Tea number five in the ‘As Above, So Below‘ collection is ‘Contemplation’ herbal tea. Contemplation was concocted to enhance the Vishuddha chakra–the throat chakra–and bring about a state of thoughtfulness and meditation.
Vishuddha Chakra
The Vishuddha chakra is the first of the spiritual chakras, bringing universal energy to your voice and expression. It is this chakra that both allows and benefits from speaking your truth. It expands your consciousness, helps you sing, communicate, create, and connects you to your inner self. Words have power, and choosing your words with honesty and compassion maintains the strength and clarity of the Vishuddha chakra.
Each ingredient in Contemplation tea contains a little medicine and a little magic. I’m not here to talk about the more farfetched claims surrounding any of these herbs; studies have been done about each of them that talk about preventing cancer or other major diseases, but we’re not going to go there. Please do not use herbal tea in place of actual advice or prescriptions from your doctor, and remember to check if any medication you are taking could react with the ingredients in the tea.
Bay Leaf
Bay leaf is a perennial shrub of the laurel family, and has been used for thousands of years as a food flavourer and a traditional medicine. It has antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antibacterial properties, and some people use it as insect repellant. Bay leaf contains linalool, which some studies say can act on the central nervous system as an antidepressant agent.
Magically speaking, bay leaf doesn’t rest on its laurels; people use it for protection, purification, good luck, and boosting psychic powers. Placing it under your pillow is said to bring on prophetic dreams, and carrying a leaf on your person is protection from dark magic.
Calendula
Calendula has been a popular medicinal tea for a long time. It can be applied externally to burns and wounds, or one can drink it to sooth the digestive system. Calendula has antimicrobial and antifungal properties to aid in healing infections and injuries. It is also known to be anti-inflammatory, which can help muscle soreness and bruising when applied topically.
Its magical properties include protection, especially in legal matters, and boosting of spiritual and psychic powers. Added to a bath, it boosts confidence. It is used in dream magic and divination, and its seeds are sown to solve misunderstandings between partners.
Rosemary
Rosemary is also high in manganese, and contains carnosic acid, a powerful antioxidant. It has antinociceptive and neuroprotective properties, and clinically has shown effects on learning, anxiety, memory, mood, and sleep.
Metaphysically, it is used for good health, memory improvement, and purification. It may be included in dream pillows to prevent nightmares, and used in love and lust spells; exercise caution and remember always to have consent. It is better to work love spells on your own person to induce self-love than to cast them on unsuspecting objects of affection.
Sage
Sage contains important minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and copper, and is high in vitamin K. It has antioxidant properties as well, helping protect cells from damage via small amounts of vitamins A, C, and E, and rosmarinic acid. One study using sage as mouthwash showed it to have antimicrobial properties as well, successfully reducing the colony count of streptococcus mutans , the bacteria that makes plaque.
The magic of sage is similar across many cultures; it’s used for purification and removal of negative energy. Some people carry it to improve wisdom and increase mental abilities and health. Sage burning for purification is a highly appropriated practice in witchy communities, so I’ve made sure the sage in my tea is ethically harvested, and not the kind of sage that the indigenous people of Turtle Island use for smudging.
What's in the Box
When you purchase Contemplation herbal tea at my massage therapy studio, you’ll get a cute paper pillow box with a sigil on the label. Each box contains one small tea bag with 1 teaspoon of loose tea, and one large tea bag with 2 teaspoons of loose tea. I created the sigil to infuse the contents of the box with introspective energy directed at the person who uses the tea. The tea bags, tea, box, and labels are all compostable.
How to Use
Contemplation herbal tea is a savoury-sweet tea with an earthy, floral scent, inviting meditation and reverie. This tea might taste odd with sweetener added, so I usually add epsom salt or sea salt to the tub, and a little pinch of sea salt to the tea. If you are feeling extra witchy, drop a stone like lapis lazuli or turquoise in your bath for a little more throat chakra magic (I don’t recommend adding stones to your tea; some crystals are water soluble and not good for drinking).
Because it is soup outside and not weather, try taking a cool bath with this tea instead. Simply find two glass jars with lids, fill both with water, and drop a tea bag in each jar. Seal the jars and let them steep at room temperature overnight (perhaps on your windowsill under the moon? It will be full soon) or for at least 18 hours. You might want to put them in the fridge once they’re steeped for a little extra cryotherapy magic. Then, pour a lukewarm or cool bath, dump the bath tea jar in the tub, and either drink the other tea straight from the jar, or pour into a fancy cup or mug to drink from.
Hydrotherapy wisdom teaches us that soaking in a salt bath for longer than 20 minutes will reduce the medicinal aspect of your soak. I’ve measured the tea bag for your cup to make a smallish cup of tea, because drinking too much hot beverage in a hot bath can be dangerous for your thermoregulation. Remember the hydrotherapy gods? They’re still watching. Please bathe responsibly.