has historically led to many people accusing community members of baneful witchcraft – the Salem Witch Trials are a good example. 
• MISCONCEPTIONS: the incorrect understands of things like “black magic” and the “dark arts” drives home the idea of devil worship, and evil practices. Misunderstandings of cultural practices also play a huge part in fueling the negative reputation of witchcraft. 

Satanic Panic & Witchcraft Hysteria 

In the not so distant past and even in present times, depictions of witchcraft are often shown in negative light. We see an overarching concept of witches in literature and media as the villain – Hansel and Gretel, the Wizard of Oz, Macbeth, Maleficent, The Little Mermaid, The Blair Witch Project, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. Evil witches usually embody chaos, unchecked power, and often act as an archetypal villain to test and

challenge heroes with manipulation and “dark magic.” In the 80s and 90s we see this negative view of witchcraft hit a peak with the Satanic Panic. For those not familiar, the Satanic Panic was a widespread moral panic across the globe that was based on unsubstantiated rumors that organized Satanic cults were engaged in immoral ritualistic practices. This panic was widely fueled by media sensationalism and unreliable testimony, with consequences that mimic those of the Salem Witch Trials, and other historical witch trials and persecutions. It can be speculated that the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson had a hand in fueling these rumors – connecting immoral acts with demon possession and devil worship. 

 

Modern Witch Hunting 

Today, we are finding ourselves coming to another peak of evil witchcraft hysteria. While the persecution of witchcraft is no new concept, it is still a huge problem around the world. 

• Saudi Arabia – has an official Anti-Witchcraft Unit 
• Tanzania – over 600 elderly women were killed for witchcraft between 2011 and 2012 
• Gambia – former dictator Yahya Jamme had those he believed were witches tortured and killed, until he stepped down as dictator in 2017 
• Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Uganda, and India – mobs often burn those they deem are witches, going so far as to chase away local authorities if they try to intervene 
• Ghana – Akua Denteh was beaten to death after being accused of witchcraft in 2020 
• Democratic Republic of Congo – ostracizes those accused of witchcraft from communities, sometimes even subjecting them to torture and rape

While physically violent witch hunting is not as common in the US, the hysteria is still present. Modernized witch hunting now regularly includes digital witch hunting, which uses a metaphorical torch-bearing mob approach to destroy reputations and “cancel”

witchcraft practitioners. This isn’t just an act of speaking out against witchcraft, its weaponized cancel culture and pressure to silence. In fact, back in 2014, FOX News made multiple jabs at Wiccans, backing themselves with harmful stereotypes.

What complicates this further is the continued negative reputation of witchcraft. While older (even ancient) witchcraft practices may have included unethical or immoral practices, the majority of modern witchcraft does not. Witchcraft is not tied to one spiritual practice, and will mirror the spiritual morals of the person practicing it. It is far too easy to follow the pattern of scapegoating and blame witchcraft for misfortune, and lumping immoral practices as a commonality of witchcraft. The horrors we hear about in our world today have, and will be put on witchcraft. It is much too difficult to come to terms with the idea of people being capable of truly evil things without the driving force of something supernatural. In reality, people are fully capable – witchcraft or not.

Further Reading on Witch Hunts Today:

Warding Off Witch Hunting

Witch Hunts: A Global Problem In The 21st Century 

The Once and Future Witch Hunts

End Witch Hunts

Modern Witch Hunts in America

Witchcraft and Human Rights

Witchcraft Bias 

The misconceptions and scapegoating that surrounds witchcraft are often founded in biasness. 

