“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the Earth revolves–slowly, evenly, without rushing towards the future.” Thich Nhat Hanh
I drink tea every day, and I share a small sake cup of tea with my ancestors too. I have been doing this every day since December 2023.
I wasn’t always so friendly with my tea. I thought: oh this will be a waste of my good tea leaves! So, I only shared a mug of tea with the spirits on special occasions, such as if I needed help with divination or had a special prayer request. While I gave those offerings genuinely, over time I was angry because it felt like a waste of something very precious to me.
Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked when I realized I could share more easily with a sake cup. I do it with human guests if I happen to be already drinking a tea when a friend comes to the door. If I can do it with my human guests, then why not with spirits?
Let me tell you, the spirits and ancestors were thrilled.
(And they have all sorts of opinions about tea now.)
However, I encountered a rather amusing problem: my blood ancestors from the past two generations, and likely more ancestors besides, had no idea what I was drinking. I largely drink loose leaf Japanese sencha and gyokuro using a kyusu teapot, with the occasional chai or herbal tisane. My most recent ancestors seemed to be muttering, “What the hel is this? Where are our tea bags? Why don’t you put milk in your tea, grandson?”
The ancestors certainly breathed a sigh of relief whenever I offered them a Yorkshire black tea, an Earl Grey, or a simple tisane like mint or lavender. (They still do that, in fact, even though I have exposed them to many new and exciting teas!)
I came up with an easy solution: to explain each tea when I offered it, offer commentary on taste or caffeine content (as gyokuro is quite potent), and remark on any unusual qualities (such as the oxidization process of oolong, as I explained to them just this morning!).
(As I wrote this, I drank a lovely organic Japanese oolong tea called Shiro Gifu. It is from Ryca Tea. It was a gift from a friend–thanks R!)
When I offer the tea to my ancestors, I will occasionally update them on family gossip news, and pray for strength or protection.
I will add–I am now much more comfortable offering a full mug of loose leaf tea. I used to grate my teeth at the expense, but if I am ordering 50g of a given tea at a time, with 10-15 or more different types of tea on hand at any given moment, it is not actually that hard or pricey to offer a full mug of tea. My pride took a beating, but I learned the lesson eventually–sharing is caring!
I am, in fact, unsure if the ancestors enjoy drinking new teas, but I hope so. It’s important to me to integrate ancestor veneration in daily activity, and since I am pouring myself some tea every day, why not share it with the dead? I shared this practice with my mentor recently, as she lamented losing touch with her dead due to switching up her coffee routine from one brewing method to another (forgive me, but I don’t remember the details as I am not much of a coffee drinker–I think she switched the type of coffee pot?). I reminded her of what she had told me several years ago:
What’s the simplest thing you can offer?
She realized she could occasionally go back to her old routine a few times a week, or try to pour out a little of her newly-brewed coffee for her dead. The dead like it when we think of them, so if we can bring them to mind in small actions, it is to our benefit and theirs.
When I drink beer, I try to remember to make my first sip a little toast to whichever god, goddess, spirit, non-human kin, or ancestor is on my mind that day. This doesn’t always work, as sometimes I am toasting someone or something in a social group. But it is still a gentle moment of presence and attention to the spirits in my mind. So lately, I have been wondering if I could do that with my tea. I am still experimenting with this–ought I honour one specific spirit, such as Queen Guinevere (whom, as May Queen, I associate with many flowers and herbs that make up a good tisane), or any one that comes to mind? And, of course, being human, I simply often forget to do this. But, a practice is a practice for a reason! I will remember with time.
I also often pour out the last bit of beer in the can or tea in the pitcher in thanks to my house spirits. (I occasionally thank other spirits as well, but it’s usually the house wights in thanks for healthy frith in my household.)
International Tea Day is May 21st so I like to use the day to make an offering of thanks to the spirits of tea. I briefly thought about honouring Inari, the Japanese kami of tea, but Shintoism requires such structure and ritual materials, that I would muddle the appropriate process of honouring such a powerful kami. So instead, I honour Queen Guinevere, as (gnosis ahead) the Faerie Queen who enjoys small comforts, especially a nice warm mug of tea. Upon reflection, one could also take the animist view and honour the plant Camellia Sinensis instead, to thank it for all the wisdom, calm, and joy it has brought humanity over the centuries. (You could even attempt to get tea drunk to celebrate!) One could also make a point to buy fair trade tea on that day to support sustainable livelihoods in tea-producing countries. You could also support the Inuit of North America by buying some of their tisanes.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this peek into my tea-cult! I hope it inspires you to share tea with someone–be they human or spirit!
Cardinal Streamstone 