• ABLEISM: In many countries, witchcraft is seen as the explanation for diseases like HIV/AIDS, and physical deformities – these ailments often seen as curses by someone untouched by the same ailments. 
• POVERTY: witchcraft associated with crop failure, natural disasters, and harsh weather, are directly related to countries and cultures where these things severely impact livelihood. Witches are also often portrayed as an impoverished old woman, living below her means and improvising to make ends meet. Many “witches” throughout time were women of medicine who used Eastern medicinal practices like herbal remedies, acupuncture, and meditation – using means and ingredients they could find for cheap or free from scavenging. The concept of evil witches living in the woods were tales to deter people (mostly women) from scavenging for these resources, and push consumerism in local markets. 
• AGEISM: portraying witches as poor ugly old women, often described as “hags” with physical marks associated with aging (wrinkles, warts, discolored skin, grey hair). 
• SEXISM: there’s a weird sexism that plays into the negative reputation of witchcraft. Often times female witches are depicted as evil villainous creatures, while male witches are depicted as wise sorcerers who aid heroes with wisdom and divination. In fact, the stories of King Arthur have both depictions: Merlin and Morgan le Fey. Yes, I am saying the negative reputation of witchcraft has ties to the patriarchy. 
• RACISM: we see this more clearly with neopagan witchcraft getting more spotlight. The concept of what is considered “light magic” vs “dark magic” not only alludes to racism in that description alone, but when people think of “light magic” they think of positive happy practices – often using Wicca as an example – with moral concepts that focus on putting out positivity, like the rule of 3, and are predominantly white practitioners. Whereas when “dark magic” is discussed, it is described as evil or ill-intent, even vengeful – often using Hoodoo/Voodoo as an example, which are predominantly practiced by BIPOC. Even common deities are commonly associated this way; soft, gentle, and beautiful deities are often associated with predominantly white practices, while aggressive, vengeful, or “angry” deities are often associated with predominantly BIPOC practices.

Combating Witch Hunt Hysteria 

 So how do we combat this negative reputation? There are many organizations who have

taken up this fight, but how do we as individuals handle it? 

• Education: educating the public on the history of witchcraft and witch hunts can help dismantle myths and misunderstandings. 
• Reclaiming/Redefining Witchcraft: modern witchcraft is shifting away from a negative and malicious stereotype, and moving towards a narrative of empowerment, healing, and connection to nature. Embracing “witch” as a source of personal and spiritual power, reduces its connotations of a negative label. 
• Ethical Role Models: while I would never tell a non-Wiccan to follow the rule of 3, you can still practice ethically and maintain a good moral compass, showing others a witchcraft that isn’t inherently evil. 
• Normalization: social media visibility has drastically helped normalize witchcraft practices, and allowed more open discussions about it. It allows visibility into the self-reflection and growth part of witchcraft without it being shadowed completely by spellwork. 
• Transparency: being transparent about mundane or spiritual tools and practices helps break down fears and quiet misconceptions. It also allows for knowledge growth into cultural practices that many would otherwise never learn. This transparency will also distinguish between actual witchcraft, and fictional (sometimes also over glamourized) witchcraft. 

When we shift the narrative of witchcraft away from a villainous archetype, and instead highlight the modern practices, we can change the way we are perceived.

This Earth is Precious - by Chief Seattle

In 1854 the "Great White Chief" in Washington mad an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a "reservation" for the Indian people. Chief Seattle's reply has been described as the most beautiful and profound statement on the environment ever made.

The Earth is Precious

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. 

If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

All Sacred

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people.

Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us.

The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers.

The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man - all belong to the same family.

Not Easy

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves.

He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land.

But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. 

This shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors.

If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. 

The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

Kindness

The rivers are our brothers; they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

We know that the white man does not understand our ways. I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways. 

The sight of your cities pains the eye of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand. 

There is not quiet place in white man's cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect's wings. 

But perhaps it is because I am a savage and do not understand.

The clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand.

The Indian prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with the pinion pine.

Precious

The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man. They all share the same breath.

But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.

And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers.

One Condition

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make on condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers. 

I am a savage and I do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive. 

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to the man. All things are connected.

The Ashes

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet are the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know: the earth does not belong to man; man belong
s to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny.

We may be brothers after all.